Reflections on the voyage so far…

I came to the realization that the first day we dock in India the trip will be half way over, and I will be half way around the world! I looked at my map on the wall and at the route we have traveled so far- it is really hard to imagine. It seems like a good time for refection, and a good place to think about all we have seen.

We talked a lot about it as we pulled into India. The shipboard community is at a point of almost being overwhelmed- overwhelmed with where we have been and where we are going. Sometimes you get to the point of not being able to comprehend any more - I am always reading, listening, watching, and trying to absorb as much as possible. I am the kind of person who does not want to miss a moment- but I have learned that sometimes you have to take a step back and think through what you have seen. I have been in awe of the countries we have traveled to - the magic and spectacle of Carnival, the beauty and vast variation of the animals and people in South Africa. It is hard to keep in mind everything I want to remember! I talk with my friends and it seems like Puerto Rico was over a year ago!

But at the same time it is hard not to become saddened and depressed at what we are learning in class… the vast amount of poverty and social problems that seem to have followed us this entire voyage. We learn so many statistics everyday- too many to ever be able to sort out in one sitting. They all begin to merge into this idea that so many things need attention, and someone to care about the world.

There are graphs, charts, documentaries, personal reflections, and just blunt facts that hit you in the face. Sometimes it is hard not to break down and cry when you think through how people are really living- and worst of all how unaware and uneducated you feel. There is no way to describe all the feelings you experience in this atmosphere. I know from personal experience that talking logically about these issues makes you feel so small and unable to really make a difference. To see the global picture requires a lot of critical thinking, and the ability to separate yourself from the reality of the situation.

My family has been fortunate to travel a lot over the years, so I feel like I have a good perspective on many aspects of the world. However, the best part of this is trip is that I am immersed in so much of the history and culture before I even set foot in these countries. I feel like I can relate to the people, and compare what I am seeing to what I have just read and discussed in my classes. Half way through the trip makes me more aware of the fact that this is such powerful experience! We go into these countries so informed, but at the same time leave questioning what we have seen, and wondering about the reality of the situations we just walked into.

I love hearing the stories from my professors and friends about their experiences in these countries. I feel like I can take on these experiences as my own and have a deeper understanding of the places we just spent time in. Even if it was just a few days, or just a few hours at a place, I want to remember everything I can! And I know when I get home it will be hard to explain what I have seen and accomplished this semester. But hopefully through this blog you will have an idea of what I experienced and had the opportunity to see. The semester will be a combination of so many thoughts and feelings that shape how I feel about these countries from now on, and how I will look at the world. This has been such an incredible opportunity and I feel very lucky to only be half way through! I hope to gain more insight, and in some way compare and contrast the rest of the ports during the voyage. I am so excited to see what these upcoming countries have to offer- what they can teach me- and what I can seek to appreciate even more in my own life.

One of the other things that has been a gift on this trip is the people I have met on the ship. I love the relationships I have with my professors. There is a different sense of connection because they are standing in the middle of an orphanage with you, or telling you a story about their safari in Africa! There is not a better way than to live in such close quarters with them and hear about their favorite part of Brazil.

I have met some amazing friends on the trip. Since there is no way to escape each other, you find yourself having conversations about anything and everything! Each friend comes from a different place, and has their own perspectives and stories to tell. It makes things interesting and makes you wonder how you randomly met and became friends! We have had some great conversations and are sharing an experience that not many people will ever have the opportunity to experience.

At home I have some wonderful roommates at my university. We have had several years to get to know each other well. Here, my roommate and I made a quick connection that I could only have hoped for before coming on the trip. She will be a friend for life. There are so many different kinds of people on the trip- some of whom are hard to identify with. My roommate and I have an understanding that I will always cherish. I will miss Jennifer so much at the end of the voyage…when you are away from all your family and friends it is nice to trust someone enough and be able to talk to them about anything. I recently found out that I lost my great-grandmother while on the trip. It has been hard not to be home with my family in this situation. My roommate has lost her grandfather on the trip, so it has been nice to share a similar experience with a close friend. I appreciate her friendship a lot and it has made a tremendous difference in the voyage. I am very lucky to have her as a friend!

“Travel has a way of stretching the mind. The stretch comes not from travel's immediate rewards, the inevitable myriad new sights, smells and sounds, but with experiencing firsthand how others do differently what we believed to be the right and only way.”

-- Ralph Crawshaw

Life at Sea… Part 4: Mauritius to India

I enjoyed our stop in Mauritius, actually more than I originally imagined. There was more to the island than the sandy white beaches. Some people called it a “Spring Break” for the trip, but I really saw it as another port to explore. It was an interesting mix of culture and seemed like a friendly environment. I couldn’t help remembering that my mom had said to me that a year ago that she had never heard of this island. It seemed strange in a way to stop at such an obscure island…. but I guess that is part of the trip- to make you more aware and notice the details on a map, or even just notice the people on a public bus. When I think about what I have already seen, it will be hard not to look more closely and more in depth at everything I see and do. But after several days in Mauritius we were back on the ship for another crossing, this time for about a week.

The first day at sea we celebrated one of the traditions of the ship, the Sea Olympics! All of the hallways on the ship are divided into “seas,” and my sea was the Mediterranean Sea. There are some ten seas, plus faculty and staff who make up the Pacific Ocean. Each sea has its own color, and our color was blue. The winning sea is the first group to depart the ship when it pulls into San Diego!

Before we got to Mauritius everyone had volunteered to compete in the different competitions. The morning of the Olympics everyone gathered in the union decked out in their colors, and cheered on their sea. It was a fun day filled with tons of competitions and activities in the spirit of the Olympics!

We had a torch that traveled around the ship, and Desmond Tutu proceeded to bring it into the union and allow the games to begin! We had opening ceremonies in which each sea sang songs or did skits to show their enthusiasm! I helped with the chants and rhymes for our team in the opening ceremonies. It was crazy what some seas came up with…people changed all kinds of song lyrics to show some team spirit!

After the morning festivities, we had all kinds of competitions going on throughout the day. Anyone who was not participating could go and watch and cheer on their team. We had games like slippery twister, where they kept pouring soapy water on the board. There was a photo scavenger hunt, a basketball game, a ping-pong tournament, trivia contest (that was really hard!), tug-of-war and even dodge ball!

In the afternoon there was a relay contest that consisted of flip-cup, orange neck pass, and my favorite, the balloon toss between the outside decks! It was hilarious! People would get so close and try to throw it one more time to the person above them on the decks! Towards the end of the day we had “Dean Mike Says.” Some people were really good and the competition lasted for a long time. Dean Mike ended up having to take the group all around the ship to get people out! That one was really fun to watch.

