Hot Glass and Africa?

Hello again!

As I’m sitting in the Warsaw airport, waiting for my flight back to the States after 6 months of being on another cruise ship, I am almost overwhelmed with everything I have seen and experienced in 18 different countries and islands on 3 different continents. I have taken approximately 4,000 photos that have captured beautiful vistas and many amazing historical sites with out of this world architecture. Now that I have several contracts under my belt it is fun to return to these places that we visit over and over and go right to my favorite spots just like a local.

Yet again I was lucky to have fantastic glassblowers to work and explore the ports with. The audience’s response to our shows goes over the moon when the team chemistry has the right ratio of skill, quirky humor, factual knowledge, sarcastic wit, and genuine friendship.

For the last show of my very last cruise we had the most amazing response from the audience thus far. Several of our glass groupie fans made each of us personalized signs with our names on them, a funny illustration, and a witty slogan that was geared to each of us. For example, Everett’s sign had a chain goblet drawing and a bearded face with a caption reading “Fear the Beard!”

To cap it all off, at the end of each of our pieces when we receive our final applause, these same audience members held up numbers to score each of us! It was a total surprise and made us laugh a lot. Once I realized we were being scored, I added extra flair so that I could get style points.

On our way across the Atlantic going from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean we passed through the Straight of Gibraltor right during one of our Hot Glass Shows. It was incredible to see Africa on one side of the ship and Spain on the other. Even though I was narrating the show at the time I couldn’t stop myself from taking a picture of Everett blowing glass with Africa behind him! The audience kindly understood and then many of them proceeded to do the exact same thing. It was yet another day for the epic glassblowing on the high seas record books.

I’m greatly looking forward to my next contract which will be in the Southern Caribbean and sharing some sunshine and more glassy fish with you.

Until next time,

Ryan