by: Jonathan T. Calope (class 2008)
Five days before Christmas, we were at the Pacific Ocean heading for Quintero, Chile. It was a typical Monday morning and everyone was doing routine jobs onboard M/T Walnut Express. Rhay, one of the A/B’s and I were washing the poop deck, the open floor located at the rear of the ship in layman’s term, when I struck a conversation about his life. You see, during this time, I have been wondering if being a seafarer was really my call. I still was not sure then so I asked Rhay if he is satisfied with the profession he chose. Well, I actually remember asking him first about his relationship with his late father who was a seaman himself, a chief officer to be exact. He said that it was kind of different compared to those who have their father with them at home every day after work.
Five days before Christmas, we were at the Pacific Ocean heading for Quintero, Chile. It was a typical Monday morning and everyone was doing routine jobs onboard M/T Walnut Express. Rhay, one of the A/B’s and I were washing the poop deck, the open floor located at the rear of the ship in layman’s term, when I struck a conversation about his life. You see, during this time, I have been wondering if being a seafarer was really my call. I still was not sure then so I asked Rhay if he is satisfied with the profession he chose. Well, I actually remember asking him first about his relationship with his late father who was a seaman himself, a chief officer to be exact. He said that it was kind of different compared to those who have their father with them at home every day after work.