The most important competitions were the synchronized swimming and lip sinc contest! The synchronized swimming had to be held inside because the waves were too bad in the pool that day. It ended up being even better inside! Each sea worked really hard on their routine and I could only imagine what it would have looked like in the pool! Our team put a blue blanket down on the floor to represent the water, and then still wore their swimsuits for the routine- they did a great job! The lip sinc competition was after dinner, and at this point our team was doing pretty badly. I think we were tied for second to last place. It was a big disappointment, but we still had the possibility of moving up a little! Each sea did a fantastic job in the lip sinc- although there were many interpretations that were just weird! My roommate competed for our sea, and they danced to “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Their dance was really good and we actually ended up coming in first place in the competition! It was really exciting and a huge comeback for our sea! So in the closing ceremonies we did not come in first place, but we definitely redeemed ourselves as a team! I guess I won’t be the first one off the ship! But it was a fun day and a great way to build some team spirit in our sea!

The ship has not been rocking nearly as badly, so that has been wonderful! We crossed the Equator again this week after we left Mauritius. It was exciting because it reminded me again that I am really traveling around the world! I also had to start taking medicine for malaria this week. There is a risk in India, so everyone on the ship has to take medicine the entire time we are there. We changed the clocks twice, and actually one night we changed the clocks a half-hour. Instead of India having two different time zones, the country has compromised and has its own time zone that covers the country. This is just another one of the things that makes India unique! As one of my friends said, it is like we are living in the future- because we are so many hours ahead of home!

I had dinner with my adopted family this week. It was fun to find out what they did in Mauritius and what people have planned for India. I enjoy meeting with my adopted parents because they have been on the voyage several times, and have some great advice. We also had some movie nights in the union this week- my favorite, Wedding Crashers! There was also a question and answer session with the Captain of the ship! That was so much fun! We got ask anything about the ship…I found some interesting facts… we go through over 200 tons of water a day…. we use 170 tons of fuel every day…. and it costs $420,000 to fuel up the ship…. loaded, the ship weighs 40,833 tons…. and we can go 29 knots (which apparently is pretty fast!)!!!

This week at sea has been focused on learning all about India. I have been watching a lot of the movies on India in our cabin. I was not very familiar with the concept of “Bollywood,” but after watching some of these movies it is so funny! We learned in my music class that the movie industry in India is bigger than Hollywood, producing over 700 films a year. The movies are over the top- with tons of songs and choreography in each one. Apparently, it is a huge cultural force because over 15 million people go the movies every day! That is crazy! They say that the plot of the movies is not as important as the songs- that everyone sings along during the movie! I loved watching some of the movies this week before we reached India!

We have been learning a lot about the Indian culture. There has been an Indian family on the ship during our week at sea. The family came into my class on families and we learned about their lifestyle in India. They have two children and we were able to talk to them in my education class, and find out about their experiences in school. I have really enjoyed hearing the family speak this week, and I learned a lot from their perspective- whether it was about the caste system, the poverty in India, the concepts of Gandhi, or just a look at the history and culture of their country. They were such a valuable resource on India!

But I have to admit I am a little nervous about India- we had a cultural pre-port where we talked about things like bargaining for a rickshaw, what to wear, what to eat, how to eat only with your right hand, simple words to memorize (which by the way I cannot pronounce!)! In the pre-port they talked about where our ship is docked and that we are enclosed in a secured gated area. They encouraged everyone not to be afraid of going outside the secure gate and to experience what India has to offer. We have been told that India is an overload on the senses- I am not really sure what to expect and am not sure that I can compare it to any other country I have traveled to.

I just had a meeting about my trip into the interior of India, and it sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun but a real challenge. Two of the three mornings our wake up call is at 4:00 am, and the last day we get to sleep in and get up at 6:00 am! It is going to be crazy! There is a group of 70 of us traveling together for four days. I should have a lot of stories to tell!

We also had a pre-port lecture tonight that went over more of the logistical things. It sounds like it will be a little crazy because we have to meet with custom officers a few times before we are allowed off the ship. It seems they are very strict. There are a lot of medical risks- making sure we don’t drink the water or eat too much Indian food! Plus the ship is covering most of the public areas with plastic so that we do not bring in all the dirt from the country. Everyone has been provided blue towels in their cabins so we do not use our white towels…apparently the country is so dirty that the white towels would never be the same! Even the dining hall that has seating outside is closing to prevent the germs and smell of the city from getting mixed up with our food on the ship! I guess that tells me the environment I will see when I venture off of the ship! It should be a true adventure!

“The world begins to exist when the individual discovers it.”

Carl Jung

The Island of Mauritius

We were supposed to arrive in Mauritius early in the morning, but because of the rough seas during the crossing from South Africa, we were delayed getting into port. It was a little disappointing because we only had three days there and I think everyone really wanted to get off the ship. Some of the morning tours were canceled and the ship finally cleared about noon. I was excited to finally get ashore!

Mauritius is an island located in the Indian Ocean about 550 miles east of Madagascar and 1,250 miles off the nearest coast of Africa. It is almost eleven times the size of Washington, DC, and has a population of 1.23 million. It is a volcanic island about ten million years old, and the coastline of 205 miles is almost entirely surrounded by one of the largest coral reefs in the world. The exotic Dodo bird was unique to the island before its extinction. The official languages are French and English, but the most common are French and the local language of Creole. The unit of currency is the Mauritius Rupee, and there are about 32 Rupees to a Dollar. Over two-thirds of the population is Hindu, and over 25% is Creole, which is a mix of French and African backgrounds.

The French took over the island in 1715 and brought over slaves from Africa to work on the sugar cane plantations. The British took over the island in 1810 because it was a good place to stop when they were en route to India. The British brought in many indentured laborers from India. In the 20^th century Chinese settlers arrived, looking for fortune in retail. The island got its independence in 1968. Most of the tourists who visit the island are from Europe, and the majority of them come from France. We docked in Port Louis, which is the capital and main port. Author Mark Twain visited the island and recorded, “You gather Mauritius was made first, and then heaven, and that heaven copied after Mauritius.”

I got off the ship and walked around with friends in the harbor area. It was nice because you could just walk off the ship and did not have to take a taxi into the city. There was a hotel close to where our ship docked so there were some restaurants and small shopping centers that were fun to walk in. There was also a fruit and vegetable market that was close by. I took tons of pictures of the food! I was not actually sure what some of the foods were. The people were friendly and I enjoyed watching the locals come to pick out their fresh food for the day. It was so colorful and very busy inside the market. People seemed to be yelling, trying to sell from their stands. There was also a small Chinatown in Mauritius, so we checked that out before heading back to the ship.

