Honey I shrunk the room :) LOS review 09/24 Med cruise. Long with some pics

[Pushka]

most famous W.W. memorials every single day of the year since 1928,

 

Menin Gate ?

 

7,000 Australians alone died defending Belgium in WW1 and the Last Post sounds every evening at this Memorial..

[Zu~]

Verfai, I enjoyed your review and good for you for sticking up for your comments. Thanks for the pictures too. Have you found out what horsefeathers are yet?

[Verfai]

most famous W.W. memorials every single day of the year since 1928,

 

Menin Gate ?

 

7,000 Australians alone died defending Belgium in WW1 and the Last Post sounds every evening at this Memorial..

 

Yep, the Menin gate. I had no idea what the name was in English :D

I don’t think we will ever know how many exactly died and from where these men came that were defending the center of Europe...Thanks to them they were able to set forward from Belgium out and free the rest of Europe.

 

 

Verfai, I enjoyed your review and good for you for sticking up for your comments. Thanks for the pictures too. Have you found out what horsefeathers are yet?

 

Thanks, and I think Pete and myself are still wondering what it meens :D

[pspercy]

A quickie diversion for those who don't know:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menin_Gate

 

British and Commonwealth soldiers often passed through the Menenpoort on their way to the front lines, some 300,000 of them being killed in the Ypres Salient. 90,000 of these soldiers have no known graves.

[sleeky]

Horsefeathers

 

Slang.

n. (used with a sing. verb)

Nonsense; foolishness.

 

interj.

Used to express disagreement or exasperation.

 

 

 

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/horsefeathers#ixzz1ZtMKOGVi

 

Only children and teachers get the summer off in the UK. The country would grind to a halt if everyone did.

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

I always thought the legal work week (not counting the one hour lunch) adds up to 35 hours in the United States (at least in offices).

 

In most European countries (I think France may be an exception), the legal work week is 40 hours.

 

In Europe, yes we may get longer vacations (one month plus legal holidays), and although we have universal healthcare and nearly free university tuition for our children, the salaries here tend to be much lower.

 

For example, a teacher who works in the New York City Public school system earns as MAXIMUM pay and education (after long years of work, masters degrees, etc.) more than $100,000 per year plus all of the healthcare and pension benefits, sabbaticals, etc.

 

Here in Madrid, a teacher who works in the Madrid public school system for as many years as the $100,000 teacher in New York City, earns less than 2,000 euros per month, which includes universal healthcare and a public pension system upon retirement which will probably not exist by the time that person retires.

 

Both teachers get the same summer vacation and public holidays. So much for the overpaid, over-vacationed, European worker.

 

Getting back to the OP, it was a great review of your experience, but it is important to realize that people from different cultures and different countries will perceive and live that experience very differently.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[sg1phileshipper]

I don’t really feel that the comments are near racial, maybe you felt offended by the remark over the Spanish...But that was just the way it was and no offence was meant in any way.

 

Let me try to explain a bit:

There were a lot of large Spanish families present, that did not speak any other language to anybody, they treated the staff as dirt...Especially when they had a hard time understanding what they wanted, and we saw this on numerous occasions.

You cannot tell me that is that hard to ask for a drink in English whiteout having to use swear words to the staff!?

Also making loads of noise in the Olive twist bar, including bodily sounds are to be considered as having manners...Again Spanish speakers.

It even started at the muster, one middle aged man did not want to stand in the line, he shouted something to the muster master, in Spanish, he replied very politely that he didn’t understand, but he received the middle finger from the man...He just kept on shouting, the little I understood, something with a bad knee and that it needed to go faster.

We got passed by 2 times at the frozen yogurt stand by also Spanish speaking passengers whom I guess felt we didn’t go fast enough, one thing I can’t stand in life is others thinking they have priority wherever they are from or who they are.

 

 

I have to agree with you on this. Though I wasn't on the Liberty, but on the Freedom, I observed the same things you described. Very rude and impolite to the staff, they didn't wait in line, didn't understand a word of English, were very very loud all over the ship, kids had no manners what's so ever, etc. I can go on forever, but I'm sure you know what I mean. And no, just like Verfai, I don't mean to step on anyone's toes, but that's the way it was. I'm not gonna shoot them for that though, it's probably a thing that is done in their country and that we don't understand

 

I really liked your review and pictures. Thanks for sharing

 

Cindy

[cactusflower]

I always thought the legal work week (not counting the one hour lunch) adds up to 35 hours in the United States (at least in offices).

 

 

FYI - the legal work week in the US is 40 hours. ("typical" office job would be 8-5, which is 8 hours of work plus one hour lunch)

[CruisinGerman]

I've worked in offices in New York City. I remember for non-exempt employees (people who qualify for overtime), the hours were 9 - 5 with one hour for lunch.

 

Isn't that where the movie and later musical "9 to 5" came from? I don't remember it being called "8 to 5".

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[vickiw0318]

9 to 5 - I did see that some when I worked up east. Down South, 8 to 5 is probably the norm. Our rush hour in Dallas is over by nine.

[PSU]

I don't know where or who you worked for in the U.S., but I work 40-plus hours per week as an editor. Many times I have to complete tasks at night and on weekends. I am not complaining, but most people in the United States that get a salary work more than 40 hours a week. That is expected.

 

My daughter, who is an attorney, has to bill at least 200 hours per month.

 

Yes, if you qualify for overtime, you work 8 hours a day.

 

There are benefits to working in the United States and different benefits for those working in Europe. No one is saying it is better one place or another.

I just don't think that you can make generalizations about either.:)

I've worked in offices in New York City. I remember for non-exempt employees (people who qualify for overtime), the hours were 9 - 5 with one hour for lunch.

 

Isn't that where the movie and later musical "9 to 5" came from? I don't remember it being called "8 to 5".

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[LarryL]

I've worked in offices in New York City. I remember for non-exempt employees (people who qualify for overtime), the hours were 9 - 5 with one hour for lunch.

 

Isn't that where the movie and later musical "9 to 5" came from? I don't remember it being called "8 to 5".

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

I have to chuckle at this assumption. Thanks to unions here in the States we have adopted a standard 40 hour work week and living wages.

 

Corporations and a certain political party here are actively attempting to destroy unions and do away with workers rights. If they succeed we will lose many, if not all, of the few benefits we have left plus be forced to work longer hours at smaller wages.

[hgmizzou]

 

Anyhow, on the meat subject, like I wrote, “a strange explanation” :D. yes I have been to the US (Florida-Orlando and Miami), yes the meat was cooked as we ordered, but we did get strange looks asking rare...Maybe a wrong steak house :).

On the boat the explanation was the bacterial growth is exponentially greater then rare meat than in well done...Agreed, but still if they keep the meat well cooled and or frozen, lay it on a hot and clean pan this shouldn’t be a problem.

 

I don't know what they were talking about. I believe the only real problem is with hamburger meat, due to the need to grind the meat. With a steak, as long as the outside of the meat is cooked, it should be okay. The bacteria issue should not be a problem. This sounds like someone only understanding part of an issue.

[marci22]

wow, so much wrongness in this thread.

[LarryL]

wow, so much wrongness in this thread.

 

Sorry if my rant prompted your reply. I just found out that politics of the day could have a more detrimental effect on my upcoming retirement than I had realized before. This is not a place to vent those frustrations.

 

My Aplologies