PROBLEM WITH LIVING / WORKING CONDITIONS

Titled "Two Minutes till Midnight" . Picture depicts a public swearing ceremony for enlistment in the Greater Terran Union Armed Forces 

Its been years since I had changed my wall paper and background on my computer , and now I guess is the time I changed it to a more abstract painting. Before I used the Painting type of wallpaper I got (or copied) from a computer game called "Civilization 5" . Now I changed it and copied the artwork from a fan made faction from a computer game called "Stellaris" (another strategy type of game by the way). Id, post it here on my blog the wall papers.

Anyway …

I'm writing about now about my situation here, and standard of living conditions and I could pretty much concluded that my situation here has similarities on what happened to me back in the "Eagle Boston" incident way back 2016. Here the only notable difference is that this ship is new and that I'd had been on constant at odd's which a shitty crew member called Pump man Carnaje. Beyond that I could say that living / working conditions here are not pleasant. First I would mention here is the food here is insufficient , to the point that I'm technically losing weight as of the moment while writing this - its possible that maybe after this contract I would be a "slim" again because of food shortages.

There is the problem on food not because of the chief cooks skills , but the supply given by this "Hartree" principal (he owner of this ship). The do give the "regular" three meals a day but anything beyond that is zero, So basically I mostly end up feeling hungry every early morning or sometimes in other cases , late at night. There is also another option called the "Bond Store" were I had to pay some food as a supplement to my nutrition needs, but unfortunately here on this ship they don’t regularly resupply it and was always basically empty. The only thing left in the bond store is basically cola which not very good for nutrition. There's another option which I could get food once this ship gets to land and have a shore leave there I could buy from the local food store, even a local convenient store is invaluable on this situation, but unfortunately this ship is a VLCC type and most likely given on its nature of operations , there almost no possibility that this ship will berth at port anytime soon or even if it does - there's no guarantee that it will provide shore leave to crew. To compound more of the problems with this option is that for some reason this ship does not given "Cash Advance" of any kind - meaning they don’t cash to crew at all which would be used to purchase items from a food store,

So basically my situation here is totally fucked up with no way of getting any supplementary food for my nutrition, and I have no choice but totally endure this situation for another 4 months (the least, worst is 5 to 6 months). In just hope I still have meat on my bones left on that time.

Another problem plaguing this ship (and principal) is the regular supply of PPE and working equipment. Every company has in mind to keep their expenses at a minimum level or probably very low , but to the point that regular issuing of PPE and working equipment is jeopardize - I don’t think it’s a good idea. For example working glove here are not issued regularly and that I'm stuck with only four pairs of cotton gloves for three months now (and still ongoing). I had to rewash that gloves regularly as to keep it clean, which in normal practice shouldn’t be because working gloves , in particular cotton gloves are meant as disposable PPE and shouldn’t be reused. It’s a good thing that I had extra working equipment brought along with me when I arrived here to supplement my working needs.  

Land force Command (Army) of Greater Terran Union 

BEEF UP SECURITY

Now that im back again on my cabin after nearly four days of stay at the ship's hospital due to the lack of room. I have now started to optimize and compact my belongings to my luggage for a much easier "pack and go" type of strategy, besides it would be beneficial to me to do this , in the sense that moving stuff around takes a lot of time, which exactly happened to me the last time when they suddenly told me to vacate my room and move to the ships hospital temporarily. So cleaning and being a pack rat won't hurt once in a while, Aside from that I'm doing this out of necessity.

Another thing why I'm doing this is also for security measure to prevent any information or hint on what I'm up to , especially what O.S. Dalida is always frequently visiting my room probably to spy and check on what I'm doing, plus get information on what I'm thinking so he can leak. I've already made a solution and counter tactic on the part of "what I'm thinking" by simply being secretive and mindful of my words. Now on the part of "what I'm doing" , That what I'm trying to solve so he can't figure it out. My best assumption and tactic is that its best he does not see anything laying around on my cabin and better keep it just inside my luggage., the lesser he sees (or seen nothing at all) will be better

I'm tiding up my cabin , not because of the pursuit of cleanliness or any other "goody too shoes" idea but because of the pragmatic belief of being defensive and security.

