Empires Beyond – Tianjin, China – [10/25/2017]

Posted on October 25, 2017 by GypsyShaughnessy

Three steps off the gangway and I am viciously reminded of why I have a distinct distaste for modern day mainland china. As my steps echo through the vastness of the empty terminal my eyes are already starting to sting and my sinuses beginning to close up at the back of my throat is the mild uncomfortable feeling of having swallowed something akin to sandpaper. Yesterday, the air quality here in Tianjin was 86…higher (apparently) than the World Health Organization recommends for more than 24 hours of safe exposure. You cannot see the skyline across the harbor for the smog. Welcome to China, the only country in the world that I am apparently allergic to.

That said, there are a few things that I know are absolutely worth getting out into that somehow yellow-feeling air. The Great Wall is and always will be one of them.

It’s very early, and the only vehicles in the parking lot are the three long red tour buses that are taking the crew out to walk those historical stones. The bus is, as I sit scribbling in my notebook, empty but will soon be full of voices in at least five different languages. It’s been several seasons since I was on a long crew tour, so I find I have almost forgotten what it’s like in these early morning hours.

Amras is relegated to the ship today due to visa restrictions (China is very strict, some would almost say unreasonable, about such things) so the seat next to me is empty. While I’m disappointed he isn’t here, I’m glad I’m not stuck sitting next to anyone else. It’s a long ride, and an empty seat means I can sleep more easily.

***

It was a two hour trip out to the wall. The air – sadly – didn’t clear as we got further from the city, a fact I tried very hard not to think about as it serves no purpose except to make me angry with the state of things. The tour guide tried perhaps a little too enthusiastically to get us involved in his historical lecture, which to be fair we were not the least bit interested in (at least most of us weren’t), two hour drive that started before 7? We just wanted to sleep.

When we did get there, I found myself in a very different circumstance than the last time I had been. The section of the wall we were visiting was comparatively empty. A few years ago when I walked these same stones there were hundreds more people, but today there was…almost just us! So instead of finding my own way as far as I could go I actually had people that I knew to walk with. Or rather…to climb with.

Yes, definitely climb is the right word, perhaps hike might be even better. I was later reminded that the steps were made for horses, not for people…which makes a lot of sense. I am most definitely not a horse!

Climbing the Great Wall is an experience like no other; and not only because it will push your physical endurance to the limit. The stairs are at times nearly vertical and each step comes up almost to your knee. It’s a tough go even for those who are in the best shape. But that’s not what makes it so unique. When you climb those towering steps you are physically climbing history. People fought here, bled here, died here. Not only warriors, but the workers who poured every ounce of themselves into the completion of what must have seemed an endless project. It is, perhaps, the longest graveyard in the world.as one of my favourite books growing up said. And when the living are silent, you almost feel like you should be able to hear the wall itself begin to speak. All the layers of all the energy and all the history worn smooth by so many countless footsteps have tales of their own to tell, if only we could figure out exactly what language they wanted us to hear.

There were hardly any people there today, something that caught me quite by surprise. The Wall was silent, at least as far as the living are concerned. Despite the violence that is undoubtedly associated with the place, there is a growing sense of peace here, as if the Wall has born witness to so much that it can no longer be concerned with petty things like living or dying. It simply is. Is. Was. Will be. Perhaps. The wall will not last forever, not if we are not careful. In the areas where it has not been restored for tourists it is already crumbled to nothing but the core…and perhaps that will soon fall.

Through sheer determination I actually made it to the highest point of the section of the Wall we were visiting, beyond that point is deemed unsafe for tourists and even if I had decided to brave it my legs were not going to allow it. By the time I started making my way down to the bottom each step felt as though it was going to send me tumbling. Clearly I am not in as great shape as I thought! Or perhaps no one would really be able to handle climbing that many steps.

The climb down was (for obvious reasons) a lot faster than the climb up, and I actually reached the bottom before most of my colleagues, only to find I had no idea where the exit was and I don’t speak a word of Chinese so I had to wait for them to catch up with me anyway! We eventually did find our way out, through the maze of a Chinese market that smelled of incense and spices and the inevitable gift shop, or at least the equivalent of a gift shop. I picked up the carved dragon I had forgone three years ago and a trinket for Amras as a small compensation for his not being able to join me, before making my way back to the bus to devour my packed lunch on the trip to the next stop at Dule Temple.

The Temple has not changed. It remains breathtaking and awe-inspiring and contains the largest wooden and clay figure in China. You are not supposed to take pictures of the buddha, and I was so ashamed that I had done so that I deleted what may have been the best photo I’ve taken in a long time. But I try to practice what I preach, and I wasn’t supposed to have that picture so I couldn’t bring myself to keep it. But the sight of that huge figure soaring up to the rafters is not something that will leave me any time soon even without the aid of a camera.

I suppose China and I have a mixed relationship, I grieve for what the country has become but respect and honour where it came from. Chinese tradition inspired one of the best short stories I have written to date (which I still have not finished but perhaps will eventually)…it is hard not to be in awe of a culture that can create such massive monuments as this. I suppose I feel a similar way about Egypt – although Egypt doesn’t make me sneeze or give me a headache.

