Christmakah in the Caribbean

I was able to celebrate Hannukah in the Caribbean! I usually have to miss the candle lighting cause I’m playing, but on Friday it was cancelled cause of rain. So I was able to go to Shabbat services, lit the Hannukah candles, and ate some free latkes and Manischewitz. It was great, and there were lots of Jews on the ship too! The rabbi that they brought on board is from Ashland, OR!

Before Shabbat, we were in Roatan, an island off of Honduras. I laid out by the beach and played some beach volleyball. It’s been super hot and humid. In Cozumel the day before I sat at a bar by the beach to get some free internet, which is sorely missed when you’re living on a ship.

Christmas Eve was really fun. The officers and entertainment staff had a special dinner with free wine, turkey, and lots of chocolate! It was really good. Then we played two shows and then a special Christmas show which I had to sing more Christmas songs. But it was fine cause everyone was happy and in a good mood.

Christmas was a different story. I got sick with GI symptoms early in the morning. So I had to be isolated in a room for 72 hours. With no window… Luckily I didn’t get sick again. It wasn’t that bad- a comfy bed, TV, room service, and my laptop with lots of movies on it.  It was kind of boring at times. Good thing basketball and football were on TV though. And having all my meals brought to my door was pretty awesome!

Something really cool also happened on this past cruise. The president of a cymbal company was on my cruise. He introduced himself to me and the drummer, and one time he talked to us for a good half an hour about his company, the modern cymbal industry, and other drum and music things. It was nice to get his perspective on the industry since he knows pretty much everything about it.

Have a happy new year!

CODE RED!!! AHHH!!!!

My first week on the ship has been … interesting. Like I said, we were in Code Red, which means a gastro-intestinal virus was spreading across the ship. This continued for the remainder of the first cruise, as well as the first two days of this next cruise. The first day there were 6 cases, the next day 30, then the next day 60. After that it kinda cooled off, but we were still in Code Red. And it was mostly passengers who were getting sick, not really any crew. This is mainly because we know about the virus and they tell us to wash our hands like crazy. They tell the guests the same thing, but they don’t really do it. If you’re taking a cruise soon, wash your hands ALL THE TIME!

This affected us in a few ways. One, we had to sanitize our showroom every night after the shows. It would take about an hour and we’d be done around 12:30am, sometimes 1am. Two, this stuff we were using to sanitize everything is called Virox. It’s horrible! We wear gloves and masks, but the smell just makes you feel sick, and we don’t know if it’s from being so tired or from the virox cause during those late-night cleaning sessions we say some pretty ridiculous things. In one way it’s cool because I get to know everybody in the band better, but it’s also terrible cause we’re working extra and nobody’s happy about it. None of the crew are upbeat either cause we’re all working extra hours and exhausted. And all anyone talks about is passengers with GI, and complaining about sanitizing.

When we finally got back to Tampa, I had to wake up at 6:30am for immigration for new crew members. Then we had to clean the ENTIRE ship. This meant cleaning walls, hand railings, tables, anything in public areas. It was insane. They even hired a cleaning company from land to help us out. Then we had a busy embarkation day again once the new passengers finally came on. Sunday was a looong day.

So morale on the ship is kind of down right now. Hopefully now that we’re FINALLY out of Code Red everyone will forget about it and have more fun! Cause that’s why I’m here!

This cruise we started a couple days ago is the Holiday/Christmas cruise. (We all know nobody’s here to celebrate Hannukah but they have to say it. I probably won’t light a menorah in my room for fear of sinking the ship.) The first night I actually sang a couple Christmas songs at our tree lighting ceremony (mainly because I had to), and there’s a huge gingerbread house in our center Atrium that makes the ship smell really good!

Happy Hannukah and have a good Christmas everybody!

My new ship!

So the first two days on a new ship are the hardest. First, you’re exhausted because of jet lag, so it makes your enthusiasm to meet new people go down. Second, for a musician it’s the busiest day of the cruise because we play 2 sets on the deck, one rehearsal, another set that night, and then play the show. On top of that, they get you on the ship at the crack of dawn to start training and getting used to the new ship. THEN on top of all that, our ship went into Code Red. This means that the GI virus they call Norwalk virus, has spread to a certain percentage of people on the ship. I was nervous at first, but it’s really not that big of a deal. The only bad part about it is every night we have to sanitizing our entire showroom (it’s a big showroom!).

