While having a fiddle with my electronic dictionary I 'discovered' that it has some grammar lessons and stuff like flashcards for the words in some standardised Spanish test vocabulary. I will try to put in a few minutes with that every day now I know, that should help improve my Spanish a bit. My grammar is terrible but I think vocabulary (and speed of comprehension when other people are talking, of course) is probably my biggest problem right now.
Re-reading Mark Twain's "The Innocents Abroad" and found this quote which I rather like:
We wish to learn all the curious, outlandish ways of all the different countries, so that we can "show off" and astonish people when we get home. We wish to excite the envy of our untraveled friends with our strange foreign fashions which we can't shake off. All our passengers are paying strict attention to this thing, with the end in view which I have mentioned. The gentle reader will never, never know what a consummate ass he can become, until he goes abroad. I speak now, of course, in the supposition that the gentle reader has not been abroad, and therefore is not already a consummate ass. If the case be otherwise, I beg his pardon and extend to him the cordial hand of fellowship and call him brother. I shall always delight to meet an ass after my own heart when I shall have finished my travels.
The layout of the ferry is probably fairly standard. Most of the lower deck is for vehicles, off to the right side is a narrow 'building' which contains the cabin, sleeping quarters, toilets, kitchen and what have you. The viewing deck is on top of this lot.
Every single time I open a door on the lower level and see all the cars and lorries parked there I get a momentary jolt because it looks like I'm stepping out into a normal street and I wonder where the hell I am. Seriously.
While I'm making random observations, there are 18 seats in here. I don't think they are all occupied. At any rate the Canadian guy told me he only booked his seat yesterday, so demand was clearly not quite as high as I was expecting. There are probably more than 18 passengers on board as I believe the people who are occupying the sleeping quarters don't have seats in here, although I could be wrong.
The life rafts are held in three plastic barrels mounted on the upper deck. I have not studied the instructions in detail, but I noticed earlier that they bear (in English) the delightful slogan "One, two, three, and you're safe at sea", presumably referring to three steps needed to deploy them.
22:30 Stayed out on deck talking in Spanish then English w couple of young Chileans (brother & sister). She was bilingual and he spoke pretty good English. Dark now, time to sleep...
Sunday, 7:30. I slept badly. They were showing a nature programme with Spanish subtitles, I wasn't sleepy so I watched that while listening to some music. That finished and someone turned the TV off. I was yawning occasionally by this point but it took me ages to get to sleep.
I just didn't seem to have quite enough room for my legs. I realise this morning that I could have tipped my seat back, but I don't know if it would have helped.
I woke up two or three times during the night. The first time was probably coincidence but the sea was getting a bit rougher (nothing too bad, more noisy than anything else). The second and/or third I was obviously half asleep, I looked out of the window and saw (literally) drawings appear on the clouds. Maybe I dreamed this, but I could swear I opened my eyes and then shut them again sharpish before I saw something I didn't like. The sort of blotches forming in my eyes as a result of being asleep, if that makes any sense, were being resolved by my imagination into vaguely unpleasant forms, on top of the slightly creepy cloud drawing thing.
I fully appreciate the last paragraph probably makes no sense.
The first time I woke up I was worried it was morning already. The relief when I finally opened my eyes and found out it was still dark was almost worth having woken up for.
I've had a cup of tea and a ham and cheese roll now and I don't feel too bad. I may just possibly drowse a little more now, although I doubt it, or maybe later today. If I do I probably won't fight it this time.
No comments:
Post a Comment