Well….. where did January go? Here we are on the 1st February, still heading ENE across the Indian Ocean, closing in now on Reunion Island. The sea today was glassy calm. The sky perfect blue with the odd little cloud and temperature around 28C. The sort of day at sea you dream about.
We started the day with art of course. I finished off my elephant by using some of the oil crayons to give him texture. I then did a pen and ink sketch of a rhinoceros, softened with a water wash and some rocks. I was quite pleased with him. Hard to draw because he was such a weird beast. Bob finished his whale tail, which is the best he’s done, and has started drawing the elephant.
Had our sushi lunch and then hurried out to the pool deck where we found 2 loungers by the pool. Spent the afternoon reading, sunning and swimming. The pool is a fabulous temperature now, just lovely to cool off in.
Bob went to the 5 o’clock film which was “Going in Style” starring Michael Caine, Alan Arkin and Morgan Freeman. We’d seen it before when we were on Princess in September but he wanted to see it again. I stayed longer at the pool.
Today was also the second of Martin Bell’s keynote speeches, this time: The Changing Face of Television News. Can we Trust what we see anymore?”. He’s such a good speaker. The answer seems to be that news is much less trustworthy now than it used to be. Pre-mobile phone, pre 9/11, reporters would be travelling independently of organised parties into the situations, make their films and then send them back to be broadcast. They were on their own. Importantly, the film was difficult to cut quickly and those back at base were reliant on the reporter. Now, independent travel into war zones is not allowed and reporters are officially embedded in with the troops, access is restricted. They are contactable by their masters at news HQ 24/7 and instructed largely on what to look for and film, digital film is very easy to change.
Nice sunset tonight and still very warm. I stood out in my dressing gown taking pictures. Some dolphins were fishing alongside us in the bow wave. Of course I didn’t get any pictures of them!
Tonight, another lovely dinner and then a show featuring the 4 Cunard singers, part of the onboard troupe. They were backed by a full orchestra comprising the Royal Court Orchestra, the Queens Room dance orchestra and the other musicians from around the ship. We saw this show in November when we crossed the Atlantic on the QM2. It’s a funny show. The singers are really good but the choice of songs is very odd. For instance, a medley from The Osmonds…
There is an elderly American couple that always sit in the front row. They’re pretty odd. I think they either drink or are slightly deranged. Anyway, the always try and rush off as soon as the show is over, generally while the Entertainment Director (Paul) is leading another round of applause for the performers, or outlining tomorrow’s highlights. You’d think they’d learn because he ALWAYS takes the p*** out of them mercilessly and the man at least is completely oblivious. It’s hilarious. Paul says things like “Ah… got a taxi to catch eh Sir? Did you ring an Uber?? I didn’t think they came out this far… “ or “Thank you sir, a walking ovation for our performers” etc etc…. If it were me, I’d just cringe out and never sit in the front again…. But they just go on in the same way LOLOLOLOL