Life on board a ship at sea resembles a very organized summer camp. I have never actually experienced it, but the movie Dirty Dancing has given me a glimpse: charades in the West Hall, dance lessons, wig modelling, and so on. I remember saying in jest before I left that I didn't intend to take macrame or ballroom dancing and i wasn't far off. However, I over-estimated my own impervious (arrogant?) attitude. While I have avoided napkin-folding (really!), and origami creating and line-dancing, I have succumbed to Trivial Pursuit, as you know, not to mention "Sit-to-Be-Fit". This is a half-hour workout, on Sea Days only, with amazing exercises all done sitting on a chair. Enrichment Lectures vary in quality but a charming, amusing, erudite man has been giving talks about the early discovery, exploration and history of the southern hemisphere that leave one wanting more. This afternoon we will attend and cheer the launching and testing of home-made ships in the swimming pool following a frenzied five-day creation process by teams of no more than six. (I said NO - amazing how that works!)

With the guest roster almost at full capacity, it becomes harder to find quiet places to hide. I love the library but it can be very cold, especially early in the morning. For the last week or so I have been coming to Barista's, the coffee bar and lounge outside the Grand Dining Room. It's very quiet at 5 in the morning and warm enough. Soon someone will make me a cup of English Breakfast tea, and after that, Marco, the day bartender will make me a weak Americano (weak as requested: diluted espresso). All this will change as soon as I can go outside on the pool deck and swim at 6.

Soon.

Another wine-tasting yesterday, well handled this time with appropriate cheese and crackers for palate and perception. The drive to the wineries is always lovely, through the city (or town, as the case may be), through the suburbs into the countryside and past the vineyards and sheep. Lovely, with a glimpse of how other people live. I am so blessed.

Back in time for a nap and Trivial Pursuit. Our team always wins, places or shows. I am going to take a bottle of wine (purchased at one of he vineyards) to share this afternoon. I asked them to bring a wine glass. We win tokens, I think I told you, for our efforts. At the end of the last leg of the cruise, when people left and others got on at Sydney, we traded in our point cards for goodies - prizes we could choose and "buy" for points. I snagged a white short-sleeved T-shirt, not cotton but silky polyester, a navy blue blanket, not wool but cozy polyester, and a black passport wallet, not leather but something else, with compartments and slots for other stuff. Each item has an Insignia logo on it. I'm going to look like a member of a team, in fact, I am.

The sad part of this pursuit is the friction sone people generate. They have such a competitive spirit they destroy the fun of it for their cohorts. My team split from such a person to create a more co-operative, fun-loving group. I've told you before that when I was at school, on doldrum days when the teacher called time out for a spelling bee or a pickup softball game, according to the weather, I was always the first one to be picked for spelling and the last one for baseball. So now: I am in demand for Trivial Pursuit, although I am hopeless on geography, politics and rock and roll stars. Try me on Shakespeare, literature, Greek or Norse mythology and theatre, though, and I'm okay. So I was being wooed for several teams, including the one with the egotistic dictator. He doesn't speak to me now. Sigh.

Is that how wars begin?