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

Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till its gone..

Thought this was an appropriate title at this point in my voyage! I don't like that it is almost the halfway point- but I must not think of that!

Okay never mind about that, lets focus on how much fun I am having!!!

A few nights ago we were able to watch the Presidential debate J A student on my boat sat in an internet café for three hours uploading the podcast to the Presidential debate. How awesome is that?!? We all thanked her like crazy.

The election is heating up and is in less then one month- ahh!

 

Before I left for Semester At Sea I was bummed that I was not going to be able to vote, however- I was able to get do an absentee ballot that will be sent to Malaysia. Most of the students did it this way. Yeah now I get to vote =)

The boat was also able to upload the Vice Presidential debate as well, which was good but not as interesting as the Presidential one.

 

As far as classes go, I am getting stressed because I have my first midterm tomorrow on Global Environmental Policy. My teacher is a little wacky- so who knows what is going to be on the test. I am just kidding; I know what is going to be on it!

My next midterms are this coming Saturday and Sunday. This is really weird to say because I have never had classes on Saturday and Sunday. Oh well I am traveling around the world!!!

To give us a break from studying and classes, the boat puts on something called the "Sea Olympics." The ship is broken down into different sections according to where you are on the boat. These different sections are divided into "seas." Basically each hallway is a different sea: Caribbean, Arabian, Aegean, Mediterranean, Bering, Red, Yellow, etc. I am part of the Bering sea!!

 We will be competing with other seas on different events like hot dog eating contest, pizza making, workout relays, synchronized swimming, jeopardy, sudoku, etc. I am really excited it should be a blast. I am not doing any specific event, but I am judging the hot dog eating contest and the workout relay with some friends. Everyone was trying to get me to partake in the hot dog eating contest and there is just no way I can eat twenty-five hot dogs! I will update more later- but here is a quick post letting you know some activities on the ship!

 

Sending my love around the world,

 

Kristen

 

 

 

I bless the rains down in AFRICA...

Okay your probably wondering what is with this title? Well it has a meaning. I think it was either my brother Matt’s freshman or sophomore year that he was in a music group called the Pitt Pendulums. He sang the song “Africa” by Toto- and I wanted to let him know that I thinking and missing him always!

        I also wanted to let you all know that I did write another blog post about Cape Town before this one and unfortunately it was deleted... ?

Cape Town was extraordinary!!!! Out of the three places that I have been to so far, Cape Town is one that I would go back to in a heartbeat. It reminded me of a New England type of place with beautiful sparkly water, magnificent mall with over 500 shops, and delicious restaurants. The pier and waterfront where the boat docked could not have been in a more perfect place.

        We arrived on Friday the 26th of September where we made our traditional ATM stop. Everyone got out money and we were ready to explore Cape Town.  I was traveling with about 10 people around the city, which was a little big so we decided to split up and travel in smaller groups. A few of us went to a fantastic lunch place in the mall called “Victoria’s Wharf.” The weather in Cape Town was sunny but cool. Probably upper 60’s to low 70’s.  The day before we arrived in Cape Town we were told to go to a fabulous aquarium called “Two oceans Aquarium.” My friends and I had a blast as we watched the feeding of sharks, stingrays, and penguins. 

        The night life in Cape Town is definitely one that you want to experience. Most of the people go to a place called “Long street” where there are a number of dance clubs and bars. I had such a blast there because we were in a huge group dancing the night away!

        Another great tourist place to go is somewhere called Robben Island. This is the place where Nelson Mandela was held for twenty-seven years. You would grab a forty-five minute ferry from Cape Town to Robben Island where you then were given a bus tour of the island for about an hour and a half. I learned a lot about the history of the island as well as the history of the prison.  This was a great tour because in school I was never taught about South African struggles and experiences. I knew nothing about their political structure, which is extremely interesting now that I am a political science major!! (Check out the news of the South African President) I love learning about different countries political history and systems; it is remarkable.

        Sunday was the day of all days! Seven of us (Katie, Eleanor, Tien, Steven, Ginny, and Amanda) took a taxi to Stellenbosch. This is where we spent the night as well as a wine tour of four different vineyards! The view of the green mountains and beautiful fields were stunning. We were given a wine tour as well as the process that it takes to make wine such as what they do to white wine versus red wine. I wanted to buy a few bottles of wine to bring home for presents, but unfortunately we are not allowed to bring it on the ship. The wine was delicious, especially the red wines. Nevertheless I have a list of all of the ones that I tasted, and yes drank.

        The next day the seven of us took an hour train ride from Stellenbosch back to Cape Town. My friend Eleanor who lives across the hall from me, lost one of her cameras somewhere so we told her we would go buy another with her. I felt really bad, but luckily another camera was not too much money. The exchange rate is the best $1.00 USA is equal to about 8 Rand. Sunday was not the prettiest of days where it was chilly and overcast. It did rain on us for about five minutes! Hehe.

Lets see, I think we just went out to dinner that night and came back early as I had to wake for a departure to the airport for my SAFARI!

