Sailing without the Sails

Hey Mates,

For all of you who are wondering their mind(s) out about me... am doing real good :) The crew and the officers are very friendly and my previous professional experience is helping a lot. The engineers are really happy about the fact that I already know so much about the machines though this being my very first ship. There is simply no problem I am facing due to the rolling and pitching of the ship, though we encountered a lot of bad weather in the South China Sea. Presently we are in the South China Sea near Phillipines and sailing towards Daesun (South Korea).

Am doing all the major overhauls of the machines, that too on my 2nd and 3rd day onboard the ship. That is I've done the 3rd engineer's as well as the 2nd engineer's work. So everyone wants to take me with them for the work :) Am finding the ship very homely.

And to tell something about the food... I really don't want to go back home if this kind of food prevails for long :) Every morning having a power packed breakfast with things like brown breads, cheese slices, bacons, apples, oranges, mayonaese, milk, eggs :)

This was only the breakfast. So hope you can imagine how the lunch and dinner goes on :) Just yesterday there was pomphret fry for lunch and like we have the whole fish, I also ate up the whole thing only the middle fishbone was left in the plate. Captain had a glace at my plate and went off like, "You ate up the whole thing??" with a peculiar look on his face. I said like "Sir, we actually eat up the whole thing." Then he said, "ya I know how you Bengalis are so very fond of fishes." I gave a smile... Captain taa akta buro lok but khub bhalo lok. Amake dekhlei khali 'noddy' r moto ghaar naare aar bole.. "Everything fine?" :)

And the chief is a damn good person. Forsha, lomba, a gentleman. The Second Engineer's wife is on board and gives me so many chocolates that I got to share them with other people :) (gaining favour at the expense of others) :)

Chief Cook taa ke akdom puropuri potiye niyechi... Malta amar kache eshe khali bole "ek Cigarette" aar pet thushe khawae... :) Today got my first carton of B&H :)

Today morning a very nice thing happened. Got up from sleep and day was just breaking. I glaced through the ocean through my port hole (I do it everyday dilligently, to get a feel of the day), saw a number of seagulls flying around the forward mast of the ship. That indicated that we were near land. Checked out with the Bridge, and yes we were really near the Phillipines. Nice things happening. Sometime after too much working and sweating, I go up and stand on the deck for sometime too get the real feel of the sea. Akdin 2 to Dolphin dekhechhi besh duure. Dolphin naki timi machh janina. Sometimes there are other ships that pass through,, but a very distant form.

Work is good. But this being an UMS class vessel, the engine room is unmanned after 17:00, except only if some alarm comes up. So from Morning 7:00 to 17:00, with breaks for breakfast, lunch and tea. And soooo many priviledges being in BP, and that too in a vessel in such a good condition.

And about the the first international flight I embarked upon... :) That was really some experience. I just took my Boarding Pass and there was a voice from the side, "SOMU!!" I just turned my head and saw Mr.Sumantra Chaudhuri getting his boarding pass in the same flight, but the Business Class :) Really some good thing. Then I met Jethiji in the waiting area before boarding the flight. Didn't get to meet jethiji this time round in calcutta. So ultimately destiny prevailed yet again. While boarding, just when the door opened, it was announced that first the people on wheelchair will proceed, then diplomats and et all, then business class people and then Economy class people. So,
Sundorjethu: Somu, chole aaye...
Amio gotgot kore hete chole gelam.
The security guard stopped me.
Sundorjethu: Arey dhur, chharoto... amar chhele :P
Abaar aami gotgot kore uthe porlaam.
Just seat e boshe kombol er packet taa chhirechhi...
Sundorjethu: Somu, bhalo jaega peyechhistoh...
Almost all the people onboard got to know that I am with somebody in the Hall of Fame, so that made me in the Balcony of fame too :)
He got me introduced to the Basketball referee of India, who was heading for the asian games or something in Indonesia probably..
Then went with him to see what Business Class is..
Sundorjethu: Ne jaja achhe kheye ne.. :P
I also followed suite.
Sundorjethu: Era kintu besh bhalo khawaye... shatiye jaabi... :)
Toh ami bollam "Du akta jinisher naam bolo janina to ki bolte hobe... But eventually I got a Menu Card, from where I could order anything any number of times without any extra expense from my pocket :P
That time I thought "Damn you Maa, aamake kano bekaar Khashir mangsho aar Bhaat khaiye pathiyechhile?? pet e ak fota jaega nai!" So I had to cover up the same from elsewhere... :)

Had a drink called ki Bailley's Irish Cream, don't worry I didn't know of the thing, sundorjethu told me about it... besh bhalo :P otaai kheyechhi besh duto... along with some other things :) But plane chhartei tray tey kore niye eshechhe Juice and Beer. Toh aabar jigesh kore "which one would you like to have Sir?" ki mushkil "boli beer taa daao... eshob ki aabar jigesh korte hoe naki??" chinkuta heshe dilo aabar :) otaa khete khete besh cinema dekhchhilam akta... abar khete ichhe holo... bell bajiye bollam "Boy, get me another beer." taar sathe abar jhuribhaja diye galo... :) taar por besh kotaa oi Irish Cream merechhi :) shob gile ghumaiya disi... tarpor ak chinku aisha daake... "Sir, you need to wake up we are landing" Toh aami bollam " Dakhona Belt taa plane take off koraar por theke khuli i ni jaate ghumiye porle naa daako" uff oke aar ke bojhaye...

And singapore was really awessome... was too sleepy because of the late night flight and the hassles the previous day, so instead of venturing out, I preferred to catch up some sleep and then lunch. After lunch, was picked up from the hotel along with the 2nd engineer and an AB to the jetty. From there we had to go by boat for about 30 mins to the place where the ship was anchored. Great things, preferably because of the first time.

Let's see what I have in store and hope for the best and keep praying.