VIETNAM IS AWESOME!!!!

I only have 2 days on the ship before I get to China so I am going to give you Nam in an outline because I’m a busy lady these days (my pillow is calling)

Headline: Nam Take 1

I.               Goal: Do things that we can say “since Nam” at the end with pride

II.             Rode on sketchy mopeds

a.     Known for craziest traffic in world

b.     Made it alive

c.      Pollution is so bad that a lot of them wear masks

d.     Why didn’t we get the memo?

III.           Went to the Ben Thanh Center market

a.     Currency: Dong

                                               i.     $1=20,000 Dong

                                              ii.     I was a young millionaire for a week

b.     Shopping (footnote: don’t judge me)

                                               i.     Northface backpack

1.     $13

                                              ii.     Neon yellow nikes

1.     $35… shiesty <Spell check?

                                            iii.     Rice field hat

1.     $1

2.     Picture in it: priceless

                                            iv.     Gucci purse

1.     $20

                                              v.     Chanel purse

1.     $6

                                            vi.     Carrera sunglasses

1.     $15

                                           vii.     Chopstick for my hair

1.     $1.50

IV.            Coffee shop

a.     Chai tea

b.     French fries

                                               i.     Real ketchup

1.     Commodity

V.              Shower/get ready

VI.            Wedding ceremony and reception

a.     Adam Gerber and Chelsea Chrouser

b.     Grand Hotel Saigon

c.      7pm-12am

d.     Open bar, dinner, dancing

VII.          Apocalypse Now

a.     12am-4am?

Heading: Ho Chi Minh>Hanoi

I.               6am flight to Hanoi

II.             Bus to hotel

a.     After waiting at the airport for 2 hours to find the tour guide

III.           Service at an orphanage school called the “Friendship Village”

a.     Refugee children affected by the Agent Orange from the Vietnam War

                                               i.     Agent Orange: code name for the herbicidal warfare

                                              ii.     The mixture of chemicals was contaminated with an extremely toxic dioxin compound (tetrachlorodibenzodioxin). Exposure to the mixture of 2, 4, 5-T and 2, 4-D caused massive amounts of biological mutations and deformations.

b.     Dedicated in memory of George Mizo

c.      School funded by Vietnam Children’s Fund and the Vietnam Friendship Village Project U.S. Committee

d.     Gesture of friendship and reconciliation between people of USA and people of Vietnam, completed in 2004

e.     The visit was filmed by Channel 6 news and showcased the next day and I was interviewed!

IV.            Funky Monkey club in downtown Hanoi

a.     Light up dance floors

b.     Good music

c.      Hookah

V.              Late night 4^th meal

a.     Got Pho

                                               i.     Pronounced “Fah”

BRIDGE IN HANOI

FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE ACTIVITES

Heading: Hanoi>Ha Long Bay (1 of the 7 wonders)

I.               8am bus ride to Ha Long Bay with Global Citizens Travel Co.

a.     4 Hours

II.             Luxury junkboat: Marguerite Junk

a.     4 Junkboats, 60 students, 25 on ours

III.           Lunch

a.     Fresh, fresh fish

                                               i.     Eyes and tail in tact

                                              ii.     Caught probably moments before, feet away

b.     Squid and veggies

c.      Got very adventurous, Mom you’d be proud.

IV.            Ventured into these huge caves

a.     Looked like the cave in the music video “2nite” by Felguk

b.     Rave in a cave anyone?

V.              Kayaking in the bay

a.     Didn’t capsize- success

VI.            Dinner

a.     Just as fresh, mysterious, and exciting

VII.          Karaoke

a.     A lot of karaoke

b.     Too many videos

c.      More reputations

VIII.        Night squid fishing

a.     1 caught

IX.            More dancing

HA LONG BAY

KAYAKING IN THE BAY

OUR (LUXURY) JUNKBOAT!

ONE OF THE CAVES

Heading: Ha Long>Hanoi>Saigon/Ho Chi Minh

I.               Breakfast

a.     Favorite meal of the day, enjoying it

II.             Realized I lost my passport

a.     The crew could not understand me

b.     Disbelief

c.      Shock

d.     Fear

e.     Found someone with a phone who partially understood

                                               i.     Called the tour bus we took there

                                              ii.     He made a joke that they found it

                                            iii.     Couldn’t tell if he was serious

f.      Got back to the tour bus

                                               i.     In hope

                                              ii.     It wasn’t a joke

                                            iii.     Got my passport

1.     Made II. Possible

g.     4 hour bus ride, lunch ½ way

III.           Flight 5:10pm

a.     Sleep (naps are key to survival and “health”)

IV.            Back to the boat by 7:30pm

V.              Club Lush by 9pm

a.     Motorbiked it there

                                               i.     Vietnamese driver got lost

                                              ii.     I thought they said Club “Lust”

1.     Accent barrier

                                            iii.     Quite the adventure

                                            iv.     I made it

1.     Got a discount (.50 cents)

b.     Ladies night

                                               i.     Free drinks until 12am

1.     3 hours of free drinks

2.     Too good to be true

3.     It was true

4.     Best things really are unexpected

5.     No $ spent- made up for shopping on day 1

c.      Friends got VIP table

d.     Met locals

e.     Smoked my first cigarette

                                               i.     Marlboro

                                              ii.     Only for the goal of “since Nam”

                                            iii.     Never again

f.      Met a lot of locals, so welcoming

                                               i.     Met one that has a house in Laguna Beach!