Other than that, this ship is pretty cool. It’s much smaller than my first ship, but that means the staff is closer because there’s less of us. I would compare my last ship as being New York City, and my new ship being Eugene. One is huge and has tons of things going on, and the other one has a small-town feel. The big difference I notice here is that the guests are younger. Since it’s in the Caribbean, and it’s winter break, there are more families, more teenagers, and more people my age. I can’t really hang out with them, but it’s nice to see some people less than 50 years old for a change.

Our first port was Cozumel, and I laid on the beach at this bar that only crew members from ships can go to. There were crew from Royal Caribbean and Carnival ships there. I worked on my tan and grubbed on some awesome nachos. Then I played a set on the top deck while we sailed away. I wasn’t in the show that night, so it was a pretty easy work day. I’m also really lovin the weather- sunny and warm, no snow, and no temperature under 60!

Vacation + My Next ship!

It’s been almost a month since I got off the ship. The last week was a ton of fun, hanging out with all my friends, playing some great music, and just enjoying the ship before I left. To be honest, I totally forgot we were in the middle of the Atlantic I was so busy having fun! However, a couple days before we got to Florida I could feel the humidity and temperature rising.

We got to Florida and it was kind of sad saying goodbye to everybody. It was like summer camp or leaving for summer break in college. Luckily with ships, you never know when you’re going to see someone again. You might be working on another ship, and all of a sudden someone new comes on board who you worked with on another ship. That’s ship life.

I was home for about a week when I got back, mostly catching up on sleep I missed the past 2 months as well as getting over being sick from flying cross country. I then enjoyed Thanksgiving in Pismo Beach, California, where my family and I rented a house 3 blocks from the beach! It was nice to see my brother, who lives down there going to school in Cal Poly, and to enjoy some warm weather! I then visited my friend Ivan for a few days who lives in Los Angeles. I went to Chinatown, In’N’Out, and went to an extravagant Hollywood nightclub, among other things. After getting used to 80 degrees, I hopped on a plane to enjoy 20 degrees in Colorado. I visited with friends in Boulder and Colorado Springs while the temperature kept dropping to 0 before I left. It was great catching up with my friends after being gone and very nice to be in Colorado. The mountains are beautiful and Boulder feels like another home to me. I will definitely be back to visit again soon!

My next stop: the Caribbean! I just got a contract from December 11-January 22 doing 7-day cruises out of Tampa, Florida. I’ll be going to places in Mexico, Belize, Roatan, Jamaica, and the Grand Cayman Islands. I’m excited for warm weather and to experience a new ship. It’s a smaller ship than my last so Ill have to get used to that. I will probably be playing more than the last ship, but it’ll be less hectic than Europe since it’ll be mainly beaches and relaxing. My favorite part is New Years Eve I’ll be docking in the same place as my last ship in Mexico, so I’ll be able to see friends that are still on the ship! I’m very excited and I will continue to update the blog so you can know how it goes!

Halloween and The End

I’ve been really enjoying my last 2 weeks on the ship. I really don’t want to leave, the people here are amazing and everyday is so much fun! We also have a great band right now and we all play really well together.

Halloween was really fun. We played a Halloween pool party on the top deck with all the stars above us, and the weather was nice that night. I dressed up as a bumble bee. I had antenna and everything. I looked pretty ridiculous. It was the first time anyone had seen a bumble bee playing percussion. So I went all out and danced and played and acted crazy and had a great time! A few days later we had a Halloween crew party in our night club on the ship, so everyone got to dress up and act ridiculous as well. People told me I had one of the best costumes though. It’s not every day you got to see a bumble bee dancing or playing the tambourine.

So the weather’s been rocky. We went to Cadiz, Spain a few a days ago, which was a really nice place. Great food and a nice place to just walk around. We were supposed to go to Madeira, Portugal a couple days afterwards. However, after Cadiz the weather was really bad and we couldn’t even dock there! I was at breakfast that morning and I looked out the window and asked myself “Why don’t I see sky on that side anymore?” All of a sudden plates slid off of the counters, all the food slid off of the buffet stations. I saw one couple with their knife and fork still in hand while their plate and food were all on the ground. That lasted for a day, and then the weather got a little better, but the ship still rocks from side to side pretty dramatically. I can’t wait to get to land and feel sturdy ground! It’s hard to play congas while the ground underneath you is constantly moving.