Of course I could just tell O.S. Dalida, that he should stop visiting my cabin frequently and bar him altogether , but that raises problem of him suspecting that I'm already have leads and as far as I know O.S. dalida is not that stupid. So definitely that is out of the option., (Unless I want to bring out another enemy on this ship). 

In other news …

Cleanup work in the pump room is finally over after a couple of days. We had to haul off tons of garbage bag off the area by using a crane, even the equipment we brought in the pump room had be brought out using a crane., Afterwards once in the deck area , we had to clean those equipment using diesel.

Once cleaned , we had to go back again in the pump room to wipe the floor area again, this time using a thinner chemical (JOTUN Thinner #10). Its assumed that were wiping the floor area to repaint it with a gray color paint.

PUMP ROOM LEAK OPERATIONS

During the discharge operations, a work incident happened were the Pump room was flooded with oil coming from a defective cargo pump. The whole oil leak was not a problem but it got complicated when excess water from the ballast got mixed up and added to the flooding in the pump. If the flooding was only just Oil then the whole mess would just be isolated and controlled.

Having a mix of oil and water going around on the bowels of the Pump room, made the problem complicated and out of just bad luck , the vetting inspector went inside the Pump room in the middle of us cleaning the said spill . For now its no my problem on what will be Vetting inspectors remarks (but for them , its their problem) . Most of my time during discharge operations was spent cleaning up the oil mess , I did clean a significant area , but since the oil had spread to a very large floor area of the Pump room , it would be impossible for me to clean this alone.

Then on the last days of the discharge operations (took three whole days) ., when the leak was nearly cleaned and about 3/4 of the whole floor area was cleaned , Disaster struck once again as there another ballast water spill again and flooded once more the bottom area of the pump room - Basically starting again back to scratch in cleaning the whole area.

As soon as the ship went unmoored from the SBM and went on a voyage again , work resumed in the cleanup. When I got there the following day , the water has already been drained and the only thing left was the film of sludge. The probably have used an "eductor' from the bilge to remove all the water along most of the oil floating around.

Clean up work is still ongoing up to now , and I'm expecting that this will keep me busy for a couple of days.

The whole floor area of the Pump room is littered with sludge oil

A SNITCH IS AMONG US

As I went back to my working shift during operations , I saw A.B. Jun on the manifold , he says that O.S. "Alvin" is in the forward area and babysitting the mooring buoy. He told me that I should be careful with O.S. dalida for being a backstabber, (in other words a "Snitch") and he revealed that there were two incidents on work were backstabbing occurred, One incident was while cleaning the said "bilge" pipe inside the Pump room on which the sensor was accidentally trip or triggered  ,

Apparently he reported me to chief officer "merk" , aside from that he used me as his scape goat and me taking all the blame. Honestly I can't exactly recall on that incident, nor I can't recall specifically that I myself was the cause on why the sensors was tripped. On my point of view I was simply cleaning the bilge thoroughly and was keeping it dry. In addition to what A.B. "Jun" told me , there is another separate incident also in the Pump room were apparently he reported to Pumpman Carnaje about my activities and included an insult that I do not know "How to mix paint" .,

The latter that A.B. Jun told me raised my alarms, as I know the whole incident well and that during that day., me and O.S. Dalida was doing fine on work , and I didn’t suspect him of snitching me at that moment on the fact that I was just doing my job and finished it well with no incident whatsoever, I'm not even acting aggressively or O.S. Dalida acting suspicious on that time . So it’s a surprise to me on what A.B. "Jun" Revealed. Another revelation that A.B. "Jun" told me was that, he is insinuating a renewed conflict between me and Pump man Carnaje and was more anxious and looking forward in a violent confrontation. Either way its apparent and clear that O.S. Dalida betrayed me and that I trusted the wrong person.  This troubling reports and revelation cannot be overlooked, and that I should watch my back often from now on and do not disclose any information that might lead to me being put on a problematic situation. Of course I'd act subtle , so that O.S. Dalida will not suspect that I'm counter acting. Besides this situation has already been a "cloak and dagger stuff" - and I'm not the one who started it.

