Leaving Das Belgium
It's true that prolonged periods of inactivity make you stupid. We've been stuck in port now for a few days and tonight I caught myself looking for the English instructions on a sachet of packet soup. My French and German are both pretty rusty but I managed to work it out in the end. The food aboard ship is reasonable, somewhere between primary school dinners and Little Chef with a Polish twist. At the third meal I abandoned all hope of maintaining any vegetarianism, since there aren't any vegatables (mased potato doesn't count). My diet has been catapulted back into meat land (idea for culinary theme park perhaps?) In theory, meal times should be my chance to remember how to communicate with other people, since most of the rest of the time is spent in solitary. However, the chief steward has other ideas. Whenever I try to sit with the only other person that speaks the same language as me, I'm briskly ushered to the captain's table, as passengers command guest status on freight ships. I don't want to step on anyone's toes, (I'm discovering new maritime traditions each day), so I give in and move, but the level of conversation is poor. Few articles are used at the captains table. Most questions fired my way are constructed from an incomprehensible string on English nouns and verbs and unknown Polish. The captain looks surprised and a little hurt when I say I can't understand what he's banging on about.
Having accepted that it's meat all the way to Cape Town, one tradition I am looking forward to is the equator BBQ. Apparently everyone strips off the overalls and has a booze up as we ease into the Southern Hemisphere. I'm pleased that the occassion will be marked like this. Wouldn't it be great if your aircraft pilot opened a case of champagne every time their plane crossed the equator? Provided he didn't drink any I guess.
I managed to explain to the Captain today about my plans to cycle to Malawi. He laughed. Which is actually one of the bigger reactions I've had to date. Most of the people I've talked to seem far more interested in the cargo ship part of the trip that the cycle. I suppose the brain can pigeon hole the cycle in its "long bike ride" compartment, next to the memory of doing the London to Brighton charity run last year, but has little frame of reference for spending 3 weeks on a freight ship with no other passengers. Here are some pictures of my cabin.
Not bad eh? I suspect these 2 rooms will seem smaller and smaller as the days pass. I have already watched 1 film (Little Miss Sunshine - 8/10), 1 documentary (The Great Global Warming Swindle - I should have flown after all!) and read 1 book (digital SLR stuff). I am going to need more entertainment than I have brought. I'm hoping my technophile ex-housemates will find a way to beam me some fresh content. (Paul, Nick, sorry about the first blog post, please find a way... orb isn't working. A couple of series of 24 would be nice)
We leave Antwerp tonight, but hopefully I will get a chance to write something from Hamburg. Thanks to everyone for all the emails and blog comments, definitely made it worth paying for another bloody taxi to get into town (Sort it out Orange, why is it still 100 quid per second to use internet on the continent?)
Labels: Antwerp
posted by Alex at 12:57
9 Comments:
Ooh, yes Nick and Paul - could you also make sure he's up to date on Grey's and House please!! Introducing House to the masses in Malawi - yet more converts! Certainly sounds interesting on the ship Al...Rock on the equator BBQ! x
I can think of something else you can do to pass the time but am not going to write it here..!?! ;-) Take care.. x
Alex, I told you you'd be able to fit more media on your Zen if you hadn't filled it up with Pornography. Oh well lessons learned eh?
Kathy - no worries, I'll get the stuff on DVD and wing it over to your PO Box.
To be honest you could do with fattening up (like I can talk!) so get on that gravy train (should that be gravy boat?) and chow down my friend... meat is your friend!! Besides you can always have a colonic when you get to shore... more on that later... ;-)
I have some choice titles I can mail over. In Diana Jones and the Temple of Poon; Who's eating Gilbert Grape; Lawrence of Alabia; Inspect Her Gadgets.....I could go on. Just say the word.
Enough. I jest. Sounds like the ship will be an interesting experience if a little quiet
andy
Loving the adventures of Alex,the design dept are all ears being updated with your tales. You will always look back at the amazing experience you are having, so impressed.
Aproveita a grande festa no equador- e aproveita a comida tambem.
com amor sua amiga Aj x
Is that a map of the world on your Duvet?
You could literally ma your progress from your bed.
If your board – Learn Polish, you have the perfect environment: boredom, a computer (internet?), and the native speakers.
Keep smiling.
Brilliant! You have come back to the evil ways of meat. "It's not a meal unless there's meat in it." And your cabin looks pretty nice, there was me thinking you were going to be slumming it. Don't get too excited about the Equator crossing - I've heard stories about what they do to the "virgin" crossers...
Hello everyone. Some responses:
Meat is not my friend. Not when its served with mashed potato EVERY DAY.
Thanks for all the references to pornography. Gee I hope my folks check these comments... Then again theyºd soon work out that Andy = Andy Hammerton eh?
I have been learning a few words of polish, but its tough without internet or a dictionary or phrase book (prety difficult to find an English = Polish phrasebook anywhere other than england or poland it seems).
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