Jim_Iain Live - 2nd Half World Cruise - B2B Singapore to Down Under 11/25 – 12/21

[Jim_Iain]

[Jim_Iain]

Time for Lunch---  You ready for this -   we settled on a nice Mexican Place on the Quay.

Sanchos (Clark Wuay)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 24, 2023 by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

Sometimes you just scratch your head.  I looked over and said. ….. no i’m not going to say. 
 

 

[Jim_Iain]

34 minutes ago, chemmo said:

So sorry for your disappointment with Santosa…It is really gutting when you look forward to revisiting a place you have loved and find it spoiled. In the last few years we have revisited a few place we first saw forty years ago and have been upset by changes that have taken place…

 

Much as we know not everywhere can be turned into world heritage sites and protected I think some thought needs to be taken in some areas. Particularly important to my mind are the ‘back street’ areas of many towns…the little shops, bars, restaurants that suddenly go and are replaced by an anonymous glass tower block. I think many cities are in danger of becoming historical facades but loosing their soul in the process.

 

Thoroughly enjoying your adventures!

 

Unfortunately that is what happened in Singapore -  Most of the old neighborhoods were destroyed and replaced by steel and glass sky scrapers.   I understand when you are landlocked an have now where to grow except up.

 

No difference in Sunnyvale -   They bulldozed most of the downtown and replaced with a Indoor White Elephant Mall.    It was pretty much abandoned and then torn down for redevelopment only to end up in a court battle so sat for 10 years until settled by State Supreme Court.    It has been under construction with the last part including at 12 story twin tower.       I'm not sure how i feel about it...

[DaKahuna]

@Jim_Iain I have a huge favor to ask.  On your sailing when they perform the "crossing the line" ceremonies, would you please take and post lots of pictures?  I have been across multiple times but only on US Navy ships, never on a cruise liner and would like to see how they are conducted as I am sure they are much more pollywog friendly.   Also wonder what roles any existing shellbacks play in the ceremony or if it is only ship's crew that participate. 

 

 

[terrydtx]

8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Time for Lunch---  You ready for this -   we settled on a nice Mexican Place on the Quay.

Sanchos (Clark Wuay)

 

 

 

 

 

Mexican food in Singapore, just doesn't seem right. I remember in the late 1990's while on a business trip to Beijing our Sheraton Hotel had a Mexican food night and the food was just nothing close to real Mexican food. 

[expattraveler]

Jim,

 

wondering if you saw the Cavenagh bridge erected near Clark Quay and the Fullerton Hotel which was fabricated in Glasgow? You may have seen it before in your previous travels to Singapore, but thought lian might have enjoyed seeing it!
 

Was fortunate to have lived in Singapore for four years. As you indicated in an earlier post the humidity and temps are fairly constant year round both in the mid ei, as is the 7:00 sunrise and 19:00 sunset.

Enjoying your travels!

[Stem to Stern]

10 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

The 5x telephoto on the Max Pro is incredibly handy.

I guess we made a good choice on our new ones. 

Now I just have to learn how to use it and teach it to do the laundry.

😄

 

[MarKay525]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

@Jim_Iain I have a huge favor to ask.  On your sailing when they perform the "crossing the line" ceremonies, would you please take and post lots of pictures?  I have been across multiple times but only on US Navy ships, never on a cruise liner and would like to see how they are conducted as I am sure they are much more pollywog friendly.   Also wonder what roles any existing shellbacks play in the ceremony or if it is only ship's crew that participate. 

 

 

John,

Your post brought a smile to my lips and a tear to my eye. My Dad crossed the line multiple times during his career - he retired from the Navy with 20 years service, then spent about another 15 years sailing with Merchant Marines/Military Sea Transport/Military Sea Command.

 

After he passed away, we found his Shellback certificate presented during WW II safely tucked away in his ham shack.

 

For those not familiar with the ceremony:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony

 

Jim - I'd love to see photos as well.

 

Kay

A proud Navy brat

[awhfy]

On 11/20/2023 at 6:51 PM, Jim_Iain said:

Next stop the Lounge.   Singapore doesn't have a dedicated lounge so use United Polaris Lounge.    Really been enhanced since last time we were there.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prisoner in an airport lounge, nice!