Historically and by practice., Filipino Sailors have been notoriously known for betrayals and treachery. Such examples of it is that they intentionally give away information about somebody, and this O.S. Dalida is not above of this such examples and that his actions against me are a proof of that. This is also one main reasons why on work I do not reveal any personal information, and that if by no other choice or option is available., I only give half-truths or give false information for my personal protection. I keep a personal policy of "Protection of anonymity". If I didn’t practice this policy then I could point myself in harm's way unknowingly. 

Looks like for me things have went on an unexpected turn and that on this ship , I simply cannot trust anyone regarding about information and I'm all alone and surrounded by betrayals and snitches all over. Anyway the good thing I'm already accustomed on this "cloak and dagger Stuff' since time in memorial as a seafarer., 

PLAYING SWITZERLAND

Believe it or not New year's Eve here was spent on work and being on "standby" ., because of vetting inspections. A few hours later then came the discharge operations. It’s a good thing that discharge operations of this ship for now in South Korea is via SBM., So basically there's not much to prepare on mooring wires (In fact none at all) . When we were preparing for the pilot ladder and gangway accommodation ladder , A.B. "Noel" Approached me and said to me that my cabin should be vacated immediately for the incoming visitors of this ship (referring to the Korean mooring team , and surveyors). I told "noel" that as soon as I'm finished on work, I'd get my stuff out of my cabin, in addition I asked "noel" were will I stay for the time being ? , A.B. paused for a few minutes and didn’t know how to reply to my question and radioed back to bridge. A minute later a reply was given that I would be put to stay on the ships hospital for the time being, until the discharge operation of the ship is over.

As soon as I was finished I immediately went to my cabin in haste and grabbed everything I could carry from my belongs and put them on the nearby Ship hospital room. It didn’t took me long to pack all my stuff and transfer it. As soon as I was finished I went out again for the mooring operations

During Mooring operations in the forward area, O.S. Dalida and O.S. "Alvin" had a heated conversation about the winch operation. I just stayed out of their way and played Switzerland in their argument, I don’t want to get dragged down on other people's business especially heated arguments. They were having such a heated argument that even the Korean mooring master got their attention and had to yell to O.S. Dalida to focus in operating the winch rather than chatting with O.S. Alvin.

After mooring in the forward section is finished , I was ordered by Chief Mate "Merk" , to be the watchman on the bouy at the forward section. After my few hour long watch I was relieved by O.S. Dalida on noon time in the forward area. When I was on the starboard side section in the accommodation block. I saw A.B. "jun" , O.S. "Alvin" and A.B. "chris" talking to each other apparently from what I notcied they were still brooding over the mooring incident. As I passed by they said to me and told that I should be careful in hanging out with O.S. Dalida as he has a tendency for betrayal and has an attitude in backstabbing people around him. I was puzzled on what they said and just proceeded to my routine after work to rest and have a hot shower to warm myself from the freezing weather of south Korea.

Inside the ship hospital (where I temporarily stay), I immediately sorted out my belongings and compacted them on my luggage. So I could easily be more mobile in moving my stuff, when I go back to my cabin after this operation. After the hot shower , I just dried myself and slept to the hospital bed since it was the only bed around the room. As I lay I looked more like a sick patient rather than just simply taking a nap , but thankfully the hospital bed seemed to be more comfortable.  

