Thoughts about Singapore

Before we got there, everyone seemed to repeat the same thing: it was an awesome place to live, work and visit. We were pretty anxious to see what people were talking about. It was lovely, but very much like any other major city. I did the Many Faces of Singapore SAS trip which consisted of a trip to Little India, Malay town and China Town. Well, Little India wasn't that fascinating since we just came from the real deal and I have not yet even recovered from the craziness of that country. Malay town was highly influenced by the Arab and Muslim community, and Chinatown was okay...but we are going to the real Chinatown pretty soon. So, after a while we got to the point where we were trying to figure out what was unique or simply Singaporian. Don't get me wrong, I loved Singapore. I brought a key chain and some other things. But it is indeed a melting pot, and the Malaysian, Indian and Chinese population has certainly influenced the structure and makeup of the city/country. It was incredibly clean and indeed, very orderly.

Ps. Me and Meg aka Margaret ditched our trip since and got our noses pierced in Little India. Mary was supposed to do it with us but chickened out. We wanted to do it in actual India but worried about the cleanliness. She went first and sorta jumped when the woman used the piercing gun. We all gasped but it was fine. THe lady got to me and told me I couldn't move and that freaked me out since I didn't want to ruin anything but I couldn't stop myself from shaking. It suddenly didn't seem like the smartest choice haha. But anyhow, concentrated really hard, she pierced my nose and according to them I didn't move (or probably not as much as Meg) but the shock brought natural tears to my eyes. She handed us a tissue and I felt like my nose was running which it wasn't. My eyes calmed down but down I had to get used to what felt like a gigantic object on my nose. I couldn't seem to ignore it because it felt like my nose had grew in size and the stud seemed like the first thing people would notice when they saw me (which now in retrospect, is actually hidden and most people assumed that I had the piercing all along, and simply am now donning a stud). Anyway, we ended up getting back to the bus before the other folks and we (lauren, myself, Meg and Mary) ended up signing off the trip in Chinatown. We did some browsing around...and end up splitting up...

Can I mention how delicious food in Singapore was? is? it is true. there are sooo many malls and shopping venues that our taxi driver wasn't kidding when he said it is the Singaporian pasttime to eat and shop. They are a consumer-friendly nation.... with that being said, I was happy I loved it but got back to the ship on time. As usual there were folks who underestimated the wait period and tried to get more shopping and things in.... as my roommate Mandy relayed to me, she was in line with about 200 SAS'ers who all were trying to beat the clock. She got dock time as I am sure the rest of them did. SHe was hoping that there was power in numbers... I almost believed what she did since it seemed insane that they would all get it... but sure enough. 0-15 minutes late is 3 hours of dock time and that's what she got. She swiped her ID about 3 minutes after on ship time which sucked for her, but there were folks who essentially got 6-24 hours of dock time depending on their placement in the long long line. I don't really sympathize with anyone who gets back late because we are warned and we know the deal. You push it, you pay the price. I'm all about necessary discipline. But I will certainly add Singapore to my list of places to revisit. It is worth a week's visit for sure =)

Oh Viet Nam....

just got back from a long first day in Viet Nam. It is 10:49 pm our time and I am exhausted but can't stop laughing. I just got a foot massage with one of my friends...it was soooo awkward lmfaooo. the lady's hands were going up our thighs... this one guy in there got moved to a room so that he could presumably get a "happy ending" we got worried about what the lady thought we wanted (haha) and we bust out laughing about some stuff they were doing. (lol just thinking about it). they did some poking with what i presumed was a chop stick and at first i had no idea what was happening so i thought it was a needle or something and almost thought to stop her...it was a sharp shooting pain... but oddly felt like all my blood was rushing to one spot which didn't feel so bad after all??? if that makes any sense... anyways, she did that tediously for pressure points? i dunno. she did some kneading like my thighs and legs were bread which kinda tickled in an odd weird way, then she pressed a hot stone up and down, then she did some karate chop stuff and started smacking and pounding the shit outta our legs... and once i felt that and heard the other lady doing it to Dorian, I got the giggles and bust out laughing so hard.... pretty soon everyone was laughing. omg it was hilarious. mind you i wore a sun dress to day so she had my legs up and all i could think was omg i had no idea this would be like that. it was the most unusual foot massage we could ever imagine or anticipate. so she spreads my leg, and then holds it out and yanks it in the opposite direction, cracking stuff...then she sits me up and i'm thinking its over. the other woman is asking Dorian where we come from.... my lady is behind me, legs around my waist, twisting my body first to the left so that i could crack my back. then she does the same to the right. then, she grabs a pillow, places it on my back and forcefully pins me down so that my head is resting against my legs. it's a good thing I am capable of stretching and reaching that far because that would have sucked. anyhow, Dorian is asking me what do I wanna do at this point because we were fearful of missing the shuttle back to the ship at 10:30 and it was 10:15. I am laughing hysterically buried in my legs and the bed, underneath this woman and she can't hear me. the woman she is talking to asks if i could speak English when I get up and I assured them, laughing again, that I could. how funny is that? Anyways, the price of this lovely 40 min massage? $5 USD. awesome laughs, awkward, memorable Viet Nam moments =)