[awhfy]

On 11/21/2023 at 5:29 PM, Jim_Iain said:

For any of you techies-   Been having a strange issue with my new iPhone 15 Pro Max and CC.    About 10% of my photo's when I upload show up as a big black picture.   I have to go in and take a Screen shot of the photo and then crop -  when I post the screen shot it posts perfect.  

 

Mine is doing the same, thanks for the screenshot/crop tip (I’ve been going crazy trying to figure it ou!)

[dsa181920]

Jim,

I just found this live report and have caught up to page 13. I always enjoy following your trips and am glad you are doing another one on Celebrity.

 

Sallie

[helen haywood]

1 hour ago, awhfy said:

Mine is doing the same, thanks for the screenshot/crop tip (I’ve been going crazy trying to figure it ou!)

What worked on mine is go to Settings-Camera-Format and change the Photo Capture/Photo Mode to 12 MP.  It worked but I have no idea what that means…

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

@Jim_Iain I have a huge favor to ask.  On your sailing when they perform the "crossing the line" ceremonies, would you please take and post lots of pictures?  I have been across multiple times but only on US Navy ships, never on a cruise liner and would like to see how they are conducted as I am sure they are much more pollywog friendly.   Also wonder what roles any existing shellbacks play in the ceremony or if it is only ship's crew that participate. 

 

 

 

Will do -- before we do -   Found a YouTube of Eclipse last year.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vURdUGUDYos

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Mexican food in Singapore, just doesn't seem right. I remember in the late 1990's while on a business trip to Beijing our Sheraton Hotel had a Mexican food night and the food was just nothing close to real Mexican food. 

 

This one is incredibly good.   Handmade Salsas, Guacamole etc.   They also asked the spice temperature you desired.   I know it is the unexpected but been eating our way around the world.   We have had Schecwan, Turkish, Dum Sing - Singapore Crab.... Last night we were looking Cantonese (harder to find).

 

I know I'm going to get a bunch of Booooos,   but Iain and I aren't into Indian.  Just not fond of curry.  David and Robert of course love it and have been good and taking our tastes into consideration after our first night and the HOT HOT Schecwan we went to. 

 

I was given the task to find one.    I failed !    OK   I did find two that were of interest to me but got voted down because when Iain and Robert researched -   "Jim -  they are both Michelin  2* -  we can't go in short.      OK... you didn't give me that parameter. 

 

 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, expattraveler said:

Jim,

 

wondering if you saw the Cavenagh bridge erected near Clark Quay and the Fullerton Hotel which was fabricated in Glasgow? You may have seen it before in your previous travels to Singapore, but thought lian might have enjoyed seeing it!
 

Was fortunate to have lived in Singapore for four years. As you indicated in an earlier post the humidity and temps are fairly constant year round both in the mid ei, as is the 7:00 sunrise and 19:00 sunset.

Enjoying your travels!

 

 

No didn't see.   Would have been fun to visit.    Curios if has any Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Iain's favorite 20th Century designer.  

 

We have visited Hill House, House for an Art Lover and Mackintosh House.   He absolutely adores his furniture design especially his chairs. 

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

I guess we made a good choice on our new ones. 

Now I just have to learn how to use it and teach it to do the laundry.

😄

 

 

It is pretty much the same as the 14 but the camera has really been improved even further.  Why train it to do laundry.   I have Iain.   oops don't tell him I said that.   Good that he never reads my Live posts.... just looks at the pictures.  

[81Zoomie]

 Bon Voyage! Looking forward to following your adventures and commentary! We are already enjoying your Singapore experience and pictures 😁

[Norwaylady]

Good morning! 
 

We had a 🐉🐲🇸🇬 welcome party! 
welcome onboard👍🏻

 

We are packing out❤️

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, MarKay525 said:

John,

Your post brought a smile to my lips and a tear to my eye. My Dad crossed the line multiple times during his career - he retired from the Navy with 20 years service, then spent about another 15 years sailing with Merchant Marines/Military Sea Transport/Military Sea Command.

 

After he passed away, we found his Shellback certificate presented during WW II safely tucked away in his ham shack.