                                              ii.     Met some guys from Germany, a woman from Sweden

                                            iii.     Bffs

VI.             Club Lush>Apocalypse Now

a.     More sketch motorbiking

                                               i.     Too fun

b.     Dance dance dance

                                               i.     Tech-yes

MOTORBIKE NONSENSE

NAM LOVE NAILS

Heading: Nam Nam Nam

I.               Last day

a.     Slept through FDP (field trip for class to Vietnamese elementary school)

                                               i.     First time, last time

                                              ii.     Sorry, sorry.

II.             Went to the market one last time

a.     Grabbed some cool tank tops

                                               i.     “Same same but different”- maroon T (Ask me to explain saying when you see me wear it)

                                              ii.     Tiger Beer-royal blue T

                                            iii.     China flag-red/yellow T

1.     $10 Bargain

b.     Tried on a pollution mask

                                               i.     It was shabby chic!

                                              ii.     White with pink roses

                                            iii.     Wished it was a bandeau (Lauren, right?)

c.      Jasmin got some Cargos

                                               i.     Dedicated to the “since Nam” goal

                                              ii.     Camel toe

III.           Took a FB default pic, in need of an opinion (Liza, see above- one with peace sign)

IV.            Got an aromatherapy/hot stone massage

a.     90 minutes-$15

b.     Guys got happy ending

                                               i.     It is real

V.              Pedicure for $4

a.     Pastel purple/pink

VI.            Manicure for $3

a.     Turquoise, I got “NAM” in hot pink on my right hand and a yellow heart outlined in hot pink on my left J

VII.          Hookah bar next to the ship for last minutes in Nam

VIII.        BBQ on the boat

IX.            Henna tattooed mustaches on 10 peoples fingers

a.     Got creative and made a “Stached” game.

                                               i.     Rules:

                                              ii.     If you raise your stache to your upper lip and the person looks, they have to:

1.     In class: ask a question

2.     At a bar: take a shot

3.     Other: Truth/dare

                                            iii.     If you put your finger stache on the other persons upper lip

1.     The same rules above but the command is 10x worse (equivalent to double truth/dare, but you are shunned if you choose truth… the usual)

b.     Ship life high points

c.      Only made it 8 hours before I got stached in class (prior to writing this blog)

d.     Had to ask an awkward question, fail, success, whatever… keeping it exciting

                                               i.     I think I got brownie points for sounding involved

1.     Win Win sitch

X.              2 Days until China

a.     Never enough time to recover

b.     SOO excited

c.      It’s almost April!

                                               i.     I will be home in exactly 1 month

                                              ii.     Everyone is so excited for San Diego that they aren’t booking flights back home. Mom and Dad, we might have a few guests

d.     I probably left things out but I want to end on roman numeral X

e.     Shout out: I love you Danny

f.      Everyone have a fabulous Spring Break!!!!

                                               i.     Start brainstorming for Senior year

DOWNTOWN SAIGON/HO CHI MINH- POSSIBLE DEFAULT?

“Nicest hotel in the world”

Prom 2011 Singapore

The block of malls

Jazzy and I

Singapore was a metropolis out of a Jetsons episode. The nicest hotel in the world is there, its called the Marina, which looked like a 3-tier structure with a spaceship on top. We visited the Merlion statue, which was being remodeled to have a hotel constructed on top of it. It was bizarre, like someone deciding to build a high-rise corporate building around the statue of liberty.

We turned the corner and found another Starbucks (one on every five blocks versus Americas every other). First soy chai in 3 months. After that we found a bar that claimed to have longest happy hour in town. After our 2 for 1 deal, we made our way to the Orchard District. This part of the city had blocks of different malls surrounded by greenery. After we left the shops it was misting, turning the cement jungle into a rainforest.

Additional news:

It is official- we are not going to Japan anymore. Instead, we are going Taiwan.

We gained an hour last night instead of lost one, needed that.

Happy late St. Patricks Day.

There are two people on the boat getting married in Vietnam so that we have a reason to party together, what’s better than a wedding in Nam? They set up a reception with open bar and hotel. I have a lot of exciting plans for the next week, which starts when I wake up to Saigon tomorrow morning!

It’s Neptune Day on the ship! Passing the equator line gave me a great tan. A drum line ran up and down the aisles of the ship at 8am encouraging everyone to participate. Everyone put on bathing suits and made their way up to deck 7 to get fish guts poured on them, and jump into the pool for the ceremony. Brave souls (girls included) got their heads shaved, and ended with a taco Tuesday, on Saturday. Tonight we have India reflection where we talk about what we saw and learned. 3 days until Singapore!

