Yacht Songs
Sailing is freedom and peaceful environments travel
For many people all around the world sailing is the main mean of relaxation. For them nothing is better than the feelings they experience in their confrontation with the untamed nature. Even if sometimes there might encounter some dangers the passion for the sea is more powerful than anything.
When asked what the reasons for which they love sailing are, the sailors usually respond that is the feeling of freedom that takes them further into the seas and oceans. They say that nothing can be compared to the feeling that you are the master of your own boat and of your own destiny.
Because the seas and oceans are the places where people get less into contact they can be considered the most quiet and peaceful environments. Few things, such as the sound of the waves and the birds’ songs, can interrupt the quietness of the sea. That is why many people choose sailing as a way of relaxation and meditation.
Yet, all these pleasures involve some knowledge in this field and also financial in order to purchase all the things needed for a perfect adventure on the water. The first thing that a sailor should do is choose correctly the type of boat he wants to sail.
Two main types of sailing boats can be distinguished: the sailing dinghies and the yachts. There are two differences in these two types of boats. The first one is that the dinghies have a centerboard, while the yacht has a permanent keel. In yachts the ballast is built in the keel, while in the dinghies the human crew should perform as ballast. There are many types of yachts and dinghies, too, so a sailor must ponder well all the advantages and disadvantages of any boat.
For the sailors that love the adrenaline brought by racing special regulations were formulated by International Sailing Federation. Racing Rules of Sailing are the set of regulations that should be respected by all the participants in sailing competitions.
For many people sailing is like a second life, where they can enjoy the quietness, peacefulness, fresh air and serenity of the sea, but at the same time experience the adrenaline when fighting the furious waves and untamed wind. Find more information about Sailing Cruise.
About the Author
Thanate Tan is a contributing member to SuperGhostBlogger.com, helping online business reach their goals via Internet Marketing. Super Ghost Blogger can help blog owner maintain their blog by professional Ghost Blogger. With active blog, it will bring many benefits to business that want to famous. To find out more visit his Website and Services.
Filed under Yachting by on Sep 10th, 2011. Comment. 
Gemini Yacht
LIBRA - The Scales
September 24 – October 23
OF UNDOUBTED Babylonian origin and later adopted by the Egyptians. The constellation governing this month was connected with the Babylonian myth of The Last Judgment, which would reputably take place in the autumn; the scales, therefore, represents the balance of justice. It also suited the Egyptian season, the time when the harvest would be weighed and taxes assessed.
Librans, traditionally, are easy going people, sociable and outgoing, ready to make friends, loving harmony and balance in everything and anxious to avoid any kind of unpleasantness. Gandhi’s gospel of non-violence was a direct result of his nature. Librans are charmers and dislikes a fight, but once involved, they are master-strategists and show a ruthlessness that seems almost foreign to their natures.
Librans are idealists, perfectionists, ever seeking harmony and balance. If they have a fault, it is that they sometimes `sit on the fence’ or change their minds. Indeed, Librans have to guard themselves against a lazy streak in their nature. Their very desire for harmony leads them not to want `to rock the boat’ in case they upset the balance of things; which leads to inactivity and indecision. They make good artists, poets, diplomats and connoisseurs of beautiful things.
Librans women are loaded with sex appeal and if they fail to make it in the acting profession, can always do well as beauty specialists, hairdressers or other jobs demanding a need for balance and harmony.
SEPTEMBER 24
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
A year to play it safe in most directions. Try not to be led off at a tangent from your main purposes. You tend to be too much preoccupied with the personal side of your life and with personal satisfactions rather than the need to secure your material wants.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
You may find it hard to take, but you simply have to adapt yourself to other people. The resignation of a colleague may open new paths for you, if you show the right tact and diplomacy. Social life active, with the accent on the outdoors.
4 p.m. – midnight:
Romantic omens good with promise of an active love life, especially in August and September. Few money problems. Travel prospects good for all those with artistic leanings, but watch your health if abroad. Lucky day: Sunday, Number: 3.
SEPTEMBER 25
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
A strong alliance you have built up with a colleague or associate is suddenly broken and you are forced to search around for new allies. August and September could be critical months for your future. Domestic and social life fairly harmonious with a surprise in May.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Take care of your health, particularly if you plan a trip overseas. You are especially prone to infections and local `bugs’. May and September are your happiest months. Possibility of a surprise romance. Favorable aspects in money matters.
4 p.m. – midnight:
Try not to pin too much reliance on other people – remember most are preoccupied with No.1. You will be disappointed by the lack of help from someone you have come to rely on. You will pass through a mildly anxious financial phase in October and November. Lucky day: Thursday, Number: 6.
SEPTEMBER 26
Midnight – 8 a.m.: -
Likely to be a turbulent year from the emotional point of view but pretty good for all business or financial aspects. Changes in your circle of acquaintances. You are likely to be asked to chair a committee or play a prominent role in some group activity.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m. A pleasant social life with a considerable degree of conviviality and perhaps more than your fair share of romantic interludes. Financially, not so good; indeed, the best you can hope for is to keep abreast of commitments.
