Reggae Amish

Two funny things said by children: Hanna announces happily she has "won third place!" great! how many teams were there? three.
and later as we were talking about the sun and planets she finally asks: why would the sun turn into a big red giant?
and Frederick told me with a strong sense of regret " Hanna never tells me her problems..she always wants to wait for you mommy" I think he was referring to when she is falling asleep and is worried about something.

The Amish really are an amazing sight. They are dressed exactly like whistler's mother. I am not exaggerating ....straight from 18th century (?) and they show up around the main indoor pool with the reggae band playing..in long black dresses and suspenders and hair cuts like one of the three stooges...straight forward plastered down bangs (on the men). Thomas who is at the end of his rope what with the born again Stanford guy prattling on that there is scientific evidence that Jonah could have been in the belly of the whale asks, why did they choose that century to live in? (the Amish I mean). Why not the stone age? or the middle ages?

The rest of us are living as if we are in an English colony in the great days of empire....shuffle board and what one wears to dinner are incredibly important...also drinking in the day and naps.

Handsome Turk was in rare form..never seen him so flirty and happy. He even invited us to watch the soccer in the crew area..they cleared out some luggage place and set up seats....we said But we are not allowed! and he suggested we simply tell people we are crew...told Thomas he should say he is one of the dancers....hahahahahhaha

There are people from New Orleans behind us that are real pros at the eating...put us to shame...they come for breakfast lunch and dinner and get secret things off the menu from tips before hand from Le Turk. They are not even fat..just pros.

Thomas is jogging around the deck, then massage...I have a body scrub. As I always say, it is a full life.

Hanna seems really happy and for the first time is worried about the trip ending....though she is really excited to see Andrew and Margaret.

The weather is so calm...great for sunning on the deck, but a drag for ocean watchers...so warm it is weird. Saw a huge school of dolphins..what a sight..jumping through the water, playing in our wake, they look miniature from where we were high up. So so pretty.

Tonight is last formal night...New Orleans people told us the menu is is crazy good the last formal night...must gear up to chat with the crazies....who by the way is a semi famous person in the born again crowd....big rich entrepreneur who is trying to bring Christianity to the call centers of India...and writes books on how to interpret the bible literally except that part about a rich person and a camel getting into heaven...he hates that shit...he says (we googled him) that God is totally into rich people (presumably as long as they are not Jews or Muslims) and not to worry...also he is vague on thou shalt not kill. I must muzzle Thomas......and Frederick for that matter..don't try to tell that kid the dinosaurs were here 5 000 years ago...

Only one more full day at sea (sniff)
xo