Cruise diary - Part I

Thursday:
I can't help but notice all the senior citizens on the ship. That is, people just a few years older than me. Many of them are hungry or, at least, they like to walk away from buffet spreads with large plates of hot food -- at 2:00, for a late lunch.
Two hours later, just before the ship is scheduled to sail, a P.A. announcement informs us that "a very serious medical situation" will delay our departure until an ambulance arrives. We also learn that a nor'easter will cause us to cruise towards Bermuda tomorrow in 12-foot waves. Passengers are encouraged to take their medication. Oh, joy!

My feet are moving, while I'm sitting still.
My clothes are moving, while hanging in a closet.
And the seas are still calm.

Cruise ships are a great place to be if you want to escape American workers. So far, we've met crew members from South Africa, Serbia, Belarus, Wales, the Philippines, Guyana, Jamaica, India, Nicaragua, Dominica, and Romania, but not one American. Come to think of it, it's just like being in the U.S.

Friday:
"It feels like I'm in a funhouse."
Those were among my wife's first words this morning. Not just because she was having a good time, but because she felt us swaying as we were laying still in bed.
Ever try showering in a fun house?
Among the other first words we heard were a reminder over the P.A. that seas would be rough today. An accented English voice advised us to exercise caution when walking around the ship and using the stairs. I sense most people on the ship need to all the time, even in still waters. But, thanks, captain.

I often tell my sons I want to be like them when I grow up. They are, after all, young men any father would be very proud of. It may not be possible, though -- I already had my chance at youth, took my best shot it, and have no regrets. But, I could've done more if I was the person my sons are!
After (re-)reading The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway on the ship today, I now have a Plan B. I can be like Santiago, the book's protagonist -- an old, strong, crafty, resourceful, proud Cuban man. I think my sons and wife would settle for that.

After dinner, my wife and I returned briefly to the room and, to our surprise, there was a rabbit on our bed.

Different kinds of people were dancing at the night clubs on the ship: young, old...and very old. One elderly gentleman held his lady closely, shuffling slowly. She seemed to love it until, apparently exhausted, he walked her to their table. That left just a few other couples on the dance floor, and many more others wishing they were.

Saturday:
The first words on the radio, after the alarm sounds, are the last words from Don McLean's American Pie: "This will be the day that I die." Her eyes just opening, my wife declares, "That's not very encouraging."

The guide for our Bermuda catamaran excursion said his ancestors arrived on the island in 1630--just 21 years after the first settlers. At least, I think that's what I heard -- his voice had competition from the snores of a paying customer. The port where the catamaran and cruise ship docked featured an interesting mix of tourists and locals who just completed a 26-mile "End-to-End" bicycle race.

Among the interesting people on the ship are a couple with full heads of longish, albeit discolored hair, one of whom was wearing a Woodstock reunion t-shirt. I could almost picture them on Yasgur's Farm 44 years ago.

As the sun shone on the deck, a four-piece band entertained passengers lounging, wading, hot tubbing, many drinking tropical favorites, with a wide assortment of Caribbean covers, including reggae classics. Snuck in their set were Cat Stevens' "Wild World" and a song reminiscent of "Angel of the Morning." Then the sun hid behind the clouds and the wind kicked in, dropping the temperature 15-20 degrees. People escaped inside, but not a waiter balancing a bottle of rum on his head for the benefit of die-hard dancers.

Sunday:
At the table next to me during breakfast, a big man with a big scowl and loud New York City outer borough accent was going off on immigrants. He was spewing the usual venom, topping it off with, "I'm glad I'm not going to be around when my grandchildren are." Some people just relax more than others on vacation. I wonder what he sounds like after a day of work. I'm also curious what his immigrant ancestors would think of him. After he waddled away, I learned that a small part of India is a former Portuguese colony. A waiter from India with the name "Rodrigues" told me that.

While walking in from an outside deck, a middle-age man was startled as he bumped into an automatic door that started to close. Three young teenage girls walking by him broke out in loud laughter. I'm glad to bring so much joy to the world!

Blazing on a sunny afternoon, a partly sunny afternoon, in springtime . Waiters walk by every couple of minutes, offering the day's colorful rum special, or taking orders for other drinks. A live band plays Caribbean music, including a reggae cover of the Smokey Robinson '80s hit with the lyrics, "I love it when we're cruising together." A middle-age couple dances in a swimming pool. A young American slaps the butt of his red-headed female companion in a bikini. A stocky European man in a tight Speedo carries his 1-year-old son into a hot tub, his fit wife in a bikini behind him.
How decadent!

For the first time since boarding four days ago, it's a starry night. Well below, to the southeast, lightning illuminates a cloud every 20-30 seconds, like a fireworks show.

