First day in Chennai, India completed...whew exhausted!

I have to simply get it out, forgive me if it isn't as detailed as my other posts. I am simply incredibly exhausted but tomorrow is a whole 'notha cup of tea so I have to get it out now...

As I said, I went to sleep after getting my passport, customs form. Woke up in time for lunch. Planned to go to the marketplace with Yohanna, Erica, Brittany, Dorian and Courtney. We left and boarded the shuttle. It was hot but not unbearable...there were also a lot of flies. We got stopped at some point in which we had to produce our passports and they'd look for us on some list they had. It was nerve-wrecking because it was all so new and there were all these men with uniforms...but it went okay. We were allowed off then because it was the end of the port terminal... the ride was at least 10 minutes and was not pedestrian friendly at alllll so it makes sense that we would be unable to walk. So we get off and we are virtually in the middle of nowhere...we hadn't thought that far ahead. We kinda assumed the shuttle would drop us near stores but it didn't. We also didn't have any Indian Rupees and had counted on being dropped near stores and certainly an ATM. Two life long learners who were on the shuttle with us were heading to the cabs and said they were going to the Spencer's plaza/mall. We opted to go with them but still didn't know how we would pay...They assured us it would no problem and they would pay for both taxis. So once that was settled, we asked for a taxi to fit all of us...and they kinda just stared at us...then 2 "rickshaws" <-don't know if i am pronouncing it right pulled up and we split into two groups of 4. It was like a toy car/van but not really...how do i explain it so that you could understand the terror we experience during the ride to the mall? It wasn't the standard size of a car, wasn't the shape or statue of a bus, but wasn't a scooter or bike...it simply...was...i don't know. Because of it's unique size it is able to weave through tiny spaces which it did. There were no doors so Yohanna sat up with the driver and me, Courtney and Dorian squeezed in the back. We were telling Yohanna not to talk to him because in addition to the crazy driving, he was trying to accomodate her and would randomly stop or slow down on major roads when people race to get into tight spots, and then brake. Lol. It was hard for her though because he was trying to be nice but we just wanted to get there in one piece.

I don't know why there are lanes when people do not regard them. It was a nightmare..but an exciting one. I was petrified but enjoying the thrill of not knowing anything...which also frightened me. There were all types of vehicles on the roads. People disregarded speed signs. We sped through bumps...I thought we would surely fly out because we hit our heads a couple of times. People occasionally adhered to traffic lights. As I mentioned, lanes were a joke. There were a mixture of cars, vans, motorcycles, bikes and rickshaws....however people could fit. We had many oops "almost swiped ya car" moments because if the driver saw a space even what we deemed microscopic to our eyes...he went for it. This was not limited to his own thinking because we saw it happen all the time and it scared the bejesus outta us because of the amount of swerving and honking of narrow escapes. It was cool to see women breezing through traffic on motorcycles so casually among the craziness. We admired their posture and Indian apparel. We would also see whole families on motorcycles or just the husband and wife. Generally the child was near the bars, the father would be steering/maneuvering, and the mother hanging onto his shoulders. I thought that was pretty "gangsta" considering the aggressive traffic...We lost the rickshaw with our friends but when we got to the plaza they were there. The guy had told us 200 rupees ( which was as we found out, already overpriced) but once he realized the LLL were going to pay for us and had money out waiting to hear the price, he changed it to something around 300. We quickly pointed him out on it and he said the other rickshaw dude was paid it etc etc...and the LLL's just to get us out of there in peace paid it and left it at that...ahhh, what is it with ripping off Americansssss!!!! We're darn near halfway around the world/through our voyage and have notice that people or taxi drivers specifically are one in the same lol...

We follow a sign that says Spencer's plaza and read that there are 3 levels. We are honked at by people speeding on motorcycles even while walking in the proper place. I tell you, people simply drive wherever they see a bit of space. Got in and people literally stared. It felt like Manaus all over again. In South Africa, it was the most westernized so that individualistic mentality was in full effect. In Takoradi, we were interesting, but we didn't stop the flow of life, people kept doing what they were doing after trying to get you to buy stuff haha. But man, people stared here. And they in your-face kinda talked about you to the people they were standing next to. Even when you can't speak or understand language, it's amazing how you can feel the intention behind stares, laughs and exchanged words. Brittany walked into the first store and brought a digital camera with her debit card so they needed to make a copy of her passport. We got worried when he walked away with it because we didn't know what they were doing...but he brought it back. Then the guy also asked her for her debit card again so that he could make a copy of her card and we all immediately shot that down. No one needs a copy of your debit card and upon our reply he kinda acted like it was never said and gave her her camera and we left.... Shaking my head...interesting.

