Reminiscing Ships (Adventures & My Favorite Places) PART 2

Here's the 2nd part of my Reminiscing Ships blog entry. 

** ADVENTURES / MY FAVORITE PLACES **

40+ countries in 3 yrs- hallelujia (if just for this, I know I am very blessed), so it's quite a challenge to pick only the BEST. I guess that's why this follow up entry took so long to finish. Not every place is outstanding, but unique in its own way & unforgettable. I will try to explain in caption why I have chosen certain places and why they hold a special place in my heart.

Also, please remember that I come from Manila, a big city, so I'm already sick of malls. I am also grateful for meeting people who changed my perspective about traveling just in the beginning of my contract. They had influenced me to see places smartly by walking a lot, riding a bike & riding the public transport, by speaking to locals and eating local food (not from touristic areas).

I was not very much impressed by the US for example, only because there was nothing special to see there but malls, highways & fast food. I love Miami though and I love that I have met friends in the US  because my work took me to where they are. Certain places did not make it in my personal favorites either because they were too touristic/busy & rude to tourists.

 So here goes my list...

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA,  2008-2009 /  where we spent a lot of overnights giving me enough time to get to know the city in the morning & in the night / the CITY w/c has EVERYTHING - life, culture, diversity, Sydney Opera House, themed-parks, beach & nature (they have a gorgeous mountain-side). Here, I've seen free concerts on the streets. Australia is perfect for city-lovers & nature-lovers alike. And perfect for people like me who can't stand the cold since they only have mild winters. Our secret dream is to actually live here. For friends in Manila who would like to go out of Asia, Australia has to be your next destination. 

February 2009/ On our last Sydney overnight, we watched a symphony orchestra at the Opera Hse (you just gotta experience it) & checked-in at the Shangri-La; a Filipino staff gave us a great discount & view overlooking the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge & our ship. Just wow! This was our one & only biggest splurge!

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA / February 2009 / Meeting bestfriend, Kaye. We didn't see each other for more than 10 yrs before this. We were playmates when we were kids. & we wrote letters to each other for many years. This was a great reunion :) She brought me to museums, the famous Bondi beach & we had a delicious Chinese lunch.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 2008 -2009 / This was another city I fell in love with. It was like New York for me and experiencing Europe for the first time, only I was in Australia. People dress very well, there are trams and old historical buildings everywhere, there's a great shopping district, and small cafes. Well, obviously it has its own soul but really it's BEAUTIFUL. 1 year later I was in Italy and I told Ivan, it was like Melbourne for me in so many ways.

Spending the New Year 2009 w/ my relatives in Melbourne. What an opportunity. Good times! I've seen cousins I've never seen in 20+ yrs.

NEW ZEALAND (Various Ports/Cities, 2008-2009) / Top right photo was the location for the movie NARNIA. This country is a world of its own. Wellington & Auckland are big cities, Akaroa is pretty, while Christchurch is a sweet charming town. Christchurch is my most favorite where we spent so much time walking, biking, & taking naps in a park.

TAURANGA, NEW ZEALAND, 2009 / How can I forget my 1st chopper ride. For only NZ$ 20 i think. Such a high! This portside has a long strip of pretty cafes, ice cream shops (New Zealand ice cream is the best for me), novelty shops and variety of restos. It has a beach and is very good for biking and leisurely-walking. I love the Kiwis because they are who they are & don't seem to be very judgmental.

MO'OREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA 2008-2009 / The most beautiful beach i have seen in my life, and this beach beats my other favorites for the top spot: Bora-Bora, Barbados, Hawaii, St. Maarten, Boracay, Cebu Mactan, Putipot in Zambales, and Pagudpod Island. Gorgeous, hands down!!!

BORA BORA, FRENCH POLYNESIA 2008-2009 / TOP 2 / "It's like a vast swimming pool", crewmembers used to say about this place. I could go as far as 40 meters from the shore, and the water level is still up to my chest.  This public beach does not have too many bars and restos making it very laid-back. Almost like a virgin island. Perfect for honeymooners.

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS, 2010 / TOP 3. The beach water colors are amazing; bluer than blue as you can see and the waves are perfect for surfing. This is where the big waves almost ate me alive. While you sunbathe you hear Carribbean music (though technically this is not part of Carribbean) over the loud speaker and there's a cool bar at the beachfront. A crazy cool place!

