Ketchikan, Alaska

It's sunny, a bit windy, but oh so nice to be outside. Today we're docked next to another big ship, and so the port's full of people, walking, shopping, and snacking by the water. Fortunately, i've managed to score a hefty two hour break, so I've got a few minutes to take a walk, have a cappuccino at a nice cafe, and chill for a bit as I update the blog. Two days ago, I put in my vacation flight request and boy do I have some good news for you....

On September 10th i'm signing off. The ship'll be in Otaru, Japan (on the coast, next to Sapporo), and so that's where they'll be dropping me off. Also, I was JUST given the official word that they're happy to book my return flight from Osaka a cool two weeks later. TWO WEEKS!!! I'm gunna spend two weeks in Japan! Yeah, that's fun to say. (hah!) Then, to cap it off, my return flight just happens to be going through San Francisco, so with any luck, i'll extend my layover there as well, and spend a few days chillin with the boys again in one of my favorite cities. SOOOOO, if you just happen to be at home at the moment, and've got the travel bug, come meet me in Japan! I've got no plans as of yet, but i'm dying to hike Mt Fuji, see every inch of Tokyo & Kyoto, and eat all the cool random japanese food I can!

...Should be fun! =P

Holy Frijoles!

Ok, so in the process of loading yet another round of pictures from my camera to my desktop I realized that I currently have two months of unsorted photos sitting in a folder that i've yet to organize. SO, on that note, it's my new goal to hash it all out, and have a chronologically correct, (and more importantly) complete record of my time here.

As soon as i'm done, i'll sort out a handfull of the best and post em. Can't wait for you to see which ones I choose!

Oh, and in case you're curious, we've been cruisin up and down the Fjords on the West Coast of canada (very near Alaska) for the past few days. (almost a week) Honestly, the scenery is pretty damn gorgeous. I've snapped lots of pics, but there really is nothing like seeing it for yourself.

Can't wait to see what Alaska looks like!

Ciao Ciao!

<==== Check THAT out!

Oh internet, how useful you can be....

So yesterday, for the first time, I found out we (the ship) have a webpage that constantly updates with information on our current itinerary. Cool eh!?? Well, wouldn't that be sweet if you could see that webpage too?

If you answered yes, today's your lucky day! I found the link and added it on the left side of the page so that any time you're curious, you too can know my current position.

Sweet!

Also, as a random sidenote, today one of our residents held a huge catered function at his own house ashore. The galley pumped out tons of food, sent it to shore on one of our tenders (big passenger boats), and set it all up. The ridiculous twist is that this guy's house is monstrous and one of only three on an entire island.... HIS island. Yeah, I said it. The guy owns the ENTIRE island!... And the three houses: His, his son's, and the guest house. SOOOO badass. =)

7-11.... well, not the convinent store, but still catchy =)

Wow, I can't believe i look back at the last post date and it says May 31st! That's pathetic!

Well, i'm back now, and determined to keep the updates coming as often as I can. Now, most of you have NO idea what i'm reffering to in the title of this blog entry, so i'll simply say 7-11 has become the new catch phrase of the pastry department. Essentially it refers to two things, 1) The Pastry Department in every restaurant / hotel / eatery seems to always be the snack station where all the kitchen employees cruise by for a quick nibble. At first this can be fun, providing goodies to everyone, and ensuring at least a few good feelings as all your work is gobbled up in front of your face. However, most of the time, it gets a bit out of control and situations like coming into work to find all your Ice Creams eaten become increasingly more common. Anywho, the second, and more accurate reference is the fact that our hours have unofficially become 7am - 11pm.

Yep, you read that right.... Today I started with a Galley (ship word for "kitchen") Inspection at 7 am, and ended my day entering the order list at 11:30pm. Whew, what a long one...

Well, i should say, there's a good reason for all of this. Since July 4th, my boss has been on vacation and so yours truly has been acting as the ship's Pastry Chef. I'll hold this position until his vacation is over (and I sign off) in mid-September. Until then, as the Exec Chef has assured me, the pastry department is my new baby.

