The drummer of Metallica

is from Copenhagen. Which is where Dad, along with the rest of the Concordia gang, shacked up for five days to literally learn the ropes of ship life.

First impressions included "clean", "lots of English spoken" and "bicycles everywhere". The five hour time difference proved to be a bit of a challenge, especially after a lengthy flight with very little sleep, and cramped quarters. The happy coincidence of a roommate with a hearing aid suits Dad's snoring, though.

Survival-at-sea suits, safety procedures and gaining familiarity with on-board routine was the order of the first day, as well as hunting down an internet cafe.

Excerpt from recent email below:

I'm off the ship - 8:30 PM - for a little while. It was another busyday. The weather was cloudy with a few showers, but not cold. I got out for a walk before breakfast - it is facinating to see the ordinary people going to work/school/daycare on their bikes. We sure have a lot to learn in our cities! The ship is actually berthed in a canal veryclose to the downtown, so one can be in the center of things very quickly (given the chance). This afternoon I (along with the grade 12 students (17) had our first sail training. It was a thrilling experience over all - complicated by times though. We had a simple chin-up test to be permitted to go aloft. In my group of 10 (including teachers) only 4 of us made the grade, and up I went to the second yardarm, in harness - great view -and did some sail folding and unfolding, pulling of ropes, etc.

We will have another session on Sunday (with the GAP students arriving tomorrow and me playing banker again). I have the names of the professional crew/teachers/grade 12s pretty well mastered - just in time for the next (and final) wave of new arrivals! The cook is pleasant (his name is pronounced 'yawn' - German) and the food is plain but satisfactory. On the ship it is as if we are in our own special world - one could feel really cut off by times I should think, although it has been too busy to get a chance to have this sensation take hold just yet. I'm at an internet cafe again at the moment, with about 100 e-mailstations, and another 50 game stations, all being frequented by males- crazy really. I have been taking part in all the orientation activities -icebreaker games, etc. In an on board (it was raining) scavenger hunt this morning one of the questions was 'Find out the names of the two Tuglets' :)


-JT (who is hoping her dad stays in harness anytime he's on deck!)