na cabine: May 2012

Lisbon

Morocco: Cleidiane getting some couscous

E ai galera blz?! Espero q sim...
Hey guys what's up?! I hope you are ok ...

Lisbon

Bem ja estou em casa, ou seja consegui terminar mais um contrato e esse foi muito bom, mas teve momentos dificeis em que tive vontade de desistir. Devido a correria do meu ultimo mes a bordo decidi deixar pra contar esse período durante as férias, afinal consigo usar internet de melhor qualidade e com maior disponibilidade de tempo. Confesso que foi um mes bem agitado...

Well I'm home already, which means that another contract is done over and this one was very good but I had some difficult moments in which I felt like give up. Due to the rush of my last month on board I decided to talk on here about this period during the holidays, so I can use internet with better quality and greater availability of time. I have to assume it was a very busy month ...

Porto, Portugal

Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal

Greta in Lisbon b4 being stolen

O primeiro porto "grande" foi Lisboa onde terminou o cruzeiro de travessia e comecou a temporada européia. Logo cedo soou o alarme do navio que eu tenho a leve sensacao de ter ouvido como se estivesse num sonho; acordei com os socos na porta seguidos de gritos em ingles pra eu sair da cabine pois havia um incendio. Logo me veio a cabeca que era um exercicio de emergencia para a fiscalizacao das autoridades portuarias. Rapidamente pulei da cama e me vesti com roupa de frio e me preparei para ir para minha estacao de emergencia. Abri a porta e havia um tripulante "enorme" (do tipo “assim” maior do que eu) caido no chao. Chequei os sinais vitais e ele me disse que nao podia se mexer, apareceram duas meninas que disseram que a emergencia era naquele corredor e que deveriamos ir embora. Respondi que tinhamos que ajudar o rapaz, afinal ele estava respirando e nao podia se mover. Tudo isso na maior seriedade, pois imaginava que a qualquer momento poderia aparecer um supervisor. Por outro lado comecei a ficar nervoso, pois o rapaz era bem pesado e mesmo com a ajuda das duas meninas seria dificil remove-lo da maneira apropriada.

The first "big" port was Lisbon where ended the crossing cruise and started the European season. Early in the morning the ship's alarm sounded and I had the slight feeling of having heard as if in a dream, I just woke up with punches on the door followed by shouts in English for me to leave the cabin because there was a fire. Just came on my it was an emergency exercise for the supervision of the port authorities. I quickly jumped out of my bed and dressed myself in warm clothes and prepared to go to my emergency station. I opened the door and there was a "huge" crew member (someone "like" bigger than me) lying on the floor. I checked his vital signs and he told me he could not move; two girls appeared saying the emergency was at the corridor and we should go. I replied that we had to help the guy, after all he was breathing and could not move. All this in the utmost seriousness, as imagined that a supervisor could appear at any time. On the other hand I started to get nervous, because the boy was very heavy and even with the help of the two girls it would be difficult to remove him in the appropriate manner.

Casablanca: with Cleidiane

Casablanca: Cleidiane and Greta

Casablanca: Cleidiane, Edu and Rogelio

Numa fracao de segundos uma das portas de incendio se abre e um dos maiores oficiais do navio aparece acompanhado de um supervisor portuario e da equipe de incendio toda paramentada e com a magueira de incendio em punho. Ele solta um grito enraivecido "de o que voces estao fazendo aqui?! Voces estao mortos! deitem no chao e fiquem onde estao”. Para ter uma nocao de tempo: entre eu ouvir os tapas na porta e ser declarado um cadaver nao se passaram mais de 3 minutos. Fiquei ainda mais nervoso e juntamente comigo foram dados como mortos no exercicio mais duas garotas da loja e dois rapazes do cassino.

In a fraction of seconds one of fire doors opens and a leading official of the ship appears accompanied by a port supervisor and the fire fighting team equiped and with the fire hose in hand. He cries out angrily "what are you guys doing here? You're dead! Lie on the ground and stay where you are". To have a notion of time: between I hear the slaps on the door and be declared a corpse not passed more than 3 minutes. I got even angrier because of it and with me were reportedly killed in the exercise two more girls from the shops and two guys from the casino.