As for Japan, we have been watching the news and it is heartbreaking. We are continuing our route up to Vietnam but they haven’t said what we are going to do after. I would jump at the opportunity to go to Japan and do service if it is safe to dock there. My love and prayers go out to anyone who is affected. I will keep you updated on our itinerary and safety. Thank you to everyone who was worried about the ship!

DOMINICA:

Waterfalls (The Emerald Pool)

View from the port

BRASIL

Rio de Janeiro

The sloth in the Amazon in Manaus

GHANA

This is a picture from the slave castles

This is from a school visit I did in Takoradi

CAPE TOWN

Mzoli’s Sunday BBQ

Shark Diving

Wine Tasting

Table Top Mountain

MAURITIUS

Dock of catamarans

Swimming off of Gabriel Island

INDIA

Taj Mahal

Elephant ride up to Amber Palace

Meditating on Ghandi’s lawn

I only uploaded a select few (I have thousands). If you have read my blog and want to see a picture of something, just e-mail me now that I know how to do this. Hope you enjoy and that my blogs do these wonderful countries some justice!

1: CHENNAI

My biggest fear prior to disembarking in India was transportation. Within the first 10 minutes off the ship, I was in my first rickshaw driving through the city of Chennai. I think I finally understand the meaning of ‘cultural shock.’ Fearful but exhilarated, we drove past beaches with miles of sand, ancient mosques, and never ending markets.

The classic Indian market offers fruit, flowers, fabric, toys, food, knick-knacks, and job opportunities. We ended up at a saree store (the cloth draped over women) and played dress up for the following hour. That night was unexpected, aren’t those always the best? The rickshaw drivers didn’t understand the club we wanted to go to so we decided to trust their decision. They promised air-conditioning, the asset that locals think is tourists’ biggest priority. We got the AC and much more. The Submarine Bar was fueled by blue light and songs that you would find on my fist pump playlist. We did the traditional cheers, and spent our time racking up a bill of beer and wine while playing the game thumper. Afterwards, a few of us went on a search for a club called Dublin that ended up being closed, a universal obstacle that we come across in every country. We defaulted to a bar called Westminster, filled with Europeans, Canadians, and TVs showcasing the live soccer game. By the time we left the bar the streets that were closterphobic by day were spotless by night.

2: NEW DELHI

Jazmin and I made an executive decision to not sleep that night (regretful), so it ended up being one long journey. My alarm at 3am both reminded me that there were pastries upstairs in 30 minutes and encouraged me to pack for my 4am departure. I was guaranteed a “rigorous” itinerary for the next 4 days, traveling up to 15 hours a day, covering India as North as New Delhi and as West as New Delhi.

We departed on IT 231 for Delhi at 6:15am, ouch. We went to Qutab Complex where we saw assorted ancient structures, one resembling an Indian leaning tower of Piza. We played hide and seek in between the engraved columns and learned the stories behind the perfect arcs.

Our next stop took us by surprise considering Jazmin and I were halfway in our REM sleep when we got off the bus. Within a matter of seconds we had two guys taking pictures with us and asking for our e-mails. In a struggle to walk away, two women came up and grabbed our hands. Before we had time to look down we had henna up to our bracelets and beggars on our hands.

Next we went to Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi. I walked past flowers that seemed alive with character and color up to a grass covered hill. Jazmin and I chanted the hymn I learned in my South Asia Music class and focused on our breathing like she was taught in her stress management class. It’s quite rewarding when the things you learn in school cross over to reality, which is what I love most about the educational facet of Semester at Sea.  

After, we toured Humayun’s Tomb, the precursor to the Taj Mahal. Built by the Mughals, it was the first structure to use red sandstone and white marble in great quantities, influenced by Persian architecture.

Eventually we made it to the Ramada Plaza Hotel, a desert illusion by 7:30pm. They greeted us with a flower lei and a red mark between our eyes. The buffet was a meal straight out of a menu from heaven, just wow. I passed out soon after, the autopsy? Food coma.

3: NEW DELHI > JAIPUR

Our wakeup call was sentenced for 4am. We arrived at the railway station at 5:30ish, the New Delhi Bhopal Shatabdi Express promptly took off at 15 after 6. With all of the terrorist warnings, there had been high security everywhere, but Jazmin and I decided to wear our sarees for the day anyway. Dressed and ready, we headed for the Taj Mahal!! That magnificent white structure looks photoshopped into thin air, perfected placed above the elongated body of water and line of bushes. That is one lucky woman who gets to spend the rest of her (physical) life in the center of the Taj Mahal. The intricacies of the plated marble were stunning. After the Taj we went to a factory where they showed us the process of the decorative marble, what an art.

Next we went to Agra Fort where the Mughals governed their land, an area that made up the base of the history in medieval India. This brick fort had a view of the Taj Mahal and the Jamuna River. Monkeys hanged from canapés, pillars, and trees inside, which surrounded rows of green and purple vines used for wine making.

