More of Nam

October 26, 2011

Theme of the day: FUN.

Today I met Wiliama, Adam, Alysse, and Kelsey in Tymitz Square around 1:00pm, and we went out to lunch just outside the ship at a Japanese sushi restaurant, which was delicious. We did hot pot, where we grilled our own meat and noodles in a boiling pot of water in the middle of the table. I also got a California roll that had crab and cucumber inside; something I ate all the time at Bowling Green. Then we went out dress shopping where Kelsey and Alysse got measured and dresses designed for them. After that, we went to a spa called Lien Beauty, which was an experience I will never forget. We all chose aromatherapy full body massages, but we weren’t sure how to start the process exactly. The masseuses led us deeper into the salon, where there were five or six beds only separated by a curtain. Luckily, this allowed for all of us to still remain together, which I was extremely thankful for. The women then told us to take off our clothes except for our tops and underwear. I did so, and then my masseuse came in and said to take off my bra as well. I did so, and felt a tad awkward as I lay on the bed, waiting for her to come back in. When she came back in, she said I could lie down, and the massage began. It felt so nice; it was like the movies, where the women actually stand on you and walk on your back. We all got pedicures and manicures too. I was snapping pictures of Wiliama the entire time; haha it was hilarious. After the salon, we came back to the ship and refreshed ourselves. Then, Jena, Kelsey, Brian, Michael, Wiliama, and I went to the hotel where Brian’s parents are staying at as we were going to have dinner with them. We ate at the restaurant in the hotel which was “western style,” and I truly enjoyed it. I had chargrilled tuna steak with a salad and grits. For dessert; the crepe suzette. Talladega nights anyone? :P We had a great time at the restaurant with Brian’s parents, who are extremely friendly. After dinner we went up on the rooftop of the Majestic, where the view was amazing. Everyone ordered a few drinks, and then we headed out to another pub where more drinks were ordered. We wanted to head back to the ship since we have a trip at 8am tomorrow, but then we decided to go to a place called the Go Go Bar which we were told was great by one of the ladies in the spa. We had an awesome time there as well; as they were playing great music like Foo Fighters, AC/DC and Wolfmother. Finally, we decided to head back to the ship, and we all hopped on motorcycles. Michael and I rode together, and he recorded our trip back. All in all, it was another great day in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam; a collection of days

October 25, 2011

If today would have a keyword, it would have been LAUGHING. It was one of those days where you even got a nice abdominal workout in the process. When I was in Bittersweet, I ended up running into Eva. We left together in search of the Reunification Palace. After asking directions from everyone that did not speak English, we had finally made it; or so we thought. I was snapping pictures and ogling the large yellow building, not really understanding why it was so revered. I turned to Eva, and told him I wasn’t sure if we were in the right place. Everyone that was leaving the building had on a blue uniform, and something didn’t quite feel right. We were about to walk into a side door of the building, when a Vietnamese man comes careening up to us on his moped. Frantically, he points at the entrance gate and yells at us in a stern voice. We asked, “Reunification Palace?” His entire demeanor and his face changed completely, and he started chuckling. He said, “No, police station,” and then pointed us in the direction of the Palace. Ah, the joys of not being able to know a different language.

We finally find the Palace, and it was confirmed by the security guard working the gate when he cautiously asked, “Reunification Palace,” hesitating on even walking into the gate. Smiling, he said, “Yes…but it close at 4…” It was 4:30 at the time. On the bright side, we did get to see it, as well as a Vietnamese police station, and we weren’t locked up either; optimism at its finest.

We then proceeded to the Notre Dame Cathedral, and did not mistake city hall or the community center for it; learning from your mistakes. The Cathedral was pretty, and you could definitely tell that the French had been very influential in Saigon from not only the architecture of the Cathedral, but from many of the other older buildings as well.

