Taking Time and Seeing the Good

Well, the time has come to set sail once again.  I am headed back to the MS Amsterdam for four months in sunny, summertime Alaska.  I am anticipating many hikes or simple journeys into nature where I can decompress and try to slow down all the frenetic thoughts that have been swirling through my mind for the last few months.  There is nothing quite as refreshing as taking the time to check in with yourself and allow your brain to recharge.  This is something I do not do as often as I should.  However, it is a new year.  Well, it was a new year not too long ago, so why not make a new start?

I look forward to providing you with updates from the heart and mind of a man traveling with little more than his hopes, dreams, fears, and ambition.  To those of you who have contributed to my journey thus far, thank you.  Your support and, in some cases, disapproving energy have been exactly what I have needed.

Until we meet in this virtual cafe again, allow me to give you a challenge; a challenge that I will also be taking on.  I urge you to find the goodness in every situation.  I do mean in EVERY situation.  Go ahead, give it a shot.  When you find yourself starting to complain about something, take two seconds to fish around in your brain and extract a ray of sunshine.  I am not saying it will be easy, or even possible in every circumstance, but what if you find that it could be?  You will never know until you take a chance to surround yourself with the good.  

I pray that you will be well and feel blessed.  

Until next time,
Joey

Back In L.A.

Well, it appears that I was horrible about keeping this here site up to date. Allow me to summarize everything that happened in the space between my last post and now with the word amazing.

I could not have asked for a better group of people to frolic in Europe and the Caribbean with. I just finished my time with them a mere ten days ago, but it feels like much longer. Upon completion of my contract on the Nieuw Amsterdam, I joined two of my cast mates for a trip to Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, FL. It was an absolute blast. After that, I traveled with one of them to NYC for six days of merriment in the greatest city in the world. I was fortunate enough to see "The Last 5 Years," "Cinderella," "Pippin," and "Fuerza Bruta." All we fantastic in their own way. However, I must rank "Pippin" in a class of its own. If there is ANY way for you to get to New York to see it, do it!

I am currently sitting at the apartment complex where I've been put up for rehearsal for another ship. This time I'll be heading back to the Amsterdam on a four month contract in Alaska. Today was the first day of rehearsal and it went pretty well. We are starting to learn our "welcome aboard" show called "Listen to the Music." I performed this show on my last ship, but there are parts that are different as cast size and makeup is different. Fingers crossed for a mostly stress-free process.

I hope that this finds you well and in good spirits. I will attempt to be better about keeping you up to date with what is going on, but...well, we saw what happened last time.

Sending love to you and yours.

Until next time,

J

Red Beaches, Turkish Lamps, and Rain. Oh My!

Hello!  How are you?  I hope that you are doing well and feeling blessed beyond belief.  I am also hoping that someone is actually reading my blog, but I digress.

Things are going well here on the Nieuw Amsterdam.  Since my last update, we have successfully put our newest cast member, Casey, into all of our shows.  This means that our near two-month onboard rehearsal period has come to an end!  The rehearsals and onstage blocking sessions all went incredibly well thanks to the leadership of our dance captain, Peter, and the overall supportive energy of the cast.  It made my job as company manager very easy as I did not have to have any "let's just focus and get the job done" talks because everyone came in with that attitude in place!  Fantastic.

Aside from rehearsing, I was able to get off in some interesting and beautiful ports of call.  We were scheduled to anchor just outside of Mykonos, Greece and use tender boats to go ashore.  However, the wind that day was very strong and caused the sea swells to rise to a height greater than the tenders, so the Captain had to make the call to cancel our visit.  We moved right on to our next port of Kusadasi, Turkey.  We arrived around 7:00pm and were there until 7:00pm the following day.  This was the first time that I had been there at night.  I have been fortunate enough to visit this port on other ships, but we always left in the early afternoon and we also always had a show on those days, so my time off the ship was very limited.  Excited with the prospect of seeing what nighttime in Kusadasi was all about, I set off to wander around.  I walked through the "Grand Bazaar" area, which is stall after stall of locals selling local crafts and other retailers selling very expensive rugs, leather goods, and jewelry.  I happened upon a shop that had a gorgeous display of glass-mosaic lamps and lanterns.  I walked in and struck up a conversation with the shopkeeper and began the process of selecting a lamp from the hundred designs on display.  I selected a gorgeous light blue, broken-glass type with a deep bronze base and topper.  I also purchased three hanging lanterns of various designs, but all in the blue, silver, and white color scheme.  I was feeling quite pleased with these beautiful lamps, so I decided that there had been enough shopping.  I set out to walk along the water, down a street lined with outdoor cafes, restaurants, and a surprising amount of pedestrians.  This really seemed like the place to be just after sunset in Kusadasi.  I found a cafe that had an open view of the early evening horizon and sat down for a coffee, banana crepe (yum!), and some free internet connection.  It was a wonderful evening in what felt like a completely different place than the daytime version.