We’ve been doing these jazz “jam sessions” for us musicians. We get a trio together for an hour a day and play some standards. It’s a nice change for us to play some different music, and it’s nice for me to play some drum set. There are some awesome jazz players in our band, and I wouldn’t have known if we didn’t have these sessions.

I’m in the middle of the Atlantic now. Crazy. See you all soon.

Last Cruise :(

So I’m on my last cruise. It’s a 17-day cruise that started in Venice and ends in Ft. Lauderdale. We will arrive November 13^th, and then I’ll get on a flight home. However, I’m very sad to leave this ship because it’s incredible! All the people I’ve met here are amazing and I consider them good friends. It’ll be sad to say goodbye to them, but I’m sure I will see them again in the future. The great part about this job is that I meet people from all over the world. I have friends now from the Philippines, Argentina, South Africa, India, England, and many more. I can add them on facebook, and now I have even more places to visit! Many other things I’ll miss about this ship- having lots of food available at most hours of the day, a commute of 30 seconds to work, a full gym, the amazing sunsets at sea, and 95 cent beers.

Our last time in Venice we had to say goodbye to the cast of singers and dancers. I became very good friends with them over the past 2 months and it was sad to see them leave. They felt like a family, because we all eat, hang out, work together, and live right next to each other. It was more difficult saying goodbye for them, having spent 10 months together, 8 of them on the ship! However, I hope to see them in the future and hopefully work with them again.

So now we have 11 new singers and dancers of the cast. They are all nice people, but they’re very busy because the first couple weeks they’re here they are rehearsing all day long. Their second day on the ship they were in rehearsal from 7am-2:30am.

Tonight we’re playing a Halloween party for the entire ship. I’m planning on dressing up as a bumble bee, as long it doesn’t get in the way of playing everything. It was funny walking around in Italy today seeing Halloween decorations and little Italian kids with masks and capes. It’s kind of strange, I don’t think the holiday really fits in here.  But either way, I’m looking forward to spending a Halloween on the ocean!

Istanbul cymbals, ATV in Mykonos, and late-night Venice

I have done so many things the past 2 weeks. A lengthy blog post, but worth reading!

I went to Olympia a couple weeks ago, where the first Olympics were held. It was out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by rolling hills and green trees. It was very peaceful and relaxing. Originally this was a place of worship, and the games tied into this theme. The stadium was really cool and I ran across it!

We had 3 days in Venice and spent as much time as I could walking around the city. I basically ate pizza, gelato, and pastries. Nothing else. I found the best pizza though! I was walking and looked around the corner and saw a huge line full of Italian teenagers. (That’s usually a good sign.) So I looked inside and there were these MASSIVE pizzas that looked INCREDIBLE. They were also about ½ inch thick, which is not typical of Italian pizza. I got a huuuge slice right as the pizza came out of the oven, sauce was dripping down. It was delicious! One night I went out with some of the band and we went to this place called frulala. Our singer had been there before and says they have the best sangria in the world and is her favorite place in all of Venice. So they opened early for us and gave us some hot sangria, which was delicious on a cold night! They also gave us these smoothie shots/drinks. They were Strawberry-Grape-Vodka and Mango-Pineapple-Rum. They were made with fresh fruit and very tasty! Walking around Venice on a Saturday night was cool because the streets were pretty empty, but every once in a while a bar would be crowded with people. What was also fun is that every so often we would hear a loud crowd down this small side street and there’d be tons of people in this random square. So we’d go join them for a little before continuing to explore. Then we went to St. Mark’s Square. During the day it’s overcrowded with tourists, but at about 2:30am it was deserted. We were the only ones there standing in front of this masterpiece of art. It was surreal.

The next day we were in Korcula, Croatia. My description of it: paradise. I took a tour that cruised around the Dalmatian Islands that surrounded Korcula. It was peaceful and absolutely gorgeous. I think if I wanted a quiet vacation spot, this would be the perfect place.

