Hubby and Wifey's Blog

14 Feb 2009... it was Valentines Day, a heart day and the most favorite day of all lovers all over the world. I celebrated my valentines day working at anchor in Singapore. We dropped our anchor at around 1000hrs because our ship will be taking bunker.
This month is the end of my contract in this ship but instead of going home, I stayed for another months. I joined this vessel last May 2008 and my contract will end on February 2009, it means I should have went home by now. I refused to go home because my 2nd contract will finish this April 2009. The more you stay at the ship the more money you will earn. The more reason I want to stay longer until April is because I want to gain 9 months experience as 3rd officer on board the ship. This is my chance to prove that I can be a good officer. My crew mate Ordinary seaman went home already because he had finished his contract. I felt guilty for going home just because I am tired of my work and don’t want to pass Gulf of Aden again but I must extend to have 9 months experience as 3rd officer to be strong in my profession. I was also guilty to my girl friend because I know she misses me and wants me to go home. I felt sorry for her but I want to be strong to my profession and give her a better life. This coming April or May, we will get married and I want her to be happy and give all that she wanted and support her as her husband.
I gave my girlfriend (wifey) a call to greet her on Valentines day, to show her how much I love her even I’m a thousand miles away. I hope she understands our situation and as I told her before, seamen don’t have permanent home, our home is the sea….. Rough or smooth it will be our home till we exist in this so called earth. In every special occasion I will be in the surface of the sea. Working hard to earn and give better life to my love ones. Sometimes people don’t understand our situation and all they know we are “SEAMANLOLOKO AND SEAMANIIWAN” “DI NAMAN KAMI ANG NANLOLOKO EH KUNG SINO ANG NAGSASABI NITO JUST LOOK AT THE MIRROR AND YOU WILL SEE WHO IS THE REAL MANLOLOKO”

If I went home, I should have arrived in Philippines on 15th Feb 2009 at around 1730 hours. I don’t have a choice but to stay longer for our better future and for my experience (carrier). Seaman in the Philippines is one of the highest money earners. Our salary is much higher than the managers in the Bank. Filipino Captain could earn as much as half a million per month as all Seamen Officers want to be a Captain as soon as possible to gain the Half a million per month. High earner but it’s difficult if you miss special someone in your life.

Everyday I wake up early in the morning to replace chief officer at 0800 hrs because my duty schedule is 0800 to 1200 and 2000 to 2400 hrs. If there is no traffic in the area I just look at the sky and the horizon of the sea. It’s calm and peaceful and because of that you will have your daydreaming running in your mind and you'll begin to think of your love ones and it is a disaster for us “HOME SICK”… I eat my lunch at around 1230 hrs and take a rest till 1515hrs. I will go out at around 1530 hrs to check all my life saving appliance and fire fighting equipments. At 1630 I will go inside and take my dinner at around 1700 hrs. After I eat my dinner I will go to my cabin and take a deep rest in the 4 corners of my cabin. Sound trip, games, and watching movies are my past time at this time. At 1930 I will take a bath and prepare myself for my duty (2000 hrs till 2400 hrs). The same situation at the bridge when I am taking my night duty, I still look the beautiful horizon of the sea and moon light, sometimes I see a falling star and wish deep into my heart and soul. Sometimes I see a huge falling star that drops just a couple of miles from our ship. We are in a deep **** if that huge falling star will hit us. Sometimes I’m looking at the formation of the stars and sometimes there are planets (Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn).We use these heavenly bodies to compute on our Gyro error and Positioning of the ship. Before when computers are not yet ruling the world, we use all heavenly bodies to prevent loss in the middle of the sea.
Our life as a seaman is the fastest life span. We gain our age quickly because of our contract. 6 to 9 months aboard the ship and we are not around in special occasion in the Philippines. I accept this path and choose it, this is how I will live and die together with my love ones.