Togo 2

I hope to blog as things that might interest you arise. It will hopefully be fairly often and not all that long J I also write things, as I go, as posting the blog is not always guaranteed so I prefer to type in Word, that way it is safe. This means that days may not exactly match up at the time this is read.

Writing this marks my first week aboard Africa Mercy. I am exhausted following working the last three days and knowing that the weekend shift lies ahead! I am most pleased with my posting in the galley. I have just switched teams to balance out the numbers and I decided rather to finish my days with the old team and then begin with the new one.

I have been asked about my daily schedule. It obviously changes somewhat depending on the day. If I am working I am required to attend a devotional meeting on Wednesday and Thursday. The first is for all stewards and the second for those in the dining room and galley. The respective 'bosses' run these. My boss is a man named Ken. He used to run a five star restaurant in American and was in a band. He has some interesting stories such as casually meeting Anthony Keidis, the Red Hot Chili Peppers singer. This history obviously sets the stage for a musical kitchen!

On Monday there is a meeting of the whole crew which is for information and such. That happens in the 'international lounge'.

After the 8 am meeting, we go to the galley where we are briefed on the lunch and dinner plan. We will have a mid morning break and then one for lunch and another mid afternoon. There are day staff that help plot a lot. They are from Togo and are paid a wage. 

Then after the hour-long dinner break we clean very many dishes, scrub the floors and bleach the tables.

Then we pray and throw the borrowed, bleached shirts and aprons in the wash and I’ll go shower. It is air conned but it obviously gets really hot. Especially while scrubbing floors.

After that there may be or an information meeting. If not people will hang around in mid ships where the shop, Starbucks, wifi and games are. I might read there or play cards. The Internet is in high use and not as fast as it is with the cable in the room. It will be about 8 o’clock thanks to early dinner :)

On the weekend, however, there is no lunch and cooked breakfast on Sunday, which we cook in the galley. No lunch means it will be less busy than a weekday. The crew will pack a lunch at breakfast or go off for the day and eat at a restaurant.

Meal times are really cool because for about an hour we sit and chat even after finishing the meal. Its casual, people come and go but I have an hour off so there is not really anything else I need or want to do, so it is nice to relax and chat. This is when I meet most people. Having to wear name cards, which are also used when purchasing anything aboard or leaving the ship, helps with names.

That is pretty much that :)

If you have any questions, please ask. I know being aboard is not really what I had imagined, in a good way and I don't know if I have given you enough information to understand how things work.

I am very happy and comfortable aboard :)

Now for news…

Today (Friday) was hectic. We invited 300 dignitaries to come aboard for the purpose of forming relationships with the MS. More and more are MS realising the importance of forming relationships with people in power in these countries, as am I realising what a HUGE undertaking it is to run a ship such as this one to coordinate its movements between countries. The first people who began the MS in the 1970s (I think) were so brave and must have learnt so much as they went ahead. Anyhow, I made some nigiri (smoked salmon on rice) and the chef and I made salmon and Philadelphia cheese California rolls which didn’t turn out too well. Of course having sushi rice may have helped! Also we had to de-vein 30kg of shrimp… 1 kg took me half and hour and I was probably the fastest… worst is that I didn’t even think that they tasted too great. In the galley we always listen to music. It increases moral heaps and it is good to hear different music, such as some old artists from my friend who seems to distrust modern music, despite only being thirty.

I mentioned my application for dental sterilisation. I would like to be as involved as possible and help as much as I am able to. Also, I seek references for my return and uni applications. I gather that the job will involve the sterilisation of dental equipment used in surgeries performed on the West African patients. I have a fair amount of time off so why not.

I have met so many kind and friendly people aboard. It is really so good to meet young people from all around. Mostly they are from Scandinavia, North America and Holland. Of course I enjoy conversing in Afrikaans with the Dutch although I do not understand them as well as they do me. This evening we went out for dinner. We caught taxis that went at least double the distance necessary to find the Lebanese restaurant. In the end we settled for Indian that was excellent. Not too cheap though, I was proud to say that Eastern Food Bazaar can offer the same for about a quarter of the price. The bill for all of us came to 65000 CFA. About R1100 for the eleven of us. I was chuffed to get off the ship and have a meal! I decided to eat my curry, naan and rice with my hands. The Dutch girl opposite was so surprised and kept watching me shovel food using my fingers as best I could remember Jason Lee’s brief demonstration following his return from India.

I stay in a 6-berth cabin with a Ghanaian, 2 yanks and 2 brits. They are all really nice guys. I was so embarrassed to hear that I had reprimanded my bunkmate the other night for ‘making a noise’ when he came in. I didn’t even wake. How I hate sleep talking! Otherwise I have everything well set up. My Internet cable spans 10m to my bedside and the SA flag cushion cover from dad is on my wall J It is so nice to be able to sleep very late due to the absence of natural light!

There are gatherings on Sunday and Thursday evenings, and Monday mornings. Not all are compulsory and they are not all spiritual. For example, on Thursdays we learn about Togolese culture. This is quite helpful and informative. Meeting with and hearing stories of cross-cultural interactions I discover that South Africans, in my opinion, are generally not easily offended and easygoing.

There is even an Olympic sized swimming pool in Lome. Just along the boulevard at a hotel. I expect to buy a few day passes (discounted for MS crew!).

The food aboard is not too shabby. I gather it is rather fattening which is another reason I enjoy the galley- I see what goes into everything. All produce is bleached first then rinsed. The fresh food is actually some of the best! Oranges from morocco are my favourite.

I hope to run twice a week, even if on the 200m pier. I ran at 7 pm the other night just before a meeting. I forgot to take into account the cool off time needed, even with this super air-conditioning (which is rumoured to pack up before we dry-dock in Tenerife) (It was in fact fitted in Durban two years ago- no relation to the fact it is packing up!) I was hot after my cool shower and time in my below-room-temperature room. 

in the pictures... docked parallel to Africa Mercy, clearly no arms deal here!

my very sweaty shirt, the image atop the ship ( deck 8), the California rolls on either side of smoked salmon nigiri, and my and JJs corner of cubby-hole of the six berth!

I am sorry if this is longwinded. Some people asked about some of the above-mentioned topics. I will become more concise as I practice my blogging.

Love ben x