give all, gain all - ghandi

10 march 2009 - no class day

there were no classes today & nothing was required of us. generally when there are no classes there is at least a global studies lecture but today was simply free to do nothing.

i was absolutely exhausted from india and was beginning to feel sick, so i slept in until 1045. so late! i never sleep that late, not even at home! it was much needed and i could not feel too guilty about wasting the morning.

we went to lunch at 1130 and i had toast-- i simply cannot eat a real meal until i've had some breakfast-type food. funny how sleepy everyone was, i think breakfast must have been quiet this morning.

today began the game 'assassins,' with about 230 students playing. i did not sign up but i've enjoyed watching everyone else play. the game is based on eliminating people by throwing a sock at them. each person playing is given a target to get with a sock and the last person standing. there are certain things that one can do to create immunity and some of the more hilarious ones have been to wear two different shoes and to carry around our global studies text books. it seems as though everyone is studying, but no one ever reads that book!

there was a gathering in the union for a few hours to share music and photos with other students. i was excited to attend this because i knew that many friends had pictures of me that i could now have on my computer. i have a tendency to take a lot of photographs but i am rarely in them, so i was glad to get a few of myself. rather unfortunately, not many people were present at the exchange; i think it was poorly advertised and many people were unaware that it was happening. oh well, i will just carry around my little flash drive and hopefully collect some pictures as the next few days progress.

i spent a lot of time today working on my india blog, though i have not really completed much. its hard to know where to start and how to effectively capture the moments in words. i certainly want to complete them as soon as possible, so that i can rest easy. i do not think of the blogs as a burden, mind you, but as a necessary part of my journey. its simply difficult to process all that i've seen so quickly. kelsey was joking that we should all get a writing credit for all the things we've composed while on the ship, from blogs to emails to journals to homework. its a lot of typing!

after a rather boring dinner, i found a quiet corner to type, in the union. some students were practicing songs for the church services that are held on the ship. it was wonderful to simply sit, type and to listen to amazingly talented kids. it was refreshing.

following my quiet time, there was a post-port discussion about india. this was essentially story time, as students, faculty and life-long learners got up and told about their adventures, mishaps and feelings about india. so many students had absolutely incredible experiences-- from simple interactions to stays with families. a professor got up and spoke about how she was impressed with india but that she was even more impressed with the students she had met on her trip. this seems to be a theme with the faculty and staff, all of whom have been impressed by the overall maturity and genuine interest in our voyage. mckendree shared a poem that she wrote about the children she met in a dalit village-- a sweet and poignant piece about if we all lived as children do.. i'll see if i can get a copy from her. a group of students got up and spoke about their experience with a family of 15 with whom they spent the duration of their stay.

overall, what the students said was inspiring. i was inspired to look more deeply into the experiences i've had, to write more creatively and to simply observe the countries we visit with an open heart and mind. the souvenirs and photographs are important but the most important thing is to meet and to interact with the people. to hear about their thoughts, feelings and interests and to get to know them.

i left the presentations feeling good about our program and with a filled heart; having heard so many wonderful stories of the people of india. i will most certainly be attending all the post-ports from here on out.

we then gathered quite a large group to watch the movie 'seven pounds,' which chandler had purchased for about 150 rupees, or 3 usd. we made our way to a classroom, gathered snacks from snack time and settled in for the film. i had never seen the movie before, as with most of the room, but rennika was quick to praise it. starring will smith and rosario dawson, the film was about an irs auditor and a woman with congenital heart failure. i will not spoil the movie for anyone wishing to see it, though i did not like it. i actually looked up the film on wikipedia half way through to find out what was going to happen. i found the movie more unsettling than inspiring and walked away feeling annoyed.

such a shame as i had been so happy leaving the post-port reflections.

i then went to bed, it was nearing 0100. however, we lost another hour so it was actually 0200, which made the idea of waking up for an 0800 class absolutely depressing. i set my alarm and listened to the new fray cd (i said i liked it.. i listen to it all the time!!) before falling asleep.

all in all, a rather lazy day on the ship, somewhat like a snow day :)