After 2 sea days (we couldn’t land in Athens because of protesting), we made it to Istanbul again. I was looking forward to this for a month because me and the 3 other drummers on board were going to the Istanbul Mehmet cymbal factory! This factory is one of the only factories that still makes their cymbals by hand without modern machinery. After taking a 30 minute taxi ride through the massive, sprawling city of Istanbul, we came to this industrial area full of garages where the cymbal factory is. We took a tour and saw them putting these metal discs in a 1000 degree fire and flattening them into cymbals. We saw them hand hammering the cymbals and shaping them into what they become. We played and tested cymbals out, which was really fun. Since all the cymbals are hand made, each one has a unique sound, even if they are from the same model. We were in the same place that famous drummers like Jack DeJohnette, Elvin Jones, and Tony Williams were when they tested cymbals. I bought a pair of new hi-hats and a ride. They were so new that we had to wait an extra hour there so they could paint the logos and print on them. We also got a picture with Mehmet Tederger, the man who started the factory, and he even signed our cymbals! It was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had, and all of us couldn’t believe we were actually there.  The next day, we walked around this street that is FULL of music stores and another hot spot to buy cymbals. I went alone in this store and asked this guy if he had any cymbals. He barely spoke any English but he said “follow me.” We go in this dark tunnel and up this old spiral staircase. I thought he was going to mug me or something, but instead he took me to this small room full of old and unique cymbals. I spent some time in there and found a crash cymbal that I bought for $120! Cymbals are much cheaper in Istanbul. Out of 5 people on the ship, we bought 7 cymbals and 2 pairs of hi-hats. All for probably a 1/3 of what we would pay for them in the states.

If that wasn’t enough excitement for 2 days, the next day a bunch of us rented ATVs in Mykonos and drove around the island, stopping at beaches and looking at the beautiful landscape. We saw farms, sheep, and cows in big pastures, as well as big expensive houses on tops of cliffs overlooking the sea. The views of the oceans and small islands in the distance were incredible. We stopped at a couple beaches far away from any towns. Since it was late October it was pretty cold, so no swimming, but there was also practically nobody there. We went to this beach called Paradise, which apparently is the 2^nd biggest beach party in the world. In the summer they have 4,000 people show up everyday to party all day and night until the next morning. We were practically the only ones there now, enjoying the quiet, sitting in the small-pebbled sand, watching the light blue waves. It was really beautiful.

I now have 3 more weeks on the ship. I’m enjoying myself very much and making use of my time here. It feels like I’ve been on the ship for longer than 2 months, and I feel like I’ve known these people for longer too. I’m having a great time and loving ship life.

Nice is niice. So is Florence and Pisa.

So after being super exhausted from Barcelona, I decided to still get little sleep and push through the next two days. Why? Nice, Florence, and Pisa.

Knock another country off my list, one I wasn’t expecting to go to. We docked in Monte Carlo after Barcelona and I took the train to Nice in France. Nice is nice. I thought it would be a quiet little town, and I was completely wrong. Nice is pretty big. Luckily I took the train with some friends who have been there before and showed me where everything is. So I walked to the old town, which is a really cool area! It has tons of hip places to eat and restaurants that have music at night. I definitely want to spend more time there, especially for the beach! The beach is massive and on a Wednesday at 3pm was packed! There were many toursits, and many people my age there. It seems like a hot spot for young travellers. I took an elevator up to this huge hill that looked out onto the whole town, the mountains behind it, and the ocean with the sun setting into it. There’s also a big fountain that goes over these old stones, and it made me really miss the nature of Colorado. I’ll have to visit soon.

The next day I took an excursion to Florence and Pisa. First we went to Florence and did a walking tour. The Duomo was massive and totally different than any other church I’ve seen in Europe. We went by the square where the fake David is, and went into the church where Michelangelo, Dante, Galileo, and Rossini is buried. Beautiful artwork everywhere. We had a great (free) lunch with pasta and the best tiramisu I’ve ever eaten. Everyone I’ve talked to, including some girls I met on the train to Nice, said the gelato in Florence is the best in all of Italy. So I had some, with homemade whipped cream on top, and it was very good. Fresh, rich flavors, light and creamy, homemade. It was great. We then went to Pisa where I saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It’s pretty awesome when you turn the corner and there it is. It’s actually leaning. It’s in a very beautiful square with grass and other big buildings. It was a very cool experience and I was very excited to be there. Here's a picture of me there!

Hope all is well at home. Missing everybody and hope to see you all soon.

Ciao.

Rome & Barcelona

This past cruise I think I’ve gotten the least amount of sleep. People stay up very late here. And when I go on tours or want to spend the entire day in Rome, I have to get up pretty early in the morning. But I’ve gotten used to it, and I can usually nap in the afternoons before a show or something. When in Rome, right?

