11 days at sea... not so bad.

The last stretch of the voyage is probably the longest time we spend at sea. 11 days at sea sounds a bit much and can appear to be daunting but I have to say that we have been so busy that it hasn’t even crossed my mind that we haven’t set foot on land. I think that everyone is realizing that the end is near and the time we have together is dwindling. Although the students are in class and working on school work I can tell that the evening times are being well spent with other time consuming things, such as just hanging out, reconnecting, getting to know new people, and doing some last minute journaling – like I am doing right now. I think it is interesting because we get so caught up wanting to journal about the port cities that we forget to journal about the day to day experiences we have on the ship. Although I would like to say that life is pretty normal on the ship – but really? How “normal” can it be being on a ship with the same 700 people (and depending on your community, seeing the same 20 some odd people) everyday for 104 days. Beyond the work load and usual meetings and such, I have to say the events on the ship have been a blast and memorable. In particular, the Shipboard Auction and the Talent Show have been my highlights while being at sea. The Alumni Auction is held each year and coordinated by the Alumni Coordinator. There are 2 parts to this event… first there is a silent auction where people can roam around and bid on the various items up for bidding. All items in the live and silent auction are donated by the current community members on board. There were some very cool items from snack from around the world to a bracelet that was made with coins from every port city we visited. The reason the auction was so memorable for me was also because the committee asked me to be an Auctioneer. I had never been an Auctioneer or have ever seen a live auction before but got the concept… I got to auction off 7 awesome items… including a few nice vacations, a Captain Crunch cereal box signed by the Captain and his staff as well as raising the U.S. flags for both Hawaii and San Diego. Raising the flags means that anyone can pull the flags up on the ship on the top deck as we sailed into the port. Each time we enter a port we raise that country’s flag and I guess it is symbolic and fun to do both the first time we can raise the country’s flag in Hawaii and then in San Diego because all the parents, families, and friends who come to San Diego see you dong it. It was definitely a fun experience to be an auctioneer and I will never forget it. The other main event was our Talent Show... it was awesome to see so many talented students show their best. I guess, for those who know me... there was a rumor that was spread that I could do a little dancing... so after some thought, I said... why not!? and so I connected with two students who were doing a small hip hop number and wanted to see if I could jump in... after 2 rehearsals... at 3am... and coaxing Brittany, our photographer who is also an awesome dancer... I decided to participate... but it was a surprise for everyone... so we choreographed a surprise entrance for me and Brittany and it was a great experience... I realized that I still do like to dance... not sure if my body was fully ready for it since I am still sore from a 50 second routine and my knee is making a weird cracking noise, but it was well worth it... and just to surprise students... it was a treat. Now it is all about doing a study breaks, catching up with people before the voyage closes... but we still have one more port to hit... we stop in Honolulu but can't get off... its just for customs and immigration and fueling and then we head over to the Hilo... that should be fun since I have never been to the big island... I heard theres not much there but volcanos and the Big Island Candy Factory but I am sure it will be nice to be on land and also try to get to the Kona side where they have more of a visitor appeal and attractions. I am also thinking about what to do and in what order when I hit San Diego... I think it might be nice to just relax somewhere in SD and then make my way up to L.A.... but we'll see... it seems so close but so far away that I have time to think... but again, the days go by quick... I just want to make sure I soak in every minute I have while also thinking about the transition back to "real life". The hardest thing is being at sea and getting used to ship life... I am used to my cabin and the space as well as the cyclical schedule... not only that but the community life on board... some cant stand the close quarters but I really dont mind it... it actually lends itself to great connections and conversations... but then again at certain points of the voyage I did want and need a space of my own - which is hard to find... anyway... enough ranting... more to come... Hawaii... and heading home and my final thoughts...

Taiwan... Taipei, Keelung, and Takoro Gorge.

The unexpected stop… Taiwan was a treat, although we were re-routed from Japan to Taiwan, I couldn’t complain. Taiwan has a feel that I did not expect. The people are very friendly and the city has a buzz that was unique. It felt like New York but also with a strong culture of it’s own that you knew Taiwan and its citizens were proud of their city. It was definitely a whirlwind time since they only gave us 3 days but I feel like I had a great time and it was filled with great people and fun. Taipei was like any other busy city but the pockets and different areas were very interesting… the one thing I loved about it was the MRT, their subway system, was also so neat, orderly, and easy to navigate… The day was mostly spent hanging out with other staff members, we planned it that way so that we could spend our last international port together and have one night out… so we had great food and checked out the sights such as the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial and Taipei 101, the worlds 2nd tallest building, it used to be the first but they built another one beating it’s height in Dubai. After some sightseeing we headed to the KTV, which is the acronym for all karaoke studios, similar to the Korean Karaoke Studio… we got a room to just have folks come and unwind and sing. The hard part was trying to figure out their system to play songs since everything was in Cantonese but we made it work and were able to sing all the songs we wanted. It was a memorable experience since we rallied almost all the young professionals that are on the ship and it was fun to see us just let loose and just have fun together since all the previous ports were hard to coordinate something like this because of the various demands of our jobs while at port. After KTV we grabbed some more drinks after and headed back to the hotel. The following day we headed back to Keelung, which is the port city we docked in to check out the Night Market, which was AMAZING! Mind you, the night market in Keelung, or in night markets in Taiwan are mostly for eating… shopping is available but the headline events are the small food stands everywhere… I must have eaten so much.. .from friend calamari to dumplings, to read bean cakes… I also got a JUMBO XL bubble tea which was great! It was like a big gulp but with milk tea and tapioca. After grubbing we did a little shopping, I mostly got snacks and goodies to hold me over until Hawaii… before we headed back to the ship we did roam around the port area and peeked into shops to see what other last minute items we could buy with our money before we left.

China... in a nutshell (Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai in one!)...

The day in Hong Kong was awesome… although it was super short it was definitely a good time. I didn’t really make any plans since it was such a short stay but I have to admit that it is a very easy city to navigate and the subway system is the easiest that I have ever experienced. I decided to tag along with Faith to meet up with a friend, Shelly who Faith works with at Stanford and I have had the pleasure of hanging out with prior to seeing her in Hong Kong. Once we were cleared to dock we got off and met a friend, Shelly who works at Stanford, for some dim sum and quick sight seeing. Because of the time constraint we had to choose what to do very carefully. Shelly was in Hong Kong with her boyfriend, who is a composer and does some work in Hong Kong and it was serendipitous that she was there the same time we were. After a nice lunch at Crystal Jade at the IFC center we spent the day at the large Buddha Statue by taking the Ngong Ping 360 Sky Cabin, a system of cable cars that take you to a high point where the statue is situated. It was an amazing ride and view and a fun little touristy area. After spending most of the day there and taking pictures we had dinner at one of the most spiciest Sichuan restaurants in the city called San Xi Lou – ummm.. my tongue was numb… it was a spicy sensation that I don’t think I have ever experienced… it is hot but not in the kimchee or siracha type of spicy it was really numbing… pretty funny. Check out the pics… the food was amazing and almost scary. After that we did some night market shopping in Hong Kong which was interesting, since I only had one night in Hong Kong and had a bunch of Hong Kong dollars I spent money on the most random things from a bootleg cigarette case to a funny hat to keep me warm on the Great Wall hike… and of course some magnets as souvenirs. We headed back and I packed to set off to Beijing for the Great Wall hike! We started off by meeting to go to the Hong Kong airport to catch a one-hour flight to Beijing at 11am which was perfect. There were about 100 of us going on the same flight so that made it fun and also easy to navigate since there were so many people headed to the same game and customs. I have to say, the airports in China are so nice – all are littered with shops and it feels more like a retail experience, like venturing through a mall more than an airport. Once we arrived in Beijing we were picked up by our tour operators and taken quickly to our bus where we had a 2 hour commute to the Beijing Shihao International Hotel… the hotel was a 5-star hotel which usually caters to native Chinese tourists. It was pretty awesome to experience a hotel like this. They had a club, bowling alley, and huge dining room – the funny thing is that the hotel was pretty empty so it felt like the hotel was all to ourselves. Oh, before we got the hotel they had us have dinner next door in a banquet hall… they served us local food and once thing I noticed was that they rarely serve rice at meals. I asked the tour operator if they do this usually and he told me that rice is generally not provided in meals and said that rice was seen as peasant food… that was a bit shocking for me since rice is such a staple in Asian cuisine in the States but it works, I don’t eat much rice anyway, but interesting to know. It is also fun watching everyone negotiate the lazy susan and family style dining which is something I pretty much grew up with… that was a pretty big thing I noticed actually – everyone was so intrigued and commented on the various things I realized I took for granted, like family style eating, a lazy susan, or just food items in general. I guess growing up in a city an living in urban areas with plentiful diversity you are more exposed to diverse cultures and experiences. I realized how lucky I am as well and how important it is to be willing to learn and teach others mutually. Something I have been chewing on since the voyage started and I continually have questions and thoughts about what difference is and its tight connection to epistemology and learning… but I regress because most people who may be reading will be lost, rolling their eyes, or just laughing at my mental-ness…. Ok, so for the fun stuff… well the hike on Day 1 was awesome, we went through an area of the Great Wall that was pretty much untouched from refurbishment… so it looked like ruins and you can see most of it because it was in tact enough to trek thorough and take pictures but it is clearly not the touristy section of the wall… the hike was about 8 miles and took most of the day… it was real fun and nice to just see the sights while being outside and doing something active. The funniest part of the journey was that they served us McDonalds.. .yup, you read it correctly folks… the tour operators were so excited to serve us McDonalds but you should have seen the look of everyone’s faces… in astonishment… for them, they thought McDonalds would be our highlight but unfortunately that’s not what the group was expecting… however… we graciously took the food since we needed sustenance… it took 4 Sherpas from the local village to go purchase all the Filet-O-Fishes and Big Macs for us to eat… what a moment.. chillin’ on the ruins of the Great Wall of China eating a Big Mac…. LOL…. Well after a few more hours of hiking we ended on the part of the Wall where tourists begin and would start there the following day. We headed back for dinner at another large Chinese restaurant and then decided to call it a night since we were physically wiped out. We did roam a bit but there wasn’t much to see around the area our hotel was in since it was mostly small shops that catered to the local community and because everything was closed. The next day we had breakfast at the hotel and headed off to start where we ended the day before…. Although this part of the hike was paved it was definitely a bit more strenuous. There were a lot of stairs that go up and down – and although shorter as well.. it was definitely a physical challenge for many…. Surprisingly for me… it wasn’t that bad… I even ran up the 160 stairs they call the stairway to heaven…. I think they got video of me running it… good times… Our last day in Beijing we headed to Tian’men Square and the Forbidden City. Tian’men Square is touted to be the largest public square in the world. It is definitely a sight to see with so many people descending onto the square to see this landmark. From there we were herded to the Forbidden City which is also known as the Imperial Palace which was home to over 20 emperors of China. There are about 9000 rooms which housed more than 9000 people in its prime. With moats, viewing rooms, a throne shrine, and a large garden it was fascinating to think how people lived and what it looked like when it was in use. After our quick visit we left for the airport and headed toward Shanghai. Coming into Shanghai was a sight to see… all the lights and the skyline was awesome. Everything was lit up since we got in at night and made me super excited to check out the sights. I didn’t have any major arranged plans since I wanted to connect with some friends, including Paulie who moved from NY to Shanghai. After some needed rest that night I connected with Paulie the next day and he showed me around the town. He lives in the French Concession, which is a small area which the French occupied a while back and you can see the clear architectural influence on the area. It is so neat to see the small town-like area amidst the tall buildings and malls in Shanghai. We also hung out on a stretch near the water in Shanghai called the Bund which was also a touristy place to see… it is near a waterfront and very touristy but cool to see. After a few drinks I headed back to the ship and then rested for the next and last day in Shanghai… my only thing to do was to check out the markets and grab a last bite to eat with Paulie and another friend, Judy. The market was packed with random goods and trinkets… I bought a few magnets and a mask for the Alumni Ball, which is a masquerade theme, on the ship… after that I met Paulie and Judy at a place called Pho Real – I know, in Shanghai, eating Pho, but it was great… and now I can say I have been eating Pho all around the world! LOL…. That sums up China… of course there are a million things that I can also write but this is a great snapshot of my travels in China… it was great and I would definitely go back like the other ports… 2-3 days in each of these places are not enough.

