Falling In Love...

Falling in Love...

 28th April 2011

Once again we are in Naples! The more I come here, the more I love it! 

I’ve been for a walk around and got some magnets stick a couple more photos on our cabin wall. By the end of this cruise I’ll have a magnet or two for each place that I’ve been to… a nice little bundle. Maybe I should send some to the parents when I finally find a post office? 

Now, it’s just me and Fede. We’re sitting in an internet café getting in touch with everyone we can. The internet is turning into a luxury. My days of using and abusing the internet are long gone!

Last night was part 1 of Lee and Rich’s leaving drink. Part 2 is tonight and they’ll be signing off tomorrow morning. Everyone is going to miss them, they are such a laugh and a real help to us newbies. Fingers crossed the people “replacing” Lee and Rich are a laugh.

When I dropped the camera equipment off in the lab I was helping Rich Photoshop a guest's photo. It was a family portrait but the lady had one of her eyes partially closed. Rich had done the main work of giving her a new, open eye but messed up the layers a bit. I took over quickly to fiddle around the with the photo, mess around with the layers and get the eyes looking as normal and natural as possible. Both Jeni and Rich gave me the thumbs up. Rich asked me why I wasn’t aiming to come into the lab. Since he asked, I’m now thinking about it as I enjoy using Photoshop and seeing how everything gets printed. Anyway, I have to get to P2 and start heading for Photog3 before I can do any of that.

I’ve finally started my ImageU. The only problem is the ship’s internet is very slow so it takes forever. Slowly but surely I’m getting there. Once I’m P2 and earning more, I’ll try and pay off as much (camera, uniform and security deposit) as I can and as quickly as possible. After that, it’s time to start saving BIG TIME.

I’ve fallen in love too… with Fede’s Canon 5D Mark II. He bought it when he was cruising the Caribbean and got it for a good price. Body, 2 lenses, camera case and 32GB memory card for US$3,000. Compared to what you’d pay elsewhere it's a bit of a bargain. I’ve used the camera a couple of times and the colours are amazing. The detail and image quality is unbelievable, especially when you compare it to my Canon 400D and Nikon D90. Then again, the Canon 5D is in a league of its own and I shouldn’t be comparing. Maybe one day…!

The ship is now starting to feel like a home. The team is fantastic – I know I keep saying it but it’s true. They are becoming a bit like family. At first I was a bit dubious but now I can safely say, I’m looking forward to the next 5 and a half months living on the ship.

I’ve tried uploading a few photos to Facebook and Flickr.com but the internet got cut off. I managed to upload a shot from Kusadasi, Turkey onto Flickr.com and a few onto Facebook. To see some of my images on Flickr go to: http://flickr.com/lou_tickle there’ll be more soon – hopefully.

My parents are finally back in Uruguay so it’ll be easier to stay in touch with them now. I miss them. 

Hearing from people back in England is always great but things have changed a bit by the looks of it. I guess that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Although I miss everyone, I wouldn’t change the way things are. The time will fly and I’ll be back before you know it. 

I’m determined to drive up and see Becks for a drink when I get back. It’s going to be great seeing her again and hearing all about the Caribbean and her travels.

So in short, I’ve fallen head over heels in love with a country and camera!! Life is great and we are all having the time of our lives! I still wouldn’t mind a cup of PG Tips though hahahaha.