Next, we toured one of the orphanages on the island, located about half an hour away from the dock. The tour was fascinating! There were about 50 SAS students who went. We were greeted by the people who run the SOS Children’s Village orphanage, and were given an explanation of what they do. SOS stands for “Save Our Soul.” The program was started in 1969 by a man from Austria. There are over 60 of these orphanages around the world. With all of the orphans there, Mauritius has two SOS Children’s Villages. The children are usually screened before they are admitted to the village. They are likely in a shelter first, and then invited to come and live in the village.

There are about 14 houses, with about seven or eight children in each house. There are about an equal number of boys and girls living in the village, around 150 kids. There are mothers who are in charge of each house and responsible for those children twenty-four hours a day! They do all the cooking, cleaning, disciplining, and making sure the children attend school. There is a school in the village for children with learning disabilities who cannot attend public school. There is a village manager who acts as the father for the entire community of children. Sometimes the real parents might come visit their children in the village. The lady talking to us mentioned how hard this was for these children because their parents are still alive and have rejected the children. The children stay at the village until they are 15 and then they move to an SOS Youth Center. There the children remain until they are 18 and must move out of the system. During the last three years they are learning how to become more independent, and the adults help them find a job as well as become integrated into the community.

The village had a big courtyard where the children were all gathered waiting for us to play with them. The kids were awesome- some wanted to take a picture with you, others wanted to just skip or play ball. Some SAS students went into their houses and got to see the children’s rooms. I brought some chewing gum and stickers to pass out to the children. By the time we left, the children had stickers all over their arms and faces. I also gave some gifts to the mothers for them to use in the homes. Everyone was so friendly and seemed so glad we were there to visit. I really enjoyed playing with the children. Some of them wanted to show off, while others were so shy.

The kids ranged from ages three to fifteen. I talked to a lot of the children and asked about their experiences growing up in the village. They all considered each child in their house to be like a brother or sister. One of the girls I talked with had grown up there, along with her brother, and did not know anything different. It was interesting to hear her positive attitude about her situation. She said she had great friends and that the mothers had always been very kind and helpful to her. After visiting with the children for a while, it got dark and our group got back on the bus. The children all waved good-bye and blew kisses into the bus window. It was really sweet and hard to leave them standing there.

Next we went on a tour that was a Multi-Cultural Dinner and Performance. We went to a hotel and conference center on the island. When we got off the buses there was a traditional Mauritian band playing, along with dancers who were performing Sega (their national dance.) This was so much fun to watch. The girl dancers all had on traditional costumes and interacted with the musicians in the band. They played several songs and I got a sense of the style of dance. I wanted to go up and participate! I took pictures with the group and interviewed the band members for my music class. Later we were escorted inside the building where we were seated at a table. There was an amazing buffet for us that had some great Mauritian food. It was so nice to have a meal off the ship! My roommate was with me, and we ended up sitting with some people from the ship that we had not met before, so that was interesting to talk with them.

After eating a few courses of dinner, the show began. The dancers performed short segments representing all of the different cultures on the island. The dancers were talented and it was fun to watch their interpretation of these cultures. Throughout the evening they danced African, Chinese, Indian, and Mauritian styles of dance. The costumes were great and it was fun to compare the dances of each culture. And of course I took lots of pictures! I ended up talking to some of the dancers after the show and then we got to dance with them. The SAS students got into it and danced for a really long time! It was so much fun! We were just being silly and sang during the entire bus ride back to the ship.

The second day I went on a long tour for the entire day. It was called the Rainbow Tour because it highlighted all the different features of the Mauritian culture. First we went to a Hindu temple. We got a brief explanation of the religion and the different parts of the temple. We had to take our shoes off before entering the temple area. It was very colorful and I loved looking at how all the gods were woven into the design of the temple. While we were there we saw a kindergarten class that was taking a field trip to the temple to worship. They were adorable and proceeded to repeat what their teachers were saying. I loved watching their curious faces at all of us visiting their place of worship. One of the neat things about the tour was that we drove through many parts of the city to get to the different religious centers. It was a great way to observe the city and really see how people were interacting on a daily basis. I felt like I had a better idea of the city of Port Louis.

Next we went to a Muslim Cultural Center. The person in charge gave us a tour and explained a little about the Muslim religion in Mauritius. It was interesting and we had the opportunity to ask questions about the Muslim culture present on the island. After that we visited a Chinese pagoda. There were several locals inside when we visited, and it was fascinating to watch them. I took lots of pictures and learned a little more about the parts of the pagoda. We continued on our tour, stopped several places to take pictures of the city and headed to a fantastic lunch in an open-air restaurant. It was a nice setting and I got to try authentic Mauritian food. I was not really sure what real Mauritian food would be, but our lunch was mainly a combination of rice, vegetables, and chicken. It was delicious! After lunch we headed to an old colonial style house and had a neat tour. The house was decorated in an old fashioned European style, which was representative of the time the French ruled the island.

Lastly, we went to the Mahatma Gandhi Institute to learn more about the Indian culture. They had several types of museums where we took in more about the culture, and then we walked around the campus and peeked in some of the classrooms. All the rooms had desks, but nothing colorful in the rooms, and all the windows were open for fresh air. Later we went to their performing arts building, and saw a performance from the classical Indian classes. It was so interesting. Three teachers got up and explained each different style of dance, and then had some of their students demonstrate it. Most of the dances told a story, and the dance consisted of lots of gestures and facial expressions that portrayed the story. I really enjoyed the demonstration because I had never watched Indian dancing before. Their costumes were gorgeous and it seemed like they had a lot of experience with the dance styles. I even got to talk to some of them after the performance. That was my favorite part of the day!

After the tour we went back on the ship and I met up with my friends who had been doing other things during the day. We were all in our room, sharing stories about what we had seen that day. After showing off some amazing pictures and laughing at some crazy stories, we all decided to change and go back out for the evening. We took another famous water taxi back to the island. I was not going to miss getting in and out of those boats! We walked around the port area for a while and decided on a Chinese restaurant close by. I was really looking forward to the meal because Chinese food is my favorite! However, it was not exactly the Americanized Chinese food I was hoping for. Jennifer and I both ordered chicken, which ended up having lots of bones, so it was a little disappointing.

Then someone spotted a McDonalds and decided a McFlurry might be nice. To get to the McDonalds you had to cross five lanes of traffic or go under one of the underpasses. So we proceeded to what we thought was an underpass- it unfortunately led to a bathroom and we retreated. By this time it had begun to pour down rain! We walked quickly until we found the correct underpass that led to the ice cream. Once inside we took a deep breath and got our McFlurries! There were several other Semester at Sea students in the restaurant who I think had the same idea. We smiled at them and made the most of our ice cream! My friend said it was going to be remembered as the “quest for the golden arches!” After that we explored the waterfront area a little more and then made our way back to the ship via the water taxi. It was a fun evening with friends and I enjoyed the atmosphere of the town.