The following day, Patrick and I set out to do a little more shopping by taking one another to the stores where we had each purchased lamps.  I bought two from the store he had gone to the previous evening and he did the same at the store where I had purchased mine.  We continued to walk around and take in all the sights and sounds of this bustling, seaside Turkish town before heading back to the ship for a rehearsal for our show that evening.

Another new experience was a visit to "The Red Beach" (Kokkini Beach) in Santorini.  I have visited Santorini many times this contract and have gone someplace new each time.  (You can refer back to previous posts for all of those adventures.)  This time, Patrick and I got off with a plan to rent an ATV and drive to the southern part of the island where the Red Beach was located.  We got off the tender boat and saw that the line for the cable car that takes you up to the town was far too long to wait in, so we decided to take a donkey up the hill instead.  (Well, by "we" I mean Patrick suggested that we do it in the interest of saving time.  A donkey ride up hundreds of steep, slippery steps will never be my first choice.  :) )  Patrick and his behemoth beast of burden made it up the hill before me and my frail donkey had made it three quarters of the way.  Luckily, I finally made it all the way up, thanked my hardworking transportation and we headed off to get our ATV.

The red cliffs of "The Red Beach"

The ride south was absolutely gorgeous.  There were so many views of the open ocean and the sloped outer edges of the island.  It was a moment that I had to pinch myself to make sure that I was not dreaming.  (Let's take a moment to pause and show some appreciation for all of the blessings in our lives.  *le sigh*)  We arrived at Kokkini Beach in about twenty minutes, which was a surprise as it looked much farther away on the map.  We joined the line of other eager visitors and began our small hike to the bottom of a huge red gorge where a medium-sized pebble beach awaited to welcome us.  We rented two beach chairs and an umbrella (which was mostly for me as I wanted to at least have the option of shade) and tip-toed into the Aegean Sea.  The water was a gorgeous shade of bluish-green, almost teal, and surprisingly chilly for late August, but it was wonderful once we gave in and dove under the surface.  We spent a bit of time treading water and taking in all of the natural beauty of this part of the island before heading back to our chairs for a little lounge in the sun.  Well, Patrick did all of the sun lounging.  I sat under the umbrella and played games on his iPad.  Hey, I got in the water and I was at a beach, it was still quite a change from the norm!  We eventually packed up and headed back to our ATV to make the journey back to Fira (the area where the ship drops you off) for some lunch.

Heading down to Kokkini Beach

Jump in the line, rock your body in time.  Okay, it's The Red Beach!

We found a relaxing outdoor restaurant covered with grape vines and trees and had a delicious seafood lunch.  Santorini is certainly somewhere I would like to vacation at, especially for the freedom to decide for myself when it's time to leave!  However, we had to leave or we would have missed the ship and risked potential job termination.  No, thank you!

I am now back in Dubrovnik, Croatia where I went cliff jumping with fellow cast members.  The best news is that it is raining today!  I have not seen rain in so long that it is a welcome sight today.  I believe that many people in the cast feel the same way, so at least I'm not the only crazy one.

I'd love to hear how you're doing and what you've been up to, so please do not hesitate to contact me through a comment here, an e-mail, or link to your own blog!

Take care and may you continue to be blessed in all that you do!

But for now, until then...

-Joey

:: Beauté, Grâce, Férocité, et Perfection ::

I'm sitting at an outdoor cafe in Split, Croatia and enjoying a solid internet connection, but I must apologize that this is not an update on my travels.  I came across the picture below and I had to share it.  Ladies and gentlemen, I hope and pray that you are healthy, happy, and thriving.  Take care of yourselves and celebrate all the beauty in your lives.

You could start by celebrating the following example of beauty, grace, ferocity, and perfection.  I give you, Marion Cotillard.