Leaving the Cathedral, Eva and I were trying to decide on how we were going to get back home to the ship. During our discussion, a man on a moped flies up to us, and emphatically waves at us, and then his seat. We waved him away, saying no thanks. After walking down the rest of the street, he zooms up to us again, as if out of nowhere. He says, “Only 40,000 dong.” I looked at Eva and smiled; I was so down for a crazy Vietnamese moped driver to take us back. We told him where we were going, and hopped on. The driver handed me a helmet, and I strapped it on, ready to go. Eva hopped on behind me, and it sure was a tight fit. I have no idea how we both managed to get on that bike. During the entire ride, all the other mopeds were staring at us, and some were laughing. If you have ever been to Viet Nam, you must know how crazy the moped drivers are. Because of them, even crossing the road is a thrill in itself. No exaggeration. I literally feel proud when I cross the street here, as if I accomplished a personal achievement; or maybe I just feel happy to not lying on the road as road kill. Either way, I get a cheap thrill out of it. The fad of crosswalks hasn’t really reached this part of Asia yet, and I am not sure if they ever will. At one point in the ride, a car almost side-swiped us, and another moped driver almost T-boned us. Throughout the entire ride, Eva and I couldn’t stop laughing. All in all, it was a successful ride.

We got back to the ship, and I showered and waited for Wiliama to get back from his FDP, so we could go out to dinner. He showed up at my room around 7, and we headed out to dinner with Eva and Adam. We tried to find a taxi, and ended up getting one that was not legitimate. Instead, the meter charged us 100,000 dong instead of what was supposed to be 30,000; joys of being a tourist. We wanted to go to a restaurant that Wiliama had heard about, but the taxi driver didn’t speak English, so he had no idea where we wanted to go. Instead, we got dropped off on Pasteur Street, (again, the lovely French influence), and walked to a Dim Sum restaurant. It was absolutely delicious. I ordered fried fish and custard bun dim sum which was A-mazing. After dinner, we went walking around. We came across what seemed to be “Make-out point” for the Vietnamese, and were stared at the entire time we were trying to make our way through the park, as if we were interrupting an extremely secret ritual; it was beyond awkward. We went into the Diamond Department Store, and for some reason couldn’t stop laughing. Adam was simply being Adam :P Eva managed to try to go up a down escalator because she had seen a sign for bowling. A security guard was at the bottom of the escalator though, and Wiliama told her to just go down, as he seemed to be scrutinizing us. Haha. We left, wanting to find a place to get some ice cream or drinks. We came across a place called Gia Boa, which has Vietnamese accent marks, but I can’t really recall where they go.. It was dimly lit as we climbed up to the second floor. Wiliama and I got Tiger Beer, which seems to be the equivalent to Natty Light in the States. Adam got Bailey’s, and Eva got something as well. We spent a lot of time sitting there and just talking, mainly laughing about I don’t even remember what? The TV in the bar was airing the show “Monsters Inside Me.” I watched that a lot this past summer before this trip, so I had been prepared for the worst when coming to these countries. I’m clean so far so good. Hopefully I won’t get my 15 minutes of fame by being on this show though when we get back to the States. We left the café around 10:30 and headed back to the ship. Wiliama, Adam, and I went back to Wiliama’s room and ended up talking for a few hours. I got back to my room around 1:30am or so. Tomorrow is going to be a Spa Day with Wiliama and Adam J Two hour massage, manicure and pedicure for under $15? Please and thanks.

Viet Nam; Shattering Expectations

October 24, 2011 Night before arrival to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

 Tomorrow I will be waking up at 4am as we enter Vietnam, as the views are said to be spectacular as we enter the river and come into the port. The sunrise is scheduled to be at approximately 5:41am, so I will get to see the sun rise over Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, as the locals still call it. Wiliama and I are going to attempt to get to the Ho Chi Minh City Amusement Park. There are supposed to be scattered thunderstorms throughout the day, which I don’t mind whatsoever. It rained when I was in both Montréal and Malaysia, and I think that it adds a more realistic element to the entire experience. The cities always seem more vibrant and alive after a good rain. Tomorrow night I am planning to go out with Kyla and Lizzy to get some delicious Vietnamese food and hit up the famous night market at the Ben Thanh Market.

October 26, 2011

 Vietnam shattered all the images I had already pre-formed in my mind of this country. Learning about different countries in school doesn’t prepare you at all for what you experience when you actually go to a different country. You find things to be completely wrong, or totally misconstrued, that they make no sense at all. What I had imagined of Vietnam was rice paddies everywhere, and thick patches of jungle strewn throughout the country. Instead, it seems that globalization has touched every country we have been to. Coming into Vietnam, we floated down a wide river bordered with short plants and trees. Small boathouses and low-lying fishing boats dotted the river, and there were plants floating in the water; probably damage from the flooding that has been occurring in many parts of Asia.