The last day I got up really early and was able to get the pay phones to work so I could call home. It was nice to talk my parents, even if I did accidentally wake them up with the big time difference! More of my friends met up with me and we walked around the city. We did some souvenir shopping and people watching. We ended up at an open-air food court where we each got some lunch. I settled on some pizza that I could not get on the ship! There was a music group playing close by and we watched them for a while. It looked like a community band playing for the tourists on the weekends. They were fairly good and I made some notes to use in my music class. We walked into a craft market after lunch- the funny thing is that all the souvenirs are centered on the Dodo bird. Anything you can imagine made into Dodo bird we found in the craft market…it is the symbol of Mauritius!

Soon we headed back to the ship because we were going to go the beach in the afternoon. We changed for the beach and found the public bus station. We were told it was safe to use the public transit system and that this would be one of the only countries where we could do that. My friend and I knew the name of the beach we wanted to go to and started to ask. We almost got stuck because we were on the wrong bus and it was about to pull out of the station. Everyone we asked kept pointing to the right. After about five different buses we finally found the one that said, “Flic-Flack,” which was the name of the beach we wanted to go to. We got on the bus and were clearly the only students on the bus. We asked a man on the bus how much it cost and found out it was about 75 cents. When it was our time to pay we were handed a receipt from the man we had asked the price- he had paid for both of us. He got off the bus several stops later and he waved… and we awkwardly waved back. It was a kind gesture toward tourists.

It was clear this route was taking people back to their homes outside the city. What a great way to people watch and really see where these people live! There were people of all ages on the bus. We knew the ride was about an hour and eventually we asked the man collecting money how far we were from the beach. He laughed at us and said it was another twenty minutes away. Sure enough we passed more houses and fields of sugar cane and the bus turned toward the water. We got off at a stop close to the beach and checked to make sure the bus would come back around. We were really just excited that we had made it- took a random bus ride, that was free, and ended up at a beach!

We walked into the Indian Ocean and walked along the beach for a while. It started to rain for a moment, but luckily soon stopped. We got someone to take our picture to prove we were there and picked up a shell for posterity!

The bus was running a little late and we were concerned it was not going to come, but eventually it did. We were the only ones on the bus- it was very strange. The bus went about a block, and then stopped. The driver asked if we were getting off! We were confused and explained that we needed to get back into town- the man just laughed! He shook his head and told us to wait on the bus. I am sure he was wondering what these American girls were thinking! Apparently we got on the bus on the wrong side of the road. After the driver took a break, we paid our 75 cents and enjoyed the sights as we headed back to the port. We made it back in one piece and were proud of our successful adventure.

Then we met up with some more friends and enjoyed a last meal before we had to get back on the ship. Everyone ate extremely fast because we were short on time- it was comical how fast all of my friends finished their meals! We paid for our meal and realized we all had a few extra dollars in the Mauritian currency and decided to get ice cream to go! We each ordered ice cream and put our last coins to good use- then it was a race to the water taxis!

We had to be on the boat at 9 pm the night we were to leave. At every port there is a specific time we have to be on the ship, usually around two hours before we leave. Everyone was racing to get back onto the ship…we had to take water taxis or just small boats to cross the bay to where our ship was docked. Everyone started to race towards the ship to make sure they were in line and checked in before “on ship time!” Luckily we had headed back early enough and made it about 20 minutes before penalties. It is a big joke when the time is close- everyone goes up to the top deck to cheer the people running- “the runners”. It is a pretty funny sight and I have to say that I definitely hope to never be one of those people we laugh at in each port!

Most of the students were sharing stories about Mauritius, and talking about their favorite parts. Jennifer and I showed each other our pictures, put everything away from being in port, and got ready for another week at sea! I was exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep! Close to 11 pm the lights flickered and we all heard the engines start. All of my friends ran to their rooms to take their sea sick medicine! It takes a while for the meds to start working, and the ship would start rocking very soon. Hopefully we will not have to use duct tape this week at sea. Some of my friends have taped all their drawers so that they will not continue to swing open and closed- it makes for an interesting sound in the middle of the night! Jennifer and I waved good-bye to Mauritius and thought about the next port of call – India! Now we just have to survive another week of rocking and rolling as we cross the Indian Ocean.

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.” -- R. W. Emerson

Life at Sea…. Part 3: Africa to Mauritius

Africa was AMAZING! I enjoyed every minute of it but now we have a fairly long crossing up the east coast of Africa to the island of Mauritius! So, because we were on the ship for over a week…there were some interesting stories!

We had one day of classes when we were still in port and then a day off when we started to sail from Cape Town in South Africa. We put away all our souvenirs and compared stories from our adventures in port. I loved hearing about people’s safaris- all the animals they saw and even the people they met in Cape Town. It seemed as though the entire ship was taking the day off and catching up on some much needed rest! It seemed like Jennifer and I slept for two whole days!

I think we also had a day off because the staff knew that the sea would be really rough. There was a cyclone around Mauritius- we would call it a hurricane. The announcement came on in the morning and basically told everyone to stay in their rooms! We were supposed to secure anything that could potentially move- now I know why “duct tape” was on the packing list! My roommate and I checked our room to make sure everything was tied down and secure so they wouldn’t shift and break. The waves had started to rise! I knew it was bad when I saw our porthole on the fourth level all wet from the splashes of the waves!

The other instructions about the rocking ship were hilarious! We were supposed to keep our hands free when roaming around the ship- so just in case you fall you would have your hands free to protect yourself! Barf bags were placed at various places around the ship- thankfully I never actually saw anyone use one! But my roommate reminded me that we still have several more big crossings to go! We were also supposed to keep all the doors in the room closed- they say every year someone loses some fingers to swinging doors! I hope they were just kidding! So after those announcements you really don’t want to move from your bed.

It is really funny now that I think about it! I don’t think I have slept so many hours in a row for a very long time. The rocking of the boat just makes you extremely tired. And going to class or the dining hall seemed like you were going through an obstacle course. Finally, we started class again and it seemed as though the ship was not rocking as badly.

Then one night the waves seemed particularly bad… Jennifer will never let me live this down. Our cabin is in the front of the ship and seems to rock more than others. It all started with things falling from the walls and some of our decorations fell on our heads! It was really funny to wake up with decorations on top of you! Then later on that night the drawers started to open and close until finally we hit a big wave and everything on our nightstands started to slide. My roommate woke up and tried to catch what she could as everything slid into the open drawers and onto the floor. The entire room just seemed to shift forward. I woke up just a moment later and freaked out! Jennifer was concerned because she thought something was wrong but I basically woke up very confused. My roommate began to laugh at me and the whole situation! She checked to make sure our laptops were ok and assured me they were fine.

