no matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.

the quote above is again from the lovely wikiquote. it's from the movie, dead poet's society, with robin williams. a great movie, i would love to see it again. i think i originally saw it in high school to coincide with reading 'a separate peace.'

--------

we are all sitting around the ship, essentially twiddling our thumbs and waiting to be cleared. well, actually, the ship has been cleared but the passports have not yet been completely processed. and because the girls and i plan to spend the duration of our time off the ship, we need our passports.

so, i've been typing away at my india blog as mckendree naps. our lovely cabin steward, andrew, keeps popping in to try and clean our room, but we're still here. he is the sweetest young man, and he was brought back our laundry today; which we were not expecting. it was like christmas! i was getting down to my last clean clothes, so i was thrilled to have more options.

last night was a good time - we watched the office in our room, and it was hilarious. i have certainly come to love the show over the course of the voyage; mostly because it's funny and partially because it's the only sort of television we get to see. it was the episode where dwight tries to simulate a fire so that everyone can practice what they'd do in an emergency. afterward there was some singing, guitar playing and overall good conversation. we also attempted to get a game plan for japan, where our friend brian spent time last year. looks like a rail pass is in my future, so i have to plan accordingly and possibly purchase one in vietnam.

as for thailand, i'm ready to go.

i'm going to type away at india for a bit longer and then hopefully i can grab my passport and get going. i may be on the internet (skype) in the next 5 days, so keep a lookout. love and miss you all! xo

1,000 places to see before you die

i'm sure everyone has heard of this book; its on sale everywhere and in every travel section. ren has the book, which we looked through last night. here is the list of things i've seen thus far & i'm sure i'll see more as the trip goes on. i found it so funny that the mayflower in is listed! (i've never been to the mayflower but i have been to the litchfield hills.)

----------

connecticut
-mark twain house (hartford)
-mystic seaport
-litchfield hills & mayflower inn

florida
-walt disney world

maine
-acadia national park
-camden, maine

massachusetts
-freedom trail
-brimfield outdoor antiques show
-cape cod seashore

new york
-finger lakes region
-new york city

pennslyvania
-gettysburg
-pennslyvania dutch country
-independence national historic park

rhode island
-cliff walk (newport)

virginia
-colonial williamsburg
-shenandoah valley

washington, dc
-national mall & monuments
-smithsonian museums

west virginia
-white water rafting (does tubing count?)

ontario, canada
-niagra falls

spain
-seville

namibia
-etosha national park

south africa
-table mountain
-cape wine lands (paarl)

mauritius
(listed as it's own place to see.. it's not that big!)

?as one goes through life,

one learns that if you don’t paddle your own canoe, you don’t move.
-katherine hepburn

14 march 2009

some exciting things that happened today:

my ship "brother", harry, turned 11 today. so we had a birthday party! with ice cream cake and about 60 people! he's one popular 5th grader.

my sea had a special get-together in the faculty/staff lounge to celebrate our place in the sea olympics. i know have yet to actually post about that day, but there was an upset and we were placed 5th. after demanding a recount, we were officially 2nd! they had forgotten to count a gold medal! so we had ice cream and played apples to apples in the fancy faculty/staff lounge.

mckendree and i booked our hostel for bangkok and i'm relieved. its always good to know that we have a place to stay. we are most definitely taking a cooking class and i'm absolutely thrilled! it will be so much fun, and we'll get to keep the recipes (and eat the food, of course). and they'll be arranging to pick us up and drop us at our hotel.

our pre-port was entertaining, as usual and i am now back in the room, watching the office and attempting to pack. and to finish my india blog. all at the same time.

and now, i'm off to focus on the show, attempt to type and eventually i'll pack.

