I started December as a volunteer at the boat show for mega yachts. The boat show was pretty hectic, but included fun events such as a yacht hop. The boats where all decked out on a theme and it was a festive occasion hopping from one to the other. And of course, I got the opportunity to dress up in black with splash of pink for the gala event. The only thing missing was a handsome gent by my side . . .
On the last morning of the boat show I got a phone call out of the blue. That Christmas charter I had been hoping for suddenly came through, and of course they needed me asap. Very unceremoniously a new era was heralded in my life. Quick goodbye to all and off I went.
Pretty short notice! With a huff and a puff I reached the airport. They where boarding early so I did not even have time to grab the nice lunch I was looking forward to. Once through customs had to proceed to the gate immediately so I grabbed a cinnamon pretzel as that was the stand closest to the gate. Food did not get better over the next few days.
Juliana is obviously a beautiful airport - but the same cannot be said for the smaller Caribbean airports. Off to Antigua for a long wait for the next connection - Grenada. Arrived at around 11pm, found a taxi to take me to a a la cheapy hotel. They did have internet though, and just as well. For in my inbox was an email telling me the boat owner had changed his mind - he wanted to stay in St Lucia a little longer, could I fly there. After a brief rest on a hard and uncomfortable mattress off to the airport again. Managed to get a ticket for the ten thirty flight to St Lucia.
The friendly young South African captain met me at the airport and filled me in on details of the boat and owner during the taxi ride home. At least I got a good look at the beautiful countryside before falling straight into a pretty hectic schedule. I got to bed between midnight and 1 am most nights - someone had to be up to pour the owner his J&B's on ice and empty his ashtray (chain smoker that does not like a dirty ashtray). And of course hollering occasionally: "Can you switch on the TV", or some similar menial task.
A week ago the owner left for ten days - and we have had a breather. We sailed down to Grenada, so am getting another chance at seeing more than just Grenada's airport. We are still busy on the boat, but with a more relaxed atmosphere and more reasonable hours.
A few days ago I was surrounded by a mountain of laundry that needed ironing. Not my favorite task I confess. However our Turkish deck hand put some haunting Turkish music on. Thus my mind could happily travel to distant places while my hands ironed. I remembered crossing the border into Jordan on a cool desert evening - with the haunting prayer calls echoing through the night air. I walked down narrow cobblestone streets in Istanbul, or visited a busy market in Egypt with all its smells and sounds and sights. And in between I looked up and saw the reflections of the sun playing on the water and remembered the beauty of the here and now - despite the pile of laundry. At the end of my workday I sat at the sky bridge writing e-mails and watched a stunning sunset. Several crew members have picked this spot to sit with their laptops, so we have jokingly dubbed the sky bridge the "Internet Cafe".
I actually had a day off the explore the island with some of my crew mates. We where quite a multicultural expedition. An Israeli, a Turk, and naturally myself. Unfortunately the day was rainy and foggy, meaning we missed out on some of the more exotic hikes to waterfalls and rain forests. But for a day, I was a tourist. Just the driving around the island and seeing the lush green hills was a great break from the boat.
In a few hours the owner will be here. I have been preparing their rooms, shining up the brass and all such last minute touches. Naturally the Internet cafe is being dismantled as we all prepare for "owner mode". So - I will continue my tales when he leaves again and the Internet cafe re-opens.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The silence before the storm . . .
For a long time nothing happened . . .September I went back to my St Maarten life. Life rolled on in its normal tracks. No noteworthy events. October however heralded more unpleasant events. First a nasty sinus infection then hurricane Omar came to disturb our lives.
As I was house sitting for my neighbor I tucked in with her kitties after a hectic day of hurricane preparation. I did not need to do much more than close her and my shutters, collect spare w
ater in containers and do some emergency provisioning. So I spent most of the day helping friends. But by the evening, all hatches battened down, the kitties where huddled as close as possible to me. Lulu decided to curl up on my chest. The rest where in close proximity. I am not sure who got more comfort from whom as the rain lashed against the windows and ominous howling winds relentlessly blew. Darkness naturally added to the sense of doom and gloom. I was very aware of being alone - and thankful for the warm bodies curled up against me. Hurricanes I thought, was no fun to go through alone.
By the early morning hours the sounds became less threatening. At 7 am I peeked outside hesitantly. It seemed much calmer and the rain had stopped so I ventured to the beach. All around me people looked equally dazed. Thundering waves crashed over where the beach used to be. Within hours the sea receded and calmed down - and someone who did not see it earlier would have thought a description of the waves where tall tales. Except for the evidence left. Later, I saw to shipping containers washed straight across the road. And heard the harrowing tale of the mini tornado that passed over the lagoon. A catamaran overturned with a couple in it.
They managed to open a sliding door and swim out. A nearby sailor saw them clinging to the boat and went to rescue them by dinghy. Another catamaran described how a heavy table, chairs, and toolboxes where sucked right out of the cockpit without leaving a scratch on the boat.
However, as we all counted our toes and fingers as an island, we realized that God certainly protected us and spared us. There where no deaths or serious injury. And while there was damage, there was not devastation. We breathed a communal sigh of relief and everybody started cleaning up around them. A few days later it was not even obvious there had been a hurricane.