Later we made a stop at a carpet factory where we learned about the textiles of India. The process of creating and testing carpets was interesting and exhausting, some taking years to make and selling for under $1,000.

We jumped into the bus for a 6-hour drive to Jaipur. On the way we stopped at Fatehpursikri, another fort that looked like it had somewhat of a Chinese influence. We met a family there from Agra who invited us to their house. Although we had to pass, it is refreshing to meet such welcoming individuals with so much zest for life and culture willing to share it all with strangers.

The Ramada Prime Hotel in Jaipur was magnificent with its modern architecture and king size beds, oh how I miss spreading out.

4: JAIPUR

Our excursion to the Amber Fort was unreal. We ascended up the palace trail via an elephants back, very Aladdin, minus the flying carpet, which I need to invest in. The elephants were painted various patterns in bright, fun colors. The fort was quite the maze; we lost people without playing hide and seek. On our way out another woman offered henna, so I got my arms up to my elbows done. I forgot how much I love it, I might just have to buy a kit.

Jaipur is known as the “Pink City,” because of the assorted pink/salmon color buildings throughout the city. We ate at a local restaurant called Spice Court, where they had a family singing Indian music, and another buffet. It’s impossible to stop eating until near tummy explosion under the spell of curry and na’an bread.

After we had a city tour of Jaipur. We saw the city palace, which had an awesome building of peacocks, gorgeous chandeliers (Lauren), and huge marble elephants. Also, we got to see the brilliance of past ancestry at the Observatory. There were a bunch of ancient formations that told the people the time of day and positions of Gods by the location of the sun (reminded me of the Mayans).

We spent our last night at the Ramada Prime again, and were pleased with the extra 2 hours we got to sleep in with the 6am wake up call. I am writing this part of the journey on the bus right now, the traffic is pretty bad here. With all the noise in this country, I am convinced that the gas pedal and car horn are attached. We don’t arrive in New Delhi for the flight tonight until 9:15pm, a scheduled arrival at the ship at 1:30am. Its time to nap. While its 11:11am here, its 9:39pm in America, so have a fabulous night.

Woke up from nap #117 in front of a Sikh temple in Old Delhi. We washed our hands and feet and sat in on a ceremony. We got the communion that was a slimy oatmeal consistency that tasted like it had a hint of peanut butter and brown sugar, but not quite as tasty as that might sound. The sanctuary had a holy pond and a shiny gold dome that you could see from a mile away. In the back they had a kitchen where Sikh women and men volunteered to sit at different stations peeling onions, stirring porridge, making dough and cooking the na’an. Their assembly line worked hard to serve its members. The sense of community was overwhelming, what a culture.

We went to a restaurant for Indian snacks (yum!) and chai tea!!! Considering my past addiction for chai tea, I had one sip and I was wired, couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I heard there is a Starbucks in North Asia… can anyone find out if there is one in Singapore? (Not you Lauren, you said there wasn’t one in Cape Town, fail.) Singapore in 4 days, then everything after is a breeze. Only 9 days of school in March, so much room for activities. Oh and Neptune Day is in 2 days on the ship, I’ll post about it later! Still working on uploading pictures, I just learned how to condense pictures today, hence the one posted.

Quick stats: 4 hennas, 1 elephant ride, 4 episodes of drip-drying, 7 Indian style buffets, 7 food comas, uncountable beggars, 2 plane flights, over ~20 hours by car, 3 hours of traffic, 1 train, 15 naps, 3 hotels, 3 cups of chai tea in 1 sitting, 3 terrorist warnings, 35 yawns, 23 sneezes, not as many bless you’s, 1 Sikh service, 6 palaces, 2 meditation sessions, 3 sarees, 3 packs of jewels, 1 kama sutra, <500 pictures, 1 skype sesh, 0 fast Internet, 14 pieces of na’an, 30 count offs, 1 time barefoot, 5 vitamin C pills, 4 peptos, not enough sleep, 10 water bottles, 4 showers, 4 cosmopolitans (all different countries), 4 scarves, and 1 package! (thanks baby). Tomorrow is my last day in India! My plan for tomorrow is a hookah bar, some more chai tea, and a veil of jasmine for my hair. Any suggestions for Singapore/Vietnam/China/Japan/Hawaii? Send me some love! rejames@semesteratsea.net

Mauritius (an island east of Madagascar) was a 7-hour palooza, a play date between South Africa and India. The port where we docked was littered with a mixture of pastel buildings and temples that had a backdrop of repeating bright green mountains. At 10am, an hour later than planned, around 200 Semester at Sea students filed onto buses where we carpooled to a smaller dock surrounded by restaurants, shops, and the most beautiful water I have ever seen. On the drive over I saw endless small green hills and plains in the distance, something you think only lives within dreams and maybe Ireland. Once we arrived, the neon aqua water was captivating. 5 catamarans awaited, there were 4 white ones and 1 neon orange and lime one… I was lucky enough to cruise on the grapefruit for the day. Holding about 40 people each, we all sailed about 30 minutes out near one of the best scuba diving/snorkeling spots in the world. The scene looked something like an exotic spring break in Lake Havasu. We spent the day jumping off the top of the boats, swimming from catamaran to catamaran, playing on the rocks of Gabriel Island, snorkeling, drinking, barbecuing local food (yum), and taking silly videos. It was two of my friends 21st birthdays (Hailey & Rikki), we brought their most exciting years of life in with style and an attempt at grace. I wish we could have stayed longer, but South Asia needs us, India, here we come.

