The days have ALREADY been flying by alarmingly fast! We haven’t even yet reached our first port yet; Morocco. Mounting anticipation is slowly consuming the entire ship, as we speed our way through the Atlantic. We were going 20 knots for a few days, and the captain decided we had to slow down in order to not reach Morocco earlier than planned. I believe his original intentions were to get out of the approaching aftermath and storms of Hurricane Irene. It is unbelievable that we have only been on the ship for five days. I feel as if I have known a lot of the people aboard the ship for a lot longer. I know that long-lasting friendships are already making themselves present aboard this ship. After all, there is not much else to do on a ship except hang out with everyone and get to know them better. I’m not saying that there is absolutely nothing to do, since we have a basketball court, volleyball court, fitness room, free weights on the deck, the pool, etc. The scent of tanning oil and ocean water wafts around me while I read my assignments, sprawled in a lounge chair, out on the deck in my bathing suit.. No big deal. Hahahah.

 

But anyway, I have met people from not only around the United States, but also around the world. In one day I have spoken Arabic with someone from Saudi Arabia, Portuguese with a Brazilian and French with a girl from Paris. This ship is a small multi-cultural world in itself, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to partake in this amazing adventure. These first few days have been filled with attempts to get used to life on a ship, classes, organizations, etc. All the makings of what feels like freshmen year all over again :P To go more in depth about all that I have been doing; let’s start with life on a ship. First and foremost, seasickness has been running rampant around the ship. I have been fortunate enough to only be experiencing a mild case, which includes being drowsy and having minor headaches. For the most part though, I have been unaffected. Yesterday, I took three naps.. I guess it doesn’t help that my roommate and I have been staying awake until 4 am each night, talking about anything and everything. Her name is Jena, and she is from Wisconsin and goes to school in San Antonio, Texas. I have been lucky with all my roommates that I have had in college; much love to Crazy Jenn and Megan J Also, we have pub night every night on the ship, where everyone is able to buy up to 5 drinks and there is corn hole and just simple socializing that goes on until midnight. There is also the observation deck, deck 8; where you can lay out in your sleeping bag and look at the stars. I have done this numerous times so far too. Another aspect of life currently is the constant rocking of the ship. As the ship tilts, you see everyone walk, or maybe the better word is stagger, from one place to another. You almost have to develop a zigzag pattern of walking in order to stay balanced, otherwise you run into everyone else. I have already seen far too many comical situations of someone taking someone else out as if we were on a rugby pitch, instead of attempting to get from class to class.

Speaking of classes, I have been having a good time in all of them. I only have four classes, and was strongly advised NOT to pick up another course. I now understand why. The courses are so informational, and they truly make you think. I love the aspect that I will actually be using what I learn in classes in each country, in real life situations. I am taking Global Public Health, English as a Global Language, Cultural Geography, and Global Studies. For each class, we have to conduct what are called FDP’s, or faculty directed practica. They are basically field programs in which you accompany your professor to a part of the country that encompasses what you are specifically learning in their course. For example, I am going to be going to the Hassan II Mosque in Morocco for my Cultural Geography class. For my Public Health class, I will be going to many different hospitals and learning different medical practices and approaches in each country. I have two classes each day, and we don’t get weekends off. Instead, each day is divided into A or B day. I have Global Studies and Cultural Geography on A days, and Global English and Global Health on B days. The days just alternate, so A days are every other day just as B days. A typical day consists of me going to breakfast, class in the morning, lunch, doing homework, and then dinner. After dinner, we have various meetings dealing with our deck or “Explorer Seminars” which just pertain to various things such as leadership, culture shock, etc.

 

Today, we had a Service Club meeting, where we discussed several opportunities for service work that we can participate in. The ones I was most interested in were Environmental Sustainability, Health and Wellness, and Human Trafficking. After the service club meeting, Jena and I just did homework and relaxed in our room until Trivia Night. We didn’t take first place, but we had a great time.

Morocco is just around the corner, so many of us have been trying to solidify plans. We arrive on September 3^rd, and are there until the 6^th. On the 3^rd, I will be combing the depths of the Hassan II Mosque along with some others from my Cultural Geography class. We have to dress modestly, and cover our heads with a scarf. I think it is so appropriate that we will be visiting a Muslim country right during Eid! Eid Mubarak to all by the way J After the mosque, I am just going to explore Casablanca. I don’t really have a plan, but that is how most of my trip has turned out anyway. Semester at Sea is Spontaneity for Me :D On the 4^th, we are going to be picked up from the ship at 5:30am for our camel trek, and will make our way to Marrakesh. From Marrakesh, we will hop on our own camels and head into the Zagora Desert, passing the Atlas Mountains. I am so excited to sleep outside in the desert, underneath a sky that isn’t muddled with pollution or skyscrapers. Not to say that the sky in Cleveland or even Marietta is that terrible, but I am sure it will be amazing to be able to see a vast expanse of it for once. Hope all is well with those who are following! I miss you all! And to my sisters of Chi Omega, hope you are having a blast during recruitment!

