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Thursday April 27, 2006

Well, it is the last full day on the ship and only two days before I arrive back home. I can’t believe that 100 days can go so quickly, although there were times when it seems to take forever to get through a week.

We had to be packed this morning, so I was ready with my boxes taped and my bags packed. I kept out a couple of things- my graduation outfit, a change of clothes for tomorrow and my toiletry bag. Everything else has now been delivered to the second floor to be offloaded tomorrow morning. The faculty were very lucky though because the crew actually took our bags down, while the students have to carry their own. We still have to collect them tomorrow on the dock and get through customs with them. I have two bags, three boxes, and then my carry on. The UPS store will be there tomorrow after customs, so I can ship the three boxes then.

Yesterday was a fast day, although I thought it would take forever. We played the Trivial Pursuit tournament last night- Kramer, Kraus and me- a music professor, a lawyer, and me- a sociologist, against Mason, Sheldon, and Jelke- a resident director, a geographer, and the assistant dean. The other team took an early lead, but then we came back- we had five pieces of the pie very quickly but we could not get the literature questions correct (in our defense, the literature professors were missing these questions too). We played for two hours and the Mark Mason, the resident director had to leave to go and work the last pub night, so we called it a draw. Everyone was very happy in the end because it was a happy ending for everyone. In fact, I was very evenly matched.

So today is the last day. We have convocation at 3:30pm and then a faculty staff party. I don’t know what is on the student agenda, but I would guess that they will sleep today and then be up all night. I am not sure if anyone will sleep looking forward to seeing San Diego in the morning.

I thought I would use this final entry to thank everyone for reading. If you are a parent, I can tell you that the students on the ship have been wonderful. They have so many talents and have been so open and friendly. I have enjoyed getting to know them and teaching classes aboard the ship too. If you are one of my family or friends, thanks for all the support while I was away. I appreciated every letter in every port and all the e-mails and words of support. I look forward to seeing you all and boring you with my photos! Thanks for everything and I will be home soon! HRC

Monday April 24, 2006

Today is actually the second study day on the ship because tomorrow is “B” day finals. This will be the last class day, although I am already finished with classes and grading. I am, in fact, volunteering to work book buy back tomorrow afternoon to help the bookstore and to take up a little of my time over the next two days.

I thought I would update everyone as to the procedures to get off the ship. It is interesting how it all works and I thought people might like to know. We had a meeting today and have been issued a memo about it too, but our first step was this morning. Today we were delivered big trash bags to our rooms- blue for paper, yellow for plastic, and black for cans and bottles. They have also placed containers in pursers circle to make donations to the crew- office supplies, food, and unused toiletries. We can start today to get these into their places.

Packing day is actually the 26th and we have to be packed because our luggage will get stored on the 27th for arrival on the 28th. We can only keep our carry on items in our rooms (or maybe they are carry off items??) and a change of clothing. We have been given colored luggage tags to identify our seas and have to put these tags on all of our bags and boxes. We then take them early on the 27th (when we are called) to the 2nd deck, where they will be offloaded in San Diego by the port workers the morning of the 28th. We then walk off the ship with only our carry on items, and we gather our bags on the dock and proceed to customs. All immigration will happen that morning on the ship, and no one will be off until the ship is cleared.

On the 28th we will be called to do face to face immigration with the officials on the ship. Then we will wait until we are called to go off the ship. The seas are going in the order of sea Olympics, but faculty and staff get off second, so I will probably be off the ship by 1pm. We are going one at a time off the ship down the gangway (which will be on deck 5) so it will be a long, slow walk with all the carry on items we all have. You can not come back on the ship once you are off, so you only get one chance with all of your stuff! Luckily I have very little- so I don’t think it will be any problem.

Once we have gone through immigration then I can get my boxes sent (faculty have an allowance for shipping teaching supplies). There will be a UPS agent there to take our things and ship them. I have three of four boxes of books going home, so this will be great to get them off our hands! Then I am going to get a meal with Pam Wells, one of the resident directors on the ship and a good friend, before catching the red eye back home- which will eventually get me home at 12pm the next day! It will be a very long journey home!

Things on the ship have really slowed down a lot. I have been busy with a hundred little things, but nothing of great consequence. The students are still studying- but not as much as the last week as many of them are finished. We have one big thing left- convocation- which is the last day of the voyage. The students who have 4.0 GPAs and also special service awards will be recognized. The other non official thing is a big White elephant sale to get rid of all the things that you can not pack. I will go down to the gathering and see what is on offer, but I don’t need anything else to take home now! My bags are full.

I haven’t started to pack yet- I am going to wait until packing day as I don’t want to get too anxious. I am so excited to get home and see everyone! I have loved being here on SAS, but the two week sail at the end has been difficult- just too long to be on the ship. I also desperately want Mexican food! We have our last bar-b-q tonight, so this marks the end of the better food- time to go home!

See you all very soon- will update you when more news becomes available, HRC

Thursday, April 20th – the second one!

Well, we are on the 2nd April 20th- and now we are behind US time after being almost a day ahead. I had to set my watch twice before I got it all figured out. This is the last “a” day classes and tomorrow is the last regular class day. We then go into four days- two study days and two final days- before the packing days. We have gotten a little information about getting off the ship, so we are all starting to prepare. We have to be packed the day before we actually leave because the luggage is assembled and taken off the ship on big cargo nets. We then get it on the dock and go through customs- passport control comes onto the ship. After customs we are free to go! I have an 8pm flight, so I am in no hurry to get off the ship. Faculty get to go after the first sea leaves- the winners of the sea Olympics.

Last night was the ambassador’s ball- a waiter service dinner, slide show, and then a dance. We were at the first sitting (you buy tickets as tables). We had dinner at 5:15pm- which was four courses, and very nice- but a little like the buffet dinners just served nicer. In fact the captain’s dinner we had was much nicer. We had hearts of palm to start, then soup, a salad, and I had the vegetarian lasagna, but you could have steak or fish. Then the faculty and staff went to the lounge (we have our own lounge area) where everyone had a drink before the slide show. The slide show was amazing- the ship’s photographer had made it and he takes absolutely beautiful photos. It had so much emotion in the photos- I can’t believe that someone could be so good at it! It makes my photos look really bad! At 10pm there was a dessert bar- which was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen in my life- it was like a chocolate buffet! We all had so much that it is amazing that we weren’t sick. I had three pieces of chocolate cake and pie! It was so good compared to our normal desserts! There was a dance after that, but I only stuck my head in to see hundreds of students bobbing up and down to Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

We are now only a couple of days out of Hawaii and then less than a week to San Diego. Most of the offices are closing on the ship tomorrow, so the staff has some time to relax and the profs have time to get papers graded and grades turned in. So the next big thing for me is the trivial pursuit tournament- which we have been training for. Each team got a training box of questions, so my team has been working on our strategy. I am writing an order for 100 whipped cream pies- which seems like one of the stranger things that one can do in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! I am very hopeful that my team wins, because we have some crazy smart people on it!

Otherwise ship life is about the same. We are all starting to see the end and I am ready to get home. The days are passing quickly, and I can’t believe that I have been gone so long. I can’t wait to see everyone and hug my poochies. I can’t wait to eat Mexican food and cook for myself! I am also so excited to do my own laundry (believe it or not).

More to come- 8 days till home! HRC

Wednesday April 19, 2006

Hello from the Pacific Ocean. We are sailing towards Hawaii now, although we will not be getting off the ship. We are headed there to refuel and then continue on the San Diego. It is now 11 days until I get home, three more days of classes on the ship, and two finals days.