Walked in search of a ATM, the girls were flat out asking people and a few of us were concerned about announcing that... but whatever. People continued to come out of their stores and stare, and talk. As we wait in line to get money, a guy asks Brittany if she's Nigerian and we learned he is from Algoria? Something like that. He was really soft-spoken so we couldn't really hear him but he kinda walked away after that so it was all that he clearly wanted to know haha. So I don't have much clarification on that one.... We end up in a shop that has a sign that says discounts for MV Explorer. Naturally we go in to check it out but I didn't commit to anything since I hadn't seen any other stores yet. This one sales person was adamant about selling me a shawl. He took it down and held it out. I don't know why I started to grab it with my left hand but for whatever reason, that stupid hand shot out and then I was reminded by his silent stare. I tried to play it off and quickly grab it with my right and compliment it but what was done, was done. I definitely left without purchasing anything then. hahaha. Brittany and I tried a ton of Indian shirts and dresses. She ended up getting something, with all the beautiful patterns, colors and differentiating fabrics I was too indecisive. The woman who tried to accomodate us was awesome though. She helped pull it over our heads and smooth it over our clothing. I was glad that after her patience with us, one of us made a sale. We walked into another store and I tried this gorgeous white dress intricately embroidered with gold sequins... which doesn't sound nearly as good as it looked, but it was too small and I was devastated since I had finally saw something that "clicked" with me. haha. Interestingly enough, this particular store was run by men and they were so helpful haha. A random tidbit, everyone addressed us as "Madam" even if it was to wave us into their stores and take a look. It was different but nice. I wonder why we say Miss or Ms instead of Madam. Or actually, I guess the stores to get that level of helpfulness and respect in general would be upscale/expensive stores.

It was past 3 so we wanted to meet up with everyone and see what the plan was since half of us would be going to the Welcome Reception at 6:30pm. In our efforts to find them we sighted two guys who didn't look Indian, but who knew. They smiled so we smiled...and they came over and introduced themselves. Their names were Marcus and Mumbi and both were from Zambia. They were seniors studying computer engineering and business. Their university had a program where seniors studied in India for their last year. They thought I was South African because of my complexion and braids. haha. We ended up walking and talking. When we met up with Courtney and Dorian we ended up going to the KFC in the food court because Mumbi kept telling us to get a bucket ahahaha. Well we didn't intend on getting a bucket, but we were going to go ahead and see/order what was different on their menus. Indian Food was " crazy" and on a whole 'notha level of spicy and they hadn't gotten used to it yet. It was packed in general but as heads turned and people blatantly looked at us and talked about us lol, it felt awesome this time. They got the same treatment haha.  It was amazing to listen to how much we had in common.. we talked about music (favorite hip hop/r&b artists), politicians, relationships, cows and their 3 stomachs--which was really random haha. Their english was immaculate and simply their clothing didn't go unnoticed. If we hadn't asked them, we would have assumed they were from the states and to be exact, up north. They had stylish shoes/sneakers, polos with their collars popped, faded jeans, sunglasses across their chests and head phones around their necks. I jokingly asked if they'd brought any clothing now that they acclimated somewhat and the girls and I talked about our shopping experiences with sarees and stuff... and they were laughing like no way, we're Africans. What do we look like? haha. We agreed to meet again on Friday at 10 am at Pizza Hut. It is our last day in India. They were awesome and look forward to seeing them then... but the night continued.

We ran into the LLL after getting out of the rickshaw at the port terminal for the shuttle. We had to present our passports again. Then to get on the ship, we did the same thing again, got scanned physically and our stuff through the machine. Then we stood in line to show our ID to walk up the gangway  onto the ship. Got up to the top, got our bags searched by SAS, walked through a metal detector and got physically searched. The security procedures are a bit much in this particular port at this point of time because of the terrorism issues between India and Kashmir right now... so hey, its a nuisance but rather be safe than sorry. Got through tymitz square just in time for dinner. Had dinner and left for the Welcome Reception. There were 3 "coach"esque buses because there were about 80 people. Can you believe we got stopped as we past the port terminal for passports...yes. Two guys (one reading our names of our passports to another who searched for us on his list) were responsible for doing all three buses or 80 of us. I simply put my ipod and dozed off a bit. We finally get there and the first thing we hear is drumming. We get off and there are a number of young guys drumming and dancing with no shirts. We were crowding around trying to see. They were great! On the left of them on the step leading into the hotel reception hall, there were a ton of Indian women holding flower luaus? Either way, after the guys finished, they put one around each of our necks and we walked inside. There was a platform/stage where three of the Indian women were beautifully dancing for us. I spoke and took a picture with them afterwards--they looked so much more mature with all the makeup, jewelry and apparel but were 19, 20 and 21! There was a table for henna tattoos and two ladies and one guy doing them. I was the fourth person in line and got the woman who'd did Brittany's. She was consequently the official/professional henna artist at that table and did weddings for a living. The attention that she paid to detail and the overall construct of our designs/those who got there's done by her was easily distinguishable--but the other two did great work as well (obviously why they were a part of it to begin with). There was traditional food served but with my left hand off limits for at least 45 minutes I was having difficulty balancing stuff so one of the university students immediately jumped in and got a plate and filled it with a little bit of each item. =) there was just so much going on that it was exciting to be in that venue. All this time, the girls were dancing or giving instruction about certain dances and meaning behind facial features. There were tables with jewelry, scarves, pocketbooks, skirts, "pantalons," sarees etc being sold. Oh and there was also an area where older Indian women had a bunch of sarees that they taught or put on us and we could pose and take pictures. That latter almost didn't happen for me because I was so overwhelmed with all of the options at the tables in the back haha. I finally decided to commit to something and brought a skirt and shawl. I also had this fantastic and amusing conversation with one of the college students who was a second year but the program is 3 years so I guess somewhat of a junior. Anyhow, he was so personable and we just had this free flowing conversation about free choice vs arranged marriages which he said didn't exist for him and even if his parents had a suggestion, he had a say, how women started getting pressured about it around 23-24 years old, but men did so around 27-29 years old... i asked him about interracial relationships or whether he was allowed to marry any Indian woman...and we talked about the number of kids in India, in our families and that was interesting, about the differences in education post high school and how it all gets so tedious that it loses its appeal... he said he was a mediocre student and didn't care very much about school because he didn't have to just yet since he still had time--actually he confessed that he needed to get home because he had an exam the next day and didn't study until the last minute. haha.