-Joey

Mediterranean Marvels

Hey there!  I hope that this post finds you in good health, good spirits, and surrounded by light and love.  The Mediterranean summer has certainly been scorching and I've been spending lots of time outdoors in our amazing ports of call.  I have been wearing sunscreen (don't worry, Grandma!) and a hat, but I am still reaching a lovely shade of burnt sienna.  Just this morning, as I was getting my hair cut in the ship salon, the barber asked me if I was Puerto Rican.  Puerto Rican!  I told him no and he asked again.  Apparently he thought I might be unclear of my heritage.  I assured him that, to the best of my knowledge, there is no Hispanic blood in my family.  He didn't seem to believe me.  I guess I should come back and see him after a winter in New York.  He would most likely ask if I were of Scandinavian descent.  Does this mean I should put "ethnically ambiguous" on my resume?  Maybs.

Since my last update, I have been to the Greek island of Thira (Santorini), Catania (Sicily), Naples (Italy), and Civitavecchia (Rome, Italy).  Each experience in these ports was wonderful, although some were longer and more exciting than others.  I'll take a cue from "The Sound of Music" and start at the very beginning, it is a wonderful place to start after all.

Thira (Santorini) is an absolutely magical port.  It is an island formed by a volcanic eruption.  The city's structure rests on the top and sides of very high cliffs in the form of a giant circle.  It is believed to have been the inspiration for the tale of the Lost City of Atlantis, despite what you might have read in "Tales of the City."  Patrick (the leading man of the cast), Sabrina (one of my singing/dancing counterparts), and myself took a cable car ride to the top of the city and started to wander up and down the endless alleyways lined with cafes, shops, and people pedaling handmade goods on card tables or blankets.  We happened upon a very modern cafe and enjoyed some Greek coffee and complimentary WiFi access.  After hours of window shopping and tasting some local wines (which were divine!), we decided to eat at a restaurant that The Travel Channel and Anthony Bourdain recommended.  The food and the service were beyond my expectations for a bustling tourist port.  The meal ended with complimentary Limoncello, a lemon liqueur, and a delicious chocolate dessert.  It was the perfect end to a relaxing day in one of the most beautiful places I have been privileged to visit.

Arriving to the island from the ship

Patrick and I with our ship in the background

Oia, the area across the island from where the ships anchor

                   

Catania is a rather large city on the island of Sicily.  I was surprised at just how large it was considering that in all my travels through the Mediterranean, I had never ported there.  Patrick and myself got off, consulted a map, and decided to just see where we ended up.  (A side-note about Patrick.  Patrick is a genius at simply looking at a map and knowing how to navigate a city.  I thought that my sense of direction was above average, but his is exponentially beyond average.  In essence, I never worry about getting lost in port thanks to Patrick and his "Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego"-ready map skills.)  We made our way through some winding streets toward the main street that runs the length of the "downtown" area.  Along the way we found a beautiful cathedral and stopped to take a look inside.  We also found the campus of a university and what we told ourselves was the student housing area.  It was the seemingly "hip" area with lots of graffiti.  We finally ended up on the "main drag" and found some stores that were having decent sales.  I purchased not one, but two pair of swimming trunks.  I have decided, with much encouragement from certain cast members, to spend more time in the water.  Swimming is just an activity that has fallen off of my radar over the years.  However, the time has come to put down the beach chair and pick up the aquatics.  Where was I?  Oh, yes, Catania.  After a bit of shopping, we made our way back to the ship.  Along the way, we found a fruit stand on the side of the road where we purchased fresh figs.  Have you ever had a fig that was not contained in a Newmanesque cake?  If your answer is no, you must go directly to the grocery store and get some!  They are delicious.  They are sweet, refreshing, and not to be missed.  I cannot believe that it has taken me 28 years to actually try one, but now I am hooked.

The student housing are in Catania...obviously.

                  


Naples, Italy has a feel and style all of its own.  When I compared it to the other Italian ports I've visited, I found it to be more audacious and a bit grittier.  My goal for the day was to take Patrick and Sabrina to a restaurant, Fratelli La Bufala, that my friend, David, took me to on a previous contract.  However, they did not begin serving lunch until 1pm.  We got there around 11:30 and were in no mood or condition to wait that long without sustenance.  We opted for a cafe next door with the thought to have a little nosh and then walk straight over when "Fratelli" began serving.  We enjoyed some bruschetta, Caprese salad, gnocchi, and espresso galore.  Some of our fellow cast mates stopped by our table and told us that we should check out this beautifully-built mall nearby, so we did!  The architecture of this mall was exquisite.  It was full of commercial name brand stores as well as a few small boutiques native to Naples.  (Ian and Joe, if you're reading this, you will be pleased to know that I made some quality selections at Zara.)  We quickly ran out of time before we had to be back on the ship, and by that time we had lost Sabrina.  (Sabrina is a wonderful young lady and has a delightfully free spirit, but she does tend to dart off into stores or alleyways lined with hats or jewelry.  Perhaps I should buy her a necklace with a bell or bells on it, you know, to save time in finding her.)  Patrick and I made it back to the ship and discovered that Sabrina had been looking for us at Fratelli La Bufala, which we did not make it back to.  So, there was no harm done and we were all back on the ship safe and sound.