My life started getting back into its normal rhythms. But a week later I had the tel tale rash and high fever. After the hurricane we had hordes of mosquitoes. I had Dengue fever. Through a night of high fever I truly felt the power of prayers for me from near and far. I recovered remarkably quickly but was left feeling week.
By November my energy returned, and slowly slowly work was picking up again. Once again I was comfortably in my predictable routine. However throughout these months I had the knowledge that major change lay ahead. I had been offered a position on the mega yacht I helped out on, and said yes. My new job was due to start in the New Year, as soon as the boat returned to St Maarten after a major shipyard period. This meant I would be giving up my apartment, moving into a tiny cabin, and a few months later leave St Maarten. So while on the surface it was just mundane life as always, I was slowly preparing for this drastic change. These months where the silence before a new storm of change. Gypsy girl is about to get on the move again . . .
As I was house sitting for my neighbor I tucked in with her kitties after a hectic day of hurricane preparation. I did not need to do much more than close her and my shutters, collect spare w
ater in containers and do some emergency provisioning. So I spent most of the day helping friends. But by the evening, all hatches battened down, the kitties where huddled as close as possible to me. Lulu decided to curl up on my chest. The rest where in close proximity. I am not sure who got more comfort from whom as the rain lashed against the windows and ominous howling winds relentlessly blew. Darkness naturally added to the sense of doom and gloom. I was very aware of being alone - and thankful for the warm bodies curled up against me. Hurricanes I thought, was no fun to go through alone.By the early morning hours the sounds became less threatening. At 7 am I peeked outside hesitantly. It seemed much calmer and the rain had stopped so I ventured to the beach. All around me people looked equally dazed. Thundering waves crashed over where the beach used to be. Within hours the sea receded and calmed down - and someone who did not see it earlier would have thought a description of the waves where tall tales. Except for the evidence left. Later, I saw to shipping containers washed straight across the road. And heard the harrowing tale of the mini tornado that passed over the lagoon. A catamaran overturned with a couple in it.
They managed to open a sliding door and swim out. A nearby sailor saw them clinging to the boat and went to rescue them by dinghy. Another catamaran described how a heavy table, chairs, and toolboxes where sucked right out of the cockpit without leaving a scratch on the boat.
However, as we all counted our toes and fingers as an island, we realized that God certainly protected us and spared us. There where no deaths or serious injury. And while there was damage, there was not devastation. We breathed a communal sigh of relief and everybody started cleaning up around them. A few days later it was not even obvious there had been a hurricane.
My life started getting back into its normal rhythms. But a week later I had the tel tale rash and high fever. After the hurricane we had hordes of mosquitoes. I had Dengue fever. Through a night of high fever I truly felt the power of prayers for me from near and far. I recovered remarkably quickly but was left feeling week.
By November my energy returned, and slowly slowly work was picking up again. Once again I was comfortably in my predictable routine. However throughout these months I had the knowledge that major change lay ahead. I had been offered a position on the mega yacht I helped out on, and said yes. My new job was due to start in the New Year, as soon as the boat returned to St Maarten after a major shipyard period. This meant I would be giving up my apartment, moving into a tiny cabin, and a few months later leave St Maarten. So while on the surface it was just mundane life as always, I was slowly preparing for this drastic change. These months where the silence before a new storm of change. Gypsy girl is about to get on the move again . . .
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Life in elf land
For the first time since May last year I was leaving St Maarten behind. This time joining the boat was different. I knew the boat, several of the crew members, and even knew most likely which cabin would be mine. But there was still a lot of unknowns as I saw the lights of St Maarten disappear behind me.
I arrived in Caracas, Venezuela around ten o'clock in the evening. I produced my ships letter and seaman's book along with my passport to customs. They politely took me to a little office obviously for marine affairs and pretty much left me there. Nobody spoke English. I was reasonably certain that the problem was that my letter was in English. As they often passed me as I was sitting at the desk - I mimed if I could make a phone call to the boats Venezuelan agent that was supposed to meet me at the airport. I was certain he could clear up the issue. I was however told to wait for an superior. And I did wait - for hours. Finally after midnight, a gentleman escorted me out through customs and immigration. He spoke English quite well, so they obviously could have communicated with me if they really wanted to. I was very grateful to find the waiting agent - he had pulled some strings to get me out of there. He whisked me off through the quiet night streets to a lovely hotel. By this time it was around one am. He the informed me that he had arranged breakfast for me at 4:45 am, and that would be there at 5 am to pick me up for my flight to Los Roques. So I had about three hours of sleep in the beautiful and comfy bed .....
View from the window of the plane. Some of the many islands of Los Roques
The flight to the islands was probably in the smallest commercial aircraft I had ever been in. I feel as excited as a little kid with the sensation of flying in small planes. As we skimmed through the clouds an amazing visa was revealed. Little atolls and coral reefs dotted the ocean with varying shades of blue in swirls around them. This string of islets just kept on going until we finally descended on the only mountainous island. I unfolded myself out of the tiny plane to find the captain and first mate waiting to meet me. After a few brief minutes ashore I was in the tender and on my way to the yacht. The chief stewardess put me to work straight away, giving me a little nap time later in the afternoon as I had very little sleep that night. Seems like I always start out on this boat with a little jet lag!