seems to good to be true

when i look back
i have no regret
the times we've had
i'll never forget
a single moment in these quick passing days
the lessons learned along the way

this seems too to be true
sometimes i struggle to believe
these were the best days of my life
somebody pinch me, i must be dreaming

help me remember
every little time in the back of my mind
remember
every little time you made me smile
cause i'll never forget these memories

tomorrow i'll remember
but might not ever return
to the places i never dreamed i'd be in the world
and seems to me, we seem to be
just lost souls looking for the same damn thing

and we just cant help but lose ourselves
somebody pinch me
i must be dreaming

(jason peck, semester at sea song)

------------


these are a selection of lyrics from a song written by a former semester at sea participant. one of my good friends on the ship, rennika, got this song from a kid who sailed last year. i think that the song is a perfect description of how it feels to be on this incredible voyage, seeing all we've seen (and will see).

"somebody pinch me, i must be dreaming."

so when i'm tired, sick, frustrated, hungry, sick of carbohydrates or feeling low; i listen to this song and it reminds me just how absolutely ridiculous it is to be any of those things on this ship. i may sometimes need a nap, or a break from studying or some veggies, but how can i truly complain?

i am living on a ship, circumnavigating the globe. that is something that less than 1% of this world's population could say. i have a bed, spending money, and a great network of people on the ship (and at home).





...i guess i can learn to live with the peanut butter.  :)

correction--

just wanted to say that i made a little typo in this morning's singapore post. we are actually 80 miles north of the equator, not 8. it's still warm though!

off to bed, xo

when you get into a tight place and everything goes against you..

‘til it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer,
never give up then, for that is just the place and the time that the tide will turn.
-harriet beecher stowe

----------

(friday) 13 march 2009

in global studies we were told that we successfully made our way through another 'pirate alley,' the strait of malacca. we also learned a little bit about singapore-- it is one of the wealthiest countries in southeast asia. it is a city-island-country of 4 million people and is a large exporter of computer and electronics,

there will also be a MICE concert today, along with the university of singapore. MICE is a mobile interactive computer ensemble, a class on the ship. apparently there will be lots of laptops beeping and making music between our ship. the students in singapore will be beeping away with us, via the radio.

in class we also learned about sars and bird flu, from our visiting medical students. we found out that when the sars outbreak was going on in spring 2003, the sas voyage had to simply float around for two weeks; unsure of where their next port would be. they eventually docked in nagasaki, japan. everyone in class chattered crazily at the thought of two aimelss weeks aboard the ship.

we were also told today that we are halfway through our voyage, which just about made everyone in the room burst into tears. and then, to make everyone feel better, they said that in the next 26 days we will only have 6 days of class; to which everyone burst into applause. from bangkok to ho chi minh city to hong kong/shanghai and then to kobe/yokohama. it's exhausting just thinking about it!

after classes, i was simply exhausted. i spent some time chatting with mckendree in the room and read more of 'eat, pray, love.'  i think i'm fighting a little bug of some kind and plan to just rest up as much as possible before bangkok on sunday.

being that we were close to land, i was able to get cell service. being that it is cheaper to use the phone here than in thailand, i decided i'd call home. i called at 1745 (545p) and it was 0645 at home. luckily, andrew and rebecca were up, getting ready for school and so i was able to say a quick hello. its nice to hear familiar voices :)

dinner was outside, where we watched another beautiful sunset. i brought my camera and someone commented that i have a million pictures of the sunsets. i cant help it, i love how different the sunset looks each night!

we had our cultural pre-port for thailand tonight and we learned some great facts about getting around, etc. some tips included females not touching monks, don't point our feet at buddhas, follow a local when crossing the street, and cover up if planning to visit a temple.

i think i'll be watching 'get smart' and heading to bed early tonight and plan to get my india blog finished tomorrow!

singapore

we are currently in singapore to bunker (refuel). we will be here for most of the day, and boy is it hot! we are only 8- miles north of the equator and that was most certainly evident when eating breakfast outside this morning.

i took some photos from my porthole of the floating gas station and plan to take some pictrues through the hazy morning sun of the singapore skyline in the distance.

i find the great thing in this world..