Vietnam and Cambodia - a great adventure...

Ho Chi Minh City or otherwise known as Saigon is a charming city that is booming with high end retail stores and small shops selling local goods and food. We docked in a tourist port that was right outside of downtown and had easy access to the main tourist area of the city. Because it was difficult to walk there we had shuttles that took us into the center of town and dropped us off at the well-known Rex Hotel… knowing that I only had 2 days in the city I tried to maximize as much as I could by prioritizing my time. The first day I led a trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels which was an area that shows the way the Viet Cong built and dug tunnels underground as a strategy against those they were fighting in the war, including the U.S. They were pretty interesting… the guide showed us the various ways they would hide the tunnels and create ways to survive below ground including a hospital and kitchen… we were also able to walk through 2 of the tunnels which were pretty intense… and cramped… we also were able to go into a tunnel through a hidden entry way that was super small… After seeing the tunnels we returned home and I went back out to check out the sights in the city and shop a little. We walked over to the Ben Thanh market and then had dinner at a highly recommended restaurant called Vietnamese House. As usual, I tried the local beer which I really liked called 333 (or in Vietnamese it would be called bah bah bah). After dinner we headed over to the Majestic Hotel and Casino to go up to their rooftop bar for a beautiful view and great drinks… including a live band…. While we were there a few friends randomly showed up and while we were talking, I learned that the places that make suits for folks were open until late – midnight…. So we had a few drinks and headed over to Nam Silk, a tailor shop that I wanted to get suits from… I didn’t think I was going to be able to make anything because of my limited time (since I had to go to Cambodia for most of my trip) but they were able to turn it around in 2 days… and a friend picked up the final items for me so I was set! Long story short… I got 2 suits, 2 shirts, pants, and shorts made for me and the woman threw in a tie! Pretty cool… I also got some nice dress shoes for 20$ at the market so I am pretty set for job interviews and the Alumni Ball!

The one thing that I forget, as do most tourists, how the prices in Vietnam and Cambodia are so low that you end up spending more than you want because you feel like you can buy anything and everything… I can’t speak on personal experience because I gave myself a budget at each port, but I noticed other people who go all out in purchases – but then I think… do they know how much they have spent cumulatively? Because I hear people going to the ATM everyday or even twice a day… sure it is great to have items for so cheap but you end up spending more than you want! So note to travelers, unless you put yourself on a budget, you may spend more than you think you want to! For example.. massage for an hour for $6… amazing… North Face backpack (of course its fake)… $5.00… or t-shirts for $2. I spent more money of food and ate more than I needed too but yeah… a dollar can go far here but with our American tendencies to indulge in excess, it can actually be pretty pricey.

Anyway… so along the lines of spending money… The following day I decided to just walk around and soak in the city and eat some more! It was great to see the Market again and experience what life is like inside. I had a fun experience as the vendors, mostly women, were heckling me and asked me to buy their goods. I went in on the experience very jovially and really entertained their assertive sales pitches… well anyway, one woman grabs my arm (I am also getting pinched a lot…) and asks me where I am from and I tell her… umm.. New York… so she says back, “no, where are you really from?” and so I say… “ok, L.A., California..” and then she pauses, frowns, and then asks, “ where are your grandparents from?”… so I tell her that she got me and that I was Korean… and then she proceeds (while still holding my hand) to ask me if I wanted a t-shirt… since I didn’t want one I kept telling her “no thank you” and as I try to pull away, she asks “what about a massage?” and cracks all my knuckles of the hand she is holding on to… mind you while this is happening another woman walks right by and smacks me in the behind… what a sight… it was all very entertaining and the people I came to the market with were just laughing.. .as you can only laugh at the spectacle that was happening… all in all it was a fun experience and I wont ever forget my time in the market.

Cambodia was just as educational, fun, and amazing… not only were we able to see the temples of Angkor Wat but we also added a few other temples in Angkor Tohm and the Elephant Terraces as well as check out the night life and markets. We stayed at really nice hotels and I guess that is what you also pay for. Siam Riep, the city that Angkor Wat is located in is also beautiful and really built to cater tourists… we had great food, a fun cultural show at the buffet we had for dinner, and the night market wasn’t bad either. But first we visited Phnom Penh, which is the capital of Cambodia that maintains the King’s Palace and was a site for the Killing Fields Pol Pot used for the mass genocide he executed a few decades ago. Compelling and shocking at the same time we saw the remnants of the concentration camps and area where he murdered thousands of people due to his want for the utopian agrarian society. It was sobering and astonishing that something like that could happen to a group of people. We also visited a children’s orphanage called Palm Tree where they housed over 100 orphans from Cambodia. It looked like a great place with some vibrant staff and children. We only had an hour there and I wished we had more since it was just picking up when they told us we have to leave. We played games and it was great to see the students on the trip really immerse themselves into the environment. I have to admit that and the sunrise at Angkor Wat was one of the most memorable experiences I will have from the voyage. It was a great trip but too short, I do have thoughts about coming back here again and for a longer duration of time so that I can really soak in the sites and get a true feeling of the vibe of both Vietnam and Cambodia… the people here are very friendly and welcoming. All in all it was a great trip and I am so happy to have saw and experienced what I did with the time I had here…

Oh as for the food – the Pho is really different here. The noodles are round and thicker… so I was concerned I didn’t get the right dish but after a few observations it was clear that the Pho in the U.S. is different… but I did see similar noodles at a few of the street stands. I cant be sure what to call authentic now but all I know is that the food is out of sight – although I can say that the food I have tried at home is pretty similar… so when people are freaking out or saying how delicious something is it is hard for me to be on the same boat… the one other great thing about the food, especially in Cambodia, is that they always have kimchee because they have a lot of Korean tourists. I must have ate kimchee for breakfast, lunch and dinner, at every place we went too… it was nice to have familiar flavors – especially because I am starting to get tired of the ship food…

A Day in Singapore

Our next stop had us dock in Singapore for day, well… more like 8 hours. It was a nice pit stop and a place I would like to discover more if I had the time. With the small amount of time I had I was able to lead a trip to the School of Hard Knocks which is a pewter store that sells a variety of goods made out of the metal and they have a lab inside where you can make your own bowl. The store was in Clark Quay (pronounced Key) so that was nice to see that part of Singapore and also bring back a neat little souvenir. Once we got there everyone was given a small tour and overview of how pewter came to be important for Singapore and then we were given instructions on how to make the bowl. It is a lot of hammering and molding. They gave everyone a circular and flat piece of pewter which ultimately had to be shaped with molds and engraved by a hammer. It was fun but really loud. Afterward, our tour guide Grace allowed us to walk around the area. It resembled Citywalk in L.A. with dozens of restaurants and shops as well as those fountains that shoot water out from the ground when you least expect. Singapore is unique… it has the hustle of a city and sterility of a suburb all mashed together. The subway (or MRT) is really easy to figure out – the only difficult thing is that the stations are pretty far away from each other so it would be similar to how the Chicago subway stations are located… not too close like NY but close enough to walk from one station to another or get to a point from a certain area without it being a hassle.