Quick (random) note for summer time: EDC is in Las Vegas… get ready.

SOUTH AFRICA EPISODE 1:

After waiting offshore for a day (we were supposed to be in port) because of the winds and wakes, we finally docked the next morning.

I did an amazing wine tour in the Stellenbosch countryside of South Africa with my extended family from San Diego. We went to 2 different wineries that overlooked columns of grape vines protected by white roses and picket fences. We got a private tour and a tasting, and instruction on how to appropriately hold a wine glass, mix it, smell it, inhale, swish, swallow, enjoy, and judge. Half of our group went skydiving, with little instruction and rubber bands for a holster, the only conclusion is that everyone needs to go at least once in their lifetime. That night Bonnie and Hans (they are from La Jolla) took us all out to a magnificent dinner where I had a Caesar salad intensely sautéed in anchovies and a red meat sandwich that melted in my mouth. The peer pressure I got for going out didn’t last long, I called it an early night (2am) and got as much as possible (3 hours).

EPISODE 2:

We planned to wake up and leave at 6am, which became a 7am departure after a long night. After a 2 hour bus, we made it onto a boat that took us 40 minutes into center stage of Shark Week. I swam in the South Atlantic with a group of white sharks (in a cage, I’m not that exciting). It was exhilarating and rather unreal. I have some pictures that National Geographic will want, and some videos that may or may not get me an internship with Planet Earth, specifically the Blue Planet.

That night U2 was playing in the World Cup stadium so thousands of people were filing into town, around 80 grand. After the show we went to a place called “The Fez,” it looked like a club straight out of Moulin Rouge. It had fake clouds hanging from the ceiling, a projected face on the wall, and chandeliers lining the bar. I got a table, which was coated in magenta velvet and semester at sea students. After paying the bill for Absolute-ly great fun, we wandered to Long Street to participate in somewhat of a pub-crawl that most closely resembled a night on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. We cheered to the best night of our lives about 10 times, which we made sure to live up to for the next 3 nights.

EPISODE 3:

We took it slow the third day, running on 6 hours of sleep out of the past 72 hours spent in South Africa. We walked around the Victoria Wharf Waterfront mall (the backyard of our ship) and made our way through an eclectic marketplace where I bought some irreplaceable souvenirs (get excited bffs). After shopping, we went to a township about 30 minutes from the ship. The barbeque is an infamous event that all the South African locals go to on Sundays. The event includes music, diversity, drinking, and buckets of meat from a restaurant called Mzoli’s (slabs like you’ve never seen before). It was amazing how out of place we were in thought, but how comfortable we were in time.

We struggled to keep our heavy eyelids from shutting, and rallied for an unforgettable night. Surprised to find out that Sundays were the greatest night of the weekend in South Africa, we jumped into a taxi. We headed down to Camps Bay, a gorgeous road of million dollar homes intermingled with cute original restaurants and shops. We went to an exclusive club called Saint Yves where deejay Goldfish was spinning. I got a big white cabana outside that overlooked the ocean. By getting a table, all students have a meeting place, somewhere to put our things, and wonderful service. We ended up with a R6,000 bill that was filled with bottles of Belvedere and energy drinks. Would not have changed a thing.

EPISODE 4:

Like the Flat Irons of the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, Colorado, Cape Town citizens wake up to Table Top Mountain and Lions Head every morning. These landmarks shade the sun by day, and are the backdrop to every sunset. I took a cable car up to the top to watch the day drop to the night as the fog elegantly rolled over the mountains. It is in the running for one of the new world wonders (the ever changing list), the only way to describe it is the closest thing to what heaven might look like, where the top sits right above the fluffy cloud bank.

Only making it out because it was our last night in Cape Town, we decided not to drink. That ended as soon as we got to Mitchells, an Irish pub next to the dock where most students meet up before we start our nightly extravaganzas. Who would have known that this day would lead into the most paramount night of our voyage? It was college night at Mercury Lounge. The second floor was the location of great and endless memories. We danced from start to finish from the greatest dub step I have ever heard, to house, to electro, to Irish skipping, to rock n roll, all the way to oldies that make you want to jump, twist, shout, laugh, and videotape. It was hard to walk out of that club door. By our usual schedule, we left at 5am, passed out on the ship by 6, and woke up the next morning by room phone for whoever made it up first.