4 p.m. – midnight:
A certain strain between yourself and those in your intimate circle due to a misunderstanding and allegations of lack of help when needed. Social life suffers; but other aspects are sound and cause little anxiety. Lucky day: Wednesday, Number: 9.
SEPTEMBER 27
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
You cannot help finding life enjoyable; you have plenty of friends and there always seems to be a good deal doing. The only difficulty is insufficient money and you will have to learn to be more economical.
8a.m. – 4 p.m.:
If you gamble, you will lose. However, investment in shares or in property – provided you take sound advice first – will pay off handsomely. Socially, you are jolted out of your comfortable rut, but in the end you will be pleased.
4 p.m. – midnight:
A more than average number of excellent opportunities – provided you do not let them go to your head. Curb your enthusiasm and think carefully before taking action. A happy family event in the autumn. Lucky day: Monday, Number: 4.
SEPTEMBER 28
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
A year when you will do a lot better for yourself than for some time past; however, gains will only come through careful planning and judicious action, so you cannot afford to sit back and rely on luck alone. Socially, you have more money to enjoy yourself but less time, in fact, to do so.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Two good periods this year – one in October and the other in November. You could make substantial sums at these times. Favorable charges in personal affairs in April and August. A particularly happy year for those who are single and hoping to marry.
4 p.m. – midnight:
A tendency to complacency will have to be curbed. You tend to take too many people and too many things for granted; this could boomerang against you, particularly in early April. Best feature of the year: new friends. Lucky day: Friday, Number: 2.
SEPTEMBER 29
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
If you have been having a rough time, now is the time for optimism. Everything slowly tends to move your way, provided you are not too proud to seek assistance where necessary. Social life will be mainly restricted to your present intimate circle, but remains harmonious.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Not a year for big events. The pace is even and the enjoyable moments quiet and gentle rather than hectic; this, actually, seems to be to your liking. The exception is during your holidays when you cut loose. Romance pretty feverish during July and August.
4 p.m. – midnight:
Watch for opportunities during your peak months – April and November. On the whole a good year, with a slight trough during May through September. Leisure activities provide intellectually refreshing moments. Lucky day: Saturday, Number: 1.
SEPTEMBER 30
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
The first six months provide more than their fair share of irritations, complications and mishaps. But the second half of the year more than makes up. The opposite sex proves friendly and amenable, particularly during July.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Danger you will find yourself sandwiched between quarrelling sections of your friends or colleagues. Try and step outside the scene and let them get on with it. Social life at a standstill during the spring – but very active from June on.
4 p.m. – midnight:
Bad weather, strikes, rising living costs etc. cause havoc in the good-temper and spirit of your home. Try and take a more objective view and do not blame your spouse of some trade unionist’s selfishness. Social life restricted. Lucky day: Monday, Number: 5.
OCTOBER 1
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
Financially, you will find the going harder than you are used to. You are never in any trouble but irritatingly you find it difficult to add to your income, while all around you, others are getting big increase. Social life suffers.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
The big event of the year is a wedding in your immediate family or among close friends. Otherwise, a stodgy run-of-the-mill year. Finances slow, and for the single, little hope of a change in status.
4 p.m. – midnight:
Keep your mind firmly fixed on major issues this year. You cannot stand still; you must either rise or go down slightly – but hard work, tact and watchfulness will see you get on. Plenty of light entertainment, but you may feel a lack of intellectual stimulus. Lucky day: Thursday, Number: 7.
OCTOBER 2
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
Your profits, as well as your pleasures, depend largely on people overseas. Business may take you abroad in May and September, with good results, and enhanced pleasure at making new friends. You are lucky with money; less lucky with home life.
8a.m. – 4p.m.:
A busy year, on the whole satisfying and stimulating, with average financial results. Your personal life seems to involve you in more work with associations, drama circles, parent-teacher groups, community or charitable projects. You could be involved in an indiscreet romance in the autumn.
4 p.m. – midnight:
A fairly quiet year, with busy spurts in February and again in October. You revive old interests and associations and spend more time than usual at clubs or gatherings of people with the same business interests. Love life only averagely active. Lucky day: Monday, Number: 9.
OCTOBER 3
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
Stick to what you are doing now and you are likely to secure far better results than you anticipated. Past work may not seem to have been much appreciated at the time, but you will see the results now. Business success increases your social desirability.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Fairly contradictory signs. For instance, travel will be safe and enjoyable – provided you do not go far; but there appear to be hazards connected with long journeys. The same theme affects your business and social life – splendid periods, particularly in February, May and November, alternatig with dullish to bad patches mainly in January, September and October.
4 p.m. – midnight:
If things go wrong in the early part of the year, keep calm; by August or September, the clouds will begin to break. Happy domestic life with real chance of a family addition. Lucky day: Wednesday, Number: 1.