After the School of Hard Knocks I headed back to the ship to drop stuff off and reconnect with the group. Oh, and the docking area was a cruise terminal which was a full mall with a food court, retail stands and high end stores so it was interesting to walk around the mall as well… but shopping really wasn’t what I wanted to do… My agenda was to see as much of Singapore in the few hours we had and also eat. So… after reconvening with my traveling buds we set back out into the city and headed to Chinatown where we wanted to get some lunch at the Maxwell Center, which is considered a Hawker Food Station…. It is pretty much an open air food court where you can get the usual cuisine… Oyster Omelet’s, Carrot Cake (which is another type of omelet), all sorts of dumplings, noodle soups, and other local dishes. I also got some Tiger Beer to wash down the great food the Hawker stands had to offer. After grubbin’ we walked around Chinatown and perused the vendors, which I didn’t know but figured out.. .that you can also bargain there too! After some time we headed to Esplanade where the huge Dorian Fruit shaped theatre complex was. That was interesting to see, from the few art installations inside to the outside dome of the theatre and its architecture. Afterward we headed to the Golden Mile Food Center which is another Hawker Center where I got Dorian Shaved Ice and Tulong… which is a bone marrow dish. Of course, more Tiger Beer too. Afterward we headed back to the ship because our time was up. Although it was a short and sweet visit, I had a great time in Singapore… I wish I could have also seen the Marina Bay Sands which is a casino that has a great view of the city and maybe visited Sentosa Island, but I can always list that for next time.

As for the status of Japan… we have learned that it our trip to Japan is officially cancelled due to the recent tragedy that occurred as well as the many health risks related to entering the country. Although it is sad that we have to re-route ourselves my main concern is sending good thoughts and hope to all those who are impacted. A trip is a trip and no matter where we go it will be fine… however, seeing the news reports and watching the events unfold, I cant imagine being there and having to deal with the many issues and concerns Japan currently is facing.

For our change in destination… they provided 3 options, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines. It was recently announced that we will be heading to Taiwan after Shanghai... just as exciting.. .and truth be told, I am kind of glad that it was not South Korea… it would be too short and I wouldn’t have been mentally and emotionally ready to go to South Korea for the first time… especially this way. So… it is off to Taiwan.

Chennai, India

Chennai, India

India… so everyone says that India is the turning point for the voyage. What does this mean? Well… I guess India is a sobering and eye opening port for all the people on the voyage including the staff. We prepared by doing a variety of presentations (remember preports?)… and informing students of everything they need to know about traveling in India. I have to admit… India is an amazing place, in particular Chennai. It is sensory overload and there is a lot going on all the time and the people and car traffic blows New York out of the water… including the abundance of auto-rickshaws…. The scene is intense and can be overwhelming but I took it all in and was in awe of the culture, the pace, the smells, and the energy. The first day we set into port the Indian customs wanted to do face to face passport clearance with all the members of the shipboard community, so a part of our job is to organize the line, pull passports, and push everyone through… since we did this twice already it was an easy breezy process. Once everyone was cleared we had to get a few more tidbits of information. The port of Chennai is a import/export port so rather than entering a port with cultural dancers and port agents, we were greeted by a fleet of cars… these really small compact Hyundai hatchbacks. It was kinda funny… check out my pics to see what it looked like. Anyway… so the port is a bit complicated. We are not allowed to walk on the port terminal areas because of the safety issues and because it’s just desolate…. So they got a 24 hour shuttle that would transport people to the main entry way for the port and drops students and staff off… but theres another security measure… once we get dropped off we have to report to the gate agent and provide them with our passports so they can check us off…. This is also because India is on High Alert for terrorism and travel policies… so there are a lot of measures even before seeing the city. Anyway… it is what it is and its not as complicated or time consuming as it may sound… So, the first day I was leading the City Tour and Orientation… it was great because we got to see the majority of the city, some cool landmarks, and really get our bearings… 90 people went, which was generally unusual because the city orientations are not well attended, but again, it was India… so I am sure everyone was a bit concerned about jumping into the city without a proper orientation. After the orientation trip I came back and washed up – it is pretty hot… no actually it is really hot here and dusty… so got cleaned up and then hit the town again for dinner where we met a really nice cab driver named, Raja…. He took us to a nice restaurant with South Indian Cuisine… where I pigged out and then we got some Ice Cream at a local ice cream shop called Arun and even though they have told us not to eat ice cream I figured I would try it, I have a lot of Pepto and some antibiotics… and not that having drugs justifies me to be risky but still… I have seen so many students eat ice cream elsewhere I figure why not… right? Right.

The next day we were ready to set out to Egmore where they have a hotel, the Ambassador Pallava, where they also have an office that sells the Japan Rail passes… we have to get the passes before we enter Japan because they don’t sell the 7-day unlimited rail passes so we put that on our agenda in Chennai… turns out that there are too many pieces of red tape to get it in India so I am going to just wait until we get to Singapore or Hong Kong (I am adding this post-tsunami/earthquake in Japan and writing this initial blog entry... but maybe it was a sign and a good thing we didn't get a pass because of what happened... but Japan is not out of our itinerary and will be closely monitored). No worries though… we ended up hitting up the Governors Museum which was interesting, to say the least, and then had an amazing lunch that was outta control… and then made it back home to rest a bit before going shopping at a place called Spencer’s Plaza, which resembled a mall/swap meet with some interesting stores… from your everyday electronics… oh by the way, I saw a 16GB flash drive for $20… why didn’t I just get a whole bunch here to sell on e-bay? Lol… anyway… yeah… so I bought a few things from a traditional outfit (but its more casual so nothing fancy) and then some trinkets and souvenirs including postcards… oh, I do have to say, that I am pretty good with postcards and post offices abroad. Hahahha… but yeah… so ran those touristy errands and then headed back for some dinner on the ship – which is hard to eat when you eat such good food off of the ship, especially here in India.

After an easy night of port duty I woke up to head out with Faith, Mark, and Wei Man to Mamallapuram, a city that is known for its ancient temples and structures that were all created and carved in the 7th century. It was awesome and breath-taking, especially the Shore Temple. That took the whole day but decided to rally and go our for another dinner and I was totally jones-ing for a Dosa so that is what we got… when you look at pictures all the stuff I am talking about will make sense or you will have an image to what I am talking about… so check out my Picasa Web Album.

After another night of light duty – although I did get called a few times… I jumped on a service trip to a special needs school called Sankalp . We learned a lot about how learning disabilities and the differently abled children are provided services and how they negotiate the school system and exams in India. It was quite fascinating and it was interesting to talk to the teachers and students about their experience. The highlight was when a student asked us where were from and when I said New York, he completely lit up and was excited to meet someone from NYC since he was recently there (for some tests)… It is amazing how much these students get so excited to meet people from the United States and it really puts things into perspective about the position of the U.S., people’s perceptions, and the privilege we have as American citizens… I have to say… the idea of being “happy” and/or satisfied… I am not really sure exactly what I mean but just an idea I am mulling through… concepts such as values, needs, and what it means to be content and happy. Not too deep but deep enough for me to ponder throughout the day.

Also, after the service trip I chilled a bit and then finished writing postcards and then headed out to dinner… Indian food is so good. I mostly ate South Indian food and spent almost as much money on food as I did on transportation and sightseeing. After dinner I headed back for a chill night on the ship and got ready for the next morning.

The next service trip was to an orphanage and special needs school called Sankalp. It was an intense experience that really tested my ability to adjust to different environments as well as lead a group. We did a series of activities and cleaned the facilities. I am still processing the experience and reflecting on the many elements of the trip. After the service trip I met up with a few ship staff to go out and hit the town. We went to an area called Pondi Bazaar which is like an outdoor market and row of shops. It was fun to take pictures of the sights as well as to see what goods were being sold. I bought a lot of snacks and a few souvenirs. The best part of the trip was packing into a taxi with 5 people and just hitting the town. After some sightseeing, shopping, and dinner I was back on duty which was quiet. One interesting and fun thing to watch around the ship was that a lot of people returned from their overnight trips to Delhi and Agra and all the students wearing the different items they purchased. Many students had the casual traditional clothing from India but other students, in particular the women, went all out and bought sarees in a multitude of colors and patterns… it was like a fashion show of students with their gear from around the world.

On my last day I went out to see some last minute shopping areas and just to hang with Faith, Mark, Sunny, Bill, little Alex and Wei Man. We looked around for a local chain store called Fabindia which had a variety of locally made goods - since it was a chain retail store there was no bargaining and haggling instead the people just leave you alone and you shop like you would back in the States. But before finding Fabindia we went into Pondys which is a huge fabric and clothing department store. It had fabrics on all the walls and clothing broken into men’s, women’s, and children’s floors. It was pretty neat to see and the way the shopping works is interesting… each section within the floor has its own cashier and check out process and in order to purchase something you have to ask a clerk to help you, get a receipt for the item and then bring the receipt to the register.

India has been a great port and I saw and learned a lot just being in Chennai… I would definitely come back and hit up other places like Agra, Delhi, and Varanasi… so the Taj Mahal can wait. Next it’s Singapore with thoughts of Japan on my mind... truth be told, the possibility of not going to Japan will be a massive disappointment, HOWEVER... I really do not care about being able to go as much as how people are managing the crisis over there. They are broadcasting the Aljazeera News channel for us to see updates (as well as other world news, such as the issues in Libya, etc.) but... to see the footage and think about all those who have been impacted by the tsunami makes me hope for only the best and to send good thoughts toward Japan... I am also hoping (and it appears to be coming true) that the sentiment is not about us and the trip as much as it is about sending positive energy to Japan and hoping they will recover soon. But if you do want to know the update for the voyage... it has not impacted us in any major way... we are still headed toward Singapore and then Vietnam...

