Coffee..."Here Here"

Day three of the stop dredging mandate enacted in response to the coral spawning, and I’ve been trying to keep my mind busy; which is already proving to be difficult on this motionless ship. During cyclone demobilizations, I would distract myself by standing out on deck five and scanning the water for dolphins, whales, sea snakes, seabirds, and other fauna as we sailed around the Indian Ocean. This time it’s different. Instead the Finnmarken will remain at anchor for the duration of the spawning event, so I stand little chance of spotting any usual species. I did, however, manage to sight my first Barrow Island cephalopod from the bow this morning. A 200cm squid was hovering beneath a patch of Sargasso-like algae, possibly depositing egg packets on the drifting refuge. Luckily I had my camera handy as I was taking a series of photos to stitch into a panoramic view of the area (which turned out better than expected), so I snapped a few shots before it retreaded into the shadow of the hull. I can’t image what else may be lingering beneath this massive cruise ship; big sharks, cuttlefish, Elvis?

I’ve been able to make some discoveries with all my free time on the ship. No longer will I be forced to drink instant coffee to get my caffeine fix. I was sneaking around the various offices on deck four, when I picked up the faint unmistakable aroma of real brewed coffee. I KNEW IT. I knew there had to be other like-minded people on this ship that refused to drink that nasty coffee substitute. After some searching I came upon it, the Holy Grail; a stainless steel coffee machine. It was beautiful, it made half cups, whole cups, cappuccinos, lattes, added warm milk, and best of all…it used REAL coffee beans. Finally I can have my three morning cups of black water without the bowel emptying affects of instant coffee. Now I just need to find that hidden bar…

Another entertaining distraction has been following Australian politics on the tube. If you thought watching those CSPAN broadcasts of the American Senate meetings is about as fun as sitting through mass at a Catholic church, well you’re right, it is. The Australian Senate conversely is anything but boring. It is chaos; colorful people shouting out of line, using words like “crap” and “mate” in a supposed professional setting, yelling HERE HERE, and basically acting like they had spent the morning sniffing noxious glue fumes while flinging buggers at their neighbors, in between nap time and afternoon peanut butter and jelly crackers. It’s ridiculous; I don’t see how it’s possible for any real work to get done in such democratic meetings. At one point the argument was being made that the term “climate change none believer” was offensive because it was a reference to the Holocaust none believers; amazing. Politicians will try anything to shock people into following their cause, regardless of its validity or merit. But it is very entertaining none the less, so I thank the Australian government for supplying the show; I raise my mug of real coffee in your direction.

Here’s to hoping for a cyclone, three weeks to go.