After our rapid sails through Asia, being on the ship for this last two weeks seems a long time, although the days are going quickly and the time is going so fast. Maybe it is because we are losing so much of it- an hour every night! It is Wednesday here now on the ship, but we have two Thursday April 20ths in order to get onto the correct time to get home. Needless to day, everyone is getting very tired- having lost three hours in the last three nights and losing another one tonight. I think we lose one a night until we get home, so I will be very jet lagged by San Diego and then an overnight flight back home will surely confuse the issue more.

Life on the ship is quiet- I think everyone is in the “finishing the semester” mode. The students all had loads of work due after Japan and they seem to be working around the clock. When I passed the computer lab last night at 11pm all the computers were busy and people were still in the library. I think that it is all more difficult with the time changes, evening activities, and then the anticipation of getting home. My classes have all turned in their work as of today and then have a final next week. We have a very short time to turn around our grades, so we are all grading night and day right now.

The evenings have been busy with all different activities. Two nights ago was the auction. The day actually started with a silent auction and then the live auction went from about 8pm to 11pm. We still have a raffle going now, which will also benefit charity. The live auction raised $23,000 in the three hours it was ongoing! There were so many items, but the prices that were paid were crazy. Maps (yes, a wall map with the ships course drawn on it) went for $250-$500, mementos from the ship were popular, and also the vacation houses and opportunities were best sellers. We actually donated the top item of the night- a week stay in a cottage on the coast of England- it sold for an amazing $2800 (Thank you to Mark and the Browns). The ship will now vote on where the money will go- but it will go to charities that we have visited along the voyage.

There is the last play tonight and the Mr. SAS contest. Tomorrow is the Ambassador’s Ball – a dinner with waiter service, a champagne toast, slide show, and dance. Tickets were $20 and this money will go to charity as well. There is a concert on the second Thursday night too. I am not sure what else is happening in the evenings, but we are all waiting for more info on arrival in San Diego. We have some information about debarkation, but are not really sure how it will all work out on the day. I understand that faculty can get off whenever they want to, but the winners of the Sea Olympics are first, and also “First off the ship” is a prize that is in the raffle.

On one of the packing days, I will be playing on the faculty team in a Trivial Pursuit Tournament. It is one faculty team versus a staff and faculty team. Students get to bet on which team will win and then buy tickets. If they pick the winning team, they earn the right to throw a pie in a faculty/ staff member’s face. I know it sounds odd, but with grades coming out, I think we can raise some money. I am pretty optimistic about our chances of winning because my team seems to know everything. We have been practicing with the Canadian edition of the game, and I am very good at the Quebec questions (thanks MKB)!

OK- more to come as we find out more about arrival in San Diego. To those of you at home- see you in a week and a half! HRC

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Sorry this update has taken so long, and many thanks to all of you who wondered if I was OK. I was fine, and having a great time in ports, but had no way to update the blog. Now that I do, I will start with today and work my work back to Vietnam.

I am now in my room at 11am, and have been since about 8pm last night. The sail has been very rough and all classes have been cancelled until noon, when another announcement will be made. We have been asked to limit our movements on the ship and to be careful. It is the roughest part of the sail yet, but the extra sleep was very nice. We were warned last night, but I still woke up to a lot of stuff on my floor- being thrown off the shelves. I am still not sea sick!

We left Kobe yesterday at about 10pm. On ship time was 8pm, but there was no watching the students run for the last time since the searching and lines were in the terminal building. It was raining and cold yesterday, so they had to move inside. I went on a day trip to Kyoto yesterday from 8am to 5pm, and then returned to the ship and scanned in for the very last time. When the student behind me reminded me that next time we go it is the last time off, I was a little sad, although I am ready to come home.

In Kyoto we saw the Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle, Heian Shrine, and then Kiyomizu Temple. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom (actually later than they were supposed to be) so it was all so beautiful. It was raining and cold, but we had a great time none the less. The day before that, I had a day trip to Hiroshima, where we went to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, followed by the Shukkeien Gardens. The museum followed the war, the creation of the bomb, and then the bombing of Hiroshima. It was moving and being able to go to the park and sit under the cherry blossoms afterwards was wonderful. The other days I was in Kobe- I went to the zoo one day, and then looked around the city the other days. It was a modern place with so much shopping. I was surprised every time I saw a student with handfuls of bags, because everything was expensive (or at least the same price as home). I am sure that the ship is heavier after all the souvenirs bought in all of the ports!

In China, we docked in Hong Kong and spent the day. We went up the Peak Tram and across the Star Ferry. We watched the light show on Hong Kong Island at night and walked around the shops for most of the day. The following day we flew from Hong Kong to Beijing to do the SAS trip which was an exchange with the University of International Business and Economics. We also got to see the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, an acrobatics show, several markets, and a Tibetan Temple. We had a party with the students at the university and also a tour of the campus. It was an amazing trip and the students on it were so wonderful! I couldn’t have asked for a better group- until the very end they were on time and did everything they were asked and more. I was so proud of them as they stayed at the party with their exchange students and had conversations and exchanged gifts.

We flew the Qindao the next day, and did a little sightseeing there before sailing that night for Japan. It was very cold, but the city was a nice seaside resort. It was too windy to cold to see too much, but we made it to the super Wal Mart to buy a few needed items and to see “roll back prices in Chinese”. I was amused that the deli at my local Wal Mart sells lunch meat, and the Chinese one sold chicken feet. It was so the same, yet so different. I enjoyed the experience there- it was a little surreal.

Ok- I know that this isn’t much, but it is at least an update. I hope to provide more as the days roll on across the Pacific. Tomorrow is the auction, and then the Ambassadors Ball, the Talent Show, and so many other events. I will try to keep you updated on them all.
Sorry this took so long to get to you! HRC

Sunday, March 19, 2006

I wanted to update everyone from my Burma trip. I had my last field trip today and I will be staying on the ship tomorrow and working, so I think it is time to write about my adventures here. We actually do not leave until Tuesday at 11:30am, which is earlier than we planned, but we have to go with the tides, and we must all be on ship at 9:30am. I am not doing anything that morning, as we must be here or the ship will leave without us. We have a limited window to leave, and you must be here or be left. We are also short of water, so we want to get on our way to the stop in Singapore so we can get the water we need. It isn’t so bad that we are rationing, but we are using paper plates and everyone is taking “navy showers”. After this port, we can get water everywhere, but the water in Burma has been labeled “toxic” by the world health organization, so we can’t take any on here.

Burma has been a very interesting port. I have done four SAS trips and spent $2.50 here. I went on a half day city tour, a meditation and Buddhist feeding ceremony, a service visit to an orphanage, and to a novication ceremony. I spent the $2.50 on postcards that may or may not make it back to the US (sorry if people don’t get them, but there is a complete ban on items from Burma in the US).

The first trip I went on was the city tour. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we went out, but it was a wonderful day. We went into Yangon and drove some and then walked. The ship is ported about one hour from the city center- on VERY bumpy roads. The city had people in little markets all over the place, selling all sorts of food, fruits, and other goods. We walked through some of the old colonial buildings and then to the Strand hotel. After that we went to the national museum and then to the Swendagon Pagoda for a tour. The pagoda was amazing- a large pagoda in the middle and then lots of small temples with the Buddha in different positions. Almost everyone there was local and they were all meditating- including numerous monks who liked to practice their English. We watched the sun set from a local park with a view of the pagoda and two fountains running. The day was wonderful and the city and country were nicer than I expected- reasonable infrastructure and some very beautiful places.