OCTOBER 4
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
You are in the early stages of a seven year cycle which will give you every opportunity to expand and make your whole life more varied and rewarding. Economic factors outside your control may dull your progress in the autumn but this is a temporary setback.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Use your brains and ingenuity and learn not to be too complacent so far as colleagues or associates are concerned; remember that however friendly, they are still competitors. In June you will be faced with a situation where you will have to assert yourself – it may be embarrassing, but your option is to fall behind.
4 p.m. – midnight:
A physically and mentally exhausting phase from May to October. Pay careful attention to diet and regime, find time for more exercise and try to avoid stress and strain. Lucky day: Tuesday, Number: 4.
OCTOBER 5
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
Excellent prospects of good relationships with sweethearts or marriage partners. For the single, possibility of an important conquest in March. Holiday prospects better than average. Finances fair to good.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Chance of a real financial breakthrough this year. The first step may be a big gambling win or some successful investment in shares or property – more likely shares. You have the Midas touch most markedly in June.
4 p.m. – midnight:
An important year for single girls between 19 and 21; chance of meeting a life-mate very strong, particularly in June, August and September. The self-employed will make good money. Lucky day: Sunday, Number: 1.
OCTOBER 6
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
If single and eligible to marry, then it is certain you will get engaged or be married before the year is out. If not courting or in touch with the right persons, make an effort to join clubs or organizations frequented by members of the opposite sex.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Possibility of above average household expenses – probably on repairs and decorations, but equally involving a complete change of residence. Money tight because your mortgage interest rate may rise, or insurance premiums increase.
4 p.m. – midnight:
Between February and June you may link up with a person of outstanding personality and ability; this person is likely to have a marked influence on you. You will find new interests and new friends. Lucky day: Monday, Number: 3.
OCTOBER 7
Midnight – 8 a.m.
A pretty topsy-turvy year, with everything going pretty much against your expectations. Your ambitions and outlook will probably change radically. Young men in the 23-25 age bracket, are likely to find a life partner.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Conditions tend to be, on the whole, disappointing. Still, you will enjoy a great deal of satisfaction with most aspects of your job and your leisure activities will make life extremely pleasant.
4 p.m. – midnight:
September to November will be critical months for girls in their early twenties. A real possibility of an engagement. A good year for most leisure activities, with possibility of enhanced prestige through winning an important competition. Lucky day: Saturday, Number: 9.
OCTOBER 8
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
Wiser to put off important decision affecting domestic and family situations, in the hope that there might be a dramatic change. It will be necessary to curtail expenses. Otherwise, a harmonious year.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Most of your troubles this year center on domestic and family problems. It is a critical time for offspring particularly. Some reassessment of finances and how they are being spent may become necessary.
4 p.m. – midnight:
You will be forced to reappraise your position pretty strongly. Are you properly insured? Are your investments giving the proper returns ? Are you spending too much on luxuries? The year ends with your finances on a sounder basis. Lucky day: Thursday, Number: 1.
OCTOBER 9
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
Good time for dealing with long-term investments – such as in land or property. Possibility that a spare-time job will be worth expanding into a full-time activity. Your social life hits a dull patch during February and March, but suddenly improves around June.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
You find it easy to attract goodwill and to influence people, and your personal popularity rises continually. Money will flow towards your more readily than for the past two years. Your enhanced status will be reflected in a more active social life.
4 p.m. – midnight:
Your marriage partner is more demanding and you fret under the restrictions and demands of matrimony. Too often you feel sorry for yourself, most of the time without real justification. For the single, a romance is full of unstable qualities. Lucky day: Monday, Number: 9.
OCTOBER 10
Midnight – 8 a.m.
Happiness impossible unless you learn to recognize your own frailties as well as those in others. From June you will have to accept some limitation on your wishes and ambitions and recognize that your failures are not necessarily due to other people’s malice.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Single people involved in deep-felt romance, will find the going bumpy. Possibility of a break in the relationship unless real tolerance and acknowledgement of personal faults is demonstrated. Few money or business problems.
4 p.m. – midnight:
Other people seem stiffer, colder, more antagonistic. The world of business offers stiffer competition and you find associates or workmates harder and harder to please. Few money difficulties, however. Lucky day: Tuesday, Number: 7.
OCTOBER 11
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
Likely to be a time of gradual emergence into a warmer atmosphere; of developing strong ties of friendship; of receiving first-class support in your efforts to express your talents or personality. An older relative may help financially.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Seek out older and more conservative friends and social acquaintances for advice; you will probably need some assistance in the autumn when economic circumstances are at their tightest. Social life active, but sometimes depressing.
4 p.m. – midnight:
People, friends, colleagues seem to move further and further from your orbit and in your preoccupation with your own satisfactions and ambitions, you tend to do nothing to half the slide. By November, you may feel a pressing need to reverse this trend. Lucky day: Sunday, Number: 8.
OCTOBER 12
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
Some worry about finances and health – although there is nothing seriously wrong with either. Possibility of a gift, inheritance or windfall, will help to put your financial affairs on a sounder footing. For the single, a new romance goes smoothly and the auguries are good.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
A gradual easing of pressures and less need to push your ambitions. On the other hand, long suppressed feelings and emotions may begin welling to the surface to cause havoc and perhaps embarrassment in your family circle. Need to keep a tight rein.
