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Yesterday I made a remark in my blog that might need a little bit more clarification. I wrote “We were in Seward on the 5th. and that meant that the day before it was the 4th. of July, which is also in Alaska the National Holiday.†That would make sense as Alaska is part of the USA. So why the remark? Basically to my utter amazement there are quite a few people on board who do not seem to grasp that. As I am now seeing a lot more of what goes on in the ship, instead of mostly living on the bridge, there are a considerable number of guests who see Alaska as something foreign or at least not directly being part of the USA. *Americans and non-Americans alike. I had heard about questions before at the Front Desk if they could pay with US dollars in Alaska or with an American credit card but I had *never*given it much thought. Until during the last northbound cruise I picked up, here and there, a few snippets of conversation which brought the message home.* The three things I heard this time:* They speak Eskimo in Alaska, Lumberjacks have the right of way (Do not ask me where that one came from) and Alaskans do not like to fly the American flag; they have this “blue thingâ€. Also Haines where we were today; has come in for some of those remarks in the past. The one I liked the best, this was some years ago, was the exclamation of a lady going off the Gangway: “look Harry, see those nice white houses on the hill? Answer: “keep going dear, they build foreign over here.†Well they do not build “foreign†in Haines but the scenery looks different compared to the other ports we visit and that gives it its charm. The sky line of Haines is dominated by (ex) Army buildings, and thus a lot of the houses look a bit different than what most guests are used to seeing at home. According to Wikipedia, The army built Fort William H. […]
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Yesterday I made a remark in my blog that might need a little bit more clarification. I wrote “We were in Seward on the 5th. and that meant that the day before it was the 4th. of July, which is also in Alaska the National Holiday.†That would make sense as Alaska is part of the USA. So why the remark? Basically to my utter amazement there are quite a few people on board who do not seem to grasp that. As I am now seeing a lot more of what goes on in the ship, instead of mostly living on the bridge, there are a considerable number of guests who see Alaska as something foreign or at least not directly being part of the USA. *Americans and non-Americans alike. I had heard about questions before at the Front Desk if they could pay with US dollars in Alaska or with an American credit card but I had *never*given it much thought. Until during the last northbound cruise I picked up, here and there, a few snippets of conversation which brought the message home.* The three things I heard this time:* They speak Eskimo in Alaska, Lumberjacks have the right of way (Do not ask me where that one came from) and Alaskans do not like to fly the American flag; they have this “blue thingâ€. Also Haines where we were today; has come in for some of those remarks in the past. The one I liked the best, this was some years ago, was the exclamation of a lady going off the Gangway: “look Harry, see those nice white houses on the hill? Answer: “keep going dear, they build foreign over here.†Well they do not build “foreign†in Haines but the scenery looks different compared to the other ports we visit and that gives it its charm. The sky line of Haines is dominated by (ex) Army buildings, and thus a lot of the houses look a bit different than what most guests are used to seeing at home. According to Wikipedia, The army built Fort William H. […]
Click here to view the article.