Those of us lucky enough to walk alongside history on a daily basis (which, depending on your point of view is actually every one of us) must be careful – history is not just a lesson ,it is a warning. Listen carefully to what it has to tell you, for one day many years in the future it may be your grandchildren walking along places like the Great Wall…and for that alone, these places are dearly worth preserving.

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Another Chapter – Beijing, China – [10/24/2017]

Posted on October 23, 2017 by GypsyShaughnessy

I came to an odd conclusion yesterday when I was sitting in my cabin with Strange slung over my shoulder, cursing my clumsy fingering as I edged my way through One Tin Solider: I am at a stage where I am stopping practicing because there are “more important things to do”. This is not something I want to get stuck in, but it’s a mindset that I recognize – you put off doing what you love doing because it feels selfish to indulge in it.

Foolishness really.

So I am doing my best to get away from that.

Yesterday, I promised I would play my single song for Amras. I was exceedingly nervous about this, because I have never played anything for anyone else before. I did manage it, though with a great deal more fumbling that usual. But once I relaxed a bit and stopped worrying about the fact that someone was watching me, the chords started coming easier.

See, you’re doing great! Definite improvement! I’m proud of you!

Thanks…

From there, I sat and played while he called out different chord combinations, without telling me at first what those chords were for once they were all put together. As a result of this really fun little exercise (and no that isn’t sarcasm, it was really fun, there were lightbulbs going off in my head as I started to hear things properly), I can now start to fumble my way through the beginnings of a series of 50s/60s songs, and even the beginning of Pachelbel’s Cannon (okay, that one was kind of a cheat as One Tin Solider’s opening is the first three chords of said classical piece).

Moreover, my fingers don’t hurt anymore, and they are starting to do what I tell them to do without my constantly having to think about it, at least on some chord changes. F-Chord to C is still a problem, and D still hates me, but others are coming much more easily.

I was, I’ll admit, a little leery about bring Strange with me, it’s an extra bag after all and extra hassle with airline restrictions and luggage check (she’s going to have to go in an overhead bin when the time comes, which means upgrade fees etc etc) but now? I don’t think I’ll ever consider leaving her behind. Having something to work on, something that’s just mine, that I can have palpable progress on, that makes me laugh and gives me an outlet I honestly haven’t had in a very long time (I can’t exactly sing on the ship, and while I am a dancer, there’s seldom anyone on board for me to dance with casually), is worth any amount of extra problems…

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Farewell Japan – At Sea – [10/21/2017]

Posted on October 23, 2017 by GypsyShaughnessy

And so we bid farewell to the Land Of the Rising Sun and make our way instead to the Land of the Middle Kingdom. Goodbye Japan, hello China.

I find myself hoping it’s not an omen that we are blowing into China on the heels of a super-typhoon by the name of Lars. We were only on the fringes of it, but it was enough to knock everyone awake at 5am, and enough to cause me to worry deeply about my guitar which has been safely tucked in a closet since last night when we got the rough weather warning. Everything else that is loose or valuable has been tucked safely into drawers (which have a tendency to open and close on their own in rough weather, I swear when the sea is rough we get ghosts on board! Moving everything!)

It will be two days until we get to China, hopefully not with weather like this. But it seems at least that the seas are calming down some.

Sea days mean more classes, but also later mornings and earlier evenings. More time to practice my guitar and try (unsuccessfully) to win more than one hand in a row of poker.

I’ll miss Japan dearly, I have rarely felt as at peace in a foreign country as I did there. I don’t speak the language, but there is something about the culture that speaks clearly for itself. Perhaps it’s the apparently willingness to accept people as they are, or perhaps it’s the sense of honor that has held with that culture for generations. Who knows, perhaps it’s just the bright colours that seem to blend up against the breathtaking history. Either way, I feel like I’m leaving a little bit of myself in the land of the rising sun…

And maybe, just maybe, that really is what travelling is supposed to be about.

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Moments with Dragons – Hososhima, Japan – [10/20/2017]

Posted on October 20, 2017 by GypsyShaughnessy

Days are made of moments all are worth exploring Many kinds of moments None is worth ignoring All we have are moments Memories for storing ~ Into the Woods

Sometimes the most magical days are the ones that are not planned at all. Sometimes you stumble on the most amazing things when you have no idea your path is leading you there.

Sometimes there are these…moments.

Hososhima is a port we do not normally call at, we only called here because we cancelled our calls in South Korea (perhaps understandably), and so we had no real idea what to do here. This isn’t like Tokyo, where Amras and I had had plans for months in advance. This…was definitely spur of the moment. So much so that we were still looking up options only a few minutes before we left the ship. With a general idea in our heads of finding the best-known shrine in the area, but no real idea of how to get there…we boarded the shuttle bus to the local mall and then started to walk. Relying for the first time on the built-in GPS system in my phone which showed us that – far from being a long walk – the journey to our destination was a flat level 20-minute amble from the mall. We ran into not a single other soul, it was as if everyone else had decided that “it’s too far away” without actually bothering to check proper distance.