note about today's activities:

Did the city orientation, had a delicious full course meal at this Vietnamese restaurant. Then did some more sight seeing on the buses, getting off at designated spots. Then we (me, Lauren, Dorian, Meg, and some others) signed off at the Rex's Hotel. Had a drink and some food (definitely more pricey there than in other spots)...Walked around and ran into Eylee and Christine, walked around the night marketplace...tried not to get swindled by some of the women attempting to sell us overpriced stuff... although we did try some cool stuff on... then we went and had some local beer (Red Saigon) outdoors at this outdoor eatery which had an awesome grill... we were fascinated by the whole fish, prawns, shrimp and other stuff on it and how they cooked it in front of us. we actually asked and took a picture of it hahaha. but it was so difficult not to just buy food just because... it all looked so good and most folks like me realize how much money goes to food as opposed to anything else...

Quick update

We are no longer going to Japan. ISE and SAS thought it wouldn't be best, and considering what devastation Japan is undergoing, it makes sense. There were three options of where we would go in place of Japan: The Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan. I was pretty indifferent about any of them. I thought South Korea was the less exotic of the two, meaning, it is frequently referenced to in international conversations back in the states. While the Philippines and Taiwan are so far removed and this would be my one shot opportunity to visit any of the two. It isn't the usual or ideal vacation or business spot. South Korea was overruled by the officials because of the fear radiation and strong winds blowing near it. The gang violence was too big of a present fear for us to dock in the biggest yet busiest port of Manilla, Philippines. It was unfortunate news since many of the crew members are from the Philippines. They were originally ecstatic and naturally, we care about them and got excited. They work away from home 6-10 months on the ship at a time. But anyhow, the conclusion was Taiwan. We as a shipboard community have generally ran out of malaria medication and they had to factor that risk in as well for our mystery port. It was also far enough from radiation, wind, tsunamis or earthquakes. Anyhow, have to talk about India and Singapore eventually. so tired. We dock in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam tomorrow by 11 am. I feel lost and can't believed yet again, it's happening!

Crew Talent Show- Sunday March 13th, 2011

The Crew talent show was tonight at 9 pm. It was amazing. I can't tell you how much I screamed, smiled, clapped and sung along with those who sung...my camera regrettably died and I was running out of video space anyway but fortunately Dean Marti said it'll be up on the public drive. It was amazing to see them outside of the usual and in their elements. THere were slips that were passed out so that we could contribute to the Crew Fund since many of them spend 6-10 months on the Explorer... and as we have engaged in conversations, we've learned about the families they've left behind. From the dance routines to the band (whoo!) solo performances and their final act... It was refreshing, exciting and just awesome. The vibe of support and appreciation was palpable. Following it we were in such a great mood... that folks started dancing to the music playing. Next thing you know it became a huge ordeal. haha.... we were imitating Raja since it was the song they'd danced for the Indian pre-port meeting. But he was towards the left of the Union door entrance dancing with some folks... when they realized we were following what they were doing, they really got into it haha... anyhow, all around the auditorium folks were rushing to the center where we were to get in on the action. After that song, others followed and everyone trickled into the main area.... it was like another Club Union... haha. We created all types of soul train lines and got dean Marti to show off her moves =) it was pandemonium but fun chaos. The two interport students from Singapore were laughing haha. We were a funny sight. Then there was the Thriller song in which we got even crazier. No one really knew how to do it so that is where the funny part comes in... over all, full of laughs and good times.