On the second day, I went to a meditation center and to a monastery for a feeding ceremony. The meditation center was very interesting with numerous monks meditating and then we had a class on how to do it. We were supposed to meditate for 10 minutes, but the students kept leaving and coming to tell me that they were leaving, so I never had time to try. After this we went to a monastery for the feeding ceremony. Buddhist monks only eat two meals before noon each day. They must beg for these meals and people who give them the food make merit, or make good on some karmic debt. On this day, our fees for the trip went to buy the food for the monks. We walked into the center area and there were monks in two lines as far as the eye could see. We all stood at stations, with bowls of rice, curry, vegetables, chicken, etc. and as the monks went by us, they opened their alms bowl and we gave them the food. We must have fed 300 monks and when they were finished, the nuns came out. There was a long line of nuns with shaved heads and in pink robes. We fed them too. After we had handed out all of the food, we went to the room where the monks were chanting before they ate. On most days the monks would go out between 9am and 11am and gather food from people in the city. They would come back and share it all together, but on this day they all had a very full meal. They all eat together at 11am and share what they have. On our way out, the monastery gave us bells to ring, which one does to share their merit with others and to the universe.

This morning I went to an orphanage. When we arrived we listened to the students recite their alphabet and ours, and the English that they could speak. The donation that we made through our program fees bought them all new uniforms, books, and fed them lunch today while we were there. We also brought two large boxes from the ship with pens, pencils, toys, etc. I collected some things that I had extra and donated them too. The students had a huge stack of things to give too. We then played soccer and jump rope with the students for about half an hour, but it was so hot that it was a little hard to play. After everyone played, the children had to meditate before lunch. We went with them, but I think we were more of a distraction that anything. Then we went to the lunchroom and the students served the children lunch- which was a plate of rice, one piece of chicken, a stew with eggs, beans, and vegetables, and some spices. The children ate it very quickly and the students served them seconds. The guide told me that today was one of the few days that they would eat so well, so it was a special day for them. We then went to meet the monks from the school and they again let us know about the merits we made today. We all took a group photo and we had to leave. I need to stress that this orphanage was probably four buildings, all bamboo and wood. The children sat on the floor and had nothing really but a chalk board and some laminated pictures. The place was bare, there was really nothing there for these children, but they seemed to be making the most of what they had, but they could really use more.

After I returned to the ship from the orphanage, I went to the novication ceremony at the monastery. All boys in Burma must become a novice monk while they are young. They go through a ceremony and then stay at the monastery for varying lengths of time. During this time they learn Buddhist teachings and beg for food. So you see not only older monks on the street, but young boy monks too. Today we went to the monastery and participated in the ceremony with the young boys. Our fees bought their items for the monastery- an alms bowl, a mat, a pillow, a robe, and a blanket. About ten boys became novice monks today and we provided all their needed items. When we arrived, we all took something in our hands and walked about half a mile through the local pagoda with it. It was a long procession with us at the front with the items, followed by monks and nuns, and then the novices dressed as Siddhartha (or a prince if you are not into Buddhism). The novices were carried on sleigh like beds by their families and had bowls of money. They threw the money onto the streets (maybe $10 from each boy) as if it were fool’s gold. The belief is that happiness comes from within, so it is only a fool who will go after the money. When we arrived back at the monastery the boys were taken in front of the head monk and repeated some chants. Then their heads were shaven and they put on their robes. We then gave to them the items we had donated, so each had what they needed to join the monastery. They then repeated some of the cardinal ideas of Buddhism with the head monk. Once this was over, their parents had to bow down in from of them because they were now holy and the parents had to pay respect to their children who were monks. The smallest boy was 5 years old and the older ones may have been 12 years old. We then had traditional elephant dancing in the courtyard before we left to return to the ship.

Overall Burma has been a great port and the field trips have been wonderful. I however, hold the position that now was not the time to come and will not spend more money here or time off the ship. The people are beautiful and maybe one day they will be free.

More to come- next stop- Vietnam. HRC

Thursday March 16, 2006

Ported in Yangon

We arrived this evening in Myanmar (Burma) and were actually a little late getting to port. I understand that there was a ship leaving that we had to wait for, which delayed us in getting here. As a result of this late arrival, we had to port on starboard side. This means that the ship must be turned in order to leave on Tuesday morning, so we have to be on ship earlier than expected in order for everything to work out. They are still working out exactly when we have to be on ship, so we will know soon.

This crossing was three days, counting today when we actually arrived. It was too short after India- most people, including myself, were very tired from our long trips in India and there seems to be a cold going around on the ship too. In addition, I am sure you can guess that it has taken people a long time to get over the Delhi belly that some people got in India.

We had three class days, which were peppered with conversation about Burma (evidently we should call in Burma as a protest). Our inter port lecturer gave us so much information, as well as the consulate representatives who came on the ship. Some students are staying on board as a protest, while others didn’t even seem to know where Burma is! Most students spent the three days asking Professors like me to explain the situation and tell them more about the country. If nothing else, this trip seems to have taught people some geography, and I am sure they will be more aware of the political situation when we get home.

I am staying in Yangon while we are here. The port is about 45 minutes away from the city, so I have some day trips and then will be on the ship. I have two monastery trips- one is a feeding ceremony, as monks are given food by individuals as a way from them to make alms, and the other is a novocation ceremony, where a young boy is taken into the monastery. I will also be going on a city tour and to an orphanage. My most exciting trip is the sunset at Shwedagon Pagoda. It is supposed to be one of the most fantastic sites in all of Asia.

I will update more when we are leaving. All is fine here and I will get some rest in this port too. I have been healthy and have not caught the cold or had any other problems. Thanks to all those sending me mail and e-mail, I am sorry that I can not answer more, but the e-mail situation on the ship is expensive. I hope to get to an internet café in Vietnam (you can not use the internet in Burma- it is government controlled). More news to come soon. HRC

Monday March 13, 2006

Leaving India

I have just returned this afternoon about 6pm to the ship. We are leaving at 11pm tonight for a three day sail to Myanmar. They are still busily making announcements and trying to clear the ship through customs so we can get on our way.

I left the ship very early (3am) on Friday to start our trip to Delhi. We flew to Delhi (2 ½) hours and then had a short city tour. We saw the lotus temple, the Gandhi museum, and India Arch. We had lunch in a Chinese restaurant in a nice hotel and then left to catch our evening train to Jaipur. When we arrived at the train station, there really wasn’t much of a station, and a very short platform as well. We actually walked across the tracks to our section of the platform. The train was late arriving, but the station was filled with passengers, dogs, cows, and vendors, so it was pretty entertaining. It had also started to rain, so it wasn’t very hot. The train finally arrived and it was a sleeper train, in which we had first class tickets in the air conditioned coaches. It was a mess getting everyone on the train, but once on, and everyone in a place, the ride was very pleasant. The train was designed like a carriage car, but there were no doors where they usually are on the sleepers. Each unit contained 6 berths, and then two opposite the six on the other wall of the train. We all sat on the seats until people wanted to go to bed. Since the students all sat together, I ended up sitting with a group of 5 Indian men- 4 of whom were headed for a meditation seminar. They asked me a million questions about America- and I spoke to them a lot about India.

Once we arrived in Jaipur we checked into our hotel and went to bed. The next morning was a 6am wake up call. We had to leave by 7am to get to Amber fort and ride the elephants. The drive was about 20 minutes and we were some of the first people to arrive. On the drive to the fort we saw cows, pigs, boars, monkeys, dogs, donkeys, horses, and water buffalo. Most of these were just in the roads- some cows would even just sleep in the middle of the road and traffic would go around them. We also saw all of the elephants going to the fort. We arrived at the fort and got in line and a million vendors hassled us to buy things. We finally got on the elephants two by two and road about 20 minutes up to the fort. We had time to explore the fort and then went back for a little shopping and our lunch. After lunch we went to the city palace and a little sightseeing and shopping. Most people got dropped off at the market, but I went back to the hotel. When everyone came back from dinner they had bags and bags of stuff- we had so much stuff that I was a little worried about getting it all back today!

