Plenty of people have a hobby, something they like to do for fun in their spare time. A hobby is not to be confused with a passion though as a passion is something you simply can’t live without.It’s something you like to do as often as you can, is a big part of your life and gives you tremendous joy and energy.
Those working at MF Shipping Group demonstrate their passion for the maritime industry on a daily basis, but what are some of the other passions of our colleagues? Let’s kick of this new topic with Ricky Gamo, Cook on board of the New Amsterdam. He tells you more about his passion, creating mini vessels in a bottle!
Ricky Gamo, 44 years old and happily married with 3 children, explains: “Cooking is my passion and the reason why I became a cook, whether I’m at work or at home I just love to bake and cook. But one of my other passions is the process of creating a mini vessel in a bottle. I started this craft 10 years ago; I learnt it from one of my friends in the Philippines. At first it was quite challenging, but as time went by, I acquired the easiest way to make it. With time I found some ways to improve my skills and after some practice the mini vessels looked amazing. The main thing is that you need to be patient”.
Being on board of the New Amsterdam is busy all the time, as a cook you are always making sure that everyone is satisfied and happy with the food you make, but Ricky also finds time to work on his projects on board. “Once my workday is over, I find some time to work on a new project, just sit, relax and enjoy!” Because it takes 1 to 2 months to create a new vessel and you need to keep your skills up to date, working on board is kind of necessary. But of course, it never interferes with my main job on board”.
Ricky’s first creation is still the one he’s most proud of: “It wasn’t perfect, but I was so happy to have done it for the first time. Nowadays I’m looking for more challenging projects, like the Victoria of Magellan I did a few years ago, because it’s more detailed”. Luckily, you don’t need a lot of materials to make a mini vessel, sometimes you find a nice bottle in the garbage. “I find the most beautiful bottles which I can use, and I only use old and small pieces of scrap to make the vessels! So, it’s also a very sustainable pastime, I guess. And when I sell one of my projects, I can buy new materials to improve the craftsmanship. I have a lot of new vessels that I would like to make, and they can also be ordered with a personal touch, for example with a name on a sail. So for now I will continue to do this for a while, it is very challenging!”
