In the streets of Montevideo with Lennin Chaps performing our energetic handshake

My first roommate on the Seabourn Quest was a gentleman from South Africa named Lennin Chaps, "The Chef," and one of my favorite laughing human beings. Lennin and I would wake many other crewmembers up at 5 or 6 in the morning with our laughter and joking. It was a unique experience where upon waking up, we would instantly be performing jokes and doing skits similar to exercises one would experience in an improved class. Two of our next-door neighbors on the ships would often bang on the cabin walls to tell us we were being too loud and that we were waking them up. One time we both rose out of bed and instantly went into preaching as if we were both talking to a large congregation about how we would conquer and give value to others in the day. 

Lennin and I worked in different departments on the ship, and I worked in the spa and Lennin in the cruise ship galley. Lenin is a talented chef, and he has told me many times how he would love to have his restaurant back in South Africa. Because we worked in different departments and on different working hours, we would only ever see each other on days we both had time off from the ship when we were docked or early in the morning in our cabin. When we first met, we always had good energy for performing silly handshakes and making jokes with each other.

We had the opportunity to cruise the street of Montevideo, and one of the stores we found was a music store that sold ukeleles. I had never thought about it before, but at that moment, I wanted to buy a ukelele and learn how to play it. I ended up buying a blue ukelele that I learned how to play for a little bit over the next few months before gifting it to another crew member. The handshake that Lennin and I came up with gives me a sense of feeling energized, as when we do three claps together reminds me of what you might see with a professional sports team. 

Thanks, Lenin, for being a fabulous and fun roommate who always enjoyed our morning laughing sessions! Much love to Lenin for your consistent handshakes throughout being on ship!

You can connect with Lennin on his Facebook profile or Instagram profile.