Honestly, it's a pretty cool concept. I'm the Pastry Chef of the World. Yeah, it's got a pretty bad-ass ring to it, but it comes with a hell of a price. The work load's definitely intense, and the buck now falls on me. In related news, we got a "new" guy in the Pastry Team to beef up the numbers back to a whopping 3 of us. Fortunately, he's been in the Pastry Department before (about a year ago) and really knows his stuff. He's an incredibly fast worker, a bit unrefined, but i'll tell you what, the guy can get things done! Now that he's on board, i'm a little less stressed and VERY happy to have him back on the team.

Since taking over, my social life's been on pause, so hopefully soon I can get out again and have a glass of wine with the other 20-somethings on the boat soon. Since I have essentially no living costs (free housing, free food.... etc) I decided to buy a $100 sushi boat for a few friends and I to enjoy after work tomorrow night. My closest friend on the ship is a bartender upstairs so hopefully he'll hook us up with another $80 bottle of Sake to pair with it. mmmmm, sushi. Can't wait!

Oh, and in related news, I've been cranking out a bunch of new menus that look pretty cool. I even made my first sugar showpeice since culinary school a few days ago! It stood about 18" tall on top of one of our buffets. Kinda cool eh? I'll post pics of food / the showpeice soon. It's no "World Pastry Championship," but considering how long it's been since i've attempted something like that i'd say it's pretty good! =)


... and finally, one last thing, since most of you have no idea where I am / where we're headed I'll try and post a little one liner every day or so to keep you up on the itinerary. Right now we're off the west coast of canada heading to Victoria. Tomorrow we'll be entirely at sea, but we should dock early the day after.

Ciao for now! .

-me

Menus, Menus, Menus

On board a ship of this nature, the word "no" is rarely uttered. "It is our utmost duty to provide a 5 star experience for all our guests".... or so you can just imagine me saying, chest upthrust and proud.

HAH! ::shakes his head:: Man, that's cheesy....

Unfortunately, never saying "no" pretty much guarantees a logistical aneurism for the crew. To focus on my particular area, we (the three members of the Pastry Team) have the task of meeting the demands of 6 set menus, and the ever-changing catering/function menus. Here's the breakdown:

4 Restaurant Menus
In Room Dining (IRD) Menu
Kids Menu
+ Functions / Catering Custom Menus
=============================
Josh in Therapy

Yep, it's simple math. Regardless, the work gets done. We all go home eventually to rest, rise, and fight the fires of tomorrow. Diving into the restaurants, each has its own theme:

East - Sushi Bar, and food from all across the continent of Asia (located on Deck 11, Poolside)
Tides - Mediterranean Cuisine with an Italian flair (Located on Deck 11, at the aft, or tail end of the ship)
Marina - American Cuisine (Deck 5, Aft, featuring a small indoor pool, and direct access to the gigantic sea-level fold out deck)
Portraits - Upscale Cuisine, typically featuring more daring/challenging dishes (Deck 5)

and the remaining responsibilites:

In Room Dining - All residents and guests have the opportunity to enjoy the full restaurant experience right in their own homes. As such, the Galley prepares the food while the waitstaff readies the recipient's cabin with tablecloths, settings, glassware, and any other special serving dishes the order should require. The food is then delivered, and, upon completion, the area is bussed and cleaned to its original state.