The night eventually came to an end and headed back on the first bus that came back.  Prior to filling out an evaluation form about the trip, I took out my ship ID since we were coming up towards it. Had it in my hand... suddenly we arrive... I get up and realize that I don't have my ID and what a time to lose it. It's not on the floor or on the seat so I assume it's in my bags and because I am the last person and am sure no one knows I am still there, I hurry and get off. The bus pulls off and I'm searching through my stuff with the trip leader Nedra. We don't find it so we walk to get through the whole Indian port security folks. We get to the ship gangway and explain it to him and he speaks into his walkie-talkie about me haha. He suggests that I hold off buying an ID because it may show up and costs $25. Nedra agrees and wonders if they'll find it when they clean the bus that night. But then another bus pulls up and we're not sure if the first bus went back and got more SAS folks or if its one of the original three. So we walked to one of the Indian dudes standing around it and told him and he leads us to the first bus which is parked right in the parking lot haha. They weren't doing any cleaning after all so it was great to be able to walk on it anyway. Searched under the seats until I thought to look on the side and there it was lodged somehow. Grabbed it and the guys like "thank God!" and I'm agreeing super happy as is Nedra. It was a great ending to a very long day and I am happy I was able to get on the ship in peace =) Now I have to make sure I don't lose my passport, customs form or ID these next 5 days... the voyage doesn't end here and I do want to be able to disembark with everyone else when we hit Asia!

In any event, buenas noches or buenas dias (1:10 am now). I have to wake up early enough for breakfast and pack since I am not even attempting to do that tonight. I have my Rotarian Homestay from Monday-Wednesday and we meet at 10:30 and leave at 11 am.

Folks: We are in Chennai, India!

It's been a hectic morning, woke up super excited. Walked into the dining hall and it was a mad house. Ate with the usual crew and found that Alex is also doing the Rotarian homestay with me... Kayla is doing the Welcome Reception tonight...Ahshok had tried to set Stephen up with coming along on the trip and crashing over Ajay's house, but Stephen agreed but remembered he had another SAS trip on the last day we get back (but didn't want to jeopardize it depending on the traffic) so that went out of the window. Pretty unfortunate since it was a great opportunity. Oh well. Red Sea was the first to be called to go through the passport and customs ordeal in the Glazer lounge so that was cool. We got them stamped and had to form a line in Tymitz Square to get our slips of paper where we filled out our electronics and estimated prices (if they were to get lost/stolen) also stamped. The ship just officially got cleared and it is almost 10:30 am. Pretty late, but it is a tedious process. I am actually not in a rush to go anywhere since my welcome reception is tonight. I am exhausted and will take a nap... grab lunch and while there perhaps meet with folks and leave for a few hours. The thing is we have to take the shuttle from the ship to the end of the port, not because we want to but because it is illegal to walk (unlike in Takoradi). This is similar in that it is a commercial port so there is a lot of cargo and just generally and unsafe environment haha. They are also working on having the shuttle access 24/7 so that we aren't pressured to come back before 11:59 (which is 'til the time it runs). Otherwise, you'd have to spend the night somewhere because the shuttle is the only authorized vehicle past the port and drops us near the gangway.

