Friday, January 18, 2008: At Sea.
Bob: We awakened just in time to see a beautiful sunrise through the porthole window in our cabin. The sun was hovering just over the horizon and behind a cloud, with the result that we could clearly see the golden sunbeams projecting down into the sea all around. Wow. What a great way to start a day! After breakfast we walked around the promenade deck for a half an hour and then participated in a hula practice session for the evening's scheduled class graduation performance. There were at least 100 students in that class, so many, in fact, that we had trouble crowding on the stage in the Stardust Theater and finding space for all of us to do the hula dancing. Fortunately, hula dancing can usually be done in a compact area somewhat in the manner of line dancing so we did manage to do it although I had to constantly remember to take really small steps. We were both rather tired after a half hour of walking and an hour of hula dancing, so when we returned to the cabin I just fell into a nap while Monika read. I must have been really tired because I napped for well over two hours, and consequently we missed the morning craft session with Joyce that I had wanted to attend. Fortunately I awakened in time for us both to have lunch because meals are very important on a cruise ship, and in any case I hate to miss meals, especially "free" ones. |
Monika: Our last At Sea day had us practice our hula dancing in the morning for the grand Graduation exercise in the evening where we were going to perform our four Hawaiian and one Tahitian dances in the Stardust theater in front of anyone who wanted to come. We had an extra long practice on stage and things seemed to go reasonably well. After all that excitement, Bob took a nap. But he roused himself for lunch. |
Bob: We walked on the promenade deck a little bit after lunch and them went to another construct-a-lei session with Ambassador June. This time, we were all given two 10-foot yellow ribbons and then instructed in how to weave them into a lei. I had to admire June's patience in explaining the basic process to people at least 5 or 6 times over the course of an hour until pretty much everyone in the Stardust Theater, and that would be around 700-800 of us, was doing it properly. People who caught on more quickly also helped their neighbors, so we all had a convivial session of lei weaving. In between the cycles of weaving instructions, June told us about the history and manifold uses of the hala tree, which ancient Hawaiians had used to obtain the leaves for weaving these leis. She showed us some of the baskets, purses, and so forth made from the woven hala leaves, and told us about the uses of the other parts of the tree. I brought my journal up to date while Monika read Cornwell's "Lords of the North", and then she used the computer for her journal while I took yet another nap. We had a light dinner and waited for our evening hula performance. Our performance in the Stardust Theater was surprisingly well attended with the main floor pretty much filled and the balcony area held a rim of onlookers. We performed five numbers: the Hukilau Song, My Little Grass Shack, A Hawaiian Lullaby, Holoholo Kaa, and a Tahitian instrumental number. The first three numbers we had practiced on three days and they went quite well, but the last two we had only practiced a couple of times and we were more ragged on them. But our audience was appreciative and the applause felt genuine. |
Monika: At 2 was our last craft lesson with June. We learned how to weave a lei with two long ribbons. June told us first about the hana tree, whose leaves were originally used for these leis. She then explained to us, how to weave. She was incredibly patient with everyone. I did not get it at first, but Bob got help from a woman in front of him, and then showed me, what I was doing wrong. So then, we both had fun weaving our final leis. It is a shame, that this is the last class; but with everyone busy on excursions during the next few days, there probably would not be as much demand for it. But we had a lot of fun making 3 very different leis (flower, kukui nut, ribbon) and one beaded bandana. Bob decided he needed one more nap to calm down the nerves for tonight's performance and I finished the book he had gotten out of the library. We had a small meal up at the buffet and then we got dressed for the performance. I wore the new dress, Lois and I made for me when she was visiting and Bob wore his Hawaiian shirt. We both wore our flower leis. Call was 15 minutes early, and we had a short run-through in the hall by a staircase that led to a dining hall and effectively blocking it. And then it was on-stage. We dropped off our shoes in the back and then went on stage. With so many other people dancing (we were about 80) I was not very nervous just enjoyed the music and the movements that went with it. The theater was about 3/4 full, and everyone applauded enthusiastically. it was great fun. We all got our diploma (we are now Hula Masters - ha) and said a final Mahalo and Aloha to June. |
Bob: The evening entertainment was the winning karaoke singer from the passengers plus several singers, a Tahitian hula dancer, and a couple of comedy acts put on by the crew. The singers were uniformly good and the two young women who sang "Cabaret" and another musical theater number were excellent. The Tahitian hula dancer was the real deal and her performance was graceful, flowing, and very evocative of the Pacific islands and her ancient Polynesian roots. Two Russian men, in contrast, did a bit just for laughs. They danced a ballet segment from the Nutcracker suite, but the one playing the ballerina was dressed in drag with balloons as the bosom and a big, raggedy white wig. Watching these two big, athletic guys prance around and do lifts and such was hilarious. The "guy" dancer who had to lift the "ballerina" really had to strain to do the overhead lifts because his partner was a pretty solidly muscled fellow. The "ballerina" took some serious tumbles during the routine (and the balloon brassiere didn't survive the act intact), so I was honestly concerned that he were getting hurt on some of the pratfalls. But they both seemed to be superbly conditioned gymnasts having fun with the skit, so that ended well. The finale was a spoof of a Greek theater scene where about 8 cast members wearing togas and carrying water jars solemnly marched on stage and then had a grand old time spitting water at each other in a carefully choreographed fashion. Maybe you had to be there, but it was really funny. And so to bed. |
Monika: At 9:45 was the evening performance, which were different members of the crew performing. I had hoped that cruise director Douglas would sing again, but he emceed the show. All of the singers were quite good and two were probably performance level. The last number was called "Fountain" and 12 members of the crew came on stage with small water jugs and kept taking a sip and spitting the water at other members of the group. It really was quite hilarious, especially when the performers on stage really tried to "get" one or the other. All together a good time was had by all. |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||