April 17, 2023 Sea Day #2

    The sky had broken cloud at 7 a.m. this morning, the wind was 23 km per hour and the temperature was a cool 12° C. Westerdam was travelling at a speed of 13 knots on a southerly route from Kanazawa to Busan, Republic of Korea (South Korea). The ship’s course since leaving Kanazawa is the reverse of the April 15 sea day to this morning’s location, following the coast of Japan’s Chugohu region.

   Passengers, not on planned tours in Busan tomorrow, after 6 a.m. could pick up cards with time slots for Korean Customs inspection in order to get off the ship to explore Busan. We have an excursion in Busan and later today, an envelope arrived with tour stickers and our 8:15 a.m. time slot cards to clear Korean Customs, who will be set up in the theatre.  We will meet the tour group on the dock at 9 a.m.

    We walked three kilometres around the Promenade Deck before joining the 8:30 a.m. Tai Chi class of about 60 people in the theatre. Our Tai Chi moves from over ten years ago were quite similar to Ping Wing Kam’s postures, except with different names. We may join the class on the next Sea Day. We then had breakfast in the dining room.

   At 11 a.m., Dr. Ping Wing Kam gave a lecture on the history of Korea. There had been tribal wars then unification of the Korean peninsula from 666 to 936 under the name Silla. Then it had been occupied by China and Japan because of its rich natural resources. It was officially annexed by Japan on August 22, 1910 when it became the Japan colony, Choson (its ancient name), and the population was used as slave labour by Japan and some Koreans were taken to Japan. Koreans were even conscripted into the Japanese military in 1943. Ten percent of casualties in the Atomic Bombs events of August 1945 were Koreans. When Japan surrendered in August 1945 Korea was split between the Americans and Soviet Russians at approximately the 38th parallel. On June 25, 1959 Communist North Korea surprise attacked its southern neighbour. Within weeks most of the peninsula, except for the southeast Pusan area had been captured. The United Nations sent a military expedition consisting of soldiers from 22 countries, but 90% were American led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur. He pushed back the invaders up to the Yalu River that was the border with China. Liberating Seoul in the process. It changed hands four times in the next four years until a Cease Fire was signed for a demilitarized zone approximately at the 38th parallel. There has been an uneasy peace since then, but the war has not officially ended.

   The captain’s announcement at noon advised passengers that there might be rough seas, but that the stabilizers had been deployed to steady the ship. A low pressure system was on the way and the ship would be arriving in Busan at 3 a.m. rather than 7 a.m. as planned, but the rest of tomorrow’s schedule would be the same. He also mentioned that 10 passengers and one crew member have been diagnosed and quarantined with COVID-19. We heard that there are just under 1,900 passengers and about 800 crew members.

   After lunch, I attended a flower arranging demonstration by the ship’s florist. In 55 minutes he showed the group of about 100 how to construct four different kinds of arrangements explaining as he went. Cut roses are best given aspirin or bleach to keep them fresh, while other bouquets will do well with sugar water or lime juice. When the water gets cloudy change the water. 

   Dr. Ping Wing Kam’s afternoon lecture was about Japan’s declining population. He explained how the birth rate is not high enough to sustain the population, falling almost 500,000 people annually.  Japan is averse to immigration to increase its population.

   We ate dinner in the dining room and were pleasantly surprising to be escorted to a table where Judy and Doug were sitting. It is the third time we have eaten with them in the dining room.

We went to the 7 p.m. Ballroom dance hour and sat with Pat and Pete from Britain. There was one other couple dancing in the Rolling Stone Lounge.

    We climbed up to the Crow’s Nest lounge on Deck 10 to peek at the 8 p.m. Art Class where canvases and paint were set out for about half a dozen students for create a sunset picture in about two hours.

    Total steps today 13,665



flower arranging demonstration by the ship’s florist






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