The ocean was definitely active overnight!  The captain announced that we’d had seventy-seven mile per hour winds and six meter seas.  A complex low pressure near Hawaii was affecting us as well.  It was the tail end of the devastating typhoon that hit Japan.  Once things get this rocky. sea sick bags magically appear near each of the elevators.  And, it’s really important to hang on and walk carefully.  

We went to the Lido and did hear quite a few things fall a break.  What a mess for the crew to clean it all up.  I attended the “America’s Test Kitchen” program to learn more about chilies.  I did learn one trick about making jalapeno poppers.  After cutting them in half and scooping out the seeds and membranes, sprinkle them with a little salt and bake them, cut side down,  for five minutes in a five-hundred degree oven to help pull out some of the moisture.  Let them cool slightly, turn them cut side up, fill them, turn the oven down to four-hundred-fifty degrees and bake for nine to eleven minutes.  I’ll have to try them when we get home!

I met Hubby at the World Stage to listen to, Joseph Kess, the speaker talk about “Hawaiian Icons.”  We’ve heard him on at least one other cruise and he’s a very good speaker.  Though we’ve been to the various Hawaiian Islands many times, we actually learned a bit! The tradition of tossing your lei into the ocean to ensure your return is now discouraged.  The last time I did that was nineteen years ago, so I didn’t feel too bad.   As much as we’ve learned about Darwin over the years, we never knew he’d written a book about the, “The Fertilisation of Orchids” in 1862.  

The origin of “Lomi Lomi Salmon”  had never occurred to us, even though we’ve enjoyed eating it many times.  Of course they don’t have salmon in Hawaii.  However, in the 1880’s mainland sailors brought salmon from the Pacific Northwest that was preserved in salt.  The Hawaiians rinsed it thoroughly, massaged it (lomi-lomi means massage) into pieces, added tomatoes, onions, green onions, and made a delicious taste treat!  
Did you know-

• macadamias aren’t native to Hawaii?  They’re actually from eastern Australia;
• the Aloha shirt was born from leftover material from making kimono’s?  They grew in popularity thanks to tourists. 
• the ukulele was brought to Hawaii by the Portuguese?
• the pineapple was brought from French Guiana? 

You never know when one of these could be the correct answer to a Jeopardy question!

We had dinner in the main dining room and were so thankful we don’t have an assigned table.  We’re not sure we would want to sit with the people we had dinner with.  There were two widows and a couple, all from Canada.  We’ve met LOTS of Canadians who are wonderful, but there’s always an exception, right?  They weren’t particularly unpleasant.  They just weren’t as friendly as others.  

We didn’t finish in time for the first show, so we went to the nine-thirty one.  We met Belinda and Al from Wisconsin and thoroughly enjoyed chatting with them before the show began.  Our cruise director, Christopher, is far better than the one on our last cruise.  He introduced tonight’s performers and we were so glad we were there!  The Alley Cats were fabulous!  Their website says, “With their tight, four-part harmony and delightful antics, these musical comics have been Jay Leno’s opening act for the past seven years. Additionally, they have opened for Jerry Seinfeld, Joan Rivers and have appeared on numerous television shows for NBC, CBS, and PBS. The Alley Cats have performed in concert all over the world alongside iconic groups such as The Coasters, The Drifters, and The Beach Boys. Most notably, they were featured with Jay Black as The Americans on the television special Pop, Rock and Doo-Wop. Proudly, The Alley Cats have had the special honor of entertaining US military troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and have had the great privilege of being invited by The President of The United States to perform at The White House.”  Along with the rest of the audience, we were dancing and singing in our seats!  

The ocean calmed considerably and we were ready for a restful night’s sleep.