onboard STS PALLADA

gonnna write my experience onboard the Sail Taining Ship Pallada, voyage from singapore to hong kong.. gonna be a long long long post..haha..but photos are in my facebook n 5 albums!!lol..

day 1
met the pallada ppl outside the gangway..we already checked in our luggage yesterday..so today we jus needed to bring ourselves..n wadeva we forgot..haha..for once..everyone was early..except the 2 lecturers..haha..at about 10.30am..we casted off wth the help of 2 tugs..then they escorted us out of the harbour..sailed jus pass siloso beach..then we dropped anchor at somewhere outside of sentosa..where they played songs of the sea..we din do anything much there..we had our 1st meal..wad kinda weird..but still manage to finish..haha..aft that..the captain welcomed us in the tv room..then they brough us to their lil museum.. then it was quite free and easy..in the night b4 we slept..jimmy told us our so called "time table".. who to keep watch at wad intervals..i was the 1st=) then we went off to slp..its standard that we have to be in our bunks at 11, and we have to be ready in the morning by 7..

day 2
all of us got readt..did the standard morning exercises n flag raising..then we went for our breakfast..aft that..i went to do my 1st watch keeping..the 3rd officer was incharge then..watchkeeping was easy..steer the ship..take wind bearing n speed..lok at the compass n azimuth..plot the chart..my watch was form 8-12..then 12 liao..went for my meal..then the rest went to climb the mast..i wanted to climb too..but they say that after watch i should sleep n rest..so i wan not allowed to climb..like sian diao lo..so while my friends were climbing..i was busy talking to jimmy n taking photos for my friends..after everything..we sat down n chit chat..then the captain set up the mini voleyball court..lol..then i went to play..it was interesting..haha..after that..went to bathe..ate..then we mingles with the russian crew..din really talk much..language barrier too big..haha..played guitar, took pics n sing songs together..soon it was 11..n time to slp..

day 3
same routine in the morning..but i din have watch today..then i realised that after breakfast..we have to do small cleaning..which includes sweeping the deck..cleaning the water holes or wadeva u call it..n polish(?) the gold signs..sanding the railings n pulleys..once in the morning after breakfast..n once in the afternoon after lunch..im in the main mast section..so means my duties are all there..seas were calm..did nth much..played games on the deck..tried to learn a bit of russian..while the russians try to learn abit of english..haha..after lunch..it was time to climb the mast!! i missed the chance yesterday..so was kinds excited today..climed all the way to the 3rd level..stood at the yard..feeling was shiok..really like flying if u spread ur arms out..feel very free n relaxing..n u cant see anyhting ahead of you..haha..then aft that...jus slacked around..had our meal..did small cleaning..slacked more..then took photos..haha..sunset was always great to see..nv get to see that here in singapore..went for shower..ate n mingled more..

day 4,5,6,7
nth much..very routine actually..did our watches when we need to..did small cleaning..ate..slacked..then had our lessons..learnt the names of the different types of sails n mast..both in english n russian..was fun..haha..then in the night we would mingle more with the russians..

day 8
so far..one week has passed..so far all is good..haha..adapting to the food n culture very well.. haha..but we did something different today..the shp stopped..n we did abandon ship drill..not really a drill..they jus sounded the alarm..we gathered..they did a small demo on fire extinguisher..then we jumped off the ship llike fun fair..IT WAS GREAT!!much higher then anyhting i have jumped off from..spend quite alot of time in the water..like finally get to swim..haha..aft that..came bac up..showered..then same as usual..

day 9
after all the lessons n stuff..we finally get to have a hands on to raise the sails n turn the sails..its not that tough..jus team work..haha..

day 10
after so long.. we finally did out laundry..haha..imagine how much we stink..hahahahahahahaha..n we climed up the mast again today..for the last time..=(..but climed up..n this time si hui was with me stahing at the yard..it still feels good stnding there..then i saw one of the crew sitting on the yard..so i asked if i could..he jus sayd be careful-.- so i sat on it..n it was SCARY!! but nice..haha..sat there awhile..tehn came down..went all the way to the bow sprit..took photos then canr bac..like finally hor..after 10 days of asking..we finally get to go there-.- in the evening..we havd a small carnival..s'por against russians..lol..was fun..aft that..showered..then they had sort of like a disco night..no1 really danced..but there was this one song were we all danced together wif jing han as the pole n 4 of us dancing to her..LOL..

