first time to go abroad

“Are you Fajar?”, “Yes I am”. “Hi I am Yudha, the CMHO*, welcome aboard” then he asked me to go with him. He introduced me to another crews…and asked me to accompany him to the warehouse outside after I got a crew passed. The security was very tight on board; everyone must have IDs (crew ID and I-94) to go in or out, especially in homeport Florida because in some time the local authority without notice, checks the crew.


I was still so tired at that time, but I had to work right away. After the long flight from Jakarta to Florida (transited in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia & Amsterdam Holland), and arrived in Florida’s hotel around 5 in the afternoon, it took about 3 days on the way. What a tiring trip I had! Even though I over stayed one night in a hotel, but I couldn’t sleep at all; I was so tired and nervous. This was my first time to go far away from home. I had never been in a dormitory by my own, but stayed with my family in a rent home, and now far far away...alone! So, it was a big experience I had never faced before. Exciting…but scary! Fortunately, I was with friends who’re repeaters to the ship, so my flight trip was not so lonely at all, but still…I couldn’t sleep!

“Meek”, “I’m sorry, what’s that?” Many times the longshoreman asked me about that. I couldn’t understand it at all. “Did we receive already the milk?” someone else tried to explain. O ghoz…, I really couldn’t get it. Might be because I was still so tired and sleepy, nervous and really brand new to this field...and it was really hot in the warehouse. “To talk to the Afro-America is always difficult”, my boss said in another time, “They have their own articulation, intonation, even they are proud about their slank”…hmmm I see ;) It was a loading day* in the warehouse. Later on I know a slank in bahasa* for Afro-American people. We call them Mat-i (mat item) for the men and Mak-i (mak item) for the women…he…he…he…what a sailor lives!

I didn’t go out at all when the ship docked in certain port of call in about my first 3 months even though my friends asked me to. I promised myself before I could do my job, I won’t go out! It’s boring of course, but worth enough. Since the first time I stepped on the Zuiderdam, a vista class ship*, everyday I encouraged myself to get better and better on doing my job. Because I knew, it’s a big blessing for me to go abroad paid nothing for the trip and also every month there will be a self assessment for the improvement, so I had to be succeeded!

Finally after that first 3 months, I passed and went out for the first time. It was in St. Thomas, a nice port of call. It’s hot, but there’re a lot shopping centers and restaurants over there. Surprisingly, I met my 4th brother over there who worked in another ship, and our ships docked together in St. Thomas. We had lunch together in a Chinese restaurant. It’s very seldom to be happened, because as a sailor sometimes we board and have vacation not in the same time.

My first 9 months experienced was so nice. I got Caribbean route, one of the famous tourism in the world. Beside the St. Thomas; Key West, Nassau, Florida, Grand Cayman and many other places were the ship visited. Then I was transferred to Veendam, a smaller ship, in Alaska route. I refused to be transferred in the first time. I’d enjoyed the job and the environment. I liked the nice-bright ship, my friends, and the Christian fellowship (we contributed in Christmas 2005 together, I love it guys, see the choir at http://fajar.slide.com) but duties called anyway…

I was transferred from St. Thomas airport, alone! Little bit afraid because it’s not my own country…I knew nothing about the flight! A lot of Mak-I & Mat-I (most of the Caribbean people are Afro-American) on the flight, only me, Asian…but I had to be brave! With a small plane, flew to Florida then to Juneau right away.

Astonishing! Wow, it’s so wonderful place to be missed. Thanks God You brought me here, no regret at all! The snowy peaks, the nature habitats, clean environments, freshly air & water, cool…wow uncomparable! In fact, I met my 3rd brother (the 4th brother twins) over there in the same ship. What a blessing times (again, this is very seldom to be happened for the sailor on the same ship working together). He showed me many beautiful places in Alaska. In Sitka, Ketchikan, Juneau and…Skagway the nice small village surrounds with snowy peaks. But we only met about 2 weeks, after that my brother had to go home for vacation…but it was worthy. I stayed for another 3 months after that, with nice friends, Christian fellowships, workmates, and wonderful places to enjoy.

I’d ever vomited many times a day…bad experiences! It was when Veendam crossing back from Alaska to Caribbean again. More than 10 times a day vomited (even though I took seasickness pills already) because of the rocky waves…and it was in stormy season! The waves hit the port holes even over on the 6 decks. What a scary experience, but thanks God we survived.

Then before Christmas 2005, I went home and joined my brother who got home earlier and celebrated Christmas and New Year with our family, nice…

*CMHO: Controller Marine Hotel Officer, an officer who controls the cost of every Food & Beverages, even all hotel department’s supplies. CMHO is in Hotel department, under Hotel Manager and has an assistant and clerk to assist his job.

*Loading day: the day when the ship docks in certain port of call (usually in home port) to upload the stuffs and offload garbage. If in homeport, the guests usually embark and disembark as well.

*bahasa: it’s Indonesian language, we call it bahasa Indonesia.

*Vista class ship: a big ship which has 2000 capacity of guests and around 800 crews.
The Holland America Line, right now has 4 vista class ships and about 9 smaller ships which travel all over the world.

See the http://fajar.slide.com for my first year’s experience pictures in a slide show.