Monday:
Birds are finally visible, escorting us to St. Maarten. Either that, or they're looking for breakfast. We're still 3-4 hours away from land, and the birds rarely venture into the water for a fresh catch.

Orient Bay Beach on the Atlantic Ocean in Saint-Martin is magnificent. Clear blue warm waters and white sand, blue skies with just a touch of harmless white haze. Fresh grouper and rice and salad for lunch, a couple of rum punches, and it feels like nap time. And yes, in this half-French, half-Dutch island, some women joined men for a topless stroll on the beach. With no evidence of a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue photo shoot taking place, it was about the only part of the afternoon scenery that wasn't particularly pretty.

Our St. Maarten tour guide was an English lady who retired with her husband to the island 11 years ago. A grandmother now, she visits her sons in London and New York three times a year. She said she works part-time to support her partying life style. Life is good!

Tuesday:
"Puerto Rico, my heart's desire..."
(West Side Story)
And the closest thing in the free world to the land of my ancestors, Cuba.
To be continued.

Marshall Tucker Band headlining Rockin’ With Spirit event at Stone Pony to benefit Spirit of a Child Foundation

Asbury Park, NJ – They’re rebels with a cause.

The Marshall Tucker Band, one of the major Southern rock bands of the ‘70s with hits such as “Heard It In a Love Song,” “Fire On The Mountain,” “Can’t You See,” and “Take The Highway,” return to Asbury Park for the first time in 12 years on Sunday, June 16. They will be headlining the Rockin’ With Spirit concert event at The Stone Pony that evening to benefit the Spirit of a Child Foundation.

The Nick Clemons Band, featuring the son of “Big Man” Clarence Clemons, and Donovan Chapman, a former elite Special Operations Command Pararescue who served in the US Air Force for 11 years before pursuing American country music professionally, will also perform at the Rockin' With Spirit concert event, which will be only the second appearance in Asbury Park by The Marshall Tucker Band during the past 20 years.

Formed in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1971, The Marshall Tucker Band’s style combines rock, country and jazz. The group has issued 37 albums, four of them earning Platinum and five Gold sales status. Still led by founding member and lead singer Doug Gray, the group has continued to write, record and tour, and entertain fans from around the world.

“After being around for over 40 years, it is an honor and gives us great pleasure to support the Spirit of a Child Foundation and the families they help,” said Gray. “Giving back to these organizations is the least we can do for the people who have been our family and friends for all these years. Looking forward to seeing old friends and our new families there.”

“The Stone Pony was chosen to host the event in order to help bring business back to the local economy of the Sandy-savaged Jersey shore,” said Spirit of a Child Foundation President Sharon Wynn, a former resident of Wall.

“I have been watching the devastation in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. If this had been Myrtle Beach, Charleston or any of our coastlines we would be so sad to lose family, memories and property,” Gray wrote on Facebook three days after Superstorm Sandy struck last autumn, shortly before The Marshall Tucker Band’s semi-truck full of relief supplies headed north. “I have donated and will continue to work to help these people, many of which I know and love. They not only have supported the band forever but also support our beaches and South Carolina by visiting and having homes here.“

The Rockin’ With Spirit event will help fund the Spirit of a Child Foundation’s 2013 Parent-Child Project, a nature retreat for low-income families to participate in environmental education and activities that require family members to work together and build healthy communication skills on July 26-28 at NorthBay Adventure Camp in Elk Neck State Park, Maryland.

“The criterion for the participating families is that they are in a situation of financial hardship, such as a parent living with cancer, a family living in extreme poverty or a military family adversely affected by combat who may suffer from a physical or emotional injury, including post-traumatic stress disorder or a loss of a parent,” said Wynn.

Ten families will investigate and learn about the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay wetlands, which includes access to hiking trails within Elk Neck State Park. They will also experience the highest ropes course in Maryland, a newly-constructed low ropes course, 500-foot zip lines over the Chesapeake Bay, and an indoor and outdoor rock climbing wall. In addition, the Spirit of a Child Foundation will sponsor a country music concert during the weekend.

This year, the Spirit Of A Child Foundation has sought families in dire need of help because of Superstorm Sandy from Operation Homefront Tri-State, which serves New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, and from UrbanPromise in Camden to attend the Parent-Child Project.

ABC’s 20/20 news magazine program with Diane Sawyer joined the Spirit of a Child Foundation in Colorado in 2007 to film footage for its special “Waiting on the World to Change,” which featured Camden as one of the country’s poorest and distressed cities.