Functions / Catering - As a resident (or guest) on the ship, opportunities to be social with the other members of the resident community are few and far between. (Basically, this is a home, not a summer camp) As such, hosting personal events with small clusters of residents becomes a welcome change, and a regular affair. Unfortunately, each and every resident taking advantage of this service wants something unique, and (lets face it) a hell of a lot nicer than the last one they saw at ol' whats-her-face's place. Demands range from favorites they've had onboard, to obscure treats found in their respective towns and cities. Menus can be as simple as a buffet spread, or as complicated as a nouveau 8 course degustation menu. Now, we even go so far as to offer catering for larger functions such as weddings, shore parties, and other 100+ people events. This week for example, we're currently producing a wedding cake, dessert buffet, AND plated desserts for a 145 person wedding... oy

and last but not least, the sometimes utilized Kids Menu - Entertaining kids onboard is a rare occasion. Items for this menu are the stereotypical kiddy desserts (read: "fudge brownie," Banana Split.. etc). They don't require much thought, but do force us to maintain a supply of items we ONLY use for this menu.... stupid eh?

Together, it's well... a lot. I've been here a full month now, and I can say that the full picture is finally coming into focus. It's not quite there yet, but I'm starting to compile a list of improvements I'd like to make in July when, oh yeah, did i mention, I'm supposed to take over. Yeah, funny how that works. Apparently my boss is starting his two month vacation in July and is now making me the head Pastry Chef onboard. I'm a little stressed about it, but I suppose that's a good thing. After-all, it's a hell of a motivator.

Anywho, as always, i'm chuggin along but thinkin' about you guys. I may be a little bogged down in the next few days, but i promise i'll keep the updates flowing.

Current Postion: Ensenada Mexico
On Route to: San Diego, CA

I promised pics, so here's a few of the plates we've been doing:



ENJOY!!!

Rollin, Rollin, Rollin, We ain't slept in weeks

If you haven't heard it yet, Kid Cudi's track Rollin (feat. Jakie Chain) is fantastic. It samples a Robert Miles track called "Children" that I used to listen to ALL the time in college. It's been on my playlist a few times recently, and i have to say, has become my unofficial theme song for the ship. I've been here almost a month now, and typically I get between 4 and 6 hours of sleep every night. Come to think of it, I haven't really talked much about my schedule yet so i'll tell you what, here goes:

07:30 - Wake up & Get Dressed
08:00 - Go to the Crew Mess (Dining Hall) for Breakfast & my morning Coffee
08:30 - Start Work - Get the morning's supplies (Flour, Sugar, Butter... whatever we order) from the Requisition office
12:00 - Break for Lunch
12:30 - Return to work
14:30 - Afternoon Break (this is typically adjusted to 15:00 or later if the day's especially full)
17:00 - Return to work
19:00 - Break for Dinner
23:00 - Finish Cleaning, change & shower in my cabin
23:30 - Head to the "Internet Cafe" or the Officer's Bar to be social/ get out of the cabin for a bit
01:00 - Back to the Crew Mess for the 1 AM snack [always get at least one chicken finger =) ]
01:30 - If no one's suckered me into going up to the helipad on the bow, staying up later in the common room, or hanging out in someone's cabin, Go to bed

Repeat as necessary.

hah, what a day eh? For instance, it's currently 11:47 PM (23:47) and I've decided to blow off the bar tonight. I really want to post an update so I've had to forgo seeing anyone. Now, just to clarify, going to the bar doesn't mean drinking your face off every night. It's the social, after-hours place for the crew to go, so naturally, if you want to see / be seen, you're there. Also, as a side note, the drinks are priced between $.50 and $1.50 so the ship kinda encourages it, and it's pretty easy to buy drinks for a ton of friends for next to nothing! .... As I was saying.... Fortunately though, this means i'll actually have a decent shot at a good night's rest, so missing it for a night is a price i'm willing to pay.

As of now, we're cruising around the Sea of Cortes. We spent a day in Cabo San Lucas, and La Paz on route to our current position. In La Paz, my roommate, a few of the girls on the ship, another guy, and myself ventured into town and found a great club where we could unwind. I bought a few rounds, and the girls bought a bottle, so as you could imagine, we had a good time. =)

Now that we're anchored at sea (off the coast of Isla San Jose), the passengers have the opportunity to join a wildlife expedition organized by the ship. As a result, daily dessert sales have gotten a bit slow. To balance the scale though, Functions & Catering has gotten CRAZY. It seems like every day we've gotta crank out specialized desserts for some 25 person event in a resident's cabin, or a last-minute barbeque on the beach for 60 residents. It's been really odd having to piece together so many different-themed events for so many different personalities upstairs. It seems that everyone has the way THEY like their food, and simply won't stand for anything less.

