People Watching

One of the realities of having an inside room (alas, our room is an inside room even though we over look the Promenade) is that you don't have any sense of the rising of the morning sun. As a result, Bill and I are sleeping later and later. This morning we were awakened by a telephone call announcing that our breakfast, which we had requested to have delivered to our room the night before, was on its way. We quickly flew out of bed and threw on our robes and tried to make it seem as though we had been up for quite some time. As though our room service attendant cared what time we awoke.

We have discovered that one of the best places to hang out during the day is in any of the bars that overlook the ocean. They are not open until after lunch, and they are quiet places to read and watch the passers-by.

And speaking of our fellow passengers, I have some stories and observations to report.

I have observed an inordinate number of couples holding hands. I think that is just wonderful. I'm sure this cruise is a honeymoon or a second honeymoon for many people. I have also been thinking about the stories behind each of the couples I see holding hands.

For example: Today we ate lunch in the formal dining room as opposed to the buffet. When you eat in the dining room, you are seated at tables of six, and you will be seated wherever they need two more people to fill up a table. As a result, you eat with different people each time, and if you like them or not is the luck of the draw. Today we ate with an elderly couple who, we learned, were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary (and it had not a first marriage for either of them). He was 88, and she was likely somewhere near that age. The other four people were of Asian descent. I saw the waiter ask one of the Asian men a question, and he responded that he didn't speak English. I made the assumption, therefore, that none of the four spoke English.

We commenced to have a fairly lengthy conversation with the older couple who, we learned, was on their 46th cruise. Forty-six. Wow. Anyway, somehow Bill and he got to talking about being in the service, and he mentioned that he was a Marine, and had been stationed in Korea during the Korean conflict. Suddenly the Asian man sitting to my left, who I had presumed didn't speak English, said he and his wife were from Korea, and he asked the older man where he had been stationed. He told him where and what year he had been in Korea. The Korean man then, in the most beautiful voice and with the most beautiful choice of words, told us how, prior to that conflict, the people of Korea had been so poor and the country had been in such financial and political trouble, and that now it was a flourishing country with a strong economy. “We would not be where we were if it weren't for the Americans, and I want to thank you.” The table was speechless for a moment. It was amazing.

In the afternoon, Bill went to the cigar bar and I went first, to a cooking demonstration by the executive sous chef, and then to watch the swing dance lessons. The cooking demonstration was interesting, but it was the dance lesson that I enjoyed the most. It was packed with probably 20 couples of all ages, nationalities, sizes and dancing skills. Well, actually, the dancing skills were somewhat limited. What struck me, however, is how absolutely earnest the couples were as they watched, listened and then tried to carry out what they were being taught. Sappy as it sounds, it literally brought tears to my eyes (and not just because of the lack of skill!). They were so joyful and so eager and so self-confident. There was a woman among the dancers who didn't have a dance partner. She would dance the steps all by herself as others danced around her. In a million years, I wouldn't have the confidence to do that. She seemed so at peace with herself, and she seemed to be having so much fun.

After dinner, there was a comedian/magician who put on a wonderful show. While he does perform some magic, he mostly made us laugh. He really was very funny, and Bill and I enjoyed the show very much.

One final note, apparently each captain decides how he wants to handle the time change. During our last transatlantic cruise, the captain had us change our clocks at noon each day. This captain has us do it at night. I imagine he's trying to not take time away from us during the day. The consequence, however, is shorter nights, which also results in us sleeping later in the morning. But, it is vacation, after all.