The next day was the big day out to the Taj! We woke up at 5am and left the hotel at 6am. We drove through the countryside of India to Agra. We stopped half way and then again at an abandoned city. The countryside was amazing- more cows and other animals on the roads. The drive was a like a roller coaster ride- sometimes we were on the wrong side of the road with cars coming at us, sometimes we were passing camels, and other times there just was no road. It was one of the craziest things I have ever been on! It was entertainment to watch the road and to look out over the countryside and see the rural parts of India.

We arrived in Agra and had lunch. We then went to Agra fort, which gave us our first view of the Taj Mahal. Agra fort is amazing and the view of the Taj was great. We left there and went for the Taj, but when we arrived it was so busy. Evidently it had been closed until 4pm because a Prime Minister was visiting, so the lines were very long. We walked through a residential part of the city to another entrance and finally arrived. Everywhere you go where there is security, there are two lines- one for women and one for men. We are mostly women, so we waited much longer than the men- and with everyone pushing and trying to get into the line. We finally made it through the gates and the Taj was there. It was beautiful.

We stayed long enough to go inside and see the tombs and also to see the outside views. I sat on a bench in the gardens and watched the sun set and the Taj change colors. It was impressive in real life- very beautiful. After we left we went back to the hotel for dinner and then to the train station, where we met up with the other SAS groups- making for 210 SAS people on the train back to Delhi.

Today our flight was delayed, so we got back later than I had expected. It was no problem because we knew about the delay and had time to spend the end of our rupees. Overall India was great. My trip was wonderful- although busy and I am very tired from it. India was just so colorful and alive. It is complete chaos, but everyone seems to get along in it very well. There is incredible wealth and horrible poverty. We stayed in beautiful places, but saw areas where there was no running water and sewage. There were many opposites in this country, but overall I loved it and had a great time!

Three days until Myanmar! More to come….. HRC

Thursday, March 9, 2006

Arrival in India.

After the announcement in Global Studies yesterday about the bombings in India, I think we all wondered if we were even coming here. In the evening we were all happy that we were getting to come, but the Varansi trips had to be changed, and they are going to spend extra time in Delhi instead. We had our preport meeting and everyone was ready to get here after a week on the ship.

We arrived this morning on time and the air was thick with the smell of coal. The halls of the ship have been covered in plastic, and we have been told to all eat pepto bismol as a preventative for Delhi belly. We have to eat 8 tablets a day- which gets old really quickly! The port was less developed than some we have been in, but you can take an “auto”- a motorcycle type open car with a driver, for about one dollar. Most people are leaving the ship and going on overnight trips, so I am sure that the ship will be pretty empty.

It took us forever today to get through customs and we have to carry two forms and ID with us at all time, so it is more complicated than the other ports. The ship finally cleared about 1pm, but we all had to go up and get our passports. I also waited to change currency into Rupees, which took 2 ½ hours in the line on the ship. I now have so many rupees that they are hard to carry, but it isn’t really a lot at all. I am sure I can find a way to spend it!

In the afternoon I was the trip leader for a trip to the orphanage run by Mother Theresa’s order here in Chennai. I had 41 students and we went for three hours at this facility. The children there were severely mentally and physically disabled, but we played with them for some time and listened about the mission of the orphanage. Many of the students were saddened by the visit, but I think we all got something out of it. The children loved looking at the digital cameras and playing patty cake.

Tomorrow I am leaving on my big trip to Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi. I am a trip leader, so it should be interesting. We leave at 3:30am, but will be busy before we go as we have to take up all the batteries that everyone has and check them in a special battery bag. We go tomorrow on a flight to Delhi and then take a train for 5 hours to Jaipur. We stay in Jaipur for two nights, and have a few trips in the middle day. We get to see Jaipur and also ride an elephant. On the final day of the trip we go to the taj mahal and see the sunset. We return to the ship on Monday in the afternoon. There are 70 students on this trip and two leaders, so it should be very interesting.

Although I have only been here for one day and have spent very little time out, I can tell you that I already love India. It is complete chaos, very dirty, no order, but the people are beautiful and the idea of it fascinates me. I understand that it is not for everyone, but I loved the ride this afternoon in a non air conditioned bus, swerving through all of the traffic honking the horn, the air is thick with smell, and the people were all riding motorcycles and walking but very happy. I hope that my long trip is as good as today, but it is very different as we are escorted everywhere and have a tight schedule.

I also understand that the last day here is difficult with all of the customs measures taken on the ship. I am very excited about the next couple of days and will write to let you know all about it when I get back. HRC

Saturday March 4, 2006

Today was a day off classes and the “Sea Olympics”. I think I explained before that the dorm areas where the students live are divided into 8 sections and each is named after a sea (like Red Sea, Yellow Sea). Each one has a resident director who helps organize the sea and other activities on board.

Today we had the Olympics and it consisted of an egg race, crab walk, and wheel barrow race, synchronized swimming, board games, wet clothes race, twister, limbo, big hair contest, chubby bunny, tug of war, dodge ball, water drop, and a karaoke contest as the grand finale. The games started this morning at 9am and continued until about 10pm tonight, with a break for lunch and dinner. We had taco day for lunch and then a bar b q for dinner. This is very popular, as our dinner is served on the seventh deck and we can eat for longer hours. There are tons of dessert and lots of food choice too.

I was the judge this morning for the egg run, crab walk, and wheel barrow race, the spirit judge for the wet clothes competition, and ended up in the tug of war. All of the seas had a color that they wore (we were white) and they each had a cheer. The faculty was particularly bad at everything, but we did pretty well at dodge ball. We were last- the team that was in first place will be the first off the ship in San Diego, but I want to be last off the ship anyway as my flight is late in the day (and the faculty gets off second no matter what).

I ended up in the tug of war because we needed another female (teams had to be evenly balanced- men and women). We went over on the first tug of the other team- it was pretty bad. The teams had these huge guys on them who just pulled us over. The other events were great fun to watch too. The end karaoke was very good with the winning team putting on quite a show. The faculty (well it was really the staff who did all the work) sang Mustang Sally and came in third, raising our score to double digits! In the end the Bering Sea won and will be off the ship first.

Today was a day off between classes, but we have four more days before we arrive in India. On the first day in India, I am leading a trip to an orphanage that is part of the ones that Mother Theresa started. I am then going on a four day trip to Jaipur, Delhi, and the Taj Mahal. I get to ride an airplane, two trains, a bus, and an elephant! Should be great fun.

OK- More to come soon. It was a fun day here on the ship- strange to think that I am in the middle of the Indian Ocean watching Karaoke and limbo, but it is all true! HRC

Thursday March 2, 2006


Hello everyone. We sailed an hour early from Mauritius yesterday, so I actually stayed up and saw us off. I had been upstairs from about 8:45pm to see if the students were late, but only three came in a couple of minutes late, so not much drama. I guess the three of them have two hours dock time in the next port.

Mauritius was amazing for me, but the comments were mixed in my morning class. I went on the first day to a nursing home, hospice, and school, and on the second day to a NGO working with children who had been removed from their families. We played music together and some people danced, and we also saw some of the literacy program. It was an interesting afternoon where we were able to ask questions and see a very different side to this small beautiful island. On the last day (yesterday) I went on a field trip called Medicine in Mauritius, which was wonderful. The trip had 35 people on it originally, but since so many people went off to the beaches, they just didn’t show up for the field trips. The first bus left with 18 people on it (the buses were a max of 20 because the roads are so small) and my bus only had 8 people on it, most were my students. We first went to the central market to see the herbal medicine dealers. We spoke to them for some time and heard about the remedies and what people were using and buying. Then we had some free time and I walked through the vegetable stalls. It is amazing- the colors, the people, the smells. It had spices and also smelled like fresh fruit and vegetables- just beautiful. We left the market and went to a Chinese medical store, but there will be plenty more to come in China! Some students bought small items for sore muscles and headaches- but most of it smelled like BenGay. The third stop was at the new medical school on the island- opening in 1998. It was an old tea factory and looked like a poor American high school. It was very primitive, but they seemed to have nice students who would all become family doctors. Half the students were from India and many were open to say that they had come to Mauritius because they could not get into school in India. We then had lunch at a Hari Krishna Ashram- all vegetarian and very good. Finally we went to the university to hear a lecture on herbal medicines. We returned to the ship at 4pm, and I made one last trip over to the port and that was it. And for those of you who might be concerned- I didn’t get a single mosquito bite!