Mauritius and Ship Life

Mauritius and Ship Life

Mauritius, a small island connected to Africa was our next stop after Cape Town. It was only for a day but it was definitely worth the stop. We had about 8 hours from when we docked to experience what the island had to offer. Because of the limited time and my inability to fully research the activities or sights to see I signed up for an organized trip through the program. Initially I signed up for the hike and beach tour but due to significant amounts of rainfall our tour company for Mauritius cancelled our hike, Instead, I had the option to pick another trip and chose to do the Adventure Park and Beach trip. Adventure Park may sound a bit touristy and could have had the potential to be hokey but it was a full on ropes course with 2 parts. The first course were primarily bridges and then another hike up to the 2nd course led us to a more difficult course which started with a small hike. It was definitely a challenge but I am happy to say that I did all 14 courses. The zipline, which was promoted to catch the eye of the participants was the most underwhelming – we have video of me doing the zipline and some courses and the courses were definitely the highlight. After the ropes course we were provided with lunch and then we were off to Flic and Flac Beach, one of the best beaches in Mauritius. After a couple hours at the beach we headed back to the ship for on-ship time. After we got everyone on board we headed off to Chennai, India.

I realized that I have been blogging a lot about the ports we dock in and what I do while on land but don’t really talk about ship life. At first, I felt that ship life was not as interesting to write about but considering that half of the time we are at sea, it was important to write about ship life for my own reflection but also to provide some snapshots for you so that you can also visualize what I am actually doing on a day to day. Also, so I can dispel any misconceptions of what we do on board. Many people may misinterpret our roles on board as cruise ship life… but in reality I think I work just as hard or possibly harder on a day to day on board than I would on a campus. My day pretty much starts at about 7am and ends around 11pm depending on the day. Some days we will have programs and activities that go until 11pm and some days there is alcohol service nights (AKA Pub Night) on board where our duty shifts end at 11:30pm. Without going into more detail about work – the other parts of ship life is fun and interesting. For example, we had a Curry Night for the faculty and staff last night where there was special catering from the ship Hospitality staff. I guess a lot of the adults were getting tired of the dining hall food and this was definitely a special night – also because it was Faith’s Birthday. We got to celebrate with an amazing dinner and a huge ice cream cake… couldn’t have asked for a better night – and then right after I was a judge for The Ultimate SASser competition – more than a pageant it was a competition that mirrored a pageant but with appropriate and tasteful categories and it was a duo, not individual, competition. I was pretty honored and happy to judge the competition alongside some other shipboard staff members, including Randi Sue the Nurse on board and 2 other adult, lifelong learners who are on the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Ice cream cake seems to be a common theme when we celebrate things. Our lead security officer, Savio, who has been an awesome source of support and a great team player is also leaving in Chennai, India… so we got him an ice cream cake and surprised him the night before we docked in India. I just think how things like an ice cream cake are so valued because of the limitations we have while at sea… anyway… so ship life.. definitely something I am very used to by now and it seems like I can do this for a while… the only thing that is holding me back from applying to every other semester is the fact that I don’t have a job and income and the many other life moments that will be happening in the future, such as weddings and oh yeah… my own graduation. LOL!

I have also reflected on the multiple communities I have on board and I am quite happy with the many people I have interacted with on the ship. Some include my extended family, who are a group of students who are assigned to me as their honorary “older cousin”… most others go by “mom and dad” but that just freaks me out and I am not old enough to be called that, especially by a college students, so I just told them that I would be the extended family member that is an older cousin that gets them ice cream and hangs out with them than giving any type of sage advice… although I think I have a lot to give… lol… and then I also have weaved together a pretty tight group of smokers on the smoking deck… as usual they are the students who are unique, have their own issues, but are as tight as glue because of all the time we spend together… and its funny to see a new face as the group is cemented and when we find a new person smoking on the deck at this point in the voyage we have to double take but do welcome them to the circle of smokers….The professional staff are awesome and I love hanging out with any of them… although we have a hierarchy of positions it really feels communal and team oriented and I love the fact that we are in close quarters and the culture of the community here is that everyone is a community member that is valued and has something important to contribute…The faculty are hilarious and a bit quirky which I love as well because I understood the presence of faculty and their importance in the development of a rich community within an educational setting but their presence and visibility on the ship is totally different and fun.

More on ship life to come...

Cape Town, South Africa!

Cape Town… Where do I begin? I had an amazing time and definitely a place I would return to and recommend to anyone who is remotely interested in visiting. My plans changed a bit as we headed into, or tried to dock into, Cape Town because of the weather conditions. Cape Town has seen abnormal weather conditions as of late. The winds are unusually strong lately and because of the ocean waters we were unable to port the day we were supposed to dock. Because of the rocky waters, the ship was unable to enter the harbor because the entry way for the ship was too narrow for a safe sail into the docking pier. Instead, we circled around the harbor for a day, which was beautiful at first. We saw a variety of sea lions and dolphins circling the ship and from a distance you can see Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill… but after a couple hours the beauty of the view and the feelings of excitement dissipated into anxiousness and the itch to get on to land sunk in. However, the students and shipboard community were more patient than expected. Finally we were able to sail in the next morning and got ready to disembark. For this port, the immigration and customs needed to do face to face passport checks which all the LLCs were mandated to assist. It was a smooth process but still delayed our venture into the marina a little longer which ultimately resulted my safari trip to be cancelled. Although it was cancelled I was able to find another one on my own which turned out to be better because I got to physically play with Cheetahs! I saw all the game that I expected to see on the new safari and had great accommodations which I could not be upset about. Although we lost one day in Cape Town I was determined to make the most of it.

So what did I do? The first day was all about recon. I walked around the pier area and took in the sights. The docking area looked like San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf and Santa Monica Pier put together. A really nice mall greeted us as we walked into the town and you can find your usual mall stores like Body Shop, Polo, Louis Vuitton, and G-Star! The only sad thing was the G-Star store was low on inventory because they liquidate all the goods before getting new shipment… I don’t think I have ever seen so many XXL sizes in G-Star. After some window shopping I joined some folks to check out the tourist attractions, which included Table Mountain. I can’t fully explain it but it was one of the most majestic things I have seen… it is one of the amazing natural wonders South Africa has to offer. The actual site is a mountain that gets covered by the “tablecloth” or cloud covers in the evening and the clouds flow down the mountain like a waterfall. Many people hike it but due to limited time I decided to take the cable car up to the mountain to expedite the time and energy it would have taken to do a 7 hour hike – which I was supposed to do the first day, if we had gotten in on time… But the hiking can wait until Mauritius (our next stop) and the Great Wall in China. Once up there we were able to soak in the beautiful sights of the city. On one end of the mountain you can see an area, similar to any ritzy beach town, called Camps Bay and over the other side you can see all of Cape Town proper. I was in awe for about an hour as I just watched the clouds pass through me and flow over down the mountain. I visited Table Mountain with Faith, Mark, Julia, Marsha, and Bill – a great mixture of staff members from Semester at Sea. Prior to the visit we stopped by the local grocery store, called Pic N’ Pay, and picked up a few bottles of wine, cheese, bread, and other snacks. It was definitely a great experience that I will never forget. After Table Mountain we got freshened up to go to dinner. We found a local Portuguese restaurant with great meat and chose to stay there for drinks and just hang out.

After dinner, I returned to the ship to figure out new details for a Safari. Anne, one of our shipboard psychologists came up to me to ask if I was still interested in going to a safari and that they had one more spot for me if I wanted to join. So I said, why not!? And went with 5 others, 2 lifelong learners (who are adult passengers on the ship), Keith our Community Resource Officer and his wife , Liz, and Anne. The Community Resource Officer is like our own Public Safety Officer but with a Student Affairs philosophy on maintaining policy on board. He works in tandem with the shipboard security to manage all issues. We went to a game reserve called Inverdoorn which was also a cheetah rehabilitation center which made it better than I expected… and on top of that the accommodations and food were top notch. At first I was worried because they said we had a “Chalet” room which I didn’t know what to expect, but once we got there it turns out to be a small luxury cabin with beds that resembled the heavenly beds from the Marriott and outstanding food. After we checked in and settled into the chalet we were off on a sunset safari to look for some cool animals. We saw most of the Big 5 except Elephants… they told us elephants were the only animals not in the reserve because they were too hard to care for and the environment at Inverdoorn would not sustain an elephant’s lifestyle. There was one more sunrise safari the next morning and then we headed back to the ship. I think it was a perfect change of plans since it also gave me more time in Cape Town where the previous Safari would have taken 3 days out of my 5 in South Africa.

Some other highlights included the dining in Cape Town. South Africa does not have a local cuisine, well… it could be Cape Malay food but all the locals stated that the international cuisine is what they are known for and they were right. I had great Sushi, KFC, and Asian/Italian Fusion. And yeah, I said KFC. My favorite 2 places were The Grand Beach Café and Willoughby’s. The Grand was a cool spot that resembled a beach front restaurant and had couches on the sand for drinks after dinner and Willoughby’s was a seafood restaurant the specialized in sushi which was the best sushi I had in a while. All thanks to Rhoda Kaladie, our interport lecturer who joined us from Takoradi to Cape Town. Rhoda is an amazing woman who I will also talk about a little later, but her and our interport student, Candice were great people I forged a good relationship with and I know I will be in touch with them in the future. We also checked out the night scene which was interesting since we went out on Sunday and Monday, but nonetheless it was fun.

