Another lovely sea day – but at least we have activities!!  Yay.  There are 2 lectures on this leg. 2!  And no Tara with incorrect port information!  Then again there is no port information lectures, so go figure. Anyhow, we oversleep because we forgot to set the alarm and by the time we hit the gym at 7 – well, yep, it is jam packed.  Ed finds a treadmill, I end up on the outside track, where it is sort of sprinkling, but not badly enough to deter me. 

Exercise complete, we head to breakfast where the buffet is empty. Seriously empty.  While the gym was the same (if not worse than last cruise) the buffet is totally different.  Maybe it’s the jetlag?  We’ll have to see how it goes as we get further along.  We know already there are more British on this sailing, oh, and more kids (kids?  What the heck? Why aren’t they in school?) including a little 1 ½ or 2 year old.  Yikes. Final determination awaits.

Our first lecture is Bruce Petty, a historian and writer originally from California, now living in New Zealand for the last 20 years (man after our own hearts!).  We are in the theater really early, as is our wont, and we chat with him for a bit before he goes to set up his presentation.  Very interesting guy – and his presentation is fascinating as well.  All about the Pacific War and WWII.  He has a very engaging style and totally interesting information, all about Japan of course, their history and how they entered the war, in juxtaposition to the US stance at the time. We all know I am not a history buff, but his explanation of how the US got into the war – obviously Pearl Harbor – and how the country was positioned previous to the war was something I was absolutely unaware. Even Ed was surprised.  Essentially, the US was an isolationist nation – eschewing international politics and looking inward to bolster up the economy and industry.  The powers that be strenuously agued against getting involved in any foreign conflict and only grudgingly helped Britain when the war began.  But once Pearl Harbor was bombed, the US changed and began war production.  At the time of the bombing though?  We only had about 500,000 enlisted servicemen.  About .5% of the population.  And in 1940, it took an average of 355 days to deliver a navy ship; by 1941, we had cut it down to 194 days and the next year, 1942, it only took 60 days!  Fascinating, huh?

Anyhow, we found Bruce thoroughly engaging and interesting, and are very glad we will have 3 more lectures to fill our time on sea days.

The next lecture was Wats, Temples and Stupas by Sharon Lancaster, who does a more mindfulness type presentation. She was equally good, thoroughly explaining what a Wat entails, what the Buddha stands for, different positions of the Buddha, Mudras (the hand gestures) and Stupas.  Captivating 45 minutes.  Again, she will be back with 3 more lectures – the next one including meditation – which we are excited to try again, because we can never really make it work….. 

Lunchtime comes and the buffet is strange – empty when we arrive, packed by the time we leave.  Maybe because it isn’t that sunny out and they can’t be on the sunbeds?  Just different!  Its an American buffet today with turkey, meatloaf, burgers and Philly cheesesteaks as well as their version of spicy buffalo wings.  Neither spicy nor buffalo, but still decent.  We skedaddle as the hoards descend, spending the rest of the afternoon in the cabin, on the balcony blogging, reading and shoring up reservations for upcoming trips.  A monster thunderstorm occurs around 3:30, but our fab balcony is protected allowing us to remain sitting out there in the driving rain. 

The late afternoon proceeds as norm – gym, balcony drinks, dinner and 6 Feet Under!  Boogie Wonderland on the stage tonight.  Been there, done that, far too many times!  TV and balcony drinks in the nighttime it is.

Penang and – shiver – a ship’s tour tomorrow!