Thank You For Giving Me The WORLD!

Thank You For Giving Me The WORLD!

Okay here we go, I have 24 hours left on the ship….
My parents are already down in Miami waiting for me, my Grandparents are arriving today, and I am finding it hard to believe that this journey is over. For those of you who have read my blogs along the way, I thank you very much. Hearing how they have been spread around different families is remarkable.
Let me do a little recap of my incredible 3 ½ months-

     Between breathtaking moments in Rio on top of the mountain where the “Christ the Redeemer Statue stands, to walking the Namib desert, spotting lions on my safari, to playing with orphans in India, the beauty of Kuala Lumpur, spending time in Vietnam with my parents, to climbing up the great wall, Buddhist temples in Japan, Thanksgiving in Hawaii, to zip-lining in Costa Rica.
Of course this is all in a nutshell of my 108-day voyage around the world, but gives you a sense of what I have seen.  
              My pictures of everything will definitely be up on a website that I will e-mail to you once I settle back home.
I am really anxious to get home, but at the same time I have to leave this sort of family that I have created on the ship. We have all discussed and shared our past, how we think we have changed on this voyage, and what we want to do with our future. I have become so extremely close with some people, in which I often rely and ask advice on practically anything.
     Not just silly questions such as does this shirt go with these pants, but more important ones. Questions such as how measures ought to be changed to help India with their inequalities of rich and poor.  Questions like will China take over the United States as a new superpower in the next decade? I have learned a lot by traveling to these countries, but also discussing important matters with friends and professors.
These are the essential questions that I think Americans don’t talk about often enough. We are without doubt in a bubble, and in my opinion shut out the rest of the world. If everyone were able to experience and live in another culture or “someone else’s shoes,” life would be drastically different.
        I know that I have changed while on this journey, but it has yet to be determined to what extent. It has obvious changed how I see the world and relate to it.
I wish everyone would have the chance to live outside his or her comfort zone and boundaries.  I think that it is a part of a growing process to do this. Also, it is not an easy concept to grasp or understand. I have done my best to write down my thoughts on everything I have seen and heard.
        I have enjoyed every moment of writing these blog because not only does it give you an idea of what I am up to, but also I am able to sort out my feelings and thoughts.
I want to say a final thanks to everyone who has supported me on this trip. Special thanks to Pa for enabling me to travel the world, and most importantly my parents who have always been there for me. I love you!
Thank you everyone! See you soon!!!

Love Always,

 Kristen

Pura Vida!

Costa Rica style! This phrase means “pure life.” This is how you would respond to anyone asking you how anything was. How was…..? Pura Vida! Apparently it is just the phrase the Costa Ricans or better known as “Ticos” use.  Oh man Costa Rica was a blast!! I think that everyone had an extra good time because school and the work load is now over with =)
        The first day we were in Costa Rica two of my friends and I went to a beach called “Jaco” beach. The beach was not very nice, but we did a little shopping and eating instead. We went to this hotel/ restaurant and had chips, salsa, fajitas, and margaritas! Muy delicioso! It was really fun that they spoke Spanish. I was able to remember a few phrases and kind of carry on a conversation with a few people. I am pretty sure that my Italian was mixed in a bit though. That is because it was the last language I learned. Hehe.
        The next day we were up early for our San Jose Overnight! It was a two and a half hour bus ride there. I went with my three friends Ginny, Amanda, and Teddy. When we arrived we went to tour an Opera House and a Gold Museum. The history was good to learn because I never knew much about Costa Rica. The biodiversity on the drive down to San Jose was magnificent. Sorry if I bore you with talking about biodiversity, but I just finished writing a paper on conservation for my Global Environmental Policy class.  It was probably my hardest class, however was the most interesting. 
        That night my friends and I found a wannabe Starbucks with some great coffee! If you didn’t know Coffee is one of the most important exports in Costa Rica. I Love Coffee =) We also found an internet café where I was able to go on facebook and tell people I will be home in less then a week! Yes!!

We were up early for a drive up one of the mountains for zip lining! We all got in our harnessed and zip-lined down the cables for an amazing view of the greenery and waterfalls! Some of the lines were faster then others and you had to break yourself when you got to the end. It was a great adrenaline rush!
        Next was lunch and then to a coffee plantation! I cannot remember what the name of this particular plantation was called, but I do know that they sell their coffee to Starbucks. It made the tour a lot more interesting. At the end we were able to buy some bags, so that I did. We did a few more things around town before heading back to the ship.

        Now we are down to our last four days. Tonight I have the Ambassador’s Ball!! Everyone gets dressed up and then we have two sittings for dinner. Followed by desserts, entertainment, and dancing! Tomorrow we go through the Panama Canal!! There is a full day planned with Panama Canal activities. After that I believe everyone will be filling out the customs forms and getting everything packed.
         It is hard for me to even fathom I have been on this boat for 104 days. Honestly where did time go? A few of my friends and I were talking last night about visiting each other and then this summer maybe going to Mexico! Who knows if it will happen, but I really really want to stay in touch with everyone. I can’t even tell you how surreal this whole experience has been. I have been thinking a lot about what I will feel like when I get home. I guess I will have to wait and see. But I know that I have been blessed and probably the luckiest girl in the world to have been able to do this.
There will be a final post to wrap up all of my thoughts. This will be good because when I get home I plan on doing some sort of scrapbook. I have kept all of my tickets, papers, and such through the whole trip.
Ah I do not want to pack! I have too much stuff! I wish it could all magically be in my bags. We have to pack all of our stuff two days before Miami because they keep it in a certain room and haul it off with big cranes. Therefore when we get off the ship we won’t have as much to carry. It is a good idea.
Speaking of packing, I should get on that. First there is a song that just came on my computer with some great lyrics!

Wind is blowing through the trees
Rivers flowing to the seas
Yeah they are all heading home just like you and me
Life is for living child can’t you see that
These are the days we will remember
These are the times that won’t come again
The highest of flames becomes an ember
And you gotta live it while you can!

Can’t wait to see everyone!!!

Love,

Kristen

No more school, No more books!

Oh my gosh! I am done with Semester At Sea academics! My tests were a little tricky but I studied really hard for them! I can’t believe that I don’t have to read any more Buddhism, Environmental Policies, Global Studies, and Philosophy! Academics here were extremely rigorous in my point of view, therefore I am happy I am done! I am not equally as happy that I will be ending this voyage though, it has meant everything and more to me.

        Throughout the voyage we have had a “camera guy” by the name of Greg who has been taking footage of the entire semester. When they finish editing and making everything awesome on the DVD, they are sending copies out to whoever bought them. My wonderful and thoughtful Mother bought one for me with an interview at the end!
I get really nervous on camera! (Not sure if you knew that, but now you do) Anyways, I strung three of my friends along with me to be in the video as well! It was a little nerve-racking to talk about this three and a half month experience. We shall see when it comes home in March. I am also pretty sure that my brother would have absolutely loved the job of the “camera guy” for Semester At Sea. You should get on that Matt!!

Today is the last day of finals for the whole ship. Tomorrow we arrive in Costa Rica =) We will be there for three days. I already said what I was doing in my last few blogs, so I don’t bore you with that again.
        We have been encouraged to get all of our belongings arranged and together because we leave in 8 days! I have to go through and see what I bought in each country for the United States Customs when I arrive in Miami. I cannot remember what I bought in each country. Hm yes I might have to go and make that list ASAP! The last day is supposed to be the most hectic day out of the whole 108-day journey. I on the other hand do not care because I’ll be going home to see my family! Be looking out for a Costa Rica blog, and finally a coming home one. I will tell you right now that blog post will not be easy to write =(

Peace and Love,

Kristen

One Down, Three to Go!

Yes! I have completed one final! I am super happy that this final was a lot easier than the midterm! I think it is because I have studied about China, India, and Japan before, and I really like and understand these countries.

For the rest of the day I will probably be studying for the next two exams that I have the day after tomorrow.

 

Remember when I told you all about the auction that we had? At least I think I did? Well we had an auction a couple of weeks ago, and students bid on "pieing the Academic Deans." Therefore, today we are all witnessing some pie action!! Should be hillarious! Yesterday was the day where we picked to see in what order each "sea" is getting off the boat in Miami. Unfortunately my sea, the Bering Sea, came in second to last :( It is okay though because then I will be able to say bye to my friends without rushing off.

The water is crystal clear and the skies have been blue for a few days now. It is warm with a breeze on the upper decks on the ship. Sun-tanning gets a little chilly =)

I should get going on some studying of Zen Buddhism and Philosophy.

Updates after these exams!!

 

Love,

 

Kristen

X0X0

On my way to the end....