My whole stuff just got transferred to the hospital room on the last minute 

UNINTERESTING NEW YEAR

"Your born , you live and you die, you cannot undo all this. No second chances to make things right if you Fuck up the first time - not in this lifetime anyway" "like i said you make your own choice and you live with them and in the end you are those choices"

All is well for now at the turn of the year 2020, but to my disappointment the new year's celebration here on this ship is desolate and empty compared on last year with TCC. Probably because of too much "budget constrictions" this principal has to impose , it's hindering so much that provisions itself were a problem. Aside from that problem , the adding factor is that the crew here are fractious and had no sense of unity. In any case although New year's eve celebration was dismaying , I'm hopeful that new year would be grand and fun on another ship and definitely not "Hartree" principal nor any of their ships.

As far as I can tell this experiment contract I went on "Hartree" is a big failure. Both in their crew welfare , and working environment. Pretty obvious that this will be the first and last contract I will have with them, no more other contracts slated for "hartree" or any of their ships and I will not even dare venture again on another VLCC kind of ship. For me I'd stick with the aframax type and below (better if not best if it’s a panama sized) .

Believe it or not New year's Eve here was spent on work and being on "standby" ., because of vetting inspections. 

(Incidentally this is also my 401st entry on my blog journal)

YOU ARE (NOT) RELIABLE

Had been doing routine jobs for a couple of days now at the Pump room along with O.S. Dalida. Recently I had been left doing jobs only to assist him after the "incident". I don’t mind tagging along with O.S. dalida up to now as this is the only option available after , as I have been refused to be given job orders from Bosun / Pump man Carnaje a couple of weeks ago. He acted like he's some sort of POEA and harshly dismissed and locked me out in doing work. Out of luck , chief mate "merk" decided that I could get jobs orders directly from him rather than getting it from Pumpman Carnaje.

This is the best solution - for now.

Unfortunately for me , this is just a temporarily solution and that as soon as Chiefmate "merk" will disembark and finishes his contract , I will be left out with the big question on whom will I get "Job Orders" after. (Although as much as I want Chief officer "Merk" to be gone soon, given that he's some sort of close to Pumpman Carnaje and also talks against me behind my back and cannot be trusted. The only reason I'm cooperating with him was because of practicality). So probably the rest of this winter season will be left for me to figure out, the whole 4 to 5 months left. So it’s a big uncertainty for me when we goes out (thought much to my liking).

In other news …

South Korea's weather is close to zero now , and can't go anywhere outside without some sort of protection from the cold weather like a winter jacket or putting on sweater inside before wearing my coveralls. Good thing for me, I always come pretty equip (and in some extent far more equip than the standard issued equipment by the ship / principal)

Work has been , for now been light . I just tagged along with O.S. Dalida in removing water on the bottom floor of the Pump room and aside from that just washing and removing Oil Carbon stains on the aft deck. Lately we just took out the mooring loose rope out of their stowage and just put in the deck area for later use.

Based on what I heard , this ship will be making a discharge operation by exactly new year's day and that by Monday early morning this ship will move to the inner anchorage (and drop anchor there until further notice) and from there will conduct a vetting inspection first. After the vetting inspection finishes, then it heaves up anchor then proceeds directly on the berthing via SBM.

On Sunday , and I was latter informed by A.B. "Chris" that we will go out for work at 1pm. I was in disbelief at first and wanted to verify this information to O.S. Dalida, but to my surprise he too was unaware of this and even asked that if this is true then I should give him a call and inform him immediately . Honestly I was expecting that he should be the one to know this info first and that it was the other way around, anyway I guess it's foolish of me to even depend on other people knowing that they themselves have limitation.

To be blunt, O.S. Dalida is not that reliable as what I initially thought, however despite of this - it's better than nothing or going alone blinded on what to do. O.S. Dalida is still a big help and trustworthy , although not to the point of the "no secrets" category. Basically if I would look at it , my cooperation with O.S. Dalida looks more of like an "alliance"  rather than a treaty of "amity". For now this my situation and have no other choice, I have to figure out a way on how to at least last and make it for the next 5 to 6 months.    

