I'm on a SHIP!

Hola amigos!

I have safely arrived and am fairly settled on the ship. The trip to Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) was a long one but also fairly uneventful and very beautiful. Check out this picture I took from my seat on the flight from Dallas to London. 

The other really great thing was that on two of three flights there were lots of empty seats so we had lots of room to spread out. That was especially helpful on the 9 hour, overnight, flight to London. From London we went to Madrid (where I was feeling very nostalgic) and then to Tenerife. Most of us in the group got our bags but there were three unlucky people who didn't have their bags come onto the carousel. We we waiting, and even though the steady flow of bags had stopped I was still trying to hold out hope, and then the carousel stopped all together... not good. Luckily their bags were close behind and they got them the next day. 

At this point the ship is not at full capacity for staff since we are still in the Islands and don't have the hospital up and running. However, from what I can see it is a great group of people and I am really looking forward to my time here. I felt very useless my first few days in the HR office because the one person who can train me is just so incredibly busy. However, I am gaining more and more information each day and hopefully by the end of the month will be well equipped to handle the influx of crew members when we arrive in country next.

Did you notice that? Country next? Interesting, huh. Well let me explain. The ship was supposed to sail to Benin yesterday (Friday the 15th) but because of the Ebola situation, management decided to postpone our sail to see what transpires in the countries surrounding Benin (mainly Nigeria). I appreciate that they are being diligent but it also creates a bit of a mess for all the people who were supposed to arrive or depart the ship shortly after our arrival in Benin. However, I am grateful for the opportunity to adjust to the ship in a country where I am comfortable with the language, still have the freedom to roam around town on my own, and with less people on the ship (finding a table at mealtimes is going to get stressful). Even though I am not fully useful in the office, I was able to help a couple that was in my group in Texas, to buy a mini fridge. Although I can't full understand all Spanish dialogue I can get the gist and express myself (in a roundabout way sometimes). At least I feel a little useful in that way. I went to church yesterday with a few people and we missed dinner on the ship. We ate at a restaurant in town and I was able to communicate with the waiter, David, and translate for him when needed. Just in case you were wondering, I had and AMAZING salad with goat cheese, almonds, avocado, and a whole lot of deliciousness. Aaaanyway... David liked us enough to bring us some post dinner shots (I went with it). Understanding the priest at church is a whole different issue (too fast, too quiet, dropping off at the end of his sentences). I can't forget that being in Tenerife has another important upside... gelato. Not quite as good as Italy, but still very, very, very good. Since I won't see it again for months I have given myself permission to eat as much of it as I can. 

Last week I noticed that while I was walking down the hallway toward my cabin, I started off walking on the right hand side and then somehow was bumping against the left wall, and then I was back on the right. No, I was not inebriated. It was just the ship gently rocking back and forth. Being in the port I have noticed some movement but thankfully it hasn't been bothering me at all. 

Yesterday we moved from the area of the port that is designated for passenger ships to the area with the container ships. I guess they hadn't anticipated that we would be overstaying our welcome. We can't easily walk to town anymore but they have organized shuttles with gracious volunteers taking an hour whenever they can. Mercy Ships has a whole bunch of Land Rovers (the serious ones, not like the ones at home) so we are making good use of them. 

As for my living quarters, I am in a four berth which means there are four beds in total but the way it is configured is that there are two beds in each "room" that has a curtain separating it from the rest of the cabin. I am on the top bunk and here is a picture:

My bunkmate and I each have our own closet and you can see there is a little vanity in the middle. My bunkmate, Martha, has been so helpful and patient with me being slightly disorganized and bumping around when I wake up early to go running. The other two ladies in the cabin were with me in Texas and they are both great so I am very thankful to be living here. We also have a small room in our cabin with a couch, a window (pretty lucky since not everyone has one), a table, some shelves, and a little refrigerator. 

Here's a picture of the ship where we were docked when I first got here:

Not a bad set up, huh?

Also, they are doing some work on the dock and they had the following sign out. I just love when things get mistranslated. 

It should probably say "risk of collision". I like it the way it is though. 

I am sorry I hadn't updated in a while but I hope that gives you all a better idea of what's going on and from here on out I should be back to my weekly post, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Let me know if you have questions. Have a great weekend!