4 p.m. – midnight:
A period of great social activity between April and September, following a major or series of substantial minor triumphs at work or business. Women over 40 will find the year extremely harmonious, with plenty of club activities and outings. Lucky day: Friday, Number: 9.
OCTOBER 13
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
Fever pressure on business. More time, therefore, for leisure activities. Women with families almost grown up will find themselves being invited to join groups, organizations and clubs. Windfall possible in September.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Harassing time for young parents; business or work a hard slog with money reward slow to materialize; and for the mother, little time to enjoy little luxuries or social life. Holiday plans liable to be upset at the last moment.
4 p.m. – midnight:
Scarcely the best of years. You are able to keep afloat well enough, but outside pressures – such as strikes and squeezes – do nothing to help you. Domestic expenditures heavy and you have anxieties about how to economize. Lucky day: Thursday, Number: 6.
OCTOBER 14
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
A good chance of stepping up the ladder of progress. You will be asked to accept greater responsibility and have to work longer hours. Compensations; a happier domestic background or, for the single, a more expansive social field.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
For lovers, romance will remain on tender hooks as a series of small misunderstandings and irritations puts a strain on the relationship. For the married, October will see difficult relations with your partners. Social life uneven.
4 p.m. – midnight:
Your accident-prone months are September and November. Try to avoid journeys of more than 200 miles during this period. Finances gives a little anxiety and some pretty strong economies may be necessary. Lucky day: Wednesday, Number: 4.
OCTOBER 15
Midnight – 8 a.m.
Domestic problems to the fore, particularly for those with young or adolescent children. Careful supervision of health and some long and encouraging discussions about careers and opportunities will be well rewarded, even if it takes patience.
4 p.m. – midnight:
If mistakes and errors creep into your work, remember that it is the beginning of a new three-year cycle for you. For those under 40, it will mark a period of retrenchment and consolidation prior to a final big push; for those over 40, a phase when they can look forward to less hard work and responsibility.
4 p.m. – midnight:
The whole structure of your life and character may be put to the test around March or April. Your weaknesses will be ruthlessly exploited by others and you could give way under the strain. The best antidote is self-discipline and plenty of exercise. Lucky day: Monday, Number: 3.
OCTOBER 16
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
A need to conserve all one’s resources – including normal robust health. Times are harder, competition tougher and only the fit individual will continue to do well. Some minor domestic disharmonies.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
A change of luck and a change of scene – both quite possible within the next twelve months. Your own plans will probably be upset; but you will be advised to go along with what others suggest.
4 p.m. – midnight:
A cold and objective reappraisal of personal relationships will become necessary after May. It may involve dropping an old friend or allying yourself with a different colleague. For the single, September will be extremely romantic. Lucky day: Thursday, Number: 8.
OCTOBER 17
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
A year when you must be prepared not to get things your own way or find everything running smoothly. Not all the problems are your fault, but it would be worth re-examining your actions and motives all the same. A romantic interlude of more than usual interest in May.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Fair to middling money prospects – but with no major breakthroughs. On the other hand – pleasant holiday, moments of popularity, plenty of friends, some convivial outings. A good year for all but the ambitious.
4 p.m. – midnight:
No use caviling against the fates. The year will be far from disastrous – but you will not make your fortune. Social and romantic prospects excellent, however, with really lively moments in July and August. Lucky day: Tuesday, Number: 2.
OCTOBER 18
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
A time to guard one’s health and take every measure to preserve one’s material possessions. The wrong time to spend more than is absolutely essential; instead, a phase when you must save and conserve for the right moment.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
A sense of discouragement and defeat must be guarded against; remember that even the most successful men have their down periods. For women over 40, a time for tolerance and understanding.
4 p.m. – midnight:
Your creative mind will be actively employed on new ideas between October and November; you will then find it necessary to capture the interest of people who can forward your ambitions in practical terms. A pleasant invitation in late May or early June. Lucky day: Saturday, Number: 4.
OCTOBER 19
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
March to late September will provide some memorable moments and you must savour and live them to the full. Push other thoughts and ideas out of your head and enjoy yourself absolutely. Plenty of time later to worry and fret about life.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
A good to excellent year for most under 30. In particular, a romantic year for girls between 17 and 19; prospects of a very deep attachment. Plenty of vivid, exhilarating moments with good stretches of contentment and happiness as an alternative to those over 40.
4 p.m. – midnight:
A light slowing down of progress. More obstacles to overcome; more need to persuade others that you have the right ideas and the capacity to put them into operation. Plenty of lively companionship and your share of romance. Lucky day: Thursday, Number: 9.
OCTOBER 20
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
Possibility of a continuing drain on resources – particularly on your vitality. A real need to discipline any little over-indulgence and slackness; to reorganize your present balance of work and leisure, so that you get more exercise outdoors.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
An excellent year for young girls aged 19-24. You are much in demand and you are likely to be invited to a very glamorous occasion in early June by somebody you admire. Finances easy, but investment opportunities limited.
