“Stop shaking the table!” 
I asked my friend as we were sitting around talking one evening. Everyone in the room looked at me. There was a pause. “Alison, it’s you who is shaking,” somebody pointed out. I looked down at my hand. Oscillating before me was the after-effects of operating power tools eight hours a day, six days a week. Since joining the project team I have needle-gunned, wire-brushed and sanded my way up and down the ship’s staircases. Each individual step must be rust-free and gleaming before primer and paint can be applied, and carpet laid. With seven staircases in the ship’s central casing, each spanning five decks, this has involved a lot of dirty, noisy work!
Once the first staircases were finished, Pabla, the only other girl in my work team, and I, were set to work painting. Apparently girls paint better than boys because they actually care about small details 
like not painting the wall when you’re supposed to be painting the steps. Having painted my way through my land team I now consider myself a bit of a painting expert. After much consideration, I have outlined four conclusive factors which make painting the supreme winner of the painting vs power tools debate.
1. I don’t shake (except in fear when Michael, my meticulous boss, comes to inspect my work).
2. I can hear my ipod when it’s playing.
3. No protective gear is required, meaning that I look and sound like a normal person, as opposed to Darth Vader.
4. Painting is very funny… at least it is after I’ve inhaled paint fumes all afternoon!
For the next few weeks I will be spending most of my time working in the project… but more details about that in a few days when I explain the innermost workings of our wonderful “project phase”.