ACCUSATIONS

On the night of Christmas day , a Phone call rang to my cabin when answered , its was O.S. Dalida and he says the he wants to discuss something that he can't discuss with over the phone in regards with the sudden change of behavior of Pump man Carnaje, and something to do with the Filipino chief officer Merk.

At midnight he knocked to my cabin and I let him in. Inside he said he overheard Merk blabber at the dinner table , speaking bisaya furiously (local ethnic dialect in the philippines) that Chief officer Merk was furious over some reports he received that some sort of complaint has reached the main office of OSM regarding the incident about me and Pump man Carnaje and that the report included (or added) 2 O.S. we're allegedly being treated badly (maltreatment). O.S. Dalida added that they suspect me ,that I'm the one behind the said report.

I told O.S. Dalida , that if ever what he overheard was true, I had nothing to do behind it and someone else made the said report. Although it was my plan to make a complaint and report it to the OSM Office later on, I didn’t proceed on it until I can guarantee and have reached the safety of the Philippines, which unfortunately will not happen at least until May 2020 or June 2020 or speaking easily 6 months away at least. I added that I specifically told my sister that no action will be taken until I reached the Philippines in fear that there's a possibility of retribution and revenge will soon be followed while I'm onboard.  At least if I made the report in the Philippines, there's no possibility that retribution can be made on their side.  

Whatever the case and whoever made the report , did not consider that factor and was probably brainless in making one. Assuming what O.S. dalida said was true, it’s a probability that I'm not the only one who has a grudge with them and whoever it is has direct access to the OSM Office. As far as I know , the only person who has a Grudge with Chief mate Merk is the Indian Chief engineer and exactly fits my bill of suspicion, but like I said its only suspicion - nothing solid.

Anyway I told O.S. Dalida, that I'm not the one and whoever it is , its definitely not me, I didn’t further tell him that about the incident merk and the chief engineer had a heated argument which the captain and another chief mate saw publicly . I didn’t tell him for security reasons.

For now, because of this so called report. I'm obviously getting spooked again and will have to take extra measures for my safety, it is apparent that they will target me because of this suspicions. It’s a shame that Filipino's do this to other Filipino's onboard and there's a saying that there is no greater enemy of a Filipino but a Filipino itself. 

THE UNTHINKABLE

As the hours tick by on Christmas eve, December 2019. The familiar dress up photos and Christmas dinner I had been doing yearly commenced, Such celebrations had been tradition for years and some of it have even taken place during times on ships that had I enemies with(or people im at war with) . But as hours went by , it was etched on my face that my situation could not be won.,

It is imminent, that this work "tour" would be a disaster for me later on and that I had to be calm and keep a façade all the time just to avoid any more trouble. Across the workplace, it was always a cat and mouse kind of scenario. Pump man Carnaje would become the cat and I the mouse. Always dodging and avoiding , and if often times unavoidable and no options available - I just simply ignore him as if he wasn’t there. It was always a tense presence whenever he is around.

Aside from having Enemies around., My stay here is complicated on the fact that  working policies here are very limiting and that crew welfare policies is not suitable. For the first time ever I think it will be a possibility that I will go empty handed when I return back to the Philippines. Main culprit to this is there is the "No Cash advance" policy here of any kind.  

CHANGING OF RULES

Things might have turned for the worse here, (at least work wise) apparently , there's a rumor I heard during breakfast which O.S. Alvin and A.B. Jun are talking about. From what I overheard is that Saturday and Sunday work schedules will be changed., Saturday will be apparently be a whole work while Sunday will be at least half days work schedules. If this rumor will be true then this ship will be rendered to a "every day Monday" schedule., for short working hours will be long and the whole contract will be uncomfortable.

Of course this rumor I heard is still yet to be confirmed and I will find out later within the week if this is the case, If it does , then the next move I should make is what step will I be doing to adapt for it.