4 p.m. – midnight:
A need to conserve resources continues. Watch reckless or unnecessary expenditures; try and get things properly organized by working out time, work, money schedules and budgets. Worth consulting experts such as accountants or your bank manager. Lucky day: Monday, Number:8.
OCTOBER 21
Midnight – 8 a.m.:
Social pleasures, good companions and friends and loved ones and involvement in-group activities, make this a happy and pleasant year. A jarring note in September when a quarrel or personal attack on you will cause bitterness. A happy family event.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
A special invitation in May will change all your routines and your entire outlook on life. Be prepared to take advantage of new circumstances. Benefits through generous friends. Very good chance of a journey to an exotic place, with a chance to meet glamorous people.
4 p.m. – midnight: Even without a career, plenty of opportunities to extract satisfaction from what you do. Colleagues, friends, and family all show their respect and liking for you. Popularity increases as a result of your leisure skills. Lucky day: Tuesday, Number: 5.
OCTOBER 22
Midnight – 8 a.m.: Finances now under especially good auspices. A time to sit down and concentrate upon joint funds, savings, insurances and investments. Money likely to come to you through a marriage partner.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.: A fairly considerable crisis for you in early November. A very worrying and anxious time – but if you keep a cool head and refuse to panic, you drive through the difficulties successfully. Those with daughters in the 19-22 age bracket will have wedding expenses.
4 p.m. – midnight: A good time in the first six months for solving all marital problems, for dealing direct with the public, for going to law, for joining associations or groups or activities of a similar nature. A propitious period for marriage. Lucky day: Thursday, Number: 3.
OCTOBER 22
Midnight – 8 a.m.: On the whole, a good year, with several moments when you will feel right on top of the world. Promotion or other mark of recognition likely in the early summer. Good holiday and travel prospects, with hilarious moments in July and August.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.: A year for relaxing and enjoying some of the fruits of your efforts over the past five years. Chance to indulge a long cherished hobby, such as fishing or yachting. A wedding in the family a near certainty between May and September.
4 p.m. – midnight: A good year for housewives, particularly those between 25 and 35. Prospects of a new house or flat in delightful surroundings. Problems connected with children’s schooling and the like, solved satisfactorily. Husband happy in his work. Lucky day: Tuesday, Number: 6.
About the Author
Dr. Shanker Adawal, Jyotishacharya in Astrology is a professional and Astrology is his passion and an urge. His predictive technique is based on Bhrigu Technique whose principles and doctrines have been deciphered from research of above two decades . He is a professional in the field of telecommunications. He is presently working for one of the Fortune 500 Indian companies at a senior position. Did his MBA and PhD. and worked with Multinationals in India and abroad, before joining his presnt assignment. He has travelled extensively both in India and abroad. He also has keen interest in Human Rights.He got interested in astrology when he was young, did his Jyotishacharya. His desire and aspiration to share the findings of his research and the new dimensions which can be given to the science of astrology.
www.connectingmind.com
Filed under Yachting by on Sep 9th, 2011. Comment.
Yacht Jokes
Chinese Medicine practiced by an Israeli practitioner aboard an American Cruise Ship
Chinese Medicine practiced by an Israeli aboard an American cruise ship.
Solstice My Love - Chapter One
Sunday 0830 or as Americans like to record: 08:30.
Between times and between cycles. In between.
Last Cruise ended this morning. The guests are still here waiting to disembark. Soon starts the new week of the next Cruise. 50,000 suitcases are down and 50,000 are getting onboard. 2,500 guests descend and the same number embark.
I love this interim time of the week. A kind of attentive silence prevails throughout the Solstice, the decks that are usually crowded, the pools and the Spa are all empty and quiet. Just like before the storm. Soon will be a stampede of the newcomers.
I can release a little the formal wear that I wear during the week – a doctor's white coat, reading glasses on a cord around my neck, a name tag with my title and place of origin, tailored trousers, black shoes and a black or white shirt and a tie. I change to a short sleeved golf shirt and black pants, no tag or tie but I put on my elegant Italian lizard skin shoes…
It is so nice to walk around and have some quality time with my beloved. As if it's only me and her. I love the Solstice…
This amazing ship was built in Germany. Until the launch of The Oasis, which I saw anchored near us in San Martin, the Solstice was amongst the largest ships in the world. Whoever designed it in terms of internal structure, furnishings, color combinations, etc. did an outstanding job. Guests are kept in an atmosphere of stylish elegance. Yet not oppressive and austere - only filled up with a very good taste that is evident in every detail.
The Acupuncture "department" has 2 members. My fellow practitioner is an American woman in her mid-life named Dana. We operate under the European spa director, the beautiful and hot Anna, but we remain directors of ourselves. We recruit our patients by marketing ourselves and we run the business. The desk may sometimes refer people to us too. This setup obviously creates modes of friction and politics that need to get along with, as in any hierarchical organization.
But everything aboard cruise ships is intensified in relation to a business operating on land. The comparison to my Israeli army days, going through a boot camp in a combat unit, is very much in place…
It turns out that every crew and staff member on board the ship has a rank. This rank defines all one's privileges. We as Licensed Acupuncturists are considered to be managers and officers - ranked by two and a half stripes. The same rank our Spa director Anna has.