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL 2009 / I didn't exactly grow up very religious but I am very prayerful. So this was an amazing experience for me. In 2010, my ship went again to Jerusalem, I went on this same tour, just to experience Jesus all over again. My 1st trip was GREAT, my second trip I found it very very touristic. I guess my personal experience about this city is very intense it's difficult to share it in public.

At a synagogue where Jesus washed the disciples' feet with water.

BETHLEHEM, ISRAEL 2009 / This was a year of so much trials in my life and I couldn't have made it without being in these Holy places. God was with me all throughout 2009 and He literally never left my side. If you're a fan of the Bible, these places will simply blow you away!

MIAMI, FLORIDA 2008-2011. Since our company was based here, this was where we were all trained. I joined 2 ships in Miami too, and this was my 3rd ship's homeport for 3 months. I love Miami's weather, and sea-side. At the famous south beach everything is shiny and classy, and Jaguars are a common sight. That was my first impression. The people too are hip, and easy-going. & since I spent so many days and nights in Miami, it did not take me too long to like it. We are also considering migrating to Miami, just perfect weather for us, with enough working opportunities.

MIAMI, FLORIDA 2010 / I am pretty lucky in terms of meeting friends and families wherever my ship takes me. When my company asked me & Ivan to extend for 2 months in another ship, they had to fly me to Miami and ask me to stay there for 3 days before joining another ship. I took that opportunity to meet up w/ my uncle's sister. This was only the 2nd time that we were meeting but they gladly welcomed me into their home. They toured me around the big outlet malls in Miami for those days. Nakakaloka. I got my favorite perfume for only $20, which was $85 tax free onboard. Super saya!

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 2010 / Ito talaga ang swerte. Ito talaga ang meant-to-be. Backstory is that Wani has just moved to LA and has been telling me to meet with her after my signoff, which is very impossible, as you need a permit to stay longer in the US land after leaving ships. The easiest way to do it is to cheat your itinerary, etc. So I was happy to fly straight to Manila from Miami. Nevermind if my ticket was Miami-LA-Manila. I have already boarded the plane in LA, I easily fell asleep from a long tiring contract, that I woke up after 2 hours with an announcement from the pilot that the plane is not going anywhere due to engine problems. I was stuck in LA, I was billeted in a hotel and was given a new plane ticket thru another airline the following day. I was suddenly in LA for more than 30hrs for free. Galing!!! Law of attraction.

TEXAS, USA 2011 / Another luck. We were friends since I was 18. She left Manila maybe 6 yrs ago and we would hear from each other by phone and email. She always thought she lived so far away from where I could possibly be in the US - Miami, SanFran, San Diego, Alaska, Chicago... - somewhere in Texas. And then I got my last ship assignment and I was to sign on in Texas. I didn't even know then that there was a ship that docks in Texas. Like the chances are so rare, just 2 out of the 46 ships of our company. AND our homeport is Texas, every week... :))) Law of attraction na naman! :) Unfortunately, in this part of the US my only memory includes Starbucks, this local cafe that serves the best caramel pie where choir singers hang out, Target & Walmart. These US supermarkets are so cheap you can easily find so many US brands like Kenneth Cole, RL, Coach bags, Fossil and DKNY watches for under $20.

BARCELONA, ESPANYA, 2009 & 2010 / By the Columbus Tower, first just me and then w/ Ivan when we were finally on the same ship. I super love this city & I could go back here again & again. The people are relaxed, they have amazing architecture left and right, the streets are tourist-friendly, they have everything to offer and they are not in your face! It seems so easy to belong in their city. No wonder that a lot of Serbs love this place.  When you come to Europe, you have to see Barcelona, and I guess Ibiza. It's obviously for the free-spirited. Of course, you shouldn't missed seeing the Sagrada Familia. :D It was so hard to bike here as you need to crossover a tall bridge from the port but each time we did it was worth it.

