A fresh start?

I got a new senior Videographer. All is well so far. I feel like I can talk to him comfortably about our profession, and our work. I guess that sounds weird, cause he’s my boss…it should be a given. I guess what I mean by that is at first I think he didn’t know how to talk to me, but we connected on the fact that 1. He is from Slovakia, and I’m from buffalo. The connection being hockey. Slovakian players for the sabers. Our first chat was about hockey. ☺

He asked me how I liked it, cause I guess keeping American Videographers is becoming fairly difficult. They hire them, but they don’t stay, they usually quit after their contract. It’s usually the ship-life that makes them quit, not the job itself. He looked relieved to see that I do Love this job, I tolerate ship-life as stated in previous postings.

He gives a more serous vibe to my job, which I do like. I’m not going to lie. He lets me know about head office stuff, quotas, and all of that stuff. Stuff I never got to know when Stephen was my senior. (No senior was better than the other- they just have different methods, and ways of working.) He gave me some insight to what is actually expected. I feel like I have more expectations for the work I am to produce. Which I like as well. I really feel like my work matters now. He also looks at my work, which I would prefer. Knowing someone is checking my footage keeps me on my toes while I am on tour.

He’s been a senior for about 7 years. I really think I will learn a lot from him.

This leads me to My old Senior leaving. I give him a bunch of thanks. He showed me the ropes. He became my friend. We had some weird and heated moments. He made a point to get to know me personally. I’m gonna miss him for sure. We connected on a creative level. We shared a passion for movies and the art we work in. ☺

He’s going to the Diamond - it has an awesome itinerary! I am jealous. I can only hope for something so cool.

The night before he left we talked about the rest of my contract. I guess he was giving me a warning about what to expect. I was advised to step up my game….pretty much to the max, to make sure I get promoted. Marek, my new senior thinks that there is a pretty good chance I’ll be a senior by my next contract. Stephan doesn’t think so. I’ll get promoted to Video two. Which is okay with me.

How do I feel ….or where do I stand on the promotion issue? Well, I am not good with any type of authority…unless I respect you and how you work. I’m all for being my own boss…I mean still have higher up bosses, but I wont’ be the smallest on the chain. I actually would have some type of managerial say in things. As far as being a senior, well I feel like I have more to learn to be honest. I don’t feel like I am ready just yet for senior. Maybe one more contract than I’ll be ready. But I was told I progressed really fast. ☺

Wish me a good rest of my contract. ☺

You will be missed Stephan. My first 2 thirds of my contract were....EPIC with this dude. :-)

Unexpected Sea day

.

I woke early today, went to work out….actually before my tour started. I for sure needed to after such an indulged day in Honolulu. I worked out, showered, and while all this was happening, I’m thinking, don’t we port at 8am, or something like that. So, I thought I was just tripping out and maybe it was 9am, cause my tour started at 10am.

Than I’m pretty much ready, I was talking to Jo, and was like “I don’t think we’re docked yet, I wonder whats going on.” So than I hear over the tv that we have an unexpected day at sea.

What!

So I guess the Port master in Nawiliwili wouldn’t let us dock for some reason or another. So no work again for me. I guess I am okay with this not much work this cruise. Usually the lack of work bothers me, but I’m just chilling out. ☺ I mean I would like to be on land for sure, but I’m just chilling out and okay with it.

This cruise has been way off my routine cruise…started with Alan leaving, a bad turn around visit, Stephan leaving, and a few other friends as well in Honolulu, and than a new boss to adjust too, and even less work to do… all seem to be negative things, but I’m okay. Better than normal. Its quite … weird.

Hmmmm?


☺

Secret Valley

When I was in Lahaina I got to go on a tour that takes us to the northern point of the Maui Island to this valley that pretty much is isolated… trying to find a better word for that. Its hard to get to, and its self sustained. What I mean by that is if imports couldn’t gt to the island this valley village would be able to survive. They grow a lot of their own stuff. It’s a very tight community. The ride up was awesome. Again… I am a broken record. I just love all this shit that I do. Lol. For the first 3 ports in Maui I went whale watching…lame!! Only because I can see more on the ship while we sail away from Maui than going on a whale watching tour…and not to mention I wont get sea sickness either. I think when passengers go on whale watching tours in Maui they are wasting their money. Yeah you get to see whales…I will stress this… if the sea conditions are just right. When they are jumping they are all jumping and going crazy. If you don’t see them from the ship when we anchor in the early morning you probably wont all day. But anyway I finally am getting to see the rest of the island and limiting myself to whale watching. I mean I love the whales like the best of them, but I wanna see more of the island.

On the road to the valley just watching the coast is such a view. Than you see the walls on your right side, and you get to see this bright red, and purple soil! I love seeing that. For a person that wears black all the time I do love seeing colors in nature (although I am wearing more colors lately).

After the highway we get to the road that takes us down into the valley. One lane road. About 12 feet wide maybe. A lot of turns. Very narrow, and scary cause you are on a cliff. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention how there is two way traffic on this road as well. There are certain points were there is an extra 4 feet of space where a car has to pull aside, for the on coming traffic. It gets interesting. Lol.