The flight to Kruger was two and a half hours with an hour van drive from the Airport to our remarkable resort. Our hotel had five pools, golf course, tennis, and much more. The temperature rose to 90 degrees in a matter of a plane ride. We arrived to the resort at 2:00 PM and had our first game drive at 3:00.

         The safari trucks were absolutely hysterical the first time that I saw them- you will laugh too with the pictures I have.  The drive took twenty-minutes to get to Kruger Park and then we were out on the safari for three hours. Our tour guides were all great as they knew everything about the park and could answer any obscure questions anyone had. I went on a total of three game drives.

         The first drive was the day we arrived; the second was from 5:00 AM until 3:00PM, and then the last one was the second night. I was able to see a range of animals from impala, (looked like a deer) zebras, giraffes, rhino, hippo, strange looking lizards, warthogs, elephants, etc. My favorite though was seeing fifteen lions. We were actually within ten feet of a few lions, oh my gosh was this was a thrill!

The night drive was spectacular because we were able to see a different view of animals at night.  There were a few lions on the side of the road at night that were not phased by anything we were doing such as taking pictures and making lots of noise.  I don’t think that anything could have made the safari any better. It was everything I anticipated and more. If anyone gets the chance to go on a safari in the future, definitely do it because it is truly a treat.

        We did unfortunately run into a few problems with getting back to Cape Town. My flight from Kruger to Cape Town was supposed to leave at 12:45 PM and we did not get up in the air until 3:30. The flight before us came from Cape Town and apparently they didn’t know if they were going to have enough fuel to make it back to Cape Town. Not sure how they screwed this up but they did. They were not too good at informing us what was going on; therefore we were confused for a few hours. Before we took off the captain told us that we were going to have to take a pit stop in Johannesburg to get fuel. In spite of this, half way into our flight he told us we “might have” enough fuel to get to Cape Town. Five minutes later he confirmed we would.  I kept saying, “are you kidding you think we might have enough fuel- what the heck?” It is funny now, but at the time not too funny.

        We were extremely late for  “on ship time” which is 6:00 P.M. for every port. If you are not on the boat at 6:00 with your passports handed in you will get dock time. This means every fifteen minutes you are late you are deducted an hour from getting off in the next port. Then again I was on a Semester At Sea sponsored trip so I didn’t get any dock time! Yeah! We arrived at the boat at 7:20 and the boat is on schedule to depart at 8:00 PM.  Miraculously we some how made the departure time of 8:00. Quite an eventful day I would have to say.

        Now I am on my way to India! If you look on a map you will see that I will not be in India anytime soon. It will take us twelve days to get there.  When we get closer to India we will be having MIDTERMS AHH! I am not looking forward to this, but know that I have to buckle down and get through this so that I can see my parents! Less then a month I will be seeing them in Vietnam!! Everyone keeps asking if I am excited and I only have a few words for them: You have no idea!!!

        I also just wanted to say a few words about how wonderful it is to hear from everyone that has e-mailed me! I read these e-mails and am grateful to have family and friends that are excited for me. It is cool to hear about what is going on in all of your lives as well! Pa and Maureen sent me a lovely e-mail about their China travels and I am glad that they are back in the states safely. A few friends keep sending me messages on facebook but I want them to know that I can’t go on facebook because it wastes my Internet! Send me an e-mail at: kcmendick@semesteratsea.net. Honestly it will get there faster then facebook I promise!

        Alright well I guess the time for reading has come! Thank you again for the support and encouragement you have given me! Miss you =)

With Lots of Love,

Kristen

I bless the rains down in AFRICA...

Okay your probably wondering what is with this title? Well it has a meaning. I think it was either my brother Matt’s freshman or sophomore year that he was in a music group called the Pitt Pendulums. He sang the song “Africa” by Toto- and I wanted to let him know that I thinking and missing him always!

        I also wanted to let you all know that I did write another blog post about Cape Town before this one and unfortunately it was deleted... ?

Cape Town was extraordinary!!!! Out of the three places that I have been to so far, Cape Town is one that I would go back to in a heartbeat. It reminded me of a New England type of place with beautiful sparkly water, magnificent mall with over 500 shops, and delicious restaurants. The pier and waterfront where the boat docked could not have been in a more perfect place.

        We arrived on Friday the 26th of September where we made our traditional ATM stop. Everyone got out money and we were ready to explore Cape Town.  I was traveling with about 10 people around the city, which was a little big so we decided to split up and travel in smaller groups. A few of us went to a fantastic lunch place in the mall called “Victoria’s Wharf.” The weather in Cape Town was sunny but cool. Probably upper 60’s to low 70’s.  The day before we arrived in Cape Town we were told to go to a fabulous aquarium called “Two oceans Aquarium.” My friends and I had a blast as we watched the feeding of sharks, stingrays, and penguins. 

        The night life in Cape Town is definitely one that you want to experience. Most of the people go to a place called “Long street” where there are a number of dance clubs and bars. I had such a blast there because we were in a huge group dancing the night away!