Speaking of, one day recently I went to Rome by myself. I took the train in from our port and walked around by myself. I went to the Vatican, Castel Saint Angelo, Piazza Navona, the Jewish Quarter, and then Piazza Venezia where I saw views of the Forum, the Colosseum, and some other ruins I never figured out the names for. It was nice to do things on my own and go at my own pace. Rome was beautiful, and I had the most amazing pizza and gelato. Their pizza has a thick crust but you can still walk and eat it. I saw this one place that was packed, lots of locals, and the freshest looking cheese and toppings. It was a great choice! I also chose this great gelato place. I was told to look at all the gelato and if the colors are very bright and colorful, then it’s probably a brand that produces the gelato with preservatives. But if the colors are bland, which they were, then they make it in the shop, all homemade gelato with no preservatives. And this place was like that. The chocolate flavor was super rich and the coffee flavor was very strong.

Then we had three days in Barcelona. The first day I went out to Parc Ciutadella at sundown and saw the Arc de Triumph, a huge fountain with a gold chariot at the top, and a massive elephant statue. That night I also went to this huge club called Opium. It was a massive place right on the beach. For a Sunday night, the place was packed! It would be like a Thursday night at the Walrus times 6, and every person from a different part of the world. I heard many different languages being spoken around me. I met a lot of Germans and Russians actually. At one point this guy was playing saxophone to this house music and the crowd was loving it. He was really good though and it sounded amazing! We were with a big crowd from the boat so it felt like I knew a lot of people there. It was a blast! We left at 4:30am and there was no sign of the club stopping anytime soon. We got back to the ship and went into the bakery where they make the sweets for the ship. OH MAN! The bakery guys were super nice and gave us muffins and pastries to eat. Que magnifico!

The second day in Barcelona I finally got to this sandwich place called Bo de B that all my friends who studied in Barcelona told me about. It was incredible! A huge sandwich with tons of chicken and veggies and these amazing sauces! Then patates braves, like fried potato wedges with the sauces were unbelievable! Probably the best potatoes I’ve ever eaten. So thank you Gabe, Colton, Mindy, and cousin Mike for all separately suggesting this one place off the beaten path. That night I went to the club yet again until 5am. Then I woke up bright and early at 8am to see some touristy places in town with friends. We went to Sagrada Familia, which is really REALLY cool, and Parc Guell.

Barcelona has some amazing art and it’s a very unique place. It kinda reminds me of NYC because there’s so many different areas and there’s lots of different sights to see all over town. I would definitely love to go visit Barcelona on my own again because there was still so many things I didn’t get to see that I wanted to.

Adios!

ATV + Zach Galifianakis + Santorini

Today I went ATVing in Santorini. OMG it was incredible! On the ride to the beach I sat behind my friend Nate while he drove. I took pictures of the amazing views going by, waving to my friends in our 5-ATV caravan, and yelling out how cool it was. We rode to Oia, which is where you always see the picture of that white church with the blue roof. It’s the first image that pops in your head when you think of Greece. So we went down to this beach area below the town and I had an amazing greek salad and tzatziki. Then we went swimming, which felt so refreshing in the sun! While walking back to the ATVs, sitting at the restaurant we just ate at, we saw Zach Galifianakis!!!! I couldn’t believe it! Everyone else didn’t believe it was him at first, cause a lot of people look like him. So we stopped and looked back. He took off his sunglasses, had the same kind of chubby build to him, and had the same mannerisms. We stopped a little past him just staring at him and whispering. He looks back, one of my friends waves and he waves back. My day was amazing already, but this just put it over the top! Then I got to drive the ATV back and it was SO MUCH FUN!!! There were some times where a big tour bus was comin my way and not a whole lot of room for me to squeeze by, but that’s what’s gonna happen when you drive the mountain roads in Greece. It was exhilarating!

So that was my Monday of work. I pretty much got paid to do that. We kind of lose track of days on the ship. The only way we can tell what day it is is when we get in the elevator they have the day in the carpet on the floor. So a couple days it was Saturday and I had no idea until I stepped in the elevator! I was telling people it’s the weekend. For us, every day is a Friday or Saturday. Yeah, maybe we play a couple sets at night, but there will always be places to go at night, people to hang out with, and things to do at ports during the day. A lot of crew who have been to these ports many times and have done all the touristy things,usually just end up going to the beach during the day Sometimes people talk about going on vacation in between ship contracts. It’s funny for me, because I feel like I’m on vacation! I love my job. It could not be better.

Proper Fun

Life is amazing! It could not be better right now. I’ve met so many great people on the ship and have made a lot of friends. I’ve keep traveling to new places I’ve never been. And I get to play music everyday. It doesn’t even feel like a job, I’m just having fun and enjoying life!