The drive for me was a bigger deal than this plantation we went to. Its getting a little repetitive, cause when you are one plantation they talk about Taro (kinda like a potato), Kukui nuts (used pretty much the same as kerosene oil, and a good moisturizer for the skin, and it helps take away the itch for bug bites and stuff), Noni fruit (gross tasting, but great medicinal purposes), the state tree (kukui nut tree), the state fish (humuhumunukunukuapua’a …Hawai’I tiger fish), the state flower (yellow Hibiscus…used to be the red one, but it was changed to yellow cause red was seen to be too bold, and intense and they thought it didn’t represent the nature of Hawai’I, it being mellow and all that), and they also talk about the use of tea leaves, and the hula.

That was loads of information. Lol. It just know it so well now being told it over and over.
Overall the tour was good. I got to see some great things. ☺
Oh! -and we got to drive through creeks! Lol

The Countdown has Begun

Well… like the title of my entry, it started. I avoided counting down cruises, but now I have started the countdown.

3 Hawai’I cruises left, and 2 Alaska’s.

I am excited to go to Alaska. I am sad that I am leaving Hawai’I, but I am eager to go home, and get the fuck off this ship.

I am tired of being chased after, fighting people off, dealing with moody bitches, people’s mood swings (as well as my own,) people leaving me, missing people, having nothing to do on sea days, looking forward to stupid things that shouldn’t make me happy, giving advise to girls that are whores, and man-whores as well. ugh. Oh and I forgot to mention paying crazy amounts of money to go on the Internet, and calling my family!

Sorry there was a bit of complaining there.

I mean… really… I have turned into a person that craves…media. Crazy right. I crave new books, new music, and movies…like mad. I feel like I am super isolated. Like I’m not apart of the world. It’s weird. I am seeing more of the world, but don’t feel part of it??

To be honest, it’s more the shiplife, than my job. I mean if you have been following you’ll get what I mean. I absolutely love my job, except the fact on seas days I have fuck all to do. I love going out (off the damn ship) in port and doing all these crazy cool things. Than hiding in my editing suite…using that as an excuse NOT to drink and Party.

***side note, My mother gave me the lecture, she’s worried I am drinking and partying too much, I guess I am ..for me. I’m not a big drinker to begin with they know this. When I left Buffalo the bar scene just died out for me I was tired of it. good lord I almost settled and got married for goodness sake. But on ships everything is magnified and to the max!! She was worried that I got back to partying all crazy like. “I thought the partying was behind you,” she says. (my mom is ready for me to settle down and have babies)On ships….this is what I mean- everyone resorts to drinking. Most need something to do, others need it to chill out and de-stress so they don’t strangle the fuck out of someone (like me.) Once I’m home I probably wont want a drop***

So, back to my job…Love it…ship life…not so much. But I guess me saying this isn’t saying much cause I am a bit socially challenged I guess you can say. I just don’t like hanging with fake people. I can’t tolerate the loud obnoxious bitches. If I can find and hang with quality people than shiplife isn’t bad at all, they are all leaving. Right now I am mentally too lazy to get to know new people. To be quite honest, connecting with people is really amazing, but once they leave- fuck sake it sucks.

The point I am at now: exhausted from my first contract (and its not even over yet.) This cruise I haven’t hit my low yet, which is good. I usually have this weird mood the first few sea days. It didn’t occur this time around so I find that as a good sign. I am more even keel this cruise.

3 Hawai’i, 2 Alaska- than Home. ☺ I am looking forward to hanging with my family. And getting back to something familiar, and loyal. I guess loyal is a weird word, but I just want to be around people I know care about me…seriously without agendas, or because they have to tolerate me. Family and friends that are great to me. ☺

I feel like I shed such a negative light on the people that do ships. I think what is fair to say is that there are really, really great people that you meet, as well as people that really fucking suck that have the morals of a damn fork for god sake. You always get both wherever you go.

Its funny that I am viewing the people in such a way cause I wanted to join ships to see new places, things, and PEOPLE. I def got my fair share of all of that. I appreciate all that I am learning about people. This is an experience for sure. I wouldn’t undo this if I had the option. The good def outweighs the bad in the end.

I am eager to find out my next ship, I’ll find out next month apparently…maybe earlier. The first contract is the hardest, cause you don’t know what to expect. Next contract I’ll be a bit smarter about everything. Hopefully I’ll have a better itinerary next time around.


jen: our roadtrip is gonna be the shit! I cannot wait!!

Backroads of Kaua’i

Even with the weather being crappy out from the start of the cruise and even in all the ports…Kaua’I was no exception to this, it rained pretty heavy in the morning, but even with it being horrible out I was looking forward to my tour. I absolutely love Kaua’I.