I had breakfast, and then went out exploring with Lizzy, Eva, Caroline, Wiliama, and a few others. We had decided not to attempt the amusement park since we heard from many people that it wasn’t really that great of an experience. Instead, we went to Bittersweet Café and grabbed some precious wi-fi; something that only happens when we are in country. After, we went out and explored the different markets. We went to Saigon Square, which was an extremely cramped and crowded indoor market. I probably lost ten pounds just by exploring it for an hour, as the heat was unbearable. We grabbed lunch at a place called Pho24. I had broken rice and shredded pork, and tried spring rolls too. The food is again, to die for. I am really going to go through a food withdrawal when we get back to the States. Wiliama and I then went to the Ben Thanh Market, which is the most well-known market in Saigon. There were many stalls selling fabric and people crying out to passing tourists to come get a suit or dress fitted. Many of the guys from the ship are getting suits, as it is extremely cheap and Vietnam is known for its tailoring. We were passing a stand of dried foods, when Wiliama spotted something called moi, which he knew to be a delicious type of prune in Hawaii. He asked to try it, and ignored the man’s cautious words of “No, no; it’s chili.” After a minute’s hesitation, his face turned bright red and his eyes filled with water. Everyone around us was laughing good-humoredly, and we said our thanks as we walked away. Haha. We then found a great deal of some fabric lanterns that we grabbed at only $2.50 each, which amounts to 50,000 dong. The exchange rate is $1 to 20,000 dong; it gets really confusing with the higher priced items.

We went back and picked up Lizzy and Eva, and did some more shopping. Wiliama ended up buying a huge North Face backpack for only $25. However, I am more willing to call them a North Fake, except it is virtually impossible to tell if they are fake or not. Lizzy bought a dress and a few different shirts, and then we came back to the ship to pick up Kyla. We went out to dinner at a place called Sasa Café where we met two guys who were making their way around the world. They had just come from Australia where they had spent one year. One was from England, and the other from Ireland. I love meeting other travellers and hearing stories of where they have been and where they hope to go. They have no itinerary, and are making their way from country to country by just doing side jobs that they find on the street. After dinner we went to a night market, and then to a place called Bar’s Bar for the rest of the night. We came back to the ship around midnight, and I read a little and then slept the night away.

Today, I am traveling by myself for the day since many have left to Cambodia or to other longer trips. I am now sitting at Bittersweet Café and just tried a smoothie called “sapodilla plum” which is unusually tasty. We will see what the rest of the day will bring J

October 23, 2011

 

I am now successfully two countries behind on this blog. No worries though J I was simply having too much fun and my action packed days hindered me from writing.

 

We arrived in Chennai, India and were greeted with a pungent smell immediately. Chennai was also known as Madras, when the British had occupied India during its colonial period. On the first day in India, I went to an Indian secondary school. When we arrived, we were greeted with live music and little girls presented us each with a rose. We were graced with the traditional Indian mark on our forehead. I learned later that this mark actually had a purpose. In the past, the mark was Vitamin D, and it attracted sunlight in order to keep healthy. Now though, many just use plastic stick-ons, so the cause has become lost. However, it is still pretty nonetheless. At the Indian school, I ended up going from class to class teaching English. We utilized the game Hang-man, as well as drawing games and question and answer sessions. After our English lessons, we met with all of the teachers as well as the principal and were granted an opportunity to ask questions. We were also given fresh coconuts with a straw, which was delicious. That first day in India was full of so many sights, smells, and sounds. India truly does have such a mix of EVERYTHING. There were people everywhere, and the stench was sometimes unbearable. The Indians were clothed in vivid colors, and many women wore flowers in their hair. Later that night, we ended up going out to a dance club where we had quite the experience. We seemed to be the only girls there, and things got pretty intense. Indian men began to get pretty rough in their dancing, and we quickly left in order to deescalate the situation.

