Carol and I have decided that if there is some place on this globe that we want to visit we had better do it by boat.  Flying to get there is faster, but the society of people who gather on decks of big ships is much more interesting while they all ply the seas.  In fact, our visits to islands in the southern Caribbean, while memorable, were not as interesting as the people we met aboard ship and particularly the group we were thrown together with at dining assignments and others we met in activities planned and in some that were created by ourselves.

There is a long story about how we were assigned to a round table for ten and were arbitrarily whisked away to a lesser place, but I won’t go into detail about this for it just points up to the power of numbers and the complacency of those in power who do not move unless you make a lot of noise and they cannot afford not to see or hear you.  We happily were joined with three Canadians and were pleased to have them teach us their language.  We had only learned a few words of Canadian and that was through the thoroughly Americanized, Peter Jennings whose pronunciation of “about” as “aboot” was a start. “Eh” was added by our table mates. So, we have a totality of about two to three words in our Canadian Studies.

Now, I must comment on the reasons many people go aboard ships for days on end.  This has been puzzlement to me for I could not do as they do nor understand why they do as they do.  They, aside from eating all the meals and taking snacks in between, spend their time gambling and drinking.  I do neither and not because of morality but because I consider getting soused spoils being awake and gambling is in favor of those who run the games.  Neither activity is productive and I like to put my talents to use when I vacation. There is only so much time you can spend sunning, swimming, eating and sleeping.  And, too, there is the proclivity of a minority who seem to get along without sleep and carouse in the bars and gambling places into the wee small hours of the morning – every morning.  I am not criticizing, mind you.  I just like to do my thing and that is to be – well, productive.

Carol likes bridge and meeting people.  I like to meet people while scrutinizing their left profiles and provide them with a picture that I have sketched after studying that profile.  Carol loves the interaction with people that bridge provides and I like to get people to tell me about themselves (interesting conversation is the price for the drawing I do) while I sketch.

You can’t do the above while flying from here to there.  In fact, since the new security provisions have been put into place it seems that you must be packed in like sardines while thinking about food without getting any. I like the space, room and food on board ship and the opportunities to become intimate with left profiles.