KUSADASI, TURKIYE, 2009-2010. It is where the famous Ephesus is and where you can see the house of Virgin Mary. Perhaps it is one of most famous vacation spots in Turkey for apart from the historical places it offers, they also have this large water theme park, & this large square that offers good prices for clothes, bags, and gold. It's also known for turkish spa baths, little cafes and really good Turkish restaurants. I remember getting addicted to pilav rice (turkish rice w/ meat) and other local recipes during our 1 season of traveling to Turkey, that one time I reported for work late due to overeating, and there was that time that I was the last person (out of the 3,500+ crewmembers and guests) that boarded the ship, at 10:55pm, the ship was to leave at 11:00pm, cause I simply got lost in time wandering around. HAHA! :) My most memorable adventure here was this Jeepney Safari Tour w/ the Photo team passing by Ephesus and other historical sights. Spectacular! The mountains and the hills can take you to absolute absolute high!!

ISTANBUL, TURKIYE, 2009-2011. Istanbul is simply LARGER than LIFE! I love it, i love it. Really fascinating city. The people, food, the fascinating religious relics, the charms of the mosques, and the narrow streets, during the day and the night.. is simply hard to put into words. I have quite underestimated Istanbul before so it surprised me when I saw its full glory. Despite the largeness of the city, you find real authenticity and liveliness in it. My adventures here includes exploring the city by train, by cab, and by foot in the night for god knows how many hours, and shusha smoking for the 1st time. A LITTLE TRIVIA: There are around 3000 mosques in Istanbul? Unbelievable, huh?! And the Bosphorus bridge that connects Europe & Asia-- IT'S a beauty!

 VENEZIA, ITALIA, 2010-2011. An absolute wonder! People normally say it's SO TOURISTIC but who cares if it's everything nice and pretty. Just the word Venice brings a certain sunshine in my face. I love this place!

Photos don't lie, alright! It's the most picturesque touristic city I have visited. Ok, it's charm is not discreet but no matter how touristic it is it's charm is still breathtaking. If you look closely at their architecture, it looks polished but there is something original, unique and raw about it. I have walked and walked along the streets of Venice many times but each time I was surprised by its grandness. AAAAAHHH, anybody wants to take me back to Venice so I can once again have a tiramisu gelato, or ride a gondola? Maybe someday, with my children and Ivan we will come back!! :)

SANTORINI, GRCKA, 2010. No contest, the BEST among the BEST! I feel like less words, more meaning.

I think this island has the gift to make anybody feel very pretty.. Everbody glows in Santorini-whether you are European, Spanish, American, Afrikaan, Australian or Asian. Lahat Na! Where i have seen the most romantic sunset of my life with the love of my life! My dream, if budget and time permit, and if my condition will allow me, is to see Santorini again this summer :D Why not?!

MIKONOS, GRCKA, 2009-2010. Another paradise. Looks very similar to Santorini, except that it is flat, with not much of the white and blue cubic houses. This part is taken uphill, we rented an ATV on our last Mykonos and went to the top of the lighthouse. 

Our unforgettable Mykonos adventures consist of motorbiking (where we had a minor accident-ouch!), biking, ATV-ing, swimming at the nearby hotel, and eating gyros by the bay in the night. This is probably the place where I got burnt by the sun the most! Greece is highly-recommended on my side to all my friends wanting to come and see Europe.

THE VATICAN CITY, 2010. This city has centuries worth of traditions and a visit here is worth your penny. During our visit, it wasn't chaotic though summertime. With its long history of religious culture, there's so much to marvel about Rome & The Vatican. My visit here was quite an experience, very fun, breezy, and personal. I always caught myself twirling while walking from getting too excited being surrounded by so much history. Just like a kid. Hihi. :)

ROMA, ITALIA, 2010. Only 1 day, that's all I had :( Not enough to explore much. Like they said, so much history, so little time. "Rome, I'd really love to see you again"

NICE/EZE, FRANZIA, 2010. France has its own vibe, atmosphere close to Italy, but not really. France is France. Just hearing French people talk is like music to my ears. Their food is superb. And the landscapes (Nice, Eze, Monte Carlo) are over the top! I still have a personal debate if Australia or France is my most favorite country.

So posh without trying. Even a stand-alone ice cream corner or bread stall looks posh! One day, I hope to visit Cannes, Monte Carlo and Paris. Bucket list!