I never was able to say Aloha in my last blog, so here it is!!! ALOHA! We are definitely way passed Hawaii as our boat is going very fast now! We are probably at around 23 or 24 knots. I last saw our route on the TV going from Honolulu to Port Caldera? If you know where that is let me know! Most likely we are stopping there to fuel the boat before we arrive in Costa Rica.
        I now only have two class days left! We are just reviewing and filling out course evaluations though. This means all I have is four finals! I have one on December 2, two on December 4, and one on December 6. Currently I am trying to get all my notes and materials ready to study for the next couple of days. Sleep is also a needed thing on this boat because of our constant time changes. After tonight, only four more.
        This is such a bittersweet part in my voyage! Of course I want to get home, but the more I think about myself being at home with these new experiences it freaks me out. I apologize because this is not making much sense. Let me talk about something else.

        Today I donated money to the alumni fund, which enables the Institute of Shipboard Education to give money to future students for scholarships. Also, it gives money to this new foundation in memory of Kurt Leswing. I could pick a number of different foundations where I wanted the money to go, but since Kurt was on my voyage and I knew him, I felt it appropriate to give to that foundation. I not only gave Semester At Sea money, I also wrote my name down on the list of people that will be contacted to recruit at home universities. I thought this was a neat idea and any college student should have this incredible opportunity like I did.

What else what else! All my friends are great and are working just as hard as I am for final exams and papers. It is quite funny to hear people’s conversations of how they are getting certain items that they bought home. My roommate bought this crazy Brazilian instrument that is absolutely huge. No idea how she is getting it home, but it is definitely not staying in the corner of our room! I don’t think it would even fit in the overhead compartment on the plane =)
You will be happy to know that our room is decorated with all Christmas decorations and there are even candy canes hanging from the ceiling! We are very festive in room 4038.
Yeah Christmas Time! Let the shopping begin!!

Love,

Kristen X0X0

Thanksgiving in Hawaii!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!! It is no longer Thanksgiving for you, but I still have 2 hours =)
Today was absolutely fabulous. I am not going to lie, I missed being with my family, but it was definitely a Thanksgiving I will never forget.
The boat pulled into Hawaii at about 7:00 A.M and I was super excited because my phone was no longer roaming! It had been roaming since August! I called my family, Pa and Maureen, Grandma Loie and Grandpa Bob, and finally my friend Alex from John Carroll. I had not talked to her on the phone since August, so I was able to get the chance to call her!!
        It would have been a lot harder to contact people if I was not in the United States. I walked off the gangway of the boat at 10:00 A.M. and met my friend Ginny’s Mom! Ginny is from Madison, Alabama and is a junior at Birmingham either college or university, I can’t remember. Her grandparents live in Hawaii and her Mom wanted to see them for Thanksgiving as well as see Ginny! Apparently Ginny and her family go to Hawaii a few times a year.
        All right so here are my adventures in a ten-hour time period-
When Ginny saw her mom she immediately ran to her and hugged her so hard! It made me remember how much I loved every second of my parents being in Vietnam and seeing them for the first time in awhile. Her mom gave us all Hawaiian “Leigh?” I have no idea how to spell it and the people around me don’t know either! Anyways, it was really cute! I wish we were able to take them on the boat, but of course they confiscated them! Something to do with bringing foreign flowers and agricultural products on the boat.
Oh yes, and my two other friends were also with us, Ben and Amanda. I have traveling through most countries with them as you may have noted in my other blog posts.
        Okay we then headed to this place called Leonard’s. It was a local pastry shop with THE BEST donut like, sugar pastry. They had a certain name, but honestly I didn’t care what they were called. They were AMAZING. After eating too many of these pastries, we headed to the nursery home to visit Ginny’s Grandma.  Her Grandma has been living in this nursery home ever since she had a stroke ten years ago, but it is great that Ginny gets to see her a few times a year. We were able to talk to her a bit and Ginny’s grandpa who is eighty-eight and still doing everything with lots of energy. The nursery home had an incredible view of Diamond Head from up top the hill. Hawaii is fantastic and I would have loved to spend at least another few days there. The ocean, beaches, and hills reminded me a little of Rio.
        After that, we went to lunch at a place called “Zippys.” I asked Ginny’s Mom if they had any in the “mainland,” and she said that maybe in San Francisco but really just a Hawaiian restaurant. They had things ranging from Japanese to regular American food!! There were a few authentic Hawaii meals, but I decided to opt out on those. (I didn’t eat the Poi Maureen!) Besides the massive amounts of food we all inhaled, I had to get a Starbucks when my friends went and got Jamba Juice.
        Ginny had a few favorite beaches in Honolulu, but decided on one of her favorites where there were not a lot of tourists. We played in the ocean and attempted to tan, except it was a little late in the day.
        Finally we went to Ginny’s Grandpa’s house and got ready for dinner! We went to a country club that her Grandpa belongs to. The buffet was ridiculous!!! They had everything you could ever imagine for a Thanksgiving dinner. It was like the buffet at the Atlantis on steroids! Ginny said it usually is not that crazy, but they really do things up on Thanksgiving. I ate sososososososo much, but it was all so gooood!!!
        It was a very successful day in Hawaii! I can’t wait to come back and spend more time. I want to go back to every country I have been!! I am just so overjoyed that I was able to talk and text people because I am in the USA! Hahah not for long though. My next stop is Costa Rica!!! I am doing an overnight in San Jose where a few of us are zip-lining and drinking coffee in the rainforest =) Coffee Coffee Coffee! Nevertheless, we do have finals in about 5 days. I have four finals but will be done with them when we arrive in Costa Rica. I can’t wait because the after that we have our Ambassador’s Ball!!

There are a lot of activities and academics that are coming up, so if I don’t blog on everything I am doing, I apologize now! I love getting the e-mails and phone calls on people enjoying my blogs. I have honestly really enjoyed putting all my thoughts down in writing. It will be neat to read these down the road ☺

Hope all of your Thanksgiving’s were magnificent!

Love Forever,

Kristen

Time Warp!

Hello! I am still sailing on the open seas =) we are getting so close to Hawaii that I can see the islands on my TV screen! I actually think that we are really close; therefore the boat is only going about 10 knots. It usually goes around 20.
The weather is very nice here- probably about low to mid 80’s. I know that it is absolutely freezing at home, so I won’t rub it in! If it makes anyone feel better, I am excited for the snow and cold! I feel as if I am having like a 7-month summer because all I wear are flip-flops around the boat.
        Nothing too new on the boat, everyone is writing papers still and getting ready for finals after Hawaii. We had a day off 3 days ago, because we went through the international dateline. I can’t say that I have ever had two of the same day, but I did! November 22 was a great day!! I have had two time changes since we crossed the international dateline. Now we are 6 hours behind EST. Tomorrow we will be 5.

        Last night we had an “open mic night” where any one can get on stage and either sing, or play an instrument like piano and guitar. This is popular at actual colleges ☺ My friend Katie who is a religion major at a small school in California got on stage and performed a song she wrote and then a popular song called “Imagine.”
        Listening to her sing and play the guitar was incredible. She has the most amazing voice. The song that she wrote was about Semester at Sea, and all of the hope in the world. I had a tear in my eye listening to this because I think it in a sense made it all real to us. We have all journeyed together on this voyage, but each of our experiences are different and we have to take what we get from this semester.
       
        Yeah! Okay let me tell you what I am doing for Thanksgiving in Hawaii! My friend Ginny has grandparents that live in Honolulu. Her Mom will be in Hawaii also because she wanted to visit Ginny’s grandparents and see Ginny. My friend Amanda and Ben, and I were invited to come hang out with all of them on Thanksgiving! We will be visiting Ginny’s Grandma in the nursing home, then hitting a beach, and finally Thanksgiving dinner! I am excited that I will have something fun to do and somewhere to go with my friends! And of course I will be thinking of Pa, Maureen, Mom, Dad, Matt, Uncle Billy, Aunt Patti, Danny, and Nicole. This will be my first Thanksgiving without them all!! I will also miss Grandpa Loie and Grandpa Bob, as I will always remember those great Thanksgivings at their house.

Love to you all- and see you in less then three weeks!!!

Kristen

Girl on the Pacific!!

Girl on the Pacific!

Aloha! I am just getting ready for Hawaii! Yeah Yeah I know that it is still in one week, but I can’t wait! Wanted to just write a small post, telling you things are still going good on the ship. Everyone is buckling down now on their work. It was hard with two class days in between each Asian country. There was a period where I think we didn’t go to class for like a week. It is very bizarre.
        Everyone is also starting to freak out because they realize that papers are sneaking up on them and then the issue of finals. Ahhh I am not sure I want to go through that again, but we all have to pull strong for the end. We can do it!!
        Another thing we have to look forward to is the Ambassador’s Ball. It is put on by this committee of students at the end of the voyage. I think that it is a few days after Hawaii, so not quite at the end, but pretty close. It is the last hurrah before finals. It is apparently a night of everyone wearing their formal attire, a special dinner with champagne, and then dancing! I have heard that it is the absolute best night on the ship!
Yeah!!!
Well, yes I think that is it. Short but sweet. In a few days more will be coming- don’t you worry!!!