 

The next day I left to go to my Rotarian Homestay. I was paired to be roommates with Jenny Trompak, who is also from Ohio. She goes to Baldwin-Wallace, which is in Marietta’s conference. She also lives only a half hour away from me in North Royalton. We met our Indian family, which turned out to be a freshly married couple named Vijay and Swathi. They prepared lunch, and I had my first experience in eating with my hands since childhood. I had forgotten about the left-hand rule mid-way through my meal, so I made an embarrassing attempt to switch. In India, your left hand is considered to be dirty; good thing I am left-handed. It was definitely an experience. We ate rice with a few different sauces such as chutney, which is a coconut concoction. We also had coconut buffy, which were little balls of coconut cake, for desert. After, they gave us a tour of their home which was absolutely gorgeous. It had four or five floors, and each floor, and each room had a theme. The ground floor had a theme of nature, so there was bamboo and wooden carvings everywhere. The next floor had a colors theme, so each room was a different color, and the furniture matched that particular color. In their master bedroom, the theme was strawberry and squares. There were shapes everywhere, and a very masculine pink color was scattered throughout. There was a type of moat that surrounded the bed that was filled with white, crystalline rocks. One of the walls had been cut out and plexi-glass had been mounted in its place. Behind the wall, there was a tropical scene of flora, and it looked as if it was a jungle. Swathi explained that the ceiling was also removed from that wall on the outside of the house, so when it rained, it was actually raining in the house as well. It was so exotic and creative, I want to adopt it whenever I get a house :P Around 8pm, we went to an official Rotary meeting where they introduced Presidents from the local chapters and many of our students gave presentations on our experience with Semester at Sea.

 

The third day we left our Indian family and went with the members of the Rotary Club to Mamallapuram and Kancheepuram, which are temple sites. We were greeted with many peddlers urging us to buy necklaces, statues, and other assorted goods. For lunch, we went to the Golden Palate in which lunch was served on a banana leaf. The food was, again, scrumptiously palatable on the tongue. After lunch, we went to Crocodile Bank where we saw an array of crocodiles, turtles, and snakes. We were able to see king cobras fight, and were able to touch a handful of baby vipers, which were only as big as my pinky finger. Later in the evening, we ended up going to one of the Rotarian President’s homes where we celebrated a Deewali Festival. Deewali is on October 26^th, however, the Rotarians felt it necessary for us to experience such an event, and I am glad that they did. Deewali means “festival of lights,” and all of Chennai looked like Christmastime in the States. There were lights hanging off homes and businesses alike. When we got to their home, we were anointed with the Indian mark on the forehead as well as many gifts. We were taken throughout their house which was set up with many different scenes depicting the Hindu faith. There are many gods and goddesses in Hinduism, and the entire living room was covered with statues of them. Another room was set up to be the Himalayas, and we truly felt as if we were there, because the air conditioning was set to full blast in an attempt to create the true environment. We were able to walk through these “Himalayas” and learned the stories of some of the Hindu deities. We then went up to the rooftop, which was set up with a massive Indian feast. I will never again look at any other food the same way as I do Indian food. Everything I tasted was delicious, and I didn’t want to stop eating despite being full 3 plates before. After we had dessert such as ice cream and gulab jamoon, we sand songs with all of the families. This evening was truly magical, and it will never be something that I will forget.

 

The fourth day Vijay and Swathi took us to Sky Mall, which holds one of the best movie theatres I have ever been to. Did I mention that they had a personal driver that chauffeured them around wherever they went? Freshmen year I learned so much about India through our Honors 101 class. It was Honors Literature and the theme was centered on India. We read “White Tiger,” which was about an Indian driver and his secret life. The entire time I was being chauffeured by their driver, I was wondering what his life was like outside of escorting them. Aside from this book, it was interesting to note the similarities and differences from what I learned, to what I was truly experiencing in India.

When we got to the mall, we went sari shopping! I bought a mostly red sari with black and gold imprints on it. I will be wearing it for our Alumni Ball, whose theme is Bollywood. Jenny got a pink, blue, and yellow one that was pretty as well! After sari shopping, we went to see an Indian movie called, “Muran.” It was in Tamil, which is the language of the state of Tamil Nadu, where we were at. The movie theatre was the best I have ever seen. After the movie, we came back to their home and presented them with our gifts. In return, they gave us Indian jewelry boxes. They then returned with us back to the ship, where we had dinner with them and were able to give them a tour. They told us that if we ever come back to India, we are welcome to stay with them again.