I soon became part of the routines on board. We are so isolated here and we seldom get the chance to get off the boat much, it feels like I am on another planet. We are like little elves quietly bustling about to make life easier for the guests. seldom seen or heard, but leaving
evidence behind like made beds, fresh towels and so forth.
Here would be a typical day for this little elf. (OK, OK, I am not really a little elf, but you get the point)
07:45 am Vacuum the sky bar. (other elf preparing breakfast setup on the deck outside of the
sky bar) Vacuum and tidy saloon. Fluff pillows just so, place nice and square.
08:15 am Start cleaning guest cabins, starting with the master cabin. Open the curtains.
Make sure those pleats are neat . . .
Make beds, clean bathrooms . . .
09:00 am Laundry, including ironing. With seven crew members there are many uniforms to wash and iron, then add sheets, table
linen, towels ...... Some days I feel surrounded by a mountain of laundry.
10:30 am Guests usually on the beach this time, vacuum their cabins
11:00 am Back to the ironing . . .
12:00 to 12:30 Lunch break. Crew off course eats separately in the crew mess, but the chef
prepares our meals too. Naturally not what
the guests are eating.
12:30 pm Assist chief stewardess with setting up the table for guest lunch, and help with
serving lunch at 1 pm.
01:30 pm Clean and store lunch wear.
02:15 pm - 4 :00 pm Guest service. In other words, between ironing and other miscellaneous
tasks check on the guests every 20 minutes or so to see if they need any thing. The rest of the day the chief stewardess kept and eye
on them.
04:00 pm Break till 5:45 pm Some days I would be too tired to do much more with my break than have a nap in my cabin. A few times though I would take a swim off the aft platform or get a lift in the dingy to go to the beach. Despite the fact that we are anchored off beautiful little islands or atolls and surrounded by amazing light aqua blue seas we seldom get out of the hermetically sealed air conditioned interior. The sun shines almost all the time, yet I feel like I am having vitamin D shortage since I get outside so seldom. O, I long for my chair facing an open door and coconut palms and blue sky ..... fresh air ......
06: 00 - 06:30 pm Dinner break
06:30 pm Evening turn down of guest cabins.
07:15 pm to 8:30 pm Set guest dinner table, assist with dinner service, clean up after.
Done for the day! Make a cup of tea, hang out in crew mess or cabin, take out that book and start reading. Or, grab your laptop and write about life in elf land . . . .
I arrived in Caracas, Venezuela around ten o'clock in the evening. I produced my ships letter and seaman's book along with my passport to customs. They politely took me to a little office obviously for marine affairs and pretty much left me there. Nobody spoke English. I was reasonably certain that the problem was that my letter was in English. As they often passed me as I was sitting at the desk - I mimed if I could make a phone call to the boats Venezuelan agent that was supposed to meet me at the airport. I was certain he could clear up the issue. I was however told to wait for an superior. And I did wait - for hours. Finally after midnight, a gentleman escorted me out through customs and immigration. He spoke English quite well, so they obviously could have communicated with me if they really wanted to. I was very grateful to find the waiting agent - he had pulled some strings to get me out of there. He whisked me off through the quiet night streets to a lovely hotel. By this time it was around one am. He the informed me that he had arranged breakfast for me at 4:45 am, and that would be there at 5 am to pick me up for my flight to Los Roques. So I had about three hours of sleep in the beautiful and comfy bed .....
View from the window of the plane. Some of the many islands of Los Roques
The flight to the islands was probably in the smallest commercial aircraft I had ever been in. I feel as excited as a little kid with the sensation of flying in small planes. As we skimmed through the clouds an amazing visa was revealed. Little atolls and coral reefs dotted the ocean with varying shades of blue in swirls around them. This string of islets just kept on going until we finally descended on the only mountainous island. I unfolded myself out of the tiny plane to find the captain and first mate waiting to meet me. After a few brief minutes ashore I was in the tender and on my way to the yacht. The chief stewardess put me to work straight away, giving me a little nap time later in the afternoon as I had very little sleep that night. Seems like I always start out on this boat with a little jet lag!
I soon became part of the routines on board. We are so isolated here and we seldom get the chance to get off the boat much, it feels like I am on another planet. We are like little elves quietly bustling about to make life easier for the guests. seldom seen or heard, but leaving
evidence behind like made beds, fresh towels and so forth.
Here would be a typical day for this little elf. (OK, OK, I am not really a little elf, but you get the point)
07:45 am Vacuum the sky bar. (other elf preparing breakfast setup on the deck outside of the
sky bar) Vacuum and tidy saloon. Fluff pillows just so, place nice and square.
08:15 am Start cleaning guest cabins, starting with the master cabin. Open the curtains.
Make sure those pleats are neat . . .
Make beds, clean bathrooms . . .
09:00 am Laundry, including ironing. With seven crew members there are many uniforms to wash and iron, then add sheets, table
linen, towels ...... Some days I feel surrounded by a mountain of laundry.