Last night we played with Journey South. I’d never heard of them before, but they were on the show X Factor in the UK, and then recorded some albums with Simon Cowell. We played songs by Michael Buble, Van Morrison, Billy Joel, and Beatles stuff. It was the best show I’ve played yet. Most of the guest entertainer shows are mostly swing and latin tunes and can drag on for a while, but this one was a fun rock concert! I really did feel like a rockstar playing this show. And the two brothers of Journey South were really cool, they came out to the bar with us after the show to hang out and party with us.

I’ve also gone to the gym more lately. It’s a really nice gym and while I’m running on the treadmill I look out onto the ocean. Plus, everyone’s good friends with the guys who work at the gym, so if they’re not working with a guest they can give us a session. I haven’t done this, but some of the cast has and they say they’ve gotten some really good workouts! It’s also the only gym in the entire world that’s empty from 5-6:30. Who goes on a cruise vacation to spend time in the gym??

I’ve become friends with lots of English people. At first, I could not understand them for the life of me! I’ve slowly gotten comfortable with understanding them, but their lingo throws me off sometimes. They say “proper” a lot. It would be the equivalent of “legit.” Or when we say “that was sooo funny” they would say “that was PROPER funny.”

I still can’t get over how lucky I am to be here. I smile all the time when the thought comes in my head that I’m getting paid to travel. Like I said, playing is fun and I don’t feel like I’m working at all. I’m finally starting to get into a routine and calling this my home. The ship’s my home. The Mediterranean sea is my home. And each port is like my living room. Some of the ports I’m starting to go to again. So I feel comfortable with it. Just walkin around in Croatia feels like my backyard. It’s awesome.

If anybody has specific questions for me, please comment on my postings and I’d be happy to respond to them or even write a blog post about it. Or if you just want to comment to say something, I’d love to hear from you! It’s been nice to read all the comments so far. And my next blog post will be about more specifically what I do on the ship when I’m not working, thanks to the question from Sam Holman. Miss ya

Istanbul, Mykonos, Ephesus, Santorini

The past five days have been amazing! Two days in Istanbul, the next day in Mykonos, then at the ruins of Ephesus, and finally in Santorini. Read on..

Istanbul is the most unique place I’ve ever been. I recommend every single person to go there. Sailing in I saw these huge, beautiful mosques, and towering behind were massive skyscrapers. Walking around town were men and women racing past me in suits trying to catch the next ferry while chanting was coming from two different directions from two different mosques. It was like NYC meets the Middle East, in Europe. I had so much fun walking everywhere. They had a spice market with tons of colorful spices in bins, yummy Turkish delight, and tea leaves that had so many different smells. I walked around off the beaten path early in the morning and walked in this big mosque. I realized I was by myself and hung out there for a good hour, lying down and taking in the decorated ceilings. I ate dinner at this place that had this woman making really thin pitas, kinda like crepes, on this big round stone. And then they put spinach or cheese inside of them. All of the ingredients were so fresh, it tasted like heaven on earth.

There’s more that I did that I can’t even remember, and we’re going there again. Next time I’m devoting a couple of hours to get new cymbals. The drummer on the ship got cymbals for around $130 each, where in the states they’d be $300 each. It’s the same with suits too. You can buy a suit here with pants, shirt, and a tie for $100. And they tailor it for you. Turkey is where it’s at.

Mykonos was beautiful. They have the famous windmills. I climbed up a hill to watch the sunset and look over all the white houses with blue doors and roofs. I walked into this art gallery that had some cool jazz art. I start talking to the English guy who owns the place, and he starts talking about how he grew up with David Bowie and hangs out with him all the time. He’s done album covers for Sony and travels to music festivals around the world to showcase his art. He says he’s been interviewed on MTV a lot, and the guy did look familiar. It was just very random to meet this guy in a small town in Greece. We were lost at the time too and just wandered in. Then I ate 2 big gyros. Most of my paycheck has already been spent towards gyros.