Of all the Spa staff members we fall in the twilight zone between classes. On the one hand we are among the officer corps of the ship. Still, we get hit on the head with a dead fish, as Anna says, for each error and faulty execution. Nobody cares that I have been running my own clinics for over 20 years now. On the other hand we are invited to the Revenue Partners meetings to participate with all the brass at a workshop management called Oz Training.
By doing that they create in me a state of identification and pride and this is in addition to the high motivation that is already there. It gives me a very good sense of the contribution I make. We are not considered just as workers that bring in income, but people that think and do their best to increase their responsibility and scope beyond the job requirements.
I am very impressed with the way things are run on this ship. There is an Ethernet communication between the different wings. All income positions (casino, bar, spa, acupuncture, restaurants, florist, etc.) have targets and objectives that they strive to meet and a manager at a higher position to report to as their superior, who then reports on, until it reaches the main office in Miami.
The information is open to all junior executives and we know what other departments do and whether or not they are meeting the goals set for them. So too are we completely exposed to other departments.
I was amazed by the speed with which I was recruited to the cause and how I identify with the ship's goals. I have a desire to succeed and improve, not from coercion or threats. I see the whole ship as my business, not only my little 2 room clinic…or 4 rooms with Dana...
This is the American way of business for better or worse. If you are good you get the girl and the money like in the movies and if you fail then you are shot in the head (dismissal). You can't rest with the success you experienced last week. Everything starts over from scratch each week.
This suits me well. My problem is how to fit into the team when almost always I was conducting my businesses solo with a full control of any aspect of my clinics. Here I am no longer the boss.
In total there are 34 employees at the spa as well as me. Most are masseurs, some do manicure - pedicure (or in short mani-pedi), hair removal and hair design, machines that makes you slimmer by 8 inches in one hour and the usual Spa and Salon offerings.
Also there are only two other men as well as me, two Australian boys who run the huge gym. There are gays and lesbians and women who work during the cycle and the stress level is rather high.
We are required to attend team meetings 3-4 hours per week, and executive sessions 4-5 hours per week and participate in drills of emergency situations, with or without guests, and various training sessions related to environmental protection, knowledge of the ship's different functions and more. The first week I also had to learn "under fire" how to charge the guests card, and how to record the income in two separate systems and how to coordinate so many things…and yes…do Acupuncture treatments on top of all that…
All other employees at the spa without exception are in their second to fifth contracts and thus are very familiar with all these systems. So it is easy to imagine how, without much help from the busy others, I had in the first few weeks to deal with recruiting guests, record revenues in all the systems online, run to training drills constantly and try to cope with the enormous amounts of information, catch up on the Spa computer for Ethernet messages, find out where the iron room is, sign up to be a subscriber on the ship's satellite Internet service, find out where the uniform laundry is, where to eat and on and on and on ....
No wonder I became a joke among the crew who found me staring and baffled by the various computers without knowing what to do first with the dockets in my hands...
The Solstice, with all 122000 tons and all 350 meters of her length (40 meters wide) moves gracefully in a high seas as in calm sea thanks to its stabilizing systems. These are small wings coming out alongside the ship under the water that operate to lift up the side that sinks by creating more elevation the deeper it gets. Balancing this way the Cruise sailing feels more like a flight in a first class rather than a yacht sailing. Despite all this, some days we have lots of patients who experience some seasickness. As for myself, when I went ashore in San Martin I had a moment when I felt I was swaying slightly with the ship but it was a very short sensation.
As for food - I realized very quickly I had to do something about it. The dining room for the crew is okay regarding environment, noise etc. But there is not much variety of things offered to us as food and also food quality is relatively low. I keep Kosher, so I looked for a place to eat. A place that offers a greater selection of products and runs at different times. The very first night I found the Ocean View Cafe on the 14th floor (the 12th floor or deck has the Spa and my 2 treatment rooms). The restaurant serves food in a buffet fashion almost all the time. What matters to me, as there is no Kosher meat, is the large selection of fish and even sushi, as well as vegetables, fruit and more.
As this is a dining room for the guests, and is off limits for all crew and junior officers, I was not allowed by the spa director to eat there. My second night on the boat I could not sleep because of the excess adrenaline in my blood. I wandered around the sleepy ship in the quiet early morning hours and finally went into the deserted Ocean View. I ate something light and sat from five to six-thirty in the company of an insomniac retired American-Italian brain surgeon. We had a thorough conversation on Jewish Tradition, Christianity, Medicine and Medical Ethics. It was so good that he came to see me at the spa later and told Anna enthusiastically about the conversations we had a few hours before. Anna was furious at the description about the blatant violation of discipline and gave me a very hard time about that. I think this started our relationship on the wrong path.
But as I told my eldest son if you want something badly, and you can't walk through the door...look for the window.