3 places more I wanted to include but they are bottom favorites :)

San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten & Cozumel, Mexico

Phew!! Such a long entry...

But that's not all, as I have a special favorite PLACES to SEE  that includes just Asian countries >> that will go on my next blog entry. I feel that maybe just maybe I can elaborate on what I enjoyed the most in Asia if I make a separate blog just for that. One of the perks of being with Ivan was the privilege to cruise with him as a guest. He was on Azamara Quest that traveled Asia in 2009, so while on a long holiday in Manila, he invited me to cruise with him for a month & I got lucky to see places in Asia I have never been before. I saw a few countries as a guest, meaning I had the luxury of time to really enjoy every port of call. I miss Asia, I miss home, and it would be great to write about it since it's the closest to my heart.

Thanks to all my 4 ships: Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Solstice and Voyager of the Seas -- my second home for 3 years from September 2008 - June 2011. I was lucky to have been sent to all 3 flagship ships.

Shiplife

My bedroom no longer sways in the night, as we always say... but sometimes oddly enough, I miss you. Thank you for making me a permanent nomad, for teaching me to be always hungry for adventures, for those years of feeling like I was a superstar with all my travel fantasies coming true, for allowing me to see the world in so little time and realize that it's not impossible. I value all my travels, but more importantly I value all the experiences.

I share w/ all of you now the last documentary I've seen about a man from New York City who quit his job to travel for 1 year in 26 countries. 

Note to everyone: NOW is the time to travel, not next year, not in 5 years or not when your kids are old enough.

A Map for Saturday trailer. CLICK HERE.

I will not say my opinion about this docu, as I respect every person's style of traveling. But my tip is for everyone to travel smartly.

“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley

Wherever you guys are headed on your next destination, I wish you all Safe Travels! Ciao!

The 5th Super Kustendorf Film & Music Festival 2012

Held every year in Mokra Gora, Serbia (1 hour away from Uzice)

This was a dream come true for me-- to experience an international film festival. See, I took up ComArts in college not by choice but by chance. I was tracked in Film not by choice, but by luck. When I graduated university from Manila in 2000, my only desire was to work for our country's biggest TV/Film network, ABS-CBN/Star Cinema. And in 2001, as if all the angels really listened to me, I was hired as Creative Coordinator for Star Cinema. It was the starting position in the Creatives Department of the film outfit. And though it was my one and only job related to film as I shifted to marketing the following year, it was such a memorable chapter of my career.

I had applied originally for the PA (Production Assistant) post but on the day of the interview I don't know why I decided to wear a skirt (yes, aha, wrong move). I remember the first impression I received from the interviewer who was also the Supervising Producer, & it was this: "I don't think you would suit this job. Can you write a screenplay? I would refer you to the Creatives Dept. and maybe they can consider you". WHAAAATTT??? And then she rang the Creatives Head & next thing I knew I was on the other side...  So, of course I said I don't write, at least I know I have never tried writing for movies before, but they still went ahead and gave me the assignment. Remember that movie of Camille Pratts & Angelica Panganiban when they were still kids "Ang Pulubi at ang Prinsesa"? Yessss, they gave me a copy of the first draft of that script and gave me a week to make revisions, if I would make any. That was the 1st test.

no poster can be found online; but I found this :) so cute!

Well, truth is, I made a lame attempt to write a script (30+ sequences so far) that year but it is unfinished up to this day. It was written using a typewriter and the last time I read it, the premise was still fine, but everything else was poorly written, with some missing conflicts.

So anyway, my short stint at Star was really memorable. It has given me a backstage-view of how films go through the pre-production stage. I was arranging meetings w/ writers, directors, and creative people. I was sitting-in in some pre-prod meetings like concept-pitchings, title-pitchings, loveteam-pitchings (Richard Gomez-Kristine Hermosa / Sharon Cuneta-Aga Muhlach/ Piolo Pascual-Claudine Baretto, mga ganyan). I had been part of several focus group discussions w/ ordinary people. And though at that time I could not share so much, it was the experience of being in the same room w/ really great people that amazed me. I was seeing movie stars dropping by the office once in a while :). I had to record at that time Pangako Sa'yo (yes, that teleserye) every night, and its competition (that GMA-7 soap that did not rate) for my boss since she was the headwriter for Pangako. I had read the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and final draft of the ending of Pangako before it was shot. I was keeping track of the Pangako Sayo viewers' thread at Pinoyexchange.com for our records. I coordinated the scriptwriting contest that year and read some amazing scripts. My batchmates at Star are the same directors and writers I see leading the current ABS-CBN shows. Some of them are behind the few indie films people are raving about recently. AND I remember almost fainting when my boss told me to arrange a meeting w/ Sharon Cuneta (my 1 & only idol). But then she said: "It's alright, I'll do it myself! (something like that, hahaha). So anyway, enough of that.

