TUESDAY MARCH 26, 2019
PORT 11:
Kumika Shimzo, Photographer (Upsplash)
Our first of seven ports in Japan spanning ten days. Japanese authorities required every passenger to have their temperature taken and be fingerprinted. It We did not dock until 10 a.m. and by the time every passenger jumped through all the hurdles, the day was about gone. There was not that much to do at this port. There was a shuttle into town, but by the time we got off the ship with our friends the Farrens, some passengers were already returning with reports that it was a waste of time. The Farrens immediately decided to return to the ship. BGM and I were prepared to walk around but learned that it was another hour before the next shuttle so we too returned to the ship.
However, it was still good to get off the ship because we there was a desk set up for us to obtain Yen. We have some Yen with us from our previous trip to Japan, but we turned in our Taiwanese currency for additional Yen.
HOT TIP: THERE IS NO NECESSITY TO KEEP ALL UNUSED CURRENCY. IF NO INTENTION OF RETURNING TO THE COUNTRY, TURN IN WHAT IS LEFTOVER AT THE NEXT COUNTRY IN WHICH A CURR3ENCY EXCHANGE IS AVAILABLE.
We had dinner at Polo Grill with Damien, the General Manager and with the new Chief Concierge, Randall. Roberto, head of food and beverage was scheduled to come but was not feeling well. It was a most pleasant dinner. Damien supplied the white wine and I brought I 90 Pichon.
I continue to be impressed by the key personnel on this cruise. The conversation throughout dinner was very interesting in many respects. Both Damien and Randall are very erudite gentleman with knowledge far beyond their job descriptions on the ship.
At one point, we were talking about music and I brought up my interest in American Musicals. As we talked about some of the legends of the theatre, I mentioned that one of my heroes was Oscar Hammerstein, that I thought his lyrics were among the best ever written, and that his lyric to “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” was the most important lyric in all of theatre music. When I googled the lyric for Randall to read (I have not yet mentioned that he is from South Africa) he immediately said “are you familiar with Nelson Mandela’s words on the same subject?” I then read those words and for those interested, I juxtapose below what Oscar Hammerstein and Nelson Mandela had to say so eloquently:
Hammerstein:
You’ve got to be taught
To hate
And fear
You’ve got to be taught
From year to year
Its got to
Be drummed in your dear little ear
You’ve got to
Be carefully
Taught
You’ve Got to be taught
To be
Afraid
Of people
Who’s eyes are oddly made
And people who’s skin is a different shade
You’ve got to
Be carefully
Taught
You’ve got to be taught
Before it’s too late
Before you are six
Or seven
Or eight
To hate all the people
Your relatives hate
You’ve got to
Be carefully taught
You’ve Got to
Be carefully taught
Mandella
No one is born hating another person because of the color of their skin, or his background or his religion.
People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more
Naturally to the human heart that its opposite.
Because we did not really visit this port, there is no grade assigned to it, but we give our evenings experience A plus, plus
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