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The First Holistic Holiday at Sea By Haije Nielsen Aug. 04 Macrobiotics Today Because
most of my “kids,” the horses that I have raised from birth on my ranch
in Holland, are now with other people, I have been able to travel, study,
and experience many new adventures. Of course, ranch life still keeps me
busy, but nowadays my schedule is more flexible and I am able to get away
from time to time. I have sailed the seven seas three times during the past three years and joined the Holistic Holiday at Sea to guide and help people onboard, and to assist Michio Kushi. The cruise ships are big and one can easily get lost. It can take a whole week to explore all the places that one ship has to offer. For
this cruise Costa Cruise Line had the pleasure of showing some 430
macrobiotic people the ports of Key West, Cozumel, Ocho Rios, and Grand
Cayman on their International cruise ship with a capacity to carry over 2000
passengers, including people from many different countries in Europe, and
900 crewmembers. Many teachers, who so wonderfully
shared this new journey with us, were among the passengers. These included
Michio Kushi, Christina & Robert Pirello, Lino & Jane Stanchich,
Verne Varona, Yogi Desai, Kamini Desai, Ohashi, Patrick McCarty, Sherry
Rogers MD, Scott Ohlgren, Warren Kramer, John Howell, Phiya Kushi, and Jami
Lin. For
Sandy Pukel, it was time for change and a new direction, and a taste of
health. He took the steps, together with John Belleme, to create something
new. They arranged a weeklong journey to health and well being while sailing
the blue waters of the western Caribbean. The ship was the Italian style Costa
Atlantica or, should I say, Italian style with a “Las Vegas” glitter
and flare. She was a beautiful ship with activities and shows for all to
choose from and of course the constant food that’s offered on a cruise
ship. You sure don’t go hungry, but that’s another story. We embarked from Ft. Lauderdale and our
“ship to well being” started cruising breathtaking waters to exotic
ports. The beginning of any voyage can have problems. We experienced some
minor technical difficulties at first like food being misplaced in the big
cargo area on the ship, a cooking class with a stove that was not working
properly, and lecture rooms changed by the ship staff. These and other small
glitches kept the organizers and staff on the run—there was no need for
exercise class for them. But flexibility is the name of the game, and the
experience was new for all of us. All
eventually went well, and, after all, we were all on holiday too! The
daily schedule started with morning Yoga, meditation, Do-In, or other class
on the deck. After breakfast there were a variety of lectures and workshops
to choose from, including Ohashiatsu, Amrit Yoga, Feng Shui, cooking class,
or a diverse choice of lectures by many different and well-known macrobiotic
teachers. The lectures and workshops were designed for everybody, both
beginners and for people with more experience in macrobiotics, or other
disciplines. A recovery panel of people telling their healing journeys from
cancers and other disorders gave the opportunity for people to listen and
ask questions. All
the teachers also gave personal consultations, and Michio Kushi included two
group consultations and two extra diagnosis classes. The variety of
teachers, their topics, and the workshops they conducted with their senses
of humor and relaxed presence made the week very wonderful. Everyone
responded positively. A
bookstore was available for people to buy books for further study. Not only
did people from the Holistic Holiday group buy books, but also other
passengers onboard got curious and found some interesting reading.
People working at the bookstore shared their knowledge and did a fine
job. In addition to the bookstore the lecture rooms were a good place to
spread the word as other passengers dropped in later in the week for a while
to listen. The response, I heard, was quite positive. Kamini
Desai (Yoga teacher) and her father Yogi Desai (Amrit Yoga) commented that
they where both very impressed with the quality of the participants and the
depths to which people were able to go in yoga, meditation, and in the
lectures. This was true even though people had not necessarily practiced
Yoga before. John
Belleme shared his own thoughts: “In last year’s summer issue of Macrobiotics
Today, I wrote a story about Sandy Pukel that contained a quote from his
friend, macrobiotic teacher Lino Stanchich, who said of Sandy, ‘He is a
visionary who makes the impossible possible and does it with chutxpa and
humor.’ After working with Sandy on the Holistic Holiday at Sea, I think
what Lino said may be an understatement. Sandy can turn potential disaster
into an invigorating game of chance where there are no losers. Everyone
learns what they need to learn as the universe nods in agreement.” Verne
Varona, who was one of the dynamic speakers, gave guidelines, spoke of
nutrition and how it works in one’s body and organs, and said, “When
people are more relaxed, they are more open.” Combined with the good food
served on the cruise, many people were going through positive changes; and
the lectures and classes served as a good inspiration. The mood was
friendly, so overall it was a most flexible atmosphere. People shared and
learned new things, and also had the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful
ports, unless they wanted to remain onboard and hear all the daily lectures. The
shore excursions were organized trips ranging from two-and-a-half to six
hours; or passengers had the option to walk in the port towns at anytime.