There were a lot of activities later during the week at sea, or at our 12^th port. We call our ship our 12^th port! We had a talent show, casino night (the prizes were fun things to do on the ship), a Must See TV night (they showed some of the most popular TV shows one night- not current, but a great reminder of home!). They showed a double feature one night in the Union- Finding Nemo and Remember the Titans (everyone came in their pj’s- it was a lot of fun!)

During the week at sea we had another life boat drill. This time we had to stand in different locations pretending that the weather was too bad to stand outside. We had to change into warm clothing and put our lifejackets on again- guess it was just a good reminder just in case- right? We were also told that we have to start rationing water on the ship. All the water on the ship starts as salt water and goes through a process to become drinkable. We complain that the water has a distinct taste. But apparently when we are in India the water is not good enough to even attempt to clean, so we have to make sure we have enough water for our time in India. I had no idea that this was an issue, but we have begun rationing now.

Another thing I learned when we were crossing to Mauritius is why we cannot travel to other countries on the eastern coast of Africa. It is because of pirates. I thought people were just kidding when they were talking about this, but I found out that pirates are a serious problem and have attacked passenger ships in the last few years. I never realized that “pirates” still exist today! What you can find out from living on a ship!

Here are some other things I have learned from living on the ship…

(1) Balance yourself when getting up in the morning- you might be surprised how quickly you can fall over from a wave if you don’t move slowly!

(2) Make sure that you and your roommate have both set your alarms correctly … given the number of times you have to move them forward, you really need two chances at waking up before class actually begins!

(3) Do not take the elevator when the ship is rocking a lot…my friend and I soon realized it was not a good idea when it missed the next floor by over a foot!

(4) Take advantage of taco days in the dining halls…rice, pasta, and potatoes will be back the next day…also, smuggle all the boxes of cereal you can in your sweatshirt at breakfast….they are great snacks in port!

(5) Look forward to mail days…they only happen right before we leave the ports!

(6) Be aware that things shift in the room and may not be in the same place you left them…make sure to shift all the magnets in your room back to their original place on the wall when you wake up!

(7) Bring something to do when you want to go on the internet…you might be there for an hour…and resist the urge to throw your computer out your porthole because the internet is so slow!

(8) It is acceptable to jump the waves with your professors- yes, one of our professors gets everyone to jump the waves when they are really rough, and yes, this looks hilarious when a big group of people are jumping up and down in the Union at one of our ship community meetings!

The nice thing about the sea days is that I get to hang out with a lot of my friends on the ship. Sometimes when we are in port everyone has their own trips and is doing lots of things independently. I love talking with my friends because we are all from different parts of the country. I enjoy hearing them talk about their family, college, and things from their state. My friends could not believe the importance of football at southern colleges, and some of the other southern traditions.

I told my mom that I have gotten in the habit of saying that I am from Georgia, and then telling them I am from the Atlanta area. There were several students on the ship who did not know where Atlanta was located! And I know by the end of the trip that I will know the entire geography of California and most northern states! My roommate has already started to use “y’all” in her vocabulary, so I know that she has been spending a lot of time with me! Most people tell me I do not have a very heavy southern accent. There is a girl from South Carolina on the ship who has a very strong southern accent- it makes for good conversation! There are not many students from the south on the ship, so it makes for some interesting observations!

As the week at sea came to close almost everyone had tests and papers due. We had a Global Studies test that was ship-wide. Everyone reported to locations scattered throughout the ship, and was provided with a cafeteria tray for a desk if you so chose! I think I did fairly well on the test- it was about the same difficulty as the last one. I had several other papers and journals due, comparing family life in the countries we had traveled to so far. But we were all ready to finish with the reading and homework and get back on land!

Before we got to Mauritius we had cultural and logistical pre-ports in the evenings. We reviewed the history of the island and talked about some of the “must-do’s” on the island. We also talked about several of their cultural traditions, such as their national dance, which is called Sega. In the logistical pre-port the children on the ship imitated the executive deans going over the information we needed to know. It was so amusing because the children borrowed their clothes and had perfected their gestures and voices. They did a great job and went over what we needed to know- for example one of the medical risks in Mauritius is falling coconuts at the beach! Hope it does not happen to me! The pre-ports are always comical and a great time for everyone to come together and get excited about the next port!

“The sea is dangerous and its storms terrible, but these obstacles have never been sufficient reason to remain ashore.”

-- Ferdinand Magellan

South Africa....

I could not believe we were actually going to be in South Africa and that I was going to get to see my mom! This was a port that I had really been looking forward to! We docked in Cape Town early on a Friday morning, and everyone went to the top deck to take pictures as we were pulling in!

South Africa is one of the most multi-cultural countries in the world, and Cape Town is one of the most beautiful ports in the world! It is a huge city, surrounded by mountains, beaches, and vineyards. Table Mountain is Cape Town’s most famous attraction and when the clouds cover it, it looks like a tablecloth on the mountain. South Africa is a country with a rich history. It has a population of 44 million people and an area of 437,872 square miles. There are 11 official languages in South Africa. English and Afrikaans are the two most widely spoken. There are many different cultures throughout South Africa, the majority of them being of African descent.

My first stop was a tour of Robben Island. We had to take a thirty-minute ferry ride out to the island, and when we reached it there was a colony of South African penguins waiting for us. There were so many of them, and they were hilarious to watch! Our group boarded a bus and began a tour around the island. The island was bigger than I thought, and very dry and sandy. There was a village on the island that was built around the time of World War II, because the island was a naval base. The island also has a large jail, which opened around 1960. Initially it was for criminals, but later it was for political prisoners. Over 2,500 have been there over the years. The word “Robben” means “cells” in Dutch, which is where the island got its name.

When Apartheid existed, there were many prisoners on the island. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years there, and was released in April of 1990. All the prisoners were freed in 1994, and in 1999 the island became a national museum. The interesting thing was that our tour guide was a former prisoner. He was in jail for six years and would have remained in jail until 2020. He talked to us about his time on the island and how he survived. He told us how all the prisoners worked at a rock quarry everyday and moved piles of rocks from one side to the other. He also talked about how his eyes were affected because they were not allowed to wear sunglasses for all those years. It was strange because he showed us his cell and explained how some prisoners had individual cells, and others had group cells. There was also a system of assigning letters to each prisoner. This was a symbol of the prisoner’s status in the jail. If they had good behavior then they got to move up letters of the alphabet. It was a fascinating story, and really hard to imagine that people spent many years of their life there. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and learned a lot about the history of the island.