There were two entrances to the shrine when we arrived there, one that looked…shrine-like, and one that looked…forest-like. We took the forest path, which if I am honest with myself, I was very hesitant about because it felt like distinctly the wrong way. Never have I been so glad to be wrong. Yes, it was the back way, but it was beautiful, winding its way along the coastline past crashing surf and vast horizons such as I had never seen before even though I spend my childhood within a stone’s throw of the ocean. Standing there, you feel so small. Even the little tiny red crabs that skitter all over the edges of the paths seem to have more significance than you. Of course it wasn’t just crabs that were scattered all about…there were also spiders…we won’t go into how I felt about the spiders. Let’s just say I let Amras’ take point as we made our way up the steep and slippery stairs leading through and around the dripping woods.

At this point I was utterly convinced that we were lost. Not that that was really a bad thing, but I was thinking that would have been nice to see what we set out to see. Then we went down one more (very slippery) set of stairs and found ourselves on a main path with shrine arches at either end.

Pretty sure we just found it

Passing under the arch we found ourselves at the mouth of a cave unlike any I’ve encountered. Obviously a tidal cave, the water frothed at the edges of the rocks as though it were held back by an invisible hand, waiting only for the right moment to rush forward and kiss the edges of the red shrine that stood in the depths of the cavern.

It was unbelievably beautiful, and peaceful.

Japanese legend says that a dragon once lived here, and there is a formation inside the cave that is still known as the Dragon’s Egg. Standing there, on the salt-soaked rocks, with my fingertips reaching out to touch the water’s edge, if you close your eyes and still your breath I swear you could still hear that dragon roar. The air here feels still, as though if you listen closely enough you could hear wisdom on the salt winds.

Magical.

We have a history, Dragons and I, it is a term I have long used to describe fears so insurmountable that they seem to have great gnashing teeth and seductively glimmering scales. But there’s something that I often forget, for all that dragons are sometimes vicious, in most cultures – Asian cultures most especially – they are some of the wisest beasts on earth. They exist to protect and defend, and to teach lessons. Perhaps I needed an actual dragon cave to remind me of that…

Sadly, you can’t stay at a dragon cave forever if you aren’t a dragon, so we climbed back up the steep steps to the main path and ultimately made our way back out the way I had originally thought we were going to be coming in. Finding ourselves in a vast gravel-paved courtyard edged by the sea on one side and the forest on the other, where we ritually washed our hands in honor of the temple and felt the muscles in our shoulders relax. We left that shrine feeling much lighter than when we came in.

Are you happy?

Amras asked me as we made our way through the twisting forest path. Only one answer came to mind, and the words aren’t mine, they belong to Peter. S. Beagle, and Smendrick the Magician, and the Last Unicorn, but they remain very very true none the less

Well, people do not always know when they are happy but…I think so.

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Living Grace – Osaka, Japan – [10/18/2017]

Posted on October 18, 2017 by GypsyShaughnessy

I never truly had an interest in Japan, in University Japanese are was the one class I decidedly turned down enrolling in – nothing about it grabbed me, and moreover I didn’t even come close to understanding it.

Then I came here; and got a chance to actually look at what this incredible culture is like in person…and while I still don’t understand it, I am entranced by the beauty of it.

One thing travelling has made me realize is that North America as whole truly lacks roots. We are, in that little corner of the world, young countries, and in some ways we still have the attitudes of children It’s hard to see until you step away from it, but it’s true none the less. Places like Japan? They have roots that run deeper than many could hope to comprehend, and with the power of those roots, are respectful, strong, and quietly proud instead of viciously prideful (oh there is such a difference).

And while the image of “universally hello kitty cute” does have some grounding in reality (Seriously, even their safety caution signs are adorable), Japan holds a respect for its history that I have seldom seen elsewhere. Respect without adoration or worship, but respect none the less.

Having lost most of our second day in Tokyo to a rather miserable rainstorm (it is hard to enjoy anything when one is doing an excellent imitation of a drowned rodent) this time we were decided to take advantage of a break in the unfortunate weather. Osaka is the gateway to Koyto, but unfortunately that was just a bit too far out for us, but the city itself has a lot of beautiful history in it. A short train ride (thank you day pass!) took us to Osaka Castle park.

We don’t get a lot of greenery onboard, so there is definitely something to be said for walking through a vast forested park on a sunny day. Moments like this, are the ones we treasure. Eventually the castle itself reared out of the treeline an eight-story high royal pagoda, all that is left of what used to be a sprawling complex from the 1800s. It makes your breath catch in your throat. We climbed all the way up to the top, where the view of the city spread out like a giant tapestry in front of us. Words can’t do a view like that, or a place like that justice. I found myself wondering, as I often do, what on earth the stones that make up such a place would say if they could speak, what have they seen? What do they know? What could they teach us?

