Today we’re on our way to Hawaii! We crossed the International Dateline and set our clocks back 24 hours so we had two Tuesday April 15th (and celebrated the second with an ice cream cake!) We have many more days to go before Honolulu and unfortunately we lose an hour each night for four nights in a row!
The ship has been rocking and rolling the past few days! (The Pacific is a total misnomer for this ocean.) It’s a bit boring- we’ve been so used to having a new port to explore every 2 days- but I have lots of work to do.
We have a whole 22 hours to live it up in Hawaii once we get there. Then a few days in Costa Rica for our last hoorah!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Japan
We bought our Japan Rail Passes in Vietnam so we were ready to rock once we got off the ship on 4/11. This was after all 800+ passengers had thier temperatures taken, picked up passports, got pictures taken and fingerprints documented in a one-on-one with a customs officer. It took awhile. We jetted to Hiroshima on the bullet train that afternoon. Hiroshima is a beautiful city with very few physical remnants of the atomic bombing left other than the A-Bomb dome. The Peace Park is beautiful and the cherry blossoms were nearing the end of their week in bloom. The museums in the heart of the park are incredible- very moving, very informative- I highly recommend visiting. I am reading the book Hibakusha for Human Rights and it was most moving for me when I read the first dozen stories after boarding the train again that evening. Hibakusha means atomic bomb survivor in Japanese. (I think the direct translation is “one who met with an atomic bomb”.) That night we arrived in Kyoto and spent the night at K’s Guest House- and adorable and comfy hostel with great comforters and heated toilet seats! The 4 of us- Mason, Conner, and Eliza and I were in a dorm-style room with 2 bunk beds. The next morning we found some great toast for breakfast and went to the top of the Kyoto Tower waiting for Conner’s friend from Marist, Stu, studying in Osaka, to meet us for the day. He guided us to a cool temple that we explored for awhile- the grounds were very beautiful, saw more cherry blossoms, and we saw some fake geishas on the way too! We had some soba noodles for lunch. Then we walked around the Gion district for a while. Then Stu took us to a shrine that consists of hundreds of orange gates lined up which we walked through. That night we jetted to Tokyo and finally found our capsule hotel in Asakusa after battling the Tokyo subway system (we kind of got the hang of it after a few days.) The capsule hotel was quite an experience. They kind of look like slots in a morgue lined up against the wall- but with TVs and alarm clocks inside. Very uncomfortable mattress. Mason, Eliza, and I had some bonding time in the communal shower on the 9th floor. This hotel was one of 2 capsule hotels that even allows women (2 of the 9 floors were women-only.) Conner was all alone on the 4th floor. The next morning we grabbed breakfast and explored the large park (it felt like Central Park in NYC) and its lakes and flowers and museums. We had tickets to a Tokyo Giants baseball game at 1:30 at the Tokyo Dome so we made our way there to see the Giants beat the Swallows 6-4!
That night we visited Shibuya crossing (the busiest intersection in the world) and Harajuku District, know for people sporting crazy outfits and home to the hip shops (the hangout for teenage rebels). The next morning we decided to visit these same 2 areas again to get a sense of them during the day. We sat in Starbucks overlooking the crosswalk and watched the morning commuters and did some shopping in Harajuku.
We got up early that morning (by early I mean like 7am) to visit the Tsujiki (?) Fish Market- the largest in the world! It was fascinating to see but unfortunately it is only in existence to support the severe over-fishing of our oceans. Over-fishing is the most destructive issue facing our oceans today. It has to do primarily with the way we catch fish. We watched the BBC documentary “Deep Trouble” our first day back in Global Studies. It is really eye opening. (Interesting fact: 50% of the food eaten in Japan comes from the sea, whereas for the rest of the world seafood makes up 15%.)
Trawling the ocean floor is one of the destructive fishing methods. Prawn and shrimp trawling is the worst of all. 15 POUNDS of other species are discarded for every 1 lb. of shrimp caught. (Think about this next time you’re going to order shrimp cocktail.)
They actually served salmon last night after we had this whole discussion in Global- I don’t think many people ate it.One solution the movie mentioned is to create more no-take zones in the ocean. Something you can do personally is find a Seafood Guide on the Seafood Watch website- it tells you which types of fish are the Best to buy, some good alternatives, and which to avoid. (One to avoid include cod, mahi-mahi, salmon, and tuna.)
Overall Japan was great! On our way back from Tokyo we bullet-trained it to Osaka- ate some pastries there and walked around, then continued on to Kobe. It was an action-packed 4 days and I’m leaving out lots but I highly recommend a visit! I would love to go back and see/climb Mt. Fuji and spend more time shopping in Tokyo!
That night we visited Shibuya crossing (the busiest intersection in the world) and Harajuku District, know for people sporting crazy outfits and home to the hip shops (the hangout for teenage rebels). The next morning we decided to visit these same 2 areas again to get a sense of them during the day. We sat in Starbucks overlooking the crosswalk and watched the morning commuters and did some shopping in Harajuku.
We got up early that morning (by early I mean like 7am) to visit the Tsujiki (?) Fish Market- the largest in the world! It was fascinating to see but unfortunately it is only in existence to support the severe over-fishing of our oceans. Over-fishing is the most destructive issue facing our oceans today. It has to do primarily with the way we catch fish. We watched the BBC documentary “Deep Trouble” our first day back in Global Studies. It is really eye opening. (Interesting fact: 50% of the food eaten in Japan comes from the sea, whereas for the rest of the world seafood makes up 15%.)
Trawling the ocean floor is one of the destructive fishing methods. Prawn and shrimp trawling is the worst of all. 15 POUNDS of other species are discarded for every 1 lb. of shrimp caught. (Think about this next time you’re going to order shrimp cocktail.)
They actually served salmon last night after we had this whole discussion in Global- I don’t think many people ate it.One solution the movie mentioned is to create more no-take zones in the ocean. Something you can do personally is find a Seafood Guide on the Seafood Watch website- it tells you which types of fish are the Best to buy, some good alternatives, and which to avoid. (One to avoid include cod, mahi-mahi, salmon, and tuna.)
Overall Japan was great! On our way back from Tokyo we bullet-trained it to Osaka- ate some pastries there and walked around, then continued on to Kobe. It was an action-packed 4 days and I’m leaving out lots but I highly recommend a visit! I would love to go back and see/climb Mt. Fuji and spend more time shopping in Tokyo!
China
Hi all, I’m way behind in my blogging- I think I left off early on in Vietnam, but I’m going to jump ahead to China! We docked in Hong Kong on April 3rd. a small group of us went out to explore the city. (I’d already been there a few years earlier to visit my friend Miho from SD). Miho actually met up with us in the afternoon so we had a tour guide to show us around. We walked around Times Square, went to Repulse Bay Beach, took a double-decker bus, and ended up back on the Kowloon side (where the ship was docked) for dinner and light-show viewing. Mason has a friend in HK too, Shobo, and she was so cute and treated us all to dinner. Then we all went out to the Lang Kwai Fong (?) district to experience the nightlife. The entire area was totally overrun with SASers but it was lots of fun.
The next morning my Beijing University trip to Tsinghua departed at 11am. Mason and I were on the same trip, which was probably the only reason we both survived it. We were able to entertain ourselves from certain death by boredom in the following ways: 1. Asian pictures. 2. Bucket-O-Noodles 3. Ass-less pants. I will explain. 1. You know how all Asians (I don’t want to generalize) put up their hands and make the peace-sign in all their pictures? Well- when you visit Asia you must do this also. Mason and I took every picture of each other, us together, and with random Chinese people and insisted upon the use of the peace sign. Regarding photos with random Chinese: various families would come up to us and ask us to be in what seemed to be their Christmas card photo with them. We accepted. 2. In the US we have this lunch item called Cup-O-Noodles (which I find disgusting). In China they have this as well, except its 5x larger, thus we titled it Bucket-O-Noodles. They sell this large meal in convenience stores and at most tourist destinations. At the Summer Palace Mason and I creepily took photos of the Chinese slurping their ginormous noodles- very entertaining. 3. Best of all: The assless pants. (or ass-less chaps as we like to call them). While trudging through the Forbidden City I noticed a child sitting on a fence and there was skin showing through his pants. I ushered Mason over and we giggled and thought the kid ripped his pants. Then- we noticed every toddler had this problem! They wear pants with big slits cut out of the crotch; their version of pull-ups or something- except opposite. We eagerly asked one of our University student guides about this and she said she used to wear them too and apparently it’s easier for the kids to “potty train” because they don’t have to pull their pants up and down. We’re still confused about whether this means they can control their bodily functions at this age or...not. Needless to say ass-less pant sightings and picture-taking made for hours of entertainment.
I’m glad we choose to use diapers in the Western world.
I do have one major regret in China: I didn’t buy and wear a face mask. I wish I had one to wear in every Asian picture. Bejing was constantly overcast- we were told later that 80% of the grey sky was smog, 20% fog. Everyone wears masks in Beijing to protect their lungs (supposedly breathing the air there is like smoking 8 packs a day.) Yep- big regret.
Some other adventures in China: As part of our university stay they offered Tai Chi classes at 7am each morning. We begrudgingly got up the first morning to check it out. It was freezing and we couldn’t stop laughing so we decided to sleep in the next 2 days. We spent one evening at the Silk Market in downtown Beijing. Basically it’s a big 4-story building with aisles and aisles of booths manned by extremely pushy salespeople. They sell North Face jackets, designer jeans, dresses, shoes, polos, t-shirts, and lots lots more for really cheap! But you have to bargain! This was the most thrilling experience of all. We did one walk-through of the shops then stopped at am ATM (where I accidentally got out $4,000 yuan instead of $400. Equivalent to almost $600- oops.) We found some really cute dresses (the labels say Chole and Marc Jacobs but I’m pretty sure they’re not real). The woman was asking for about $2,000 yuan. We countered by saying she already offered one of them to us for $100 yuan (we did stop by there earlier but I don’t think she actually said $100.) She was flabbergasted of course and we went on debating for a good 10 minutes- finally we got our two dresses and a coat for Mason for $200 yuan each ($14 US). We were thanking her and she told us in defeat, “you are very good bargainer.” This happened to us lots- some women would be so dejected after giving in to our low price and then pop back and say- “you are very clever!” Needless to say this was an extremely exhausting process but very fun! Some women on the other hand would get furious and when we named a ridiculously low price they would say, “are you joking?” “No! Be serious with me!” Like I said- so much fun.