The heads of security personnel on board are two young Israelis and they control deputies of Indian descent. By mistake I reached their office on the second deck in that first week. I was confused about the location of various classrooms and I often went in wrong directions and into various corridors. When G. heard from me that I had problems with the food he turned immediately to the computer and checked the SQM for the appropriate privileges merited by the two and a half stripes. And there he found specifically written that in my position I can eat at the Ocean View but only BY PERMISSION. The Spa manager told me that even she was not allowed to eat there and she did not know who should I ask for the permission, and maybe I'd better stop creating problems and troubles for her as did her Jewish ex-boyfriend....
Since this was a very fundamental issue, I did not give up and told her that I eat kosher and I have to eat in a place that has a selection of fish and veggies and that I will keep trying to find the desired permission and the person that grants that. At least it softened her up a little and paved the way for the next step. I continued to visit the Ocean View with my formal attire, a tie and my doctor's white coat.
One day as I passed near the entrance to the kitchen in the Ocean View I was approached by a man wearing a formal suit with a name tag. "Doctor, is everything okay?" I told him I was looking for someone to give me a permission to eat at the restaurant. He immediately introduced himself as the deputy manager of the restaurant and that he grants me the permission...
This was Predrag (Frederic in Serbian). When he realized I was from Israel and not from the US (in my tag I appear as a U.S. citizen since I have dual citizenship) and I am not a Muslim but a Jew - he went out of his way to host and serve me.
He approached one of the waiters and asked him to bring me two significant pieces of Salmon of the day (but stressed without my request not to be topped with cream - the guy understands the laws of Judaism...) and for half an hour he stood with me and we talked very excitedly, each one for his own reasons. I had my life saved from starvation. He could not sit with me because he was on duty and I stood with him in the middle of the restaurant, guests flowing around us, the Salmon in my hands, and I'm the little with only two and a half stripes talking to the king of the Ocean View as if we have been fighting together in one of those Balkan wars…
Predrag told me and the two chilling Salmon that the Serbs are Christian Orthodox belonging to the Pravoslave church and that during the Holocaust, they fought the Nazis and hid many Jews and that the Croats fought with the Nazis and killed Serbs and Jews alike.
He talked about his grandmother who hid Jews during the Holocaust and that he and his mother will soon go to Jerusalem to be awarded the Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem for the grace and courage his grandmother had shown.
He also told me that a Serb man who reaches age 50 and is well respected in his community can do something which will give him the title of Haji. "He needs to go to Mecca?" I asked. Predrag looked at me indignantly and said disgustedly, "Why Mecca?, that place is for Muslims, not for us Serbs." It turns out, the Serbian pilgrim has to go to Jerusalem and meet a Jewish Rabbi who is waiting for him, the Rabbi takes him to three sacred places in Jerusalem. Then the Rabbi signs a letter of Haji for the happy Serbian. When the new Haji returns home to Serbia he adds to his name the title Haji. From then on, he will acquire a status of immunity. He does not get traffic tickets, for example, and there a few other perks that go with his honorable state.
Several days have passed since then, I see Predrag occasionally and we embrace warmly and happily. Before I came on board I saw a relatively old movie about an American pilot in the service of NATO that was shot down by Serbs who were chasing the pilot trying to kill him. Serbs were represented in the film as cold-blooded killers. Predrag claims it was a revenge war of the Serbs against the Croats for their cooperation with the Nazis. And also against the Muslims of Herzegovina, who gave up Christianity and who are trying to grow at the expense of Serbs who had been before the war about eighty percent of Yugoslavia.
Interesting for me was that Israel has equipped Serbia with a sophisticated radar system long before the outbreak of the war. This system led to victory of the Serbs in the war against the rest of the former Yugoslavian nations and the NATO forces.
For all these reasons, and out of anti-Muslim common interest - every Serb, according to Predrag, feels committed to Israel and Jews everywhere.
Back to Solstice My Love -
There are two parallel systems of corridors on the ship. The first one is for the guests and staff only. This one is beautifully designed, heart-expanding, shiny and bright. At the same time, there is a complete set of "underground" modest and practical corridors for the crew. They include much smaller service elevators. The crew should be in that system and use it only in order to reduce contact with the guests to a minimum.
At first when I was escorted by a crew member to a new place I was led through the crew corridors and lost all sense of orientation.
Very quickly I found myself using the guest's system. It is "legal" for us as staff officers. I always got lost when using the crew system. Since I am formally dressed almost all the time I have no problem being in contact with the guests. I even recruited many patients while descending the guests elevators...
The back corridors are the home of all services and the living quarters of all service providers and staff. The rest belong to the guests' cabins.
Of the services, the laundry is controlled by the Chinese and is called Chinatown. Cleaning is at the hands of the Jamaicans, Indians and South Americans. Many waiters come from Turkey. The Philippines are the largest ethnic group. They are everywhere including the Spa and the Bridge. A total Tower of Babel consisting of seventy nations working together under an international peace treaty in (almost) perfect harmony and for the same purpose.