We made our way down from the museum through the floors of exhibits, and out into the watery Japanese sunlight. A pocketful of change bought us soft serve icecream in black sesame and green tea (oh Japan, I love you), and a small amount more finally got me my own kimono doll, before we wandered our way back to the train to head to our floating home.

There are good days, and then there are days when the sense of contentment that comes over you is indiscernible. It is true that life is what absolutely happens when you’re busy making other plans, life doesn’t always do what you want it to do, but the interval? The time in between the inevitable bumps and bruises along the road? Those moments are worth every single thing in the world.

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The Disneyland Club – Yokohama, Japan – [10/15/2017]

Posted on October 16, 2017 by GypsyShaughnessy

“Follow Me To…Hong Kong Disneyland” by Murad Osmann

He made the Disneyland club? No one makes the Disneyland club! Even *I* am not in the Disneyland Club!

That’s what Silv said, years ago when I informed her that I was inviting Amras to accompany to Cali the next time I went (We don’t know when that will be of course, but the invitation was extended, and accepted with grace).

Cali or not, the fact remains that I do not ask just anyone to come with me to a Disney park. There’s reasons for this, mostly to do with the fact that I can’t bear the idea of bringing someone who doesn’t “get” me, who doesn’t respect why these places are so very dear to my heart, doesn’t get why being part of my personal “Disneyland club” is…important to me.

It’s been five years since I was last in Tokyo (I know, how strange it is to actually measure something like that by “the last time I was here” whoever thought I would ever get to Tokyo more than once?). As was the case then, our call here is just close enough to my birthday that it never occurred to me to go anywhere else. I told Amras this months ago, and then I took a breath, and I asked him if he’d like to come with me…

I’ve never shared “my” Disney parks with anyone, not anyone important. Once I went to Hong Kong with a teammate, but other than that, season after season, I have always gone alone. Fear of letting people in runs high with me. But this time, I took someone else by the hand, and I pulled…

Welcome to my world…come on, let me show you around.

It was a long trip out there. Longer than I remembered from 5 years ago. But I was also ridiculously bouncy, which I’m sure was at least mildly amusing to the others who happened to be travelling with us.

It was also raining, I knew from past experience that this time of year that’s pretty much to be expected in Tokyo, so the good thing is that it wasn’t the kind of monsoon weather I braved last time I was here. The nice thing about the rain? The line to get in was nearly non-existent, although the park was crowded it was not nearly as much so as I had feared. Especially since it has been known to close it’s gates at noon during high season!

I had forgotten one thing about attending this particular park this time of year: it’s Halloween, and Halloween is BIG at Tokyo Disney, it’s the only time of year that guests are allowed to wear costumes to the park , and unlike the American parks, it’s not only restricted to guests under the age of 10. There were costumes everywhere, and these weren’t just slapped together drug store costumes, these were fully built cosplay affairs. Absolutely beautiful.

Amras had asked me before we left which ride I wanted to go on first. For me, there is only one answer to that. I pulled out the park map and scanned Fantasy Land

Which way?

Hang on, realigning myself with the layout, it’s been a while. Let’s see we’re at 83…it’s at…92…should be right around the corner.

And I grabbed his hand and walked him to Peter Pan’s Flight.

It’s an A-level ride in length, and it always has E-ticket lines. But this is something I absolutely have to do first.

What’s an E-ticket?

Oooh! I get to be a nerd! So, when the original Disneyland opened in California the admission didn’t include the rides…

And so it was that I stood in line and explained exactly what the terminology “E-ticket” and “A-ticket” stood for. I am, as many know, rather full of such things with regards to Disneyland trivia, and Mum & Dad actually have an original ticket book that still has its E-tickets in it! Which remains one of my very favourite collectables.

Peter Pan – which this time I did not try to film – was once again as it always has been. Now and for always that will remain my “I did it, I’m really here, I am not dreaming” ride. I still have no idea where the family tradition of going on that ride first came from, but I have no intention of breaking it. Perhaps part of me just belongs in Neverland. As Mum said when I made my now traditional call home from the castle “well there is ONLY one ride to go on first!”

From Fantasyland we started trying to figure out where to go next, I have never approached the parks with any kind of timetable (and I still don’t) but it had also been a long time since I walked those paths with anyone other than my family. And as my Mum likes to say “spontaneity takes a lot of planning!”. We sat down to pizza and poured over the park map.

So, we’re here…

I pointed to Captain Hook’s restaurant in Fantasyland

Peter Pan’s here

Another point

Let’s see now…I think Tomorrowland. Yup, definitely Tomorrowland…if we go …here…we can pick up the fastpass for Space Mountain. And we can check Star Tours at the same time…and then from there….

My eyes dart across the map to Critter Country

From there we can check the line for Splash Mountain…that one’s always long, might be best to leave that one till later…oh…and while we’re there…Pirates, we absolutely have to do Pirates.

I realize then that I can somewhat feel Amras looking at me, and I’m not sure if he’s puzzled or amused or perhaps just a tiny bit fascinated. It was then that I realized I really have inherited my father’s tendency to theme park plan. Like I said…spontaneity takes a lot of work. So we finished lunch and ambled over to Tomorrowland, only to discover that the next fastpass slot for Space Mountain was…8pm. Five hours away.