I also visited the Spier Winery and Estate where they also have a Cheetah Conservatory and Birds of Prey Exhibition. I got to pet another cheetah, which wasn’t as cool as when I got to play with them at Inverdoorn but still cool nonetheless. I also got to have birds, like owls, fly to me and land on my hand. It was a hoot – no pun. LOL! We also got to taste wine from their private winery collection which is also a funny story. So… many of these students have never been wine tasting… many saw it as a quick way to get a buzz. As the guide taught us about the wines he poured a glass for everyone to smell, analyze, and taste. Once done, he opened another bottle and before he could start I asked for the bucket to pour the rest of the wine in my glass out to prepare for the new tasting. As I asked the guide looked at me a bit confused so I asked again for the bucket. He quickly walked to the other room to fetch a bucket and told me that we were the first group (and last visiting by the way) that requested a bucket because everyone else always finished their glasses. Mind you, I know you can finish the wine, which is fine (I suppose), but we were tasting a handful of wines and he was pouring full glasses for us. Anyway… so after I pour my leftover wine into the bucket I look around to the 20-or-so other students and as they stare at me I tell them they can also pour out their leftover wine… not surprisingly there is not a drop left in any of their glasses. Let me put this into context… between the first and second wine, there was 5 minutes… so basically they all downed their wine and wasn’t “tasting” it. Well… if you know me, sometimes I just say what’s on my mind… so I guess I accidently said out loud… “Oh, that’s just trashy”…. This clearly made an impact on the students because after that almost every student had wine to pour into the bucket. Hey, at least I taught them that wine tasting is not a reason to get drunk but to appreciate what they are drinking. I may not have the best track record of being a drinker that savors the flavor of liquor but come on now… it was 11am. All in all, it was a beautiful winery and a good time to play with animals and then have some wine… I am pretty thankful it was in that order because I am not sure what would have happened if we had drank the wine first and then went to play with cheetahs and predator birds.

Before our last dinner at Willoughby’s Rhoda called me to let me know that she was willing to pick a few us up to take us to the top of Signal Hill, another viewpoint area that overlooks Cape Town. It was truly a sight to see Cape Town at night. I have to say that even though our trip was cut short by a day or so I think I had a great time and the time missed is giving me more reason to come back and check things out.

So Rhoda is a former member of the South African Parliament and focused her work on human rights issues. She was an amazing person with a rich history. She has had experience in working with various political figures and oversees her own NGO in South Africa. She has a great track record and has a vivacious personality that only makes you want to love her even more. I was very lucky to have connected with her on a more personal level since I was the trip leader that got to pick her up in Accra, Ghana and bring her back to Takoradi so she could board the ship and sail with us to Cape Town. For further explanation, we pick up an interport lecturer and student from each port who lives the following port we will be sailing to and their responsibility is to present various workshops to provide information on the ports we are about to sail into. The ride from Accra to Takoradi was 6 hours, so we have plenty of bonding time and Rhoda and I hit it off immediately. She is spunky and casual and unlike anyone you would assume to be from parliament. She quickly deconstructed my assumption of political figures. She is also very grassroots oriented and also carries quick wit and brutal honestly… something I truly admire. I think I miss Cape Town more because of her and Candice, the interport student, since they were so accommodating, warm, and fun to be around. Candice is also very spunky with a really relaxed vibe to her. She is charming and is relatable which was great as students were able to approach her for a variety of information.

As hard as it was to leave Cape Town, I am grateful to have had the experience I did and it only prompts me to want to come back, which I will. Now that I have people I know here and a lay of the land it will be fun to return with some friends and really take a bigger bite out of Cape Town. I missed a few things I really wanted to do but couldn't due to time including visiting a Township in Cape Town... when you are driving around you can see the huge disparity among the rich and poor as well as how that get stratified with race and other elements of society. Also a fascinating aspect that I learned from Rhoda is the racial dynamics and oppression that occurs with students at universities. It would be an interesting study or phenomenon to examine when it comes to what academic freedom, race, and education looks like in Cape Town.

Right now we are headed to Port Louis, Mauritius and the ship life is back to a great start. I don’t really talk much about ship life but it is definitely like a college campus – with the exception that we are contained to a vessel and you see the same people all the time. I think I have gotten used to the ship as my home primarily because when I return to my cabin I feel the same sense of comfort I did when I would come back to my apartment after a long day out or at work. Last night we were sailing past Madagascar while we held a Square Dancing event on the pool deck. Although the waters were pretty rough and the ship was being tossed back and forth we had a good time. I never would have thought I would enjoy square dancing but it was pretty hilarious and fun to learn and watch others stumble around. I guess that’s what the voyage is about as well. Making the most of what you have and maximizing the time you have and trying random things. After I headed to Brittany, our photographer’s, room for some chill time to celebrate Adam, our videographer’s, birthday. I purchased some nice South African wines that I might take with me to share. Rhoda also surprised me while we were leaving and gave me great wine to take with me so I might take that. Anyway… a bit more about ship life… I resisted the urge to get a hamburger at the grill upstairs since I knew I would get hooked but I decided to hangout with some folks and gave into the temptation. I got a burger. You see, the grill upstairs has food you can purchase, including burgers, pizza, breakfast wraps, etc. I tried to avoid it but after having one… I think I will make it a habit to stray from the dining hall a few times to grab something different.

So, I guess you can tell that I am feeling really at ease and in a rhythm now… work is going well on board and I am increasingly feeling a strong connected community with my students and the other staff here. The people on board, especially the entire administrative team of staff are amazing and I am usually right with these gut feelings but there is definitely a presence and team unity that is special here. Now I am understanding why people fall in love with this experience… all the ups and downs, twists and turns (literally)… the magic among the staff and students is tremendous. I continually have daydreams of how to get back on to another voyage… but really… I should be soaking in this moment. I cant believe we are almost halfway done with the voyage. Time flies by faster than you want… so I need to make sure that I am truly stopping to smell the roses.

Oh, and pictures coming soon! Have to get a few more from students who went on the Safari with me who had wayyy better cameras than me...

Ghana

Here are some new pics from Ghana... Takoradi, Accra, Aburi, Kakum National Park, and the Cape Coast and Elmina Beach Slave Castles and Dungeons.

Sea Olympics and GHANA!

We lost Sea Olympics… but we faired very well and had a great performance in all the events. What matters the most was that we felt we made a valiant effort and our presence as a competitor for the Olympics was felt. I also think we were robbed of points in various categories which I will explain later. As we headed into Sea Olympics we were in a mad dash to prepare for all the festivities and competitions with a small time frame. For the Olympics there are a variety of relays such as Captain’s Suit, Spoon and Ping Pong Ball, Card Tower Building to the quintessential sports activities like volleyball and transformed sports events like HORSE with a basketball and crab soccer. Crab soccer seems to be a major highlight where you lay back on all four limbs and play good ol’ soccer. I guess it is a highly sought after event where students actually argue about who gets to participate since they only have 4 spots and I got about 20 students who wanted to compete. We ultimately chose through the fairest way possible, to pull from a hat. I am not sure why it’s so popular because students come away with blisters on their palms because of the crawling but it appears to be the main attraction. Synchronized swimming was hilarious with all our jock-type fellas in speedos doing a dance and routine and it actually turned out really funny and entertaining… as well as tasteful…. A student made a mash up with a variety of songs that start with a dramatic entry into teenie bopper music and some fun dance music to hype up the crowd. We went first which is always daunting… actually now thinking back, we entered all the competitions first in most categories which I believe caused us to be judged harder… actually, I don’t think.. I know because the judges told me that we were scored harder and that is probably why we lost. Regardless, it was hilarious. The night of Opening Ceremonies was intense… We made the banner the night before which was awesome, 20 students all working together to put it together, design it, and color it in. It is pretty awesome for the limited supplies we had… we got first place in the banner which was the first competition so we started off well.. I guess. Long story short, it was fun.. we had a blast, good memories, lots of community building, and now our Sea is well connected and our community is established… we are only at our 3rd port and to see these connections is a great thing.

So let me gloat a bit even though we lost (but really we didn’t lose much because the prize is (besides glory) to get off the ship first when we dock in San Diego and my assumption is that most people wont want to be the first off because they will want to soak in all they can get before disembarking and going back to their lives back home… Anyway.. so my gloating…my Sea Olympic Captains were awesome, Barb and Kevin are both from California (um… obviously)… and they are enthusiastic and fit the model of what you would want leaders to exemplify… they have that edge where they play within the boundaries of the rules and have enough edge where they can get away with some of the slightly inappropriate things… but they always bring it back and role model and keep the outta-control kiddies on check. My RA and PA, Katie and Jeff are also awesome and really contribute to the point where I feel like I am just watching things happen while they take the helm… it’s a good feeling that I was afraid I was not going to have after coming from an awesome staff f RAs and student leaders… I am pretty thankful for that.

Ok, now onto Ghana… we docked in Takoradi on Sunday, February 6th. Takoradi is definitely a location untouched by tourism and our presence there was a mixed bag of welcoming to glaring looks. My own personal experience was positive, besides the heat… The markets are littered with a variety of produce and fish. There are usually the same goods at every stand. Like the repetitiveness of a NYC Street Fair, this market lined up local vendors who sold spices, tomatoes, dried fish, grilled fish, hair products and then repeats again. Every now and then there would be some pile of meat or vegetables as well as dark coal for fire. Takoradi is defintely a residential and smaller place that is not as tarnished by tourism. It has a local vibe unlike Accra. I know that it was definitely more challenging for all of us as we tried to navigate the area that appeared to lack the usual touristy signs and assistance from locals.

The taxi’s are small compact cars that have no base fare or regulated price. I took a cab the same distance back and forth for 2 different prices. On the way up it was 6 US Dollars for the 4 of us and on the way back it was $4. I heard some other kids bargained for $2. A lot of people were complaining about not being able to bargain to $2 but I also reminded them that it is $2.50 in the U.S. just to get into a cab so there was no real need to be complaining. Plus, I am pretty sure the $3-4 discrepancy will not hurt the pockets of our students and may make a difference the cab driver’s livelihood. After a full day of walking through the markets, kinda sorta getting lost, and then making our way back to the ship I was on duty for the night…

Duty was interesting, the usual intox issues and some funny drunks. Its pretty much the same anywhere except for the shocking ways some people are willing to get hammered in a foreign country and act stupid – and possible more stupid than they would normally act back home in the States. I had to tend to a student who was assaulted and had his wallet stolen, he was also a bit intoxicated but the major issue was that he strayed from his group and ended up like one of those baby animals that stray from the pack of adult animals and then get attacked by the predators on some Discovery Channel special. After hearing his account it was more to punk him around than to actually steal the $50 he had because he still had his bag with camera and other valuables with him. After a pretty long night of duty I had to wake up, or stay awake until 7am to catch the bus for Accra!