I wandered back through the Victoria and Albert Waterfront area on my way back to the ship. It was a very modern area with five or six different shopping centers and craft markets. It was hard to believe it was South Africa because the waterfront area looked so commercialized and very American. But the nice thing was that the waterfront was close to the ship and a safe enough area that students could walk around very easily and feel comfortable. That will not be the case in many of the other ports we travel to.

I went back on the ship and got ready for an evening township music choir tour that I was going to for my music class. We got on a bus and drove outside of the city where all the townships were located. There are probably over twenty different townships surrounding Cape Town, and they all have hundreds of people living in them. When I was at home reading about the townships I had an image in my mind of what they would like. I was completely off base. There were hundreds of shacks lining the streets in each township. Some had water and electricity and others were far from that. Some had wooden roofs, and others had tires holding down pieces of material for roof. It was a bleak image that surrounded the wealthy city of Cape Town. Here was the hidden poverty that tourists must look outside of the city to find. The bus drove us through the streets and we looked at three or four townships. The sad thing is that it was really too dangerous to get off the bus and talk to some of the people. Most of the people waved to the bus and smiled as we drove by, but it was hard not to be able to get off and visit.

We eventually got off at a community center and toured its facilities. Basically it was a place children could come to after school or a place to hold events for the township. There was some confusion, and the band that we were supposed to meet was not able to come, so we went to dinner. We ate at what is called a “Shebeen,” or a local restaurant in the township. It was interesting and strange to eat with some of the locals. They had a small buffet set up and it was fun to try some South African food. There was a band playing in the restaurant, and everyone ended up dancing after dinner. It was an enjoyable evening, and I got a taste of the culture of one of the townships.

When I got back from the tour I was excited because my mom was planning to be waiting for me at the dock. I waited for a while, and ended up calling home to see if my dad knew anything…finally a few hours later my mom arrived at the port at one in the morning! I was so happy to see her! She had flight delays and almost didn’t make it. But I knew how determined she was, and that she would find a way to get to South Africa! It was really late at night but I took her on the ship and showed her my room and introduced her to my roommate. It was so neat to show her where I had been living for the last few weeks and let her meet Jennifer! I then said good-bye to the ship because my mom and I were going on a tour for a few days. My mom and I made it to our hotel and caught up on some of the things going on at home. It was so nice to hear about the rest of the family and learn the news from home.

Our tour guide, Bruno, met us early the next morning. We were in a small tour group with only three other people. That was really nice because we got to know the others very well. There was a couple from Wales and a girl from Germany studying law in Cape Town. Our tour was going to follow the “Garden Route,” which meant that we were going to be driving through the countryside out from Cape Town. There would be lots of small towns and very picturesque scenes along the way. The rural scenery was gorgeous and there were mountains and rivers out each window. First we drove through an area that was mainly the winemaking part of the country.

That first day we drove until mid afternoon, and stopped for lunch. Then we went inside the Cango Caves, which are these huge caves that you can walk through. We were able to see many different chambers with formations in the cave. They would turn lights on and the rock formations would be more visible. We learned about stalagmites and stalactites. The cave is over millions of years old, and the formations only grow millimeters each year!

We also went to an ostrich farm! That was one of my favorite days! We learned about ostrich feathers and meat and how ostriches are raised on a farm. I even got to sit on one! We stayed at a really neat bed and breakfast on an ostrich farm and had grilled ostrich meat for dinner, which tasted like delicious steak. Later in the tour we stayed in the small coastal town of Kynsna, and took a paddleboat dinner cruise on the lagoon. We also visited Addo Elephant Park. Unfortunately, although over 400 elephants live at the park, we didn’t see a single one! It had been cool and rainy and so the elephants didn’t need to come to the watering holes, choosing to stay hidden in the brush instead. But we did get to see elephants up close and personal! The next day we went to an elephant sanctuary. Mom and I both got to walk and pet the elephants at the sanctuary. It was really fun to do the elephant walk because the elephants grabbed onto your hand with their trunk. We also got to feed the elephants some of their daily diet!

My favorite part of the tour was our mini safari at Schotia Game Preserve. It is one of the largest game preserves in South Africa. It was a rainy afternoon but so much fun. We climbed into a huge safari jeep, and under bright yellow rain parkas, spent the whole afternoon driving around the game park in search of wild animals. We were lucky enough to see kudu, giraffes, rhinos, hippos, zebras, warthogs, wildebeests, and many more. Our favorite moments were when we came upon a pride of lions and tracked them for about an hour. We felt like we were really on safari! After a traditional African game preserve dinner, we took another drive at night to see the nocturnal animals. I loved our tour because we were able to see what South Africa looked like outside of the big cities! It was a great way to see the highlights of the country and spend time with my mom!

We ended up at our hotel late in the afternoon, and then had some time to explore Cape Town. The wind was too strong to take a cable car up Table Mountain, so we decided to walk around the city for a while. After exploring for we decided to take a taxi to the waterfront for dinner. There were tons of people in this area and we ended up doing some shopping first. One of our favorite things to do together was to walk in and out of the shopping centers and observe the nightlife. We had a great evening! We got some dinner and then decided to go back on the ship so my mom could get a better tour of the ship. We spent some time in my room first, and packed up some souvenirs and a few other things that my mom would take home for me. Then we walked through all of the decks…I showed her the classrooms, union, library, computer lab, dining rooms, and all the outside decks! I was so happy that both my parents had been able to see the ship and experience where I will be for 100 days! I love the ship and was so proud to show it off! After my tour and a last look at my cabin we headed back to our hotel.

We got up very early the next morning and knew we wanted to take a taxi to Table Mountain, one of the main sights in Cape Town. The problem was we were not very good at getting a taxi. I am laughing now that I think about how long it took us to get a taxi! But when we finally figured out the system, we saw some great views of the city as we made our way to the mountain. There was a considerable line to take the cable car up, but it was definitely going to be worth it! When we were in line we saw a group of elementary school students on a field trip to the mountain. The children were all in uniform, and were singing “Jesus Loves Me.” It was so cute and we got some great pictures of the kids! The teachers were so friendly and smiled as we acknowledged them. The children continued to sing the whole time we were in line. When we got onto the mountain there were high school students also on a field trip. They were also singing aloud. We decided it must be part of their culture.

The cable car ride up the mountain was so cool. The cable car turned around 360 degrees as we were moving up the mountain. The floor rotated and you could see all sides of the view during the ride. It was a gorgeous view from the top! We spent a lot of time walking around and checking out the view from all sides. The reason it is called Table Top Mountain is that from a distance, the mountain is extremely flat on top. We took tons of pictures. We even watched a few people mountain climbing down from the top. It looked really scary! We had an icecream on the top of the mountain overlooking the beautiful views. It was well worth our time at the top!