I really enjoyed Mauritius. I found it to be much more complex than I originally thought. I also think that the students who just went to the beaches missed so much. We had many reports of conduct problems on the beaches, and students seemed to think of this as spring break, rather than a country to be explored and a new and different culture. I hope I am wrong about this- and I know many students did the SAS trips and had a rich experience too.

Now we are back at sea and it is rocky today. Many people are sick and the ship is rocking a lot! We have been told that water conservation is starting and we will have rationing until Vietnam. I understand that the water has to be brought in on other ships in these ports. We also have the upcoming sea Olympics in two days. I am a judge- but I am not sure what event yet. The faculty are supposed to get a team together, but I am not sure that we will have enough people to truly compete. The sea that comes in first will be the first off the ship in San Diego, so I think it will be a good competition.

Will write more after the Olympics. Am not sea sick (yet) and loved Mauritius! HRC

Monday, February 27, 2006


We arrived this morning on time in Mauritius. We were in the port by 8am, and they called for all of the morning field trips to go to the pool deck. As soon as they cleared the ship we were able to get off first and get straight onto our buses. We left almost straight away to go on our morning service visit and city orientation tour. We first went to a nursing home and psychiatric center. It was beautiful center with so many people in the outdoors and working there. It was so clean that it was wonderful. We stopped to have a talk with the president and his guru, who explained to us that we need to understand that people are the same all over the world and that they all deserve our love. It was beautiful.

Following that we went to a hospice and spoke with the nuns and the people there too. The final visit was to a school for children who had had difficulties with their exams. This school was wonderful- we chatted with the students- I provided a lot of the translation into French (thanks- MKB!) and we played games where we sung and danced. It was great. The city orientation tour was short, but that was because we stayed so long to play with the students.

We came back to the ship and I had some lunch here, and then went into the craft market. The way the ship is in this port means that we must take a water taxi for $1 over to the city center. The water taxi is full and zooms across the water at quite a pace. It was so much fun! When I got there, I went to the market and bargained in French for some items- which was also so much fun! I got quite a few things- including a Dodo- which was original to Mauritius.

As for the country, it is mostly Indians, speaking French and Creole, with some other languages mixed in. The signs are in English and French and most of the food is more French than English. It is a beautiful volcanic island and many people say that it is like Hawaii. We are in the major city, but it seems that most people have gone to the beach or rented hotel rooms. I am staying on the ship- I have a visit tomorrow to a home for abused children, and then I am going on another SAS trip to some traditional and alternative healers on our last day in the port. It really is a beautiful port- but I think three days is enough really. I am enjoying practicing my French here, but it was tiring speaking for 21 people!

Will update again when we leave Mauritius, or if anything too exciting is happening here. Just to let everyone know- I am happy, I have made a lot of friends on the ship, I am healthy (probably healthier than I have been in a while with all the exercise), and am having a great time with all the travel! More to come…. HRC

Thursday, February 23, 2006

We have been at sea for three days now since South Africa. I think that all of the ill students are now well, and we are all turning our attention to the next port, which is now only three days away. We also have the second sale for field trips ongoing, so tomorrow is a big day when they announce who got which field trip.

The ship has been a bit different since South Africa. We had three students leave in South Africa- two were expelled and one may come back after medical treatment. The students on the ship have taken notice of the policies, but I think they are also tired and are a bit slower on this sail. Perhaps the ordeal has made the adjustment more difficult. We seem to have a group of extremely tired people on board, who spent the week in Cape Town doing everything imaginable- safaris, townships visits, music, clubs, etc- and now we have the week to catch up. There are also a lot of activities on the ship now too- the students are having a dance party tomorrow- a day I dread because the union is just over my room. In addition, I can’t get anyone to come to my 8am class after a party night!

Today we had the second play in global studies, and there is a global studies test the day before we reach Mauritius. The play was wonderful and the students who were in it should be very proud. We also had a reading about the sea and its conservation and a talk on tourism. A bit of potpourri, but it was an interesting morning.

In case I haven’t mentioned about the field trips, they work like this. You get a booklet that describes each trip and the time and price. We pre purchased some things for the first port, and then had a sale on a previous sail. You get a scantron and mark in the trips that you want (it is all coded for the scantron). Then they run them through the computer and if there are too many people then there is a lottery for the spaces. So you may sign up for several things, and get nothing. I have signed up for a few things, but have no idea what I will get. Since I have come onto the ship, I have been asked to be trip leader for two more major trips, so I am now going on a trip to the Taj Mahal, and also to Beijing. The Taj trip includes Jaipur, Delhi, and Agra. I get to take two trains and also ride an elephant. The Beijing trip is during the time that Mark will be here, so he will be going too. This trip leaves from Hong Kong and I will lead a group of students to visit a university in Beijing (it is a business university). We will have time to speak to students and have dinner with students from this university. We also visit the Great Wall and other sites while in Beijing. We then catch the ship in Qindao, and Mark will return to the states. I have asked for some day trips in Japan, so we will see if I get them.

Otherwise, we are just out here in the vast blue of the water. The scenes look the same day to day out the window. We are now 8 hours ahead of Eastern time, and we will lose another hour before Mauritius! The time change has been gradual, but it is still noticeable in the morning. This sail is one of the last long ones- the next is 7 days till India, and then they are two or three days max until we cross the Pacific on our trip home. I can’t believe that we have come so far, but I also can’t believe that we have so far to go!

Other things on the ship are the same- the food is good, but a little bit the same all of the time. I am living on peanut butter and jelly some nights, but otherwise it is fine. Today was taco day, which is a favorite of mine, so I was very happy. We are also having movies every night and also community college talks (I went to one last night on the economics of globalization), as well as meetings and parties. There was a birthday party in the faculty/ staff lounge last night and the ice cream cake was so good!

Will send another update and let you know how Mauritius is. I am very excited to go there and spend some time. I am visiting a hospice and retirement home on the first day and traditional medical clinics on the last day. I have one day free which I hope to spend in the market and having a nice look around. I have been asked to speak at the cultural pre port – to help the students say hello and goodbye in French- I think I can manage that! (I hope). Will let you know how the port works out when we get there!

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Hello from South Africa. We have Sunday and Monday left here before a six day sail to Mauritius. It is Sunday morning and very quiet on the ship. It has been quiet since all the safaris went off and the students seem to go out every night and then return late and resurface in the afternoon.

We are docked in a beautiful area of Cape Town- right on the waterfront. There are tons of shops and restaurants right by the ship. You really don’t have to go far to get anything you want- groceries, internet, money exchange, etc. I am sure that everyone is very happy here.

This past week I have worked on several projects. As I was here in 2003, I haven’t been on any of the big overnight trips. I decided to stay and do more day trips and have had a couple of days free. On the first evening here (the day we docked late), I went to a show called Umoja- which means the spirit of togetherness. It was a show about African music and how it developed throughout the decades. It was amazing. The dancers and musicians were from the townships and had talents that the directors found and brought together. There were amazing dancers and the drummers were spectacular. We met the woman who started the show and had wine and cheese with her. The show will be traveling in the US soon, and coming to Atlanta if you want to catch it.