10:30 am Guests usually on the beach this time, vacuum their cabins
11:00 am Back to the ironing . . .
12:00 to 12:30 Lunch break. Crew off course eats separately in the crew mess, but the chef
prepares our meals too. Naturally not what
the guests are eating.
12:30 pm Assist chief stewardess with setting up the table for guest lunch, and help with
serving lunch at 1 pm.
01:30 pm Clean and store lunch wear.
02:15 pm - 4 :00 pm Guest service. In other words, between ironing and other miscellaneous
tasks check on the guests every 20 minutes or so to see if they need any thing. The rest of the day the chief stewardess kept and eye
on them.
04:00 pm Break till 5:45 pm Some days I would be too tired to do much more with my break than have a nap in my cabin. A few times though I would take a swim off the aft platform or get a lift in the dingy to go to the beach. Despite the fact that we are anchored off beautiful little islands or atolls and surrounded by amazing light aqua blue seas we seldom get out of the hermetically sealed air conditioned interior. The sun shines almost all the time, yet I feel like I am having vitamin D shortage since I get outside so seldom. O, I long for my chair facing an open door and coconut palms and blue sky ..... fresh air ......
06: 00 - 06:30 pm Dinner break
06:30 pm Evening turn down of guest cabins.
07:15 pm to 8:30 pm Set guest dinner table, assist with dinner service, clean up after.
Done for the day! Make a cup of tea, hang out in crew mess or cabin, take out that book and start reading. Or, grab your laptop and write about life in elf land . . . .
Musings from my chair
As I am sitting in my chair facing Coconut palms and blue sky I have plenty to contemplate about.
I have a pretty laid back island lifestyle here in St Maarten. The charter catamaran I work on does a variety of charters. Three times a week we do a pub crawl around the lagoon taking our guests to different restaurants for drinks and appetizers. We also do sunset cruises and day charters. The atmosphere is totally different to that on board the mega-yacht I worked on before. I meet happy and fun people with whom I sit and chat and tell gypsy girl stories. By the end of the day as they get off the boat we exchange hugs and warm greetings, many have become fast friends. The contrast could not have been greater. On the mega yacht you only spoke when spoken to, and never actually held a conversation with the guests. I will never forget, after the two and a half week charter in the British Virgin Islands 'Madame' finally showed emotion. After beautiful weather, beautiful anchorages with hardly another boat around, she was jumping up and down and saying "Paris, Paris ....". She could not wait to get home after two weeks being coddled in Paradise. I often repeat this story to remind my guests on the charter catamaran that money does not buy you happiness .
Since it is not a full time job I fill the rest of the time with my sewing projects. I could have made a lot more money if I spent the last year working on mega yachts, but could never have had the quality of life. I needed having my own physical and emotional space. I needed to learn gypsy girl can do just a fine job looking after herself. It has been a year of emotional and spiritual rebirth.
Even my neighbor's kitty thinks
I have a pretty comfy space.
In this time I went to a lot of trouble and expense to officially start my canvas and upholstery business and to go through a mile of red tape to establish myself here for residency. After I started the process, the rules suddenly changed. The Lord opened so many doors for me here, that I did not believe this was an oversight on His side. Everything happens with a reason. I have been praying for God's guidance in my future. Is St Maarten merely a stepping stone in my life? A place where I learned to change the focus of my life to a God centered one. A place where I have learned to love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul and all my strength. I joined a little Baptist church, where I soon felt like a family member. I developed a hunger for God's Word. Because of my flexible work schedule I could spend a lot of time doing Bible study. I became involved in the youth leadership, and later the planning of the Vacation Bible School (VBS).
In the last year I have investigated immigration to Australia. After all my gypsy years I am ready to settle down long term, even if it means giving up my easy island life, and everything I have built up here. For it seems unfortunately St Maarten holds no long term future for me. I have prayed earnestly about this matter in the last year. One of the verses that came to me was Jeremiah 6 : 16
'Thus says the Lord:
"Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it:
Then you will find rest for your souls."
In the last few months I started having more certainty about heading to Australia. I suddenly look at my apartment that has been such a cozy nest with different eyes. I look at an object and think - should I leave that behind? I will need to reduce my life back to bare essentials. It is always best to travel light. I have started developing a plan of action to depart early next year. Most importantly i need to save money. I was not sure how I was going to make it work, yet I felt in my heart of hearts if I am on the right road all will fall into place. Logically, with my current earnings there was just now way the numbers would tally.
In between all this my church had taken on the mammoth task of organizing a Vacation Bible School for the neighborhood kids. I took a week off all my jobs for the actual event. Giving up my income made the numbers tally even less, but I simply placed my faith in the Lord and gave my time and energy wholeheartedly. The event was an important milestone for me. I am beginning to feel more and more that God has something in mind for my future that involves youth ministry.
After VBS I was just starting to get back into my normal rhythms. I was back on my day charter job, a girlfriend covered for me while I was doing VBS. Sitting in my favorite chair the phone suddenly rang. A year later, the mega yacht captain suddenly called me out of the blue. Could I possibly fly to Venezuela to join the boat for a few weeks - they where having a crew crisis. He would pay me 50% more than last year. I just so happened that my girlfriend that did my job during VBS was still available to cover that. And the sewing project I was getting ready to start was not urgent. My faith was rewarded. God was giving me the chance to make my lost income back five fold. The pieces of the puzzle is slowly falling in place.