-Random stuff I forgot to mention in previous posts,
Ahshok and Ajay were awesome- so opinionated and funny, we had a blast with them. (They presented me with an Indian pouch yesterday which was awesome and so thoughtful).. They also were a part of our table wars (me versus Stephen) in which we would cram as many of our friends as possible... the person with the most won... haha. Certain people had an extraness...so the interport students for example was a big bonus and the first day they were here, Stephen got them during lunch. He won that round. Dinner came and he arrived a bit late and my table was full and he had to sit at a round table. He fervently tried to get people over to his but only garnered 3 or so people. It was awesome to win! Plus the interport students split up and alternated at our tables haha... again, they were awesome, talkative and college students. Ahshok is a senior as I am, Ajay is a sophomore. I believe both (or at least Ajay I know) is studying Mechanical Engineering. He told me how this is awesome being away from school but he has a major test the day after he gets back, womp womp. On thursday, they were also around to partake in our "cake day." Well we were originally celebrating Matt's acceptance into a grad school but that quickly changed into just ordering an ice-cream cake because we've denied junk food and would simply like a piece. haha. The icing read "Hakana Matata" for our newfound purpose of it- celebrating life. It took a while to decide the specifics of it since we would all be putting in money to get the biggest cake possible ($70). We had to decide at what point during dinner if it was the right time to request it... Linval got us when he said we wouldn't be getting it today/he had bad news hahaha.. we were all crushed... but realized he was joking ha!  While we waited we took a ton of pictures.. we also had a lot of false alarms since a lot of folks were getting cakes brought to their tables and "happy birthday" kept ringing off in different sections of the dining room... finally Linval brought out a ton of plates, utensils and napkins...and finally he came with it. It was a huge sheet cake with layered strawberry and vanilla icecream. When he set it down on the table, we started singing "Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase..." you know how it goes... haha... Folks were laughing and some joined in. We were snapping pictures and stuff. Great moment, and then we got to eating as Courtney sliced and diced for everyone =)

Crew Appreciation Day- Saturday, March 5th, 2011

Crew Appreciation DAYYYYY!!

Sooo the post that says "Recap of  Thursday, March 4th, 2011" is really that of Friday, March 4th. I also forgot to mention that we had a sea meeting later on that night and passed out the sign up sheet for the Assassins game, afterwards our "Show and Tell" -Both Amy and Julie shared their individual artwork via slideshow, Stephanie-flexibility, I read my "signature" poem, Sarah talked about her African dance experience...

Everyone who came to the Sea Meeting signed the huge banner/card thing that I'd made for Joseph and Armando our two cabin stewards. We truly do appreciate them for the
work they do. I mean, they clean our rooms, make our beds and a ton of other household stuff. It's quite a task and we thank them everyday. The other thing was that
some of the crew will be leaving from this point forward since their 6-month contracts are up. Armando will be leaving when we get to Hong Kong. We also heard that his second
child was born this February. The crew are incredible and just thinking about what lives they leave behind in various countries (Armando & Joseph- phillipines) to come aboard and work
with very minimum breaks, is noble.

Earlier that day I had also made personalized cards for my 3 favorite 5th deck dining stewards (Peter, Linval, and Clive). They will all leave in July. Peter back to St. Lucia, Clive and Linval back to Jamaica. After our voyage in April, there is a short voyage and a summer one until they leave. I have such amazing conversations with them and regularly look forward to them. They are awesome.

As I walk through the ship and even my hall, there were signs for the stewards and just thanking them in general. My roomies and I left some as well. Most people gave their stewards a day off, I know we did. Armando works so hard. There were blank appreciation and thank you cards passed out to us just before getting into the dining halls by students so that more students could give to those behind the scenes who may not receive as many (or any) for their invaluable contributions (kitchen stewards, cooks, purser's desk etc)

Around 7:30 pm, we piled into the Union for the India pre-port meeting. Ritika had been teaching a number of SAS students an Indian dance to perform for pre-port. She was something like a drill sergeant (I've sat in on her practices) but it was totally worth it. They were immaculate--absolutely fabulous! The sea salts also did some type of routine to an Indian song. This has been a week of India activities (lots of presentations with Ahshok and Ajay-Indian interport students, Indian workshops in the union with Ritika and Raja), that it is surreal to believe we were arriving the following morning. Dr. Bill and Laura had a lot of precautions regarding food. Pepto Bismol was a recurring word and they did a funny musical presentation with the dependent children on the ship about diarrhea. Apparently the ship can be impounded and denied entry into San Diego if a certain number of voyagers have diarrhea which was surprising news. We came close in Ghana they said and they expect the numbers to go up in India, but since they are giving all of these tips (take Pepto Bismol frequently before and after meals to lessen), we hope for the best.

The hardest challenge I would say is having homestays and following the food regulations. We aren't allowed to drink the water, eat fresh fruits (that are unpeeled) and vegetables...but it's rude to turn down food at homes even if you are concerned how or in what water/way it was prepared. I have my Rotarian homestay (3 days and 2 nights) so that will be my problem but I am excited about eating. Food is just awesome in general. lol.

After pre-port, I had my psycho-therapy meeting with the onship psychologists and some of my peers. We hadn't met in a while and it was nice to do so. We expressed many of the same sentiments about the social aspects of the ship and adjustment issues in many aspects. Very effective. Came back to my room talked to Mandy for a period of time about my church upbringing... Went to bed.