Miss you!!!!

Kristen X0X0

Yokohama and Kamakura

Goodbye Japan, Look out America! Well sort of America…not the continental United States. Our next stop is actually Hawaii on Thanksgiving =) Soon (in two hours) I will be sailing on a new ocean, the Pacific!!!
I am very sad to leave Japan because it was a blast! Yokohama was a beautiful city and I would love to go back and be able to explore more. We only had a day and a half in Yokohama, so I definitely would like to get the chance to come back to Japan.

For the first day I explored the city by foot because a lot was within walking distance, at least for the places I wanted to go. I walked to a few parks and eventually made my way to this place called “Queens Tower,” where they had plenty of shops and restaurants.  Because I am a Starbucks freak, I had to go again, and this time they had Christmas Coffee Cups!!! Oh my gosh!! Christmas Time is coming!!!! After Starbucks I proceeded to head to the shops! I bought a few things for my friends, and found a Zara! The only other place that I have seen Zara was in Spain. For those of you that don’t know, Zara is  a clothing place with trendy and fashionable clothes. I tried a few things on, but only ended up buying a cute vest.
After leaving that shopping tower, I found myself at another shopping center right next door to the other! This place was crazy with shops and restaurants. The number of little bakery and pasty shops was insane! It also smelled delicious. I didn’t do as much shopping at this place, but had a lot of fun looking at the Japanese fashion.

Okay so lets fast-forward to the next day because it was the highlight of my couple of days. Today was my day dedicated to a Semester At Sea trip to Kamakura. Kamakura has a population of 300,000 and is called the small Kyoto that I visited earlier in Japan. It was a really cute town with lots of little shops and restaurants. Not to mention the city is known for the Shinto and Zen temples.
        I had signed up for this faculty directed trip because I need to write three papers on different temples that I have visited. Now, I have visited plenty of temples on my trips and travels throughout Semester At Sea, but I had not visited any Zen temples. Unfortunately I couldn’t have gone to any Zen temples in Africa, because there is no Zen Buddhism in Africa! My class called Zen Buddhism definitely called for me to visit an actual Buddhist temple.
        We first visited a Shinto temple and were able to experience monks chanting different sayings and phrases. My favorite part of visiting this temple was that you had to purify yourself before entering. It reminded me somewhat of holy water, but you would pour water on each hand and kind of rub your hands together. Then you would take more water and cup it in one hand and put it up to your lips, but not drink it. It was a lot of fun and cool that I was able to pretend that I was Japanese or practiced the Shinto faith for an hour or two.
        The next place was an actual Zen Temple. I really enjoyed this because in my class we learn so much about Zen and the ways of life for these Buddhist monks. This is what Semester At Sea is all about, learning about these countries cultures and histories, and then being able to go out and watch the people or visit places first hand. The group and I walked around the temple for a while and noticed how beautiful all of the nature was surrounding the temple. There was one point where I just sat down right in front of one of the buildings in the “temple complex” and reflected.
        I thought of how there is no place in the United States where I could go and even experience a part of what I was seeing. There were artists painting the different gates and buildings all around and photographers figuring out the different angles of the best picture to capture the fall foliage. I wish that when I visited the other temples throughout these last three months I could have just sat down and reflected on what I was seeing at that moment. It made me appreciate where I was and what I was looking at a lot more. I tired to do the same for other structures and places such as the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio, my safari in Kruger, the Taj in India, and the Great Wall in Beijing. Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes makes all the difference in the world.
        Hase Temple was our next visit and this place had huge statues of Buddha that were in different parts of the temple. I was not allowed to take any pictures of these Buddhas, but I am pretty sure I can snatch one from a person that illegally took one. It reminded me of my brother when we were at the Sistine Chapel in Italy. He took video footage of the ceiling, while causally walking around like he wasn’t doing anything. I thought it was pretty impressive. =) The Hase Temple had a great view of the city of Kamakura and a even more fantastic view of the Pacific. It was such a glorious day with the sun beaming down on the lovely blue water.
        The temperature in Japan was amazing! It was not forty degrees like it was in Beijing or ninety degrees like it was in India. It was probably upper 60’s to low 70’s. Perfect weather!
Our last visit was to a place to see “The Great Buddha.” This Buddha was ridiculously huge. It is something like 45-50 feet tall and is not even the biggest one in Asia. A few girls that I was with on my trip told me that they went to Hong Kong to see the real “Great Buddha.” We still are not sure even if that one is the biggest, but apparently the one they saw is three times the size of the one that I saw. I couldn’t even imagine. I secretly wanted to climb up and sit in the Buddha’s hand for a picture. But then again, I probably would have gotten kicked out!
        Today was a lot of fun! I also was able to hang out with a girl on Semester At Sea that lives in Arkansas, but goes to Baldwin Wallace in Cleveland! Baldwin Wallace is probably about 20-30 minutes away from John Carroll. We shared some fun stories about the bars in Cleveland and of course the snow that we are both most excited for. Haha. Yeah, I don’t know about that one! I have met a few people on the boat that are from the Cleveland area that I am definitely going to be visiting!

        Yeah! I have nine days until I arrive in Hawaii! Not as bad as my hike from Cape Town to India, but it should be fun. We also have two November 22 because we cross the international dateline. I think that for one of the 22 we don’t have class.  This is going to be real strange gaining hours now! Wahoo! Oh my gosh I just turned on my TV and it already says Yokohama to Honolulu! I love that my TV tracks where we are, how fast we are going, and the longitude and latitude! I am going to miss that at home. Where is the ship channel? Maybe I will go on the website and track the next voyage ☺
        I am sad that we are leaving Asia! I just had a whirlwind of countries in the last three weeks. My body is really exhausted, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I cannot wait to look back on everything that I have done and say, “I traveled the world to it’s fullest.” I hope that statement makes sense, but it is true. I did however have an emotional patch about three days ago. For some reason after I got off the phone with my parents I started crying. This trip is physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging and constantly changing your views of the world. It was most likely a mix of me talking to my parents and thinking about all the ways I have changed is surreal to me. What a gift I have in my hands and inspiration for my future.

I guess I should go catch up on more work. The only unfortunate thing about Semester At Sea, is that the class are really REALLY hard. It takes some getting used to the rigorous schedule that we have going.
Hope everyone is getting excited for Thanksgiving! Talk to you soon!

Love,

Kristen X0X0

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Evening VIETNAM!

Hey All- sorry for the delayed Vietnam post....I sent it to my blog but apparently it did not get there!!!

Mom and Dad-hope you enjoy this one=) Sorry it didn't go through!

Love you!

I told my parents that I would not title my blog “Good Morning Vietnam,” but I had to do it, no matter how cliché it is.  I feel like it has been forever since I have written in my blog and the more I think about it a lot has been happened since the last post!

        School is really heating up now that we do not have that many days in between ports. When I went from Brazil to Namibia I think that I had a week to get back into the swing and the same in between Cape Town and India. Now that I have hit Asia I only have about one or two days in between each country. I will have to learn to recuperate rather quickly so that I have enough energy for the rest of my adventures.