...is not so much where we stand, but in what direction we are moving
we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it
but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor"
-oliver w. holmes

---------

12 march 2009

as many of you noticed and commented on, i was up late typing away last night. its been so hard to gather my thoughts on india and i am trying not to simply list off things i did with the, "and then we.." after sitting up until nearly 0100, i fell asleep quickly.

breakfast this morning was french toast; my favorite. we then trudged off to global studies, where two of our guest medical students lectured on the status of hiv/aids in india and thailand. the lectures covered how hiv/aids is spread, the characteristics of the virus, current treatments and views of the disease.

after the class, i began reading the book, "eat, pray, love" by elizabeth gilbert. i had heard of the book at home and know of many people who have read it. its about a woman who travels to italy, india and indonesia over the course of a year. mckendree says it's a perfect book for me, especially while on this journey. i've already read quite a bit but plan to slow down a little, as i tend to consume books far too quickly without giving them proper thought.

after lunch, with more carrot salad (i'm getting my beta-carotine and improving the health of my eyes :D), i tried to find a quiet place to get work done. it's very hard to not be distracted by other students, people playing games, the little kids, music, the beautiful weather & ocean, etc. i found a nice spot in the overly air conditioned fifth floor dining hall and set up shop. i made flash cards for my nutrition class and reviewed for a quiz on vitamins. its good to be productive!

as a result of my studying, i did well on my daily quiz in nutrition and found the lecture to be.. easy to follow! that is so rare in this class, which tends to go straight over my head, leaving me to have to catch up and teach myself.

i was also very excited to have received an email from my host-dad, neel, saying that he has been reading my blog. (hi neel & family!)

after class i did a little more reading of my book and then headed up to meet caitlin for dinner. we ate outside and boy was it still hot at 530! the sun was so bright! we ate early on account of yoga class at 0600. dinner itself was okay but the dessert we made out of bananas, peanut butter (still the icky kind) and chocolate sauce was amazing.

yoga is held every B day, on the 7th deck, looking out over the water. it was amazing. i've done some beginners yoga before, but this was beautiful. how can i not be at peace, looking out onto the sunset over the ocean? it was exactly what i needed to round out my day.

feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, i read outside on the deck until it was too dark to see and took some unfortunately blurry photos of the sunset and passing ships. being that we are in the straight of malacca, a common through way, there are lots of little boats and large container ships floating around us.

to top off a wonderful day was karaoke night! another performance from little christopher (dressed in his captain's outfit, he sang "well i had a little drink about an hour ago.." & i thought of limabean and mom :D) as well as countless performances by students. some were choreographed and complete with costumes and others were more spur of the moment. i took a great assortment of video clips to remember the night. my most favorite was mckendree and kelsey's spur of the moment rendition of christina aguilera's genie in a bottle. i haven't laughed that hard in a while.

and now, after all the fun and games, i am exhausted. i may read for a little while -- when i get into a book i tend to consume it as quickly as possible! -- and i'll definitely be sleeping soon. so i hope all of you on the east coast are enjoying your lunch! love & miss!

'he who seeks truth..

he who seeks truth
shall find beauty

he who seeks beauty
shall find vanity

he who seeks order
shall find gratification

he who seeks gratification
shall be disappointed

he who considers himself as the servant of his fellow being
shall find the joy of self-expression

he who seeks self-expression
shall fall into the pit of arrogance

arrogance is incompatible with nature
through the nature of the universe
and the nature of man
we shall seek truth

if we seek truth we shall find beauty
-moshe sadfie, architecht



i have been struggling to write my blog entries for india and as a result have spent a significant amount of time looking though quotations on wikiquote. there is a great feature which pulls up a random page, and that is how i found this poem. i think that the sentiment is striking, a juxtaposition of motivations and the subsequent results. so many people talk about having an open mind and to take in the world around us, but its so easy to get caught up in the excitement and to forget about why we are here.