Accra was definitely an experience. Very different from Takoradi… since it is the nation’s capital there were more things to see and do. It was sensory overload from the traffic to the larger markets to the people in the streets everywhere selling goods and food. On the trip we went to the W.E.B. Dubois Pan-African Cultural Center and Museum which was not as great as I expected, it was more like his house and they pretty much just kept it the way it is and then showed us his place of burial. Then we saw the Artist Alliance Museum with local modern art and then we went to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Kwame was Ghana’s first president. That park and museum was very interesting and I learned a lot of Ghana’s history and their place in the world. From there we were tested in our bargaining and assertiveness skills as our guide took us into the open air market also known as the Art Centre. There, a swarm of vendors greeted our bus and waited for us to come out – although daunting, you know that they are there because they want to sell you something at a good price. The thing you have to know about the Ghanaian markets is that they are not mean but pushy. They will haggle you so you can also haggle back and do not take offense or get mad, for the most part, if you choose not to purchase something, but they will sure try hard to get you to buy whatever it is they are selling. From wood carvings, bracelets, and jewelry to various fabrics. I met a guy names Cosmos who guided me through the market. He was a vendor but he primarily helped me change money and get some postcards and stamps… he gave me a 2 for 1 deal on some bracelets that I thought were cool and in hindsight I should have given him more money because I was able to deal with him and get the bracelet for 1 Cedi (pronounced Seh-di), which is like 75 cents… he started with 5 Cedi but I talked him down and then he ultimately gave me the other bracelet for free… not sure why that happened but I think he noticed I was the trip leader and he did ask me to refer my students to him… because he was a genuinely a nice guy I decided to usher a few students his way who spent a good amount of money so I guess I don’t feel that bad about the bracelets… another cool thing was after we left and I came back a student came up to me on the ship yesterday and asked me if I was in Accra at the Art Centre… he asked because he had met Cosmos and he remembered me and wrote my name down and told the students who had gone after me the other day that he knew me and that he would give them a good price, which he did. So.. my trust and faith in Cosmos and the way he managed his business is definitely in the positive light.

We stayed in a nice hotel in Accra called the Coconut Grove Regency which was awesome. Huge room, great food, and a big group of Columbia University students who are studying urban planning were in Accra to present a plan to restore certain rural areas of Ghana to the government. Pretty cool… although we chatted a bit they still had a vibe to them that made me not want to hang out or talk to them longer than I needed… they had that stuffy pretention to them once they found out we were from Semester at Sea and made it appear as though their journey to Ghana was more important or valuable… which I do agree with since we were there strictly as tourists, but really? We are all traveling and in a new place, let it go folks and your student recommendations will only go so far in a country… it’s not that deep. It was also funny because in our group there were a variety of students from Vassar, Bucknell, Oberlin, Berkeley, and other top notch institutions… so we had just as much brain power as they did… we were just having fun… but I am sure we could have helped with their planning too… and plus, two of the girls were on facebook more than they were focused on the landscapes of Ghana.

Our second and last day in Accra we actually headed north to Aburi where there is a 200 year old botanical garden with over 150 different types of trees… that was cool but not much to write about besides the fact that there are a ton of interesting trees and plants… and some cool lizards. LOL… then we headed back to Accra for lunch and then to the ship. Yesterday was a full day of my own independent trips. Oh before I forget, the food in Ghana is good - nothing too out of the ordinary... it was funny because we kept getting served french fries with every meal.. but the things I enjoyed the most was the Jollof Rice and Plava Sauce... Jollof rice is kind of like a paella/risotto type dish which is super flavorful and Palva sauce is a spinach stew... my favorites. Oh and they serve these Yam Balls that are sort of like hush puppies but with yams and onions and they seemed baked not fried.. those were pretty good too.

On this day I went with 2 other staff members, Julia and Danny to walk the Kakum National Park Treetop Canopies which are about 40 meters high and then to the Slave Castles and Dungeons. We hired a taxi driver for the day which turned out to be about $60 from 8am to 6pm and he drove us everywhere… Kakum was the furthest which was about 2 hours away. There are pics so its more fun to look at the pics on my Picasa web album than me talking about it… but basically it was 15 minute hike up to the canopies and then we walk about 8 bridges that are suspended high above the trees… kinda scary but not much… I had fun... but the most thought provoking part of my day were the slave castles and dungeons… I am still processing the experience and cant imagine what it was like when these spaces were used by the Dutch, British, and Portuguese for human trade but being here to see it was an experience. I know that I will be processing this experience with my students and it will be an interesting conversation that I am looking forward to. Today.. I have gangway duty to make sure all the students get on board so we can start setting sail to South Africa! Cape Town! I have a full schedule of activities and adventures so I am looking forward to this port!

I have to say, though, being here in Ghana… beyond the activities and trips.. just driving around and ingesting all the scenery from the villages and how people live to the various landscapes, it has made me become more reflective about our world and what makes us who we are. At first I think about my own privilege and opportunities and then I think about what it means to be fulfilled and happy. I also think about the many ways people are interconnected as well as so detached from each other as well as how cultures can influence one another. There are a lot of gaps I am leaving in between what I am writing but I guess that’s because I am still processing these things... all in all I must say that Ghana has been a fascinating and thought provoking place for me and I am happy that I have had the chance to be here and immerse myself here as much as I could in the short time we had.

Amazon Riverboat

Ok, I am testing this out to see if my albums also post to my blog... maybe this will make it easier to post pics!

Brazil, The Amazon, and Monkey Bites

So… let’s see, where do I begin, I guess I should go back to the night before heading into Manaus, Brazil. We entered the Amazon on the 20th but docked in port on the 23rd. It was an interesting sail down the Amazon. The water clearly was different from the blue ocean water and the humidity stuck to our skin tightly. It was like being in Miami but with a different scent and vibe in the air. We sailed along the river and saw a variety of small local communities throughout the way that began preparing us to be ready for what was to come. We docked around 7AM and you can hear the bass from the music and I looked out my window to see Brazilian dancers decked out in tribal-like outfits welcome the MV Explorer. I wasn’t sure if that was the most appropriate welcome but I realized we were the “American Tourists” that they were used to and a bit of popularized culture probably didn’t hurt – it got the students excited. I went out to one of the decks and as usual took pictures of the local boats and port. While taking pictures I noticed 3 river boats perched on the side with banners on the front saying “Welcome Semester at Sea.” I pretty much guessed those would be the three boats we would be boarding to start the Amazon and Rio field program… After some time I made up to the Faculty Staff Lounge where the groups were meeting to take roll call and then head onto the boats that await us. At the meeting, prior to students coming for the trip we were briefed on a few things – my take aways: don’t eat the ice cream, the fruit has a higher fiber content so that might give you the poops, Rio is generally a touristy beach type area but beware of unmarked cabs, and whatever happens there will be people to help. I think that was good since I figured my crisis training was good enough from the past.

Sure enough – those were the boats. I was Boat #1… My group was great – a good mix of students who really didn’t know each other and the next 2 days on the Amazon River and Rio Negro will be filled with getting to know one another and experiencing an adventure not many people can say they have done. Once getting on the boat we were greeted by our guides – Antonio and Ronaldo. Antonio is in his 40’s and wore a small canvas safari hat with the strap and held a sign that said “B1 – Amazon & Rio”. I assumed we were asked to go out first and the other signs had B2 and B3 that B1 would mean Boat #1 and he was our guide.Ronaldo was a stout middle aged man who had a gentle expression on his face and always held more concern for us as a group than Antonio did. Rolando’s demeanor was always of care and concern while Antonio was more free spirited and wanted us to full experience the Amazon. Once I introduced myself to the guides I yelled for Boat #1 to follow me we were ushered up onto the boat where a center table of cookies, fruit, and crackers welcomed us. As usual, the students swarmed to the snacks and stood around as we waited to set sail. After taking roll again to ensure that all 30 of the students who are a part of my group were on I let Antonio know and we were off into the Amazon. Stop 1 – the meeting of the rivers. This is where the Rio Negro and Rio Solimoes meet… the Rio Negro is a black coffee color but if you look closely it is actually reddish in hue. This is because it is one of the most acidic rivers in the world. Due to it’s acidity not the biodiversity of the river is not as rich as the Amazon or Solimoes. That is actually a great thing for us as there would be less mosquitoes and other insets that could potentially give us bites and other diseases. Safety first! LOL… Once we sailed into where the rivers met we took pictures and then it was off to Victoria Regia water lilies. Basically there are huge lily pads that congregate in a specific part of the Amazon in Lake Januari. It was a small hike over a wobbly bridge that made a trail to the pond of lilies. Upon entering the area there was a small viewing area perched above the lilies. There were also little kids dressed in the same tribal attire as the dancers that welcomed us at port who stood around for picture opportunities, but not without a small fee. We also a few large Cayman alligators and Antonio brought a piece of raw chicken to toss into the pond to attract more for our viewing pleasure. After a handful of pictures and gawking we headed back for lunch on the riverboat and then a 3 hour sail down the Rio Negro to go Cayman hunting in the night. Once we got to the next destination we hopped onto smaller motorized canoes. Each canoe held 15 people and we sailed into the dark. After about 20 minutes and some wandering Antonio spotted a 2 foot long Cayman and caught it. While sailing the sky was speckled with hundreds of stars that made it hard to decipher the usual constellations that I was familiar with. The darkness and pitch black night made it easy to see almost every star in the sky. Also, a lightning storm to the west made the night even more memorable and eerie. Anyway… after Antonio caught the Cayman he passed it over to Ronaldo to educate us on the species. After a small lecture about the animal he allowed us to pet it and some students were even brave enough to hold it for pictures. After that excitement we headed back to the riverboat for some snacks and bedtime. We went to bed early because we needed to be up by 5am to go Piranha fishing – and really… I thought it was a joke and the fishing would be just us sitting around. Was I wrong… yes, there are piranhas and our bait was red meat… you place it on a hook on the end of a long stick and once you feel the bites you yank out the stick quick… which would also leave the potential for the fish to be flung across the boat into another person or the other side of the canoe. Oh, by the way, we took the same motorized canoes as we did for the Cayman hunt. After about 30 minutes and 6 catches we headed back to compare which of the 2 boats caught the most. I believe they said that the Piranhas would be made into soup but not for us. After fishing we had lunch and then it was off to an Amazon Survival hike to see a variety of plants, trees, animals, and tips of how to last in the forest. We learned where to find water sources, larvae for protein, and how to make things out of palm reeds to escape jaguars and make a roof for a hut. Pretty cool… Then we stopped by a local community where they showed us how grains were processed and turned into a cornmeal for food. The woman at the location cooked the cornmeal into a pancake like snack that was slathered with butter and fried on a large skillet that resembled one of those cooking surfaces for Mongolian Barbeque you see behind plexiglass windows in a mall. Afterward we returned to the riverboat and headed back to Manaus to get ready for our overnight red eye to Rio! Since we had some time I showered quick to get the deet and sunblock off my body and headed into Manaus to get some snacks and take pictures of the city since it was the only time we had to see the port city. The city is definitely untouched from tourism so that was a great perspective.