Bejing is furiously preparing for the Olympics. They have built numerous new buildings and stadiums and infrastructure. Who knows what they’ll do with it all in a few months. Of course it’s a huge source of conflict for many (for me anyway) to decided whether or not to support to Olympics in light of the Tibetan issue going on right now and the numerous human rights violations that China is guilty of. China executes 3 times more citizens in one month than the rest of the world combined does in three years. And they execute for such crimes as: stealing a stick of gum, tax evasion, or killing a panda (and many many more). They are increasing patrols in their lethal injection vans to get rid of any undesirable people so as to cleanse the city for the Olympics.
I know of a few athletes (distance runners mostly) who have dropped out of the Olympics because of the pollution.
Our last day in China was spent in Shanghai. It was a miserable day though; rainy, windy and cold, so Mason and I trudged to the nearest grocery store to stock up on chocolate for the Pacific crossing (they had Dove!) and then to the Post office, and then back to the ship. The whole outing took about 30 minutes. (I’ve already been to Shanghai so I don’t feel too guilty.)
The next morning my Beijing University trip to Tsinghua departed at 11am. Mason and I were on the same trip, which was probably the only reason we both survived it. We were able to entertain ourselves from certain death by boredom in the following ways: 1. Asian pictures. 2. Bucket-O-Noodles 3. Ass-less pants. I will explain. 1. You know how all Asians (I don’t want to generalize) put up their hands and make the peace-sign in all their pictures? Well- when you visit Asia you must do this also. Mason and I took every picture of each other, us together, and with random Chinese people and insisted upon the use of the peace sign. Regarding photos with random Chinese: various families would come up to us and ask us to be in what seemed to be their Christmas card photo with them. We accepted. 2. In the US we have this lunch item called Cup-O-Noodles (which I find disgusting). In China they have this as well, except its 5x larger, thus we titled it Bucket-O-Noodles. They sell this large meal in convenience stores and at most tourist destinations. At the Summer Palace Mason and I creepily took photos of the Chinese slurping their ginormous noodles- very entertaining. 3. Best of all: The assless pants. (or ass-less chaps as we like to call them). While trudging through the Forbidden City I noticed a child sitting on a fence and there was skin showing through his pants. I ushered Mason over and we giggled and thought the kid ripped his pants. Then- we noticed every toddler had this problem! They wear pants with big slits cut out of the crotch; their version of pull-ups or something- except opposite. We eagerly asked one of our University student guides about this and she said she used to wear them too and apparently it’s easier for the kids to “potty train” because they don’t have to pull their pants up and down. We’re still confused about whether this means they can control their bodily functions at this age or...not. Needless to say ass-less pant sightings and picture-taking made for hours of entertainment.
I’m glad we choose to use diapers in the Western world.
I do have one major regret in China: I didn’t buy and wear a face mask. I wish I had one to wear in every Asian picture. Bejing was constantly overcast- we were told later that 80% of the grey sky was smog, 20% fog. Everyone wears masks in Beijing to protect their lungs (supposedly breathing the air there is like smoking 8 packs a day.) Yep- big regret.
Some other adventures in China: As part of our university stay they offered Tai Chi classes at 7am each morning. We begrudgingly got up the first morning to check it out. It was freezing and we couldn’t stop laughing so we decided to sleep in the next 2 days. We spent one evening at the Silk Market in downtown Beijing. Basically it’s a big 4-story building with aisles and aisles of booths manned by extremely pushy salespeople. They sell North Face jackets, designer jeans, dresses, shoes, polos, t-shirts, and lots lots more for really cheap! But you have to bargain! This was the most thrilling experience of all. We did one walk-through of the shops then stopped at am ATM (where I accidentally got out $4,000 yuan instead of $400. Equivalent to almost $600- oops.) We found some really cute dresses (the labels say Chole and Marc Jacobs but I’m pretty sure they’re not real). The woman was asking for about $2,000 yuan. We countered by saying she already offered one of them to us for $100 yuan (we did stop by there earlier but I don’t think she actually said $100.) She was flabbergasted of course and we went on debating for a good 10 minutes- finally we got our two dresses and a coat for Mason for $200 yuan each ($14 US). We were thanking her and she told us in defeat, “you are very good bargainer.” This happened to us lots- some women would be so dejected after giving in to our low price and then pop back and say- “you are very clever!” Needless to say this was an extremely exhausting process but very fun! Some women on the other hand would get furious and when we named a ridiculously low price they would say, “are you joking?” “No! Be serious with me!” Like I said- so much fun.
Bejing is furiously preparing for the Olympics. They have built numerous new buildings and stadiums and infrastructure. Who knows what they’ll do with it all in a few months. Of course it’s a huge source of conflict for many (for me anyway) to decided whether or not to support to Olympics in light of the Tibetan issue going on right now and the numerous human rights violations that China is guilty of. China executes 3 times more citizens in one month than the rest of the world combined does in three years. And they execute for such crimes as: stealing a stick of gum, tax evasion, or killing a panda (and many many more). They are increasing patrols in their lethal injection vans to get rid of any undesirable people so as to cleanse the city for the Olympics.
I know of a few athletes (distance runners mostly) who have dropped out of the Olympics because of the pollution.
Our last day in China was spent in Shanghai. It was a miserable day though; rainy, windy and cold, so Mason and I trudged to the nearest grocery store to stock up on chocolate for the Pacific crossing (they had Dove!) and then to the Post office, and then back to the ship. The whole outing took about 30 minutes. (I’ve already been to Shanghai so I don’t feel too guilty.)
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Vietnam
3/29
Today was my third day in Vietnam. I have been to Fanny’s Ice Cream 4 times and picked up 3 of my 6 hand-made articles of clothing. Two friends and I made our way to the War Remnants Museum this afternoon which is an intense place depiciting the atrocities of the American War (Vietnam War) from the Vietnamese perspective. The exhibit focused on the massacre at My Lai as well as the legacy of deformation, erosion, and contamination that the widespread use of Agent Orange left behind. Yesterday I visited an orphanage for mentally and physically disable children. The physical disfiguration that some of these children are born with is unbelievable. Their limbs are bent at unimaginable angles, and sometimes without limbs at all. It seems impossible but children effected by Agent Orange and Dioxin are still being born. If one of their parents was exposed to it in the war they are at risk of passing it down to their kids. (Not to mention the high levels of the chemicals in the water, soil, and food.)
Despite what you would think there is little or no hostility here towards Americans. Of course there are little or no people of that generation (in their 50s/60s) around. It is still “a big deal,” as our professors explained it, to Americans because it is considered recent history.
Two nights before Vietnam I attended Professor Wager’s Community College event. We was in the infantry during the wat from 1969-70. He graduated from college on a Saturday and his draft notice was waiting for him on Monday. He was a philosophy major and debated the ethics of war extensively. In order to make his decision (fleeing to Canada or enlisting) he asked himself 3 questions. 1. Is any war moral? He decided that no- it isn’t inherently wrong to be in the army. 2. Is the Vietnam War moral? And 3. Is the way we’re fighting the Vietnam War moral? He went to Vietnam and was one of the oldest soldiers there. (Most were in their late teens and early twenties). He explained it as a bunch of college freshmen with weapons and no teachers let lose in the country. They way the war was fought- the tactics he saw implemented and the orders given- were immoral. He refused an order to board a helicopter in the invasion of Cambodia in May 1970 and was court marshaled. Despite facing jail time (5 years), demotion, and dishonorable discharge without any money- he evaded it all. His laywer was prepared to take the case all the way to the top (the illegality of the order to invade Cambodia) and instead of risking it, they let him off the hook. In part he believes it was because the military was by that time full of people who had their own doubts about the war. Wager’s ultimate message was that the army is a moral organization despite its flaws.
Today I wandered to the military surplus market in HCMC and looked through various odds and ends and remnants of the war that are all piled into this warehouse of tools and parts (that looks amazingly like Opa’s garage) and stumbled across some dog tags. Most of them were Vietnamese names but there was one American one in the mix- a Rheuben L. Early- who I know was A neg (blood type?) and a Protestant, along with his U.S. military and social security numbers. I assume that because his dog tag is still in HCMC that he died while in Vietnam- one of 59,000. And 60,000 sounds small compared to the millions of Vietnamese that were killed. I guess for this reason I find it strange that is isn’t a lingering issue here like it is at home (perhaps that is in part because they won.)
On a lighter note, HCMC has provided some great experiences. One of the many highlights thus far has been the overwhelming shopping excursions to Ben Than Market and the buying in mass amount of bootleg DVDs (including many TV shows!) Let’s just say that there will be no work being done from this point in the voyage on. (We were warned about this.)
Tomorrow I’m off to the Mekong Delta!
Today was my third day in Vietnam. I have been to Fanny’s Ice Cream 4 times and picked up 3 of my 6 hand-made articles of clothing. Two friends and I made our way to the War Remnants Museum this afternoon which is an intense place depiciting the atrocities of the American War (Vietnam War) from the Vietnamese perspective. The exhibit focused on the massacre at My Lai as well as the legacy of deformation, erosion, and contamination that the widespread use of Agent Orange left behind. Yesterday I visited an orphanage for mentally and physically disable children. The physical disfiguration that some of these children are born with is unbelievable. Their limbs are bent at unimaginable angles, and sometimes without limbs at all. It seems impossible but children effected by Agent Orange and Dioxin are still being born. If one of their parents was exposed to it in the war they are at risk of passing it down to their kids. (Not to mention the high levels of the chemicals in the water, soil, and food.)
Despite what you would think there is little or no hostility here towards Americans. Of course there are little or no people of that generation (in their 50s/60s) around. It is still “a big deal,” as our professors explained it, to Americans because it is considered recent history.
Two nights before Vietnam I attended Professor Wager’s Community College event. We was in the infantry during the wat from 1969-70. He graduated from college on a Saturday and his draft notice was waiting for him on Monday. He was a philosophy major and debated the ethics of war extensively. In order to make his decision (fleeing to Canada or enlisting) he asked himself 3 questions. 1. Is any war moral? He decided that no- it isn’t inherently wrong to be in the army. 2. Is the Vietnam War moral? And 3. Is the way we’re fighting the Vietnam War moral? He went to Vietnam and was one of the oldest soldiers there. (Most were in their late teens and early twenties). He explained it as a bunch of college freshmen with weapons and no teachers let lose in the country. They way the war was fought- the tactics he saw implemented and the orders given- were immoral. He refused an order to board a helicopter in the invasion of Cambodia in May 1970 and was court marshaled. Despite facing jail time (5 years), demotion, and dishonorable discharge without any money- he evaded it all. His laywer was prepared to take the case all the way to the top (the illegality of the order to invade Cambodia) and instead of risking it, they let him off the hook. In part he believes it was because the military was by that time full of people who had their own doubts about the war. Wager’s ultimate message was that the army is a moral organization despite its flaws.
