posting from Canada

Hey, I'm in Victoria with Jenn and Karyn, we found free internet so are quickly checking everything, so here's my blogs from the last three days! I'll write more later! :)

July 11, 2012
It’s funny the answers you get on cruise ships when you ask the crew if they went to shore and what they did. If they went ashore, the main answer you get is “internet.” I’ve yet to figure out shipboard internet, and really don’t think I can use it in my room; that’s really something they should work on because they’d probably get more people to buy it if it was easier to access. For now though, I’m just going to deal with free internet at the Viking (bar catering to crew members, thus the free internet) in Juneau and the internet+hot chocolate in other ports. So, after I got the internet, I walked around some of the shops here to figure out souvenirs and stuff I might want to get next week. It was cold and rainy again, I really miss summer weather!
I ended up reading a book in bed for the hour I had before dinner. I was going to be good and meet Natalie at dinner at 6 when she got off work with the teens. However, once I got to dinner I realized that it’s a port day, and she worked the 12-4 shift with all the kids. Sometimes I don’t know what goes through my mind.
Tonight was movie night! We watched Puss in Boots; rather funny, especially when a few of the kids have seen it before and forewarn you about the funny parts so you don’t miss it. Jordan started the movie early, so we ended at least 30 minutes before closing. I let them have some more free time. Naturally there were some that went straight to the Wii, and some that wanted to play apples to apples. Some of the two groups were even the same, so they were running back and forth between dying and turns. Slowly they trickled out and the last one left a few minutes before 10, so I got to run to the show in the Vista Lounge. Garage Band again. I noticed some things this week that I didn’t last week so it was cool to see it a second time. Plus I’ve actually met some of the dancers now, which makes it better for me to get/stay interested in the show!
I’m going to call it an early night. I’m going to Sitka tomorrow, maybe with Natalie since we’re both off. Or maybe I’ll just get internet to get some more books for my kindle and go to the library to read for a while.
July 12, 2012
I almost typed January instead of July as the date; but it makes sense to me, because we had days this temperature in January at home! Anyway, I had a lazy morning, waking up an hour later than normal since I didn’t have to work. I had breakfast alone and when I got back, Jordan told me that Natalie had called looking for me, so I went to her room, and went to breakfast again with her. The second time I just had a few pieces of watermelon and had to keep explaining that I do eat, I’d just eaten a lot earlier!
Natalie and I changed into normal clothes then proceeded to go to shore. We walked around a bit and both bought some postcards and a can of Dr Pepper. On the street there was a woman and her daughter and their dog next to their stand/doghouse. They had written books about their dog Tango, who had hiked to Juneau with the woman’s son, and about Tango’s adventures living in Sitka. It’s a cute, informative story with lots of information on the area and stuff. I have their card, so I may end up buying the book next week or ordering it. They have pictures too from the trip the son and dog took to Juneau!
Natalie and I went to Highliner, the café and sat with Jenn for a while, chatting, and getting warm. Turns out that Jenn watches Doctor Who as well! We’re so much alike with our preferences in books, TV, and movies! The reason that came up was because at my 2nd breakfast Natalie and the internet manager on board were talking about Natalie’s clutch and how much stuff was in it and I said “it’s bigger on the inside!” but neither of them got it, so I had to try to explain Doctor Who to them and they just looked at me like I was crazy. So, we were talking about TV shows in the café and I had to see if Jenn knew what I was talking about.
Natalie and I went to lunch (Jenn wanted to stay with the internet) and sat in the restaurant for a while. The food portions here are really big, I got a burger and it was enormous, about three inches thick; I only could eat about half of it. Even on the ship, they give lots of food, one bowl of pasta could easily be two meals for me, and all the main line entrees are served on plates the size of platters. Off the ship, food is expensive, but at least it comes in large quantities so it seems more worth it. I do feel like I’m wasting money getting food off the ship though because it costs a lot, and half of it just goes to the trash since I have nowhere to store it if I get a to-go box for it. But, it is nice not eating on the ship occasionally.
Oh, I haven’t mentioned something that happened yesterday. While online, I checked my email to discover an email from Disney Cruise Lines. They wanted to know what I’d done recently with kids. I take that as a sign they’re interested in hiring me. I’m going to have to email them back saying I’m currently with Holland America as youth staff until December and see if maybe next year I could do something with them. Funny, apparently this happens quite a bit though, but it normally takes longer. Ashley finally heard back from another line a year after she started working with Holland America. I think it’s cool that Disney actually did email me back instead of outright rejecting me, because I did technically send in my resume to apply for a job that wasn’t listed (the only youth counselor positions they had open were bi-lingual Spanish).
Not sure if anything else new/interesting happened. I finally get to take some good pictures, a lot of the snow-covered mountaintops, which fascinate me because it’s SUMMER.
It was Games Galore night in Club HAL, meaning after the hour of free time, we played board games. The group split themselves up in two groups so Ashley played with one and I played with the other. Two hours playing Apples to Apples is too long. I got bored less than halfway through, but the kids wanted to keep playing. We ended up going through all the red cards. For those that don’t know, Apples to Apples is a game with cards. Green cards are adjectives and red cards are nouns. A judge (all the players judge at some point, we go around in a circle) draws a green card and the others have to choose from the five red card in their hand which thing fits the adjective best. Some judges go for the funny card or the exact opposite and of course some pick the most similar choice. The judge chooses and the person who put down the chosen red card wins the green card. The person who gets a certain number of green cards wins.
We played until 10 when everyone had to sign out, then I came back and changed into a formal dress that Jenn lent me so we could go to the show and then dancing at the Northern Lights. Apparently the first formal night, Monday night, is the busy night for crew to do formal stuff; not many people were out last night, but Jenn, Natalie and I had fun together anyway. I’m helping put up posters for a walk for the cure in the morning so I probably won’t end up going to Ketchikan since I’ll only get to stay for 30 minutes to an hour.

July 13, 2012
It’s been a long day. Weird to think that I got off in Ketchikan this morning. I helped the Event Manager put up posters for Walk for the Cure at 9, then got Natalie and we went to breakfast; we hurried through breakfast and changed and went out for about an hour. Now I know what’s in Ketchikan, the first city in Alaska and the 4th largest in Alaska. It’s pretty small.
After lunch, I went back to work, we played Wii and I managed to get past a level alive! Horray! The kids have been getting tired, they weren’t really paying attention. Ashley is getting sick and I’m just quiet in general so we’ve had a hard time getting them to do what they need to do.
I ended up reading for two hours of my break today, studying actually. I took my Italian book to the library and studied some grammar. A few people actually mistaked me for the librarian. I was just sitting on the window sill with the book, taking notes. Jenn finds that pretty awesome, because everyone thinks that she’s part of Club HAL (we have the same uniform during the day.)
Tonight was “lights, camera action” and dance party night. The kids really weren’t into doing anything, but I kept up trying to help their interest. They all came to the dance, but most of them didn’t want to dance and just stood there, chasing each other. When Ashley and I brought the sheet for them to sign-out since they weren’t doing anything, they immediately went to the dance floor and danced for about a minute before stopping again. It was slightly frustrating for me, because I was actually dancing.
Ashley, Jenn, Karyn and I went to the show together tonight. I was kind of too tired to enjoy it, sadly. It was pretty cool though, the dancing was amazing and there were lots of songs I knew.
It’s hour back night, and Victoria tomorrow. I really hope the kids are better tomorrow, or at least I get some sleep.