day 11
SUPER HOT N SLOW DAY TODAY..no wind..flat water..cos there was a typhoon near us..but not in the affected area..in the evening..had tug of war with the russians..they won like DUH..haha..but fun..

day 12
woke up feeling a lil chilly rather than warm..seas were a lil rougher than the last week..like finnally rough seas..then got to know that we were near the typhoon..so seas n wind are rougher..tepm was a bit cooler also..

day 13
woke up seeing something we did not see in the last 12 days..land..temp was cold..but shiok..afew hours after sunrise..we anchored..waited for the pilot..then up anchor..went in to hon kong harbour to anchor there..news was that we could not go on shore today cos we were one day earlier..but in the end we still went to hong kong..din buy much..cos we still needed to go bac to the ship..nightfall..went bac onboard pallada..packed..ate some roasted goose that the lectrer bought..shiok..drank some vodka that my friends smuggles onboard..sleep..

day 14
hong kong again..not climbing the pilot ladder was like easy liao..haha..went to that lady's market today..bought a bag for my mom..a knive for myself..n thats bout it.. nth much i really wanted to buy..night time..went bac to pallada again..out last night at pallada..mingled with the russians as usual..then 11 was lights off..but at 1..me randam n hidayah went to find the 3rd officer..4 of us grew quite close..n he invited us to his cabin for the last time..viewed his photos..slept there..then at 6..we sneaked bac to our bunks..so no one would find out..morning..we havd a small cery ceremony..the captain presented us with certs n a few souveniors..n off we go..bye pallada..but some of the crew came with us..some cried as we really for close to them..it was funny that all of us became close friends in these 2 weeks..upon reaching hong kong..we walked to our accomodations..n we met the 3rd officer for the last time..we had lunch..walked around abit..n sent him to the pier to wait fot the boat to ferry the rusian crews..we waited with them..when it was time to go.we gave out last good byes..n huggs..n suddenly..the 3 of us..me ramdan n hidayah..shed some tears for our dear dear friend parvel..we got so close to him..n so did he..but he left smiling..cos he know that we will see each other again..so aft they left..we went shopping..then in the night went to victoria's peak..REALLY nice view there..went bac..ate supper with jimmy n some of my friends..then join another group to dirnk a bit b4 i went to slp..

day 15
last day in hong kong..went to walkwalk near by..then went bac to get out bags..left at 3..went to the airport..checked in our luggage that took like 1 hour? me n lun went to get a coffee at star bucks whle waiting..lol..then aft tt..went to walk round the airport..n soon is was time to board the plane..flew bac to s'pore..n i think we were the mst noisy passengers onboard-.- but then we fell asleep..haha..reaached s'pore..1st thing to do..DUTY FREE ALCOHOL..collected friends passports to get more alcohol..then chun needed one..so i passed to him one..so im allowed to get 3 only..then buy liao..say good byes n stuff..then saw cindy cry..tot wad..then found out that her dad passed away jus a few hours ago..

hitched a ride fron hidayah..reached home..unpacked..n sleep..finaly can sleep on my bed.. these 15 days passed so fast..n all of us did not have enough time on board pallada..haha..

few days later we went to cindy's dad's funeral..

many memories were made onboard pallada..got many souveniors too..excnahged my shirt for one of their work shirts..n exchanged another shirt for part of their uniform..then the 3rd officer gave me 3 pallada pins..very nice pins..n he also gave me his own personla parellel ruler..cos he saw that i love to plot the chart..everytime i was on the bridge..even if its not my watch..i would plot the chart..haha..really touched..n he also gave me ramdan n hidayah a lil note..printed on a cert..with photos of us taken on board the ship..all 3 are different..personallized with our different ics..but all hand written..a shor note saying " I don't say Goodbye, I say SEE YOU LATER!" n i thought it was really sweet that he took his time to do that for us..haha..

overall..teh trip was fun..many fond memories=)