What happened on Thursday, March 3rd, 2011:

There was the Ultimate SAS'er competition-3 rounds, 1 winner. First was international wear, second was talent and last was q and a. Kinda pageant-esque.  There was great people in it- Dan, Jamie and Amanda, Alyssa and Raja, Serena, Alex, Will... The international wear was pretty comical because very few pairs look were tied together...they kinda had random gear from every country we'd been to so far. The explanations they offered was also hilarious (for most people) as they mocked modeled. I liked Amanda and Jamie's cohesiveness in that compartment. They had a Ghananian look going and wanted to focus on one country that greatly impacted them and they gave the reason why. For talent, they also had a great presentation...they sung and kinda danced to "let's give them something to talk about?" i can't remember the actual title but know it when I sing it haha. Dan and another guy did some type of waltz it was pretty funny...but he was pretty stiff and those who knew him were wishing he would stop looking so awkward!!! haha. Then Serena and her partner did the High School musical theme song and just when we thought it ended, the song changed to a fast-tempo Indian one and they went at it! It was fantastic! There song selections was a crowd pleaser. Alyssa and Raja danced to single ladies- hahaha. It was good though. A girl I think May(?) did some river dancing- she had clearly been trained and excellent. It was kinda unfortunate for her partner though because it was obvious he was still learning...Will and a girl whose name I think was AnnaChristine(?) and did a variation of dancing some waltz, tango, etc. It was also very beautiful. Alex...Alex oh Alex...If I tell you this guy and his partner (Aaron??) is a riot. He is. I actually don't know him but I wanna after their performance. They confessed to not having any "talent" and knew other people would be singing or dancing so they put together a slideshow of "data" they researched and compiled as statiticians. They also finished each others sentences...Just that idea was funny so they had everyone's attention. All of their charts/graphs were drawn by hand and were of various comical projections... some included the percentage of women on the ship who weren't on doxycycline, the number of seats available in Global Studies as the voyage continued, where the best place on campus to fart was, the level of attractiveness in remembering the names of girls on the ship, etc. A ton of people have taken videos and that is the best way to understand what I am talking about. The Q and A was entertaining as well. 1st place went to Will, 2nd-Serena, and 3rd-Jamie. They did a great job... but I was disappointed even though I'd voted for Jamie. I was conflicted with Alex... turns out they were also tied for 1st place so that was great news =)

Recap of an eventful Thursday (March 4th, 2011)

John and I were working on three songs for Bill Cuff's presentation for our Altruism class...
He wanted us to learn "Borderline," "What to do with what you got," "Somewhere over the Rainbow."
Neither of us had any idea how it would be structured in the place of a standard class period (or deviate from Kottler's regime).
We met to practice the songs as it got closer to the scheduled class day (B14)
I also found that we would perform for both of Kottler's scheduled classes because Bill would be doing it twice: 12:15pm, 2:55pm

Anyhow, the presentation was about courage and the results of Bill's dissertation. He'd interviewed and gathered data from 30 people who were being nominated for the Most Courageous/Noble People Award. 10 were women who had been severely sexually assaulted (here he shared a story about a woman whose abuse began as early as 3 years old up until she left at 18 years old, who despised the word Survivor, and coined the term, Surpassor because she felt that she was stronger because of what she went through), 10 people who had significant disabilities and would never be as mobile (here he shared tidbits about those who were either paralyzed mid-body, were confined to wheelchairs for life or inactive use of limbs) and lastly, 10 people who were in their last stages and suffered from HIV/AID's and at that time it was a greater stigma then there is now and drugs for it hadn't been perfected (here he shared the story of a woman in her last stages who believed a cure would be found in her life time, but it proved not to be so...for she died 3 months later.All of these individuals had incredible stories of what they did with what disparities they were facing.

All of the interviewees died at some point after the research study was conducted, but the reasoning for their inclusion was reaffirmed.
All had an unfailing hope and were resilient in spite of their circumstance. He asked us all to close our eyes and lead us into a visualization. We were to conjure up the face
of someone we admire and respected so much. When we regrouped, he asked how many people thought of those who'd past on and those who were still alive. It was a mixture.
His follow up question was how many of us can associate courageousness as a strong attribute or a reason for their influence over our lives as they battled injustices.
He asked that for the remainder of the class period, we keep them close and imagine them sitting next to us, just across the borderline. This cued me and John to begin that song.