Not that five hours is hard to fill in Disneyland. We pocketed the fastpasses, and headed towards Westernland for Big Thunder Mountain. Well, correction, that’s where I wanted to go. But…I got lost. I know, me, me I got lost in Disneyland. I may never live this down. I got lost and we ended up in Adventureland instead…directly outside the entrance to the Jungle Cruise.

It was a sign I tell you! Obviously that’s what was supposed to happen!

Jungle Cruise is one of those rides that will always remain in my memory, perhaps it’s because it’s on my much viewed home video of that last trip as a kid to California. Perhaps the comedy script just embedded itself on my brain so that I would always have something to make me laugh no matter how dark the weather. But whatever the reason, I know it. I know it well enough that even though the version in Tokyo is – obviously – in Japanese, I was able to sit there, and recite the whole thing in English.

And over there we have the second most feared animal in the jungle, the African bull elephant. And over there on the other side is the most feared animal in the jungle, his mother-in-law.

And let’s see here we got some lions we got some giraffes we got some zebras and those brown ones with the horns? I have no idea what they are…they must be…gnu.

That one makes even me groan.

We slide gracefully down the river, with the engine revving and the guide chattering happily away. And as we went I found myself leaning over and repeating the English script in Amras’ ear, and yes, we did end up laughing at basically the same time as everyone else.

And those lions chowin’ down on that zebra there? That brings us to the basic law of the jungle…don’t be a zebra

Bottoms up fellas I’m sure you’ll get the point…in the end

Every version of the Jungle Cruise is a little different, and the version in Toyko features a beautiful temple section that isn’t in – as far as I know – any of the others. There’s little you can do in there except just stare in startlement at the exceptional detail on the walls. It is absolutely beautiful. Of course it’s also lulling you into a sense of security so when you emerge into the steam and the hippos start trying to jump out at you you are caught totally by surprise.

Yup, I will always love that ride.

Safely returned to land we hunted out Pirates. Much to my dismay the cast members strictly enforce a no photography rule on the most well known ride in New Orlean’s square. Which is sad, because Toyko still features the auction scene, which is being redone in California very shortly; I am 100% in support of it being redone, but I would have loved to have been able to get one last photograph of the original before it changes. Pirates will always be pirates though, no matter how many changes they may make to it. And even though I know exactly where the drops are and when to hang on and when to look in which direction, I will still always be entertained and enthralled by the self defense of a small coastal town….and I will still wonder if that dog is ever going to move!

When we emerged from Pirates, blinking into the growing twilight, we realized we had best get food or we might fall over. The lines for all the sit down restaurants were exceptionally long (dashing my tentative thoughts of treating us to Blue Bayou), so hot dogs it was, which we sat at nibbled on while I adjusted my newly purchased mouse ears and snapped pictures of Applejack with her new trick-or-treat container (yup, found one), while dusk started to fall over Cinderella’s castle. There is something about the castle at night, it looks…peaceful, peaceful and magical and…perfect.

See, now it feels like we’re in Disney

I looked at Amras and quirked an eyebrow

Hmmm?

Now it feels like we’re in Disney, looking at the castle, and you’re wearing the ears. Now it feels real.

Every so often in life there are moments where everything seems to go “click”…that was one of them. We sat in silence for a bit, finishing our hot dogs, until the park announcement rang out

Ladies and Gentleman boys and girls, in just 15 minutes we will light Cinderella’s castle with this evenings performance of Once Upon A Time

This was new. The last time I was here I don’t recall them having a castle show; if they did, I definitely somehow managed to not see it.

Shall we?

Japan is possibly the most beautifully considerate and polite country in the world, here you will find no screaming children, no shoving crowds, no people babbling too loudly on their phones. As such, it was wonderfully easy for us to find a spot at the edge of the viewing area that had a clear view of the castle. And then my jaw dropped as the castle became the screen.

There is no other way to describe it, and I have never seen anything like it. Fireworks and animations and lightening painted its way across the canvas of the castle, with a soundtrack such as only Disney can provide. I stood there, with Amras’ hands resting warmly on the tops of my shoulders, and for the first time that day, I felt my heart start to spill out of my eyes. There is a reason I never wear any make-up that isn’t waterproof to any Disney park. Especially when it comes to night-time shows, even if I’ve managed to make it through the entire day without shedding a tear, when I sit down to watching a parade of any kind of performance…something releases. The tears may come late, but they always come. They came in truth when – after Alice had been chased about by the Queen’s Guards and the castle had seemingly collapsed in a flurry of giant playing cards – a paint brush swept it’s way across the turrets, and lanterns began to rise into the painted sky.