After coming down in the cable car we got a taxi back to the city, and went to Greenmarket, a famous streetmarket in a town square. It was fun to walk through the different stalls and talk to some of the people. We found a few souvenirs, walked around the city a little more, and then headed back to the hotel. By this time it was mid afternoon and we wanted to spend some more time at the waterfront. We got a taxi back there and I dropped off my trip bag at the ship. I loved the waterfront area- it was such a nice place to walk around. I was going to be spoiled by Cape Town when we were in some of the other ports! We did some last minute shopping and got some pizza before I had to be back on the ship. My mom came on the ship and got to see my cabin one last time before we had to say good-bye. It was so hard to say good-bye to my mom. I appreciated the fact that she was able to meet me in South Africa so much! We had such a wonderful time and it was so amazing to be able to share this experience with her! This is a trip of a lifetime and I am so happy that I got to share a piece of this trip around the world with her! It was really hard to see her walk down the gangway… especially since the gangway was on deck 5, which meant there was a huge staircase that she had to take down by herself!

After my mom left there was a Township Choir that had come onto the ship to give a performance. There were about 30 in the choir and they were fantastic! They sang a cappella, and the gestures and dancing they had to go along with their singing were so much fun to watch! The leader of the chorus would give an explanation of each song, and also try to get the audience involved. It was an impressive performance and one we were privileged to see on the ship!

After their show, we found out the ship was not going to be leaving until the next day, because of very high winds. But I knew my mom was waiting at the pier to wave good-bye as we pulled out. So my friend and I proceeded to yell down to her from the top deck, and a group of other family and friends passed the message on that we were not leaving. It was funny because we had to involve the security guard to translate the message! They finally figured out what we were saying and I got to wave good-bye to my mom for the last time. She headed back to the hotel and then had one more day in South Africa before flying home. The ship didn’t leave until five o’clock the next day; but we were not allowed to get off the ship. Then we stopped just outside of the port to refuel the ship for the next leg of the voyage. South Africa was a great port! I loved the time I got to spend with my mom…we will always have some beautiful pictures, great stories, big laughs, and some wonderful memories of South Africa!

“A man without culture is like a zebra without stripes”

-- Old African Proverb

Pictures from Neptune Day...

Some of the students getting fish guts
poured over them on Neptune Day!

I am kissing the fish after jumping in the
pool with fish guts!

Some of my friends and the fish we all had to kiss!

I had to pay respect to King Larry and King
Neptune (the captain of the ship)!

My roommate getting her head shaved!

Life at Sea.... Part 2

Hello everyone! Since leaving Brazil we have been in the Atlantic Ocean for about a week now (actually 8 days) and we are very close to land! Every once in a while there will be announcement that we are passing some small island … everyone rushes up to the decks to look in the distance at an island we can hardly see and have never heard of before. We wave to it and maybe take a picture of the only land we will see for the next few days! It has been a busy week- full of classes, homework, watching the waves go by, and sunrise on the ocean. Where to begin?!?

Everyday “The Voice” -or one of the deans on the ship- makes announcements at noon and then again around dinner time. Each day he tells us daily announcements as well as our position on the map, temperature, miles to our next port, and the ship’s average speed. One of the favorite things for our executive dean on the ship to say is that we are on a ship, going around the world at 20 miles an hour! It is a funny concept when you think about it!

Shortly after we left Salvador, Brazil, our latitude was 0 degrees – meaning we were on the equator! It was around lunch time and almost everyone went outside to look for the red line in the middle of the ocean- sadly to my disappointment there was no red line … but seriously there were several people who really thought there was going to be a sign that read “Equator.” It was still an incredible thing to think about- crossing the equator! There are not many other times you have an excuse to do that! Because we are so close to the Equator the sun is very intense. Everyone has to be conscious of not sitting out in the sun for too long because you burn so much faster! Later on during our week at sea there was an announcement that we were passing by the biggest mountain chain in the world! I was a little confused but I soon learned we were passing the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The depth of the ocean went down for miles, and that seemed hard to believe. I stayed away from the deck railing that night!

Because we are crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ocean has been a little rockier than before. I love watching the children on the ship play in the pool water when it is rocking from side to side. They think it is hilarious! I laugh when they are trying to play Marco Polo in water that is splashing back and forth spilling onto the deck! When I am at dinner, sometimes we are rocking so badly- all you can see out of one window is ocean and then you look over to the other side and you see sky…then other times the horizon seems to slip away as we rock. Someone told me the ship could rock about 70% to one side before it tipped over! I don’t necessarily believe that and actually I try not to think about it. So far we have not had waves that bad! However, the weather can be very strange when we are at sea. Because we are in the southern hemisphere it is summer time so thankfully the weather is quite warm. Typically it is in the 80’s. I am not trying to make anyone jealous! Although the funny thing is that sometimes we will pass underneath clouds and there will be a thunderstorm on the deck for a few minutes. Everyone scrambles to move off the deck and then by the time everyone has escaped to cover, the sun will be back out stronger then ever.

One of the hardest things on the ship is the changing of the clock! Because we are moving in the direction we are, we keep losing hours. When “The Voice” comes on the intercom with morning announcements everyone groans when they hear- “please advance your clocks another hour tonight!” We had to do this for three days straight, had a few days off and then three more days! It is hard because I am already a person who stays up late, and then moving my clock forward each night makes it very difficult. But we are adjusting because this is something that will continue for the rest of the voyage!

At night, most people are involved in several clubs and organizations. It is a fun way to meet more people and do something on the ship that you enjoy. I am on the Social Planning Committee and we just planned a teacher and staff talent show this week. It was hilarious! I loved watching my teachers sing, play the piano, read poetry, and just share some of their crazy talents! I am also on the Ambassadors Committee. We help the inter-port lecturers feel welcome on the ship, as well as plan a big dance at the end of the semester. We have to plan all the aspects of the dance and get decorations in the ports we are in.

Also, one of my friends teaches yoga on the ship. There is a group of us who do yoga on the deck after dinner. It is really funny to watch us try and do yoga- picture everyone with their mats, trying to balance in these yoga positions with the ship rocking back and forth- then we have music, which we can’t hear very well because the ocean and engine are making too much noise. Plus sometimes the waves splash onto the deck and we get wet…basically I have a hard time not cracking up the whole time we are having class. It is certainly an experience!

I think I mentioned that we are placed into a “family” on the ship. My “parents” are so sweet and the other “siblings” in my family are great people as well. We had dinner this week and they ordered a huge ice cream cake that said #1 Family! It was really good and nice to have a delicious desert! They are great people and I can ask them advice about the countries because they have been on the ship several times before. We also usually get together after the ports and it is interesting to hear what everyone else did in port.