EPISODE 5:

The last day was spent trying to find my iPhone that my Dad sent to me. It never showed up and I had no means to search for it. I gave up after hours of struggle and went back for my last few hours at Mitchells. I grabbed a stick of lipstick at Mac (a pastel purple color) and said my last goodbyes to one of my favorite places in the world.

It was Taco Tuesday on the boat, so we sat on the top deck to watch as the Pilot pulled us back out into the great Atlantic. As we drifted further away, the only thing we could see was the faint light of the glowing Ferris wheel by the dock and the outline of the mountains as the sun made its last footprints of orange in the sky. Cape Town, I will be back for more. Until the arrival on the island of Mauritius in 4 days, I will be dying my hair, studying, relaxing, and being busy loving life. Smooches.

P.s. My back up iPhone is currently sitting in a bowl of rice. It broke this morning because my perspiring, lethal water bottle killed it over night. No further questions.

I.L.S.A

I woke up, got breakfast (the cinnamon rolls and French toast are to die for), then headed to an International school visit with my teacher in town. It was called “Ridge International.” All the kids wore uniforms: blue and white plaid dresses for the pre-schoolers, blue and white plaid shirts with matching blue shorts for the primary school students and white collared shirts with blue shorts for the secondary school kids. I got to sit in on a classroom session- all the kids were so enthusiastic and cooperative. Everyone that I talked to was very inquisitive and ambitious; the two students I spoke with about their futures said they wanted to be a chemical engineer and an actress. I also got to play with all the kids at break (recess), which was indicated by the sounding of the drums in the center of the school underneath a tree that read “Speak English.” I have videos of songs and dances they taught me which all spoke of community and culture. I got to freshen up on my jump roping skills, I taught them the hokey pokey, they loved braiding my hair, I helped administer their standardized tests, and exchanged a few e-mail addresses. The school didn’t have a library, so Hailey and I are brainstorming ideas of how to start up a charity for libraries in Ghana. 

The night didn’t differ too much from the night before other than the excitement for the next day. We spread the word around the ship about this resort called Axim beach so everyone bought out the bungalows for the next two nights. My 3 girlfriends and I planned on getting a family suite so we could all stay together, however, reservations have not been going my way on this trip. Therefore, our options dwindled down to one: the Sunset Villa. It is as extravagant as it might sound. 8 beds, 5 huts, 4 rooms, 1 kitchen, 2 patios and then some. It was ridiculous and fabulous. The view was an amazing beach overflowing with palm trees and rocks. On the other side of the hill was a beach scattered with activities: a beach bar, tire swing zip line, beach soccer and a playground with swings and a slide. We spent our days relaxing on the beach, swimming in the ocean that felt like a heated pool, and walking parallel to the long columns of palm trees straight off an episode of Lost. The weather was unreal, it was perfect timing, even up to the last night because I got to enjoy the sunshine the whole time and got to fall asleep to it storming on the last night… we all sang about the rains down in Africa. Super sad I’m Ghana.

One big highlight of Axim beach was my second night I got to talk to a group of locals about their research at the University in Ghana. I was asking about service and what I can do and he explained that his research is part of the Bill Gates Foundation. They get in groups of 10 students and survey different communities in need of help. He was expressed how important it is to not assume priorities or necessities and that if I really want to help, I have to pick a spot and ask them myself what they need. Prior to our conversation he was surveying in the slums of Accra for kids. What they do is find 10 people who they want to send to training where they hire a skilled person to teach them how to fix cell phones. By giving them this skill, they are able to get a job and support their families. He was telling me that cell phones are a booming industry in Africa and that it is very profitable to understand how to work/fix them. Each group of 10 students get $500 to give to the 10 kids they find to put them through this training. It is a great organization, the passion in his voice was so influential, especially the fact that his diction is better than most people I know at home. I asked him what the top 2 priorities are when he goes into these cities/villages to give help and he said usually it is either to give the people the skills to get a job so they can support themselves and their families or to give their kids an education. It was also fantastic to hear about the importance of family in Africa. I learned today in class that women understand the prevalence and consequence of AIDs, however, they have sex in trade for food for their kids. Their rationale is that if the moms can just live to support their kids for a few more years, it will be enough for their children to make it. You can see the attachment, love, and loyalty of mothers when they are walking miles and miles a day with food and water on their heads with babies wrapped around their bodies in cloth. A day in the life of a Ghanaian is harsh labor guided by passionate care.

Its 1 month into the voyage tomorrow! Wow, where is time going? I’ll be in South Africa in a week EEE.. I get my iPhone from my awesome Dad, (thank you so much) so text me to surprise me when I turn it on in Cape Town J.  E-mail me if anyone thinks of something specific that they want from a country.  Random ship life: I learned a new card game, its called Drug Dealer, so fun, can’t wait to teach everyone at home. We also played brick, anyone recall that game? Filled with ridiculous secret signals and super awkward eye contact, perfect icebreakers. Its amazing the fun you can come up with to keep you busy when you don’t have technological clutter, so much room for activities! Ps anyone remember the Guess Who board game? He has a black mustache.. is it Pedro? She has blonde hair, is it Stacy? Someone brought it up the other night, blast from the past… I will be looking out for it in Cape Town.