contrary to earlier this morning,
I went to the spa on the seventh deck sometime around 10ish am to get the seven seas massage which is 50 minutes for a combination of Swedish, Thai, Reiki, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Shiatsu, Lomi-Lomi. The lady was okay, although the pressure was often time much more painful than pleasurable, I've been extremely tense and far more stressed since India and have yet to update you folks about it, but I hope to soon. I realize that while this is an informal blog, I don't share "everything" I guess this time it's important to note my physical presence but emotional absence for some time now... it's becoming more and more frequent. We have our next pre-port on Tuesday, and arrive in Singapore. It's all becoming much more hectic. School-- I freaking hate it at this point. Talk about senioritis. I am tired of the papers, journal entries, quizzes... tests. Its difficult as it is to bounce back and forth between land and sea, and then to have to jump back into classes whenever we are not in port is brutal. I never really bounce back until a couple of days within the week. Certainly not the first day of class again. I've been floating and searching for some type of motivation to stay focused. Right now I don't have it.  I also unfortunately brought minutes and logged onto Facebook at some point and instead of that being comforting it was actually depressing. If I already thought I was somehow depressed, this only set me back further. Anyhow, I've been finding myself becoming distant and not myself so I thought a massage would be useful. Unfortunately I wasted $55 because it was completely and utterly ineffective. Instead, I laid there trying to silence my brain and tell myself to relax as it happened. I tried to focus on my breathing. I tried thinking about animals and beaches. I got nothing. Instead the same matters plaguing me back in my room followed me there and me telling myself not to think about it wasn't the least bit helpful. It didn't work as commanded and being an expert at what she was doing, I am totally sure she was aware that I wasn't getting any better or relaxed. She kept asking at the end was it satisfactory, did I like it and I had to reassure her... and tipped her to prove it. She was great. I just... dunno. It's amazing how we go for days, for weeks, for months without knowledge of our physical guards. I know when I am emotionally distraught but it takes occasional representations like this to reaffirm or inform me that something is really not okay with me. I've been listening to my ipod a lot and reading "The Long Walk to Freedom" -Nelson Mandela's autobiography (almost done with it, it's by far one of the most amazing autobiographies I've read). I've been isolating myself and trying to silence out the "noise" being surrounded by tons of people can bring, but I seem to be doused with some sort of sadness I can't shake. My favorite waiters noticed it and have asked me on a number of occasions, I try to respond as honest as possible. Unfortunately there is only so many days you can go without contact or on a hiatus on this ship or in life in general. Friends inquire and the social experience makes up about 95% of this voyage. For someone still trying to sort out their feelings and process without ill projection, it can be frustrating not to put the world on hold until I figure it out.


Neptune Day- Saturday March 12th, 2011

Around 7ish am, there was a knock at the door and some other noises of those of "Royal Neptune's court" waking us up. Shortly after Dean Marti or "The Voice" made an announcement about it. We all headed to the pool deck where Captain Jeremy was painted in green as King Neptune, Dean Lisa was Queen Minerva and there was an array of staff and LLC's who made up the royal court. All were decked in their robes/costumes. We had to repeat back an oath of some sort.  It was all very cheesy. Then the festivities began. There was a garbage bucket filled with "greenish" gunk. Folks were instructed to wear their swimsuits, so they got dumped with that stuff. Jumped into the pool, swam over to the sidelines, kissed the fish, then kissed the  the Queen's foot...or as I saw most people do... her hand. Over near the pool bar were the chairs filled with people getting their heads shaved and donating it. It was pure craziness watching it happen. A number of my friends did it. As an upclose spectator it was interesting to see people's faces as it was done. The flicker of uncertainty, the fear, the pride when folks howled and cheered them on... it was also very sad to listen to conversations of peer pressure. Those would be the very same folks who would after a few weeks, regret doing it because everyone else did it. Most of the volunteers were women..although there was a fair amount of guys who seized the moment to have a haircut haha as my friend said. It was pretty different though because it was essentially a baldy- very close to the scalp and not very flattering for the most part. Already some women were donning hats or scarves...with such a cut it would take months to get even (and lengthy) growth. There was a meeting in the Union about the state of the voyage and updates about Japan. It was our first exposure to what was happening internationally and technically that was because it would affect us. We are scheduled to dock in Kobe and Yokohama, Japan. We aren't too sure about Yokokama since a city 200 miles north was affected and the fear of nuclear reactivity is high, but at the moment we are still on schedule. It was a reflection day so we met with our cultural reflection groups and that was cool as well...

We advanced our clocks a half hour yesterday making it 12/13 hours in total--one of the two, I can't remember... I am awfully tired since we have to advance our clocks one hour tonight and another hour tomorrow. Either way we are bizarrely ahead. I'll try to post my reflections of India and what I did sometime before we arrive in Singapore though...

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 =)