More information on sponsorship packages, which include a pre-concert reception with The Marshall Tucker Band, is available at http://www.spiritofachild.org/rockinsponsor.htm. Tickets to the show can be purchased directly from the Spirit of a Child Foundation at www.spiritofachild.org.

# # #

Media contact:
Charley Bruns; Charles Anthony Communication, Long Branch NJ
charley@charlesanthonycomm.net, 609.529.7801

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The news announcement above was issued today to local media.

A Cuban evolution?

The bearded one's time left on earth gets shorter. His brother talks of retirement. There are major changes in the leadership of Cuba that appear inevitable. Of course, the people on the island and the rest of the world have heard this before. Time will tell if the passing of the Castros will bring evolutionary or revolutionary change in one of the last bastions of communism on the planet.

One thing, however, is certain: Cuba's status as an international baseball power is history. This month's World Baseball Classic provided overwhelming evidence that Cuba is no longer an elite presence on a baseball diamond. Cuba's failures against Japan and South Korea during the 2009 WBC tournament were not an aberration. This year's elimination at the hands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a.k.a. Holland, was proof that Cuba is no longer an automatic finalist in international baseball tournaments.

Gold medalists in the 2004, 1996 and 1992 Olympic Games, and 12-time winners of the Pan American Games -- including 10 consecutive championships between 1971 and 2007 -- Cuba's elimination during the second round of this year's World Baseball Classic came on the heels of a third-place finish at the 2011 Pan American Games and runner-up spot in the 2008 Olympics (baseball was not played during the 2012 games) that sandwiched its 2009 WBC failure.

Different people will cite various reasons for Cuba's demise as an international baseball power. It's true that some of the country's stars have defected from the country, but this year's World Baseball Classic champion the Dominican Republic and other countries, including the United States, can also claim they were missing some of their best players during the WBC. The Kingdom of the Netherlands, with less than half its players affiliated with major league teams, can rightfully claim it had a bunch of second-rate pitchers and only a couple of budding stars on the field when beating the Cubans twice this month.

Cuba has clearly been surpassed by its neighbors the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico as Caribbean baseball powers and, as demonstrated in other recent international baseball tournaments, by Japan, South Korea, the US, Canada -- and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with its mix of players from Holland, Curaçao and Aruba -- elsewhere in the world. Time will tell if Cuba's downfall in baseball is part of a cycle that often happens in sports, or an evolutionary or revolutionary change that reflects broader developments in the country.

Inspiration for the ages

Like many happy, loving couples, they were enjoying each other's company as Saturday afternoon was turning to evening. She was wearing lipstick and a smartly coordinated outfit. He had jeans on, and said "honey" a few times while speaking to her about possible plans for the rest of the night.

They were huffing and puffing just a bit, with some sweat visible. They were, after all, working out in a gym.

After pedaling the stationery bicycle for a while, she stood and lifted weights. Then, she did some stretches. He worked out by the weight station, pulling the bar down several times, pausing a bit to talk, then doing some more repetitions. They commented about the music playing in the room.

They spoke some more about having been together for several years. He lived about 30 minutes away from her, but they would often be together on weekends and other occasions, just like other couples. They could often be seen on the beach, or at parties. Sometimes, they would venture into her building's steam room together.

As they prepared to leave the gym, he expressed how he was looking forward to the rest of the evening, perhaps a night that could include some additional physical activity with her. He leaned over to another man in the gym, as if to let him in on a secret, and whispered.

"I'll be 85 soon."

An artistic mission

She jumped inside the taxi
both relieved and tense.
Snow was falling in Long Branch
at the end of a long train ride,
and the station was bustling
with people walking,
cleaning off their cars,
or looking for their ride home.

"How long will it take to
get to Asbury Park?" she asked.
"Where?" the driver asked.
"717 Cookman Avenue,
the Parlor Gallery," she quickly answered.
"Hmm, maybe 20 minutes --
it's hard to know because of the snow,"
the driver answered.

Concerned, she looked at the
two other passengers and asked,
"Should I take a train?"

"Hmm, this is probably faster,"
one fellow passenger replied.
"The train makes a couple of
other stops before getting to
Asbury Park,
and then you have to walk."

The taxi moved slowly
out of the station.
She looked up and asked,
"Should I get my own cab?"
"That's probably not an option
at this point," the other passenger said.
"This isn't Broadway in New York."

"By the time we get there,
I'm going to have only ten minutes
to see the exhibit," she said.
"I was hoping to have more time,
but the train was delayed."

The fellow passenger encouraged her
to enjoy dinner at one of
Asbury Park's fine restaurants,
near the art gallery.
Her response after a silent pause
was simply to inquire whether
the Asbury Park train station had
an indoor seating area.


