The new steward and cook came on in Singapore, 4 weeks ago, and found the previous steward had not purchased any food. A food situation that was marginal soon became dire as the cook began serving egg sandwiches as one of our dinner entrees.
Nobody was happy with the situation, least of all the steward, who seemed to sweat a lot; he developed a twitch; he cast furtive glances around at all times. He’s a short, roundish man, and it gave him a decidedly rodential appearance.
They made it through China, as did we all, and the “honeymoon” was officially over- we took on stores and any legitimate excuse for bad food evaporated. Unfortunately for them, sailors want to operate like adults, but operate more like Lord of The Flies, instead. The knives were sharpened and they had to find an unsuspecting back to be plunged into.
Because nothing is wasted at sea.
The wiper is a Filipino. My age. It’s his second ship. He doesn’t really “get it,” yet. While his compatriot countrymen (my entire department) were content to bitch and grumble, he made a scene of locking eyes with the cook while dumping a full plate of rice into the compost while loudly proclaiming the rice was “three day old shit.”
Sensing blood in the water, the Filipinos lined up to their delegates (engine and deck departments, alike) and filed a formal complaint immediately following that incident. The delegates went to the captain and served the complaint. The captain then came down on the steward and let him know that “all department delegates (there are 4) have filed complaints on the same day.”
The following day, the wiper came out of the galley with a plate of rice. He was pissed off.
“This morning I said ‘good morning’ to the steward. He didn’t say nothing,” he explained to me. “Then I said ‘thank you’ for the food, but he didn’t say nothing. He is angry at me!” he exclaimed, truly surprised.
It fell to me to explain to him that all the steward’s ire would be directed at him for the “three day old shit” comment. And that all the other Filipinos were going to start calling him “Jesus” for sacrificing himself so willingly- because the only thing the Steward saw was him complaining… not the fins circling in the water.
While I found it funny, he did not.
Nobody was happy with the situation, least of all the steward, who seemed to sweat a lot; he developed a twitch; he cast furtive glances around at all times. He’s a short, roundish man, and it gave him a decidedly rodential appearance.
They made it through China, as did we all, and the “honeymoon” was officially over- we took on stores and any legitimate excuse for bad food evaporated. Unfortunately for them, sailors want to operate like adults, but operate more like Lord of The Flies, instead. The knives were sharpened and they had to find an unsuspecting back to be plunged into.
Because nothing is wasted at sea.
The wiper is a Filipino. My age. It’s his second ship. He doesn’t really “get it,” yet. While his compatriot countrymen (my entire department) were content to bitch and grumble, he made a scene of locking eyes with the cook while dumping a full plate of rice into the compost while loudly proclaiming the rice was “three day old shit.”
Sensing blood in the water, the Filipinos lined up to their delegates (engine and deck departments, alike) and filed a formal complaint immediately following that incident. The delegates went to the captain and served the complaint. The captain then came down on the steward and let him know that “all department delegates (there are 4) have filed complaints on the same day.”
The following day, the wiper came out of the galley with a plate of rice. He was pissed off.
“This morning I said ‘good morning’ to the steward. He didn’t say nothing,” he explained to me. “Then I said ‘thank you’ for the food, but he didn’t say nothing. He is angry at me!” he exclaimed, truly surprised.
It fell to me to explain to him that all the steward’s ire would be directed at him for the “three day old shit” comment. And that all the other Filipinos were going to start calling him “Jesus” for sacrificing himself so willingly- because the only thing the Steward saw was him complaining… not the fins circling in the water.
While I found it funny, he did not.
That's why the captain is called the "old man." Dealing with three day old shit battles day in and day out ages a man quickly. Momster
ReplyDelete