I gained weight today. I hadn’t meant to, I just ate a lot. It was a quiet Monday in Malaysia. I say in, I’m not sure we were even in its territorial waters. The coast wasn’t in sight, so I could be in Malaysia in the same way that people in Dover are in France.
I don’t think I’ll count this as an official visit.
Another lovely lie-in, a check of last night’s laundry (almost dry already!), coffee, fill out a Singapore immigration form (“Death to drug smugglers. Welcome to Singapore.”), read Saturday’s news from the on ship print out.
I also checked the TV news. The EU have agreed the Brexit deal (thus proving it’s shit for the UK), Russia borrowing some ships from their neighbour, the US closing its border. I’m guessing a flight into San Francisco will be ok but I guess I shouldn’t plan on strolling into Tijuana from San Diego. But that’s next year, everything will have changed by then.
All this before I even get to drink my coffee. But that’s also pretty much the whole excitement for the day. Sea days are languid and stressless, a foreshadowing of a retirement care home but with better service.
Finally heading back East is confirmed by the clocks going forward by an hour – at 2am, rather than 1am. The ship is now on Singapore time. I haven’t researched the time zones in Australia; Sydney is two hours ahead of Singapore but Adelaide is only 90 minutes ahead. I don’t think I’m heading that far west when I get there. Setting my watch to Adelaide time results in a comical whirring of hands as the second hand turns the full dial for each minute the minute hand moves, so that half hour difference is fun.
A quick stroll upstairs to find more coffee, a chance to look out from the deck, a sight of land. I think I’ve seen Malaysia, although I’ll need to check ownership once I’m online – the map shows that I can see a couple of islands off the coast of Kuala Besut rather than the mainland.
A problem with being offline is that I’m having to create a list of things to look up online when I get the chance. In no particular order this list includes:
USB condom (power only, no data)
Schlock Mercenary and the Seventy Maxims
Fibonacci February
Phenolphthalein
k-Anonymity model
David Johnston
Research at your own risk – I have no idea what you’ll find 🙂 I have a rough idea of what you’ll find at a couple I didn’t include so I’ve done my best.
Noon provided a fine example of how little was happening on board. The ship’s captain was so bored he got onto the tannoy and told everybody some of the history of Singapore. An hour later a call for the medical team to go to the Lido, port side. Two and a half thousand people on board and half of them over 50, it’s not a surprise there’s the occasional emergency.
A trip to the main stage for a final chat from Jeremy, this one on Singapore. Where to go, what to see.. what the weather would be like. I’ll arrive in thunderstorms, spend a day dodging thunderstorms and leave on the third day to thunderstorms. I may need to plan for indoor activities – the indoor gardens rather than the botanical, etc.
I’m not going to go to Raffles and pay £20 for a cocktail I wont even enjoy.
I took the scenic route back to my room, pizza and bread & butter pudding (with custard!) for lunch, a trip onto the deck to admire the sea.
For the first time all trip we have proper depth under the keel in daylight and the sea’s gone blue. It’s a beautiful aqua blue on one side, the sun lighting it from behind. The other side is a deep navy blue, the sun overhead a bright contrast. The wake mixes the colours.
Despite the two courses in a late lunch I’d foolishly checked the dinner menu. Turning up in a flowery shirt and sandals got me a table to myself for the first time all cruise, not even asked my preference. It suited me, I wasn’t in the mood for people anyway. Service sat alone is much faster, the order taken straight away and less than a minute later a chicken spring roll arrived.
(The photo was close up, it was a standard size)
Around a minute after that empty plate disappeared the reason I’d had to come for dinner in the first place.
The lamb fell from the bone exactly as you’d hope but I’m sad to admit I’ve had better in a Cafe Rouge in Nottingham. To raise my spirits I opted for an Apple Crumble Tart.
That finished I sat reading my book, looking to complete the chapter before leaving the table. Instead a blaring noise, music at an excessive volume from the restaurant’s ceiling speakers, loud enough to hurt even before a man spoke, his microphone set to maximum gain, clearly audible through my fingers now plugging my ears. We were being given the opportunity to thank the waiters for their work all voyage. Everybody else clapped, one idiot whistled. I sat there blocking out the noise. The man thanked the passengers, to more applause. The chefs turned up, to inevitable applause. Finally the noise ended and I could stop covering my ears, get up and leave.
I don’t mind the staff being thanked. I’ve thanked many of them individually throughout the voyage. I deeply resent my dinner being interrupted in a painful way. Perhaps something to feed back.
Back on deck the night was warm, intensely bright lights visible at a distance, multiple small ships with wide banks of high power bulbs, too far away to tell what they’re lighting. I returned to my cabin, packed my suitcase, found that everything joyfully still fits. It must be outside my room this evening before midnight, but I waited and packed today’s worn clothes too. A cautious check before opening the door, no sight for the unwary passer-by as I slid my case into the corridor.
So eighty percent of today’s photographs show the food I had to eat. Add in just 2km walked and it’s confirmation that I gained weight today.