Kareoke Challenged

Work is perceived in Latin America as a necessary evil while leisure is a perfectly rationale goal. "Otium" is the word used to emphasis relaxation or well-employed leisure. With still 3 days left before we arrive in San Salvador, Brazil, a bunch of us decided to make use of "Otium" last night. The official Kareoke party kicked off in my teeny-weeny cabin with apertiff's for all. In Venezuela I bought a bottle of authentic chocolate apricot wine. I thought I might be able to save it until I got home. Was I ever sorrily mistaken. With a ship of 75% women who smell chocolate drifting from 7 decks above, saving anything sweet is challenge. And so the singing began. Jason did a great rendition of the B-52's, Katie had the voice of songbird, Amy's vocals could crack glass, all the while Rico, the native Brazilian, performed a downright hilarious tribal dance. The comedy reminded me of one of those clown cars at the circus -- revelers squeezing their way in to break a world record, The ship was rocking out of control and we bonded in song and dance and bitter sweet cacao. We coined ourselves the "Dead Sea" when we first arrived but Kareoke proved we still had some life in us. Suddenly someone yells "Oh No - there's the Security Officer! Turn down the machine! " The Amazonian-size women with a thick German accent and a scowl on her puss came charging into my cabin. "Vat are you people doing? You cauz too much commotion!" she barked. We had become the students! Our faces dropped as we scrambled to understand this double standard. They can party till dawn but, us, the hard-working adult staff, are told to break it up? What's wrong with this picture? Next time we'll invite her to the party with plenty of chocolate to spare.