All those years, staring out a window All those years, outside looking in All that time, truly seeing, just how blind I’d been Now I’m here, blinking in the starlight Now I’m here, suddenly I know… standing here, it’s crystal clear, I’m where I’m meant to go And at last I see the light…

Tangled. It had to be Tangled. Perhaps there was never any question. The story that is – at it’s heart – about a girl running off to find herself, and figuring out that world outside her tower is ever so much bigger than she ever could have believed. When I first saw the lantern scene in Tangled, I was in my 20s, I was in love, or I thought I was, it’s hard to know looking back; and I remember – after that love changed back to friendship – I remember watching that scene again and thinking “One day, one day I will have that, one day I will have something, someone, that makes me feel like that. That makes me see the world by latern light.” And there I was, in the middle of somewhere so important to me, somewhere I have more often than I wanted too stood alone, with someone standing behind me, hands resting on my shoulders, finally not watching a Disneyland nighttime show alone. Finally not hearing that song alone. Finally being there with the right person.

Are you okay?

Yes…yes I am absolutely okay.

There are some moments…that you can’t even describe just how okay you are. And can only be grateful that the person (or people) that you are standing with, knows the difference between your tears of sorrow and your tears of joy.

When the light show finished we found ourselves swirled back to Adventureland, where I actually did manage to find my way back to Big  Thunder Mountain. Only to discover that it was closed for refurbishment (I later found out that it won’t be open again until November. Boo!), so we wandered about taking pictures until we found ourselves back in Fantasyland just in time to hear the announcement I had secretly been dreading hearing

Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls, a Tokyo Disneyland announcement: we regret to inform you that due to inclement weather Disneyland’s Electrical Parade Dreamlights has been cancelled.

My heart sank. The announcement went on to state that there was a shorter alternate parade being run along a slightly different route as a replacement. But – much as I felt guilty – I somehow couldn’t bear to see a nighttime parade that wasn’t the one I had so set my heart on (although we did catch it from a distance and I will admit it looked lovely, small by lovely). I would normally never miss a parade…but there is only one electrical parade…and to be honest, I felt oddly as if I would be betraying it somehow. Silly I know…sometimes even I’m not sure how my mind works.

So instead we employed another one of the crowd-managing tactics that I have learned from my parents. If the parade is running and you aren’t going: the lines are going to be a lot shorter. Case in point: the Haunted Mansion had earlier had a full hour’s wait time, we turned around and walked onto it in fifteen minutes! Closed doors, opened windows and all that.

It being October, the Haunted Mansion has been decked out in Nightmare Before Christmas (something Applejack was none to thrilled about). I have only been through it with this set up once before, and I recalled not being very fond of it – but either they changed something about it, or my – dare I say it – traditionalist senses have mellowed, because I actually found it quite brilliant. I’d never really paid a lot of attention to the amount of detail that gets put into the overhaul, even Madame Leota’s speech changes, all for just a few months each year. It was also a blast watching Amras go through it for the first time, somewhat like watching a kid at a candy store.

Isn’t this a walk through?

Nope. Just the first part.

Don’t tell me anything!

I didn’t! By the way, the cars are called Doom Buggies.

I love it!

Overlay or not, the Haunted Manor is still a brilliant ride. Creepy, but brilliant. That said, with the Halloween overlay in place, I found myself having great fun going through and reminding myself which bits were in the original and which had been added.

What? I have never claimed ot be anything other than a nerd!

Once we survived the 999 ghostly residents of the manor, I looked around for something with a short enough line that we could enjoy it before heading to Space Mountain. I felt my eyes light up as I saw the exact perfect thing.

*I* see something we can ride

What?

Feel like spinning?

The line for Alice’s Tea Party (aka the spinning teacups) was blessedly short. Amras and I eyed each other up as we stood in the brief queue. You see, working the tea cups is a skill, one I only mildly possess, one that my father is an absolute master at, and one that I know Amras also has under his belt (I vividly remember how good he was at the Tilt-o-Whirl at the fair when he was visiting a few seasons ago)…I suspected I was about to become a toddler again. And, I was right. I have not laughed that hard in a very long time, nor have I spun that fast since I was little girl who was half-afraid she was going to fly right out of the tea-cup! Bloody brilliant.

When I stumbled off of the tea-cups (really, I needed to hang onto a railing for a moment), I took my traditional ride on the brightly-lit carousal, quietly thrilled that this time there was someone with me to occupy the horse next to me. It’s the little things, and perhaps I’ll never be able to explain it, but it remains important none the less. Very important.

And then it was finally time for our fast pass slot at Space Mountain.

I’ve said it before, and I still hold true to it – I have thoroughly adopted my Mum’s reason for loving Space Mountain: the requirement of total faith in the machinery. You can’t see it, so you really have no choice but to enjoy it.

As we started ratcheting up the ramp to launch, I remembered one thing.

Oh! Don’t put your hands up!

How come?

At that point the rocket launched and I had to raise my voice ot be heard above the rattle of the tracks

Dark coaster! Cant’ see the tracks! You might hit something!

And then it was moving way too fast to try to speak.

Freya but I love that ride.