The locals stared at me… a lot – but it was expected as we prepare ourselves and students about situations like this. It is a point of understanding that as we have the luxury to go into these destinations it is imperative to realize and understand that many of the people who live in these places may never have been exposed to or interacted with Americans. Not only just White people but all races who identify as being from the United States. It happen more in Rio as people came up to us and wanted to pictures because they have never physically encountered a White or Asian person. Very fascinating and thought provoking when it comes to thinking about how big the world is, how lucky we are to be able to have the opportunities to be exposed and learn about issues related to diversity and difference. For these people it was almost a crash course in the exposure to difference piece as they were shocked and intrigued by actually talking to people who are ethnically and racially different and rare to them.

Rio de Janeiro was a great beach city. When we had our preport overview and interport preparation lecture it appeared as though it may be dangerous… but after the first night and doing some observations I can tell that the main area we were in (Copacabana and Leme Beach) was very touristy, safe, and full of heavily armed police. In NY we see the national guard and officers at main hubs of transportation with rifles but on the beaches of Rio it was almost standard that all officers are coupled with a nice rifle… and they weren’t afraid to show it. I guess it all boils down to safety. We stayed at a hotel called the Golden Tulip Continental right in front of the beach. It was what you would expect from a hotel room, basic double beds with a small TV and the mini fridge. But before the hotel the adventures in Rio started with some organized chaos (or I would like to think that it was organized). We had a red eye flight that had a layover in Brasilia… the problem was that when we all checked in for the flight they changed out layover flight from 7am to 11am which disrupted the itinerary and plans to hit the city and squeeze in as much as we could in 2 days. Long story short, we were a bit upset and I, being the trip leader, was going into a contingency mode on how we would reorganize the trip with the tour guides. I was prepped to call the emergency line for the staff on the ground once we hit Brasilia to inform them because the office (because it was the middle of the night) was closed… the entire 3 hour flight to Brasiia, the layover destination, I was formulating a game plan… too bad it was for no reason because once we started to disembark the plane a gate agent from the airline cut us off before we entered the gate area and redirected us into another plane… it was the fastest, most confusing, process. As we all entered this new plane with no concept of what was going on, I just hoped that this plane was taking us to Rio – which indeed it was. With no one who can speak Portuguese, I had no idea what was going on beside the fact that we were asked to board a new plane. We made it on time, actually earlier than expected, and as we taxi-ed to the gate in Rio I just prayed that our guides were not cancelled for the correct arrival time. After advising the other trip leader to collect students and come on down to the baggage area, I ran down first to see if anyone from the tour company was waiting for us – to my surprise they were there holding signs saying “Semester at Sea”. We were on our way… first up breakfast on Copacabana Beach and then a city wide jeep tour where they packed 10 each into a large jeep to take us to see the Christ the Redeemer statue. We had to also get off the jeeps and hop onto a mini van that took us up the rest of the way to see the statue. After that we toured botanical gardens and had a few snacks here and there. We also saw Rio’s waterfalls and also did a bike through Ipanema Beach into Leme Beach where our hotel was. It was friggin’ hot but well worth the experience. The statue of the “White Christ” was definitely an experience… it was like seeing the Status of Liberty for the first time… it is overwhelming at first, you are in awe for a little bit, take a ton of pictures, and then step back and soak it all in. The view around the statue was also pretty sick. I took a lot of city pictures and it reminded me a little of being on the top of Diamond Head in Hawaii when I saw the beached and ocean from the viewing point. Once we showered and got settled into the hotel it was dinner on our own – I found a nice Italian place along the beach where all the students congregated and as they made their night plans to hit the town I decided to call it a night and sleep knowing that the next day would be jam packed with a tree-top canopy ropes course ending with a zipline and then the afternoon on our own where I wanted to go to Sugar Loaf Mountain and ride the cable cars up to the top of the mountains, then check out the malls and shopping along the beach, have a huge Brazilian BBQ (all you can eat) dinner at a place known as Porcao and then hit the night market. Then it was time to catch the morning flight by getting everyone on the bus at 5am to head back to Manaus. I had to deal with a minor or major, depending on your perspective, issue with a missing student that was resolved in a matter of an hour and made it to the ship with all the participants we started with.

So, did all that and then I came back just in time to help with on-ship docking of all the students. With only one slight situation of a missing student for on-ship time, who we traced and brought onto the ship without any major issues… then we quickly set back into the Rio Negro taking us into the Amazon River as we head into Ghana. And now that we are back on board the stories are overflowing… the major one that I want to share is about another group that went on an Amazon Jungle tour that had time to play with some of the animals that were a part of the itinerary… well, it turns out that 3 students who were on the trip got bit by one of the monkeys that were playing with the group members. 15 others were lightly scratched… not sure what was going on but if I saw a monkey bite down on students and scratch people I would have stopped the entire trip to assess what was going on. Regardless, it happened and apparently the folks who were bit had to get 3 shots of immunizations to make sure they didn’t have rabies and the rumors are running rampant. I did however ask if they had to kill the monkey as that was one major rumor roaming through the ship – I had visions of the movie Outbreak and how someone had to trace this monkey and find it, knock it our with a tranquilizer dart to get the vaccine – however, that is a movie and the real story is that they will not have to find the monkey just get the vaccination shots from the clinic and inject it into those poor folks who were bit. Good times… one thing I am really enjoying about the position is that we lead a variety of mini-communities within the ship… so I have a reflection group that meets to discuss the various experiences each student had and I, of course being me, throw in some critical thinking questions to provoke some thinking as well as connect it to a diversity and social justice perspective which I think is interesting as they may not be thinking that will be the content of the conversation. My game plan for these discussions is to let the student talk about the fun and then quickly transition that into the deeper, richer conversations that they may not necessarily be wanting to talk about or think to examine. I love my job. The other communities are the extended families where we get randomized groups to hang with and talk about anything and everything. I have a small group that is made up of very different students. I think I will coax them with some ice cream next as this group does not really have a vision, mission or direction – I get to make it what it is… this should be fun. LOL!

Well, we have 9 days at sea now as we make our way to the Takoradi port. So what do we do at sea? Well this will be the long stretch where students get back into the groove of school, we get back to the daily grind of work and creating programs, community, and managing all other aspects of student life, and the one thing I am very much looking forward too – SEA OLYMPICS! It is a competitive atmosphere and the trash talking and display of Sea Pride has already been established… now it’s about reppin’ and taking the prize. I chose 2 great Sea Olympic Captains and my 2 staff members and other residents of the Almighty YELLOW Sea are ready! Will post again after the Olympics and let you know how we do!!! But for now… take care my friends… I am a bit.. not too much… missing people, as I know that Spring semester has gone underway… but I know whatever is going on, I am sure people are doing well and I am sending my best for all my friends and loved ones to be doing great. And yes… I do miss everyone… I saw a quick youtube video of the roll call that the GG staff did for winter training and obvi… I am impressed and there was a few tugs to my heart as I wished I was there, but without a doubt I was there in spirit. But it did, however, get me pumped for an amazing Sea Olympics and for me to focus my energy and pride I have for GG toward my sea and the amazing group of students and leaders here…

Into the Amazon! My finalized trips and the Rumor Ranger...

My initial task while having some “me” time has been trying to figure out how to upload pictures, but because the internet is not as fast as it would be on land, I am most likely going to upload a few pics at a time and will finish uploading everything when I return or at an internet café, if I find one. Today we have headed into the Amazon, the water is clearly different, brown and murky, but cool nonetheless. During the day you can see the crocodiles poke their eyes up from the brown water as if they were taking a peak at the ship as it sails through the river. I also took a really cool picture of a fly that was perched on the banister outside.

For work, it has become easier as each day passes. Initially it seemed overwhelming and a bit daunting, but after I got a few systems set up, I am feeling better about what I need to be doing – this is also the beauty and curse of SAS as we have to create an entire student life structure within a few days. Sunny, the Dean of Students, announced at our meeting that it has been 8 days since we have set sail – 8 days…. We have set up a full functioning student life and services operations (of course with a little history and archive available)…. I would say that it is an impressive feat and something we should be proud of. The LLC team (Living Learning Coordinators) are a bunch of impressive people that I learn from each day and inspire me to be on point with my end of the team operations. I am getting more and more excited to further my relationship with them as this is a unique experience that no one else will share with me… Beyond the day to day stuff, meetings, and programs we also are prepping to head into Manaus, Brazil. While in Brazil, I will be leading a large trip of 81 students down further into the Amazon and do a series of activities… after that excursion is done we will head to the airport to fly to Rio for 3 days. I am definitely looking forward to this leg of the journey.