Vietnam was extraordinary! I am not just saying this because my parents came and visited me. (Of course this was the highlight of my trip though). In the past my ship has either anchored or docked at the pier rather early around 8 or 9 A.M.  However, because the only way to get to the pier in Ho Chi Minh City is to go through a river, we had to wait until high tide around noon to take us down through the rest of the river.
        I was so anxious to see my parents that the minute I found out we were not going to be at the dock until noon I was not the happiest of campers. But, I did quickly recover the moment I saw them on the side of the pier trying to find me on the seventh deck of the boat. When the ship was close to where the parents were located my Dad called me and said, “Kristen we are about 400 meters away from your ship.” I immediately hung up the phone and flew up the flights of stairs to the outside deck. I completely forgot that it takes a little while for the boat to actually dock at the pier, but I did get to see my parents from the upper deck and wave to them as my ship pulled in.
        Writing this right now is reminding me of how happy I was to see them and the tears of joy that were flowing from my eyes watching them wave to me from below. It was surreal to think about them being there after flying half way around the world to see me. I wanted to share each and every bit of excitement and fun that I had been having for the past two months and I was finally able to do just that.
        They were eventually able to board the ship at about 1 P.M after having been standing out in the sweltering sun and humidity for two hours. The heat that we experienced was unbelievable, but I think both of my parents handled it quite well considering the tour company told my Dad not to wear or bring shorts :/ Ask him to tell you about the shorts story in the market; it is priceless =)
We finally reunited in the hallway leading into the dining room and it was great!!! I missed them like crazy and already do. After hanging on the boat for an hour or so we decided to pack up some of my things so that I could stay at their hotel for a few nights. I am really glad that I did because I was able to spend more time with them and be away from the ship for a while.
        Over the course of four days we did a lot of shopping in the markets, ate at some delicious restaurants, and went on a few tours with Semester At Sea as well as on our own.
        The first night in Vietnam we went out to dinner with a student from the ship and his Dad that my parents met on the parent trip to Thailand and Vietnam. We also were accompanied by eight of  “big Al’s guy friends. The stories that were being told from the ship were hilarious because I could relate to all of them! It was a fun night and the Vietnamese style cuisine was tasty too!
        The next day we set out with a Semester At Sea tour to a Cao Dai Temple and the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. The temple was extremely unique with intricate colors and shapes of different patterns and animals. It was the first temple that my parents and myself had visited where there were actual monks and people praying in the temple. I like going to different temples and comparing and contrasting religions and countries traditions.
        Next was time for the Cu Chi Tunnels. When we arrived we were escorted down into these huts to watch a movie which was pretty much propaganda. The movie clip was talking about Americans and how their impact on the war really messed things up. Let me just say it was not a fun video to watch. We then were able to see the tunnels that thousands of men lived in and crawled through in the war. These tunnels were incredibly small. The men that were down in the tunnels were about 100 pounds. You had to be that small though or else you wouldn’t have fit through these openings. I was able to go down a bigger tunnel and it was an adventure. I do not normally get claustrophobic and hot that easily, but these tunnels put a new definition to sweaty and no airflow.
        The story that our tour guide told us about the Vietnam War and all that they went through was mind-boggling. I don’t think that we will ever be able to understand what went though their mind and all atrocities of war in general, but learning and being educated about what happened makes me understand a little more about the world we live in. 
        That night we went to a great restaurant called “Level 23” and it was on the top of the Sheraton Hotel, on you guessed it the twenty-third floor. The view from the top of the hotel was breathtaking! You would not believe how many motorbikes were in Vietnam -so the view from up top was also seeing an insane about of motorbikes and cars. My parents and I were really surprised that there were not more accidents in the city. They say that there are ten million people that live in Ho Chi Minh City and there are at least five million motorbikes! I can’t wait to show all of you pictures!
        Third day was devoted to some sightseeing in the city! We booked a private tour to take us all around Ho Chi Minh. The first place we went to was a Buddhist pagoda with a huge Buddhist statue that we took a picture with. We went on to visit another pagoda, which was intricate and was partially open from the outside. Unfortunately for us it was raining- but we managed getting around and taking it all in. Our final stop before lunch was to a Chinese market. This was probably the hottest and most humid place in the city. There was everything in this market from thousands of shoes, hair accessories, different varieties of every food, etc. You could just imagine what this place smelled like, and believe me I definitely want to forget the smell. This gets me real excited for China! Hehe.
        After lunch, our tour guide by the name of Sonny took us to the War Museum. After going through each and every room of photographs, newspapers, guns, depictions of the children’s view of the war, etc, it was incredibly powerful. I don’t think that I have ever completely thought about war in this way after seeing these strong and powerful words and pictures. Of course I have thought about war in the sense of the word, but after being to this museum you need to sit down and wrap your head around what you had just seen.
        We proceeded next to the Reunification Palace which was dedicated mainly to the bringing together of North and South Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. By the way they still say Saigon on a regular basis. I was told that it was just easier to say then Ho Chi Minh City.
        The palace was not like any other palace I have ever seen. It was unique in its own way, but did not resemble anything as far as the palaces in Europe go. The history was cool and our tour girl took us to the different rooms of the palace. It was without doubt a major tourist attraction but not a place where I am itching to get back to. My parents and I were going to go to Vietnam’s version of the Notre Dame Cathedral but we were way to exhausted to take another step. Not to mention the city was in complete torrential downpour. I decided instead to show my parents my pictures while having a drink in the lobby at the fabulous Renaissance hotel.
        I think that I may have skipped a day because I am already to the point of writing about my last day. Oh yes I remember what we did the first day. We went shopping around town and I bought a beautiful wrap around black dress that I am very eager to wear! I also bought a very nice blue skirt that will look good with a few blouses at home!
        Sorry about that detour. I hope I didn’t forget anything else that was important. I am sure my parents can tell you all about it when they get home.
        The last highlight of my stay in Vietnam was an excursion to the famous Mekong Delta. We took a two-hour bus ride out to the Delta with all of the other Semester At Sea parents and kids. When we arrived at the Mekong River, we boarded a small riverboat where we were escorted all around the different islands.
        We first stopped on a cute island where we tasted some of the local fruits. We had dragon fruit, mango, pineapple with strange salts, and more fruits that I don’t remember the name of. After tasting fruits we went to another island where they make coconut candy! It takes like taffy and there were many flavors to choose from. We bought the chocolate and the peanut ones =) After that it was honey tea time! They made a certain type of tea and put their homegrown honey into the tea! It was awesome!
        Finally we made it for lunch, not that any of us were really hungry after all of the taste testing…but oh well! Our first course at lunch took us all by surprise. They brought out a fried “Elephant Eared Fish” to every table at our group. I am talking about every part of the fish was still intact. The waitresses took a piece of what is called “rice paper” and wrapped that with noodles, vegetables, and the fish. It probably doesn’t sound like best, but after having tried it- it was rather scrumptious!
        That night was my final night in Vietnam, and therefore I had to be back on the ship at 9:00 P.M. My parents came onboard one last time and we had dinner and attended a lecture together. The goodbye was not as difficult as the one in August, but it was still rough. I am grateful to have parents that came and visited me, and I am pretty sure they had an awesome time just like me. When you get home Mom and Dad, Thank you for an extraordinary time in Vietnam. I enjoyed every moment of being there with you and will cherish it forever.
        Well now that I am to the point of tears, let me tell you what is next! The day after tomorrow I arrive in Hong Kong! I am only spending a half of a day there because my friends and I are doing a SAS sponsored trip to Beijing and Xi’an. I think that this trip is five days long including all the traveling. After five days we spend two days in Shanghai.
        Tonight we all had to get our temperatures taken in order to disembark the ship in Hong Kong. Apparently if you have a temperature the officials immediately think that you have bird flu. Sounds a little strange to me. I am perfectly healthy though!
Hope you all enjoyed my blog!!! Oh Yes and today is election day- go out and vote!!!! We are getting coverage all day tomorrow- well for me tomorrow will still be your election day! Talk to you all real soon and take care!

Love You,

Kristen

Kobe and Kyoto

        Konnichiwa! Or as we would say in English, Good day! I wish that I could be really cool and able to speak Japanese.  Actually, knowing any other language would be awesome! Maybe I’ll work on that when I get home….

Japan is SPECTACULAR! I couldn’t really tell you what my favorite port has been this far just because all the places I have been are wonderful, but Japan is extraordinary. I don’t even know why I like it so much, but I do =)
Yesterday we pulled into Kobe around 8:00 and they started the Quarantine process. Yes the process that I explained in my last blog was a real big pain in the butt. I think by the time the whole quarantine, immigration, and customs procedure was done, it was about 1:00 P.M. At that point, a bunch of friends and I were planning on going to Hiroshima on a bullet train, but I was not able to go.
         I may have mentioned in a blog that I couldn’t get a Japanese rail pass because I had to do certain Faculty directed Semester At Sea trips. One of my friends told me that I could get a day trip pass though. We went to go see and check it out, and it was ridiculously expensive. The rail pass for the entire week came out to be $270. The day pass to Hiroshima and a few other places was $180. There was no questioning whether or not I was going at that point! It was okay though because right across the street from the train station was a cluster of department stores and shops! I found some shirts and new jeans, all while enjoying a starbucks ☺

        Today, I woke up early for a Semester At Sea trip to Kyoto. Kyoto was Japan’s capital up to the late nineteenth century when Tokyo took its place. Our first stop was called Kiyomizu Temple where we enjoyed a beautiful view of the entire city from up top hills and mountains. I was finally able to experience some Fall foliage! That is something that I deeply miss at home. Enjoy it while you can.  Next, we went to Maruyama Park and enjoyed lunch while viewing Heian Shrine that honors a peace period from the 700’s-1100’s This was a place where some of the movie “The Last Samurai” was being filmed. I will have to see that movie again since it has been awhile and now I am more interested in the topic.
        In the afternoon we visited Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion). This Pavilion was constructed in the 1390’s as a retirement villa for Shogun Yoshimitsu, and featured a three-story pavilion covered in gold leaf and topped with a bronze phoenix. Oh my gosh was this place picturesque! It was set back right near the mountains and was surrounded by a pond with plenty of vibrant colored leaves. I am sure that this place is just as great in all seasons.
Finally we went to Nijo Castle. The castle was built in the 1600’s and is known for its gorgeous interiors as well as the perfectly manicured gardens! I don’t think I could have asked for a better day and a better way to see the city.

I am back on the boat, but not for long! Tomorrow we have sort of a free day because about 600 students are not traveling to Yokahama with us. They are elsewhere traveling in Japan. I am excited to catch up on my work and most importantly my sleep.

Time to go turn in my passport! It is getting really full with lots of stamps and visas!