Rome, the Eternal City, is absolutely breathtaking.  The ship itself ports in Civitavecchia, so you must take a train into Rome proper.  Patrick and Jaclyn (the leading lady of my cast) were able to get off the ship very early, hop on a train and head straight to The Colosseum.  However, I had an Abandon Ship Drill and was not able to get off until around 11:30am.  As soon as my drill was finished, I got off and navigated my way through the Italian train system and met Patrick and Jaclyn at St. Peter's Basilica.  Standing in the huge expanse of stone where the Pope greets thousands of people was a surreal experience.  From there we headed over to Castel Sant'Angelo, (the headquarters for The Illuminati in the "The Da Vinci Code" series) which is everything you would expect an ancient castle to be.  Next on our self-guided, nay Patrick-guided, tour was The Pantheon.  I could not believe that I was standing in The Pantheon!  The light pouring in from the single opening in the center of the rotunda was as strong as a spot light in our theater.  The interior architecture and iconic religious artwork was equally as powerful.  Upon leaving we saw a man dressed in full Gladiator regalia sitting on the steps eating a sandwich.  Hey, even Gladiators need a lunch break!  Fighting off lions must create one heck of an appetite.  Moving along!  We took ourselves over to Fontana di Trevi, or simply the Trevi Fountain where those immortal three coins sought their own happiness.  The steps surrounding this incredibly ornate wonder were crawling with hopeful tourists tossing coins into the water, hopeful that their wishes would be granted.  Did I make a wish?  You had better believe it!  My coin even made it into the water, which is apparently not the case for everyone.  By this point, the late afternoon sun was telling us that we had better make a move toward the train station and begin our journey back to our floating home.  We arrived at the train station just as a train bound for Civitavecchia (and our ship) was leaving.  The next scheduled train departure was only 20 minutes, so we thought we were golden.  Well, we did not take into account, nor even imagine the possibility that a man would decide to lie down dangerously close to the tracks and cause train in both directions to stop.  The time that we had to be back on the ship was growing closer and closer, so we had no choice but to leave the station and find a taxi to drive us all the way back.  Fortunately there was one waiting just outside the station, and for 120 Euro, we were off zipping through the streets of Rome on our way home.  Everything seemed to be going well until we reached the road that was meant to take us directly to the port gate.  The road had been closed and there was a detour route.  However, our driver did not follow the detour.  Our driver decided to turn in the opposite direction and take us further from where we NEEDED to be in less than 15 minutes.  (Allow me a moment to describe the severity of the issue of being onboard at the correct time.  If a crew member misses the all-aboard time, three things could happen.  One, the port agent delivers your passport to you and you are responsible for making your own way to the next port of call.  Two, you are allowed back onboard and will face disciplinary action from the Captain.  Three, your contract will be terminated and you will have to pay for your own way home.  In short, you do NOT want to miss the all-aboard time.)  The driver finally delivered us at the port gate and we began to sprint to the ship.  As we passed other ships in the port, onlookers began cheering from the outside decks as if we were carrying the Olympic torch.  As we were almost to our ship a port shuttle bus stopped to pick us up.  We were relieved that we could finally stop our tribute to Forrest Gump and hopped happily onto the bus.  The bus then proceeded to travel AWAY from our ship.  At this point we had mere minutes before we had to be back onboard.  The three of us began pleading with the driver to turn around, which he finally did.  We arrived back on the ship at 7:27 and the all-aboard time was 7:30.  I believe that I now know what it must be like to suffer from IBS.  *Phew*

St. Peter's Basilica...serving up Papal realness.

Trevi Fountain.  I mean, it's really just your average drinking fountain.

                


So, all in all things are going quite well here on the ms Nieuw Amsterdam.  We are about to receive a new cast member as my counterpart, the other male singer / dancer, was a replacement and could only stay for a month.  So, with a new cruise about to begin, so does another round of installation rehearsals.  You know what they say, there' s no business like show business.  I am hoping that this new phase of transition goes as smoothly as our first, but through it all I am praying to maintain a spirit of gratitude and focus.

