I'm back from my cruise..... over the weekend. It was the most sit-around-and-do-nothing holiday ever, but I think one of the most reflective and thinking trips. I was pretty much alone most of the time, walking around the decks or working out like mad in the gym. In this trip, I was the only young one. The rest were all old foggies between 50-60 years old, cooping themselves 24/7 in the mahjong room, coming out only to eat and watch the "Chu Mi Mi" show on the last night. Mahjong is in the bloodline of my family, but I think it doesn't manifest in me.
My cabin, with window view!!! Where I spend part of my time stoning and reflecting..
So, what was I doing for 2 and 1/2 days on my own? I kept myself in the library reading magazines. From fashion to political magazines. I stared out at the ocean from the window of my cabin for about 1 hour, thinking about life. I thought about the societal organisation of the ship, the notion of fun and entertainment to various people, about the facade life in a metropolitan set-up. I watched a very heartwrenching and reflective show, Blood Diamond. Woah, all the cast, their acting skills, are superb. It's based on a true story, and the show left a lot of thoughts inside me as well. I think I shall have a separate entry for that.
The beautiful library, I can spend the whole day there...
Back to the ship... call me cynical or pessimistic, but when people are enjoying themselves onboard that floating hotel, I also see the dark side of things, and feel sad about it. The ship really offers everything, from simple childish fun to... underground services. I was strolling around the cabin corridors and I saw a skimpliy clad long haired lady stomping out of a cabin. And the next thing she barged into the crew-only entrance and her high heels clonked heavily down the metal stairs. Lets see... cabins are for guests... and guests are not allowed into crew restricted areas... so, she must be a crew. Hmm... and why did she barge out of the cabin angrily??
It also makes me think of consummerist culture, onboard a luxury liner, everything is extravagant. The amount of food served is triple the amount needed to feed guests, needless to say, when we see abundance of food, our instincts tell us to eat our fill, and maximize our fill to the fullest. I don't understand, how can one enjoy over eating? Its not a good feeling afterall. But oh well, I used over eat too, I dig in comfort food, and it took me great discipline to cut it off.
Meanwhile on the otherside of the world, people are starving. Really disproportionate...
Consummerist culture also made me think of the artificiality of everything onboard the ship. In fact, I already felt this way as a child onboard the cruise. On one hand, the decor for the guests are so beautiful, but on the other hand, when you take a peek into the crew restricted area, everything is spartan and white. While we enjoy all the facilities and get treated like royalty, the crew sometimes have to put up a fake smile to accomodate to our sometimes outrageous ugly behaviour. Sometimes I wonder, if their smiles and greetings really come from their hearts, or its just plain customer service. I mean I don't really blame them for it, I served as a sales girl before and I know how ugly can customers get. Onboard the liner, everthing is a stage, we go there to be entertained and to be taken away into a fantasy world, like disney land, with aesthetic setup and fancily dressed staff. Everything is a setup!!! I'm living in such a fake world!!!
I took a walk around the casino in the ship. Before the casino opened its doors, people queued up at least for half an hour just to wait for the opening of the casino. I don't understand why were they so anxious, when the casino is going to be opened 24 hours everyday from the start of the trip.... the casino was packed and smoky, people sat around the jackpots, and the card playing tables... which leads me to a thought: the argument for the set up of the IR is that only a very small portion of the resorts will be allocated for casino, so there will not be such a big issue in it. Well, the casino in the ship does not exactly take up a huge space, but yet that is the highlight of ship and people actually queue for such a long time to get in. Maybe space is not the concern, but more of the allure of the kerching...
Oh yea... lastly, I made use of the good gym in the cruise, to train up, and to shed the calories from all the buffets. I went for a fat measurement test, and the instructor said I had to lose at least 8kg. 8 kg.... 8kg.... thats... almost a rice sackful? 8 kg... that means working out for 30 minutes everyday and saying bye to chocolates and cakes. 8kg.... 8kg..... 8kg.... 8kg.... I clearly needed someone to convince me that I am fat rather than trying to deceive myself I'm not..... 8kg... 8kg.... 8kg....
Hmm so much thoughts from just a 2 day trip. How come? Well, I really just sat down and reflected... it took myself away from all the petty concerns in my life and thought more about the big picture in reality, especially when I'm in the middle of the ocean which connects all round the world....
