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So sad to discover  that one of our crew members from the Grand Princess died in a San Francisco hospital this week. This tragic news was announced by an advocacy group on Friday and reported in the local press, including the Mercury News, which I picked up online. https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/04/03/coronavirus-grand-princess-crew-member-dies-in-san-francisco-hospital/

When it’s one of your own – a team member, a colleague, a health worker at your hospital, a relative or friend – it really brings it home what a cruel virus this is.

I was on board the Grand Princess for over 3 months from December the 7th and caught up in the middle of a virus outbreak, a few days before my contract officially ended. I was concerned for the health and safety of passengers, the crew and myself. I knew that our lives were at risk and I was glad to evacuate with a few Brits, who lived on my corridor below decks, on March 11th 2020.

It’s sad that a couple of passengers lost their lives and it truly brought it home to hear that a Filipino crew member passed away in hospital this week.

The Filipino crew members on my ship embarrased me with their toughness and cheerfulness – a resilience I could never match. They worked longer hours than I did on longer contracts for less pay. Many of them sent money home for their families and many of them appeared to feel pride in the status of having such a well paid job.

Being a good musician takes years of practice and I personally have done all kinds of stints working in all kinds of jobs – often I’ve been living in poor conditions for a UK employee on the lowest possible income in the country. Struggling with poor housing and even struggling with buying food at points.

But the Filipino crew members worked harder than I ever will with a warmth that we surly northerners sometimes struggle to find (though we are good at sticking up for ourselves when it really matters). I loved those guys and girls and miss their charm and friendly smiles which was a constant plus of living on a ship at sea.

It summed it up for me, when in the middle of a chaotic few days towards the end of my time on board, I stepped out onto a walkway, looking out to sea facing away from the  national guard, and pulled my mask up to take a breather and contemplate the risks we were taking.

Suddenly a Flipino security guy came down the steps above me in some kind of head to toe, white hazmat suit and mask. He looked like a cross between an apocalyptic angel and sci fi film extra – and caught me by surprise.

I must have had a worried look in my eyes because he pulled up his mask and said something like ” Don’t be afraid, the fear will bring down your immunity, try to be calm.”

It was delivered with such sincerity and warmth it made me laugh inside at the strangeness of the moment.  What a decent thing to say.

There were people from all over the world working on that ship. I miss the Ukrainian, Canadian and Romanian musicians who lived on my corridor. It was a privilege to have met them.

The 1000 or so Filipino workers on board though deserve our respect today.

Here is another link to a blog that I think deserves our attention in the UK on the Nursing and Midwifery Council website. https://www.nmc.org.uk/news/news-and-updates/blog-coronavirus/

I will try and write a musicworkersdiary blog every day and will make a vlog tomorrow lunchtime. I’m also making progress with putting up performances online by working on the camera and editing features.

Mike

https://mikekneafseyguitar.com/