Within a few days my life that had become fairly ordinary and predictable was suddenly upside down again. I was boarding a plane headed for Venezuela. But this is a whole other story ............
I have a pretty laid back island lifestyle here in St Maarten. The charter catamaran I work on does a variety of charters. Three times a week we do a pub crawl around the lagoon taking our guests to different restaurants for drinks and appetizers. We also do sunset cruises and day charters. The atmosphere is totally different to that on board the mega-yacht I worked on before. I meet happy and fun people with whom I sit and chat and tell gypsy girl stories. By the end of the day as they get off the boat we exchange hugs and warm greetings, many have become fast friends. The contrast could not have been greater. On the mega yacht you only spoke when spoken to, and never actually held a conversation with the guests. I will never forget, after the two and a half week charter in the British Virgin Islands 'Madame' finally showed emotion. After beautiful weather, beautiful anchorages with hardly another boat around, she was jumping up and down and saying "Paris, Paris ....". She could not wait to get home after two weeks being coddled in Paradise. I often repeat this story to remind my guests on the charter catamaran that money does not buy you happiness .
Since it is not a full time job I fill the rest of the time with my sewing projects. I could have made a lot more money if I spent the last year working on mega yachts, but could never have had the quality of life. I needed having my own physical and emotional space. I needed to learn gypsy girl can do just a fine job looking after herself. It has been a year of emotional and spiritual rebirth.
Even my neighbor's kitty thinks
I have a pretty comfy space.
In this time I went to a lot of trouble and expense to officially start my canvas and upholstery business and to go through a mile of red tape to establish myself here for residency. After I started the process, the rules suddenly changed. The Lord opened so many doors for me here, that I did not believe this was an oversight on His side. Everything happens with a reason. I have been praying for God's guidance in my future. Is St Maarten merely a stepping stone in my life? A place where I learned to change the focus of my life to a God centered one. A place where I have learned to love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul and all my strength. I joined a little Baptist church, where I soon felt like a family member. I developed a hunger for God's Word. Because of my flexible work schedule I could spend a lot of time doing Bible study. I became involved in the youth leadership, and later the planning of the Vacation Bible School (VBS).
In the last year I have investigated immigration to Australia. After all my gypsy years I am ready to settle down long term, even if it means giving up my easy island life, and everything I have built up here. For it seems unfortunately St Maarten holds no long term future for me. I have prayed earnestly about this matter in the last year. One of the verses that came to me was Jeremiah 6 : 16
'Thus says the Lord:
"Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it:
Then you will find rest for your souls."
In the last few months I started having more certainty about heading to Australia. I suddenly look at my apartment that has been such a cozy nest with different eyes. I look at an object and think - should I leave that behind? I will need to reduce my life back to bare essentials. It is always best to travel light. I have started developing a plan of action to depart early next year. Most importantly i need to save money. I was not sure how I was going to make it work, yet I felt in my heart of hearts if I am on the right road all will fall into place. Logically, with my current earnings there was just now way the numbers would tally.
In between all this my church had taken on the mammoth task of organizing a Vacation Bible School for the neighborhood kids. I took a week off all my jobs for the actual event. Giving up my income made the numbers tally even less, but I simply placed my faith in the Lord and gave my time and energy wholeheartedly. The event was an important milestone for me. I am beginning to feel more and more that God has something in mind for my future that involves youth ministry.
After VBS I was just starting to get back into my normal rhythms. I was back on my day charter job, a girlfriend covered for me while I was doing VBS. Sitting in my favorite chair the phone suddenly rang. A year later, the mega yacht captain suddenly called me out of the blue. Could I possibly fly to Venezuela to join the boat for a few weeks - they where having a crew crisis. He would pay me 50% more than last year. I just so happened that my girlfriend that did my job during VBS was still available to cover that. And the sewing project I was getting ready to start was not urgent. My faith was rewarded. God was giving me the chance to make my lost income back five fold. The pieces of the puzzle is slowly falling in place.
Within a few days my life that had become fairly ordinary and predictable was suddenly upside down again. I was boarding a plane headed for Venezuela. But this is a whole other story ............
Monday, August 18, 2008
A new beginning, St Maarten
With a combination of trepidation and excitement I stepped off the plane and into the great unknown of my new start in life.
As I walked out into the arrival hall in St Maarten a friend was waiting for me. He whisked me off to a nearby restaurant where his wife and a whole group of people welcomed me with hugs and smiles. Many I had never met - all are now fast friends. My friend passed his mobile phone to me and said: "Here, speak to this guy and arrange your interview for 8 am tomorrow morning. As I flew via London it took two days of travel to arrive in St Maarten. Add a six hour time
difference and you had a rather jet lagged gypsy girl. But 8 o' clock sharp I was there for my interview and by 2 o' clock I started working on board a mega yacht. A 120 foot luxury powerboat with seven crew members. I was only appointed for one two week charter, but that was enough to get me on my feet.