Before leaving Tomorrowland we took our turn blasting Aliens through the Toy Story ride, an adventure that was delayed for a few moments while we ran out of the queue to watch the fireworks – having been caught by surprise because we thought they started later. Only to be surprised again to find that the fireworks show was only five minutes? That…was unanticipated. And then dash back into the queue to take up our lasers to battle the “evil emperor zurg” (the forces of good triumphed! Though the battle was strenuous!)

With twilight falling, there was only one E-ticket ride left to get to. After lengthy debate as to whether or not it was worth getting wet, we finally boarded Splash Mountain (spending more time walking through the near-empty queue than actually waiting), and joined Br’ar Rabbit in the briar patch; winding our way up and up and up, until eventually of course, what goes up? Has  to come down! Rather a long way down…and for the first time ever, I was able to film the drop…which trust me, is an accomplishment. Yes, I also may or may not have screamed on said drop, even though I was prepared for it. What? It always catches me by surprise!

Feet aching but hearts light, we joined the last of the crowds making their way towards the entrance, where When You Wish Upon A Star finally reached my ears, and caught my breath once more, before we boarded the train and made our slow way back  to Yokohama and our floating home (which we reached…at midnight).

Goodnight Neverland…I don’t think I ever really leave you.

Posted in Grand Asia/Australia 2017, Theme Parks, Travel | Leave a comment

Listen Children to a Story…. – At Sea – [10/06/2017]

Posted on October 9, 2017 by GypsyShaughnessy

There are moments in life when you feel absolutely triumphant with the smallest things.

It has been days since I picked up Strange. Unless you count the few minutes I picked her up on my birthday, during with Amras was able to teach me a C chord (which would prove to be extremely necessary). I haven’t dedicated any real practice time. Somehow, work kept getting in the way…

So today I finally ended up picking Strange up, tuning her properly, and sitting down with the guitar tab that I have been staring at and afraid of for about three weeks.

I was going to do this dammit…somehow I was going to do this.

And low and behold…an hour later? I could play and sing One Tin Solider. I could play it very very slowly, and rather carefully, but faster than I ever thought possible considering that I couldn’t even manage the first chord a few days ago. My fingers hurt, but my heart felt lighter…that I could actually do this. Could do it to the point where my fingers weren’t always thinking about the changes, where I can slip from a C to a G without looking at the fretboard…

I can play a song…

An actual proper song, not half of one, a whole one…

I actually set my mind to something and did it, just because I could..

And that? That is pretty amazing…

Posted in Guitar | Leave a comment

Green-Gilled – At Sea –[10/05/2017]

Posted on October 9, 2017 by GypsyShaughnessy

And then there are the days when Mamma Ocean, just does not like us at all.

For the most part, my birthday has been thoroughly enjoyable. I keep myself to myself, I make a point of not telling many people that it is my birthday, so the wishes I get are heartfelt and from actual friends rather than from random crewmates that I’m not even lucky enough to know (as happens when your name is on the inter-department birthday list, almost every year I have HR remove me from said). I got lovely cards from my parents and from Amras, opened a long awaited gift from home that contained a beautiful set of gold and silver earrings, and another from Amras that presented me with an equally long awaited electronic guitar tuner (finally! I can properly tune Strange all by myself!). I had my coffees paid for, and had most excellent chocolate fudge cake with dinner…

I didn’t start work till 10 but was up at 8:30 so I actually had time for a nice relaxed breakfast (mmm waffles!).

That was all very lovely, one of the nicer birthdays I’ve had at sea for a long long while.

But see that’s the thing. We are at sea. We are, in fact, in the midst of a crossing to Japan. And…mother nature is not currently very happy.

Those of you who have known me for more than a few seasons know I have a very strong constitution, I don’t get sick. I’m one of those crew member who silently rolls her eyes when the passengers complain that it’s rough when I can hardly feel the ship moving. Many of us are like that. Tonight, even the most veteran of us are eating our words and turning green around the gills. It is bad. Picture a speed boat zipping back and forth over a ferry wake, the lift of the bow and the crash down back into the water. Picture that on a much much bigger scale, and that is what we are going through right now. The pitch of the ship is so extreme that they cancelled the dance performance that was scheduled for tonight because it was deemed too unsafe for the cast to set foot on stage. They scheduled a musical performance instead, but the truth is it’s not even safe for the musos. At this point, I’m honestly wondering if it’s just a matter of time before someone takes a header.

As for me, I’ve laid all my computers in the workshop flat down on the carpet, for fear that one good crash would cause the industrial strength velcro holding them in place to give way and that’s something that I can’t just can’t afford. Once that was done, I battened down for the night, chugging back gingerale, and trying hard to convince my stomach that turning itself inside out would really really not be a good idea.

This can stop any time now

Please…?

Posted in Below the waterline, Fall Contracts, Fire & Ice 2017, Grand Asia/Australia 2017 | Leave a comment

Growing into 35 – At Sea – [10/05/2017]

Posted on October 4, 2017 by GypsyShaughnessy

When I grow up….
I will be strong enough to carry all the heavy things you have to haul around with you when you’re a grown up
And when I grow up, I will be brave enough to fight the creatures
That you have to fight beneath the bed each night
To be a grown up
When I grow up…

When I grow up…
When I grow up…

Goddess when did I become a grown up? When did “adult” get added to my resume? When did it all start moving so goddess blessed fast?