Montréal; Petite Italia et plus

Last night, after I got settled in I wandered around Montréal; browsing through the shops and just soaking in the entire city. I tried un boule de glace orange, c'était delicieux! I ordered in French, of course, and had a short conversation with the girl working there. I love being able to get around the city speaking French, even though I feel as if I have lost alot of it. I spoke all night with the two people from England, Luke and Angie, who had beds across from mine. We made plans to explore more of Montréal the next morning.

So today, I woke around 9:30 and got ready. It is still hard to get used to the fact that showers are not in the same place as toilets, even though I have been to France where it is the same situation. :P Anyway, Luke, Angie, and I went and rented bikes through the bicycle system called Bixi. It is only $5 for 24 hours, and you can take out a bicycle at any time, at any bike station, and there are many throughout the entire area. My first choice of bikes was terrible though, it made an awful noise the entire time I was riding it or walking it. Nonetheless, it was still fun. We rode bikes to the Red Path Museum, which is part of McGill University. Inside the Red Path Museum, there were dinosaur fossils, shrunken heads, mummified bodies, and many other historical things. There was a massive crab called a spider-crab. Each leg probably measured to be about 4 or 5 feet long. Mmm seafood :) After, we grabbed a quick lunch. I got orange juice and a slice of lemon poppyseed bread, which was filling. Then, we took the metro up to Petite Italia and explored there. Little Italy was a breath of fresh air compared to downtown Montréal. It was more laid-back, and less hurried. We wandered through the neighborhoods, and stopped at Le Patio, which was an ice-cream place. I tried un jus de fruits, called Le Patioanant. It was a smoothie with bananas, raspberries, pineapple, and strawberry. Happily hydrated, we made our way to a park and walked through it. We passed people literally feeding pidgeons right out of their hands; the pidgeons were perched on their shoulders, legs, anywhere they could land. I was determined to get one to land on me, so Angie gave me a few grapes she had in her bag. The pidgeons must have been shy around me, or perhaps didn't like grapes, because I only got a squirrel to put its little paw in my hand. I gave it the grape, and it seemed to be in heaven.
We grabbed bikes again from the Bixi station, and headed back towards Old Montréal to the hostel. We freshened up a bit, and then went out again to go souvenir shopping. We walked into a store with two men speaking Arabic, and when he passed me he said hello, and I responded with "Salam." He asked, "You speak Arabic then? " I told him a little bit, and he asked if I knew any cuss words. I said, yes, of course... (thanks to all my arabic friends from Marietta haha) So he kept asking me to say them; I said "Charmuta." He started laughing and said he wanted some really bad ones. I felt embarrassed and told him I didn't want to say any more.. Haha.
After shopping, we headed to a restaurant next door to the hostel, where I had spoken with the host the day before. He was actually from Morocco, and he and I got to talking about visiting there, and he told me that he could have me stay with his family, since he is from Fes. Unfortunately, his parents won't be returning to Morocco until September 6th, the day we leave. He told me all the hot spots to hit in Morocco though, and all the best sights to see with only so little time.
 Anyway, the restaurant was called Montréal Poutine, and might I say, we died and went to heaven. Poutine is simply the most sinful, most delicious thing I have tasted. I am quite shocked that America has yet to adopt this amazing dish. It is just french fries, cheese curds, gravy, and whatever meat you decide to put in it. I chose smoked meat, which was amazing. I think it was corned beef, if I am not mistaken. It was in such a small dish, but it was so filling.
It is no mistake that I have Canadian blood in me, because I can definitely imagine myself living here. Perhaps graduate school in Montréal? Sounds like a good idea to me :P After poutine, we came back here to the hostel, where I am currently writing. Day two of Canada is already coming to a close. More updates tomorrow then :)

Montréal

Ughhh j'aime parler français! I finally made it to Montreal after an 18 hour bus ride, which included one transfer in Albany, NY and a 4 hour layover. When I was crossing through customs to get into Canada, an elderly Quebecois man approached me and we began talking in French. Suddenly, he noticed my passport, and was taken aback that I was American. Shocked, he asked, "Americaine?" He had thought I was French because of my accent. It was such a compliment. When I arrived to Berri, the metro/bus station in Montréal, I was feeling somewhat lost. I had been planning on walking from the station to my hostel, La Maison du Patriote... But, things look much smaller on a map, and my calculations on how long it would take to walk were just a tad off.. I probably looked like a lost, pathetic American because a Canadian woman approached me and asked, "English?" I muttered, "Oui." She handed me a FREE metro card that would last me until Friday, and I could have unlimited accesss to both the metro and busses. She said she didn't need it anymore, and I looked as if I needed a little help. A slight understatement.. Haha. So I hopped on the metro, and went one station over. My hostel was much closer at this point in tme. I wandered around a little bit, attempting to navigate the streets. I walked past men breathing fire, and a sort of Chinese dragon parade; the streets of Vieux-Montréal are so entertaining and lively. Finally, a kind restaurant worker directed me towards my hostel and I walked in. Note to self: I thought I was a light-packer, however, carrying only a 70 lb. duffle bag and a backpack still doesn't feel light.. I was literally sweating when I made it inside the hostel. La Maison du Patriote is probably the cutest and cleanest hostel I have ever seen. And everyone is beyond friendly. I have already met two people from England, one from Australia, and many from France :) More updates to come soon. I am going to explore now!