On the second day here, I went on a township tour. The townships are areas where black people were moved to when parts of the city were declared white only during apartheid. During Apartheid there were three classes of people, white, black, and colored. The colored people were immigrants from places like India. The coloreds were given preference over the blacks and had better homes, even though they were still moved out to townships.

We visited a township community center that has a pottery workshop. They have contracts from the government to make items for certain occasions. We then took a tour into people’s homes to see how they live. Most township houses were one or two rooms that held everything- kitchen, sitting room, and bedroom. The toilets are public toilets that are outside and shared by everyone. Some were nicer than others, but I didn’t get to see them all as I was trip leader and responsible for everyone. Many people were interested in shopping- yes they had craft stalls set up for the visitors- and I had to wait for them, so I missed some of the houses.

I then went on a walking tour of the downtown part of the city- it was a tour called Footsteps to Freedom. It was excellent. We walked through the city and saw all parts- from the slave market, slave houses, to the District Six museum, which is the museum that traces the forced removal of blacks from the downtown area. The guide was wonderful and I felt as though I learned so much at the walk.

Yesterday I led a group on a day trip with an NGO called Operation Hunger. We drove about two hours out of the city and visited a township where most of the houses were wood, cardboard, and tin. There was no running water and many people lived without food. Our group weighed and measured children – out of the 61 that they weighed and measured, only 3 were the right weight for their size- all of the others were malnourished. We gave out food from the ship and I gave out the pencils too (thanks Rosemary).

We sail at 11pm on Monday night. On ship time is 9pm, which is always a good time to watch the students run for the gangway. Everyone lines up on the decks and cheers on the students as they run to be on time. If you are late then you get dock time at the next port- even one minute late and you get two hours. So everyone cheers up until 9pm and after that everyone yells “dock time” at the late students. It is a party on the decks as we watch people run as fast as they can!

We then have a six day sail to Mauritius, and three days there. I am looking forward to this port and have two visits scheduled there. Will keep you updated as we sail for this port and what is going on there.

On a separate note- thanks to everyone for the letters and e-mails. It is great to get news from home. I check when I am on shore (a little on the ship, but it is more difficult). I really appreciate them!

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Cape Town!

We had an interesting morning arriving in Cape Town. At the pre port last night we were all told to be up at 5:30am to watch the sun rise over Table Mountain and that we would be in port by 8am. I decided to sleep in (this is the port that I have been to before), and when I got up at 7am expecting announcements, there was a dense fog outside the window and nothing seemed to be happening. I got dressed and went to the teachers lounge and found out that the port was closed and we were told to anchor, but the ship was rocking too much, so we went out to open waters again. Once there, we went back and forth until the port opened up- maybe around 11:30ish??? We got into the port at 12pm and then we still had immigration and to get off the ship- which is a nightmare mess!

Immigration came on board and then the field trip office started to try and get everything worked out. Several students had independent travel scheduled and couldn't get off the ship. Several trips were late or cancelled. There was one safari that was supposed to leave at 10am and couldn't go. I am not sure what happened to that group. As much as I think the SAS trips are sometimes overpriced, it is good to get them through SAS in case of these problems. My understanding is that some people were given refunds and others were given a new itinerary and are still going.

So we finally got here and the immigration officials left, and then it was the same long lines and pushing to get off the ship. I read several chapters in my book before I even attempted to get off the ship. The lines are long, people are impatient, and it is a giant mess. I really think there must be a better way!

We are right at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront, which has a big mall and lots of shopping and restaurants. I stocked up on some water (the ship's water tastes funny to me) and some snacks. This is one of the best ports to get things because you can read everything here. I had a look around and came back to get ready for tonight.

Tonight I am going to an Umoja theatre performance. Tomorrow I am going to a township (one of the shanty towns that the poor live in around Cape Town). The next day I am working with a group called Operation Hunger and we will be working in their soup kitchen all day. I am also going to work at another foundation on the last day here, but there is some free time in this schedule too. I have at least one free day and many of these trips are half day trips too. I am not doing a lot of the other things that the students are doing because Mark and I did a lot of the tourist stuff last time we were here.

I just wanted to pass along a note to all of the parents who are writing to me. I am very sorry that I can not answer you all personally because of my limits on the internet. I am glad you enjoy the other side of the story! I am sure the student blogs are quite different, but I can assure you that the admin team and the professors on the ship are very qualified and very conscientious. I don't know everyone on the ship yet- and only some people by their faces and not their names, but everyone I see seems happy- even if we are all complaining about the food! Don't worry- we can all eat at the waterfront this whole week in Cape Town.

Saturday February 11, 2006

Today is a free day on the ship, after five days of classes I think that we are all ready for it. There was an 80’s dance last night and everyone looks like they were up a little late. I went out this morning about 10am and the ship was empty! In fact I think that only the professors were up- the students must have still been asleep.

We have two more full days- with classes- before we get to Cape Town. I am ready to get there and I am sure everyone else it too! Our longest sail until we cross the Pacific will be over and then a full week on land! Most people are going on Safari in South Africa, but since we went in 2003, I am doing service visits while in port. We are there for seven days, so I have four day trips and am leader on two of them. One of them is actually a theatre evening, so the day we arrive I have the afternoon free.

Arrival days have been a mess so far, as getting the entire ship to clear immigration is a mess. In the early morning we get the pilot on board and then we get into the port. At that point the immigration team will enter and they will start to call us to the faculty lounge by decks. You go through one end and pick up your passport and then see the immigration official, and then out the other door and turn in your passport. While on the ship all passports are kept by the purser. If you need your passport for travel then you must sign it out. The whole thing takes hours and no one can leave the ship until the entire ship is cleared. Needless to say, the line builds by the door to get off the ship, and this takes another hour or two to clear. Everyone is so excited to get off the ship that it makes like a mass push to the door.

We have three more nights to go and tonight we have another student/ faculty/ staff social event. Tomorrow night is busy with the trip leader meetings, and then there is the debut of M. Butterfly by the theatre group. Following this is the cultural pre-port meeting. The following night we have the logistical pre-port and then we are in Africa for an entire week! I am really ready to get there.

Teaching on board has been different, and a real challenge. Anything we introduce tomorrow will have to continue one week later after all the students have been in Africa for a week. You have to be very conscientious about topics because whatever you say tomorrow will be forgotten by the time you reconvene. The sailing time only gets shorter from here, so you have very little time to make a good point and then the students all go away for their trips. It has taken some adjustment and all of my classes are behind, but the students are very good so I have no room to complain. They read everything you ask them to and do amazingly good jobs on all of the projects. I have been impressed so far.

I had an ice cream for the first time on the ship today. There is a snack bar on the 7th floor, which is where the pool is and also a two on two basketball tournament today. They sell pizza, hamburgers, candy- you name it! I had an ice cream there for the first time since leaving the States. You have to be careful on the ship because there are lots of places to spend money- two campus stores, two snack bars, the faculty/ staff lounge, and the internet! At 40 cents a minute this can add up! I haven’t used it much yet- trying to save it and get around the world on my 250 free minutes. Good news is that the ports are cheap to check mail and I have done most of it off the ship.

OK- enough for now. Will let everyone know how South Africa is when we finally get there. Take care, HRC

PS- We also saw the start of the SAS video of our voyage last night. It was AMAZING! They have done such a good job. For those of you at home, I have bought a copy of it and will bore you with it. For parents- get a copy- it is wonderful! It was better than I thought it would be- really caught the spirit of the trip so far (and I get nothing for saying this!).

Wednesday February 8, 2006

Today was a “B” day at sea, and we lost yet another hour. This is two days in a row with a time change and we have another one tomorrow. I think there is one more on this part of the trip. I understand that we are getting them all at the beginning of the crossing and will be adjusted by the time we arrive in Cape Town.