The ruins of Ephesus, which apparently is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, were really cool! You can tell out of all the crew who has been in the Mediterranean all summer, because they always tell you “yeah it’s cool to go see the ruins, but after a while they all start to look the same. It’s all stone.” I can kind of see what they mean, but Ephesus was different. First off, it’s huge and covers a lot of land. Second, a lot of the artwork is still in tact. We saw an area that still had mosaics on the ground where the rich people lived, along with artwork on the walls. Stones still had complete and in-tact sculptures of people and symbols. There was even these markings still in the stone pathway that told visiting sailors where the prostitutes were. Again, Turkey…

The next day was Santorini. WOWWW. That’s what I said the whole day. Little towns perched on top of cliffs. I walked by the edge of it for about 2 hours and saw all the beautiful white houses with more blue roofs. Ate some more gyros. Then drank a Mythos (Greek beer) at this café that had an amazing view of the entire island. It was amazing. Another place everyone should go to.

Oh, I also went to the Acropolis in Athens. Did I forget to mention that? :)

Music Music Music

So the music I play on the ship covers a wide variety of genres. I’m part of the group the HAL Cats. We play sets in our lounge and on the poolside deck. We have 2 books with 300 songs. There’s all different kinds of songs- we’ve done themed nights of 50s/60s, Motown, and more to come!

We also do a night of “Singing with the HAL Cats.” It’s like karaoke with a live band. Sometimes there are some good singers and it’s fun. Other times there are some TERRIBLE singers and I’m trying not to laugh the whole time. Either way it’s a good time.

Then we play the shows at night. Most of them are pretty cheesy but some can be fun. The dancers and singers are all really good and have been doing ships for a while now. Some of them have also done stuff in Vegas, with Disney, and with other cruise lines. We all live in the same area and see each other a lot, and they were all really friendly and welcoming when I first got on the ship. But not anymore… no just kidding, they still are! One of them is a die-hard Alabama football fan, so he keeps me up to date on scores. He broke the news to me about the LSU/Ducks game. I was devastated. But at least we can agree we both hate Auburn!

One show is called GarageBand, and it’s by far the silliest for the band. During one song where the singer sings a love song, the band is dressed up in jumpsuits and angel wings. Again, I’m trying not to laugh while we act serious.

Some of the other shows are pretty cheesy: bad jokes, silly costumes, and weird storylines. But other times they can be really good, and the music and talent of everybody is always top notch.

Sometimes we have guest entertainers. For example, last week there was a guitarist, really funny guy, great player, and the music was fun. We usually have one rehearsal with him and then the show, so we have to be on our game. However, sometimes they don’t need percussion. Like tonight, I don’t need to play, so I have the whole day off! And sometimes there’s a magician or comedian on board. The nice part is since I don’t play, I get to watch their acts. They’ve been pretty funny so far!

Playing is fun on the ship. I get to open up a little and play what I want. I smile a lot since I’m part of the show on stage. People always recognize me on tours and walking around the ship and tell me how they like the music and shows. I kind of feel like a rock star here! By the end of the 12 day cruise, everyone I met on tours and around the ship were coming to watch us play. It’s really cool!

Me, the bassist, and drummer are all Jewish. We’re thinking about doing something cool about it, like playing Hava Nagila at a set. The singer in the HAL Cats is from Colorado, so we automatically understood each other. There’s also a couple girls who went to CSU on the ship. They’re nice but still the enemy.

I could go on and on, but I’m going to be Istanbul today, and I heard you can get nice Turkish cymbals for cheap! Score! Anybody want anything?

Running in Venice

So the past week has been just as awesome as the first! I went to Sicily for my birthday, to this place Taormina. It was this town on this huge cliff above the Ionian Sea with a gorgeous view and an old Greco-Roman Theater. Then we finally went to Greece, where I walked up 700 somethin steps to this old castle in Nafplion. The view was amazing there as well. Then in Corfu I ate some gyros and swam in the sea. Greece is really nice, and the people aren’t as crazy as Italians.

After Greece we were in Dubrovnik. I kept telling myself and my friends “Two weeks ago I was in Oregon, and now I’m in Croatia. WHAT?!?” Dubrovnik’s old city has a wall surrounding it that you can walk the 2 miles around with some more amazing views! Also, surprisingly, they have really good pizza. And beautiful women. Who knew.

The past 3 days we’ve been docked in Venice. The Venice Film Festival has been going on there now and I was hoping to see some celebrities, however that did not happen. There was also this popular Art Festival going on as well, and there are free galleries that represent every country. Some were cool, some were creepy, and most were weird.  You had to be there. But then I had my first scary moment of the cruise. Me and the drummer were out all morning just walking down alleys and getting lost in Venice, because we heard that’s the best way to experience it. But then it was an hour until the ship left and we were on the other side of town. So we ran down the streets of Venice, which, if you know the streets of Venice, most of them are very narrow and packed with tourists. So we were running in between people, swerving, almost running into strollers and old people. Then we had to run through St. Marc’s Square at 2pm on a Saturday. It was an experience. And yes I made it back on the ship!