Peace and Love,

Kristen

TOMORROW: JAPAN!

How exciting!! I have heard from Semester At Sea Alum that Japan is the most fun out of all of the countries. I am not sure that I really believe that, but I will get back to you on that one. Tomorrow (the 14th) we arrive in Kobe, Japan. Although the trek from Shanghai to Kobe has not been the smooth easy ride that we know of traveling through the Asian countries.
        In fact, last night I probably woke up about four or five times from the waves being that choppy. I don’t think that I have experienced these waves since we came into Cape Town and left Cape Town.  Today I was reading in the dining hall to get away from my room, and my water bottle completely slid off onto the ground and rolled away.
 I also noticed that people went from one side of the hall to another while losing their balance. I think that we got used to not having the seas or oceans being very rough. Now we are all flipping out because it is ridiculous! It does kind of stink being having a room in the front of the boat where it is the rockiest. I heard that leaving Japan and our hike to Hawaii is also a great time! You are probably wondering why I am still mentioning the boat rocking, because apparently I am supposed to be used to it. But, when you are on land so often you get used to being stable!

        Yes, so tomorrow I am going to be in Japan. Apparently there is a huge process this time for disembarking the ship. There are two different “phases.” The first phase is that each passenger is required to have his or her temperature taken before 8a.m. and 9a.m. on the day of arrival. Japan has a huge fear about the spread of Avian Flu, as a result, the immigration is much more strict. The night before we arrived in Hong Kong, we needed our temperature taken as well, because if we had a high temperature they figured we had Bird Flu.
        Phase two is that each passenger on the ship is required to meet face to face with immigration officials, and then for FINGER PRINTING! This is something new and exciting! It is just like when I had to have my finger printed for Disney! No I am just kidding, it is more important this time =)
We have been told that this process takes forever. Probably from 7:30-1:00 P.M. I don’t really care though because we will be in Japan! I think I remember someone telling me that we have the same process for Japanese tourists coming into the United States

Today was my first Global Environmental Policy class in which Kurt was not there. A few of us students went up to the front of the class and said what a pleasure it was to work and talk to Kurt during group projects. My professor also read us a poem that was very heartfelt and meaningful to all of us. The mood on the ship is pretty much the same, but it has been especially hard because we realize that it could have been any of us.

        On a lighter note, I will be writing more about Japan soon because I will be staying on the ship between Kobe and Yokohama. Tomorrow I hope to hang about Kobe for a while and then maybe go to Hiroshima. I may not get there, but we will see how the day unfolds. I am seriously practically already in Japan? It was definitely just yesterday that I was in Brazil, right?  Actually, Brazil seems like forever ago, but it is just because I have experienced so much in the past two and a half months.
Tomorrow is my day to register for class at John Carroll Spring 2009! 2009? Seriously? Okay I am done freaking myself out! Almost time for dinner anyways. See you all real soon.
Stay Well,
 
Kristen
X0X0

Hong King, Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai all in six days!

Yes that is right. I went to four huge cities in six days! As much as I would love to explore China more in depth, I am physically and emotionally exhausted.
Early on in the semester, some friends and I planned on going on the Semester At Sea Beijing and Xi’an trip. I am really happy that I ended up signing up for that trip because it was a blast. Semester At Sea always puts you up on the most luxurious hotels and they really plan out everything quite well.

        We arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday the sixth. My friends and I just hung out and wandered around for a few hours. We did a little shopping in the city center and had a great lunch. That afternoon we had to make our way back to the ship for our flight to Beijing! There were a total of seventy Semester At Sea students and some faculty on our trip.
        That night when we arrived, we transferred immediately to a cute dinner place right near Tiananmen Square. The square was really neat at night, and strangely enough it was one of the things I was really looking forward to in Beijing. Sophomore year at John Carroll I took a class on comparative politics focusing on India, Japan, and China. We learned a lot about Tiananmen square and the “New China” that was established in 1949. I think that my family can attest to the fact that I was determined to make it to Beijing after that class.
        The first full day in Beijing was tremendous! We started our day with a trip to the Great Wall! The scenery was awe-inspiring and literally took your breath away. Climbing up those stairs was not as bad as I thought it was going to be because there were sections that you could rest at. I did make it to the top while receiving my award of a t-shirt! I could definitely have just picked a spot to sit and watch people climb while enjoying the mountain ness scenery. The hardest part was making my way down the wall because each step was different. There could be a few tiny steps on one section and then you would have to take gigantic steps on the next section. It was also twice as hard to take pictures while descending the stairs =)

        Semester At Sea took us to the nicest lunch and dinner places in town! We always had more then enough food including lots of rice, sweet and sour everything, wanton soup, etc. Next was our tour to the Summer Palace. This was the place to be in the summer. I can see why one of the Emperors would love to come and stay. I walked in and the first thing you see were these giant lion statues on either side of the front entrance of the palace. It was huge with acres of land with unique looking buildings and pagodas. After exploring the palace for a couple of hours we stopped right in the area where the Olympic sites were. We were able to see the Birds Nest and the Aqua Cube. I couldn’t believe that I was at the place where the whole world was watching just a few months ago.

        The second day in Beijing was up for an early wake up call! We ate breakfast at the hotel and departed for out headset and tape tour of the Forbidden City! Unfortunately I forgot to charge my camera the night before, so my camera died right at the beginning of entering ☹ I think that my friends are going to let me take some of their photos though. I was glad that we were given the headsets and tape because I learned a lot more then I would have just walking through. When you first enter there are like hundreds of people trying to get through at the same time as you are. There was also a huge picture of Mao Zedong right at the entrance of the gate. The gate was filled with lots of red and yellow and suddenly you would remember that you are in a Communist country.

        After the Forbidden City we drove to the Temple of Heaven, which was pretty darn cool. It is the biggest construction complex of heaven temples. It was the palace where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped heaven and prayed for good harvest.  Shortly after the temple we went to a great lunch and then straight to the airport for our flight to Xi’an!

        Xi’an is not as far north as Beijing, but is more to the west. Our first stop on the third day was to a place called the Lesser Wild Goose Pagoda. This was a Buddhist temple that was very unique looking. Right near the pagoda was Chinese men and women doing their daily practices of either ballroom dancing, some sort of sword practice, etc. It is a kind of daily ritual that the older Chinese men and women practice. We also visited the Xi’an history Museum where we learned more about Jade, Calligraphy, and Buddhist sculptures. 

        Our next stop was to the famous Terra Cotta Warriors Museum!! We all couldn’t wait to get there!! I did not know practically anything about the history of the warriors or the museum, so I am glad that I was able to learn more about the story. There were three pits that were discovered by I believe only two farmers. Pit one was first found in 1974, Pit two and three came within the next ten years. These life-sized warriors and horses are valued as a treasure of knowledge and are revealing this vision of the Qin dynasty. The museum opened up in 1979 and has been regarded as being “The Eight Wonder of the World.” It was without doubt a great place to see, and if you ever get the chance to go to Xi’an, I wouldn’t skip the warriors!

        The day was almost over, but not without a trip to the Tang Dynasty show and dinner! It was more or less a show and a dinner, but the show was spectacular! People were dressed up in all of these intricate dresses and outfits that looked like they were from these eras. They was a lot of dancing and some singing in the show! I absolutely loved the dresses that the women wore ☺
        The final day in Xi’an was an extremely busy one. We first set off to the Museum of the Forest Stele where we were able to see slates or stones that had calligraphy from thousands of years ago. It was also a Confucius temple wrapped around the Museum. However, the highlight of the day was our calligraphy lesson. We went to a place where they sat us down in a classroom and we learned and practice some calligraphy! I am not the best at it, but it was fun to try.

We made our way to a few more stops at the Bell Tower and the People’s square and then to the Yang Tombs of the Han Dynasty. They were both great stops to both shop and tour more of the underground tombs just like the Terracotta warriors.

        After a long five days, we headed towards the airport for our flight to Shanghai. There were a total of five different Semester At Sea Beijing trips and also independent trips to other places in China. But, if you were not doing a Semester At Sea trip or an independent trip to another city, then you would have sailed with the ship from Hong Kong to Shanghai. It is weird to think that the ship sailed two days without me!
The trip was a blast and I am happy that I was able to do it with my friends.

I am not sure if I should really be putting this in my blog, but I think that I have to write to process and understand how I feel right now.

        While I was in Beijing, my troop leader (professor on the ship) took a call from our Executive Dean telling us of a tragic accident that had happened in Hong Kong the night before. One of the students on the ship was out at night with some friends in Hong Kong at about 11:30-12 and was drinking with them at a bar. Apparently the student, or better known as Kurt was alone at about 2:00 A.M. and was in the street flagging down a taxi when a car swerved and missed him, but the taxi behind him did not. This taxi who ended up being a drunk driver struck Kurt. We know that Kurt had also been drinking, but not sure to what extent. He was alone for some reason and the only thing that he had on him was a credit card. Every student on the ship has a “Ship ID,” but that was not found on his person.  Kurt was unconscious after being struck, and unfortunately died while on the way to the hospital.