This one’s harder. I didn’t expect it to be, but it is. I breezed through thirty, and now all the things I expected to feel at thirty are hitting me hard as I turn the corner into 35. But hey, it beats the alternative.

I find myself having to face the reality that my life has not gone as planned. Of course, I don’t think anyone’s does. But the white picket fence version of my life that I somehow always assumed would be my reality by the time I reached this point….that path hasn’t opened up for me. Yet. It will. One day. If it’s meant to. But it hasn’t yet.

And that’s not really the easiest thing for me to face. That’s…hitting me more than a bit sideways at random moments.

But despite the speed, and despite the hardship, 34 has taught me a lot. Those lessons were not easy. They were often not kind. The tracks were rocky, they were hot to the touch, they often brought tears. There were many monsters around many corners and the dragons often roared extremely loud. But with the sours, there also came the sweets. I would be lying if I didn’t say that 34 gave me a lot, I fought for some of it tooth and claw, but I was rewarded none the less. I beat those dragons, I won those battles, and I came out of them a stronger, more confident version of myself that even my own family recognizes as an improvement. 34 taught me that no matter how much you love someone, you can’t save someone who isn’t ready to save themselves. At the same time, it taught me how to reach out a hand to try and help someone, and how to grasp hard in support if that hand is accepted, and how to gracefully retreat if it is not.

My relationship steadied and solidified and returned to me built on a foundation stronger than it was before, and that relationship steadied me to deal with the others. I realised just how much my choices really are mine. Those that I love can guide me, can advise me, but they cannot walk through the doors for me, and much as I may love them, their choices are not mine to make, just as mine are not theirs.

I shed a few more traces of the scared young girl I have always carried with me, and started at long last to step into the woman who’s skirts that child can hide behind. She will always be a part of me that little girl, it would be betraying myself to disown her, and I will look after her, but that doesn’t mean she has to be who I am.

I shed my airline stewardess librarian greys for bouncy nerdy pinstripes and crazy accessories and hello kitty doc martin’s and I embraced the side of me that I’ve always been kind of embarrassed by because who ‘really wants to be bothered with the enthusiasm of a nerd?’. It turns out that I like my crazy colours and bright lights. This is who I am, and this is who I will be for a long time, and if people aren’t okay with that, then I am coming to realize that that really isn’t my problem.

I found new hobbies (and therefore developed new callouses), I got answers to questions that have sat heavily with me for years, and those answers are doubtlessly going to affect the rest of my life.

I fought the monsters under the bed, and bloody hell I won.

Am I a grown up? Perhaps in the eyes of some people, perhaps in the eyes of the law, and yes in some areas I will accept that title: I have a steady job, I have plans for the future, I have a relationship, hell, I pay taxes, I have a visa bill.

But does that make me grown up? No, I don’t really think so. Because I wear pig-tails to work, and I watch animation and I play video games and I get paid to teach people how to do fun things with photography and I turn into a little kid when I’m watching shadow puppets…I travel for a living and I take pictures of a pocket sized my little pony all over the world.

Growing older is required. Growing up? That’s optional.

And after all…

When I grow up, I will eat sweets every day on the way to work
And I will go to bed late every night

Posted in Below the waterline, Fall Contracts, Fire & Ice 2017, Grand Asia/Australia 2017, Grand Cruises, Reflections, Transitions | 1 Comment

Early Days – At Sea – [10/04/2017]

Posted on October 4, 2017 by GypsyShaughnessy

Working a Grand Voyage as a workshop teacher is very different from working one as a librarian. My days are considerably shorter, and the stress level? Definitely lower.

While the guest expectations remain high, this is by far the most relaxed long voyage I’ve ever worked; at least so far, it is early days yet.

My fear for this cruise was that I couldn’t handle the passengers, but as it turns out, I needn’t have feared, because the guests that I was concerned about do not seem to have returned. Or if they have, they have chosen not to attend my classes (come to think of it I seem to remember most of those guests being …users of a different computer system, I wonder if there’s a connection there). The guests that have remembered me have been glad to see me and enthusiastic about the new path my life has taken, and it’s always nice to have that kind of support.

It’s not only me that has lighter hours, Amras is head of what is now the show band, meaning they play only the mainstage shows; as such they actually have time off. For the first time in ages, he and I actually have nights off together, we can go to shows, we can sit and watch movies and not have us be up until 2am. Yesterday we actually sat and watched a magician show and didn’t have to worry about running off anywhere. Hey look at us, acting like normal 9-5 type people, who’d have thought right?

I still have my crazy earrings, fun socks and entertaining hairbows…and I carry my office keys and schedule in a Disney villains purse…now, if only I could work up the nerve to wear my hello kitty Doc Martin’s to class…

hmmm

 

 

Posted in Below the waterline, Fire & Ice 2017, Grand Asia/Australia 2017 | Leave a comment