Crossing The Line

                French Polynesian Sunrise

Exotic French Polynesia is a welcome relief after spending multiple sea days enjoying our surroundings. Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti are lush green destinations known for their remote beauty. My first inclination was to skip shore excursions because I had been there before, beaches don’t excite me much and rain a little less so. So, I spent my “Bora Bora day” in the comfort of the Explorers Lounge, sipping my Irish coffee and enjoying the views.

Before long a neat lady joined me and surprisingly spent the next 3-4 hours exchanging stories. A slightly more pleasant experience than getting soaked to the skin on a remote island beach …….different strokes! Next came Moorea. I was surprised to see the same thatched hut (on stilts) hotel we stayed in in the late 80’s.I understand not much has changed except for the price. In the evening, we sampled an authentic French Polynesian sumptuous cuisine and that was followed by an entertaining and energetic French Polynesian dance program.

After a few more sea days, when most of us returned to our favorite sea day activities, I’ve re-evaluated my activities and decided to delve into my dormant creative side beginning to learn the art of water coloring. Fortunately, my old high school friend, Sonia, is a talented artist willing to teach me  water coloring in exchange for my teaching her to play bridge. My first lesson was essentially looking at the sea and clouds and Sonia pointing out how to “see” the world around us from the perspective of colors, primary/secondary, warm/cool; Intensity, pure/less pure; value, light/dark; and shapes. It’s a whole new world!

We are now sailing onto our next port, Auckland, New Zealand, which is the conclusion of one of our segments. This means we are losing some fellow passengers and staff but they will be replaced by others. More significantly, we crossed the International Date Line and naturally some fellow passengers missed their birthday completely. A few of us arranged a combined, surprise party to celebrate their birthdays  and the accommodating ship hotel manager provided us with a huge cake, champagne, a very nice location and the staff to serve the group. It was appreciated by the celebrants and enjoyed by all.

Last but not least,  a Chinese New year’s celebration is planned for Feb. 9 and I was honored to receive an invitation to attend. I may be the only none Chinese person invited  and I’m really looking forward to participate in their festivities. My birthday is also fast approaching and several expressed an interest in organizing something, however I prefer intimate small gatherings over larger affairs. Maybe we will find a happy medium.