Doulos: a Photoblog

I've never done this before, but the Choir Conductor demonstrated the effectiveness of this technique in one of her recent posts. It is now my turn to prove the supremacy of Blogger to Xanga. ;-)


Yesterday afternoon, I was in the midst of the second draft of my essay when my parents and Sara returned from the Marriott, Putrajaya. My parents decided to drop by Doulos in the evening, since we failed to do so last weekend. So I rushed the essay and e-mailed Miss Shanti.

The ship at dusk:


It was my brother who first noticed Darryl, who is volunteering for three days on Nigel's invitation:


We were met onboard by Nigel, who is back on the ship after five years:


He brought us into the ship for a tour, beginning with the Multi-Purpose Area (is that what it's called?).


This certificate from the Guinness Book of Records says: "MV Doulos. Oldest active passenger ocean-going ship. Built in 1914 in the USA. Operating now as an international educational and Christian service vessel." International indeed; the volunteers come from over 40 countries. None are paid; in fact, all pay to serve. For Malaysians, each volunteer has to pay about US$450 (no joke). Usually they are supported by churches, friends and family.

This picture of the ship is a montage of all the people who have ever served on the Doulos, according to Nigel. He's still trying to find his face:


We visited, among other places, the laundry room (usually the girls serve here, as the guys do the hard labour on deck)...


The balai bomba...


The bakery (fresh bread baked daily)...


The passage leading into the Engine Room (the sign reads 'Engine Guys')...


And the dining area, where singles sit on one side, and families on the other:


This is a shot of the Book Exhibition area, which has been drawing in multitudes of visitors day after day:


Most of the books are old, and so are the CDs in the Music section:


But old is a good thing, as I managed to find these rare albums by Petra (1998's God Fixation and Petra Means Rock, a compilation of their hits from the 80s):


I ran into Darryl again in the storage area near the Music section. I thought to myself, "Hey, that guy behind the curtain looks familiar!" (OK, come to think of it, looking at guys behind curtains might sound just a little suggestive. :-P)...


Finally, after purchasing the CDs, a Doulos ship model kit and a keychain, I set about looking for Audrey and Michelle. Being a sucker for books, I was sidetracked along the way, and spent a minute or two browsing through the place where they had the 'Buy a Doulos bag for RM25 and fill it with any three books' offer.

I was tempted to pick up a Maths book for our aspiring Arts Stream mathematician, but my wallet wasn't too keen.

Eventually, I ran into Aud upon descending a flight of steps next to the 'Doulos bag' tent. At that time, Mich was in that room on her left--on the phone or something. They were selling Doulos T-shirts:


"Doulos T-shirt and Starbucks coffee for RM25!" So I bought a set. Between the Mocha (can't remember if it was hot or ice-blended) and the Caramel Ice-Blended, I opted for the Caramel.

Here's a picture of the Starbucks kiosk onboard the Doulos:


Some people have a weakness for rich, creamy, ice-cold Caramel Ice-Blended frappuccinos... *nudgenudge*

The customary group photo before going home...


And a shot of my family with the ship in the background. Notice how the ship's cross-shaped mast stands out against the darkness?


Near the car park, I saw this giant leafy plant. I thought it might be some dinosaur plant, what with its humongous size. (Stop laughing, Denise! :-P)


And just as I began this entry with a shot of the ship at dusk, I shall balance the ending with one from the same angle, but taken at night:



It was an awe-inspiring experience. Like Denise, I think I just might serve on that ship sometime in the not-too-distant future.

This is not the first time I've thought of serving on a ship. After visiting a naval base during NS last year, I entertained the idea of joining the Navy someday. I'm still considering, actually.

And the girl with the braided hair knows how much I want to swim with whales before dying. Perhaps I'll find myself on a National Geographic vessel in time to come...

After all, I've already been serving on a ship for nearly seven years: the school's Christian FellowSHIP! (Stop groaning, Denise, heheheh...)