TIM eMagazine Vol.1 Issue 1
legend, boards the ship as it crosses the equator line to
brought against us by the ‘shellbacks’. It was then
test the seaworthiness of the sailors,” he added.
followed by the grand entrance of King Neptune played
“This preparation does not mean however that we
by no other than the Commanding Officer of the
have to shower for one hour, put on our best attire,
ship, Capt. Ernesto Baldovino together with his royal
style our hair and put on our most expensive perfume
dignitaries who all looked more like psychiatric patients
as if we’re going to appear before the King of England.
than royal with their elaborate costumes made from
On the contrary, ‘shellbacks’ on board subjected us
scraps,” Abing recounted.
to wearing bizarre attire. We were instructed to wear
“After the reading of our offenses by the Royal
our uniform inside out as a way of identifying and
Judge, King Neptune ordered the ‘shellbacks’ to start
separating the ‘pollywogs’ from ‘shellbacks’,” Abing
the punishment. The punishment consists of series of
disclosed.
“A few minutes before
the ceremony, we were
told in a briefing about
what’s going to happen.
And to make it more
vivid in our imagination,
photos were shown on
how the ceremony is being
conducted. One of the most
disturbing photo shows
blindfolded ‘pollywogs’
lining up while a man
behind them is swinging a
baseball bat in what looks
like a hazing. Another
picture shows a ‘pollywog’
jumping out of the ship,” he
revealed.
“Obviously, they wanted
us to believe that the
same fate is coming upon
us. And to make it more
convincing, Capt. Albert
Mogol, our exercise director
for Kakadu who happens
The ceremony started with the appearance of
to be a ‘shellback’, brought
a baseball bat during the
Davy Jones, King Neptune’s Royal Scribe in an
briefing as if to imply
elaborate costume which made him look like a half
that we are going to be
butchered like what we have
pirate and a half retard.
seen in the photos,” Abing
added.
He added the initiation
ceremonies started with “pollywog” crew members
exercises and passing through stations which involved a
being made to run by the “shellbacks” in the hot
royal haircut with free flour make-up and mayonnaise
confines of the engine room before being dragged into
shampoo, crawling through the deck, royal bath in
the ship’s gun deck.
dirty water and a supposed jumping out of the ship.
“The ceremony started with the appearance of Davy
We passed through the stations blindfolded for us not
Jones, King Neptune’s Royal Scribe in an elaborate
to find out that the supposed hazing and jumping out
costume which made him look like a half pirate and
of the ship was a hoax. The ceremony ended with King
a half retard. According to him, he summoned us to
Neptune declaring us as ‘shellbacks’. And to celebrate
appear before King Neptune to answer the charges
our feat, we had a boodle fight,” he concluded. (PNA)
23