Well, it's been nearly two months since Yogi left his home shores of Bali and what a huge adjustment it's had to be for him.
The romantic notions of working on a cruise ship and seeing the world are so far from his actual reality, it's like he's in a parallel universe...it's beyond hard.
After 33 hours solid travel, he arrived on the cruise ship to quarantine for a week in a room no bigger than a shoe box, no window, no fresh air. His meals were delivered to him and if he set foot outside the door he would have been sent home (one of the new crew did just that...he's now back in Bali)
Never being on a boat before, he suffered sea sickness badly...and 2 months on still needs sea sick pills to help. His reality is now this:
* He's on this ship for 8 months.
* He works 7 days a week.
* He has no shore leave due to Covid restrictions.
* He survives on 4hours sleep a night - he can't go to bed until the last guest has left the bar, and if that's 2.30am, he still has to get up at 6am for breakfast (even if his shift doesn't start till the afternoon).
* The ship is only half full (due to Covid restrictions), which means he only gets paid half of what a normal cruise would be (less profit for the cruise line means they pay the staff less)
He's missing his family, girlfriend and me badly. We used to video call weekly and I am his rock, keeping his morale high and holding him up when he doubts himself and life. He's not getting that now...he's on a ship across the other side of the world, with strangers, working his arse off to feed his family. There will be nothing left for him as far as savings goes when he finishes these 8 months. All he earns is for the family.
I'm gutted. I feel like I've sent him off to a slave camp. But what else could we do? Nothing. Not a damn thing. I can't get him to New Zealand for work. I can't get him to Australia. There's no work in Bali still...so this is the only choice.
The good thing is, he's getting great experience and he's learning to be strong on his own. But from where I'm sitting back here in New Zealand, my heart is breaking for the lessons he has to learn.
Life isn't easy for many...for those in developing countries there is little choice. Be grateful you still have choice, and when you raise a glass at Christmas time, please say a CHEERS for Yogi, doing the best he can, with the circumstances he's got.
Bless you all and thank you again...the journey continues...