 

For those not familiar with the ceremony:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony

 

Jim - I'd love to see photos as well.

 

Kay

A proud Navy brat

 

Kay --- first thanks for your Service. 

 

Definitely save those things and and write a remembrance to create provenance.   I'm a huge Genealogy researcher.   I don't do vanity research and only include facts that can be proven with documentation or provenance.   Which is of course required to Join Son's or Daughters of the American Revolution.

 

Recently I've really gotten into Forensic Genealogy.   My father was adopted and I have been trying to trace his ancestry for 40 years.   The tough part was he was taken from an Indian Reservation and have a court order removing him  and granting him citizenship as at that time American Indians were not citizens.  

 

Long story short - through DNA I found he was only 1/8th Indian and that the man on his birth certificate could not have been his father.   Just in May of this year I had a breakthrough.     I knew who his Mother was but she had disappeared from the face of the earth.   Just before Covid I requested the Sacramento Genealogy Society to do a search from me of unpublished records.   Bam Covid and City Hall was closed.  Just before our Spring Cruise I pinged my researcher and she went to work.   She e-mailed me when I was on the cruise that she found her Delayed Birth Certificate -  Was able to finally find both her and her mother who had also disappeared. 

 

By DNA I was also able to find his 1/2 brother who was also adopted.   Since both he had a different father that was 100% European proved his mother had to be 100% European.   I finally found his Paternal Grandmother and found that she was 1/2 Native Mexican Indian but had a Conquistador (Spanish Portuguese mate).  Still working on father but will probably never find - she lost contact with her two son's when she came to what is now part of the US (New Mexico) and her son's moved on to find work.   Common Mexican name.

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, awhfy said:

Mine is doing the same, thanks for the screenshot/crop tip (I’ve been going crazy trying to figure it ou!)

 

It helps being a hacker -  John's clue helped me find it.   I couldn't find anything via Google. Good news @DaKahuna hint worked and I haven't had a failure after adjusting that one parameter.

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, dsa181920 said:

Jim,

I just found this live report and have caught up to page 13. I always enjoy following your trips and am glad you are doing another one on Celebrity.

 

Sallie

 

Thanks Sallie

 

For all the rest of you... Sorry for going so off track on Genealogy -  It is really one of my passions.    I awoke at 5:30 am and sitting watching the beautiful sun rise and sipping coffee and having fun reading all the messages from CC members.  

 

I forget sometimes you are only all my virtual friends.     Thanks  God for technology.   I don't know if I ever mentioned that I met Iain on a Bulletin Board - the equivalent of the internet before they even had browsers and Windows 1.  OK -  I'm ancient.

 

We chatted for 4 months before we ever agreed to meeting face to face for coffee.

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, helen haywood said:

What worked on mine is go to Settings-Camera-Format and change the Photo Capture/Photo Mode to 12 MP.  It worked but I have no idea what that means…

 

That is the parameter that fixed mine.   Basically it means each photo has 12 million pixels (dots like in a newspaper photo) as oppose to 24 Million.   Results is 12mps pictures are about 2 Megabytes while 24MPS are 3 Megabytes.  

 

I believe the current CC software version just can't handle the file size.

[StopTheWorld]

36 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

No didn't see.   Would have been fun to visit.    Curios if has any Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Iain's favorite 20th Century designer.  

 

We have visited Hill House, House for an Art Lover and Mackintosh House.   He absolutely adores his furniture design especially his chairs. 
 

I LOVE Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Scotland Street School is another great building and Willow Tea Rooms. Such a pity about the School Of Architecture at the Art School - who knows when/if it will be restored and open again. 

[Jim_Iain]

24 minutes ago, Norwaylady said:

Good morning! 
 

We had a 🐉🐲🇸🇬 welcome party! 
welcome onboard👍🏻

 

We are packing out❤️

 

Thank you ... Thank you.     Do you mind if I steal some of your food pictures?   I try to keep a food data base -  After all these years I have a hard time matching many of the deserts in my mind to the menu description -   e.g. Marscopone Cheese Cake

 

 

Loved your Live post and Safe Travels.    You have created memories that will be with all of us.

Edited November 24, 2023 by Jim_Iain