        The United States Consulate and the Institute for Shipboard Education are handling everything. They have contacted his parents in Wisconsin as well as others that need to be contacted. Tonight after all of the students boarded the ship, we all gathered in our union and talked about the incident as well as having moments of silence.

        When I heard this information my heart sank. I did not know Kurt that well but I have talked to him and had a class with him on the ship. He was the nicest kid and always had a smile on his face. I couldn’t even imagine how his parents are dealing with this, especially because this happened so far away. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. I have seen how this has affected a lot of students on the boat that were extremely close to him. Our trip leader made a note to us that the ship will not be the same when we get back. I would have to say that I agree with him because I think that everyone is affected by this and grieving in some way or another.
        The next night I called my parents and told them what had happened and I think that I was immediately struck with sadness and grief after talking with my mom. This really puts into perspective how precious we need to take this experience and life itself. Kurt was such a great kid, but I think that he is also in a happy place and would want us to remember all the good times that we had and experienced with him.

I am sorry that I wrote this in here, but it is the first time that I was able to write how I feel about all of this. …

Well, for the next two days I will be at sea. Our next stop is Kobe, Japan and then Yokahama Japan. I have a few faculty directed trips that I need to go on, but other than that not much planned. A lot of my friends went and got a Japan rail pass to travel throughout Japan, but unfortunately with these silly trips I can’t do that. It should be fun just traveling in the cities we port to anyways.

Just wanted to say that I love all of you guys and cannot wait to see everyone in December =) Thinking of you all the time!

Love Love,

Kristen
X0X0X0

Malaysia! KL and Penang Style!

Absurd! I have traveled and made it through my second Asian country! I never thought that I would make it to this point. It seems like just yesterday that I applied and was accepted!

       I think that Malaysia is the country that I knew least about on this voyage and the country where I had no idea what to expect. As it turns out I learned lots from just being here for five days! Malaysia has a lot of different religions and cultures intertwined. I believe I remember a tour guide telling me that the country is divided with about 30 percent Chinese practicing Buddhism and Daoism, 50 percent Malaysian or Muslim, 8 percent Indian, and the rest is other. There was a lot of Semester at Sea trips being offered to go to different temples and mosques, but I opted out this time because I am visiting a lot of Buddhist temples in Japan.

       My first day in Malaysia was on the Island of Penang, which is where the boat was anchored. Yes that is right, we did not dock this time! There is not a pier big enough for our boat to be tied down. Therefore, in order to get to the main part of the island we had to use a tender or better known as our “lifeboats”to get to the other side. It was not too bad the first couple of times, but when you jam about 150 people into each boat it was a little toasty after awhile. Oh well we all survived the humid weather and at some times the pouring rain :/

       The first day I had an FDP (Faculty Directed Practicum) where a bunch of students and I were on a trip called indigenous industries near Penang. It was more of marketing FDP, but I was told to go because I will be missing an FDP for my environmental policy class in Vietnam. We looked at the challenges of getting products to the market and their international sales efforts as well as agricultural practices, labor issues, exports, and price fluctuation. Interestingly enough, Malaysia is the world’s number one palm oil producer, so we visited a plantation to see the harvest and demonstration of how fruits are being processed. This visit to these places was for lack of a better word “interesting.”The first plantation was cool, but then we drove for almost two hours to a rice museum that looked like people had not been to the museum in five years. Yes, so enough about that. Lets get to the good stuff!

       The next day seven of my friends and I (Steven, Ginny, Amanda, Violetta, Lauren, Ben, and Alan) went to Kuala Lumpur!! It only took four and a half hours and we were on the most luxurious bus ever! They had comfortable reclining seats, TV’s with movie selection, etc. The trip was quite nice and went by really fast!
       Our hotel called the “Mandarin Oriental”was exquisite. I don’t think that we could have found a more lavish and lush hotel. The hotel is a chain with many hotels in New York, San Francisco, Miami, Paris, Bangkok, etc. We had two rooms each with four people and it was not even that expensive. The location of the hotel was even better. We were situated right next to the “Petronas Towers”and an unbelievable mall! The towers were neat because we were able to go up about half way to the sky bridge and look at the city from up high. Kuala Lumpur is a place that is incredibly westernized. It reminded me of a mix between New York City and Toronto. As much as this is my time to look at other parts of the world and experience other cultures, I still felt like I was doing that because the people around were so different. There were malls everywhere, but my favorite was the one that was right next door to my hotel. It ranged from all of the designer stores (Gucci, Versace) to stores that I have never heard of before but was fun to go and look. My store of choice was of course Tiffany &Co =) And no, I did not buy anything!
       After browsing the malls, we went to a place called the “Batu Caves.”It was a thirty-minute ride right outside of KL and was well worth it. I have some great pictures of this place. It is basically this cave and Hindu temple combined where you climb three hundred stairs to enter the cave. White climbing the stairs we encountered some “Reese”monkeys that snatched my friend Alan’s ice cream right out of his hand! Pretty unreal and funny at the time! Outside of the temple there was this huge shiny golden statue of a Hindi God. When I say huge I mean ridiculously gargantuan!! When we finally made it to the top we explored the cave and were able to take some fun pictures in front of different objects and important relics to the Hindu faith.
       Then it was probably time to eat because that is what I feel like we did most of! It most likely was not that much, but when I go on vacations either with my friends or with my family I feel like everything is revolved around food! My group and I ate mostly Chinese food because oddly enough that is the kind of restaurant we always found around the city. Malaysian cuisine is mostly a mixture of Indian, Chinese, and Thai. We definitely had enough of Indian and Thai was not around too often. As a result, Chinese was the way to go.
       I spent a total of three nights in KL and the nightlife was hopping! Clubs were always open and waiting for lots of business. The first night we did not go out to a club, but the second night we went to this lounge that was located on the top floor of a hotel. We had a few drinks my favorite being the Cosmopolitan! Last night was fun too because we went to an actual club where we had to pay a cover charge. One of the great things about being a girl is that you don’t have to pay as much to get into clubs! That was a blast because we all got dressed up and looked very cute. My hair however looked horrendous because of the humidity!
       Before going out to the club and the lounge we ventured into Chinatown! Let me tell you that before Malaysia I have experienced New York City’s Chinatown and to me that was craziness. Now, this Chinatown was off the hook! I don’t even know how many vendors there could have been through streets and streets of shops. There were all kinds of fake DVD shops, clothes stores, purses, watches, you name it they had it. It makes me think that China is going to be about one hundred times crazier! In spite of all the hustle and bustle, I had a great time haggling prices.
       We did more things in the city, but I just chose to write about my favorite parts and the parts that are not all jumbled together. I wish that I had more time in Malaysia to maybe go to a few beaches because I hear that they are beautiful, but Kuala Lumpur was my destination of choice. Singapore would have been neat to go to as well but a few people told me that they wish they stayed in Malaysia because apparently it was a waste of time. I don’t know how true that was….


My countdown until I see my parents is dwindling down! I was able to talk to them in LA while they were waiting for their flight to Bangkok. I am excited to find out how they liked Thailand =) I cannot even imagine what the anticipation is going to be like when it becomes December and I will be heading home. Consequently, I will have to say goodbye to my new friends and the place that I now call “home.”Ahh! I always do this to myself! Stop thinking about that Kristen!
       Well next port of call is the fascinating Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam! This is where I think I will be buying the most. I hear that a lot of students come back with nice tailored and custom-made suits and dresses. Vietnam is also the country where I am most interested in because of learning about the relations with the United States and Vietnam. Wow and I just realized that it is the end of October and Halloween is coming up! Strangely enough it feels like it is still August. I keep having this reoccurring thought that when I come back it will still be summer, but I must think again. It will be about ten days until Christmas!!! Yeah I can see my friends and spend time with my family ☺

Great!! It is 10:30 P.M. and I am absolutely exhausted from traveling for the last five days. I must reenergize before Vietnam or I will most likely be a zombie in real life and not for Halloween. Here we go- continuing my journey around the world!

Love and Missing you Always,

Kristen

Bay Of Bengal- half a day ahead!

Hello All! Well tonight the ship moves one more hour forward, making us twelve hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time =) I secretly like moving our clocks forward because it gives me and the rest of the ship an excuse to be tired! Hehe I am just kidding because I get up at the same time everyday no matter what time it is.