All in all, this was a good opportunity to observe the life, people, and
beauty of the ports. One
of the favorite topics of macrobiotic people is food. The friendly waiters
seated us and placed the napkins on our laps, and the dining service
started. Meals, from appetizers to dessert, were brought to us with a smile.
But it was necessary to hold onto your plate if you wanted to finish your
food because the service went so fast—it was nonstop from the very moment
your first dish was served. Still you could enjoy the food for up to two
hours, unless you ate fast (which was not so good of course). The first
seating was at 6 p.m. and the Holistic Holiday group filled the restaurant
together with the ship’s other passengers. The second dinner seating
started at 9 p.m. and all tables had to be cleared from the first seating
before that time. Four
macrobiotic chefs had an incredible week’s experience preparing food in a
ship’s kitchen that was a size of a whole restaurant. There were even
escalators for the waiters to bring and serve the food with all its beauty
and warmth straight from the kitchen. The ship’s kitchen staff helped to
prepare the food along with the macrobiotic chefs, and together they did a
marvelous job! They managed to use up all the grains and dry food that had
been brought to the ship one-week before the cruise departed along with all
the fresh produce that had been delivered the day we set sail. The
daily meals, from breakfast to dinner, were a delight to behold. From among
the beautifully decorated plates, the flashes you could often see in the
dining room were from some people taking pictures of the food and friends,
for future memories of a delightful time. One night the cruise held a
midnight buffet that was served in the ship’s kitchen for all of the
passengers. This gave the opportunity for everyone to see where their meals
were being prepared, and the atmosphere of the cooking. All that wonderful
food to observe, and at that hour I wasn’t even hungry. Another night a
buffet was set up in the dining room and some of us were tempted to try some
small treats—a special enjoyment and experience for us all. As
all cruise ships have their special formal nights, the dining room had its
special celebration too. Just before the time for the sweet desserts, the
dining room was filled with music, dancing waiters, and other shows together
with passionate Italian music. You can only imagine Michio Kushi’s facial
expression when he suddenly stopped chewing, his eyebrows went sky high, his
eyes opened wide, and he wondered, “What is this?” After leaving the dining room with
a satisfied feeling, and still with the taste of the wonderful desserts in
our mouths (we got so spoiled), the lectures continued until around 10 p.m.
As the stars in the sky showed their bright light amid the softness
of the warm tropical air, the evening events had their stardom in the
Ship’s Theater. The night’s show was different every evening and
performed twice, after the first dinner seating and then after the second.
Other choices for evening entertainment were the different bars with piano
music, and dancing places for all ages. Since it was an Italian ship, we
had the chance to learn how to dance the “Tarantella” and other
different dances every night, as the decades of music changed daily. The
Holistic Holiday group had its own show the last night—a talent show.
Kamini Desai started the evening with inspiring music and gathered the dance
floor full with people to dance to her Rasa dance. Then came the piano music
and singing - even Michio was singing. That was followed by poetry and a few
very funny shows about the life of Italians, and about the experiences of
the Holistic Holiday staff onboard the ship. All
in all, the cruise was a success and the happy faces of people showed that
Sandy Pukel’s idea was a great one. And the bonus was the royal treatment
we all received from the ship’s staff, who helped us 24 hours a day, if
needed. It’s not every day you have your very own cabin steward. I’m
just a new kid on the macrobiotic block, but looking at this adventure in my
way, given my age and my own view of the macrobiotic way of life, this is a
new and flexible way to spread the word and find your own way to the world
today. Things change, and so we have to see that too.
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