Today I wandered to the military surplus market in HCMC and looked through various odds and ends and remnants of the war that are all piled into this warehouse of tools and parts (that looks amazingly like Opa’s garage) and stumbled across some dog tags. Most of them were Vietnamese names but there was one American one in the mix- a Rheuben L. Early- who I know was A neg (blood type?) and a Protestant, along with his U.S. military and social security numbers. I assume that because his dog tag is still in HCMC that he died while in Vietnam- one of 59,000. And 60,000 sounds small compared to the millions of Vietnamese that were killed. I guess for this reason I find it strange that is isn’t a lingering issue here like it is at home (perhaps that is in part because they won.)
On a lighter note, HCMC has provided some great experiences. One of the many highlights thus far has been the overwhelming shopping excursions to Ben Than Market and the buying in mass amount of bootleg DVDs (including many TV shows!) Let’s just say that there will be no work being done from this point in the voyage on. (We were warned about this.)
Tomorrow I’m off to the Mekong Delta!
Friday, March 28, 2008
First Day in Vietnam
3/27
Today was a long and exciting day in Ho Chi Minh City. I was up at 5:40 to see the sunrise but it was too hazy. Then i went to bed till 8:15 when i got up for breakfast. Then mason and I headed off the ship with a full itinerary of thigs to do. Evan and Clint wanted to do their manly stuff (getting suits made and DVD shopping). So the 2 of us did lots of shopping!! And found an amazing ice cream shop- Fanny's!- so yummy (we went there 2x). (Those were really the main two priorities on the intinerary.) We found a seamstress shop off the beaten path (undiscovered by all the SASers) and told them we'd come back after we bought fabric. So we bought enough for a few dresses at a Silk shop, then continued to Ben Than Market- where almost everything imaginable is sold for super cheap. Northface galore, designer bags, arts and crafts, t-shirts, polos...everything. I got a small northface backpack because i didn't bring a day pack with me. (If anyone wants one let me know). my small one cost $5 and i should be able to bargain that down too. they have every single style/size/color you can imagine.
So we bought even more fabric in the market (i bought lily pulitzer pink paisly) and then we went back to the seamstress. I am currently getting 4 dresses made? no- 3. and shorts and a skirt. Mason has 4 dresses and skirt. i'm going back saturday evening for fitting, mason will be gone but we'll both go back monday afternoon after our trip to cu chi tunnels. we are both really nervous/anxious/excited/intrigued for how our new wardrobe will turn out!
3/28
I have a service visit at the Hy Vong 8 School for the Deaf this afternoon.
On Sunday I'm going to the Mekong Delta, and on Monday- the Cu Chi Tunnels.
Today was a long and exciting day in Ho Chi Minh City. I was up at 5:40 to see the sunrise but it was too hazy. Then i went to bed till 8:15 when i got up for breakfast. Then mason and I headed off the ship with a full itinerary of thigs to do. Evan and Clint wanted to do their manly stuff (getting suits made and DVD shopping). So the 2 of us did lots of shopping!! And found an amazing ice cream shop- Fanny's!- so yummy (we went there 2x). (Those were really the main two priorities on the intinerary.) We found a seamstress shop off the beaten path (undiscovered by all the SASers) and told them we'd come back after we bought fabric. So we bought enough for a few dresses at a Silk shop, then continued to Ben Than Market- where almost everything imaginable is sold for super cheap. Northface galore, designer bags, arts and crafts, t-shirts, polos...everything. I got a small northface backpack because i didn't bring a day pack with me. (If anyone wants one let me know). my small one cost $5 and i should be able to bargain that down too. they have every single style/size/color you can imagine.
So we bought even more fabric in the market (i bought lily pulitzer pink paisly) and then we went back to the seamstress. I am currently getting 4 dresses made? no- 3. and shorts and a skirt. Mason has 4 dresses and skirt. i'm going back saturday evening for fitting, mason will be gone but we'll both go back monday afternoon after our trip to cu chi tunnels. we are both really nervous/anxious/excited/intrigued for how our new wardrobe will turn out!
3/28
I have a service visit at the Hy Vong 8 School for the Deaf this afternoon.
On Sunday I'm going to the Mekong Delta, and on Monday- the Cu Chi Tunnels.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Malaysia
So my Malaysian experience in a nutshell:
We arrived on Wednesday morning and my friend Evan and I were on an SAS tour of Penang’s Temples and Mosques. Malaysia is so multicultural that there are Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, Daoist temples, churches, and mosques all throughout the city. I was shocked at how clean this place it- a huge change from India. Penang still has a very colonial feel- it gained independence from Britain only 50 years ago. There are many beautiful mansions around and the Eastern & Oriental is a beautiful colonial hotel. That night a group of 6 of us took the sleeper train to Kuala Lumpur. We departed at about 10:30pm and arrived at about 8am. (We later found out the bus only took 4hours.) But it was all about the experience- which I loved! It was so fun! (Of course I didn’t get all that much sleep- maybe 5 hours max). We all had top bunks and it was extremely loud. Evan and I were near the bathroom so it reeked when the doors weren’t closed. We stopped every hour or so and my backpack was taking up the last few feet of my bed so I couldn’t stretch out. But perhaps the worst part was that they left the lights on all night! I brought my cool max cocoon with me and it was wonderful! It was a really fun experience and I highly recommend it.
Then we got off the train and went straight to the Petronas Towers in the Golden Triangle District of KL. (The subway system in KL is awesomely easy). We got free tickets for later than afternoon and spend the interim hours laying in the park in the shadow of the towers. (Then we got yelled at by a policewoman who told us we could sit, but not lie down, in the grass. Strange.) There are lots of “PDA” police here because it is such a conservative country (60% Muslim). We went to the skybridge at the Petronas which is only half way up the World’s Tallest Towers.
We stayed the night in Chinatown at the Swiss Inn. Our 4 person room with 2 bunkbeds and a shower (and breakfast) cost $15USD. The next morning we went back to the Golden Triangle to go up in the KL Menara Tower (looks like the Space Needle-Seattle). It is 430+m and we were actually higher there than the sky bridge at the Petronas towers. We had lunch in Little India and then caught a flight on AirAsia (Airline of the Year 2007!) to Langkawi Island (up near Thailand). We spend our 4th day on the Beach and at Malaysia’s longest swimming pool! It was a great day (except the sunburn on my back.) Today I wandered around Penang and hit up the Chocolate Boutique!
We are refueling in Singapore on our way to Vietnam. We’re now half way through our ports with 7 weeks to go- it is flying by!
We arrived on Wednesday morning and my friend Evan and I were on an SAS tour of Penang’s Temples and Mosques. Malaysia is so multicultural that there are Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, Daoist temples, churches, and mosques all throughout the city. I was shocked at how clean this place it- a huge change from India. Penang still has a very colonial feel- it gained independence from Britain only 50 years ago. There are many beautiful mansions around and the Eastern & Oriental is a beautiful colonial hotel. That night a group of 6 of us took the sleeper train to Kuala Lumpur. We departed at about 10:30pm and arrived at about 8am. (We later found out the bus only took 4hours.) But it was all about the experience- which I loved! It was so fun! (Of course I didn’t get all that much sleep- maybe 5 hours max). We all had top bunks and it was extremely loud. Evan and I were near the bathroom so it reeked when the doors weren’t closed. We stopped every hour or so and my backpack was taking up the last few feet of my bed so I couldn’t stretch out. But perhaps the worst part was that they left the lights on all night! I brought my cool max cocoon with me and it was wonderful! It was a really fun experience and I highly recommend it.
Then we got off the train and went straight to the Petronas Towers in the Golden Triangle District of KL. (The subway system in KL is awesomely easy). We got free tickets for later than afternoon and spend the interim hours laying in the park in the shadow of the towers. (Then we got yelled at by a policewoman who told us we could sit, but not lie down, in the grass. Strange.) There are lots of “PDA” police here because it is such a conservative country (60% Muslim). We went to the skybridge at the Petronas which is only half way up the World’s Tallest Towers.
We stayed the night in Chinatown at the Swiss Inn. Our 4 person room with 2 bunkbeds and a shower (and breakfast) cost $15USD. The next morning we went back to the Golden Triangle to go up in the KL Menara Tower (looks like the Space Needle-Seattle). It is 430+m and we were actually higher there than the sky bridge at the Petronas towers. We had lunch in Little India and then caught a flight on AirAsia (Airline of the Year 2007!) to Langkawi Island (up near Thailand). We spend our 4th day on the Beach and at Malaysia’s longest swimming pool! It was a great day (except the sunburn on my back.) Today I wandered around Penang and hit up the Chocolate Boutique!
We are refueling in Singapore on our way to Vietnam. We’re now half way through our ports with 7 weeks to go- it is flying by!
India
Namaste! This is the Sanskrit way to say “hello.” Literally it means “I see God in you.” My time in India has been wonderful. I unfortunately was not on a trip to the Taj Mahal in Agra but I had a great time in Chennai and its surrounding areas. Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu, one of 4 South Indian states. Chennai has a population of 7.5 million. Upon arrival on the 11th I attended a yoga demonstration and bought a great poster with all the Sanskrit pose names. I went on a City Orientation Tour that day which stopped at some of the most well known sites in Chennai- St. Thomas Basilica, the Kapaleeshwar Temple, Fort St. George’s museum detailing India’s history under British rule, and Marina Beach (the second longest beach in the world). Marina Beach is essentially a fishing village. Thatch-roofed huts line the beach and fishing boats and nets are everywhere. The beach is completely covered in trash. This area was hit by the Christmas Day tsunami of 2004. Today on my FDP, Socioeconomic Problems of Chennai, we visited a slum along the beach and talked to some its residents and were bombarded by excited kids. It is amazing to see the poverty they live in- it is unfathomable. The food is swarmed by flies, their huts are dark and unfurnished, and the water would make us sick instantly. The ocean is violent and I can’t believe there are so many young kids running around so close to it and even swimming in it. 250 million Indians live in desperate poverty.