I still spend time in my cabin and find it easier to study in my room. Jennifer is a wonderful roommate. And I am getting so spoiled because I can get to just about anything in a matter of minutes - food, class, friends, my room, and the deck. It makes things very easy! Jennifer and I are keeping a world map on our wall where we map where we are going and how far we have traveled! Lately we have been watching some of the movies that are shown in the cabin on the tv. There are two educational channels that show documentaries on related topics about the country we are traveling to. Sometimes we are required to watch them for class. Most of them are interesting and I find them useful for learning a lot more about the countries. Then there is a “kid friendly” channel and the “grownup” channels. Jennifer and I sometimes find ourselves watching different ones, like maybe even the Jungle Book for South Africa… the movies are nice to turn on since we do not get any other form of TV. On the ship we always joke about not really be connected to the outside world. Obviously we don’t have real tv channels, and nobody goes on the internet much because we have to be so careful about how minutes we are online. One plus is that we never have to remember to turn our cell phones on silent. Sometimes it is nice not to worry about technology, but on the other hand we all miss being able to communicate with people on a regular basis.

So far I seem to be very busy. Classes keep us occupied with lots of reading, and journals to write for reflection. It is so interesting because when we get into port, everyone is responsible for asking the local people questions for their class. I am asking about education and families, but other people are asking about the government, energy sources, and community issues. I think it is cool to hear what everyone has to learn about in each port.

Most of my classes are going really well. In my world music class, we are learning about the different types of music for each country we are traveling to. We read lots of articles or chapters in our book about the history of the music, and then listen to samples in class. Then we discuss the music and what kinds of things make it unique to that culture. We talked a lot about the music at Carnival and how much that music is part of their culture. Now we are learning about African music and how many variations there are in their culture. I have enjoyed being able to learn more about the different styles.

In my education class we are learning about the different types of education systems in each country. Over the course of the semester it will be interesting to compare them to the United States. Also one day, Desmond Tutu, archbishop in South Africa and Nobel Prize winner who is traveling with us this semester, spoke to our class. He originally started out as a teacher, and it was interesting to hear his story about teaching during Apartheid. He was an English and history teacher for high school students. He talked about the condition of the schools and how the black students we not given much at all. They had classes in a church and used benches instead of desks to write on. He explained how they had four big classes going on in the same room and students would just end up listening to the loudest teacher! He told us how teachers had to help the students use their imagination, such as when they were asked to do science experiments, since they had no materials. Desmond Tutu told us he resigned from teaching when the government told the teachers they could not teach math anymore, but were only allowed to teach English so that students would be able to talk to their white superiors. That is when Tutu went into the ministry. It was fascinating to listen to his story and then have the opportunity to ask him questions about his experiences.

In my family class we are talking about families all over the world, and how the family shapes the communities in which we are visiting. We have talked about family stereotypes and how that affects people’s perception of the type of environment a family might have. My teacher also showed us a soap opera from South Africa. It was interesting to watch because it revolved around a lot of social issues that families would be dealing with in South Africa like poverty and AIDS.

In global studies we have spent a lot of time reflecting on what we saw in Brazil and then discussing South Africa. We looked at their economy, their high poverty level, how their dry climate greatly affects their poverty, their Apartheid, and their struggle with AIDS. All of these things contributed to our discussion over the last week. At the end of the week Desmond Tutu spoke to the whole shipboard community about Apartheid and the experiences he had living through the situation. It was interesting to hear what he had to say and learn about his role in the healing process. He also talked about our trip around the world and how much we will be able to learn from the voyage. The funniest thing he said, “If you came to the voyage a strange chicken, I hope you will leave an eagle.” It was interesting analogy, and I hope I am not a strange chicken all the time, but I do think I will have learned a lot by the time the trip is completed!

One of the traditions a ship has when it crosses the Equator is the celebration of Neptune Day! The day started with the crew running up and down the hallways of the ship early in the morning- they were waking everyone up banging pots and pans! They were all dressed in white and had painted faces! They seemed to really enjoy waking everyone up! Then we were all supposed to go up to the pool deck! The tradition is that you are supposed to get fish guts poured over you, and then kiss two fish and King Neptune’s hand. It was so funny! All the staff were dressed up and full of spirit for the celebration! I got in line and the crew poured fish guts on top of my head- then I had to jump in the pool and go the other side where we had to get out and kiss two real fish. Then I had to kiss King Neptune’s hand! Well, I forgot to kiss the ring and I was pushed backwards back into the pool- it was really embarrassing! I had to do it completely over, kissing the fish again and then kissing the hand- I finally got it right! The captain was dressed up like King Neptune and had painted himself entirely green! I think he enjoyed it just as much as we did! Everyone on the ship participated- even the baby got fish guts poured on him! It was so much fun- people were screaming and laughing the whole time! The day was full of festivities and a great way to take a break from school!

Another one of the traditions of Neptune Day is that people shave their head. Back in the days of the sailors, crossing the Equator was a time to cleanse themselves, and get a feeling of “rebirth.” On Neptune Day there were tons of people who shaved their heads! There were about 100 people total and probably close to 30 of them were girls! My roommate was one of the brave girls who decided to go along with the tradition. She said her family did not believe that she was going to do it- so she wanted to prove them wrong! I was the lucky roommate who got to cut her ponytail off! They gave me big scissors and I cut her hair off! Then someone else buzzed her hair really short! At first she was a little self-conscious about her new haircut, but everyone told her she looked great! It was a crazy day! I think we all smelled like fish guts for the entire day! In the evening we had a barbecue dinner on the upper decks. It was gorgeous weather and a great night for eating outside! The food was delicious and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day. We ate overlooking a beautiful sunset and a lot of people had a new look! I loved the day and it was certainly one for a lot of pictures!

After Neptune Day, during one of the days at sea, we did a simulation of Apartheid. All the students who had shaved their heads were the privileged ones and the rest of us were not. It was similar to Apartheid in that the minority was acting superior to the majority. The staff set up rules so the majority of students could not go to a certain dining room, go outside on the pool deck, buy any snacks, yet gave the other students several other privileges. Some people thought it was funny, others took it very seriously. My roommate and I could not do a lot of things together because she had shaved her head. My friends and I got Jennifer to buy us about 5 bags of popcorn since we couldn’t buy them. It was funny because the monitors of the rules were suspicious and wondering who all the popcorn was for! Even though our analogy did not come close to the experiences in South Africa, it was interesting to think about and see how people reacted.

----
Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating. – Michael Crichton

More Pictures in Rio...At the Sambadrome

One of the many beautiful floats that was in the parades!



















Me and one of the performers after his turn
in front of the crowd!


















Another float that I saw in the Sambadrome!


















Looking at the entire Sambadrome - there are
thousands of fans and thousands of people in the parades!



















A picture of the elaborate costumes-
the costumes are so colorful and very detailed!