 

I spent the second to last day in India with Kyla and Lizzy, my best friends here J

We went to Spencer’s Plaza, which was a mall that had many different markets and shops. I bought a few scarves, valued at only a few $USD each. We also used an internet café where I was able to go on the internet for the first time since Montréal. The last day, Lizzy and I just went into town to get stamps for our postcards. India had been so emotionally and physically draining. There was so much to process from our senses that the ship seemed to be unusually quiet the night that we left India. Everyone had stories to share, but many wanted to recharge and sleep the night away, and perhaps the next day as well. I had friends who went on the Global Citizens trip, which was disastrous to say the least. They were held at gun-point on a sleeper train going to Agra, because the tour guide that had booked their tickets had actually cancelled them at the last minute and kept all the money, so their tickets were invalid. They only made it to the Taj Mahal 15 minutes before it closed, so they literally had to SPRINT through it. Their accommodations were less than appealing; Eric and Wiliama actually shared both a bed and an already dirty towel in one of their hostels. Many said that they were happy to have survived India at all.  Overall, India was truly an experience for one and all.

Again, I am always amazed at how fast time flies on the ship. A few days ago we went to Mauritius, a small island country a little ways away from Madagascar. It was colonized by both the French and the British, and you could see influences from both. French and a French Creole is spoken there, and it was interesting to hear the French Creole, which is so prominent in many of the African countries. We only spent one day in Mauritius, and I filled my day with a catamaran cruise. We sailed on the catamaran to a small place called Gabriel Island. The catamaran was so awesome! In the front of the boat, there were two nets; one on each side, where you could lay down. The waves were massive, so it was almost as if we were body surfing on netting! Snorkeling was supposed to be included, but it ended up costing 1000 rupee. I was extremely disappointed in that, but we were surrounded by such intense beauty that I got over it quickly. There wasn't much tropical fish in the area anyway, just a lot of coral and rocks. We spent our time laying on the beach, and exploring a little of the entire island. There were black rocks that dotted the oceanside that originated from volcanic activity, and various exotic birds flitted throughout the sky. We enjoyed a lunch on the catamaran of an interesting salad concotion, barbecued fish and hot dogs. After lunch, we sailed back to the mainland and made our way back to the ship via bus. It was difficult for many to even get back to the bus though, because not many know how to control their alcohol intake. Not surprising, since Mauritius has only allowed SAS to stay in their country for one day now, compared to three days when they first started going there. Apparently past voyages have tainted our reputation, and it was sad to see that not many people did much to redeem it. It is fine to enjoy yourself, but when you are unable to contain yourself without any self-control, it gets to be a little ridiculous. Nonetheless, I had a great time in Mauritius.

 

The day after Mauritius was Sea Olympics, and each sea was decked out in their colors. I am in the Arabian Sea, and we were all sporting our dark blue colors. In the morning, we opened the day with each sea performing a chant and introducing themselves. Ours went:

A-R

A-R-A

A-R-A-B-I-A-N!!!!!

 

I participated in tug of war, taboo, and was supposed to do a relay race that ended up being cancelled. Synchronized swimming was hilarious. Our sea (Aria, Matt, Rob, and Eric), did a skit in the pool to "Barbie Girl," which should have taken first in my opinion. It was hilarious! At the end of the day, Arabian Sea ended up taking the bronze, third place, out of 8 or 9 seas!! Woo!! It was exciting for us, especially since we are the smallest sea with only 40 people or so, while many of the seas are made up of 70 or 80.

 

Today, we had our cultural pre-port for India, where we learned about food, shopping, culture, etc. We will be in India in two days! I am so excited! In lieu of India, we also had a Bollywood dance after the pre-port and danced for hours to Bollywood, techno, and American music. I am truly having the time of my life on the ship, and I can't believe that we have already taken midterms.

 

Life goes by so fast when you are having fun :)

We are just passing by Madagascar today! If only we could stop there :( I can almost hear animals singing and dancing :/ In an attempt to catch up on my blog, I will try to recap what happened the last few days in South Africa. On Day 4, I went out and explored the Cape Town area with Eric. We walked from Mouille Lighthouse for about an hour and picked a random restaurant to go to. It was called La Perla, and it seemed really classy. We ended up splitting a bottle of wine and mussels, which was absolutely delicious. There was some really weird, interesting looking artwork on the walls. One piece was of a naked woman and a horse, and there seemed to be a ghost riding the horse? And the other piece was bright pieces of neon cloth that were thrown together and framed...? Interesting to say the least. On our way back, we ended up walking past a hedgemaze called "Serendipity: A maze for the delight of Ladies and Gentlement." We decided we had to check it out. The entrance fee was 20 rand, which amounts to about $2.50. I had to start on one side, where Eric had to start on another. I made it to the center of the maze with ease, but Eric was beyond confused. It was hilarious, and the old man that was running the maze was so charming. We ended up chatting with him about everything after we made it out of the maze. He was giving us life advice, and we touched on a number of topics such as astrology and family. We then headed back to the ship. Later that night we went out to Mitchells again, which was the hot spot for SAS students for the entire duration of South Africa.