Casablanca, Morocco

O exercicio seguiu e de socorrista passei a socorrido e fui literalmente arrastado pelo corredor de cabines da tripulacao. Os rapazes tiveram bastante dificuldade para me resgatar devido ao meu peso e tamanho, por eles serem bem menores que eu e também por estarem paramentados com a pesada roupa contra incendio. Em certo ponto a equipe médica formada de médicos e outros tripulantes me colocou amarrado numa maca e fui carregado até o centro médico. Foi uma sensacao horrivel pois sei que sou pesado e nao podia ajudar em nada.

The exercise followed and swap from being the rescuer to the rescued and I was literally dragged down trough the cabin crew corridor. The guys had great difficulty to rescue me because due of my weight and size, they are much smaller than me and also because they are vested with the heavy fire fighter clothes. At some point the medical team consisting of doctors and other crew tied me up to a stretcher and I was carried to the medical center. It was a horrible feeling because I know I'm heavy and I could not help at nothing.

Gibraltar: with Konstantin

Gibraltar: Konstantin and Cleidiane

Gibraltar: pint... CHEERS!!!

O simulado durou cerca de uma hora mais e tive que seguir os demais procedimentos da minha funcao de emergencia. Terminado o exercicio e mesmo com o forte frio que estava em Lisboa nós das lojas tivemos entrega de mercadoria, e nessa situacao somos nos quem carregamos as caixas, conferimos e organizamos as mercadorias, ou seja sair do navio: só em sonho. Foi um dia bem corrido, tivemos apenas tempo livre para comer e tambem para se arrumar para a abertura das lojas. O dia ainda teve um surpresa desagradavel: a Greta, minha amiga que trabalha como instrutora da parede de alpinismo foi assaltada em pleo bondinho de Lisboa, na luz do dia e por um senhor. Ela ficou sem os documentos, cartoes e uma boa quantia de dinheiro. O pior foi que depois checando a camera do Edu é possivel ver a movimentacao do senhor ao lado dela enquanto tirava as coisa da bolsa dela. Foi bem chato, afinal a gente tem a idéia de que a Europa é muito mais segura se comparada com o Brasil.

The drill lasted about an hour and I had to follow other procedures of my emergency function. After the exercise, and even with the strong cold it was in Lisbon we had delivery of the stores merchandise, and in this situation we are those who carry the boxes, check it and organize the goods; si get off the ship was only a dream. It was a very busy day, we had only time to eat and also to get ready for the opening of the stores. The day has had an unpleasant surprise: Greta, my friend who works as a climbing wall instructor was solen in the Lisbon tram, during the daylight and by a old gentleman. She ran out of her documents, cards and a good amount of money. The worst was that after checking the Edu's camera is possible to see the guy action beside her as he took the things from her purse. It was pretty boring, after all we have the idea that Europe is much safer place compared to Brazil.

Gaston and Greta

PEOPLE!!!

Samuel and Melissa

Confesso que passei uns dias apreensivo pelo que poderia acontecer comigo devido a minha morte no exercicio de emergencia e apesar de varias especulacoes, a unica coisa que me aconteceu foi tomar uma bronca durante o exercicio seguinte na frente de varios outros tripulantes. Fiquei sem graca com a situacao, principalmente porque nessa chamada de atencao eu fui acusado de ficar dormindo na cabine, mas achei que era mais prudente ouvir calado sem contestar.

I confess that I spent a few days apprehensive about what might happen to me because of my death during the drill and despite many speculations, the only thing that happened was that I took a scolding on the following exercise in front of many other crew members. I was embarrassed with the situation, mainly because on this call of mine attention I was accused of being asleep in the cabin, but I felt it was more prudent just to listen silently without arguing.

Ronaldo

Diego, Greta, Bruna and Gustavo

Apesar de serem lugares bem legais de se visitar a rota quase nao tinha novos portos para eu conhecer. A intencao era apenas sair com os amigos e tirar algumas fotos. Em Gibraltar foi legal ir para compras e depois comer e tomar cerveja inglesa com amigos. No Marrocos saimos em um grupo grande até a principal Mesquita para tirar fotos, novamente nao consegui entrar no salao principal, mas por US$ 5 um senhor me levou ate uma parte fechada do predio na parte inferior onde havia um lindo salao de marmore e no teto haviam vãos de vidro de onde se podia ver um pouco do lugar que eu realmente queria visitar. A Greta e a Cleidiane tiveram sorte parecida só que foram levadas numa area designada para as mulheres. A diversao final foi passar pelo meio da Medina e da pobreza de algumas ruas onde algumas pessoas reclamavam quando tiravamos fotos. Alias um dos meninos que estava conosco foi intimado por soldados a apagar as fotos que ele havia tirado de um predio militar. Antes de ir embora enfrentei a tipica negociacao arabe para comprar alguns souvenirs, particularmente nao sou muito paciente para isso, mas foi bem divertido ver a Cleidiane barganhando tapetes e para coroar nossas compras fomos convidados a comer cuscuz marrouino dentro de uma dessas lojinhas.

