2011.05.01 - Sail-out

Picnic and deliveries

I don't know how I did it but I made it over the top and am now back to only one project and a more normal work load. I still have to spend almost 4 hours a day in a car, but at least I will have less on my mind. AND - we get to go on a short vacation ! Next week has two holidays so with two days of vacation we get to have a romantic mini-get-away to Korea's semi-tropical island, Jeju. I look forward to a bit of R&R ....

From a little accident I was involved in ... a woman decided to change lanes without checking her mirrors, and this is what she got out of it.

My tractor didn't see the same damage - but I still was made to carry 20% of the blame .... go figure !?

Last vessel is scheduled for delivery on May 13th, but will probably leave in the last half of the month, so we are slowly getting used to the idea of leaving Korea again. This has been a pretty short run and we could easily take another project here if something comes up. But for now we will plan to go back and enjoy the Scandinavian summer - worry about work when it starts cooling down again!

Paula and the girls went to Ulgi Lighthouse for the cherry blossom display

This year the trees were in full blossom for only 4 days - strange spring weather. Paula, Susana and Agnieszka

Busan cherry blossom and our previous apartment in the background

Paula was my personal chauffeur for a couple of weeks - here in the Busan traffic.

20111.05.07

Oops ... got side-tracked by computer problems and a visit to Anders and Marlene's.

Computer is OK actually, but Windows has decided that it needs a long vacation as well. Luckily we had Ubuntu installed as a secondary operating system, so we are still operational although my photo management software is Windows based. This is part of the reason I got sidetracked.

So after the naming ceremonies we got busy with sea trials. It was pretty mad for a while but on the 21st of April we took delivery of the first vessel from Ulsan and on the 28th the second vessel was ready. I can say for sure that this will be the last time that I will be in charge of two projects in two different shipyards with three deliveries within one month (3 sea trials and 2 deliveries in 19 days). I guess that the crutches actually were a blessing, for had it not been for them, then I would have had to go on the sea trials myself, which would have made everything else madness.

The first vessel at sea trial. The final coat of paint on the upper deck will be dark red.

Inbetween the deliveries we went to Busan for a weekend picnic at the Dalmaji Hill amphitheatre. Nalini and Oscar had been busy arranging and inviting and in the end about 80 young and old turned up in the brilliant sunshine - one of the first nice spring days we have had this year.

Gaby and me at the picnic. I made my way to the lawn chair and stayed there till the very end....

I was in no state to participate in the games.

Pass-the-ball

In the evening we moved down to the other end of the beach to Ulrik and Karine's aparment. They had invited us to their farewell party, as they are (have) returned to Paris. They held a small intimate party with excellent company and even better food ! It was hard to say goodbye to such good friends but we are sure that we will meet again. And after all, we will also leave Korea soon ourselves, so the goodbyes will be inevitable.

We stayed over at Oscar and Nalini's and spend the Sunday chatting, EATING and playing boyish ballgames in their living room ! Ohh - and trying to get friendly with their two cats ! When we came back home Peo wrinkled her nose a few times and gave us the cold shoulder ! haha .... she's a bit of an actor !

Even though we didn't take part in the games, Paula managed to get a present!

Paula and Steel - he wasn't too friendly that day. But Lilly was, so that made up for it.

Oscar, Nalini and me at the mega-breakfast!

On the Monday after, we went for crabs with the site team. 4 of my colleagues would leave the team by the end of the week, so we arranged this farewell dinner at everybody's favorite eating place - the crab restaurant in Bangeo-jin. As is customary, we absolutely stuffed ourselves with spider crabs (they did not have the bigger king crabs). We have had a very good team here and sadly there are no other projects within the company for us to transfer people, so I will be the the one from Lauritzen to say goodbye to all these excellent people. This is the backside of working on projects .....