Mega yachts in season lined up like
sardines
I was suddenly immersed in a totally different world. It does not matter if you are the captain, deckhand or a stewardess - you are nothing but a servant. Now when I mentioned luxury yacht, it is only that for the guests. The crew live under very different circumstance. O, and there were three guests for that charter, so we outnumbered them twice and some .......
Low tourist season was there and I was too late to get on one of the boats heading to the Mediterranean, so what would I do once the charter was over? Well it just so happened that the engineer on the mega yacht was another South African. And it just so happened
that he had a friend in St Maarten with a day charter business that needed a new hostess.
Once we returned from the British Virgin Islands with the mega yacht, the engineer introduced me to his friend. I started working on his day charter catamaran three days later, and moonlighted in between as a day laborer on the mega yacht. In the meantime my
friend found a little 24 foot boat I could stay on while I was finding my feet, appropriately named 'Sunset Strip'.
Everything just fell in place in St Maarten. My Maker provided for me in every way. I had other plans before heading to St Maarten and I prayed earnestly about it - and the answer was an emphatic no. But the moment I changed direction to St Maarten everything
just fell in place. I feel so blessed every time I read Psalm 121.
Psalm 121
"I will lift up my eyes to the hills-
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved,
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore."
A month or two later I found a nice little apartment in the Simpson Bay beach area. Four houses from the beach, so I don't see the ocean, but I look at Coconut palms and blue sky. Quite good enough for me. Seen as though I arrived in St Maarten with only a backpack, I suddenly needed a lot of things. A friend gave me a bed and a couch, a neighbor two chairs, and someone else a fridge on loan. I went on a fun expedition around the island shopping for household things from cutlery to linen and bathroom accessories to a dining room table. That extra money I earned on the mega yacht sure came in handy. By the end of the day I had a furnished apartment.
It has been a year since I arrived in St Maarten. My apartment has been a comfortable nest. I enjoy things others take for granted. In contrast to living on a 28 foot boat, I now had a bookshelf, and I could put as many books on as I want without worrying about the weight. Ahhh, and nice hot showers. Room for my watercolor painting projects. I faced my favorite chair to look at the view I love. I have imported an industrial sewing machine and created a workshop in my apartment to do upholstery and canvas work on the side since the day charter boat is not a full time job. It has probably been the best year in my life. I truly feel that I was meant to be
in St Maarten. But is it home or merely a stepping stone in my future?
As I walked out into the arrival hall in St Maarten a friend was waiting for me. He whisked me off to a nearby restaurant where his wife and a whole group of people welcomed me with hugs and smiles. Many I had never met - all are now fast friends. My friend passed his mobile phone to me and said: "Here, speak to this guy and arrange your interview for 8 am tomorrow morning. As I flew via London it took two days of travel to arrive in St Maarten. Add a six hour time
difference and you had a rather jet lagged gypsy girl. But 8 o' clock sharp I was there for my interview and by 2 o' clock I started working on board a mega yacht. A 120 foot luxury powerboat with seven crew members. I was only appointed for one two week charter, but that was enough to get me on my feet.
Mega yachts in season lined up like
sardines
I was suddenly immersed in a totally different world. It does not matter if you are the captain, deckhand or a stewardess - you are nothing but a servant. Now when I mentioned luxury yacht, it is only that for the guests. The crew live under very different circumstance. O, and there were three guests for that charter, so we outnumbered them twice and some .......
Low tourist season was there and I was too late to get on one of the boats heading to the Mediterranean, so what would I do once the charter was over? Well it just so happened that the engineer on the mega yacht was another South African. And it just so happened
that he had a friend in St Maarten with a day charter business that needed a new hostess.
Once we returned from the British Virgin Islands with the mega yacht, the engineer introduced me to his friend. I started working on his day charter catamaran three days later, and moonlighted in between as a day laborer on the mega yacht. In the meantime my
friend found a little 24 foot boat I could stay on while I was finding my feet, appropriately named 'Sunset Strip'.
Everything just fell in place in St Maarten. My Maker provided for me in every way. I had other plans before heading to St Maarten and I prayed earnestly about it - and the answer was an emphatic no. But the moment I changed direction to St Maarten everything
just fell in place. I feel so blessed every time I read Psalm 121.
Psalm 121
"I will lift up my eyes to the hills-
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved,
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore."
A month or two later I found a nice little apartment in the Simpson Bay beach area. Four houses from the beach, so I don't see the ocean, but I look at Coconut palms and blue sky. Quite good enough for me. Seen as though I arrived in St Maarten with only a backpack, I suddenly needed a lot of things. A friend gave me a bed and a couch, a neighbor two chairs, and someone else a fridge on loan. I went on a fun expedition around the island shopping for household things from cutlery to linen and bathroom accessories to a dining room table. That extra money I earned on the mega yacht sure came in handy. By the end of the day I had a furnished apartment.
It has been a year since I arrived in St Maarten. My apartment has been a comfortable nest. I enjoy things others take for granted. In contrast to living on a 28 foot boat, I now had a bookshelf, and I could put as many books on as I want without worrying about the weight. Ahhh, and nice hot showers. Room for my watercolor painting projects. I faced my favorite chair to look at the view I love. I have imported an industrial sewing machine and created a workshop in my apartment to do upholstery and canvas work on the side since the day charter boat is not a full time job. It has probably been the best year in my life. I truly feel that I was meant to be
in St Maarten. But is it home or merely a stepping stone in my future?