I have also been notified of all my trips to come… the laundry list (which includes the previous stop in Dominica) includes:

· Emerald Pool & Trafalgar Falls (Dominica)
· Amazon River and Rio Trip (Brazil)
· Accra and Aburi Overnight Tour (Ghana)
· Lions Head Hike and Picnic (South Africa)
· Habitat for Humanity Service Project (South Africa)
· Three Day Safari at Kariega National Game Reserve (South Africa)
· Hike the Mountains and Beaches of Mauritius (Mauritius)
· Chennai City Tour (India)
· School of Hard Knocks Pewter Factory and Dish Making (Singapore)
· Cu Chi Tunnels (Vietnam)
· Mekong Delta Day Trip (Vietnam)
· Phnom Penh & Angor Wat (Cambodia)
· Hiking the Great Wall (Beijing)
· Yokohama and Tokyo Tour (Japan)
· Trip to Kyoto (Japan)

So those are the coordinated trips from our field office… there are other things I will do while in port in cities such as Ghana, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and in India. Also, there are a lot of day trips that have last minute openings that I will try to jump on if they have space… at first I was afraid that I wasn’t going to be able to do things – but it turns out that there are always options… as long as you are open to them. I am probably going to squeeze in a few more service-based trips as well.

Being on SAS is an interesting journey. It feels like it has been 3 years on the ship but when I look at the the calendar ahead, it looks like it is also going by faster than I want. I have feelings of excitement, anxiety, stress for so little time, but in the mix, I feel like the world is moving at a snail’s pace. It’s the weirdest experience ever. Oh, and I guess I got a bit too excited about SAS apparel, I have everything from flip flops to a throw blanket. LOL! I am still getting used to the nautical military time on the ship – it shouldn’t be that hard but it is. I always have to count in my head (and sometimes use fingers… funny, right?

As for what’s ahead… on board, we have Neptune Day and Sea Olympics coming up – Neptune Day is when we cross the equator, but looking at the itinerary I don’t think that is the correct date scheduled, however, it was something I believe we did strategically to make sure students are also studying. Regardless, this will be the day students will be practicing the ceremonial and ritualistic practices of shaving their heads, rubbing themselves with fish guts, and kissing a dead fish. I think I will watch. As for sea Olympics, the competitive climate has already begun. I will see how this pans out but the students get very excited because the grand prize is not only pride but the sea of students who wins will be the first to disembark when we arrive in San Diego. Definitely going to be a fun event.

I am sure some people want to know what the people are like, in particular the staff… the students are students… there are the ones who are here to experience a unique adventure filled with challenge and self discovery as well as a life altering journey… they are spiritual and focused, hopeful to change the world, and eager to learn… and then on the other end of the spectrum there are those who may see this as a long pleasure cruise with some educational lessons that occur in a collateral way. Overall they are all good people with different goals that cannot be, and should not be, judged. But of course, it is hard not to slam down the gavel when their behavior becomes and issue... but those are few and far between.

Another funny element of the shipboard community that I think could be translated into "land campus" residence halls might be this idea of the Rumor Ranger. Everyday a "Dean's Memo" goes out to all the students via email, televised as a powerpoint on the TV, and printed on bulletin boards - this memo notifies students of all the events and reminders for the day. It is read by everyone on the ship... the Rumor Ranger is a section where a staff member responds to the most random, funniest, or just obsurd rumor that is floating around the small community - whether staff members hear it in passing or if someone sends and email to the Romor Ranger directly... murmurs such as the talk of Jennifer Lopez getting on when we port in Brazil to someone having a major medical emergency and getting a helicopter to land on board to take them to a nearby hospital are addressed. The most recent: that there are dolphins and whales in the Amazon River... I am pretty sure these are going to continue, but I was thinking... how fun and hilarious would it be to have a Rumor Ranger in all communities of our lives. I am sure it would come in handy in all aspects when it comes to residence halls and our friends and family.

From Nassau to Roseau...

So we set into Dominica today and it was awesome, I woke up as usual, around 6:00am and head up to Deck 7 Forward, the front, to see the sunrise as we enter port. It was slightly overcast as you can see by the pictures but it was worth it to soak in the first destination. As we sailed in it looked smooth as can be. It’s really cool to see the small rain showers from afar as we came closer to land, even passing through a few. The students were excited, staff calm and ready, and we were ready to start the day! The field programs for the morning began lining up at the gangway which they changed to the 5th deck and I got to watch people disembark through my window since the staircase was right in front.

A lot of people decided to do their own day trips and hike up through the botanical gardens, as for me… well, I decided to take it easy the first day but as things happen, I ended up hopping on to the Island Style Hot Baths trip which took me to Screw Hot Mineral Baths. Before we went to dive into the baths, we took a Botanical Garden Tour of Roseau, Dominica which was cool, we saw different trees and plants and some Sisserou Parrots (and some lizards). Prior to the Garden we stopped for an view of the city from the top of a mountain which people can also hike up. We can see the MV Explorer docked and the way the city was built. At the hot springs, we just jumped in an enjoyed the hot sulfur spring pools as well as cooling off in the cold pool. After they gave us a variety of fruit, although they stated in the description that students would also be served Rum Punch, there was not a drop to be found… which was disappointing to the students, but I was more sad that they didn’t have hammocks lined up so we can just chillax and take in the moment. Once done with the excursion it was off to meetings and some dinner, a nice way to end the day and then we went up to the Faculty/Staff Lounge (where students are not allowed) and had an exciting game of Catch Phrase with a few drinks. Nice way to unwind while the faculty and staff get to know each other better – I really like the group that is forming with the student life staff and faculty – everyone’s perspective on building a cohesive community is on the same page and it has been a treat.

After Sunday, it was off to Trafalgar Falls and Emerald Pool where I get to lead with 2 other staff and faculty a group of 70-some students and staff to this must-see destination. Both places are two of the top 10 things to do while in Dominica! Amazing… the only bad part was that it was raining, a lot. But, like our guide said, what do you expect it’s a RAIN forest… LOL. The waterfalls and pool was really amazing and magnificent, that is pretty much the only way to sum it up.

As for the voyage in total…The food is still great but I am noticing slow changes such as the bananas turning brown (rumor has it that the fruit was still from the last trip)… As for work, I think I am getting the hang of my position and it couldn’t be more well-suited for me. I get to manage all the scheduling for the co-curricular programs… Oh before I forget, we also do something called an Pre-Port Seminar where we have guest speakers and a review of health and safety. Although the presentations by the interport student and lecturer was interesting and helpful the best presentation was by the Medical Team led by Doctor Bill and Laura – they did a skit on protecting yourself from major issues that happen in port… and the message was:


· Don’t get BIT (by rabid dogs, mosquitoes, etc)
· Don’t get HIT (by cars, because traffic is the opposite way of the States)
· Don’t do IT (be sexually active with others, especially strangers)
· Don’t get LIT (drugs and other hallucinogens)
· Don’t get the SHITs (be careful what you eat)


So we head into BRAZIL! First, the Amazon… so we check in and port in Macapa to go through the visa and entry process, I heard all they do is scan all voyagers’ passports and then let us through – this should be awesome and pictures will definitely be taken. I am excited as I get to lead the Amazon and Rio trip which takes up the entire time we are at port. I just found out that I got paired with one of the Faculty members that has really immersed himself with the Living Learning Team and is really fun to be around. We get to take 81 students down the Amazon… a riverboat will be my home for 3 days sleeping in hammocks and we will see the “meeting of the waters” where the Rio Negro meets Rio Solimoes that creates the Amazon River proper.
OH another funny thing.. the TV in the room only has 6 or so channels… and channel one is the guide , showing you where we are at and trip basics, how fast we are going, time, date etc… well… this channel also streams satellite music and today I randomly heard Korean Pop music played in between George Michael and BoyzIIMen… I started laughing and thought about how much influence Korean Pop Music has, intentionally or by accident. Regardless, it was just random and funny….

Update – we also got another grip of Field Programs for us to choose that are more affordable and they look really awesome, so Bianca, another LLC and I were looking or placed to go while we aren’t on duty. Right now… a picnic in Lion’s Head Hike in Cape Town and the Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam…and the Mountain and Beach Hike in Mauritius.

The students have been amazing, for the most part. There are those that are interesting in the partying more than the other experiences but they will also come around in different parts of the trip as they know this is an experience that goes beyond just the drinking and partying. I understand that it can become that way but I know they all want they can reap from this experience, its just the peer pressure and need to fit in that conflicts with their individual goals and purpose for the voyage. As expected I created a small (actually kinda big) community with the smokers and there is a great bond that is happening that consists of students who are very different but have that one common bound that people think is a nasty habit. I do know that the long term smokers will not be a part of this group – they are letting go and probably smoke to use it as a social tool to interact with others – and hey, cant diss that… right?

Today’s day at sea has been extremely rocky we are going at 24 knots which is pretty fast I think… and the waters are choppy so people are getting tossed around, but what a great way to have another common experience… everyone is going through the process of being seasick and maintaining balance and all you can do is laugh, smile, say hi and keep going. BTW, I dont know if I get seasick since I put the patch on and wont ever know unless I take it off the next time we set sail... but do i really want to take that chance?


Ok, one more thing... YES I do work, actually it's a lot of work but I am not really going to write about it because 1) its boring 2) its a lot 3) would you really want to know what I did on a day to day related to work? and 4) I don't want to write about work.

I promise I will try to get pics up - the internet is HELLLLLLA slow... so having probs... if Picasa doesn't work I will try facebook (I guess).