The big news on ship now is room mate sign up for overnight trips and also the play that will debut before we reach Africa. There are six plays put on during the voyage. Students in the theatre class put them on between the ports, and from what I understand, they work night and day. There is also a Sea Social tonight. All of the student halls are divided into living areas and given the name of a sea- like the Mediterranean Sea. These Seas then have a resident director working for them. Each sea has an evening to come to the faculty and staff lounge to have drinks with the faculty and chat.

As for drinking on the ship, for the students it is very supervised. For every night we are at sea (except the night before the port) there is “pub” night. This means that the students can buy tickets (and yes, they kind of look like raffle tickets) for drinks. The students line up at the office and can buy 2 tickets for the 5-6pm session and 4 tickets for the 9-11pm session. They have a choice between beer and wine (and some selection in that between imported and domestic beer). During the sea social the students also have to buy tickets that are then exchanged in the faculty and staff lounge. I believe that wine is $3 a glass and beer is $2.50 for domestic- but I wouldn’t swear to it. If a student buys a ticket and does not use it, they can trade it for the next night, but there are no refunds. So far I don’t think there has been any trouble with this, but to be honest- I am usually in bed!

Otherwise there are tons of activities for everyone on the ship and you can participate or not. There are always movies on the television too- tonight is Amelie- and the entire French club knows how I feel about that! There are also many documentaries on and other films too. I know that the students have a lot of studying during the sail because the classes are more demanding this year. Everyone on the ship takes at least three classes plus global studies. So far my students have been very good- very observant and well spoken. We are starting to work on some bigger projects and get into everything now, but just as you get into it- you stop at port and do nothing for a week- so it is hard to keep the flow. It is very different from teaching on campus, but it is also very stimulating!

Ok- must go to a dinner party that I have been invited to tonight. Thanks to everyone for reading. If you are from ASU and my family and friends, please know that I miss you all. If you are a parent, thanks for all of the feedback. I don’t know all of your children, but I am still meeting new people everyday. Please know that we are safe and happy and ready to get to Africa!

Tuesday February 7, 2006

We are back at sea for the second day, and the time moved an hour ahead last night. It will move another hour ahead tonight. The students are tired from the port anyway, but the time changes make it even more difficult. I have an 8am class, which will now be at 4am Eastern time.

I know that several people have asked about life on the ship, so I thought that I could write a little about this today. Life on the ship is very much the same from day to day. Now that we are settled into the routine, it seems that one day turns into the next and most days I have no idea either the date or the day of the week. We refer to them as “A” days or “B” days, and also how long it is to port. All classes alternate, so you either meet on A day or B day, but Global studies meets everyday. I teach two classes on A day- one from 8am to 9:15am, and one from 2:15 to 3:30. Global studies is everyday from 9:20-10:35. Everyone is required to attend global studies- all the students and teachers.

We have breakfast in the morning from 7-8:30 am, and I think that this is the best meal of the day served here. You can have eggs every morning, cereal, toast, fruit, potatoes, and sometimes other items too. It is early too, so many of the students don’t make it and the cafeteria is very quiet. Lunch is served from 11:30-1:30 daily and it is more crowded and very loud. It is impossible to go at noon, so I try to go early and get out of the dining room before the rush. There is a salad bar, which varies in quality, but generally serves salad and other vegetables with two kinds of dressing. You then have your choice of about 6 hot entrees and sides. Today I had mashed potatoes and vegetables. There is always one vegetable dish. The cafeteria also always offers peanut butter and jelly, cheese squares, and a dessert. There seems to be a lot of cake mix on the ship! Dinner is from 5:30-7:30 and is basically the same types of food, although not the same dishes as lunchtime. There is a snack at 10pm, but I have never been to it, so I have no idea what it is.

Your other options are the snack bars on the ship. They sell snacks like candy, popcorn, chips, cokes, and coffee on the 5th deck, and hamburgers, pizza, snacks, drinks, etc. on the 7th floor. The prices are high, but not outrageous- a can of coke is $1. A lot of students use these snack bars everyday- I have heard some say that they spend $10 a day at them. Everything on the ship is cashless. You charge it all on your card and then your account will be charged a couple of times. The first charge is coming up in the next week or so. I guess this may be a surprise for some people getting credit card bills. We also have a shop that works the same way- all cashless. I have bought some t-shirts there and will probably buy some more.

The faculty have their own lounge area away from the students. The faculty lounge is great because most of the time we meet and talk there. Students seem to be everywhere else on the ship. I don’t spend much time outside, but I notice that is where most students go to read and work. They are spread out everywhere, but they do seem to be working a lot.

Day to day is somewhat the same. The evenings vary because we have different community colleges that are held. This is where someone has an expertise and shares it with a group. We also have movies every night on the televisions in our rooms. There are tons of clubs, activities, and groups on board too. Tomorrow night we have a social with some of the students in the faculty lounge. Tonight we have a birthday party.

It is busy here, but the main thing everyone is looking forward to is the port! I can’t wait to get there, but the days are getting easier as we settle in to life onboard.

Friday February 3rd, 2006

Today we visited Igassu Falls. Yesterday we left the ship at 5am and went to the airport. We made one change in Brasilia and then straight to Foz de Igassu. From there we went to the hotel, which is very nice and in the national park too. We could walk out onto a trail and see the Brazilian side of the falls, and we also saw them from the air. In the evening we went to a restaurant and show- which featured music and dancing from all over south America.

Today we left the hotel at 8am and drove into Argentina. We stopped for about 20 min at passport control and then went into the Argentinian side of the falls. From there we walked a path and series of catwalks to see the falls, sometimes so close that you were in the mist. It was so hot and humid that it was unreal! The guide said the temp was between 100 and 125! We were all so hot and our clothes were soaked with sweat. After the two mile walk to see the falls, we climbed down a path to take the jet-boat ride and waited for about 20 minutes to get on.
It was blazing heat. We finally got to go - they gave you a life vest and also a waterproof bag for your things. The driver took us to see the falls and then drove the boat right into them. We were soaked! In fact I was wetter today than on Neptune day!

He drove into the big falls twice and then around to some of the smaller falls once or twice. It was soaking wet! He then went at high speed down the river with some rapids in it. When we finally got to shore we were walked up to the trucks, open army vehicles, which took us through the rainforest with a guide. After half an hour, we reached the entrance of the park and met our guide for lunch. After lunch we crossed back into Brazil and stopped at a gift store. We whave a bar-b-q tonight at 8pm and tomorrow morning we will go to see the world's largest hydroelectric dam and the bird park before flying back to Salvador. We arrive back at the ship at 11pm (8pm EST).

Igassu was AMAZING!

Neptune Day (Monday Jan 30th):

Neptune day is the day that we cross the equator. We actually crossed at about 3 am, and a lot of the students stayed up and partied until the morning. AT 7:30am a band that was made up of about 8 crew members came through the decks. They started at the lower deck and made their way up to the top of the ship. I live on Deck 5 of the ship and the students all live on 2, 3, and 4. I knew that they were coming through in the morning and was up to see them. It was about 8 crew members dressed in a sort of white dress like costume. They had painted their faces and they had shields and spears. They had a couple of people with drums and also made a lot of noise with whistles and banging on things. After they came through the hallways we all made our way to deck 7, where the celebrations took place. At 9am the Neptune party made their appearance. Dean DeWalt (a woman) played Neptune and Dean Sapp (a man) played Queen Minerva- complete with a coconut bra. There was a how entourage of people with them- all of whom had crossed the equator before. After a speech and a pledge, the celebration started. You stepped up into the kiddie pool at the side of the big pool and a pitcher of either green or orange slime was poured over your head (I had green). It really stunk and sort of looked like green oatmeal. Then you stepped out of the kiddie pool onto the side of the pool. The pool was about ¾ full and you just jumped in. It was filled with salt water. You had to swim over to the ladder and climb up. Once you were up, you were greeted by three people from Neptune’s party who were holding dead fish. You had to kiss the fish and agree to something (I am not sure what but I think it was to honor the sea). Then you stepped over and kissed Neptune’s ring. After that you stepped away from the pool area. I heard that about 250 of us went through the ceremony. Then there were hair shaving stations, and about 45 people shaved their heads. The captain shaved 5 people who won a raffle. He was a bit rough and there were tons of little tufts left on the student’s heads. From what I could see, he shaved 2 girls and 3 boys. It is supposed to be a great honor. Everyone seems to be clean shaven now though, so I guess they all went home and got cleaned up. Most people look pretty good with it shaved. I was surprised how many of the girls looked good.