There was a sheet that he passed out outlining the themes of courageousness and characteristics he found in all 30 people and the words they used to describe other people
they found to be courageous. A word he pointed out was stubbornness and how often people identified with it. As he said, many people associate it in colloquial terms as a
negative attribute, but in its core, it is in fact a very telling component to distinguish those who stand up for what is right and those who don't. He also had a self-assessment
test which he went over. He said that the average American generally had a 7 or 8 average on the courageous scale. However, those who were being interviewed for the Most Courageous/
Noble People Award scored an average of 10.9. He also said they also registered higher on the hopefulness scales than that of individuals leading "normal" lives. He also shared the story of meeting one woman who was recently added to the wall of courageous people who rescued and helped Jews during the Holocaust in the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. She was older woman by now (86 years old he said) but she was of a sweet and peaceful temperament. He said that he was humbled by the experience as I'm sure we all would be. She had watched a truck stop in the middle of the room and Nazis got out and grabbed little Jewish children and tossed them into it without care. She had saw two outraged women express contempt for what was happening, and they too in spite of who they were, be hauled into the back of the truck. The fact that she did nothing to save any of them haunted her and she vowed to do something about it. She began by harboring families under her kitchen floor and did so for over a 100. One particular chilling incident was when she harbored a father and two children. That evening Nazis did their usual searches among houses and found nothing. But unbeknownst to her, they were finding more Jews when they waited a few minutes after the initial inspection. Shortly after they reemerged. The woman said she'd opened the door and standing on her porch was one of the Nazis. Behind her was the family of three who had frozen in place because it was clear that they were found out. She said she could only do one thing then, and she would do it again. She thought of all those lives she had seen this guard responsible for, and reached for the pistol she was given at the beginning of the war. She never thought she would use it, but in that moment, instinct and judgment told her if there was any time, it would be now. She shot and killed him front point range. It was an extraordinary story and I was completely floored.

We watched a bit of the video for a cross-country biking outing done for fundraising and awareness purposes. There were 3 able-bodied bicyclists and 3 men and women in hand paddling bicycles due to their disabilities. There a support van that followed behind them. It was over 4,150 miles and took them 58 days. Most days they peddled at 15 mph. It was incredibly inspiring and I don't feel that I stand alone in feeling incredibly sentimental as I watched it. It took us right into our next song "What to do what you got" which is pretty self-explanatory. We have what we have, and we can't get what we aren't meant to have. So what do you do, other than to work with what you got?! The class ended with "Somewhere over the rainbow" as a light song about hope and courage.


Singing wise- it was a blast. John and I work well together in that we are creative and just pick up on where we are trying to take it. I think we are both performers so that's where that helps. We did mix and mess up the lyrics of the second song during the second class (my class period) and I was laughing as we continued singing through it. It was also video-recorded by someone from the SAS communications/photography.

I was moved by the number of people that thanked me for singing. It was indeed a fantastic overall presentation. I was appreciative of Bill's vision, his articulation of his points and happy that he thought to include music or just me in general. There are a ton of singers on this ship so that was great to work alongside John and support Bill.  I was even more overwhelmed by those who were crying and hugged me afterwards. I really do zone out even though I am present and connecting while I sing. Seeing grown people (Sea Salts/Life Long Learners), staff/faculty members and my own peers moved to that point was really really really powerful and I was shaking after listening to what they were saying to me. People want to be emailed the lyrics of the songs we sung and the video of us. It's amazing how I chose a path of further education as opposed to the music path that I was debating in high school. Yet music and words have not fail to follow me wherever I go. I've also seemed to have a better control of my range and exerting emotion as the temperature calls for it. I think what I am trying to say is as I've evolved, so has my voice and my sound. Subsequently Annie one of the Life Long Learners suggested that John and I make a motivational/inspirational cd of songs (including the 3 we sung) and sell it to the shipboard community (all proceeds to go to a charity). With so many different causes and reasons to create awareness it was a great idea but it was all happening so fast. Other people around her were agreeing that it would be a fabulous thing to do and that they would buy it and with our "creamy (John) and dreamy (me)" voices, it would sell fast. Dumbfounded John and I engaged in the conversation, mostly listening to be honest. We met again with Annie during dinner as she discussed logistics of how it could work since ISE doesn't necessarily endorse selling things. We could work out head shots with the media/communications folks. We had printers and could make CD labels/stickers. We discussed songs and came up with: the 3 we sung, Man in the Mirror, Stand by Me, Lean on Me, Amazing Grace as well as several other suggestions from folks (Imagine, Everything is Possible, Hurt and some others). All I can think is whew...crazy how life goes isn't it?

In response to the comments I received on my Alcohol post:

The anonymous comment made by someone was quite interesting because it came off very angry. Why he/she appears that way, is a curious matter. My math wasn't obviously exact but generally reflected that which was given during the meeting. My stance wasn't to outlaw those who like to drink alcohol  but rather, addressing those who choose to do so and do so irresponsibly. As a student body, we have done a heck of lot of “protecting” and aiding those who sometimes drink a little too much whether it is our immediate friends or those we simply recognize as a fellow SAS'er. We all get it. We all go out at ports at night, eat, drink and dance. However, the idea is to make sure we all get back from each port safe, sound and healthy. My point was to highlight the purpose of the meeting we had with Dean Dan.  It was a needed talk, not because we or I want to “focus on the negative” but because we have collaboratively looked out for one another while in port, but we now need people to do better.  We as individuals need to hold ourselves accountable because we all are essentially our own responsibilities and we as a functioning unit, will continue to hold each other accountable so that nothing happens to anyone. Yes, those who brought the kid in was commended and the action is encouraged on a regular basis, but the reasoning for the tone of the evening was to remind people that “we” can't afford another “near-death” experience. Totally appropriate and sometimes you can't begin and end a meeting with such a grave matter all “hunky-dory.”