The port area is a very sketchy area and we had to walk through the cargo-loading areas and often wade through tar and oil slicks. It is the dirtiest place I’ve ever seen and people work there all day long without shoes or gloves.
On my second day in Chennai I did a little shopping at Spencer Plaza- pashminas galore. Then in the afternoon I visited the Bala Mandir Orphanage. We saw kids of all ages- from day care to high school- and all of them were excited to see us. They were obsessed with our cameras! They love to shake hands and they were very cute. The high school girls were extremely talkative- and many spoke English very well. Their school buildings were sparse and the power went in and out while we were there, but they seem to have very dedicated teachers.
The next day I was on an overnight SAS trip to Kanchepuram/Mamallapuram. There were only 8 students accompanied by Dean Enbohm, Student Life Director Al, and 2 life-long learners: 80-year old-Nancy and Ernest from Sri Lanka. We visited 3 temples in Kanchepuram (the Golden City)- which were all extremely beautiful and fascinating. I didn’t know much about Hinduism before arriving here but our adorable guide, Kala, taught us all so much. We had a great Indian lunch at a local hotel and visited a silk house- Sreenivas- which is know for child-free labor.
The port area is a very sketchy area and we had to walk through the cargo-loading areas and often wade through tar and oil slicks. It is the dirtiest place I’ve ever seen and people work there all day long without shoes or gloves.
On my second day in Chennai I did a little shopping at Spencer Plaza- pashminas galore. Then in the afternoon I visited the Bala Mandir Orphanage. We saw kids of all ages- from day care to high school- and all of them were excited to see us. They were obsessed with our cameras! They love to shake hands and they were very cute. The high school girls were extremely talkative- and many spoke English very well. Their school buildings were sparse and the power went in and out while we were there, but they seem to have very dedicated teachers.
The next day I was on an overnight SAS trip to Kanchepuram/Mamallapuram. There were only 8 students accompanied by Dean Enbohm, Student Life Director Al, and 2 life-long learners: 80-year old-Nancy and Ernest from Sri Lanka. We visited 3 temples in Kanchepuram (the Golden City)- which were all extremely beautiful and fascinating. I didn’t know much about Hinduism before arriving here but our adorable guide, Kala, taught us all so much. We had a great Indian lunch at a local hotel and visited a silk house- Sreenivas- which is know for child-free labor.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Mauritius
Mauritius has some beautiful beaches, lots of tortoises, and some great chocolate cake! On our first day (March 1) Evan, Mason, and I went with our adoptive mom Tatjana (who is also Global Studies coordinator and a Bio prof) and the inter-port lecturer Dennis to La Vanille Tortoise and Crocodile Park on the South part of the island. We had a lot of fun there- we did get to cuddle some tortoises and when they are not lying around looking like big rocks they are procreating- quite a humorous sight. The males can weigh up to 250 kg and the females up to 150 kg. There was one tortoise who kept following us around! And when we pet him he started making a Darth Vader-like sound (his form of purring). We also saw fruit bats, geckos, iguanas, crocs, monkeys, turtles, birds, donkeys, and lots of insects.
For lunch we went to the restaurant inside the park and Dennis treated us all to chocolate cake (since he had hyped it up so much!) It was really good! I tried a piece of his crocodile steak- It wasn’t bad. Since Mauritius was a French colony for a short time the French language is still widely spoken and most restaurants menus are in French. It also means they have a lot of baguettes- which is what I ate!
On our second day the three of us visited the Pampalmousses Botanical Gardens and the Sugar Museum. At the end of the sugar tour we got to try all 12 different types of Mauritian sugar! We spent the last few hours of the day at the beautiful Trois Aux Biches.
The next morning we had a Service Visit to an elderly home (but we were all disappointed because we didn’t actually service anyone). We then visited a random grave site (also disappointing) and finally (after our trip had already run over by an hour) went to a teen center. The teens at this school had failed their CP exam (High School entrance exam). They don’t get a second chance at this test and this teen center is a type of vocational school- teaching them the arts (and crafts) of basket weaving and necklace making. Unfortunately there are some really young kids there as well- as young as 9 years old- and these kids are already destined to a life without formal education.
On our last day we signed up for a Medicine in Mauritius field trip but it wasn’t worth it. We had a great Indian lunch of 7 different types of curries, naan, and rice- served on banana leaves and eaten with our hands. (But Evan, Mason, and I skipped out on the end of the tour).
The highlight of the day was probably when we hit a pedestrian with our bus. We heard a large thump, looked out the back window and there was a man staggering and clutching is arm. Our guide claims he was a drug addict faking injury trying to get money from us.
One night we went up to Grand Baie (the big resort/beach area). We had our cab driver drop us off at the beach at about 5:30 pm (the sun was setting) and he looked at us like we were truly crazy. We had a great dinner at Don Camillo (excellent pizza)- but we had to walk through a gas station to get there.
Overall we had an interesting time on Mauritius- we saw and did a lot and didn’t even get as much beach time as we hoped!
Apparently SAS is not going back (some of the students are giving us a bad rap)- next fall they are going to Namibia instead (I am extremely jealous).
For lunch we went to the restaurant inside the park and Dennis treated us all to chocolate cake (since he had hyped it up so much!) It was really good! I tried a piece of his crocodile steak- It wasn’t bad. Since Mauritius was a French colony for a short time the French language is still widely spoken and most restaurants menus are in French. It also means they have a lot of baguettes- which is what I ate!
On our second day the three of us visited the Pampalmousses Botanical Gardens and the Sugar Museum. At the end of the sugar tour we got to try all 12 different types of Mauritian sugar! We spent the last few hours of the day at the beautiful Trois Aux Biches.
The next morning we had a Service Visit to an elderly home (but we were all disappointed because we didn’t actually service anyone). We then visited a random grave site (also disappointing) and finally (after our trip had already run over by an hour) went to a teen center. The teens at this school had failed their CP exam (High School entrance exam). They don’t get a second chance at this test and this teen center is a type of vocational school- teaching them the arts (and crafts) of basket weaving and necklace making. Unfortunately there are some really young kids there as well- as young as 9 years old- and these kids are already destined to a life without formal education.
On our last day we signed up for a Medicine in Mauritius field trip but it wasn’t worth it. We had a great Indian lunch of 7 different types of curries, naan, and rice- served on banana leaves and eaten with our hands. (But Evan, Mason, and I skipped out on the end of the tour).
The highlight of the day was probably when we hit a pedestrian with our bus. We heard a large thump, looked out the back window and there was a man staggering and clutching is arm. Our guide claims he was a drug addict faking injury trying to get money from us.
One night we went up to Grand Baie (the big resort/beach area). We had our cab driver drop us off at the beach at about 5:30 pm (the sun was setting) and he looked at us like we were truly crazy. We had a great dinner at Don Camillo (excellent pizza)- but we had to walk through a gas station to get there.
Overall we had an interesting time on Mauritius- we saw and did a lot and didn’t even get as much beach time as we hoped!
Apparently SAS is not going back (some of the students are giving us a bad rap)- next fall they are going to Namibia instead (I am extremely jealous).
Thursday, February 28, 2008
On Our Way To Mauritius
We learned all about the political/economic situation in Mauritius this morning in Global Studies. For those of you who have no idea where it is (I definitely didn’t before I was told I was going there), it’s in the Indian Ocean off of Madagascar. (Which we are currently approaching. And it’s beyond me why we’re not stopping there instead- in the land ruled by lemurs!) Back to Mauritius: They are doing quite well considering they are a highly populated (1.3 million) tiny island (790 sq. mi.) with few natural resources. 90% of the arable land is used for destructive sugarcane production (and sugar export generates only 25% of GDP). Their big industries now are textiles and of course tourism. (It is a huge European vacation destination, and is “Spring Break” for SAS students). About 2 million tourists visit each year (DOUBLE the population) so there are a slew of environmental concerns. Mauritius is technically a part of Africa but no one thinks of it as such. GDP/cap is $11,900 (a great contrast to Africa’s poorest country, Liberia, where GDP/cap is $195).
Mauritius is culturally very diverse: the majority (almost 70%) are of Indian descent, 27% Creole, and very small percentages of people of French and Chinese descent. Some say Mauritius is one of the most successful multi-ethnic societies in the world. Tension does exist (mainly between the poor Creole population and the Indo-Mauritians) and there is still an elite Franco-Mauritian minority that owns most of the plantations.
In its effort to become a key economic player in the global society, Mauritius has established a nationwide EPZ (Export Processing Zone) attempting to attract foreign investors with tax breaks, low wages, and other such incentives. And they are working towards a completely wireless island- they are at about 60% now!
Many of you might not be interested in this but I have a test on it tomorrow so this counts as “studying.”
Mark Twain said of Mauritius: “You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.”
This is promising.
On my list of things to do:
Visit the dodo birds at the Natural History museum (they became extinct back in 1680)
Cuddle a tortoise (this is actually possible according to our Inter-port lecturer, Dennis, a tropical ecologist who works with them)
Spot Mauritius’ BIG THREE (they are all birds- not as exciting as the Big 5)
Lay on the beach (but not for four days straight like most people are planning)
Today is my half birthday- I’m almost 21!! We were gonna order an ice cream cake but we didn't so I'm going to share my rum cake from the Bahamas (finally!) with friends at our study sesh tonight.
Mauritius is culturally very diverse: the majority (almost 70%) are of Indian descent, 27% Creole, and very small percentages of people of French and Chinese descent. Some say Mauritius is one of the most successful multi-ethnic societies in the world. Tension does exist (mainly between the poor Creole population and the Indo-Mauritians) and there is still an elite Franco-Mauritian minority that owns most of the plantations.
In its effort to become a key economic player in the global society, Mauritius has established a nationwide EPZ (Export Processing Zone) attempting to attract foreign investors with tax breaks, low wages, and other such incentives. And they are working towards a completely wireless island- they are at about 60% now!
Many of you might not be interested in this but I have a test on it tomorrow so this counts as “studying.”
Mark Twain said of Mauritius: “You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.”
This is promising.