Nevertheless.... pictures...
Disembarking from Harborfront...
Inside the lift... Posh gold lift...
Night view of the deck of the ship...
My cabin, with window view!!! Where I spend part of my time stoning and reflecting..
So, what was I doing for 2 and 1/2 days on my own? I kept myself in the library reading magazines. From fashion to political magazines. I stared out at the ocean from the window of my cabin for about 1 hour, thinking about life. I thought about the societal organisation of the ship, the notion of fun and entertainment to various people, about the facade life in a metropolitan set-up. I watched a very heartwrenching and reflective show, Blood Diamond. Woah, all the cast, their acting skills, are superb. It's based on a true story, and the show left a lot of thoughts inside me as well. I think I shall have a separate entry for that.
The beautiful library, I can spend the whole day there...
Back to the ship... call me cynical or pessimistic, but when people are enjoying themselves onboard that floating hotel, I also see the dark side of things, and feel sad about it. The ship really offers everything, from simple childish fun to... underground services. I was strolling around the cabin corridors and I saw a skimpliy clad long haired lady stomping out of a cabin. And the next thing she barged into the crew-only entrance and her high heels clonked heavily down the metal stairs. Lets see... cabins are for guests... and guests are not allowed into crew restricted areas... so, she must be a crew. Hmm... and why did she barge out of the cabin angrily??
It also makes me think of consummerist culture, onboard a luxury liner, everything is extravagant. The amount of food served is triple the amount needed to feed guests, needless to say, when we see abundance of food, our instincts tell us to eat our fill, and maximize our fill to the fullest. I don't understand, how can one enjoy over eating? Its not a good feeling afterall. But oh well, I used over eat too, I dig in comfort food, and it took me great discipline to cut it off.
Meanwhile on the otherside of the world, people are starving. Really disproportionate...
Consummerist culture also made me think of the artificiality of everything onboard the ship. In fact, I already felt this way as a child onboard the cruise. On one hand, the decor for the guests are so beautiful, but on the other hand, when you take a peek into the crew restricted area, everything is spartan and white. While we enjoy all the facilities and get treated like royalty, the crew sometimes have to put up a fake smile to accomodate to our sometimes outrageous ugly behaviour. Sometimes I wonder, if their smiles and greetings really come from their hearts, or its just plain customer service. I mean I don't really blame them for it, I served as a sales girl before and I know how ugly can customers get. Onboard the liner, everthing is a stage, we go there to be entertained and to be taken away into a fantasy world, like disney land, with aesthetic setup and fancily dressed staff. Everything is a setup!!! I'm living in such a fake world!!!
I took a walk around the casino in the ship. Before the casino opened its doors, people queued up at least for half an hour just to wait for the opening of the casino. I don't understand why were they so anxious, when the casino is going to be opened 24 hours everyday from the start of the trip.... the casino was packed and smoky, people sat around the jackpots, and the card playing tables... which leads me to a thought: the argument for the set up of the IR is that only a very small portion of the resorts will be allocated for casino, so there will not be such a big issue in it. Well, the casino in the ship does not exactly take up a huge space, but yet that is the highlight of ship and people actually queue for such a long time to get in. Maybe space is not the concern, but more of the allure of the kerching...
Oh yea... lastly, I made use of the good gym in the cruise, to train up, and to shed the calories from all the buffets. I went for a fat measurement test, and the instructor said I had to lose at least 8kg. 8 kg.... 8kg.... thats... almost a rice sackful? 8 kg... that means working out for 30 minutes everyday and saying bye to chocolates and cakes. 8kg.... 8kg..... 8kg.... 8kg.... I clearly needed someone to convince me that I am fat rather than trying to deceive myself I'm not..... 8kg... 8kg.... 8kg....
Hmm so much thoughts from just a 2 day trip. How come? Well, I really just sat down and reflected... it took myself away from all the petty concerns in my life and thought more about the big picture in reality, especially when I'm in the middle of the ocean which connects all round the world....
Nevertheless.... pictures...
Disembarking from Harborfront...
Inside the lift... Posh gold lift...
Night view of the deck of the ship...