Despite being really cool places to visit on the route there was almost no new ports for me to visit. The intention was just hanging out with friends and take some photos. In Gibraltar it was nice to go shopping and then eat and drink English beer with friends. In Morocco we went out on a large group to see the main mosque to take pictures, again I could not enter the main hall, but for US$ 5 a gentleman took me up to a closed part of the building at the bottom where there was a beautiful marble hall and on the ceiling there was spans of glass where we could see a bit of the area that I really wanted to visit. Greta and Cleidiane just had lucky like that they were taken in an area designated for women. The final fun was walk through the middle of the medina and the poverty of some streets where some people complained when we took some photos. Actually one of the boys who was with us was summoned by soldiers to delete photos he had taken from a military building. Before to leave I had to face the typical Arab negotiation to buy some souvenirs, particularly'm not very patient for it, but it was fun to see Cleidiane bargaining the carpet prices and to crown our purchases were invited to eat Moroccan couscous in one of these shops.

Cleidiane and Nicky buying carpets in Casablanca

Moroccan couscous "party"

Com poucos lugares novos nao ficava muito animado a sair por muitas horas, em Agadir mesmo preferi ficar a bordo descansando e na Ilha da Madeira saia apenas para comer no Mc Donnalds e usar internet. Nesse principio de temporada pude entender o porque os tripulantes mais antigos dos meus primeiros contratos muitas vezes nao saiam e nem tinham tanta empolgacao com os portos que visitavamos. Achei bem divertido a empolgacao da Greta e do Gustavo visitando a portos europeus pela primeira vez e eu sabia bem o que eles estavam sentindo.

Having few new places to see I was not very excited to going out for many hours, in Agadir I preferred to stay on board and resting on Madeira Island I just went out to eat at Mc Donnalds and to use internet. In the beginning of this season season I could understand why the older crew of my first contracts often do not leave the ship, or had no much excitement about the ports that we visited. I got fun seing the excitement of Greta and Gustavo visiting European ports for the first time and I knew exactly what they were feeling.

Las tiendas staff: Paulina bday

Las tiendas staff: promo!!!

Ursula and Cleidiane

A bordo o trabalho comecava a ficar bem cansativo para mim, principalmente pelo cansaco mental e mesmo pensando em pedir extensao para poder ir para o Baltico novamente fiquei super contente quando recebi meu voo de volta para casa antecipando meu desembarque em duas semanas, foi o inicio da minha contagem regressiva. As festas de bar da tripulacao lotado deram uma diminuida pelo cansaco das pessoas e tambem porque varias pessoas com quem passamos a temporada brasileira juntos estavam desembarcando. A musica latina comecou a ser tocada com maior frequencia ja que o numero de tripulantes do Caribe e de outros paises da America do Sul aumentou bastante. Por “problemas de forca maior” aacbei nao tocando em algumas noites em que estava escalado no bar da tripulacao, mas consegui modestia parte fazer outra ClubEmpress mega animada, onde eu mesmo isolado dancei e me diverti bastante; a galera parecia estar num clube de verdade e se acabou de dancar ate os ultimos minutos extras que ganhamos do seguranca.

The on board work begans to get very tiring for me, especially the mental weariness and even thinking about asking for a contract extension so could back to the Baltic I was overjoyed when I received my flight details for backing home anticipating my end of contract in two weeks; it was the beginning of my countdown. The crowded nights at the crew bar have decreased because of people being tired and also because many others with whom we spend the Brazilian season together went home. The Latin music began to be played with much more frequency since the number of Caribbean and South American crew from these countries rose sharply. Due of "problems of majeure force" I ended up not playing on some nights in which I was scheduled to in the crew bar but I managed to promote another ClubEmpree part and even using some modesty it was super cool and even I being isolated I danced a lot and had greta fun playing, the crowd seemed to be in a real club and they just dance till the last extra minute that we from the security.