This tour was pretty cool. We went to Kilohana crater. The ride up was awesome, crazy backroads for real. Very small, muddy, rocky, rainy roads. The rain was coming down hard, but I still busted out my camera and tried to get some kind of shot. Not much to look at, but I got drenched like standing in the rain for like two minutes. I love how the passengers will bend over backwards for me. They always want to help me out. This lady was like oh I’ll hold an umbrella for you. Now even with that I got drenched. Lol. The rain stopped once we were out of the mountains. I mean we were right at the place that apparently is the wettest spot in the world. They get like 700 inches a rain a year or something like that.

Then we went to Spouting Horn. I saw the chickens again. I don’t know why but I like how they are all around in Kaua’i. We took a drive around a couple places. A couple of different beaches, neighborhoods. There is this village/town that’s placed in a crater. Now I guess its most expensive to live there cause in the summers its gets wicked hot and in the crater there is no air flow, like no breezes from the ocean, so the bills are so much higher. These neighborhoods are crazy nice too.

We made this one stop in front if this house and we got to see a Rainbow Eucalyptus tree!!! This was like the highlight of my day. I took a few pictures. It was amazing to me that something like that exists!! It peels everyday and new colors reveal. Its nuts!! There is like purple and blue! Sorry I just love how I got to see something like this.

We went to this one beach, its pretty exclusive. Its on a privately owned land from what I understand. Absolutely beautiful. We went for a small hike, I always like hiking in Kaua’i. Its funny cause in Maui, Stephen is all about the snorkeling, but I prefer the hiking and all that to snorkeling. It didn’t start out that way for me though.

Anyway along this hike it was just really cool. Too many things to capture. At the end of the hike when you reach the top of this small area, the view is … it ends up being this spot where you could sit for hours and just be there and just be you. No music, book, or anything to distract you. You can just be. It’s one of those places. It sucks I had like 5 minutes to capture all I could and than peace out. By this time I tend to fall behind the group cause I stop and film every 5 feet. Lol. Not to mention takes stills as well. So, than I like ran back cause if I make the group late someone might get pissed and I’ll get written up for it. Not to mention the shore ex manager will like me even less.

I got back and they were just concerned about if I got a good shot, or not of what they saw and experienced. And of course I did. ☺

On our ride back to the ship we got to go through this tunnel that was built basically to transport sugar cane cheaper, and easier than going over the hills. That was really cool.

Kaua’I is always fun times ☺



Jen likes to ignore my phone calls. Bad sister…bad. lol

Little circle Island tour.

Honolulu is a great day as far as a day off, cause it’s such a long port day, but tour wise its shit. lol. The tours aren’t that great. I did like Natural highlights of O’ahu last cruise, but the other tours are just a repeat of the same things really. The tour guide sometimes makes the difference of a good and a great tour.

While waiting in line before the tour I get to talking with passengers, and just so happened I was talking to a couple from Orchard Park. I told them I was from Buffalo and the wife nearly fell on the floor. She thought it was so awesome I was from where they were. I mean I am, but not. Orchard Park is uber rich town, and I’m from the real Inner city of buffalo. A world of difference really between the two.

We basically went to the same places as the last tour, except we didn’t go to diamond head….the tour description said we were supposed to though. Which is pretty much misleading the passengers …which I did mention in the stupid escort form the shore ex manager gives out for me to fill out every time I do a tour. I don’t want anyone on my ass about filling those things out. No one has said “hey Amber makes sure you fill those out,” but if I don’t I know that I’ll get written up, or some shit so, I just do it.

Well anyway we went to the same bay, which I had better shots of cause the day I went was pretty cloudy and shitty out, so I used the better shots I had in the edit. We went to the blowhole again, which was the only thing that was cool, cause there were these massive waves this time. When I did the natural highlights of O’ahu tour the water was really calm, so no blowhole action. So those are the only pics I have. The shots I got of the beach on the video were pretty cool cause the waves were crazy.


Jen: bitches and Ho’s

Kilauea Volcano

Last cruise, my tour for Hilo was to go to Kilauea Volcano. I was uber excited. I cant help it, I get excited for certain tours!! Hilo and Nawiliwili are my favorite ports. KAua’I is still my favorite island.

Now I got to go to see a vent of the volcano. No live lava flow, only because they stopped tours that get up close and personal to the lava flow. There are stupid people that actually look at it, and from pictures and videos I’ve seen it is amazing, I could imagine what I would feel like seeing it in person. But they get so … I don’t know, maybe the best word is hypnotized by seeing this lava, and they want to touch it. Really! Its 2000 degrees and they want to touch it. yeah it looks cool, but c’mon lets be real here. Lol.

There are certain areas that the lava goes, you can go on hikes and get a look at it. The tour guide I had said he goes hiking every week at the Volcano National park and he doesn’t get to see lava all the time, but he did the last week that we went. It was going across this road apparently. I thought that was awesome.

I got to go to the museum, I love learning about all this stuff. Yes, I am a dork. Lol . We stopped at a steam vent as well. Than I got to do a quick hike in a lava tube. That was really cool as well. so many people though, ☹

Hopefully my next tour I will get to get on the helicoptor tour. Stephen put in for it, so who knows. I hope so. ☺


jen you are lame. lol