On a personal note, I can't believe it's been about a month since i've gotten here. It's been a tough experience so far (adjusting to ship life, working INSANELY long hours, and having your entire life in one small bubble). I think the jury's still out on my feelings so far. I'm giving it some time to really see how it plays out. June's looking like a complete shit-storm for the kitchen (TONS and TONS of functions) so I'm pretty sure it'll make or break my desire to pursue the ship life past this contract.

To my fam, Miss you guys, and to the rest, I can't wait 'til we can all chill again. I've tried to contact a few of you, but even that's been difficult so let me know what you're all up to.

Take care & ttys.

CIAO!

Touch and Go

Consistency is something i've definitely taken for granted. On land you wake up, you go to work, and you come home, all to the same places. Food orders are (reasonably) timely, the products are ones you know and appreciate, and every thing's to be expected. On the water, things are a bit different; each day's a roll-of-the-dice.

Some days we're moving, some days we're docked. Some days the produce is beautiful, and some days (like last week for example) you receive 12 kilos of strawberries and are able to use about 2 kilos of them.... what a weird life we live.

Since Guatemala, the ship's course has changed repeatedly. The Swine Flu, (now known as the H1N1 Virus) got a lot of residences freaked out about vising Mexico, so the Captain decided to reroute us to non-Mexican waters for a bit. Six days at sea put us in San Diego for fuel and food provisions. Things started to calm a bit regarding the Flu Epidemic, so the residents decided to revisit a few of the northernmost ports in our original itinerary. As of now we're making our way to Cabo San Lucas. We stopped for two beautiful days in the Catalina Islands, where I finally got to try taking one of the Tenders to shore. Now, for those who have no idea what i'm talking about, when a ship is anchored at sea, we lower one of our specialized lifeboats and use it as a shuttle to the nearest port. That shuttled then becomes what's known as a Tender. (Typically they're used when the water is too shallow for the ship to approach the destination so it's somewhat of a necessity) Anywho, our Tender is designed to fit our luxurious clientele, so for a small shuttle boat, it's pretty damn nice. =) Back to Catalina.... I took a ton of pics, but I have to apologize, holding the camera means I'm not in many of em. Shortly after, we set sail back to San Diego for one last refueling so head south into Mexican waters. Tomorrow we'll be in Cabo, and with any luck, i'll have a few minutes to escape the kitchen and touch land for a bit.

Now, I realize that I've started getting accustomed to the organization of the ship, but you guys are totally in the dark. It's a bit much to start gettin into now, but i'll type somethin up to explain how our 4 Restaurants, In Room Dining, and Special Function Catering all work together. Considering right now it's just a Pastry Chef, me (the Sous Chef), and one Pastry Cook, it's a huge work load.... and believe me, the majority of my day.

As always, keepin' you guys in mind.

Oh, and just to clarify, i'm startin to figure out how to balance the ridiculous work schedule out with a little play. It's not as much as I'd like to be doin yet, but hey, a toe in the pool's a hell of a lot better than nothing. =)

Until next time,

CIAO!!

Wanderin 'round The World

(On shore in Guatemala)

Part of joining any seafaring vessel is an INCREDIBLE amount of Safety Training. From my week long course in Florida, to the numerous classes, tests, & safety drills, I'd say i'm gettin pretty knowledgeable when it comes to sea survival. Anywho, as part of today's class, we did a walk through for the majority of the ship, capping it off with a tour of the bridge. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera (and probably wouldn't have been allowed to anyway) so I wasn't able to snap any pics of the bridge specifically but take it from me, it was AMAZING!!!! Windows swept the entire viewable radius of the front of the ship, showering light across a slick, high-tech navigation & propulsion system, all controlled from two futuristic (and fully automatic) commander's chairs. The room was nearly silent, but an occasional sporatic beep and equipment click kept my eyes darting around the room in awe of its level of sophistication (and yet simplicity!). The ship felt nimble, but rock solid. Basically, it was like being inside a gigantic Mercedes sedan, dampened, but clearly backed with power and some serious refinment.