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Heading home
Sailing in 'Vamouse' was a great experience. After years on a 28 foot sailboat, this was my first passage on a 45 foot boat. Captain David even allowed a fresh water shower after our mid ocean swim as we were already near Antigua. Any small boat owner will understand what a great luxury that is! Antigua proved to be a lovely island. David's wife Nancy was there waiting for our arrival. Together we explored the island ad tried out many a restaurant. David and Nancy are dear people.
Before heading back to South Africa I did get the opportunity to do a little more sailing with friends. Even though I had been on a boat for years did many ocean crossings, our time in port was usually spent earning income or maintaining our boat. So for a few months I had the pure luxury of just cruising. I spent time in the Virgin Islands, and sailed down island as far as Dominica, stopping in many ports en route.
In January however it was time to head back home. Mom had flown to visit me in the States once, but this would be my first time back in South Africa after nine years. Leaving the islands I looked down on the emerald sea dotted with islands. As we ascended I could even make out the wake of a boat. While I have flown to many places over the years, this was the start of my solo travels. I have to admit, it was actually exciting.
After two days of travel I finally set foot on African soil again. Mom was there waiting with open arms. In the months that followed we spent many a morning having tea in her bird friendly garden, surrounded by my step dad's extended canine family. We took a girly vacation with my mom's friend.
The three of us went to two nature reserves in the northern parts of South Africa. So much had changed in South Africa, but nature did not. Mom and I went for on a bush walk with a park ranger. I marveled at recognizing little flowers and trees and felt a sense of connection with my surrounding. I shared little stories with our fellow hikers on the plants and animals and past memories. Those memories of a childhood often spent close to nature.
The three of us went to two nature reserves in the northern parts of South Africa. So much had changed in South Africa, but nature did not. Mom and I went for on a bush walk with a park ranger. I marveled at recognizing little flowers and trees and felt a sense of connection with my surrounding. I shared little stories with our fellow hikers on the plants and animals and past memories. Those memories of a childhood often spent close to nature.
But alas it was time to think of my future. The crime and violence that made us sail away nearly a decade earlier, had only become worse. While it was lovely visiting mom South Africa was not the place for my new beginning. After three months at home my divorce was through and it was time for Gypsy girl to put those walking shoes on again ......
In all those travel years I have had many careers. I have been a nanny, housekeeper, receptionist in a youth hostell, boat repairer and painter, canvas goods maker, commercial construction worker including carpentry, demolition and painting. Coffee shop manager, wine bar and fine dining waitress. I loved the sailing but no longer wanted to work with the nasty chemicals involved in the cosmetics and repairs of boats. I was still in touch with sailing friends that settled in the Caribbean. I decided to give the mega yacht industry a try. This is the large luxury yachts that often spend their winters in the Caribbean and their summers in the Mediterranean. I felt my sailing and hospitality industry experience would provide a good back ground for working as a stewardess on a mega yacht.
But there was a catch. With waiting for my court date it was now near the end of the season for the yachts in the Caribbean. I nervously kept calling my friend in the islands. "Am I too late for the season? Should I wait out this season in South Africa? Will I be in time to catch a yacht heading to the Med? I don't want to be stuck cleaning boat bottoms in the low season ....."
My friend just laughed at my trepidation and told me to stop worrying, get on a plane and get to the islands.
So with a mixture of excitement and fear I said farewell to mom and South Africa and boarded the plane to new beginnings .........
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Gypsy Girl abandoned ship
They say all good things must come to and end. But then, an end can also be a new beginning. The time came for me to accept that the charming Gypsy boy that I fell in love with so many moons ago was now just a memory. Occasionally, I would see glimpses of him in an impish smile. But mostly I lived with someone surrounded by a dark cloud of anger an unhappiness. Alcohol drew him deeper into that negative circle.
The last few years were emotionally abusive, and the day he threatened to physically harm me I walked out of the door with my important documents, one thousand dollars and the clothes I had on. In a rage Gypsy boy destroyed all my possessions by taking them to a dumpster that crushes everything. With that he crushed the last of what was left of our relationship.
That night my flip flops broke, so I started my new life without even a pair of shoes! What saddened me most that after 16 years of marriage and 18 years as a couple, he did not know that I have never been about material things. My greatest sadness was for what he did to himself. When the rage calmed down he would have to live with what he did, and he probably hurt himself more than me.
In the morning I went with a loaned pair of shoes (one size to small) to good old Walmart and bought myself clothes and shoes. In truth Gypsy boy took a great weight off my shoulders. I no longer felt wrapped up in guilt about being the one to leave, but looked ahead at a new beginning. I was surrounded by a wonderful support network, and spent the next few months on girlfriends couches wile saving a little money for my new start. Within a week so many girlfriends had given me clothes that I had nearly as much as before. Happiness and smiles became part of my life again.
After clothes my next purchase was paints. My original art was saved as I had left it at my job. I started painting again after having neglected that for so many years.