Lastly, I have been meditating (thanks to my South Asia Music class), he puts on this music that sounds like hitting of a gong, and we repeat the chant: “Om namaha shiva” for 30 minutes every class. Om is a universal sound, it has all sounds possible in the one word, therefore, it is chanted before and after each ceremony. It has a calming feature that intesifies the vibration that causes relaxation, balance, and focus. Namaha translates as “I bow down to,” a form of deep respect, and Shiva means “Me,” the life source in yourself.  Hinduism teaches that you are God and to pay respect to yourself to gain understanding. In summary we chant: I am paying my respect to the living in me. By repeating the energy within these concepts, it allows you to generate some kind of electricity within yourself.

Stats: 2 bags of laundry today, I’m passing the prime meridian (0,0 latitude/longitude) right now, 3 days until Valentines day (ah, happy hallmark day! Be mine?), 606 pictures in Ghana, 2 skinny dipping sessions, 4 tire swings, Stairmaster at 8:30 tonight, I had 6 orange Fantas this weekend, bargained 10 times, meditated 3, missed 0 classes, lost 1 pair of glasses to the ocean, and the water also killed my waterproof camera (juxtaposition? I thought so). Happy Friday!

Upon our arrival, I made it my goal to incorporate “Ghana” in as many sentences as possible i.e. Its Ghana be a good night, I’m Ghana go to the slave castles, You’re a Ghana etc.

We ported in an industrial sector full of train tracks and cocoa factories; it was interesting, a little scary and had a smell that I could not compare to anything.

I walked outside the dock area and was immediately swarmed by a mix of street vendors and taxi drivers, quite the businessmen here. The confrontation goes something like this: They pretend to want to meet you, get your name, you go out for the day, come back, and they have 2 things: a bracelet with your name on it and a hand for 10 cities (the local currency). Tricky boys.

Day 1 was pretty hectic. We found a guy that could speak English and took him on our journey for translation purposes and found later that he was also a reggae rapper (fun for the first hour). I found a cab that said “trust me” on the back, maybe that was my first mistake. It is illegal to have more people in the taxis than seats available (no surprise), but they were intensely enforcing this 1 rule (surprising). In the process of trying to save a few dollars and stay together (not knowing that they really cared), Jazmin and I squished into the trunk. We were stopped at every single police checkpoint and pulled aside. The first stop was both the best and the worst. We had a 45-minute layover in the middle of nowhere. The bad part was listening to our driver explain his expired insurance card. The good part was that we were stranded next to a village. They were selling fruit that were referred to as “applehs,” the African apple… same lime green color except a super rough surface, 4x the size, and a shape that is unique to that individual appleh, kind of like a snowflake. Inside was a bizarre, soft texture that was sweet and dripping with juice… slowly broadening my food horizons.

The village had a water pump connected to a well, which was being pumped by a small baby boy, about 3 or 4 years old, cutest little nugget, I have pics. There were also a group of kids that grew exponentially after I decided to go over and play with them. We juggled a soccer ball, they taught me a clapping/kick game, and we made some fun handshakes. They love the fist bump (yes bump, not pump), laughing, holding hands, and blowing kisses. One of the top questions I have been asked is if I have a husband. When I say no, they are crazed and confused and ask for marriage, so I decided to round up and say 5… now they ask to be my 6^th… saves some questioning. I promised ‘Michael’ I’d be back.

After the play date/taxi toll we got in the car and made our way to Cape Coast to see the Slave castles and dungeons. The cement castles were painted an antique white with navy blue shutters (Mom, you would love it, very Country Living), with beautiful architecture built by the Portuguese and renovated over the years by the Dutch and English. Canons lined the upper decks of the buildings facing towards the waves of Cape Coast. The slave cells/dungeons were pretty eerie, small rooms made of stones, with 3 peep holes for ventilation that stuffed ~200 slaves who were divided by gender and strength. The best part was walking through the “door of no return” where in the past slaves would be exported from Africa never to return. When I walked through the door I found something surprising: hundreds of Africans playing their Sunday soccer game, running through the water, sitting in handmade canoes, laying on the beach, talking and laughing with friends and family. How ironic, how happy.

After Cape Coast, we went to a near by hotel called Coconut Grove. It was breathtaking- we ate on the beach under a gazebo. They had some spicy rice called Jollof that was delish and it seems to be a delicacy to mix rum in wine outside of the US… highly recommended.