Anywho, I could gush nerdy details about the tour all day long, but the Cliff's Notes version is as follows:

Tour was awesome. Lots o' cool stuff. Holy crap they spent a lot of money on this place!

I'll be adding tons and tons more pics as the time goes, but here's a few to start you off:

Standing on the Bow, looking out

Standing on the Bow, looking in

.... what a gorgeous ship!

The day has come

SO, this is it... the big "how am i adjusting" post. Well, to say it shorly....

Ummm....

Ok, so it looks like I can't. I'll tell ya, living on a ship is an odd experience. Essentially you wake up everyday in a floating bubble. You spend all day working your ass off, scrounging for that oh-so-elusive mid-day 2 hour break. At the end of the shift, you stumble into the shower to recoup, refresh, and energize. A couple minutes in your cabin later you're relaxed and in fresh clothes. Off to the Crew (or more likely Officer's) Bar to catch a drink with some of the more social people on the ship. Of course you happen to run into your boss and ALL your co-workers so it's slightly obligating to then say hello, and maybe even offer to get them a drink. Good thing they're good people... 'Round 1:00 or 1:30AM it's off to bed. Repeat for 4 months. (omitting the bar as necessary)

Kinda crazy eh? (And that's about as short as I can possibly describe it) As far as my job specifically has gone, the first few days had me ALL over the place. Trying to find my way around the ship was somewhat tough, but after a few hours things started to make sense. On my first day of work, my boss had me follow one of the current Pastry Cooks through his shift. I saw a tiny bit of production, and a few plates from one of our restaurants. All in all, a pretty light day. The next day however, my boss decided it would be a good idea to see where my "Skill Level" is, so he concocted an all-day baking exam. Here's the rundown: (all items after the hyphen are what I produced)

1 sorbet - Green Apple Celery Sorbet
1 ice cream - Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream
1 product using Pate A Choux - Eclair's, filled w/ Chocolate Buttercream & glazed
1 chocolate cake - Chocolate Chiffon Sponge w/ Chocolate Buttercream & glazed, then garnished with shaved chocolate
1 classic dessert - Almond & Apricot Tart w/ Greek Yogurt and a brulee Apricot
1 modern dessert - Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, the Cinnamon Toast I.C., Calvados Caramel Apples, and Cinnamon Toast
10 cookies (1 type, just 10 good ones) - Oatmeal Raisin
1 Confection - Grand Mariner Marshmallows
and if time, a small show piece. - didn't do

At 8:15PM I presented all the items to my boss, to which he added "Oh, we should get the Exec Chef, the head of Food & Beverage, and the rest of the executive F&B team to see them." I'm fairly certain my blood pressure jumped 10 points. Not only did I produce items to show a basic level of skill, I kept them fairly simple and conservative to start. I wasn't out to impress as much as I was getting my bearings, and demonstrating a good grasp of the essential skills to produce the HUGE range of products our job requires. Oh man, was I wrong. It was put up or shut up, and that's what I had to offer. Not gunna lie, I really wanted to jazz things up a bit...

Still though, I got a basic critique of everything i produced and (after having ran UP AND DOWN that kitchen) I finally had a decent understanding on where to find everything. I'd say I put a decent foot forward, and i'm sure i'm FAR harder on myself than any of them could possibly be.... I just can't wait to show them where I go once I've been here for a bit.

The next day it was work as "normal" (meaning, as it SHOULD be... production, learning, and assisting my boss with all his new dessert ideas). He and I have definitely broken the ice, and I think now we're kinda hitting our stride.