Despite the change in my career direction, I remain a film-lover up to now. From 2005-2006, during the beginning of the blog era, I was getting paid as a ghost writer by writing different topics online. I tried at one point writing film reviews and one of them was actually picked up by www.blogcritics.org. Here's the link to that article, Memoirs of a Geisha film review. I truly respect the craft at the same time get very intimidated by it. People in the film industry are real genuises, I always say. I think they have high level of intelligence & sense of creativity, are street smart, have good follow-up, good sense of humor & patience. I only have a little bit of sense of humor :)

Sometimes, I think, I am fascinated with film-making the same way I am fascinated with photography but there is this wall between me & film-making that is so impossible for me to climb. My taste in movies vary and I am blessed to have Ivan as a partner. Not only is he so unconventional,  he patronizes the not-so-mainstream, that sometimes I feel he can disect films more than I can try to. I can listen to him praise and rant about certain movies, and he seems to always makes sense to me. So when he mentioned this famous Kustendorf film festival held every year in Serbia early last year to me, we knew we had to go, see some great films and get inspired together. And it's true we ended up having some of our best conversations after every movie.

The festival was founded and headed by Emir Kusturica. He is a world-famous director and winner of two Golden Palms at the Cannes Film Festival. The story I gathered from a few Serbian friends is that he is a native of Bosnia, made a movie in Mokra Gora of Serbia a few years back, fell in love with the place, and decided since then to build his village and setup a film festival.

This is the village of Mokra Gora. It's like a museum. Very pretty.

Click here to see this year's movie line up

The official website: The 5th Super Kustendorf Film & Music Festival 2012

We went two times to the festival & saw feature films and short films. 

These are the top 2 feature films that we highly recommend:

Chicken with Plums (France, 2011) directed by Marjane Satrapi

Chicken with Plums TRAILER

The Verdict: Very rich material with a beautiful treatment. The director was first a comic illustrator, so expect beautiful visuals in the movie.

Stopped on Track (Germany, 2011), directed by Andreas Dresen

The Verdict: Very real, very natural. Different treatment for a typical premise (the father is dying of cancer). This movie was shot WITHOUT a written screenplay. A lot of the movie was done with improvisation w/ a film crew of only 7 people including the 4 actors. Very very impressive.

The director, Andreas, during the workshop/Q&A. Every after each movie there is a workshop w/ the director that runs from 45 mins-1 hour.

I don't want to give away much info about the films for those who intend to watch them. I also heard great reviews about the movie, NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION, a movie we were not able to catch. Our friend has downloaded a copy and we will see it tomorrow.

I may not be able to jump back to the film industry but it's nice to still have that certain passion, even now just as a viewer. I would love to hear your favorite films especially now that I have lots of time to watch. Feel free to leave me a message for any film you think we should see. Just except horror flicks :D

How to make the famous Serbian Nescafe Frappe

Homemade Nescafe Frappe

I usually order cappuccino, turkish coffee or Nescaf in coffee shops around Serbia.

Nescaf, is very good, and a drink anybody can make at home. Unlike in the US where commercial cold coffee is filled with iced-cubes (think Starbucks), european cold coffee is served mild cold.

I remember coming here in June asking Ivan for ice to mix with my coke. And he would always say: "But we don't have ice, this is not US." Taray! And it's true. Same when we go to restaurants or coffee shops, if I ask for iced-coffee, waiters give me the "look". Haha.

Nescaf (shortcut for Nescafe Frappe) tastes like iced-mocha. And here are the easy steps as to how you can do it at home. Tonight, it was my reward after I made the best nilaga in the world. :p Haha, yabang!