On the way back to port we got to see an awesome African sunset going down over a soccer field, kind of reminded me of the Lion King…. minus the soccer game. That beautiful moment was quickly followed with one of the scariest ones. Another police checkpoint was coming up. After the first 45-minute stop we decided to pull over before every check, have the people in the trunk get out, walk a mile up beyond the checkpoint, and then get back into the car. Well it was getting dark and the soccer game just ended. The driver stepped out of the car to go to the bathroom and left us on the side of the road in the driveway of another village. In minutes we were surrounded by locals, we were helpless and alone. As they stared through the taxi windows, my body ached from tensing. So I decided to do what I know best: make a friend. By the end of the conversation, our 2 friends and the driver arrived after what seemed like a lifetime. I am slowly fighting by biggest fears. After 2 more sketchy checkpoints, we made it back to the boat! The ship ran out of fresh water so I only got 1 leg shaved and half my head wet before we went out that night. There was a duty free shop (basically a stacked liquor cabin) across the ship, so close that you could be drinking a glass of wine on the patio, look to your right, and wave to someone sitting in their room. We left and went to a local bar called Ocean bar, quite a night… we learned how to hold assorted goods on our heads (I need to work on my posture), play pool, and see what hookers look like in Africa (red light districts’ galore).

So much to catch up on! It has been a busy few days at sea, we had a countdown of 9 days between Brazil and Africa. It was a little rocky at first, had to wear my snazzy sea wristbands, but today was super calm. We are starting to have themed pub nights… you know I live for that kind of stuff. Anyway, the first night was Brazilian themed so I wore my flag sarong ☺

To catch up with the time zone in Ghana we have been forwarding our clocks an hour every other night, which has been super hard for me and my obsession with sleep.

I learned about two different kinds of romance in the Hinduism religion in my South Asia Music class the other day. One is the giddy, lusty kind that is explained as not a real measurement of love versus a romance called Viraha, which is described as longing. When the body/person you love is not there, there is burning anticipation. This is real love when you can withhold and hang on because the expression is alive.

Another interesting topic was the five things to stay away from (I am being quizzed on this tomorrow): 1. Kama (sexual desire), 2. Krodha (anger), 3. Mada (pride), 4. Lobh (greed), and 5. Moha (attachment). Something to think about.

I have been working out everyday at the gym, the stairmaster to be exact… and have I become a master. The surge of endorphins has been really uplifting, I started doing p90x again and I have a group of people that have joined the club. The best is walking outside: I stretch looking over the sunset, do situps looking up at the blue skies, and reflect listening to my ipod looking over the mysterious mass of water below. Yesterday my friend Jazmin and I were peering over the edge and got to see groups of flying fish scurry over the small wakes, it was exciting and rejuvenating.

More cool news… I signed up for a program called Extended Families. It allows a group of students to match up with an adult on the ship to have a family on the boat. I got two women that remind me so much of my mom, so lucky… I miss her so much.

Hailey heard of these awesome beach bungalows in Ghana on Axim beach, so we booked the family suite yesterday, spread the word around, and by the end of the day, the entire place was booked! Crazy how things can go around on a boat inhabited by ~1,000 people. I get into Takoradi, Ghana on Sunday. I am planning on independently going to the Habitat for Humanity organization to see what I can do the first day then I am going to do a school visit to an International school in Ghana with one of my teachers the second day. The rest is going to be spent in the beach bungalows that line the sands and end with a bar, yay! Paradise is very nice.

Saving the best news for last- for those that read all the way down. There is a huge event called the Sea Olympics where the entire boat is split up into Seas (Baltic, Red, Sea Salts, Luna, Arabian, Aegen, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Bering, Yellow). We had opening ceremonies last night, which was fun.

Here was today’s schedule:

1300-1330: Hula Hoop (Deck 4) and Crew Suit Relay (Union) 1300-1400: Synchronized Swimming (Pool Deck) 1400-1430: Limbo (Deck 4) and Wheelbarrow Race (Union) 1400-1500: SAS Basketball (Miller Court) 1430-1530: Trivia Bowl (Classrooms 1 and 2) and Dodgeball (Miller Court) 1500-1530: Tallest Card Table (Garden Lounge) and Tug-o-War (Starts at 1415 in the Union) 1500-1600: Volleyball (Miller Court) 1600-1630: Crew Uniform Relay (Union) 1600-1700: Dress Your LLC (Dining Room, Deck 5), Crab Soccer (Miller Court) 1700-1730: Three Legged Race (Union) 1730-2000: Dinner (Decks 6 and 7) 2000: Closing Ceremonies (Union)

Originally I just planned on doing the 3 legged race. Last night at opening ceremonies, people hadn’t showed up for synchronized swimming. Yes, I did. I volunteered myself, and my morning. I woke up at 8am this morning, learned, helped choreograph, and practice the swimming to “Backstreets Back, Alright” > “Red Seas back, Alright!” Little did I know that there would be the entire shipboard for an audience and that all the other teams has been practicing for weeks. Good test of my confidence, it was interesting. Anyway, I won the 3-legged race. At closing ceremonies they announced the winner of the sea Olympics. The winner gets: bragging rights AND gets to get off the ship first in San Diego on April 24! Unexpectedly, WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VICTORY! I forgot what sporting events adrenaline rushes felt like, hence, I have no voice. Just too fabulous for words I guess. I am sleeping on a bed of feathers tonight. Sweet dreams my love.