On my list of things to do:
Visit the dodo birds at the Natural History museum (they became extinct back in 1680)
Cuddle a tortoise (this is actually possible according to our Inter-port lecturer, Dennis, a tropical ecologist who works with them)
Spot Mauritius’ BIG THREE (they are all birds- not as exciting as the Big 5)
Lay on the beach (but not for four days straight like most people are planning)
Today is my half birthday- I’m almost 21!! We were gonna order an ice cream cake but we didn't so I'm going to share my rum cake from the Bahamas (finally!) with friends at our study sesh tonight.
Monday, February 25, 2008
South Africa
We got to spend an extra 12 hours in Cape Town because it was too foggy to leave last night! We were scheduled to depart at 11pm but didn’t leave until almost 11am today. It was painful sitting in class (and having a life boat drill at 9am) while still in port! It’s really rocky right now and I’m not feeling so hot. Ick.
OK- I highly recommend you all visit South Africa. It’s a really great place. Everyone had a great time and no one wants to leave.
I spent the first 3 days on safari in KwaZulu-Natal on the East side of the country (the land of the Zulu people). I saw 4 of the big 5 (elephants, lions, water buffalo, and rhinos, but no leopards). And I saw some of the “ugly 5”- hyenas (right outside our tent!) and warthogs (I call them Pumbas). I really did feel like I was in The Lion King and often could not repress the urge to sing “Circle of Life”, and everyone’s favorite- “Hakuna Matata”.
But compared to all that I saw and did back in Cape Town the safari was nothing.
On my first day back Mason and Evan and I saw some of the sights that they missed in the first few days. We had breakfast at an amazing pancake place called Harrie’s in the waterfront- crepe-style South African pancakes = my new favorite food. Then we walked to Greenmarket Square (a huge market where locals, usually people from the townships, sell their goods- scarves, bowls, fabric, trinkets, art work) and Long St.- the hub of Cape Town’s night life (we were there the night before). We walked through Bo-Kaap, the Muslim section of Cape Town, where we were warned at one point not to go any further from the main street or else we’d get mugged. Bo-Kaap was much more deserted than we’d imagined but it’s houses are very colorful and cheery.
On Sat. Mason, Evan and I were signed up for an SAS trip to Khayelitsha Township. Townships if you don’t know are the “slums” that all blacks were moved to (far removed from the main city) during Apartheid. Most blacks still live here, making the segregation painfully obvious.
Today we conspicuously drove into Khayelitsha towering over everything and everyone with our chartered bus (which we are all very thankful to come back to at the end of the day by the way).
The township was incredible- its always shocking to see such poverty and I’m not sure how to describe it other than absolute filth and degradation- but despite this the people are so amazing and hopeful, and the kids are adorable! Whether it is unfortunate or not I feel like I am getting more and more used to seeing this (the favelas in Salvador and the townships in cape town are both very visible so it becomes “natural” to see such poverty).
The elementary kids anticipate any such visit because it comes with an abundance of bubbles, stickers and lollypops. There are so many adorable kids. Some run up and hug you (or hold your hand) and many just stick out their hands for a treat.
We stopped at 2 B&B’s- owned by two women who with their entrepreneurial savvy started up these small businesses to make a living for themselves and create opportunities for their neighbors. They turned their own matchbox houses into 2 room B&Bs. In the early days of “township tourism” during Apartheid, tour buses like ours would pull in and the passengers would snap photos out the windows, having been forewarned to not leave the bus. What our tours and others like it do today is patronize local craft centers, visit homes to talk with people, play with the children, and like we did today, learn about life in the townships. I wish we could have stayed the night with either of those women. Thope in particular, owner of Kopanong B&B, used to work for an NGO supporting the work of paralegals to document human rights violations against the township’s inhabitants. She received a nomination (from I’m not sure which organization) to study in the States (U of Pittsburg) for a year and that is when she began to study small-scale entrepreneurship.
These women- Thope and Vicky- are pretty amazing. Vicky’s living room is covered with newspaper articles and awards and thank you notes and photos and currency from every country from which we has entertained visitors. They are two of the most jolly women you’ll ever meet and they are using their businesses to fund, in Vicky’s case, a local preschool for the children. Thope expands her B&B by calling on neighbors to house visitors for the evenings and they also lend their baking and cooking skills (we had some amazing pastries there today!)
You cannot come on SAS and leave without wanting to become involved in foreign aid, humanitarian efforts, and volunteerism.
After visiting Kopanpng B&B we went for a walk around the township. I felt a little tug at my wrist, looked down and a little boy had put his hand in mine and we continued that way for the entire walk. We walked in silence because he couldn’t understand my questions about his siblings, school, or his age, but he did tell me his name- Ansipe. Many of the smaller children began crying when our group of white college kids came toward them- they are afraid of white people and think we will hurt them.
Needless to say it was a great day. It makes you wonder also what these kids will think in many years- will they be grateful for our visit or will they be offended? It is also hard not to think that our presence means little when, at the end of the day, we just get back on that bus and drive away. It is great for us, because we see hoe lucky we are to be in school, to be sailing around the world, things that these kids cannot even dream of.
Last night we had a Township Choir on board to perform for us and they were stunning! They were extremely talented! And I’m in love with S. Africa’s national anthem (have it on CD!) and they sang it beautifully.
On my last amazing day in CT I woke up bright an early and took a cable car to the top of Table Mt. Stunning views. We were so lucky to get to go up becaue it was extremely foggy and windy the day before and I was 90% sure it would be crappy yesterday too. But it wasn’t! Then we went to Robben Island which was a very interesting tour led by a former political prisoner who was there for 18 years (just as long as Mandela).
Then Mason and I got to go visit Meg (friend from San Domenico studying at University of Cape Town for the semester) and she toured Mason and I around the amazingly beautiful ivy-covered campus! Thanks Meg!
Rumor has it that some girl might be getting kicked off the ship for sneaking 3 locals on the other day.
She told the Purser that they forgot their IDs, subsequently got caught, and now some other girl has to testify to what she saw.... so we’ll see. I was definitely thinking about sneaking Meg on and using the same excuse! So- I guess it’s for the best that we didn’t attempt that!
OK- I highly recommend you all visit South Africa. It’s a really great place. Everyone had a great time and no one wants to leave.
I spent the first 3 days on safari in KwaZulu-Natal on the East side of the country (the land of the Zulu people). I saw 4 of the big 5 (elephants, lions, water buffalo, and rhinos, but no leopards). And I saw some of the “ugly 5”- hyenas (right outside our tent!) and warthogs (I call them Pumbas). I really did feel like I was in The Lion King and often could not repress the urge to sing “Circle of Life”, and everyone’s favorite- “Hakuna Matata”.
But compared to all that I saw and did back in Cape Town the safari was nothing.
On my first day back Mason and Evan and I saw some of the sights that they missed in the first few days. We had breakfast at an amazing pancake place called Harrie’s in the waterfront- crepe-style South African pancakes = my new favorite food. Then we walked to Greenmarket Square (a huge market where locals, usually people from the townships, sell their goods- scarves, bowls, fabric, trinkets, art work) and Long St.- the hub of Cape Town’s night life (we were there the night before). We walked through Bo-Kaap, the Muslim section of Cape Town, where we were warned at one point not to go any further from the main street or else we’d get mugged. Bo-Kaap was much more deserted than we’d imagined but it’s houses are very colorful and cheery.
On Sat. Mason, Evan and I were signed up for an SAS trip to Khayelitsha Township. Townships if you don’t know are the “slums” that all blacks were moved to (far removed from the main city) during Apartheid. Most blacks still live here, making the segregation painfully obvious.
Today we conspicuously drove into Khayelitsha towering over everything and everyone with our chartered bus (which we are all very thankful to come back to at the end of the day by the way).
The township was incredible- its always shocking to see such poverty and I’m not sure how to describe it other than absolute filth and degradation- but despite this the people are so amazing and hopeful, and the kids are adorable! Whether it is unfortunate or not I feel like I am getting more and more used to seeing this (the favelas in Salvador and the townships in cape town are both very visible so it becomes “natural” to see such poverty).
The elementary kids anticipate any such visit because it comes with an abundance of bubbles, stickers and lollypops. There are so many adorable kids. Some run up and hug you (or hold your hand) and many just stick out their hands for a treat.
We stopped at 2 B&B’s- owned by two women who with their entrepreneurial savvy started up these small businesses to make a living for themselves and create opportunities for their neighbors. They turned their own matchbox houses into 2 room B&Bs. In the early days of “township tourism” during Apartheid, tour buses like ours would pull in and the passengers would snap photos out the windows, having been forewarned to not leave the bus. What our tours and others like it do today is patronize local craft centers, visit homes to talk with people, play with the children, and like we did today, learn about life in the townships. I wish we could have stayed the night with either of those women. Thope in particular, owner of Kopanong B&B, used to work for an NGO supporting the work of paralegals to document human rights violations against the township’s inhabitants. She received a nomination (from I’m not sure which organization) to study in the States (U of Pittsburg) for a year and that is when she began to study small-scale entrepreneurship.
These women- Thope and Vicky- are pretty amazing. Vicky’s living room is covered with newspaper articles and awards and thank you notes and photos and currency from every country from which we has entertained visitors. They are two of the most jolly women you’ll ever meet and they are using their businesses to fund, in Vicky’s case, a local preschool for the children. Thope expands her B&B by calling on neighbors to house visitors for the evenings and they also lend their baking and cooking skills (we had some amazing pastries there today!)
You cannot come on SAS and leave without wanting to become involved in foreign aid, humanitarian efforts, and volunteerism.
After visiting Kopanpng B&B we went for a walk around the township. I felt a little tug at my wrist, looked down and a little boy had put his hand in mine and we continued that way for the entire walk. We walked in silence because he couldn’t understand my questions about his siblings, school, or his age, but he did tell me his name- Ansipe. Many of the smaller children began crying when our group of white college kids came toward them- they are afraid of white people and think we will hurt them.
Needless to say it was a great day. It makes you wonder also what these kids will think in many years- will they be grateful for our visit or will they be offended? It is also hard not to think that our presence means little when, at the end of the day, we just get back on that bus and drive away. It is great for us, because we see hoe lucky we are to be in school, to be sailing around the world, things that these kids cannot even dream of.
Last night we had a Township Choir on board to perform for us and they were stunning! They were extremely talented! And I’m in love with S. Africa’s national anthem (have it on CD!) and they sang it beautifully.
On my last amazing day in CT I woke up bright an early and took a cable car to the top of Table Mt. Stunning views. We were so lucky to get to go up becaue it was extremely foggy and windy the day before and I was 90% sure it would be crappy yesterday too. But it wasn’t! Then we went to Robben Island which was a very interesting tour led by a former political prisoner who was there for 18 years (just as long as Mandela).