The rest of the day was devoted to studying and resting. I had a nice long nap and then got ready for class. We had a cultural pre port that evening and we had a logistical pre port tonight (Tue). This is always the way it is- the night before port is the briefing on immigration, safety, medical issues, and field trips. I am going to Iguaçu falls this week, but it seems like most of the students are going to the Amazon. The Amazon trips are the longest- 4 days, where as mine is only 3 days. We have all been briefed tonight about traveler’s diarrhea, which seems to be the major worry. They have told us all to start taking Pepto tomorrow and take it 4 times a day while we are gone. This is supposed to stop any problems - I guess I will do it the same as everyone else. I would much rather take this than the alternative! Sorry that some of the blogs got lost - the internet was very slow as we entered a satellite "shadow" around the equator. I will write more when I have a little more time. I will also post more after the port in Brazil. I know that people are asking about the days on the ship and more info. I will write all about it soon.

Somewhere off the coast of northern Brazil
Saturday, January 28, 2006

Today was another “A” class day, which meant that I taught social problems in the morning before Global Studies, and then Health Care Policy in the afternoon. Global studies was very good today- this is the course that everyone on the ship must attend- even the professors. We had the inter-port lecturer talk about Brazil and then Scott Sherman talked about global issues. He had a great fun presentation where they played Let’s Make a Deal.

The ship has been pretty much the same everyday we are at sea. I find my days oriented around lunch and dinner. I have certain things to do before and after each. There are numerous things going on after dinner these days, all called Community College. These are specialty areas of a professor, staff member, or other passenger that they want to present on. Tonight there is one about food, another about making videos and a third about environmental issues. There are also numerous clubs now up and going, as well as exercise groups and religious groups. I think that there is something for everyone now.

We also had the announcement of the field trip lottery today. I got every field trip I wanted but one, so tomorrow is alternate day. There were many trips that were oversold; so many people have to change trips. I think most people were happy, but there are a few that were not. The way it works is that we are asked to turn in a request (which is on a scantron) by noon on a certain day. On this day, the field office starts to work on them. If any trips are oversold, but are requirements for a course, then the professor gets to choose who stays on the trip, but if they are not requirements- or there is extra space after the professor makes sure his/her students get a space- then it goes into a computer lottery. The computer will randomly choose who gets to go and who does not. Some trips had three and four pages of people who did not get to go. I, miraculously, got all of my trips but one. I got every service visit, most of which went to lottery. Tomorrow is alternate day, so I have my alternate sheet and will replace the one I lost.

Otherwise every thing here is starting to create a pattern. The students all seem happy and motivated. I am sure that everyone is ready for the next port, but first we have Neptune day. This is Monday, and everyone who has not been over the equator on a ship has to participate, but you do not have to shave your head. I took a poll in my classes and many people are going to shave their heads- even girls. I understand that the rest of us just have to have fish guts poured over our heads, then be put in the swimming pool and hosed down with salt water, then brought out to kiss a fish and the ring of someone who plays Neptune. The faculty were all told to be good sports and to come early and get it over with. They say you just need to do it and then take a good shower and put your clothes into the laundry (which is $5 a bag- no matter how much you put in it). But you get a nice certificate- something else for the wall of my office!

That is all for now- more news soon when we get into port. I understand that a lot of people are reading this now, so please know that we are happy and healthy at the moment and surrounded by beautiful blue ocean. Not long until Brazil!

PUERTO RICO (Tue Jan 24th 2006, 10:30am)
Hola from Puerto Rico. We docked here yesterday morning after a very rough ride in. The ship was tossing and turning and almost everyone was sick. I was very lucky and was never sea sick, but the computer screen in front of my is still slightly swaying.

We came into the port at 8am and passed through immigration. I then went on a trip with another professor and some students to the National Weather Service. We went to see how the weather is forecast and some information about IT. It was very interesting. In the evening I attended a welcome reception at the Carribean University of Puerto Rico. We took a group of 92 students to this university for a welcome reception and to meet other students from here. The university put on quite a party for us- with traditional dancing and shows. We were given gifts and met the faculty and staff. They all danced with us and the students (yes, I danced) and we had a wonderful time. As head of the SAS group, I accepted a proclamation from the mayor that yesterday was a day of special recognition for semester at sea. I had my picture taken by the television stations and all the newspapers. I will try and get a copy to send back to ASU!

Today is my free day and I am visiting old San Juan and doing a little laundry here too. Tomorrow I am going to a coffee plantation on a field trip and then we sail for Brazil!

Miss everyone- very different here. I finally met the 4 other Georgians on the boat- and one from SC! I gave my class a quiz and asked them what AUgusta is famous for- and only one person got the answer right!

Write more soon- probably from Brazil! HRC

January 20, 2006

Today is actually our first day at sea. We pulled out of Nassau last night at 5pm and started sailing for Puerto Rico. I understand that in the rush to get the students on, we had one leave and two have to go back to the states to get visas for Brazil. They will join us, but the other student just decided not to go. So, we now have 683 students on board, 27 faculty and a lot of staff doing various jobs. I have met the entire faculty and they are great, and the staff is too, but I don’t know them so well.

We spent the first four days in orientation- meetings mainly. We learned everything from insurance to field trips, but I think most of us are just ready to get started. The ISE (Institute for Shipboard Education) staff took the faculty on a field trip yesterday afternoon so we didn’t have to see the boarding of the students and all of the tears. Evidently it took some students three hours to get on the ship and parent’s visiting hours were cut a little short, but I think that everyone got on and saw their children off. When we pulled out of port, the parents were all on the shore, waiving and holding up signs. Everyone shouted and then the whistle blew three times and we were off.

Today I get to meet my students at a sort of open house. My classes are full with 35 students in each, and some of the adult passengers wanting to join. I am teaching medical sociology, healthcare policy, and social problems. At sea we have “a” days and “b” days, alternating days with alternating classes. I teach two classes on “a” days, and one on “b” days. Everyone has to attend a class called Global Studies, which is everyday. It introduces them to the countries, their history, economics and issues. The profs have to attend too, but I am looking forward to it. I have already read the book- a lot of time for reading on the ship!

As for the ship, it is very nice. I have a room to myself on the 5th floor, which is all faculty and adults. We have two dining halls, so there is plenty of room- but both serve the same food. The food is good so far, a lot of the same, so I think I will have to search out places to eat on shore! There is a faculty/ staff lounge area, where we can work or talk. It is the best place to read as it has great views of the ocean in front of us. There is also a library, computer lab, store, clinic, administrative offices, and a few other public spaces on the ship.

The water is a little rough today and a lot of people are on the Dramamine already! It is supposed to get worse tomorrow because of the winds, so they have promised to put barf bags in the hallways! I think it will be light on the food today and heavy on the sea sickness pills!

Miss you all already- there is no one else from Georgia except the librarian, and Semester at Sea seems to attract no golf fans- in fact I have had trouble finding people who know about the Masters. I have had to explain numerous times where Augusta State is and who we are.
Everyone seems to think that I am from Appalachian State University, but I am slowly correcting them all!

Next message soon. HRC