A.B. Jun and O.S. Alvin , while hearing this jokingly said that "my rest days will be screwed" . They also added to the joke that there might be "overtime pay" for it. As for me I just kept quiet and hid my thought just inside my head, its safe that way. Just hid in the "shadows"

Personally I dislike the system "every day Monday" work schedules, In fact if I recall correctly this actually violates MLC regulations specifically the part on the clause "every seafarers should have at least one whole day rest" . Besides that , I had a previous experience before on a ship that practices this and it turns out to be a very uncomfortable experience - workwise. As for the fools who think that there will be overtime pay for it , then they should know better that it doesn’t mean that we will be working more, means also that they are also (principal and company) paying more. The fools didn’t realize that the clause and part of the contract that states "Guaranteed Overtime Pay" (G.O.T. for short) , which meant that they could let us work on a certain amount of extend time, Whether that certain amount of time is used up or not , Company will pay for it.  Its very similar to the policy "I'd pay you a little extra for an unlimited amount of overtime work".

Anyway just to avoid disagreements , I shall remain to keep my mouth shut and whatever my thoughts , feeling and opinions on a certain situation, it is best it would just be inside my head and It would be best on this ship that I have to keep my mouth shut at all times., Those fools ! They have no idea on what will happen if the "every day Monday" get established here.

My General impression of this principal get soiled as time goes by ., Their work policies get fouler and fouler each day I stay here , and as far as I'm concerned they have already violated the rules on cash advance. I had been here for more than two months now and going on to three months by January 15th and yet they haven't made any single step or effort to pay onboard wages. On this hardship situations it makes me think that I should have stayed on my previous principal TCC and that I just simply swapped an even worse principal than my previous one.

As far as I'm concerned this is my first and last contract on this so called "Hunter" principal of OSM., I'm better off being in TCC than this, Just finishing this contract and I'm out of here for good.

In other news

Id stop drinking cola for now because caffeine worsen my anxiety

Due to security concerns, and probably my paranoia that someone here on this ship might one day violate my privacy and read this journal, I have now put a password protection to keep it safe. Like I said always that’s my situation right now, I cannot risk my own personal safety especially to the likes of this people onboard., I don’t want to regret that one day I would say to myself "I should have put on a password protected journal" . So for my assurance this section of my journal cannot be accessed without a password from my computer.

In relation to this O.S. Dalida just recently uncovered my "hentai" collection on the hard drive he borrowed from me. For now I have to hide those files for security reasons in fear that they might be used against me , or in my case O.S. dalida might suspect that I'm not exactly trusting him 100 percent. As what I mentioned on my previous post that its dangerous to be too trusting to people here onboard, especially if its known that most if not all of them a bunch of gossipers who leak information every now and themn . 

I had to assure that these files will not be used against me , or be used as ammo by my enemies against me. 

In other news

O.S. Dalida said during his visit on my cabin , that Pump man Carnaje is showing signs of change and based on his observation has become "nicer" . I said to O.S. Dalida that it might just a façade for something. I added that as far as I know a person who's been a dick for the past 20 years will not change overnight. The only possible explanation to his observation are only two possible scenarios.

Scenario one is that he may be planning (or plotting) something big, I cannot tell what is his intention but he may be planning something and for now could not just simply figure it out.

Scenario two is that he may be laying low for a while given that at the moment , the superintendent is here onboard conducting his job, any disturbance or aggression made on his behalf will definitely reflect badly on him ., So to avoid this ,. He decided to be "off the radar" for a while until the superintendent disembarks, after that he's going to resume to his old habits of being a cancer to society  .

One thing I learned in all these years as a Filipino seafarer is that "there can be no action , if there is no cause" ., and that he's sudden change of behavior is no coincidence. There's always an overall reason to it. And lastly the thing I learned as a seafarer is NEVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN., because if you do - you'd definitely regrets it and DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE YOUR ENEMY.