Then Mason and I got to go visit Meg (friend from San Domenico studying at University of Cape Town for the semester) and she toured Mason and I around the amazingly beautiful ivy-covered campus! Thanks Meg!
Rumor has it that some girl might be getting kicked off the ship for sneaking 3 locals on the other day.
She told the Purser that they forgot their IDs, subsequently got caught, and now some other girl has to testify to what she saw.... so we’ll see. I was definitely thinking about sneaking Meg on and using the same excuse! So- I guess it’s for the best that we didn’t attempt that!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Neptune Day
Hi all! Hope you all had a Happy Valentines Day, and Mom it sounds like you had a very nice birthday! Instead of V-Day we celebrated Neptune Day here on the ship. We were all initiated into “sea life” in a cereomy presided over by King Neptune and Queen Minvera (Dean Ken and Prof. Widdows). The ceremony included a. Having fish guts poured over us, b. jumping into the pool, c. kissing a big fish, and d. bowing before the King. Lots of other students shaved their heads as well, but not me! We passes through some rough waters that day and I felt a little sick. We were all speculating that it was probably a 4 on the captain’s roughness scale- but we were told that night that is was only a 2! So we’re all in trouble when we get to the higher numbers. (I hear the Indian Ocean is supposed to be rough). Sea Olympics were scheduled for the day after we leave South Africa (Feb. 25th) But the Captain advised we change that due to bad weather going around the Cape of Good Hope. I’m not looking forward to that. But the good news is...we will be in Cape Town tomorrow morning! We are sailing at a painfully slow 12 knots right now! Everyone is anxious to get off the boat! I leave on safari tomorrow morning to Kwazulu Natal. We fly to Durban and then go from there! Hopefully I’ll spot the big 5! On Thursday night I return to Cape Town and am planning on meeting up with Meg and seeing her awesome apartment at the University of Cape Town! On Friday I’m planning to go to Robben Island (where Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of the 27 years). On Sat. I have a Township visit and on Sunday I’m planning to hike Table Mountain! There’slots to see and do and I’m very excited! I’ll update you in a few days!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
The Bridge
I just returned from my Bridge Tour! One of the crew members, who is Romanian, led us to the bridge- I took lots of pictures so I will post some later. The MV Explorer was built in Germany and can go a top speed of 30.5 knots. It is classified as a small passenger ship. I forget the exact dimensions. Most new passenger ships have been built with a lot more speed- but he was saying that is unnecessary for us because we can only arrive at each port at the exact time we’re scheduled to. Usually 0800. If we arrived early because we went at a higher speed, we’d have to do circles in port. There are two big Captain’s chairs and lots of technology: A GPS system and a cool electronic map and lots of buttons and lights. Very high tech explanation, I know. He told us about the bow thruster and I think he said they were currently filling the ballasts with sea water to offset the loss of fuel. They have lots of flags too- all the flags for semaphore as well as many countries’ flags- probably just the ones we are going to. I got to sit in the Captain’s chair!
So Dad- I don’t think I’ll get to visit the engine room but the Bridge sure was cool. Beautiful view! They have lots of pairs of binoculars in there too. We asked him about some of the rumors that have been flying around- particularly about the pirates. Near Malaysia (I think) there are “pirates” with fast boats who tend to target slow cargo ships (more economical and easy targets than a passenger ship). The rumor had it that crew members stay on “pirate watch” 24/7 and that students can sign up for a shift. Unfortunately, untrue. There was no one ‘driving’ the boat while we were there and some kid asked if it was on autopilot. The Romanian responded, “No, the force is driving the ship.... of course we’re on autopilot!” We are also only using one of four engines right now so they have to constantly adjust the starboard propeller (something like that) so we don’t go in circles. So that was a fun experience!
So Dad- I don’t think I’ll get to visit the engine room but the Bridge sure was cool. Beautiful view! They have lots of pairs of binoculars in there too. We asked him about some of the rumors that have been flying around- particularly about the pirates. Near Malaysia (I think) there are “pirates” with fast boats who tend to target slow cargo ships (more economical and easy targets than a passenger ship). The rumor had it that crew members stay on “pirate watch” 24/7 and that students can sign up for a shift. Unfortunately, untrue. There was no one ‘driving’ the boat while we were there and some kid asked if it was on autopilot. The Romanian responded, “No, the force is driving the ship.... of course we’re on autopilot!” We are also only using one of four engines right now so they have to constantly adjust the starboard propeller (something like that) so we don’t go in circles. So that was a fun experience!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Atlantic Ocean
Hi there. We’re slowly making our way across the Atlantic at an average speed of about 14 knots. We had our first test this morning in Global Studies. It was multiple choice- needless to say I think I’m gonna pass. I just had lunch and am pleased by the recent dessert options in the caf. Today was devil’s food cake. I think they are picking up on the fact that we like chocolate.
Colin- how are the driving lessons coming? Hit anyone yet? Oh- I meant to tell you they played I Am Legend on our cabin TVs the other night too- when I turned it on it was at the really sad part though (you know what I mean). Ryan- Congrats on your college acceptances and have fun visiting Chicago! Mom- everyone likes my Sigg water bottle. We were talking at dinner about how many hours we will lose before we get to SA and it came in very handy. (It has a map of the world and time zones on it) We lose 5 hours total between Brazil and SA. We lose our second hour tonight.
Will has been keeping me apprised of the political goings-on at home. Sounds like Obama is moving-on up! That is very exciting! Seems like the majority of the boat is pro-Obama.
Speaking of Obama- Yesterday in Human Rights we watched The Devil Came on Horseback about the Darfur region in Sudan. It’s a pretty recent documentary made by a former marine about his months in Darfur as a peacekeeping officer to monitor the cease-fire. Apparently the film has won some awards already. I highly recommend it. It is very graphic but very informative and of course- sad and infuriating.
Hotel Rwanda was one of the cabin movies last night so I watched it as well. On top of those movies we are obviously studying the Apartheid on our way to South Africa and I started reading A Human Being Died That Night about the author’s series of interviews with death squad chief Eugene de Kock. Truthfully I did not know the gruesome details of Apartheid but am appreciating this unique opportunity to study it before I arrive in Cape Town where Apartheid was legally ended only a little over a decade ago.
There should be some new pictures up soon too!
Colin- how are the driving lessons coming? Hit anyone yet? Oh- I meant to tell you they played I Am Legend on our cabin TVs the other night too- when I turned it on it was at the really sad part though (you know what I mean). Ryan- Congrats on your college acceptances and have fun visiting Chicago! Mom- everyone likes my Sigg water bottle. We were talking at dinner about how many hours we will lose before we get to SA and it came in very handy. (It has a map of the world and time zones on it) We lose 5 hours total between Brazil and SA. We lose our second hour tonight.
Will has been keeping me apprised of the political goings-on at home. Sounds like Obama is moving-on up! That is very exciting! Seems like the majority of the boat is pro-Obama.
Speaking of Obama- Yesterday in Human Rights we watched The Devil Came on Horseback about the Darfur region in Sudan. It’s a pretty recent documentary made by a former marine about his months in Darfur as a peacekeeping officer to monitor the cease-fire. Apparently the film has won some awards already. I highly recommend it. It is very graphic but very informative and of course- sad and infuriating.
Hotel Rwanda was one of the cabin movies last night so I watched it as well. On top of those movies we are obviously studying the Apartheid on our way to South Africa and I started reading A Human Being Died That Night about the author’s series of interviews with death squad chief Eugene de Kock. Truthfully I did not know the gruesome details of Apartheid but am appreciating this unique opportunity to study it before I arrive in Cape Town where Apartheid was legally ended only a little over a decade ago.
There should be some new pictures up soon too!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Cachoeria
Last night we sailed away from Brazil. On ship time was 2100 and departure time was 2300 but we actually left and hour and a half early- I hope everyone was on the ship! I spent my last day in Brazil on an SAS trip to Cachoeira- a small town about 2 hours outside of Salvador that has strongly retained the Afro-Brazilian culture. On our way we stopped in Sao Tomato at an outdoor market. There were tons and tons of fruits and vegetables and meat and fish for sale. It was a great opportunity for taking pictures too. There is a crazy looking fruit in Brazil called the jackfruit- it is very large (size of a watermelon) and is green and spiky. The fruit inside is yellow and has nuts- and doesn’t taste very good. There was a little boy sitting in his doorstep holding his new puppy and it was the cutest thing ever! When he looked up at us we could see his amazingly blue eyes!
Our next stop was at an MST reservation. MST, the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, is the biggest social movement in Latin America, known as The Landless Movement. The members of MST are farmers without their own land. Workers against the private owning of property began squatting on non-productive farmland, building houses and allotting each family a plot in their backyard. We visited an old woman’s home on the compound where she has lived there for 11 years. Now she grows cacao trees and makes coco powder, fudge, and candy from the coco nuts to sell to tourists. (We got to taste all of her treats!) The members of the compound have an obligation to work the community plot one day per week. There are schools set up for the children of every compound. On this compound there was even a Capoeira (dance fighting) school. Capoeria is an Afro-Brazilian blend of martial arts and culture created by slaves in Brazil in the 16th C. It is very popular all over the country.
Out tour guide Paula was awesome and brought us to a convent in the town of Cachoeira that has been converted into an inn and restaurant. They served us an abundance of great food- fried bananas and eggplant, rice, beans, chicken, pineapple and watermelon, fried fish balls and mashed potatoes.
Cachoeria means waterfall. While I didn’t see any waterfalls there the town does sit on the banks of the Paraguacu River. The town used to be a port for cruise ships but ever since the river was dammed the water level is not high enough for big ships to enter.
After lunch we visited the Dannemann cigar factory in the neighboring town of Sao Felix. About a dozen women in uniform hand roll cigars in the breezy building from morning till night. They have three breaks to relieve them of the repetitive work. Some women choose to smoke while they work. The smell of tobacco is overwhelming and I wonder if they women suffer any effects from handling and inhaling tobacco constantly.
Last night SAS hosted a Bye, Bye, Brazil BBQ for us on the top deck. Complete with a festive Brazilian band. My friend Mason returned from her week trip to Lencois and she says it is the most beautiful place she’s ever been. They hiked and swam in the waterfalls and had amazing food. She took a picture of the quaint hostel that she plans to return to and I will have to join her.