In fact, I have a ton of friends who took a “booze cruise” on catamarans. I am not the police, I am not taking the superior role by denouncing what they chose to do versus what I chose to do. My point was any decision that we all made while in port (Mauritius) or any in the past and future, affects the entire shipboard community. The insinuation that those who really “care” should refrain from simply “sitting back” and actually do something, isn't fair. It is what it is. My paragraph in which I was tossing out some ideas as to why people drink to THAT EXTENT was simply that...ideas. It absolutely wasn't a paragraph telling “boozer students' parents how to parent”- which I thought was an interesting spin on what what I said. Those who drink responsibly shouldn't be attacked for the way they feel towards those who don't and alter the tone of the voyage and ship regulations. It is a valid feeling. Certainly the percentages and perception of who is in the minority and majority is interchangeable.. definitely dependent on the angle looked at and what is measured. Notice I presented a number of different opinions of the SAS body towards the alcohol issue. It is a frequent topic. We discuss both the negatives and positives of alcohol in general. Everyone can do better. There is often a misconception about alcohol limit, and it is important that we are cognizant of these things before we get to that level. At the conclusion of the meeting, no one particular person felt antagonized. There were nine students who were severely intoxicated and had dock time after being treated. But the overall vibe was set from that meeting. We can and will all do better.

Updates: March 5th, 2011
The hospitalized kid (back in Mauritius) is going to meet up with the ship, he will be rejoining us. Not sure when, but the announcement was made after heavy deliberation.

The 2 students and the crewman that left via our secret entrance into the military base in Diego Garcia touched bases with SAS. Both young ladies received treatment from Singapore. Neither will be returning, but one is better and returned to her family. The other will remain hospitalized and need further treatment. I was pretty surprised because I knew one of the girls- Mimosa. The crew guy was said to be going blind? I am not sure what his update is.

A morning detour

Sometime around 7:40 this morning, Captain Jeremy made an announcement. We would be making another unexpected stop. We are going into a restricted area, the island of Diego Garcia? I believe that's the name he gave us. There are a ton of random islands that can be seen during the day on the Indian Ocean. But anyhow, this one is a military base. They told us pictures weren't allowed as we entered and remained in the lagoon and not to be alarmed if we saw armed soldiers onboard. The reason for stopping he announced was for  the student or some students... (no one knows),  who needed to be evacuated immediately. They can't be treated on the ship and will be flown by helicopter to a hospital in Singapore. Interesting that they completely skipped over India, guess we can't take the risk. Just minutes before his announcement, Dean Marti apparently made one asking a student to come up to Tymitz Square. Funny how I slept through that one haha, something about the Captain's voice. But the fact that it was earlier than our normal morning announcements which generally begin around the Global Studies class period, was what made it so alarming. After waking up for that, I figured I might as well go to breakfast! At breakfast, sat with Kayla, Kristin, Matt and Cassandra where we mulled over the situation some more. Actually, majority of folks were discussing it. We don't know people's health conditions prior to the trip, the fact that they are doing SAS makes it more of a courageous act so long as they are taking their medications or whatever it is they need to do. I myself, have met a few people who have defeated the odds to be at sea with us. But there is the risky part of traveling around the world and catching something as well. Everyday, we are reminded to take our Malaria medicines and those who resent pills like myself am grateful for that tip because it is easy to forget. Anyhow, who knows. The ship has come to a stop. Guess they are now taking care of business. Last tidbit. Last night they announced that we may have noticed but we have been using all 4 engines once we left Mauritius. It may sound strange, but the faster we go (or in this case, speeding and using all 4 engines) actually makes things smoother. Going fast, doesn't have the same rattling, falling over effect. Why we are going full speed is because of the whole pirate situation... Random tidbit about yesterday: Went to a financial planning workshop hosted by one of the lifelong learners who is a retirement financial planner and accountant. Something of that sort. We got these awesome booklets and she broke down things very well. There will be 3 workshops in total, and originally I was just going to the first one because of my RA requirement...however, I will be going to all three. Definitely made me wish I had taken some folks advice regarding budgeting, saving, credit use etc. But it's not too late and I'm not doing TOO bad, I just could do better. Okay, time to pay some attention to this Global Studies lecture. This class is so frustrating. It's one of those classes everyone on the ship is enrolled in so with that being said, there isn't much learning happening... but you have to be present regardless. Okay, enough complaints haha. Good morning to everyone else out there!!