For those of you that have made it this far down, thanks for sticking it out!  Take care of yourselves and remember to take some time to find the magic in each and every day.

But for now, until then,

Joey

"What Do You Say to Taking Chances?" or "Have You Jumped Off a Cliff Today?" or "Such Great Heights"

The soles of my feet are being warmed by the rough and pointed edge of the cliff.  The midday sun seems to hurl its rays upon me and I feel the weight of their heat.  Before me lies a beautiful, slivery-blue horizon, dotted with a few sailboats and kayaks carrying contented tourists to adventures unknown.  Below me I see the waves crashing against the large, jagged, algae-covered boulders on which I am attempting not to land.  I move my feet backward and forward, simply changing which foot is in front of me.  I am most assuredly stalling for I know what I am about to do and it terrifies me.  I steal a glance down to my right to the large rock where a group of people with whom I have been spending the day with stand almost at attention, awaiting my decision.  I continue to stall by looking in every direction including down, which is the one direction I should have skipped.  I lift my eyes upward and stare at that shining horizon with its inviting haze and tell myself it's now or never.  I close my eyes, summon any available strength in my legs, and leap from the rock.  The Adriatic Sea envelops me in a chilly hug as if I've just met a dear friend in the frozen food section of my local supermarket.  The adrenaline pumping through my entire body worries me as its intensity feels electric.  The sea is really the last place one should be when feeling electric, unless you are an eel...obviously.  I swim out a little farther from the point where my relationship with my new friend the sea began and I begin to tread water, which is an exercise that I had not done in quite some time.  I look back at the rock where friends, old and new, stand smiling, thus validating the fact that I had just taken a step in overcoming one of my greatest fears.  I continue to alternate between bobbing and floating in my new salty surroundings for what feels like an hour yet no more than two minutes at the same time.  As my legs grow weary from staying afloat, I head back to the same algae-covered rocks that had only moments before filled me with dread and lift myself onto the welcome warmth of the rock.  The rest of the day is spent walking the streets of Dubrovnik, Croatia, laughing at the silliest of jokes, and tasting some delicious local produce.

I may not have completely conquered my fear of heights, but I took step, nay leap toward it.

May laughter surround you, sunshine warm you, and blessings sustain you until we meet again.

-Joey

Here I Go Again...

Hey there, hi there, ho there (what chu call me?)!  Rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals have been in full effect onboard the ms Nieuw Amsterdam since my embarkation on July 6th.  We are just now in the process of putting up our final show, "Garage Band," which we will open tomorrow, the 26th.  It has been a lengthy installation process, but it has been relatively stress-free.  (I throw my hands up in the air, shake them wildly and shout, "Hallelujah!)

We have been given opportunities to get off in a few of the ports that we've visited thus far, including:  Venice, Dubrovnik (Croatia), Istanbul, and Mykonos (Greece).  It has been wonderful to return to these places and to rediscover them with new friends.  It's funny because I still remember all my previous visits to these ports and the people that I shared those times with as clear as yesterday.  Life is truly amazing in that respect.  In a nutshell, I feel incredibly blessed.

As with my previous travels, I will do my best to keep this here blog updated to the best of my ability.  It may become a series of longer entries in which I touch on a variety of subjects, including ports, fun stories, and general "how-am-I's."  I do hope that your schedules permit such lengthy yarns.

Overall, I am in good spirits and in good health.  The installation process has, as I said, been long and oftentimes tiring, but the light is quickly approaching the end of the tunnel.  Focusing solely on the shows and my new responsibilities as the Company Manager for the cast has left me little time to think much of anything else, so now that it's winding down, I find my head to be quite full; like too many goldfish attempting to swim freely in a mason jar.  So please allow me a few weeks to sort through them and I will provide a more in-depth account of my what has been on my heart and in my mind.

The ups and downs of life do not magically stop upon boarding a ship, but I am fortunate to have a comrade floating with me on the high seas that has become my one-stop shop for all things pertaining to the human condition.  The rewards and benisons of this friendship are innumerable and its therapeutic properties invaluable.

Please feel free to write me and provide me with updates on your own lives as often as you wish.  You can provide links to your blogs in the comments below, or send me an e-mail at:  j_kuba@yahoo.com .

But for now, until then, be blessed, beauties!

- Joey -