Anywho, remember that break I was telling you about before? Well, I just started mine so i'm gunna go try and get some fresh air.

I'll let you guys know more about the Swine Flu Craziness (being that we're supposed to be in Mexico all month), crazy lifeboat drills, my trip to the Spa, & all the randomness that comes with living on a ship next time....

Stay tuned...

CIAO!

(Also, I promise i'll try and take more pics & post them... things have been so crazy it's totally slipped my mind!)

Safe & Sound

To all who were asking for the "all clear" i'm FINALLY on the boat safe & sound. I'm currently using a $20 internet card I just purchased. Sorry I haven't called anyone yet, it was kind of an ordeal to get here, and my cell phone wasn't able to pick up a network at all on the way. Anywho, all's well now. I (and all my baggage) made it on board just fine. For those of you who don't know, I flew from Miami, Florida (where my maritime training took place) to Managua, Nicaragua, then drove to Corinto to meet the boat. The plane took two hrs and the car ride (from the airport to the boat) took FOUR! Once I got on board I got face time with about 100 people, 2 of which I actually remember. =P The facility looks pretty amazing, and I can't believe it's finally coming to a head. I got to spend some time with the Exec Chef & the Exec Pastry Chef, and tomorrow I start work. I've been assigned a cabin, and i hate to say it, but for the first time ever I think I may have a smelly roommate (read: ahhh!!!!!). He's been living in a double by himself for a bit so perhaps it's simply a comfort issue. (I hope!!!) Regardless, I've always heard of friends having to deal with it, but never me.... yeeesh.

8:30 AM tomorrow I've got a meeting with the ship's doctor, and shortly after it's a meeting with the Exec Chef again / off to work. It's gunna be a busy four months, THAT i'm sure! =)

I'll let ya know how things go as they progress. The internet's INSANELY expensive (as I understand) but, of course, I'll be doing everything I can to take some of the financial shrapnel out of that grenade.

Miss all you guys!!

Ciao!

p.s. I added a link to "Subscribe" on the top left, so it's a heck of a lot easier to see when new posts pop up, as opposed to having to check the link every day... oh techology, SO convinient =)

Basic Training... no, not THAT kind, the civilian one!

Oh internet, why can you be so hard to find sometimes....

Sorry 'bout the time-delay but I've finally hunted down a spot where I can sit, read my blogs, and update myself with my usual internet shenanegans.

This week I began my Basic Safety Training Course at the S.T.A.R. Center outside of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. There are 14 people in my class, from all walks of life. As one would imagine, I completely assumed it was going to be a HUGELY male dominated field (read: my parents and I already started calling the ship the S.S. Jimmy Dean, a.k.a. the Floating Sausage-fest). However, about 5 minutes before the course was to begin, in walked 5 attractive twenty-something girls all training to be the entertainment on a British cruise line. Not bad eh!? Well, suffice it to say, after the most honest double take I've ever had in my entire life, I was pretty sure the week would go smoothly.

Day 1: Honestly, one of the coolest experiences of my life. [note: picture to the left may be an artistic rendering of me... unfortunately no one there was that good of a photographer =P ]

The day began with a morning full of dry, relevant, but (lets be honest) boring information regarding Fire Safety. We were taught the classifications of all the various fire types (Ex: Class A = Anything that leaves an ash once it's burned, Class B = Flammable Liquids...etc), and the basic logic of what to use to extinguish each type. We broke for lunch 'round 11:30, and were told to meet at the front of the building at 1:00pm for a field trip. We had little information about where we were headed, but were well aware that it involved some sort of drilling the information we had just learned.

