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…
Friday, March 25, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
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...
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...
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...
Saturday, February 26, 2011
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...
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...
Thursday, February 10, 2011
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.
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.
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