we enter these wonderful port cities and see the surroundings, listen to guides explain monuments and histories and then quickly forget when we try to go out or expect things to be like home. we need to seek truth; which i felt i found in india, in order to take away more than cheap souvenirs and photos. we can read all the guide books we want, we can trudge around from monument to monument and we can check off the sights we've seen. but what we need to do is to truly listen to people when they are speaking and to hear what they are saying. we need to make connections, and share pieces of ourselves. we must not be afraid to talk to strangers, to offer our snacks to the starving children. we must let ourselves become immersed in the culture around ourselves.

i found india to be a juxtaposition; rich & poor, dirty & clean, young & old, run-down & breathtaking. some students expressed that they were 'over it' when it came to navigating the city and experiencing the culture because they were too hot, too bothered, too superficial. however, it was only when one was hot, sweaty, dirty, thirsty, hungry and in need of a helping hand or a stranger's input, that the true india came into sight.

i must say, that everywhere we have been, we've been welcomed and treated very well. from the hotel staff in morocco offering directions to our guides in namibia assisting the novice campers. the treatment extends to the ship, where we are treated like princes and princesses by the amazing crew. in india, however, this took on a whole new meaning. i have never met such hospitable people, willing to offer a hand or a meal without thinking twice.

at the post-port reflections i heard stories that reiterated that fact; from students who were offered meals, a place to stay, a cold drink, directions, a friendly hello, gifts and a simple smile.

when in the united states would someone offer directions to a person who is lost and then invite them home for dinner, spur of the moment, having just met? i'm sure it has happened, though not nearly as often as it happens in india.

for me, the simple gestures of my host family were beyond thoughtful. a roll of toilet paper, an extra towel, bottled water. advice on what to eat, what to buy, how much things should cost. a scoop of ice cream after dinner, air conditioning on high, coffee in the morning. thoughtful answers to personal questions of religion, the caste system, arranged marriages and polite inquiries about our families and beliefs. a helping hand at the buffet line, a hard bargain at the street stall.

i believe that regardless of caste or position in society, anyone i would have met would have helped me.

i would never have felt this way if i had not looked for the truth and had focused solely on the beauty.

in my next ports i will focus my energy on seeking truth over beauty; of order over gratification. its imperative to my experience on this ship; its the line between a tourist sightseeing and a traveler learning.

the world begins to exist when the individual discovers it. -carl jung

11 march 2009

our first day back in class found me sleepy, per usual. i thoroughly enjoyed my first class, english as a global language, because we discussed our experiences with english in india. the use of english is widespread in india and is highly valued, making it easy for us to navigate chennai. i decided to skip global studies today and watched it from the room after i showered quickly. i needed to wake myself up! it was far too late a night. my last class, languages of the world, was interesting and we began watching a movie about the origin of man and language; who knew that they make movies about that sort of thing?

i met a girl in class today from connecticut, and when i asked where, she replied "northwest corner." being that we're close enough to the area, i asked her what town & she is from bethlehem. she said no one ever knows where she is from, and i was the first. we promised to play the name game later, and i'm looking forward to it. its always fun to meet people and have friends and acquaintances in common.

lunch on the ship was not looking so good to me, so i stuck with my favorite: shredded carrots and cucumbers with a side of toast. i love the carrots because they remind me of the 'carrot salad' mom makes in the summer time. dessert was great, as it always is: a chocolate brownie.

i was planning to go back to the room to nap and type but distracted myself in the library instead. i used the computer and a travel guide for bangkok to come up with some ideas of what to do in our 5 days. i am fairly sure that my travel group will be mckendree, rennika, kelsey and myself and i'm excited for the small size.

as of now we have a round trip bus ticket to bangkok from the port, laem chabang, which is nearly two hours away. there is simply no place to dock large ships and boats in bangkok, so they are all routed to laem chabang. we have tickets for the first and last day, so we need to find a hostel/hotel to stay in and figure out things to do.

