Hello everyone! It’s been quiet a while since I last updated my page. For the mean time, I haven’t got anything especial to share so far, so let me formally introduce to all of you here my personal blog site – Pinoy Brother. For most of you in here, you have been there already as I put some links to that site in some of my posts here. When I am not around in my page here, expect me to be at Pinoy Brother and you can still keep in touch with me there.

Ciao!

M/S Paul Gauguin is anchored here in Cook's Bay, Moorea. I just finished doing the chart correction with the latest Weekly Notice to Mariners and I still have over three hours to wait before another second mate comes to relieve me. The photo here is one of the ship's guests having great time windsurfing. I took this photo today from the ship's bridge during my watch. Windsurfing is a water sport using windsurf board. Controlling the direction is done by rotating and tilting the mast as well as tilting and carving the board. Wind surfing is possible even with winds as low as 3 knots to as high as 50 knots. Thanks to the ship's marina team for this basic windsurfing information I have here.

M/S Paul Gauguin regularly make calls in this beautiful island of Raiatea, one of the islands of French Polynesia. At a distance of 114 nautical miles from the port of Papeete, Tahiti, it is about 11 hours navigation for M/S Paul Gauguin at the speed of 10 knots to reach the island. Of course, our captain can order to increase the speed but it is not necessary or else we will get to the island of Raiatea before the sun goes up and it will be a great disappointment to the ship's guests on board for not being able to see the island during the approach. While the ship is at port, a unique Polynesian show at the Pool Deck is being held. The show features the children of Raiatea performing rapid hip movement dance to the beat of drums. You can see from the photos here guests having their great time onboard as they danced with the children. More photos here.

This is Bloody Mary's Restaurant, the most popular restaurant in Bora Bora Island. Offering fresh international and local seafood cuisine, Bloody Mary's is most visited among Hollywood celebrities. When I made a short stop to the restaurant during my first biking trip two months ago, I saw Hollywood celebrity names who have dined at the restaurant written on something like a wooden board posted at the entrance. To name a few, I saw the names of Pierce Brosnan, Rod Stewart, Harrison Ford, Marlon Brando, The Carpenters, Diana Ross, Jane Fonda, Meg Ryan and several other celebrities. Soon, I will find my name written there too...lol... I have some photos of the restaurant and you can view the photos by following the link below:

Bloody Mary's Restaurant

This is Nuku Hiva Keikahanui Pearl Lodge. The hotel is situated on the hill overlooking the bay and the village of Taiohae, Nuku Hiva Island. Actually, the ship regularly calls to this remote island of French Polynesia but this was the only time I managed to get to the hotel because during the past cruises, I went the other way around. Being a member of the ship's crew, I took the opportunity of going there during my free time. Before I arrived at the hotel, I encountered a very exhausting mountain bike ride as I pedaled along a very steep road up to the hill. But when I arrived at the hotel, I regained my strength so easily by just looking at the very stunning and breathtaking view of the island while sipping a glass of fresh orange juice. Was it orange juice or mango juice? I can't remember anymore what exactly I was drinking but for sure it's not a beer...lol... I took some photos of the hotel during M/S Paul Gauguin's cruise to the island of Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia, an island belonging to the Marquesas Group of islands on January 10, 2008. You can view the photos from here.

What a beautiful day! T

The ship dropped anchor at exactly 8AM in Moorea and we are staying overnight here. The photo above was taken this evening during the show at the Pool Deck just in time during sunset. With me are the ship's Cruise Director Deon (wearing a crown of flowers) and Social Hostess Karen. The show was fantastic with Moorea's local dance troupe invited onboard for the show. A series of traditional French Polynesian dance - rapid hip movement to the beat of drums – really make everyone aboard capture an unforgettable French Polynesia experience.

You can view more about the island of Moorea in Seaway Explorer. I posted some photos and some of those were taken during my biking escapade at the island. To go there just click on the link below:

Moorea Island

The ship's Valentine's Day Show ended just an hour ago. The show was held at the Grand Saloon. The ship's Canadian social hostess, Karen Grainger, did a very fantastic singing performance accompanied by the ship's live band. She is a great impersonator too. During the show she impersonates Britney Spears, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Bob Dylan to name a few. You can see on the photo below our captain and staff captain with some of the crew danced as Karen performed one lively song of Tina Turner. You won't see me here..lol...

After the show, a dance party for all followed. But I must be on the bridge by 12 midnight for my watch, so before the show ended, I hurried up to the bridge.

Just want to share to all of you here how I spent my Valentine's Day. Away from my wife on this special day for the hearts seems another thing my profession has taken away from me. So, to all of you here who are lucky to be with your loved ones on this Valentine's Day, I do hope you spent it in some ways I call special. Bonjour.....!

Welcome aboard M/S Paul Gauguin! Discover the grandeur and elegance of this 6 star medium size cruise ship of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Getting paid while making friends? Wow this is too good to be true. Isn't it? At first I did not have the interest to join this social networking site but later on I decided to give it a try. Who knows this will make me rich...lol... Anyway my curiousity really dragged me there. In Yuwie, we can post a blog, make quick comment and customize the page too. Some of my 360 friends are already there and I believe their dollar started rolling by now...lol... So, I am inviting everyone here to give it a try too. Come and connect with me at Yuwie. Just click on the Yuwie banner below and sign up. Hope to see you there! Ciao...

Yahoo!360 is closing soon and I decided to settle here in MSN Spaces. I already have this MSN Space account from way back then but I just don't have enough time to make some updates here. Updating more than 2 personal web pages is already time consuming. I managed to build up few friends here but in Yahoo!360 I make a lot, lets's say around 290 active friends. Active friends I mean, are those who regularly making updates totheir blogs and visiting my page too. Of course, I am having rounds of visits to their pages in return. It is through visiting their pages and leaving some comments I can build up interaction among my friends.

Now that Yahoo!360 is nearing its end, I may lost contact with some of my friends I interacted for the past 2 years. Most of my friends are migrating to Multilpy, Yuwie, Friendster to name a few. In fact I have an account too on these social networking sites I mentioned. On the other hand, I am looking forward to build new friends here in MSN Spaces, friends where I can share my thoughts and at the same time friends where I can learn more ideas about many thing in this world and to widened my horizon as well. I welcome myself to MSN Spaces!