I’m really excited for the itinerary coming up for this cruise: Split, Croatia; Istanbul; Kusadasi, Turkey; and Mykonos and Santorini, Greece. I’ve heard so many great things about them all so I’m very excited.

I talked last time about the food. Well, I’ve been eating a lot of it. Sometimes 5 meals a day. When we have an hour in between shows, it’s just kinda where we go and hang out. But surprisingly I’ve lost weight. It’s probably cause I’m walking so much everyday on every port. It’s strange.

Oh yeah, and I’ve been playing music every day too! But I can tell you about that next time!

Hope everything’s going well with everyone in the states!

My First Week

I had a really busy first 2 days on the ship playing a lot and then going to meetings, safety trainings, and learning about how stuff works here. But now that that’s all over, it’s been really fun!

Tuesday I didn’t play until 10pm, so I had the whole day in Monte Carlo free! I walked to the casino area, a beach area, and then up the steep hill to this huge old elegant hotel. The neighborhoods around there had some of the most beautiful architecture I’ve ever seen.  I walked for maybe 4 or 5 hours just looking and taking pictures.

I played 3 sets each the first 2 days I was here, which is a lot! One of the performances was on the top deck right next to the pool while we were sailing out of Barcelona. And since it’s a huge ship, when you’re on the top deck you have an amazing view of anywhere you are. So I was playing drums while looking over Barcelona as we sailed by. It was really cool!

The Lido, which is our dining hall, is also up on the top deck. We eat the same food the guests do and sit in the same area as them, which is different than other ships, so I’m pretty lucky. I had quail one night, I’ve had steak a couple times. There’s always really good food and a big variety. But one of the cool things is we can eat outside too. So the first 2 days I was eating breakfast and lunch while looking over Barcelona. Then the next day, I woke up to eat breakfast looking over the insanely beautiful Monte Carlo. I don’t want to say Monte Carlo is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to, cause I’m going to so many other cities… but Monte Carlo is the most beautiful place I’ve been to YET.

Yesterday I went to Rome. There are shore excursions that guests can purchase. Some of them cost a lot of money, but if there are open spots the crew can go on them for free. So I got to go on a $200 tour to Rome FO FREE! First we went to the St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, then the Colosseum, then had a lunch of lasagna, tiramisu and wine (remember, I haven’t spent a dime yet), and then walked around to the Trevi Fountains, Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, and some other places downtown. It was incredible!

Today I’m in Sicily for my birthday and I’m going on another excursion! I wish everyone reading this could be over here to celebrate with me!

Caio!

Barcelona, Day 0

So I left Eugene at 4am on Friday August 26th and just arrived into Barcelona at 8:30am Saturday morning August 27th. If Colorado and Oregon had a baby, they’d make Spain. It has the rolling hills and grass fields of Oregon, and the mountainous cliffs and rocks of Colorado. It looked beautiful from the plane. So after getting barely any sleep, for some reason I had enough energy to trek through Barcelona for the day.

Culture shock- first, after Holland America forgot my reservation at the hotel (I hope they know I’m coming on the ship!), my room didn’t have any lights and no air! I called the desk and apparently I have to keep my card in this holder in the room so the electricity turns on. Europe…

However, being in Europe for my first time is amazing! I’ve wanted to get over here for a long time. I’m so excited, a little nervous to join the ship, and overall just immensely thankful to be in Europe!

So I think Barcelona does hipster correctly. Portland, LA, Brooklyn- take note. Maybe it’s because they’re European and they don’t really care what anyone thinks, but these hipsters get started young over here. But they’re real hipsters, if you know what I mean..

I spent the day walking around the downtown area where there was amazing architecture and art to look at. There was a great market with smoothies, an overly packed beach with crisp sand and the best shade of blue water, and a bunch of little streets and alleyways that were really cool to walk down. Thank you Gabe, Colton, Mindy, and Mike for giving me some awesome tips on what to do there.

If you can, put Barcelona on your next place to visit. I didn’t have enough time to do a quarter of the stuff everyone suggested me to do, but I’ll be back in port here again and hope to see the other places.

I’m off to the ship in the morning, so I’m sure my next post will be about all the weird rules I learned and playing with the band!