We arrive in Malaysia the day after tomorrow! This port is definitely different then the last three because there is no pier to dock on. When we get off the ship we have to board a ferry to take us to the Island of Penang- isn’t that so weird? I’ll let you know how that one goes, should be an adventure. My friends and I are planning what we are doing in Malaysia and there is so much to do! We can go to the capital, the beach, and different islands in Malaysia. We are overwhelmed with activities that are suggested from the faculty and staff on the ship. I personally would love to go to the capital because I hear they have great shopping☺Not that I need to do anymore shopping, but hey when in Malaysia…

Tonight I have a “family dinner”with the faculty member and her husband that adopted me for the voyage! I signed up in the beginning of the semester to be adopted so that I could chat with some faculty and see how their experience is going with Semester- At- Sea. Her name is Patti Duncan and she teaches about Feminism at the University of Washington. Her and her husband just recently made a movie about the “acid-attacks”on women in Cambodia. It was an incredible film and they deserve an immense amount of credit for all that they did in creating it. The faculty is definitely well rounded when it comes to experiences and traveling aboard. It is always extremely easy to walk up to a professor and ask any questions that you may have because you are constantly seeing them on the ship.

I have one more test before all of my midterms are over with. After that I can settle down a bit and enjoy Malaysia! I hear it will be spectacular! Count down of Ten Days until VietNam!!

Peace and Love,

Kristen

What is that saying? ?This place is like living in the the Taj Mahal!?

I don’t actually know if anyone says this that often, but I do remember a story of when it was said. When Matt moved into his brand new dorm called Pennsylvania Hall for his sophomore year I remember my Mom calling it and comparing it to the Taj Mahal. Now I can say that although his dorm was awesome, the Taj was breathtaking!

I survived India! I survived through the heat, the humidity, the food, and all of the traveling that I did! I think I may have given you some background on what I was doing in India, but here it is in detail.
       On Tuesday, I took a two and a half hour plane ride from Chennai (south) to New Delhi (north). We arrived at a great hotel where the beds were extremely comfortable! The next morning was an early wake up call at 5 A.M. We arrived at the Delhi train station at six and boarded shortly after for our two-hour train rides to Agra. The train was more like three hours because it kept stopping and we were absolutely freezing from the air that was pumping out of the train!
       I can’t say if I have ever experienced something like the train stations in Delhi and Agra. It was filled with people asking for money and food. There were many people sleeping on the platform with their blankets; including Mothers with their babies. India is tremendously overpopulated with over 1.1 billion people in a country that is 1/3 the size of the United States. Second largest to China. Although people have been asking why doesn’t India take the one child policy; there is some issues with that because India is a Democracy and they cannot impose on how many children people have.

       Okay, anyways- we arrived in Agra where we proceeded for a placed called Agra Fort. This place was flooded with red stand-stone buildings, which were the halls and palaces of the Mughals. It had a great view of the Taj Mahal from the fort. At dusk we finally were going to the Taj Mahal! It was incredibly hectic with people everywhere and the security right before you went in was pretty intense. A lot of locals came up to us and showed us the best photo to take with the Taj in the background.
       The line to get inside was extraordinary! There were hundreds of people waiting to get inside with some people pushing and cutting in front of us. Then we decided to cut in front of them! Good thing we did because it would have taken us hours to get through this line. Before you are able to climb the stairs up to the main part of the Taj you either have to take off your shoes or put shoe covers on to protect the marble. It was great seeing everyone with these silly covers on their shoes. 
       Once inside It was hard to see much because they don’t allow light of any kind in there. We weren’t allowed to take pictures but definitely could see the tombs of the women that the architect built the Taj for and for the architect himself. I was a little surprised at the inside because although it was intricate with the patterns and marble, it wasn’t as spectacular as the outside was.
       That night we all ate dinner at the restaurant in the hotel that was awesome! My favorite was the Indian type of bread called “Nan,”So tasty! After dinner there were a few shops in the hotel that we explored and I bought some gifts for people. In addition to shopping I got what is known as “Henna”on my arm! It is something that has been used in the Mediterranean and originally and still used as a part of social or holiday celebrations such as marriages. There is a whole history to it, but I thought it was really neat. It last for about two to three weeks and then rubs off.

       The following day we took a twenty- five-mile trek to a deserted city called “Fatehpur Sikri.”It is famous for the red-sandstone buildings like we saw the previous day at Agra Fort. This abandon city was truly gorgeous and well preserved even today. On the way back from the city, we arrived at Mother Teresa’s Ashram to interact with the orphanage children! I definitely forgot to buy things for the children before I arrived on Semester At Sea, so the bus driver stopped at a little shop and we all bought boat loads of candy, chocolates, bracelets, bouncy balls, etc. The kids were adorable and loved our presents. I was able to hold a baby that was only a few months old and then was able to play with some older kids on the playground. I believe that when I am in Vietnam my parents and I are going to an orphanage and I cannot wait =) Of course it was sad to think about these kids without any parents, but they were so happy to see and play with us that I really hope it made their day because it made mine!
       That night we took the same train ride back to New Delhi. This train ride was ridiculously long! We made about thirty stops just from Agra to New Delhi. When we arrived at the hotel we all went to our rooms and passed out because we were exhausted from the traveling.
       The final day in Delhi we started out by going to a Baha’i House of Worship where the building resembled the Sydney Opera House. This was a building made out of beautiful marble and a place where you can go to pray no matter what religion you are. There was no talking throughout except for about six or seven people that would sing or say a prayer from a different religion. I heard prayers from Christian Faith, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Sikhism, etc. I liked going there a lot because I was able to see and hear a variety of people praying in not just one religion.
       Next we stopped at a Sikh Temple. This was the more interesting one of the two. We had to cover our heads when going throughout the temple as well as the outside areas surrounding it. I walked inside and saw people praying on the floor and there was music praying throughout. We walked around for a bit but didn’t want to stay long as people were trying to pray. We then walked outside where there was a huge area of water where the Sikh’s go to cleanse and pray. This area was beautiful with the different architectures of buildings all-blending in. Our tour director did not really tell us much about the Sikh’s; but it is definitely a minority religion as there are eighty percent Hindus living in India. I will have to do some of my own research on that religion!
       The best part of the day came. Our visit to the “Raj Ghat”or Gandhi Memorial. This is the place where Gandhi came when he was in-transit from city to city. This was not his true home, but ended up being the place where he was assassinated in January 1948. There was a lot of information at this memorial on Gandhi’s last forty- eight hours of his life, his lessons, and what he accomplished through his lifetime. I really really really enjoyed this part of the tour. All of this history is fascinating and what Gandhi risked for his country is remarkable.
       After the Museum our tour guide told us of some great places to shop in Delhi near our hotel. It was within walking distance so we found it quite easily. There were some great shops and I am excited that I got cool gifts for some people!!!

       I realize how crazy this all must be to read, but I had the best time and have been on the go for the last four days. I am finally back to the ship and settling down with some schoolwork. I went to a guest lecture today and have another this afternoon before we leave tonight for our next port to Malaysia.
       India was what I expected it to be, but in other ways it was not. I didn’t expect to be as emotionally affected, as I was when I saw a Mother of three at night sleeping on the side of the street with her kids. My tour group and I were on buses a lot and locals from the train station would all come up to us asking for food and money.
       One night out of the corner of my eye I saw a woman with her newborn and a few kids standing back behind the crowd of people surrounding us. Everyone was trying to get out of the mess because it can be quite frustrating even walking to where you want to go. I however decided to go up to this woman and give her some of my left over food from dinner. She kept thanking me and I could tell that she was truthfully gracious. 
       India was great and I would do this trip again in a heartbeat, but the things you see are extremely hard emotionally. This is something in America that we totally take for granted and don’t think about in everyday life, but in a majority of India poverty is their everyday life.
 On a happier note, what an experience I had as you can tell! I loved learning more about their customs, religions, political sphere, and more =)
Yeah! Soon on our way to Malaysia….
Okay this means only twelve days until I see my parents!!! They leave in less then a week for Thailand- wow!!
       Posting another when I continue further into the Indian Ocean!
Miss EVERYONE like you wouldn’t believe! L.O.V.E Y.O.U!

Kristen

What is that saying? ?This place is like living in the the Taj Mahal!?

I don’t actually know if anyone says this that often, but I do remember a story of when it was said. When Matt moved into his brand new dorm called Pennsylvania Hall for his sophomore year I remember my Mom calling it and comparing it to the Taj Mahal. Now I can say that although his dorm was awesome, the Taj was breathtaking!

I survived India! I survived through the heat, the humidity, the food, and all of the traveling that I did! I think I may have given you some background on what I was doing in India, but here it is in detail.
       On Tuesday, I took a two and a half hour plane ride from Chennai (south) to New Delhi (north). We arrived at a great hotel where the beds were extremely comfortable! The next morning was an early wake up call at 5 A.M. We arrived at the Delhi train station at six and boarded shortly after for our two-hour train rides to Agra. The train was more like three hours because it kept stopping and we were absolutely freezing from the air that was pumping out of the train!
       I can’t say if I have ever experienced something like the train stations in Delhi and Agra. It was filled with people asking for money and food. There were many people sleeping on the platform with their blankets; including Mothers with their babies. India is tremendously overpopulated with over 1.1 billion people in a country that is 1/3 the size of the United States. Second largest to China. Although people have been asking why doesn’t India take the one child policy; there is some issues with that because India is a Democracy and they cannot impose on how many children people have.