We arrived at a huge facility set up to mimic the top three floors of a cruise ship. On deck however, instead of chairs, umbrellas, and luxury amenities, a large fake helicopter sat in a giant pool. This was no ordinary pool. It was approximately 1 ft deep, and designed to produce MONSTER flames exactly as one would find in a catastrophic JP5 jet fuel fire. For the day we were outfitted with FULL firefighter gear (thermal-suits, boots, hair / face coverings, helmet, mask, oxygen tank, regulator...etc) and taught how to battle all types of fires, use high pressure fire hoses, and perform search and rescue operations in dark, low oxygen, smoke-filled environments. The day ended with a fantastic demonstration of a fire's intensity by sealing all 14 of us in a chamber with a roaring bonfire. As the fire rapidly increased the temperature of the room, we watched the room fill COMPLETELY with smoke, the fire choke all of the oxygen out of the chamber, and flames crawl across the ceiling. Ambient temperature topped out at 250F, and the radiant heat off the now 1200F fire was incredible. Short bursts of water were then sprayed into the superheated gas layer closest to the ceiling, and the room FILLED with steam instantly. Our instructor then directed a series of sprays at various sections of the fire, and instructed us to find our way out of the blackness to the opening of the structure.

All in all I developed a HUGE respect for firemen (and women... of course). I could not believe how surreal it was to use an oxygen tank for the first time in that kind of environment. It was an incredibly educational day, and I've gotta say, it felt pretty bad ass to put all the (seemingly) BORING theory to practice. If this ship thing works out for a while, who knows, maybe i'll join the fire response team!

Day 2: More Fire Theory.... tests tests tests

Day 3: CPR

Lemme tell you something. I learned basic CPR in high school. Find the victim, check responsiveness, listen for breathing, watch the rise (or not) of the chest, check for obstructions... blah blah blah. Well, apparently all that was too much for people to actually remember, so they've decided to shorten it! I was shocked! Would YOU want some lazy bastard to do the new ABBREVIATED version if you were keeled over on the floor!?!? I sure as hell wouldn't! Gimme the full treatment, all the bells and whistles!

Well, I'll climb off my soap box now. I'm sure 98% of the people won't die...

On the upside I can use a Automated Defibrillator now.

CLEAR!!!!!!!!

Day 4: Seawater Survival

Cool concept, but lay off the videos! Honestly, If i never saw another horribly dated instructional video, I wouldn't be upset. I did however, learn about the new seawater activated radio beacons and RADAR reflectors. LOTS of crazy acronyms, and rapid descent, free fall life boats. Check em out, they're pretty damn cool.

Day 5: Survival Practical

Tomorrow we'll be learning to inflate our clothing, deploy life rafts, don rescue suits, and all kinds of other whacky water survival techniques.

It's been a fun week and I can't believe it's over....

Also, I should probably mention to you all that I've had the pleasure of doing this course with my new ship's Cruise Director and Head Sommelier (both great guys). They've given me a TON of info on the in's and out's of working on ships and I'm sure will ease my transition on board dramatically.

Anywho, the weather's nice so we're gunna go sit out and enjoy a glass of beer or wine while we can.

Ciao from Florida!

p.s. I ship off on Saturday!

Happy Passover!

Maybe i'm sick, but I love that comic...

9 more days 'til i leave for Florida!

I'm gettin' psyched. How 'bout you??


...oh, and Happy Passover!!!

This just in...

BST, Basic Safety Training begins on April 20th in Ft Lauderdale, Florida.

"The Standards of Training Certification & Watchkeeping Code requires any new mariner take this 5-day course of instruction. This is comprised of four main courses: basic firefighting, personal survival, personal safety and social responsibility, and elementary first aid."

... Looks like i'm headin down south!

Hittin' the High Seas!

As my previous post would suggest, i've recently accepted A NEW JOB!!

