HDD: Memories from the past


With the quite increadible 20 page views on both my first two HDD-memories posts, I can safely say, with a huge bit of sarcasm, that they were an astounding success. My blogging is reaching orbital crowds. LOL

Anyway, let’s go back to the post which I’m already some half-an-hour late posting. December 30th was typed in my search tool for the HDD, and a whole lot of different images came up. They are all quite recent, taken after the time when I started moving from traditional photography to digital photography. 


The first photograph I’d like to share was taken at Philipsburg port, on the Caribbean island of Saint Maarten, in the Netherlands Antilles. I have been visiting this island hundreds of times in the past, most of them with the SS Norway at anchor off Groot Baai and tendering to the downtown beach and later, pier. Back then, there was only one pier here, and on Tuesdays when we arrived with the SS Norway, a Carnival cruise ship was always docked there. I believe it used to be an old steamer sailing under the name FESTIVALE. The Norway had such a great draft, that she always anchored safely off shore, sending guests ashore with her own, giant tender-boats. 


Anyway, in the first image, I’m visiting the island with the Crystal Symphony on a Caribbean Christmas cruise in 2002. To be quite honest, I do not remember too much about this visit, I might have to check my dairy for further notes, and update this article tomorrow.  


Update: Found my old notes from the day! 

Crystal Symphony, Phillipsburg, Saint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles. Docked rather fast just after 7 in the morning and had a somewhat calm day at slow pace. Went ashore with Sigve after lunch and to the beach. Checked e-mails and dropped by Boolchands. Had a Corona on the beach before my return on board. Went for an early evening after departure and no dinner. 


The following year, 2003, I was still serving on Crystal Symphony, and also that year, we were on a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean. The difference between 2002 and 2003, was that this time, we were in Willemstad, on the island of Curacao. I’d like to share two images from that day, both from around departure time, judging from the EXIF. From the images we can also see that the HAL-ship Rotterdam spent the day in port together with us, though, I believe they were docked on the then new cruisepier outside the canal. 


Update: Found my old notes from the day! 


Crystal Symphony at Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles. Because we needed to do an as-early-as-possible medical debark, we were sailing full speed towards Curaçao and arrived at pilot station 02:30. This made a very early wake up call for me for stand by aft. Just after stand by and after debark of the guest, I watched a little TV before going to bridge and getting all AMOS-reporting done for this month with an exception of just a few jobs. After my morning watch, I ensured that the new paint-raft brackets were welded on, and that deck 6 aft was cleaned up a little. Tried getting a few hours of sleep in the afternoon but did not get rest enough to sleep. Returned then to my office to reply to incoming mails and get some office works done. As we were pulling off the dock, I had a quick dinner followed by watching the departure from deck 6 aft. Then I walked my corridors home, just stopping briefly at the O-Bar to hear one of my favorite songs "Ops, I did it again". 



In 2005, I was in Oslo on December 30th, enroute to Bangkok. On my way from Trondheim, I had to stop for some private business at the Royal Thai Embassy in Oslo. Arriving early in the morning, I remember it was icy-cold, but thankfully, by the end of the afternoon, I was already back to Gardemoen airport and on the flight to Bangkok, arriving at New Years Eve in Bangkok, just in time to attend one helluva party with the very best of my friends. 


A few years later, on December 30th 2007, I was home in Bangkok. I do not remember so much from that day either, I really need to find the old daily notes that I did and update the blog entry, other than a plane-spotting trip to the new airport of Bangkok, and that my firends and me, were all over the airport trying to find the best place to catch some of the countless planes arriving. I took hundreds of images that day, but to keep it short and simple, I have selected just two shots to share with you all: one of an arriving Thai aircraft in old livery and one of an arriving Singapore Airlines jet. 



Then, a tough year later, I had left Thailand and the country I loved, and I was back in Norway. The two next images are quite similar, and was taken of the NÆRØYSUNDET lighthouse, just south of RØRVIK on December 30th 2008. The first image is a long-exposure shot, and the other one is an oil painting image that I tried my luck at with varying results. I see now, as I edited the first shot (and back then, I still hadn’t started shooting exclusively in RAW-format), I noticed that the lens must have bee full of water. I do however remember that it was raining really hard that day. 






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