some of our ideas include: a half day cooking class, some time at a spa, a visit to several of the temples and buddhas, time in the large night market, kelsey wants to ride an elephant so we'll try and figure that out and a possible day or two at the beach. i am so so so excited to take a cooking class, as are the other girls, so we will most definitely try to make that happen. there is an extensive public transit system in bangkok made up of a sky train, metro, water taxis, ferries and buses; so i think we'll be able to get ourselves around fairly easily.

i'm excited for thailand, i've heard that we'll be there for just enough time.

after spending quite a bit of time cutting and pasting wikipedia articles, finding maps and hotel listings, i retired with my packet to the room. i tried watching some of braveheart, which i've never seen, and chatted with mckendree. i got a call on our phone from one of the home stay girls, that i had something waiting for me at the front desk.

turns out their home stay dad made a dvd and photo cd for all of the participants in the rotarian home stay. i immediately popped in the dvd and watched the meeting which we had attended. i'm so glad to have the dvd, though its very long, because it captured the dancing and the speeches that we had missed. on the photo cd are all the group photos taken as well as some great candids. it was a sweet thing to do and i'm so happy to have received them! it was a great surprise.

after watching the dvd, i took a short nap before dinner. naps on the ship are certainly becoming a way of life, especially with all the time changes.

i ate dinner with my usual crowd: mckendree, kelsey, rennika, brian, chandler, caitlyn and teresa. we had sherbet for dessert, which was a great treat. sometimes i think i should just fore go dinner and stick to the desserts -- they are the only thing that seems to be consistently good! the sky was incredible and i'm so glad that i thought to bring my camera! i'm getting much better about simply toting it around all day, just in case a photo opportunity presents itself. i'm turning into mom!! (that's not a bad thing, by the way)

i now am sitting on the 7th deck, under the canopy, enjoying the smell of popcorn from the snack bar and listening to the rain sprinkling around me. this entire trip has been incredible but the times that i simply sit, listen and enjoy the surroundings are the best. its so peaceful! the sound of the ocean surely doesn't hurt.

i'm not sure what i'll be doing this evening but i think some alone time sounds good. maybe i'll watch pride and prejudice and type away. i really want to be done with my india blogs; i have school work that needs to be completed too. it seems that i am always typing a school paper or my blog! i'm getting very good at typing! it's like mavis beacon! (a learn-to-type program from elementary school)

tomorrow brings global studies, which sounds interesting and nutrition. nutrition is painful to me but i need to start studying differently-- his tests are so hard! there is also a karaoke night tomorrow, which everyone is very excited about. i won't be performing, but i'll be watching :)

off to type & enjoy the breeze!

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 :)

welcome to india -- day one

i woke up early, the smell of india was tickling my nose. it is hard to describe a smell, but i would most certainly say that each country has a scent as unique as it's culture or buildings or food. india is known for its pollution and the smog that clouds the sky. the smell of india is like the smell of new york city or boston -- a mixture of petrol, pollution and lots of people.

after waving to some tug boat workers, our curtains closed & we readied ourselves for the day ahead. we were cautioned to wear conservative clothing, so i wore my longest dress with a t-shirt under it; though i knew that i would likely overheat wearing so much. with our purses packed, we ate a hurried and crowded breakfast. it seemed everyone was more than ready to go. we did have a mandatory diplomatic briefing where we were told about the over-zealous rickshaw drivers and beggars on the street. again, i think they have to scare us. someone brought up a good point, though, that when people travel to the united states they are told similar things about what to expect in new york or miami.

there were different customs requirements in india than we have had before and we were required to fill out forms a while back. one detailed the electronics we would be taking off the ship (camera, cell phone, etc.) for 'sightseeing purposes' and the other had our visa number and photograph on it. these forms were handed out similarly to the passports -- each sea is called and then you wait in line to collect your papers.