In April, I set sail for my first four month stint as Pastry Sous Chef aboard the floating city, "The World." Now, to be perfectly honest, before Anthony Bourdain's account of the boat in his most-recent book The Nasty Bits I had no idea that this boat even existed! However, a few weeks ago (for some bizarre reason) I was suddenly hit with a bolt of inspiration to read up on it, and inquire about any available positions. As luck would have it, they happen to be looking for someone and after a few interviews, I found an offer in my inbox. =)

Ok, so what exactly is this "The World" ?? Essentially, it's a monster floating city complete with around 200 condos, 4 restaurants, a casino, a theater, a full-sized tennis court, a pool, a work-out facility, a library, a spa, and a helipad (for easy "just jet on by" access). Residences range in price from $2 - 7.5 million, and (for a ship that's big enough to fit around 1500 people) there's only around 300 guests on board at a time.

Not gunna lie, this is definitely an unusual experience, and for a ton of reasons, something I'm REALLY excited about. When I got home from Italy, I wasn't sure exactly what would become of this blog, but with this experience on the horizon I'd be stupid to let it go. Another expat job means being miles and miles from the comforts of New York, the family in Baltimore, and friends spread all over the world. With the blog, I'll be able to stay connected and keep you all updated with pics & stories from all over.

OH, and with that in mind, my first stint starts in Chile and should drop me off somewhere in Alaska in August.

Should be fun!!!!

Ciao!

Shiny & New

...thought the blog could use a fresh coat of paint, a new logo, and a new layout. Perhaps that's because it's being resurrected in preparation of the new job i just accepted. (!!!!)

More to follow... =)

When life gives you lemons, make Lemon Ganache...

For more than a few weeks now I've been "beatin' the pavement" as my dad would say, lookin' for a job. Unfortunately though, finding a good job is about as hard as finding an intelligent sentence in a Palin interview. That being true, I've taken this abundance of free time and put it to good use. You see, since going to culinary school, I've developed a dorky obsession with chocolates and confections. From well made, classic confections, to cutting edge (and mostly bizarre) candies, I'm totally fascinated and captivated by the methods by which they're made. That being said, this "limbo" time has afforded me the awesome opportunity to develop some candies at home. Now, much like any concept, one must first work within the "safe" realm before he/she can venture into unknown territory. So, without further adue, I've decided to "Go My Own Way" so to speak, and I give you a simple box of chocolates of my construction:

Chocolate Production - Home

Now that the preverbal band-aid has been torn off and production has begun, the more unusual ideas have started flowing. With that, I've ordered some funky ingredients and will be experimenting with them this week. I'll have to keep you in suspense as to what they are, but I will say this: They aren't flavors.

Weird huh? If I can get these ideas to work, I'll have some VERY unique candies to distribute. ;)

Guess you'll just have to stay tuned!

Ciao!

A new day...

Made it to the inauguration and it was freakin crazy!!  The sea of heads all the way to the capitol was an amazing sight, and I'm SO glad I was convinced (last-minute) to go. =)  One of my companions already posted a few pics on facebook, so check those out while I start compiling my pics of the day. =)

So, how about a little look ahead to 2012?? 

Who wouldn't vote for THAT face?? =P

Memories... (6,000 photos later)

As I skim through all 6,000 (yes, i said SIX THOUSAND) of the pictures I took while I lived in Italy I've begun to compile them into small snippets of great moments throughout my trip.  Starting backwards, here's one that I hope will forever be too hard to forget:

The fresh-pressing of the olives grown on our property:

Italia - Olive Oil Pressing

... that's some serious inspiration right there =) 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yessir, it's that time of year again.... or should i say, that time of NEW year.

Aaaaaaaanywho, just wanted to say to everyone that i'll be in NYC for the next week lookin' for jobs again. Unfortunately, this endeavor's really gotta have a foreseeable end, otherwise it's back to Baltimore for a temporary work solution.   Oh man, this week's gunna be a mad house.  Not gunna lie, I'm too damn stubborn to let this week slip between my fingers.

For those of you in the NYC area, gimme a buzz. My time's short, but it's tough to pass up on grabbin coffe between interviews.

Wish me luck!!!

p.s. check out what my sis got me for Hannukah:

AWESOME!!!