We are on our way to Cape Town today and I have lots of work to do before we get there!
Our next stop was at an MST reservation. MST, the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, is the biggest social movement in Latin America, known as The Landless Movement. The members of MST are farmers without their own land. Workers against the private owning of property began squatting on non-productive farmland, building houses and allotting each family a plot in their backyard. We visited an old woman’s home on the compound where she has lived there for 11 years. Now she grows cacao trees and makes coco powder, fudge, and candy from the coco nuts to sell to tourists. (We got to taste all of her treats!) The members of the compound have an obligation to work the community plot one day per week. There are schools set up for the children of every compound. On this compound there was even a Capoeira (dance fighting) school. Capoeria is an Afro-Brazilian blend of martial arts and culture created by slaves in Brazil in the 16th C. It is very popular all over the country.
Out tour guide Paula was awesome and brought us to a convent in the town of Cachoeira that has been converted into an inn and restaurant. They served us an abundance of great food- fried bananas and eggplant, rice, beans, chicken, pineapple and watermelon, fried fish balls and mashed potatoes.
Cachoeria means waterfall. While I didn’t see any waterfalls there the town does sit on the banks of the Paraguacu River. The town used to be a port for cruise ships but ever since the river was dammed the water level is not high enough for big ships to enter.
After lunch we visited the Dannemann cigar factory in the neighboring town of Sao Felix. About a dozen women in uniform hand roll cigars in the breezy building from morning till night. They have three breaks to relieve them of the repetitive work. Some women choose to smoke while they work. The smell of tobacco is overwhelming and I wonder if they women suffer any effects from handling and inhaling tobacco constantly.
Last night SAS hosted a Bye, Bye, Brazil BBQ for us on the top deck. Complete with a festive Brazilian band. My friend Mason returned from her week trip to Lencois and she says it is the most beautiful place she’s ever been. They hiked and swam in the waterfalls and had amazing food. She took a picture of the quaint hostel that she plans to return to and I will have to join her.
We are on our way to Cape Town today and I have lots of work to do before we get there!
Friday, February 8, 2008
Salvador
Today was our fourth day in Salvador and I have keeping busy- biking, exploring, and generally trying to remain hydrated in this extremely hot and humid climate!
Salvador is an extremely poor city. Of the 2.7 million residents, 80% are poor. I think the stat is something like 70% of the wealth is in the hands of 10% of the population. There are favelas (slums) all over the city. (It pretty much looks like the movie City of God, although that takes place in Rio.) The hillsides are lined with them. The only modern buildings are industrial, commercial, or governmental. And even then there are very few. The favelas are the face of the city.
Therefore there aren’t many things to do in the city besides explore the historic Pelourinho in the upper city. You have to take the huge Lacerda Elevator to get from the “financial district” that the port is in (at sea level obviously) to the upper city.
I did a walking tour of the Pelourinho on Tuesday. Pelourinho means “whipping post,” and it is the site where slaves were bought and sold. The old city is now where the affluent live. We also visited the ornate Sao Francisco Church. The walls are lined with 137 kilograms of gold. It is a shocking contrast to the poverty of Salvador that surrounds it. There is an abundance of Dutch Delft blue and white tile throughout this old city. I thought of you Mom. I went back to the old city for Carnival on the 5th. It is much more traditional and mellow there than it is down along the coast where the blocos are. (Blocos are huge street bands that blare music and parade along the streets gathering hundreds of people.) Up in the Pelourinho we watched many smaller parades go by with dancers in great costumes. There were lots of cute kids participating too and they were fun to watch.
The Explorer was one of six cruise ships to arrive on Tuesday. The other ships were double the size of ours! But they came, wreaked havoc, and left by the next night. In that sense SAS cannot be grouped into the cruise tourism category because we spend many days in each port with the intent of experiencing the food, customs, culture, and surrounding environment of each port we visit.
I attended a Candomble ceremony on Wednesday. Candomble is an Afro-Brazilian religion. You could call it a “sister religion” to Voodoo in Haiti and Santeria in Cuba. I was really excited to have this rare opportunity because I read Karen McCarthy Brown’s “Mama Lola: A Voodoo priestess in Brooklyn” last year, and was interested in comparing the two. Men and women dressed in all white with colorful beads entered the room to the beat of multiple drums. They proceeded to circle around the central alter to an Orisha (deity). The central alter was a combination of a female mermaid and a male holding a bowl of spoons. When the drumming stopped briefly they would bend down and touch their foreheads to the ground. The large roomed was lined with men, women, and children joining in on the singing. After the first hour or so two men went into trance. I only saw the back of one man who was bent over at a 90 degree angle. His legs were shaking uncontrollably as he was slowly guided out of the room. There was a break in the ceremony at this point. I was told later that the Orisha had arrived. Apparently these ceremonies last about 7 hours. We were there for about 2.5. Although I couldn’t understand what was said it was very noticeable when the energy in the room was rising. I remember from Mama Lola that the possessed take on all the characteristics of the spirit- so perhaps that man was possessed by a very old spirit and couldn’t walk upright.
Candomble′ was originally brought to Brazil during the Atlantic Slave Trade and was only practiced by slaves. Today 2 million Brazilians (1.5% of the pop.) declare Candomble′ as their religion. However one of my tour guides told us that people of different religions tend to participate as well.
Today I had an FDP (Faculty Directed Practica) to the Camacari Petrochemical Complex. It was just as exciting as it sounds.
Out tour guide, however, was an interesting guy who is both a private school professor and a public school teacher here in Salvador. He admits that the public schools are horrible, mostly because they don’t receive any money from the government. He was telling us about the favelas as well. The most important possession for these families is not a bed or a kitchen table but a TV. He said that he doesn’t own a plasma TV but most families in the favelas do. This is because of the Brazilian love of soccer and soap operas.
The second most important possession is a CD player.
That reminds me- I went to a futbol game last night! Bahia vs. Pocones. We (Bahia) won 2-0! The field office bought almost 300 tickets last minute- they bused us over there and SAS completely took over the stadium. It was lots of fun to watch a Brazilian futbol match!
We’re heading to Cape Town, South Africa tomorrow night and will be at sea for a super long stretch of 9 days!
Let me know what is going on back home!
Salvador is an extremely poor city. Of the 2.7 million residents, 80% are poor. I think the stat is something like 70% of the wealth is in the hands of 10% of the population. There are favelas (slums) all over the city. (It pretty much looks like the movie City of God, although that takes place in Rio.) The hillsides are lined with them. The only modern buildings are industrial, commercial, or governmental. And even then there are very few. The favelas are the face of the city.
Therefore there aren’t many things to do in the city besides explore the historic Pelourinho in the upper city. You have to take the huge Lacerda Elevator to get from the “financial district” that the port is in (at sea level obviously) to the upper city.
I did a walking tour of the Pelourinho on Tuesday. Pelourinho means “whipping post,” and it is the site where slaves were bought and sold. The old city is now where the affluent live. We also visited the ornate Sao Francisco Church. The walls are lined with 137 kilograms of gold. It is a shocking contrast to the poverty of Salvador that surrounds it. There is an abundance of Dutch Delft blue and white tile throughout this old city. I thought of you Mom. I went back to the old city for Carnival on the 5th. It is much more traditional and mellow there than it is down along the coast where the blocos are. (Blocos are huge street bands that blare music and parade along the streets gathering hundreds of people.) Up in the Pelourinho we watched many smaller parades go by with dancers in great costumes. There were lots of cute kids participating too and they were fun to watch.
The Explorer was one of six cruise ships to arrive on Tuesday. The other ships were double the size of ours! But they came, wreaked havoc, and left by the next night. In that sense SAS cannot be grouped into the cruise tourism category because we spend many days in each port with the intent of experiencing the food, customs, culture, and surrounding environment of each port we visit.
I attended a Candomble ceremony on Wednesday. Candomble is an Afro-Brazilian religion. You could call it a “sister religion” to Voodoo in Haiti and Santeria in Cuba. I was really excited to have this rare opportunity because I read Karen McCarthy Brown’s “Mama Lola: A Voodoo priestess in Brooklyn” last year, and was interested in comparing the two. Men and women dressed in all white with colorful beads entered the room to the beat of multiple drums. They proceeded to circle around the central alter to an Orisha (deity). The central alter was a combination of a female mermaid and a male holding a bowl of spoons. When the drumming stopped briefly they would bend down and touch their foreheads to the ground. The large roomed was lined with men, women, and children joining in on the singing. After the first hour or so two men went into trance. I only saw the back of one man who was bent over at a 90 degree angle. His legs were shaking uncontrollably as he was slowly guided out of the room. There was a break in the ceremony at this point. I was told later that the Orisha had arrived. Apparently these ceremonies last about 7 hours. We were there for about 2.5. Although I couldn’t understand what was said it was very noticeable when the energy in the room was rising. I remember from Mama Lola that the possessed take on all the characteristics of the spirit- so perhaps that man was possessed by a very old spirit and couldn’t walk upright.
Candomble′ was originally brought to Brazil during the Atlantic Slave Trade and was only practiced by slaves. Today 2 million Brazilians (1.5% of the pop.) declare Candomble′ as their religion. However one of my tour guides told us that people of different religions tend to participate as well.
Today I had an FDP (Faculty Directed Practica) to the Camacari Petrochemical Complex. It was just as exciting as it sounds.
Out tour guide, however, was an interesting guy who is both a private school professor and a public school teacher here in Salvador. He admits that the public schools are horrible, mostly because they don’t receive any money from the government. He was telling us about the favelas as well. The most important possession for these families is not a bed or a kitchen table but a TV. He said that he doesn’t own a plasma TV but most families in the favelas do. This is because of the Brazilian love of soccer and soap operas.
The second most important possession is a CD player.
That reminds me- I went to a futbol game last night! Bahia vs. Pocones. We (Bahia) won 2-0! The field office bought almost 300 tickets last minute- they bused us over there and SAS completely took over the stadium. It was lots of fun to watch a Brazilian futbol match!
We’re heading to Cape Town, South Africa tomorrow night and will be at sea for a super long stretch of 9 days!
Let me know what is going on back home!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Brazil!
