Monday, April 28, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Return from the Cruise
Michael and I are back from Carnival Valor!! It was awesome and we got some sweet tans!
Anyways, before the pictures come let me recap the trip.
I learned to play craps and gambled every night--overall was up $30 from all my gambling
Michael loss $2o in slots after one turn the second night and never played again
My average sleep time was 2: 30am
Michael's average sleep time was 11:30am
I read one book on the trip
Michael read three, reread one and bought one while he was on the trip
I danced 4 nights of the 7 nights
Michael danced one night
Apparently....
Michael is loved by all and when he comes out to hang everyone was surprised and thought he was hilarious
I go out most of the nights and no one is too excited and it is simply another night--go figure
Warning: This may deter one from going on a cruise ever--
After I returned I wanted to see the day in the life a cruise worker or so they call seaman. After much research I have come to find that I was apart of some serious exploitation and probably have witnessed and was not aware.
Most ships fly under a different flag instead of the US to escape from having to follow the rules and regulations of work conditions/crime on the ship, the least strict of the countries to fly under are Liberia, Bahamas, and Panama (carnival valor flew under a panama flag). Further seaman often have to work 10-12 hours day 7 day a week at minimal wages --average $430 month on 10 month contracts, to prevent seaman from quiting cruises would keep their passports and part of their wages until their time is up, if they quit then they lose out on their wages and would have to fly themselves back to their own countries. Different articles I read have referred to cruises as having indentured servants or sweatships.
Also cruises are one of the greatest polluters of the water, because it is more costly to pay for proper disposal than to pay the fine if they were caught.
Knowledge is power--however ignorance is bliss--I cannot knowingly go on another cruise after my research. I am scared to further research the following topics....how the animals are treated that we eat and working conditions for all inclusive workers.
Anyways, before the pictures come let me recap the trip.
I learned to play craps and gambled every night--overall was up $30 from all my gambling
Michael loss $2o in slots after one turn the second night and never played again
My average sleep time was 2: 30am
Michael's average sleep time was 11:30am
I read one book on the trip
Michael read three, reread one and bought one while he was on the trip
I danced 4 nights of the 7 nights
Michael danced one night
Apparently....
Michael is loved by all and when he comes out to hang everyone was surprised and thought he was hilarious
I go out most of the nights and no one is too excited and it is simply another night--go figure
Warning: This may deter one from going on a cruise ever--
After I returned I wanted to see the day in the life a cruise worker or so they call seaman. After much research I have come to find that I was apart of some serious exploitation and probably have witnessed and was not aware.
Most ships fly under a different flag instead of the US to escape from having to follow the rules and regulations of work conditions/crime on the ship, the least strict of the countries to fly under are Liberia, Bahamas, and Panama (carnival valor flew under a panama flag). Further seaman often have to work 10-12 hours day 7 day a week at minimal wages --average $430 month on 10 month contracts, to prevent seaman from quiting cruises would keep their passports and part of their wages until their time is up, if they quit then they lose out on their wages and would have to fly themselves back to their own countries. Different articles I read have referred to cruises as having indentured servants or sweatships.
Also cruises are one of the greatest polluters of the water, because it is more costly to pay for proper disposal than to pay the fine if they were caught.
Knowledge is power--however ignorance is bliss--I cannot knowingly go on another cruise after my research. I am scared to further research the following topics....how the animals are treated that we eat and working conditions for all inclusive workers.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Say Good Bye
It is official Michael's mustache has announced its retirement this sat. Apparently if you go on a cruise and get a tan you may get a mustache tan line and no one wants that. Say good-bye! Throw a party! Tell people you know michael again! I am not going to lie the one way a man can get as much attention as women when they are pregnant is by having a mustache, the truth is I fear this may not be the last, as michael...loved all the attention.
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