good. clean. fun.

My shins are a little sore and I am pretty certain I am missing a toenail.

Tonight on the dock we had a ceiliah, Scottish dance party. The word ceiliah means, “to visit.” They were conceived so that friends could spend time having fun together. We had fun tonight.

For almost three hours, our crew danced to the rhythms of Scottish music. The dance style was similar to line dancing in that there was a pattern which we would learn and perform repetitively. A pa system was set up on the dock and Kate, a Scottish crew member, held the microphone and called out the dance steps.

All departments of the ship were represented on the dock. There were doctors, engineers, kitchen staff, receptionists, nurses, housekeepers, writers, dentists, moms, and teachers. There were preschool children and their were grandparents. Nations from all corners of the globe were represented. All dancing together. All having a good time. My roommate, Michelle, said it was the most fun she has had since she has been here.

At the end of the night, we were all covered in sweat. Although it was a cool night, the air was still think and sticky. And swinging, spinning, clapping, and doe-cee-doeing is quite the workout.

We ended the night with a traditional Scottish dance, of which I cannot remember the name. We stood facing one another in two long lines which from the end of the dock to the almost the tip of the gangway. Each person went down the center of the lines with a partner and spinned with every person in the line.

There is nothing quite like good, clean fun.