Israelis are conspicuously absent. I think we do not have a service culture, so I'm the first and only Israeli recruited to work aboard the Solstice not as a security guard. In fact I am the first Israeli elected to work as a specialist of Chinese Medicine aboard any Cruise ship. This puts on me the pressure of being kind of an Ambassador representing Israel, Jews, Chinese Medicine, and of course myself.
During my work aboard 3 cruise ships I met and got to know people from the crew and staff of many different countries. It's nice that I can ask them what city they come from in their country and realize I was there and I have accumulated experiences in their homelands. The Indians feel immediate empathy when they hear I had spent time in India.
This makes me realize that I had been travelling in many countries and the cruise ships will be getting me to the Caribbean and to the Eastern coast of North America. These are locations I have not travelled in. Most of the crew and staff do not come off the ship in ports where we land.
So far my favorite place is the island of St. Martin. This island is half French and half Dutch by a peace treaty signed 350 years ago. I was looking for a remote control presenter for my computer to be used at the seminars that we present in PowerPoint. Asking around I was recommended a shop further away from harbor. I drove in a taxi there and walked back and this allowed me to find places that are not used by tourists at all. That's how I happened to buy a sewing thread from the Creole store, bananas from a Chinese grocery store (China Foods), office equipment (a folder, a hole puncher, a stapler and a ruler) at the Native Caribbean Office Market, a replacement watch band at "Little Denmark" of the Danes, and the presenter at Blue Point the Indian owned electronic store where the cashier is wearing a traditional sari and adorned with Bindhi symmetrically centered on her forehead above the nose. Actually at Yin Tang, the Acupuncture point used much for relaxation.
The seminars that we present to the guests are published on the daily bulletin handed out to the guests on the evening of the next day. This is a very effective means of marketing. There are 4 of those during the week. Only last Saturday I went to give my first seminar. The seminar itself is a presentation and lecture we had received from Miami and has a very structured form. I of course cannot accept such a framework as it is and I did talk more freely involving more personal stories and testimonies of two of my patients I took care of this week. It went pretty well and all 27 were pinned down for about an hour and made comments and questions. To my surprise I felt quite free and not embarrassed to talk to strangers in a foreign language and even managed to joke around.
We have a staff discount rate for Internet services onboard. The guests pay 65 cents per minute. There are many users and we come last on the food chain, so often we have to wait half an hour to be able to connect. So I prefer to connect via Wi-Fi at the beaches we land in. In some cases the Internet is free and sometimes it is customary to buy a drink in the amount of a few dollars. Then we receive the code for the Wi-Fi. It's very exciting to see the kids on Skype and chat with them despite the vast distance.
Most of the staff and crew are young and single. The dining room servers get free at about 11 pm. They and others use to meet late at night in the Crew Bar drinking and smoking furiously. I cannot stand the smoke and am not so much about alcohol so I do not have much of a social life. Reminds me of the joke saying that Garlic is very good for enhancing one's memory, but people that use much garlic do not have many memories…
We work from 0730 until 2030 and the rest of the time is devoted to laundry (my shirts by hand) to rest and also to participate in various team meetings, paper work, a summary of the day and preparing for the next day.
I try to be in the gym at least twice a week. According to the spa manager, if you have a responsible job aboard a Cruise ship which makes one week cruises then there is no social life. She only forgot to mention that she met her ex aboard a ship…I miss a state of interpersonal communication and I use the patients to talk to and learn from about their lives. Sometimes it's even exciting. Jews of course have an immediate affinity and their stories reflect the wanderings and walking in the desert that are part of our nation's story forever. So is my own.
Next chapters I will tell more about this issue. I have to run now to my post on embarkation day at the Spa tour, otherwise I'll be hit by a dead fish on the head…
Effi Kfir L.Ac
Two stripes and a half
Fort Lauderdale - Port Everglade
Florida
To be continued on "Solstice My Love" - Chapter Two.
About the Author
Effi Kfir L.Ac is a specialist practitioner in Chinese Medicine with over 20 years of international experience. Specializing in the areas of Pain, Headache, Backache, Digestive problems, Stress reduction, Weight gain, Respiratory problems, Gynecology, Obstetrics, and Fertility. He is an Acupuncturist and Herbalist licensed by the State Board of California and 30 other states in the U.S.
He completed a specialized practice in 3 hospitals in China and Japan and lectured at Bar Ilan University in several Doctoral courses. He also worked at MALRAM in the complementary medicine unit at Ichilov hospital.
During 2010 and until his return to Tel Aviv in April 2011, Kfir worked as a Chinese Medicine specialist aboard 3 American Cruise Ships (Solstice, Liberty of the Seas and The Summit) in North America and the Caribbean. He treated members of the staff, crew and guests from over 70 different nationalities, he successfully treated many conditions and was consistently ranked among the top performers in the Acupuncture area. His website www.kfir.net provides information on some important syndromes treated by Chinese Medicine, Kfir's two published text-books, and some useful health tips. Kfir's clinic is located in the heart of Tel Aviv.
Phones for appintments: 03-5225510 or 054-4804538
Website: www.kfir.net
Filed under Yachting by on Aug 7th, 2011. Comment.
