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7 ideal traits for ship officers: Some inspiring quotes
Ah, the things they make Filipino maritime cadets do!
The power of myth: Ships named after Greek deities
7 ideal traits for ship officers: Some inspiring quotes
Some ship officers stand out as much for their knowledge and experience as for their distinguishing personal qualities. Seven such traits, in my view, are the most important. They define the quintessential officer: integrity, confidence, humility, self-control, patience, fortitude, and empathy. What school can teach these things? I hope the following quotes will inspire the men and women who now wear the officer’s stripe and insignia and the cadets striving to join their ranks.
Ah, the things they make Filipino maritime cadets do!
The maritime landscape in Manila would not be complete without the cadets who work as unpaid labour for the manning agencies and some seafarer unions. Individually and collectively, these cadets are commonly called ‘utility’. The term is descriptive of the many ways these aspiring ship officers are utilised. However, I would rather use the phrase ‘cadet flunkey’ — flunkey, meaning a person who does menial or trivial work for another, especially with unquestioning obedience. It is less demeaning and more accurate.
The following are some of the tasks cadet flunkeys are made to perform in exchange for being deployed eventually as apprentice–officers. I have seen worse, but these would–be ship officers never complain. Understanbly so, since the 12-month shipboard apprenticeship is a requisite for graduation in Philippine maritime schools.
The power of myth: Ships named after Greek deities
Greek mythology and the religion of ancient Greece have had a deeper impact on the shipping world than some people realise. The very word “ocean” can be traced back to the Greek Okeanos, the great river that flowed around the earth and was personified as Oceanus.
The gods and goddesses worshipped by the Hellenes have been memorialised in the names of such maritime companies as the UAE-basd Helios International FZC and Norway’s Poseidon Simulation AS. Some of the deities have even travelled the world, their names emblazoned on the hulls of ships. Here are some examples:
Wonder of Qigong: Chinese exercises for body and mind
7 ideal traits for ship officers: Some inspiring quotes
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Climate crisis: Forebodings from past works of art
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Pride and Humility: Great quotes for maritime folks
The vast maritime landscape never lacks for the self-conceited and the arrogant. I have met many such characters, too many in fact — cocky young ship officers, hoity-toity manning agents, overbearing union officials, self-important maritime journalists, and smug maritime academics. They all tend to have a bloated sense of their importance and abilities. My encounters with them prompt me to share the following excellent quotes about pride and humility.
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