Feb. 5, 2008
This morning we arrived in Salvador, Brazil! My friends and I woke up at 4:50 to see the sunrise and watch as we pulled into port. We are currently having breakfast onboard before our Diplomatic Briefing at 0800. Then I’ll be leaving for a Walking Tour of Historic Salvador. Today is the last day of Carnival- the biggest party of the year before the Lenten season begins tomorrow. There are a few Brazilian students onboard who have been bombarded with questions about what to wear, what to see, what to drink...
They taught us some helpful Portugese phrases but the only one I really know is Obrigada (Thanks!). Interestingly- you say obrigada (with an a) only if you are female. You say obrigadO if you are male. And it doesn’t change depending on the sex of the person you are talking to.
Will kindly created this blog account for me so I don’t have to waste my precious Internet minutes (obrigada!) Here’s a little blurb from a few days ago to fill you in on the trip thus far and entertain you until I can write again:
Here’s a quick timeline:
Jan. 23- We departed Nassau, Bahamas at 0500. Mom and Erica watched the ship depart from the Atlantis Resort.
Jan. 26- Arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico at 0800.
Jan. 29- Departed San Juan at 2300.
Feb. 5- Arrived in Salvador at 0600.
Feb. 1, 2008
The MV Explorer is making its way to Salvador Brazil this morning- the first day of February- at 20 knots. We’re at Lat 04 degrees and Long 043 degrees. We are almost to the equator- and it is ugly outside. For the last two days we’ve been rockin and rolling- literally. Luckily I haven’t been seasick at all and haven’t had to use any of my homeopathic drugs.
There are 17 of us from Bucknell, a close 4th after CU Boulder with almost 80, Pitt, and Wisconsin. Tomorrow is Saturday and they’re giving us a day off! My only time commitment is taking a school picture for the yearbook... along with my long list of things to do- mostly reading. I just joined a Human Rights and Ethics class yesterday. We started reading “Disposable People, New Slavery in the Global Economy”. For Developmental Economics I’m currently reading “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond, a historian, geographer, and biologist who goes back about 11,000 years in time to address the question, Why are some countries rich and some poor? I am in the process of choosing my own measure of the standard of living, which I’ll use to assess each country from Brazil on- and then compare my own data with actual stats. I am taking Leaders of the 20th Century, which is a biographic approach to influential leaders including Ghandi, Mandela, Mao, Hirohito, and Ho Chi Min. We’re currently reading “Gandhi’s Passion” by Stanley Wolpert. I got accepted off the waitlist into Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion- an Anthropology course that will count toward my major. It sounds fascinating- we’ll be on the lookout for various rituals and religions in all of our port cities. It is taught by a Norwegian archaeologist who- in real life- teaches in Vietnam.
There are approx. 730 students- from over 200 schools- onboard, and 29 faculty members. Some of the faculty brought their families along so there are 7 kids from 3-18 running around too. The Asst. Dean Chris Ullom is the voice that we hear everyday over the intercom giving announcements and today in class we heard the intercom chime but it wasn’t the dean. “Um Dad... Can you come back your office please Dad.” It was his daughter. We all got a laugh out of it.
I’m checking email in the piano lounge and there are few guys strumming their acoustic guitars, and a guy just attempted “Don’t Stop Believin’” on the piano. I wish I could remember some of the songs Ryan taught me. Oh- now they’re playing “Stand By Me.”
Mom- I got a $50 refund on my tuition for whatever reason. I had the purser put it onto my SAS account. Then I proceeded to the bookstore where I had to buy a $20 book- so much for that. But the extra 30 bucks are going to smoothies and ice cream up on the top deck. ☺
We watched part of Gandhi today in Leaders (with Sir Ben Kingsley). The rest will be on TV tonight. The other night I watched Favela Rising with my friend Mason and another girl from my HR (Human Rights) class. It is about one particular favela (slum) in Rio de Janiero and the drug trafficking that goes on there. The street kids who live there all aspire to be drug lords because that is the only way to get rich. Anderson Sa, the protagonist of the film, was involved in a drug army for some time until his brother was killed by the police; he was one of many innocent townspeople killed. Anderson then started the Afro-Reggae movement in Rio. His band writes and performs songs speaking out against the violence and corruption in Rio and offers a creative outlet for kids.
A little about ship life: I live in a quad. Four girls- one bathroom. Surprisingly it has been going pretty well. One of my roomies, Kerry, is from the Bay Area also. She attends USD. Angela is from Charleston, SC and we just had a moment to remember Heath Ledger- playing the “10 Things I Hate About You” soundtrack. Suzanne is from Alabama and attends Tuskegee U.
On the 26th we arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico at 0800. Unfortunately I didn’t make it up in time to see the sunrise as we sailed into the Bay. That’s my goal for Brazil. We spent most of our time in Old San Juan, which was very cute and much cleaner than I expected. I loved architecture and the colorful buildings. Apparently it is a law that no two hues can be the same. The first night in PR I attended a cockfight with a few guys. I read “Notes on a Balinese Cockfight” by Clifford Geertz last semester in Anth and was intrigued to see if it was as big of a deal in PR as it is in Bali. It’s not. But there were a lot of animated old Puerto Rico men coaching the roosters as if they could understand. Overall it’s a very sad sport and a hard thing to watch.
Later that night we found a fun salsa club. I went on an SAS kayaking trip and took a tour of the Capitol building.
This morning we arrived in Salvador, Brazil! My friends and I woke up at 4:50 to see the sunrise and watch as we pulled into port. We are currently having breakfast onboard before our Diplomatic Briefing at 0800. Then I’ll be leaving for a Walking Tour of Historic Salvador. Today is the last day of Carnival- the biggest party of the year before the Lenten season begins tomorrow. There are a few Brazilian students onboard who have been bombarded with questions about what to wear, what to see, what to drink...
They taught us some helpful Portugese phrases but the only one I really know is Obrigada (Thanks!). Interestingly- you say obrigada (with an a) only if you are female. You say obrigadO if you are male. And it doesn’t change depending on the sex of the person you are talking to.
Will kindly created this blog account for me so I don’t have to waste my precious Internet minutes (obrigada!) Here’s a little blurb from a few days ago to fill you in on the trip thus far and entertain you until I can write again:
Here’s a quick timeline:
Jan. 23- We departed Nassau, Bahamas at 0500. Mom and Erica watched the ship depart from the Atlantis Resort.
Jan. 26- Arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico at 0800.
Jan. 29- Departed San Juan at 2300.
Feb. 5- Arrived in Salvador at 0600.
Feb. 1, 2008
The MV Explorer is making its way to Salvador Brazil this morning- the first day of February- at 20 knots. We’re at Lat 04 degrees and Long 043 degrees. We are almost to the equator- and it is ugly outside. For the last two days we’ve been rockin and rolling- literally. Luckily I haven’t been seasick at all and haven’t had to use any of my homeopathic drugs.
There are 17 of us from Bucknell, a close 4th after CU Boulder with almost 80, Pitt, and Wisconsin. Tomorrow is Saturday and they’re giving us a day off! My only time commitment is taking a school picture for the yearbook... along with my long list of things to do- mostly reading. I just joined a Human Rights and Ethics class yesterday. We started reading “Disposable People, New Slavery in the Global Economy”. For Developmental Economics I’m currently reading “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond, a historian, geographer, and biologist who goes back about 11,000 years in time to address the question, Why are some countries rich and some poor? I am in the process of choosing my own measure of the standard of living, which I’ll use to assess each country from Brazil on- and then compare my own data with actual stats. I am taking Leaders of the 20th Century, which is a biographic approach to influential leaders including Ghandi, Mandela, Mao, Hirohito, and Ho Chi Min. We’re currently reading “Gandhi’s Passion” by Stanley Wolpert. I got accepted off the waitlist into Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion- an Anthropology course that will count toward my major. It sounds fascinating- we’ll be on the lookout for various rituals and religions in all of our port cities. It is taught by a Norwegian archaeologist who- in real life- teaches in Vietnam.
There are approx. 730 students- from over 200 schools- onboard, and 29 faculty members. Some of the faculty brought their families along so there are 7 kids from 3-18 running around too. The Asst. Dean Chris Ullom is the voice that we hear everyday over the intercom giving announcements and today in class we heard the intercom chime but it wasn’t the dean. “Um Dad... Can you come back your office please Dad.” It was his daughter. We all got a laugh out of it.
I’m checking email in the piano lounge and there are few guys strumming their acoustic guitars, and a guy just attempted “Don’t Stop Believin’” on the piano. I wish I could remember some of the songs Ryan taught me. Oh- now they’re playing “Stand By Me.”
Mom- I got a $50 refund on my tuition for whatever reason. I had the purser put it onto my SAS account. Then I proceeded to the bookstore where I had to buy a $20 book- so much for that. But the extra 30 bucks are going to smoothies and ice cream up on the top deck. ☺
We watched part of Gandhi today in Leaders (with Sir Ben Kingsley). The rest will be on TV tonight. The other night I watched Favela Rising with my friend Mason and another girl from my HR (Human Rights) class. It is about one particular favela (slum) in Rio de Janiero and the drug trafficking that goes on there. The street kids who live there all aspire to be drug lords because that is the only way to get rich. Anderson Sa, the protagonist of the film, was involved in a drug army for some time until his brother was killed by the police; he was one of many innocent townspeople killed. Anderson then started the Afro-Reggae movement in Rio. His band writes and performs songs speaking out against the violence and corruption in Rio and offers a creative outlet for kids.
A little about ship life: I live in a quad. Four girls- one bathroom. Surprisingly it has been going pretty well. One of my roomies, Kerry, is from the Bay Area also. She attends USD. Angela is from Charleston, SC and we just had a moment to remember Heath Ledger- playing the “10 Things I Hate About You” soundtrack. Suzanne is from Alabama and attends Tuskegee U.
On the 26th we arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico at 0800. Unfortunately I didn’t make it up in time to see the sunrise as we sailed into the Bay. That’s my goal for Brazil. We spent most of our time in Old San Juan, which was very cute and much cleaner than I expected. I loved architecture and the colorful buildings. Apparently it is a law that no two hues can be the same. The first night in PR I attended a cockfight with a few guys. I read “Notes on a Balinese Cockfight” by Clifford Geertz last semester in Anth and was intrigued to see if it was as big of a deal in PR as it is in Bali. It’s not. But there were a lot of animated old Puerto Rico men coaching the roosters as if they could understand. Overall it’s a very sad sport and a hard thing to watch.
Later that night we found a fun salsa club. I went on an SAS kayaking trip and took a tour of the Capitol building.