 

On Day 5 I participated in Operation Hunger, which was ultimately eye-opening. We traveled to Khayelitsha Township, which is an informal settlement that was constructed to house the displaced people during apartheid. We met Clement, the regional coordinator, who brought light upon the situation of malnourishment in South Africa, and particularly Cape Town. He talked of Operation Hunger, and how many families do not like to be associated with the program because there is a stigma of poverty that accompanies it. The landscape of Khayelitsha was heart-wrenching. The informal settlements were clustered together and composed of all materials imaginable; broken glass, plywood, metal, and plastic were all mixed together in an effort to create the façade of a home. Clement spoke of the few bathroom facilities that were in poor condition and the water pumps that only sporadically worked. As we toured the township, anxious faces solemnly looked out from the windows and doors, while others smiled in welcome. It was bewildering to know that we were only a half hour bus ride away from the stunning waterfront. The contrast from the beauty of the waterfront and the desolation of the state of this township was baffling. These people didn’t care about the Ferris wheel or movie theatre. They weren’t planning on going on a safari or taking a helicopter tour. They were struggling to SURVIVE. How could so many people live like this, while just a short ways away many lived in luxury? Suddenly, the beauty of the waterfront seemed superficial to me. It seemed tainted, almost as if it was a smokescreen. These townships, these people, were the real South Africa. We ended up playing with the children for most of the time, as well as weighing and feeding them. I had brought stickers, and I was bombarded with children when they saw them. It was truly an experience that I won't soon forget. Towards the end of the trip, we were taken on a small tour of the township, and got to catch a glimpse in a few of the homes. We heard stories of the people who owned them, and it was unbelievable to see how they lived. The first woman whose shack we were able to explore had one room. Cluttered together in one corner was a couch and a dresser, while in the other corner there seemed to be a makeshift kitchen. She pointed very proudly at the one framed photograph that occupied her home, and said that it was taken of her when she was a teenager. With tears in her eyes, she then talked of how she was unemplyed and had to give up her 3 children and send them to the east coast of South Africa with strangers, so they could perhaps lead a better life than she. On the way back, the tour bus was quiet, as everyone was in contemplation and exhausted from all that we had seen and done.

 

Day 6 I went to Tygerburg Children's Hospital, but unfortunately didn't get to interact with any children. We were told that they were in very fragile condition and very sick, and that it would be detrimental both to them and to us if we were exposed to each other. Instead, we listened to an illuminating talk conducted by a German Catholic priest named Stefan Hippler. He had started Hope Cape Town, which was an organization helping to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic. By his appearance though, you would have never guessed him to be a priest. He wore a black leather jacket, had studs in his ears, and chains hanging from his pants. One of the most non-traditional priests if I have ever saw one. We had all brought toys and stuffed animals that we left with a nurse, and she promised to send pictures when our items were given to the children. We got back on the ship, and later that night we were introduced to Desmond Tutu. He had the most animated laugh, and was a very interactive speaker. It was great to hear him talk, he had many interesting points and stories. After our briefing from Desmond Tutu, we left the city of Cape Town with heavy hearts. I had truly enjoyed my time there. It was a country that I won't soon forget; both in my head and my heart.

 

It has now been a few days since we left Cape Town, and we are expected to arrive in Mauritius on October 4th. We have picked up speed because one of our Lifelong Learners (senior citizens) has encountered a medical condition that needs immediate medical attention. We weren't told any other details other than that, except we may arrive in Mauritius a day earlier in order to allow the passenger to get to a hospital quickly. I can't believe how fast time has been flying. And then sometimes it feels so slow. The time on the ship is so confusing. If you don't see someone for a few hours on the ship, it feels as if it has been days. No one ever knows what day of the week it is, or even what day of the month. We live from A day to B day, since that is how our classes alternate. It has really going to be difficult to adjust back to regular life when we get back to the US. I can't imagine how different next semester is going to feel compared to this semester.

 

Anyway, hope all is well :)

To my Chi O sisters, I miss you and can't wait to meet all the new baby hooties!!!! :D