Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Four

[mysty]

Wonderful Bill!

 

JP....Here are a couple pics of Peyto Lake. The first is not mine but it shows the beauty of the place.

 

 

This is the one I took.

 

All the more reason to return! :)

[mysty]

Bill...Just curious....is communication in your new home fairly easy? English, French, something else?

[Bill B]

The landlady speaks English, her sisters don't. Communication can be difficult at times due to cultural assumptions/pronunciation, but 99% of the time there's no problem because she's slow, methodical and precise.

 

I was adopted into the extended family who were visiting from Saigon (nobody in Vung Tau calls it HCMC) on the day I moved in. All the older men were drunk at one end of a huge table while the older women sat at the other end and watched. The middle-aged women fed/served everyone while the younger women and teenagers looked after the kids and babies. It was loud (almost mayhem). I thought "What have I gotten myself into?" Turns out it was a 2-3 times a year family gathering - like westerners would have at Christmas/Thanksgiving. The oldest brother and many of the men speak English. There was food of all descriptions; and they kept insisting I eat and drink. I finally had to excuse myself to go start unpacking.

[jpalbny]

Bill, welcome back! Quite an adventure that you are having. Thanks for stopping by to tell us about it.

 

Mysty, great picture. I have a similar one of the Grand Canyon. On our first visit, it was so fogged in that we really couldn't see the bottom - or much else of the Canyon itself.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Afternoon All, from Seaside, lovely to have you back Bill.

 

Today’s fish and cooks perqs,

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[jpalbny]

Ah, cooking wine...

 

We had a delicious one last night from the Languedoc region. I will have to find a bunch of it to "cellar" for summer...if it ever gets here! Once I get to my laptop i will attach a picture. This new Android app is unusable WRT attaching pictures. [emoji35]

 

 

Love that it's from both Languedoc and (a former part of) Catalonia.

 

 

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Edited April 13, 2018 by jpalbny

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi JP,

 

:D

 

Apart from champers as cooks perqs the benefit of Seaside is being able to eat exceptionally fresh fish whilst overlooking across the bay the boats and harbour where it was landed a few hours ago.

 

We have a new owner of our fish shop and she has really upped the game. So we now have a kitchen with fresh fish a wine fridge full of goodies and life doesn’t get much better.

 

Inelegant but tasty ......

 

 

 

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[mysty]

Greetings Coolers! The calm before the storm here. It's about to get ugly!

 

J...Love the cook's perqs and the cook's output! YUM!

 

JP...you will probably have a chance at better weather in Banff. :) Weather was great on day 1 and a complete pattern change on day 2. Love the label design on the wine bottle! Enjoy your family visit!

 

Today's funny may ring true for many......

 

 

Have a great day all!

[spinnaker2]

Jeff,

Is that flounder! Incredibly good looking fish, both before and after.

 

Thanks for the laugh Mysty.

 

Welcome back Bill, such a treat to learn of your adventure!

 

JP, this is your weekend of fun and frolic with the fam and it starts with Friday the 13th. Most auspicious.

 

Enjoy the day all.

 

Only 8 days to go...sail away soon.

 

 

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[jpalbny]

Spins, yes it is. The first arrival is just in time for dinner. The rest are coming in late tonight. It will go from zero to crazy very fast!

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi Spins,

 

Yesterday was red mullet and today was lemon sole. I’m hoping for some dover sole tommorow but it all depends on what Tracey (our fishnmonger) buys when she is at the market in Brixham. It will then be meuniere.

 

Your comment a few days ago about Trump resulted in no takers but I suspect that as Coolers have a joint IQ greater than society in general ( ;) ) that few have the stomach to debate such things. The problems are manifold and if anyone would have suggested a year or two back that the keyboard might be as risky to world survival as the button everyone would have laughed. I think the man wants to go out with a bang largely because his staff have appraised him of his bunker.

 

Human frailty being what it is few people are able to accomodate the idea that we have been on the wrong side of the arguments far too often in history and currently we might be doing so again.

 

I’ve been taking a fourth viewing of Oliver Stone’s untold history series and it is a shame he says it is American history which is unnecessarily provocative as it is really much wider. It shows history from a wider and more factual standpoint and enpathises non alliance viewpoints. It is one of the most educational and thought provoking initiatives I have encountered. Wifey joined me this time and is working her way through the programmes and has talked about it a lot as it fills in so many gaps,in our knowledge. We feel it should be viewed by as many politicos as possible.

[spinnaker2]

Hi Jeff.

Every day is another revelation. Today is no exception.

I haven't the stomach to debate either. There are no words that adequately describe the current administration.

 

 

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[Camillus112]

Have been away for a bit. So much agree with Spins and Jeff! No stomach at all...so embarrassed...how many of Imelda Marcos' shoes need to fall before any action taken?