The season for boats heading south drew near. It was time for Gypsy girl to move on. Very poetically I found a boat called "Vamouse". I did not want to leave the town and people I had come to love with fan fare, so I just quietly disappeared. Everybody there will however remain close to my heart.
The passage south was tremendous fun. Captain David and I would sit in the cockpit on starry nights talking away - much to our other crew member's distress as we woke him up! David would share stories of his youth and his grandchildren, and I told my gypsy tales. Just before Antigua we decided to switch the engines off a while to check their oil levels. Like many other days on the passage it was a wind still day with glassy flat seas. Wile waiting for the engines to cool down we threw a line with boys over the stern at took turns taking a mid-atlantic swim. How liberating to swim in water so deep you cannot begin to imagine the depth.
My nights however will still filled with anguished dreams of the sad man I left behind. I still pray for him. Only God could heal his disturbed soul and his bitter unhappiness with himself and the world around him.
As a teenager I was on fire for the Lord. Only well into my marriage did I realize Gypsy boy was not a Christian, despite the occasional church attendance. Our gypsy lifestyle became an excuse for me not to attend church. Where ever we traveled my Bible always accompanied me, but sadly was mostly unread. I slowly slowly drifted away. I never stopped believing and over he years prayed for gypsy boy. But I was guilty of not placing God in the center of my life. Perhaps that is why my prayers where not answered.
But thankfully God is a God of grace and mercy. He does not leave unfinished business. Because I was saved as a teenager God came looking for His lost sheep. I left my sins and inequities at the foot of the cross. I did not make my new beginning alone. I have God within me to strengthen me, above me to shelter me, beneath me to support me, behind me to sustain me, and before me to shield me.
Read in the next blog about my further gypsy travels after the passage on "Vamouse"
Monday, May 26, 2008
Where it all started
Unlike Oliver Twist I wont start on the day that I was born. I will just give you a brief history of my journey until now. (OK I hear some saying "Gypsy Girl being brief???" - I will do my best) In future blogs I will travel back in time to specific journeys, places and events
In '89 fresh faced out of high school I met Gypsy Boy - in an elevator, going up. He swept me off my feet and two years later we married.
African Sunset
Even though on the poor side we dreamt dreams of far away travels. We started nearby with travels in Sub Sahara Africa. After diligent saving we finally had our tickets for our first major back packing trip. A one year open ticket to Amsterdam. I will never forget gazing for the first time up at buildings older than my country. Looking at the green pastures mid winter with cows as fat as ticks - such a contrast to the yellow Savannah of Africa. We meandered through Europe and over a glass of inexpensive Swiss wine in a youth hostel in the Alps we decided to go where is was warmer and we could find work.
Jerusalem
The back packers grapevine assured us Israel would fit the bill. Getting there involved an amazing journey through East Block countries shortly after the fall of communism. From Greece we got on a ferry to Israel. Every thing we heard about Tel Aviv was true. Your first job may be a dishwasher, but if you do not work within 24 hours it is because you do not want to work.
From there travels to Egypt, Jordan and Turkey ensued.
We came back to our home country South Africa, but often ended up leaving again on extended travels. One epic journey followed Marco Polo from Europe overland to India and Nepal.
The two Gypsies once more made a stab at normal life back in South Africa, but the escalating violence finally helped Gypsy Boy to convince me it was time to buy a boat and sail into the sunset.
In January of '98 when we took our boat for her test sail it was the first time in my life I ever set foot on a sail boat. She stole our heart and we immediately bought her. I was delighted. I had upgraded from a MSR back packers stove and billy can to a galley with a nice stove, oven, pots and pans - lockers to put stuff in. Plenty more storage than a backpack!
Feathered friend joining us
By April we set off on our first ocean passage. Cape Town, St Helena Island, Ascension Island, Brazil, and into the Caribbean. On a whim we decided to head up to the East Coast of the United States for a season. Beaufort North Carolina seemed a good a place as any to enter below Cape Hatteras . The intent naturally being to stay only a few days and make our way up north to the Chesapeake and beyond. A few days turned into a few months, then Hurricane Dennis and Floyd caught up with us. In Floyd our boat was badly damaged. Still being shoestring travelers, we had no insurance. At the time it was a devastating blow, but in time many new adventures evolved from our misfortune.
After years of rebuilding and fussing with the boat I reminded Gypsy Boy that one more coat of varnish is not going to make her sail better. So off we set again. This time around the North Atlantic, starting in the Azores. As the mist lifted European looking green hills with purple hibiscus hedges and Friesland cows where slowly unveiled. Rich in Portuguese history and steeped in Catholic tradition the islands provided a unique experience and unsurpassed beauty. From there on to southern Spain, Gibraltar, Canaries, St Maarten and back to Beaufort.
The Gypsy Boy that swept me off my feet was a wonderful man. But sadly, slowly he became another person all together. Since I always new who he used to be, it was hard to accept that that person was gone forever. But I have talked enough for one blog. Next time I will tell you about what happened to Gypsy Girl when the time came to abandon ship with not much more than the clothes on her back. Stay tuned for further Gypsy Girl stories
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