Tuesday, January 19, 2016
A little later, after I had returned to my bunk, it turned out that one of the men quartering with me had actually been in the tub at the time this happened. He smiled at me, pulled out a bottle of Suntory whisky, and offered me a glass. I said kanpai, tossed it down, flopped into my bunk and was... Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, January 18, 2016
At Sea – again…XI
My first night ended with a shower and a long soak in the large communal tub. And that’s where another incident seared itself into my memory… The tub, a furo, was large, about eight feet square and four feet above the floor, constructed from beautiful cedar. There were a couple of steps on the... Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
At Sea – again…X
I went to work, taking squid of various sizes out of the trough or picking the m up off the deck. After killing them quickly and measuring them I dissected them on my desk, inspected their intestinal tracts and recorded my findings As I settled into the rhythm of my work, the clatter of the jigging... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, January 15, 2016
At Sea – again…IX
At the end of the meal there was an interesting ritual which I adopted as well...When finished eating, everyone poured tea into his virtually empty rice bowl, swill it around a bit to catch every last grain of rice and drank it. It’s a custom whose name I forget, but it’s one that testifies to the... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
At Sea – again…VIII
I had taken my textbook along to the dining area. And then, after having managed to put together a few sentences, I suddenly noticed a bit of snickering among them, and over at the next table a couple of them said something to one another and then laughed out loud… I was puzzled! I couldn’t... Sign in to see full entry.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
At Sea – again…VII
Most of the crew were in their bunks - I knew why; the few I saw smiled and nodded. I also knew that I too had a very long day and night ahead of me, but it I was too excited to bed down. Instead, I went up to the bridge to familiarize myself with the instruments... When I entered I found the first... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, January 8, 2016
At Sea – again…VI
Then he took me below to my quarters which, as it turned out, I shared with two deckhands. They were in their bunks as we came in, and didn’t stir... But on the way there I painfully discovered a problem that was going to dog me for the next six months... While reasonably well lit, all the various... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
The History of WHAT???…
Today you’ll get a bit of ancient history! It was sent to me by a friend, and I am passing it on just the way I got it, LOL… The History of the Middle Finger! Well, now......here's something I never knew before, and now that I know it, I feel compelled to send it on to my more intelligent friends in... Sign in to see full entry.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
At Sea – again…V
I was standing there, taking in the sight of the ship that was to be my home for the next while – a badly streaked hull that appeared to be in need of paint, and there was something that looked like sections of fence ringing the deck all around. But then I realized that the streaks weren’t rust…... Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
At Sea - again...IV
I was puzzled; I couldn’t understand her hostility towards someone she had met for the first time and who had volunteered to fill a position that needed to be filled quickly... In the evening I called my friend, and that’s when it all came out... *** “What’s Janet’s problem?” I asked him. “Well, I... Sign in to see full entry.