[mysty]

I'm not sure what exactly there is to debate in regard to the leadership down south. The situation is not likely to change with respect to the person sitting in the Oval Office. He seems to thrive on media attention even from the "fake news" providers. Giving him any further attention is counter-productive to my mind. Obviously there are legions of us who are not happy with the situation! And....there is little to nothing that can be accomplished by focusing any energy on a further wringing of hands. The next opportunity to change the situation will not present until the next election. Yes, he is dangerous. Yes, he is ego driven. Yes, he is destructive. No argument there. And that will be the situation until the next chance for our neighbours down south to vote for a leader.

[Lois R]

I'm not sure what exactly there is to debate in regard to the leadership down south. The situation is not likely to change with respect to the person sitting in the Oval Office. He seems to thrive on media attention even from the "fake news" providers. Giving him any further attention is counter-productive to my mind. Obviously there are legions of us who are not happy with the situation! And....there is little to nothing that can be accomplished by focusing any energy on a further wringing of hands. The next opportunity to change the situation will not present until the next election. Yes, he is dangerous. Yes, he is ego driven. Yes, he is destructive. No argument there. And that will be the situation until the next chance for our neighbours down south to vote for a leader.

 

Not happy? That is putting it lightly........things around here are absolutely UNBELIEVABLE:mad:.....just UNREAL:eek:.......I keep thinking what else is going to happen?.......I am now 60 years old and I was a young teenager when Watergate happened.

..This just beats that all.....I know we try to stay cordial on here so I hope I am not going to be flamed by anyone but I really wish there was a way to get this guy OUT of that OVAL office....maybe the Nov mid terms will be able to do something:eek:......

[mysty]

Putting it lightly and trying desperately to be somewhat "diplomatic". The rest of the world is also impacted and there is nothing we can do about it. Frustration...obviously. But there is nothing any of us can do to change the current situation. Mid-terms are a faint hope by the sounds of things. What is the alternative to the wringing of hands? The voters in the US placed their trust in the current leader. What the rest of the world thought was immaterial. And yet...we will all experience the fallout.

[philw1776]

Guess from the way this thread is going we are going to be extremely unpopular on our next Silversea cruise!

[mysty]

No philw1776! Most of us respect everyone's right to choose. We may not agree with the choice or be thrilled with it and yet most will still respect the right to make that choice. That is democracy! Is it not understandable that people may be expressing concern about the current state of affairs though? To be fair, I think that concern is justifiable.

Edited April 13, 2018 by mysty

[UKCruiseJeff]

Guess from the way this thread is going we are going to be extremely unpopular on our next Silversea cruise!

 

Hi Phil,

 

Can't talk about your next cruise but can say that you are most welcome here.

 

Personally, as most of the stuff I read is anti-Trump I feel that there is insufficient exposure and airing of the contrary view, and I would very much appreciate hearing the views of a supporter with how if anything their views have changed since the election and what they feel has been achieved and will be acheived. Listening to views that agree offers no educational opportunity but listening to contrary views sometimes or often does. Your opinions might be questioned but I doubt they will be attacked.

 

ps I live in Old Hampshire :D

[mysty]

Well said J!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks M, it’d be interesting to hear from Phil .... and a goodnight from Seaside. :)

[jillyf]

14 months ago we were on a river cruise in Myanmar and an American passenger talked about voting for Trump. When asked why, she said that the mid west was feeling abandoned and that was why she voted that way.

I wonder if she will vote for him now!

 

Winter has arrived here with a cold front moving through with wind, heavy rain, and hail. The mountains have had their first snowfall.

We are having a week away playing golf, leaving tomorrow, so are hoping that the weather improves. Twenty of us go every year in April and have different weather each year.

I have packed wet weather gear, warm clothes and a few short sleeved tops and summer slacks. Should find something suitable!

[rosepark]

Announcement- WE HAVE SUN!!!

Sorry Mysty Jilly et al but this is exciting.

Rp

[Mudhen]

SO DO WE!

OMG....strange orange ball in the sky, burning my eyes!

Flowers are actually "thinking" about opening...

Will finally get to give Snitchy (our jrt) a much needed bath!

It only lasts for today....Freezing rain for tomorrow night..........phooey!

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers! We may actually dodge one of the bullets this weekend. We may only get about 5 cm of snow today. Unfortunately the second bullet of freezing rain is still aimed directly at us tomorrow.

 

Jill...hope the golf trip works out for you. Have a great time!

 

RP...revel in the sunshine! We will share your merriment vicariously. :)

 

Today's funny....(speaking of myself of course! ) :)

 

 

Have a great day all!