You would need:

• 1 tablespoon of Nescafe (regular strong/ instant)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar (or to taste)
• Cold water
• Cold milk
• Ice cubes (optional, w/c we don't use)

a photo i got online, note that we don't have a mixer, so Ivan handmixed this

How to:

1. In a tall glass add 1 Tbs of Nescafe and sugar.
2. Pour about 1/2 inch of cold water.
3. Mix well using a mixer to get nice foam. Ivan used a regular straw to mix it. He cut the straw at the bottom. Split it into 4 corners, and then mix the drink using this straw like you would start a fire w/ a stick in a pre-historic age. 
4. Add milk and water in ratio 3:1. It all depends on your taste. I like it a little bit strong.
5. Add few (ice cubes), ice cream or whipped cream, whatever you prefer. (we skipped this step)
6. Stir it & Enjoy!

Reminiscing Ships (Closing this chapter, and turning the page) PART 1

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Year 2008 was a life-changing year for me. I was helping my good friend, April to apply for a Cruise Photographer post (telling her all the details how she can do it like I read it online) while we were vacationing in Quezon, that I arrived Manila thinking that I should get myself a camera too just to re-learn Photography again.

About 2 weeks later, I co-owned my first DSLR (a Nikon D60) with a dear friend and ended up deciding to apply for the same position (this time not telling April yet) on a whim (but sometimes i think it was part of the plan). >> BUT, It was nothing like I expected.

3 rejections for applying late and 2 times for my height + 1 written exam + 1 one-on-one interview with the company rep. from Miami + US Visa interview + a swimming training (for a no-swimmer like me) + all the series of trainings that took 4 months to finish was like rolling with the punches.

I left Manila and almost never looked back. The next 3 years were a whirlwind as I settled into the flow of MANY changes...

Me and April leaving for Miami, Sept. 2008

When we arrived Miami, my mind was literally floating. But I had two things that I clearly wanted to accomplish, to earn some money, and to at least seriously learn Photography. At this time, even when I was already in Miami & in my first ship, I knew very little of what I have gotten into.

With my batchmates April, Pedro (Brazil), Natasa (Serbia), and Lidja (Macedonia) We were only 6 in this team, the smallest group ever; it's usually a team of 20 ppl. it was an emergency team as 6 Photogs were sent home from the previous training, & 6 ships needed Photogs ASAP. 5 of us went straight to ships, and 1 person from this team was sent home.

Trying out my Nikon D80 and the company's 50mm 1.4 lens

Not many of you know that Cruise Photographers are actually one of the hardest jobs onboard. For a lot of people we just take pictures. But h-e-l-l... NO!

We take pictures, we print them, and we sell them.
We clean the photo gallery, and the photo lab (we deal w/ dangerous photo chemicals, and clean the photo printers)
We are in charge of trash bins almost everyday.
We receive stocks (photo paper, photo chemicals, digital cameras, camera accessories) maybe once in 2 months and everybody in the team helps out in putting all these HUGE boxes in place. THIS IS A LOT OF WORK, I tell you.
We man the gallery, upsell photos and packages, cameras, and some of us assisting the Manager of Sales would conduct digital camera seminars to guests of 20-50 ppl every week, and would come up with marketing materials. (this part is my favorite)
We setup & breakdown 5-8 studios, carrying a bag that is maybe 40 kilos around the ship, up & down for everyday portrait sessions. Setup takes about 1 1/2 hour, breakdown also around the same time. All the physical labor you can imagine, we all do it!
We get assigned a portrait studio and this is where your skills, creativity, inter-personal skills, patience and talent are tested.
We shoot everywhere around the ship. Up to 2,000+ clicks in a very busy day in such a limited time your fingers will curse you :p

AND
If you are a new hire, you wear costumes every morning for 4 hours under the scourging heat, for the duration of your whole 6 month-contract-- maybe once in a while you get to shoot.

This was my 1st day at work in Alaska. They gave me a quantum flash, one of the most powerful flashes in the world, that i was seeing for the 1st time-- ang laki lang! And yes, another new hire photographer who came before me was inside that costume.