Thoughts about Alcohol

Yesterday we had a mandatory meeting in the Union. Dean Dan and Lisa talked to us about our Mauritius visit. As I previously mentioned, it was a mess (the SAS'ers who came back to the ship hammered which was about 95%).  We are reportedly the last voyage to stop in Mauritius and unlike previous voyages where they stayed many more days... we did 1 day and not even a full one at that. The future voyages will not be allowed off the ship, it will refuel and proceed towards the next destination. Walking up the gangway was reportedly disgusting because of the amount of vomit. During the meeting we got the health update of the kid who had to be hospitalized. He is being treated and whether or not he will return is being determined. Dean Lisa will speak with his professors to see if he was an outstanding student, if so, he will return on probation. If he was a mediocre/poor student, he will “join the alumni association early” which were Dean Lisa's exact words. It was a grave moment and it felt like people finally were listening. Very few people seemed to grasp how serious it was because Dean Dan made a statement during his talk that made us gasp... “Shame on those of you who had a camera and took a picture of the student.” Shaking my head... ahhh, people. The kid had to be resuscitated a number of times. The Deans thanked the kid's friends who instead of hiding him and not bringing it to their attention, did so. According to the ship's doctors, he was as close to dying as it gets. Even still, Dean Dan shared some of the comments he overhead. Students angrily whispering that the kid would be in trouble (get dock time etc) because of what his friends decided to do... how he could have slept it off...Man o' man. As Doctors Laura and Bill pointed out (and I don't know how many times they have to repeat themselves), you never really know. This kid couldn't be left by himself without going unconscious so who knows what it would have been. The result of this has also brought up the issue of Alcohol. We ourselves have been able to identify some very consistent and disturbing patterns of some of our peers... and truth is, we have quite a number of Alcoholics onboard.

Some students argue that SAS had it coming and that they should have more access to alcohol on the ship. I have had great difficulty hiding my “WTF” face. Their argument is that the faculty and staff have an equipped bar in the Glazer lounge which closes at 11 pm and we are treated like kids. You would think that given such an opportunity, much of the concern wouldn't rest on whether or not you can get numbed and belligerent, but that's the population we're dealing with. We are on a moving ship and some people can't even handle that much (seasickness). Then you have the multiple malaria and assorted medications we are taking...add alcohol to all of that and you have an even greater recipe for disaster. The age group varies too so that makes a difference. We have some wild 18 and 19 year olds who are away from home for the first time. They are enjoying the fact that you only need to be 18 to drink internationally. But then there are the standard 20-24 year old folks who are accustomed to drinking whatever or as often as they'd like. They are also in the same categories as those who professed to having fake ID's as early as 14 years old... They will also tell you that their parents were aware of their drinking and you get to wondering how many parents enabled these undercover alcoholics. I tell you, you get to know some people really well when they've had too many drinks.

The alcohol ratio has been debated quite a bit and there are designated Pub nights on the ship as are the options to have rationed drinks during dinner. Some of us are wondering if they should just be done away with all together. Seriously. As a responsible drinker, it is a nuisance. There are some students whose entire agenda for each port is to get drunk.They are the ones who get upset when they get dock time. They are the ones who protest how unfair things are. They are the whiny people we would so love to leave behind, because they just don't have a clue. I think it also has to do with how this trip came to be for each of us. Many of us have a story as to how this trip even became possible. I absolutely cannot see myself being sent home because of my inability to control my alcohol. No really. There are some people who are really upset that this is “real” school and not a “party ship/booze cruise.” I think the major component that slips peoples minds is the fact that this expedition will end...and who will you return to in the end? Eh, your parents...your family. Doesn't seem to ring a bell, how quickly we forget about real life. Some people are living this illusion, engrossed in the fantasy element that sailing around on the ship has... yet if something stupid that is done on their part affects whether they are returned to their family in one piece in the end, it is SAS's fault.

Next there were a Women's conference which was beautiful. There was a chilling silent exercise called “Crossing the Lines.” There were a series of questions for which you stood if you identified with. It was somber, it made you think and it also built a sense of community for those who were able to take a look around and see who was standing. There was also the survey results of 250 random SAS'ers included in the program. Women confessed to feeling like they had to dress a little more provocative than normal to attract guys due to the ratio. Guys confessed to feeling like they didn't have to work to get sex. I guess it shouldn't have been that shocking, but it was. 91% of the participants felt like they knew their alcohol limits, ironically, they felt 7 out of 10 people on the ship didn't. Which says a lot about how we feel about the drinking problem...but it also verifies the falsehood that some people have towards their own alcohol assessments. As the Doctors (and LLC's said), it's pitiful to see students in the clinic and regardless of their state, they all say they are “fine.” Shaking my head...

On behalf of the minority of sensible people (when it comes to alcohol) on this ship, I would like to urge anyone reading this post to contact their child. Who knows why people are drinking this much. Maybe it's because they miss you. Maybe it's because they want to fit in. Maybe it's to numb the confusion that erupts from this trip. Maybe they are lonely. Maybe they don't know how to have fun without it. <--That's a very popular reason. Maybe they started a long time ago and can't stop. Maybe they saw you drinking in the same fashion, and resorted to your method. It's beyond having fun, it's now self-medication. What wounds are your children medicating? They have to know that what they are doing affects everyone else around them... The student body is concerned. Maybe it's something to think about when we return in San Diego.