        Another great tourist place to go is somewhere called Robben Island. This is the place where Nelson Mandela was held for twenty-seven years. You would grab a forty-five minute ferry from Cape Town to Robben Island where you then were given a bus tour of the island for about an hour and a half. I learned a lot about the history of the island as well as the history of the prison.  This was a great tour because in school I was never taught about South African struggles and experiences. I knew nothing about their political structure, which is extremely interesting now that I am a political science major!! (Check out the news of the South African President) I love learning about different countries political history and systems; it is remarkable.

        Sunday was the day of all days! Seven of us (Katie, Eleanor, Tien, Steven, Ginny, and Amanda) took a taxi to Stellenbosch. This is where we spent the night as well as a wine tour of four different vineyards! The view of the green mountains and beautiful fields were stunning. We were given a wine tour as well as the process that it takes to make wine such as what they do to white wine versus red wine. I wanted to buy a few bottles of wine to bring home for presents, but unfortunately we are not allowed to bring it on the ship. The wine was delicious, especially the red wines. Nevertheless I have a list of all of the ones that I tasted, and yes drank.

        The next day the seven of us took an hour train ride from Stellenbosch back to Cape Town. My friend Eleanor who lives across the hall from me, lost one of her cameras somewhere so we told her we would go buy another with her. I felt really bad, but luckily another camera was not too much money. The exchange rate is the best $1.00 USA is equal to about 8 Rand. Sunday was not the prettiest of days where it was chilly and overcast. It did rain on us for about five minutes! Hehe.

Lets see, I think we just went out to dinner that night and came back early as I had to wake for a departure to the airport for my SAFARI!

The flight to Kruger was two and a half hours with an hour van drive from the Airport to our remarkable resort. Our hotel had five pools, golf course, tennis, and much more. The temperature rose to 90 degrees in a matter of a plane ride. We arrived to the resort at 2:00 PM and had our first game drive at 3:00.

         The safari trucks were absolutely hysterical the first time that I saw them- you will laugh too with the pictures I have.  The drive took twenty-minutes to get to Kruger Park and then we were out on the safari for three hours. Our tour guides were all great as they knew everything about the park and could answer any obscure questions anyone had. I went on a total of three game drives.

         The first drive was the day we arrived; the second was from 5:00 AM until 3:00PM, and then the last one was the second night. I was able to see a range of animals from impala, (looked like a deer) zebras, giraffes, rhino, hippo, strange looking lizards, warthogs, elephants, etc. My favorite though was seeing fifteen lions. We were actually within ten feet of a few lions, oh my gosh was this was a thrill!

The night drive was spectacular because we were able to see a different view of animals at night.  There were a few lions on the side of the road at night that were not phased by anything we were doing such as taking pictures and making lots of noise.  I don’t think that anything could have made the safari any better. It was everything I anticipated and more. If anyone gets the chance to go on a safari in the future, definitely do it because it is truly a treat.

        We did unfortunately run into a few problems with getting back to Cape Town. My flight from Kruger to Cape Town was supposed to leave at 12:45 PM and we did not get up in the air until 3:30. The flight before us came from Cape Town and apparently they didn’t know if they were going to have enough fuel to make it back to Cape Town. Not sure how they screwed this up but they did. They were not too good at informing us what was going on; therefore we were confused for a few hours. Before we took off the captain told us that we were going to have to take a pit stop in Johannesburg to get fuel. In spite of this, half way into our flight he told us we “might have” enough fuel to get to Cape Town. Five minutes later he confirmed we would.  I kept saying, “are you kidding you think we might have enough fuel- what the heck?” It is funny now, but at the time not too funny.

        We were extremely late for  “on ship time” which is 6:00 P.M. for every port. If you are not on the boat at 6:00 with your passports handed in you will get dock time. This means every fifteen minutes you are late you are deducted an hour from getting off in the next port. Then again I was on a Semester At Sea sponsored trip so I didn’t get any dock time! Yeah! We arrived at the boat at 7:20 and the boat is on schedule to depart at 8:00 PM.  Miraculously we some how made the departure time of 8:00. Quite an eventful day I would have to say.

        Now I am on my way to India! If you look on a map you will see that I will not be in India anytime soon. It will take us twelve days to get there.  When we get closer to India we will be having MIDTERMS AHH! I am not looking forward to this, but know that I have to buckle down and get through this so that I can see my parents! Less then a month I will be seeing them in Vietnam!! Everyone keeps asking if I am excited and I only have a few words for them: You have no idea!!!

        I also just wanted to say a few words about how wonderful it is to hear from everyone that has e-mailed me! I read these e-mails and am grateful to have family and friends that are excited for me. It is cool to hear about what is going on in all of your lives as well! Pa and Maureen sent me a lovely e-mail about their China travels and I am glad that they are back in the states safely. A few friends keep sending me messages on facebook but I want them to know that I can’t go on facebook because it wastes my Internet! Send me an e-mail at: kcmendick@semesteratsea.net. Honestly it will get there faster then facebook I promise!

        Alright well I guess the time for reading has come! Thank you again for the support and encouragement you have given me! Miss you =)

With Lots of Love,

Kristen