       Okay, anyways- we arrived in Agra where we proceeded for a placed called Agra Fort. This place was flooded with red stand-stone buildings, which were the halls and palaces of the Mughals. It had a great view of the Taj Mahal from the fort. At dusk we finally were going to the Taj Mahal! It was incredibly hectic with people everywhere and the security right before you went in was pretty intense. A lot of locals came up to us and showed us the best photo to take with the Taj in the background.
       The line to get inside was extraordinary! There were hundreds of people waiting to get inside with some people pushing and cutting in front of us. Then we decided to cut in front of them! Good thing we did because it would have taken us hours to get through this line. Before you are able to climb the stairs up to the main part of the Taj you either have to take off your shoes or put shoe covers on to protect the marble. It was great seeing everyone with these silly covers on their shoes. 
       Once inside It was hard to see much because they don’t allow light of any kind in there. We weren’t allowed to take pictures but definitely could see the tombs of the women that the architect built the Taj for and for the architect himself. I was a little surprised at the inside because although it was intricate with the patterns and marble, it wasn’t as spectacular as the outside was.
       That night we all ate dinner at the restaurant in the hotel that was awesome! My favorite was the Indian type of bread called “Nan,”So tasty! After dinner there were a few shops in the hotel that we explored and I bought some gifts for people. In addition to shopping I got what is known as “Henna”on my arm! It is something that has been used in the Mediterranean and originally and still used as a part of social or holiday celebrations such as marriages. There is a whole history to it, but I thought it was really neat. It last for about two to three weeks and then rubs off.

       The following day we took a twenty- five-mile trek to a deserted city called “Fatehpur Sikri.”It is famous for the red-sandstone buildings like we saw the previous day at Agra Fort. This abandon city was truly gorgeous and well preserved even today. On the way back from the city, we arrived at Mother Teresa’s Ashram to interact with the orphanage children! I definitely forgot to buy things for the children before I arrived on Semester At Sea, so the bus driver stopped at a little shop and we all bought boat loads of candy, chocolates, bracelets, bouncy balls, etc. The kids were adorable and loved our presents. I was able to hold a baby that was only a few months old and then was able to play with some older kids on the playground. I believe that when I am in Vietnam my parents and I are going to an orphanage and I cannot wait =) Of course it was sad to think about these kids without any parents, but they were so happy to see and play with us that I really hope it made their day because it made mine!
       That night we took the same train ride back to New Delhi. This train ride was ridiculously long! We made about thirty stops just from Agra to New Delhi. When we arrived at the hotel we all went to our rooms and passed out because we were exhausted from the traveling.
       The final day in Delhi we started out by going to a Baha’i House of Worship where the building resembled the Sydney Opera House. This was a building made out of beautiful marble and a place where you can go to pray no matter what religion you are. There was no talking throughout except for about six or seven people that would sing or say a prayer from a different religion. I heard prayers from Christian Faith, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Sikhism, etc. I liked going there a lot because I was able to see and hear a variety of people praying in not just one religion.
       Next we stopped at a Sikh Temple. This was the more interesting one of the two. We had to cover our heads when going throughout the temple as well as the outside areas surrounding it. I walked inside and saw people praying on the floor and there was music praying throughout. We walked around for a bit but didn’t want to stay long as people were trying to pray. We then walked outside where there was a huge area of water where the Sikh’s go to cleanse and pray. This area was beautiful with the different architectures of buildings all-blending in. Our tour director did not really tell us much about the Sikh’s; but it is definitely a minority religion as there are eighty percent Hindus living in India. I will have to do some of my own research on that religion!
       The best part of the day came. Our visit to the “Raj Ghat”or Gandhi Memorial. This is the place where Gandhi came when he was in-transit from city to city. This was not his true home, but ended up being the place where he was assassinated in January 1948. There was a lot of information at this memorial on Gandhi’s last forty- eight hours of his life, his lessons, and what he accomplished through his lifetime. I really really really enjoyed this part of the tour. All of this history is fascinating and what Gandhi risked for his country is remarkable.
       After the Museum our tour guide told us of some great places to shop in Delhi near our hotel. It was within walking distance so we found it quite easily. There were some great shops and I am excited that I got cool gifts for some people!!!

       I realize how crazy this all must be to read, but I had the best time and have been on the go for the last four days. I am finally back to the ship and settling down with some schoolwork. I went to a guest lecture today and have another this afternoon before we leave tonight for our next port to Malaysia.
       India was what I expected it to be, but in other ways it was not. I didn’t expect to be as emotionally affected, as I was when I saw a Mother of three at night sleeping on the side of the street with her kids. My tour group and I were on buses a lot and locals from the train station would all come up to us asking for food and money.
       One night out of the corner of my eye I saw a woman with her newborn and a few kids standing back behind the crowd of people surrounding us. Everyone was trying to get out of the mess because it can be quite frustrating even walking to where you want to go. I however decided to go up to this woman and give her some of my left over food from dinner. She kept thanking me and I could tell that she was truthfully gracious. 
       India was great and I would do this trip again in a heartbeat, but the things you see are extremely hard emotionally. This is something in America that we totally take for granted and don’t think about in everyday life, but in a majority of India poverty is their everyday life.
 On a happier note, what an experience I had as you can tell! I loved learning more about their customs, religions, political sphere, and more =)
Yeah! Soon on our way to Malaysia….
Okay this means only twelve days until I see my parents!!! They leave in less then a week for Thailand- wow!!
       Posting another when I continue further into the Indian Ocean!
Miss EVERYONE like you wouldn’t believe! L.O.V.E Y.O.U!

Kristen

India Here I come!

Yeah! Tomorrow we arrive in Chennai, India! After we left Cape Town about twelve days ago, I thought that the trip to India was going to be really long. Strangely enough it has not been that bad- with the exception of midterms. Yeah, all of my midterms were hard and tricky this semester. It was also difficult to find a place to go and get away from people because the ship is only so big. Although I managed to get a lot of studying in.

 
Tomorrow my friend Amanda and I are going to do a little shopping in the markets of Chennai. We are going to buy a camera (Amanda's broke), a scarf because I need one for the Hindi temples, and we want to get throw away shoes because apparently after India you don't want to wear the those you were wearing there. I will let you know how that goes!

Tomorrow afternoon I set off for my flight to Delhi! I am going on a Semester At Sea trip to the Taj Mahal and also some visits to an orphanage! I looked at my schedule for this trip and it looks like I am always on the move from temples, service visits, and trains. Sooo cool!!

 Tonight is our logistical pre-port for India about health and safety. Do not worry I already know not to drink ANY of the tap water there or buy food from the streets. I have been hearing that it doesn't matter what you eat because you will be sick anyway. However, I am really excited for the food because although I have only tried Indian food a few times it is really good. I will be really careful though of what I am eating, no worries.

 
Ahh I am going to be in ASIA tomorrow!!!! I have been studying and learning about India in detail for the past few years and I cannot believe that I will get to experience everything I have been reading!! I think that this will be the first port that I will REALLY see how much I take what I have for granted.

 
Updates coming after the TAJ!
Have a Great Week Everyone =)
 
Love Always,
 
Kristen

Go Ninja Go Ninja Go!

This was our “mini” cheer for my sea- The Bering Sea! We picked the color green as our sea color and called ourselves the Bering Sea Ninja Turtles.

Sea Olympics was a hilarious and exciting day! There were about ten or twelve events such as hot dog eating, find the m&m in the pie, human knot, jeopardy, pizza making, work-relay, Olympic relay, tug-o-war, and more. I was the judge for the workout relay. One of my “sea” mates did wall sits for thirteen minutes, it was incredible! I also judged the hot dog eating contest, which was absolutely disgusting. At least three people were sick after eating around eight or nine hot dogs in five minutes. Thank gosh I had not had lunch prior to this event!

        Every sea had extraordinary spirit for their sea- it was great!!! Since my color was green I wore my green pants, green sneakers, and a green bandana that I bought in the store =)

At the end of the day they announced the winners. There was one prize for winning the sea Olympics. When we arrive to Miami in December the sea that won is able to disembark the ship first. The Bering Sea was extremely close to first place, but the Yellow Sea had a few more points then us. A few of my friends are in that sea, so of course they had to rub it in that they won. Oh well second is still great and I had a fantastic day!

        My favorite part of the day was singing our cheer: (to the theme of ninja turtle song)
                SAS Bering Turtles
                SAS Bering Turtles
                SAS Bering Turtles
                Port Side On The Fourth Floor!
                Bering Power!
All right then! The ship did a great job of making all the students forget that they have midterms in a few days! Wow I can’t believe it is October and I am able to study in my bathing suit =) I love the Southern Hemisphere!! Although, I do miss everyone up there in the Northern Hemisphere...Love to you all <3

Kristen