I was in a dolphin costume the most (during my 1st contract). I was a Kangaroo in Australia, a Sailor/ Pirate/Mexican lady in Caribbean, a Grecian Lady in Mediterranean, a Turkish dancer in Istanbul but my most favorite was being the Hula dancer in Hawaii.

This is the part I really did not like in my job. I saw so MANY photographers whining all the time about this part of our work, but instead of being too negative about it, I thought, hey, why not perfect my exposure and give the highest roll count in all the gangway shoots, so that the manager would always ask me to shoot? I learned what i needed to learn. And true enough, on my 2nd contract I was only in costume for a few times, and on my 3rd & last contract I was never in a costume and was shooting for 5 months straight (ang sarap lang, hardwork kumbaga)

SO, WHAT DO I MISS ABOUT SHIPS?

The many GREAT people you can meet onboard. 

My patience in terms of dealing w/ a lot nationalities was tested time & again.
I felt so inexperienced before ships and I think I have picked up so many life skills & values just by working onboard.

On my 1st ship, Celebrity Millennium. Taken in 2008. I was Junior Photographer, and Ivan was Assistant Manager for Sales. The most memorable ship for me. 6 people in this team are real artists (real photographers and videographers), and I learned so much from them.

1/3 of my 2nd team. One of the most talented teams Ive been part of. Everybody in this team, the ff. contract was promoted as Managers. I left the ship, Equinox after 2months when my mom joined the Lord. Ivan was with another ship at this time.

Celebrity Equinox for the 2nd time, My 3rd team. We were 6 Filipinos in this team. And dami namin! Here, I was Senior and Ivan was Photo Manager.  

1/3 of my 4th team. We were asked to extend for 2 months in Celebrity Solstice in 2010. Valerie, a Filipina (on the right) was our DBS Photographer, the lady who trained me for DBS (Deep Blue Studio). I was assisting for her and acted as DBS for two weeks when she left. Such a great experience for me.

My 5th team. My first Royal Caribbean ship, Voyager of the Seas, the 3rd biggest vessel in the world. I was still Senior (work-wise and the most senior in age among the photographers, mga nene at new hires halos lahat ang mga kasama ko dito) and assisting for the AMS (Assistant Manager for Sales)

I, of course, miss the traveling that comes with the job for FREE. 

The free time we have from 11am to 4pm, sometimes if we are lucky we get overnights but it's mostly 6 hours of free time we get at the port where you need to squeeze in lunch, sight-seeing, nap, and quick shower so you can be ready for work again in the afternoon.

South Beach, Miami. 2008. Still in training 2 days before I joined my 1st ship.

Tahiti. 2008

Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Super gorgeous! 2008

By the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia. 2009

Westin, Lahaina, Hawaii. 2009

Whaler's Village, Hawaii. 2009

Gibraltar, Norway. 2009. During a guest tour, I joined the tour as an escort and photographer.

Barcelona. 2009. One of my favorite places in Europe.

San Juan, Puerto Rico. 2010.

Istanbul, Turkey. 2010

Mykonos, Greece. 2010

Honduras, 2011.

Dominica, 2010.

These are places that a little pauper like me would not be able to afford had i not joined ships :))

A lot of us applied for the job because of the travel, not realizing how much of our energy is needed for the "job". But at the end of the day, these are all priceless experiences.  What could be more great than being able to travel when you are young & able? I remember meeting a very old couple from my 1st ship, telling me how lucky I am to be traveling the world at age 28. They were 80, sharing w/ me that it was their last cruise, that they feel they were gonna die soon, and that their biggest regret was not seeing the world when they were young :(

I was not the same after that conversation.  

If there were times I was cursing my job, I think of the great opportunity of seeing the world, not everybody can have. 

The major OBSTACLES I had to go thru to get this job is one blog post alone (but no need for that). BUT If you believe in God, your dreams, in feng-shui or law of attraction, you are on the right track, KEEP DREAMING... Maybe one of these days I can blog about my secret (a secret i guess that is not really a secret, more of a tip) on how I attracted all these travels.

Next up>> Part 2: Adventures, My Favorite Places, The People that influenced me onboard, & Learnings

I don't mean to discourage anybody who wants to work on ships thru this entry. My intention is to remember the most beautiful chapter of my life so far, as my life journey takes me into a new direction.