The taxi continued south
on Ocean Avenue,
preparing to drop off
the first person who,
before wishing his
fellow passengers well,
asked the woman:

"What artist could make someone want
to ride a train for almost two hours
just to see their work for ten minutes?"

"Jill Ricci."

Atlantic City rambling

It's the most fascinating town in New Jersey. And, for some, among the most boring. It rose from the sands of the Atlantic Ocean in 1854. But, few people bother with its beaches today. Parts of it are as surreal as the casinos on the strip at Las Vegas. Much of it, however, is a cold splash of water in the face.

Atlantic City, New Jersey, has contributed much to the world: inspiration for the world's most popular board game; hosting the world's most famous beauty pageant from 1921-2005; the first boardwalk in the U.S.; salt water taffy; the setting for many movies and TV shows. Decades after its heyday, it even managed to land the Democratic national convention which nominated Lyndon Johnson for president in 1964.

A rebirth was predicted after the first casino opened in Atlantic City in 1978. For more than a dozen years, it seemed to be happening. New buildings rose and major entertainers were booked, making Atlantic City among the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S. at one point.

The sun has been setting down on the city again the past 20 years, it seems. New construction has slowed, some casinos have been torn down and not replaced, and gambling revenues have fallen dramatically. The neighborhoods just a few blocks from the boardwalk never seemed to benefit much from the investments made in Atlantic City after gambling was legalized.

During a visit to one casino the first Saturday afternoon in January, there were lots of empty parking spots, many more empty than occupied stools by slot machines, and some closed restaurants and stores. Security guards ignored smokers who puffed away in non-smoking areas, and packs of teenagers walked easily through areas marked for patrons 21 and over.

Boardwalk pushcarts waited outside casino doors, offering gamblers a smoother and quicker trip past the historic Boardwalk Hall than they could expect driving on bumpy Atlantic Avenue, where traffic lights aren't synchronized. Perhaps it's symbolic of how the old and new in Atlantic City aren't quite in sync, and that the city's best days are seen in a rear view mirror, not straight ahead.

"Well now, evrything dies, baby, that's a fact
But maybe evrything that dies someday comes back"
-- Bruce Springsteen, "Atlantic City," 1982

No shore thing

During the first month after superstorm Sandy struck, much was said about about rebuilding the Jersey shore to be better than ever. Governor Christie, municipal officials and others across the region articulated how the beaches, boardwalks, attractions and businesses along the shore would be back for everyone to enjoy as always. A noble sentiment and the proper way to advance hope, certainly -- but no sure thing, realistically.

Can Seaside Heights ever be the same again? How about Point Pleasant and Keansburg? Or, Sea Bright? Long Beach Island? Can they really be rebuilt better than ever?

The mayor of Seaside Heights has mentioned the possibility of keeping the damaged roller coaster, the image of which will remain in many minds for years to come, partially submerged in the ocean as a tourist attraction. No matter how much money is invested in rebuilding boardwalk businesses to open in time for next summer, the crippled roller coaster is already being valued as a way to remember Seaside Heights' heyday -- as if its post-Sandy future may never top its past.

Could the same fate befall Point Pleasant, which in recent years has been challenged to retain its longstanding appeal to families? It's also difficult to imagine the mix of attractions in Keansburg retaining their appeal as an affordable family outing.

Its vulnerable position between the Atlantic Ocean and Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers cruelly exposed by Sandy at a time when global warming theorists are saying "we told you so," will most home and business owners in Sea Bright rebuild in a way to rekindle their best memories of years past?

Older Long Beach Island homeowners and some of their baby boomer children have been through this before. The Ash Wednesday storm of 1962 destroyed thousands of homes on the island, part of which was uninhabitable until that summer. The island rebounded, with some new homes built several feet off the ground for protection against future storms. Fifty years later, Sandy's winds and flooding brought a new round of destruction on Long Beach Island, and the cries to rebuild are being heard again.

Fortunately, some seaside towns were lucky to escape the worst effects of Sandy. Wildwood was unscathed, and all businesses in Long Branch's relatively new Pier Village, including its boardwalk restaurants, reopened within three weeks. Asbury Park will take more time to recover, but is expected to be back to normal well before next summer.

Today's children and the next generation will enjoy the replenished beaches, new boardwalks and contemporary attractions of a rebuilt Jersey shore. Some may appreciate stories about how things were before Sandy, but with each passing year find them less interesting.

People with a lifetime of wonderful Jersey shore memories will be grateful for all the efforts to rebuild the places they cherish. Like old family photographs destroyed by Sandy, however, it's no sure thing the Jersey shore they grew up with can ever be replaced.

What do you think?