i was not sure if i was going to make my way off the ship prior to my field trip, at 1245. i debated leaving, as we were told that we were far from the city center but quickly decided to accompany mckendree & friends to 'spencer's plaza,' the biggest mall in the city.

and so began our first interaction with chennai.

we left the ship and found the port area to be absolutely filthy. there was soot everywhere, covering everything. there were plastic bottles and trash littered all over. as we walked off the ship and through the first gate, we came face to face with a group of bicycle rickshaw drivers, wanting to take us to the port gate. the men were so skinny and wore no shoes, meaning they were covered in the soot. the rickshaws were positively falling apart and made of whatever materials the men could find. they all rushed over to us and tried to get us to ride and grabbed our hands, trying to lead us to their rickshaw. we kept walking and said no over and over again. eventually they stopped following us and we were able to walk towards the port exit.

as we walked through the port, many workers stopped and stared. some pointed and laughed, others were clearly talking about us. it was an odd feeling, being laughed at for walking by, and i was uncomfortable. soon we found our way across the train tracks and stopped to see the customs officers, showing them our shore passes. we quickly got through the line and made our way out to the street.

once in the street, we were again approached, but this time they were auto rickshaw drivers. auto rickshaws are unique, to say the least, and are nothing like a taxi. they are 3 wheeled carts that weave in and out of traffic at unnecessary speeds. they are infamous for ripping off foreigners and for taking passengers to their friend's stores where they receive commission. we waded through the sea of drivers, who surrounded us and tried to get us to pay 500 rupees ($10 usd) for a 15 minute drive to the mall. we had been told ahead of time that the drive should be no more than 50 rupees a person for the ride, and that even that was a bit much. there were five of us all together-- mckendree, carrie, kelly, michelle and i -- and we eventually got a driver to take us to the plaza for 200 rupees, which was a great deal.

being that there were five of us, there was not much room in the rickshaw. four of the girls squeezed in the back, which would comfortably fit 2 with some room, and i found myself next to the driver. all vehicles in india are standard to save gas and because the traffic requires changing gears often. in the rickshaws, which are driven using handlebars, not a steering wheel, the clutch is a large lever and i happened to be covering it. so, whenever the rickshaw stalled, i had to hop out into traffic so that our driver could restart us and get us going again. our ride was most certainly an adventure as we weaved in and out of traffic, which included buses, mopeds, bicycles, rickshaws, cars, and cows. yes, cows. in the streets.

after a stop for more gas, we arrived at spencer's. we made our way inside and looked for an atm. we passed through the metal detectors and quickly found an atm. we all took turns taking out rupees and then waited in the lobby, taking in the stores around us. while i was waiting with mckendree we heard a loud boom outside and everyone stopped in their tracks, tourists and indians alike.

we had been warned in pre-port to spend minimal time in the very western areas, like spencer's. the theory behind it being that western related stores and attractions were targets for bombings & terrorist attacks. so, when the big bang happened, we were reasonably nervous. i was glued to my spot and i'm sure my eyes were huge -- i was really panicked. and then, the security personnel and several customers ran out of the mall and went to see what happened. mckendree went too, and i waited to hear what she saw. the fact that the security officers and other people were running out of the mall confirmed that i needed to be nervous & that this was out of the ordinary.

a few moments of being puzzled and staring out the entrance, the guards came over to tell us that everything was okay. it turns out that the big bang was a bus tire exploding, not a bomb. most places a big bang would not make me nervous but in india, the first port where we have been prepped about terrorist attacks, it was enough to make me very anxious.

after calming down and reassembling our group, we made our way into the mall. this mall is similar to a western mall, though very different. i would liken the stores at spencers to the stalls one sees on canal street in new york city-- small family owned shops filled to the brim with merchandise. there were also some more department style stores, though they charged much more and had fixed prices. that's what was unique about the mall -- most of the prices were negotiable. we passed several western style stores as well as fabric and souvenir shops. we soon found ourselves looking through gorgeous wrap skirts to wear while in india (and home, too). its so hard to say no when the prices are so low!

we shopped around for a little while, though i was on a time frame. there was a store similar to borders, called landmark, which had everything under the sun. i purchased the most recent newsweek and the new fray cd. i am so glad i purchased both-- i am in need of new music & i was seriously missing my weekly newsweeks and time magazines.

after wandering around for a little while longer, carrie and i made our way out of the maze (there are so many additions to the mall that it is SO easy to get lost.) and found ourselves a rickshaw for 150 rupees. we weaved in and out of traffic, our driver honking his horn the entire time. in india, honking the horn is more of a "hello, i'm here," as opposed to an expression of annoyance or frustration. so there is a lot of honking. i took some video clips of our rickshaw experience which will hopefully help communicate this better.

making it to the port gate, we had to wait for the train to go by before we could enter the port itself. this meant that traffic was at a standstill and we were the perfect target for beggars. its funny how there may be rickshaws upon rickshaws of indian nationals but the beggars go straight to the white, or foreign people. i suspect the odds of getting something increase. and so we were approached, as we knew we would be. a grandmother came up to us with a small child who was naked and kept putting his hand out to us. this was heartbreaking, and very difficult to see. i must say, that even thinking back on it makes me tear up. many times the children toted around are not even theirs, but are hired out on a day to day basis to anyone looking to make more money and to pull at the heartstrings of passerby. this little boy had sad eyes and was clearly malnourished. the grandmother kept signing for food and would not leave us alone. it was so hard to say no, but it was recommended that we not hand out money to anyone and to donate to reputable charities instead. the theory behind this is that beggars are often working for someone and that the money perpetuates a negative cycle. if i'd had a granola bar or something i would have shared it but instead i just stared into this little guy's eyes and my heart broke.

soon the train was gone and we were able to cross into the port. i was hot and sweaty and just wanted to be back on the ship. we walked, rather quickly, back to the ship to meet our groups for our field trips. as we returned to the ship, i saw my professor and asked him not to leave without me-- i needed to run in, drop off my things and grab something for lunch. i hustled back to my room where i put up my now sweaty hair, grabbed a water and quickly washed the soot off my legs. in doing so, the towel became black and i could not help but think that i had been breathing in the soot as well.

hurrying to make a pb&j (with the still icky and no-good peanut butter) i ran off the ship and got on my bus. there were 11 students and my professor, george thomas, on the trip and we were headed to an outsourcing company to learn how outsourcing works and the role of english in india.

i knew a few people on my trip, which always makes things better. thomas, who i traveled with in india, and emily, one of my buddies from my safari, were on the bus. we drove fore nearly 40 minutes across chennai (through horrid traffic) and found ourselves at congruent.

upon entering the building and taking the elevator to the 8th floor, we were welcomed with message on the computer screen that said "welcome semester at sea students, mv explorer." we were taken to a conference room with swirly chairs and took our seats. the presentation was so very interesting and i learned a lot about how outsourcing works. our presenter made a good point that the point of outsourcing is to augment a companies productivity by relieving some responsibilities, which allows the company to focus on what they do best. the point is not to replace or take away jobs from the company.

the portion about english was very interesting as well. the english ruled india through 1947, and therefore had a huge impact on the country. the entire government system is based on the english system and therefore english is used in all paperwork, exams and signage. english is the language of success-- the lower classes see english as their way to make their lives better.

we then heard from a rotary member who told us about all the wonderful projects that they have done. from creating a school for low income students to learn microsoft office to creating a bakery school that now generates 30,000 usd a month in profits which are then pumped back into the neighborhood. hearing about the work that the rotary club has done in india was very inspiring, as it gave a sense that things really can be done to better the communities around us.

after our presentations, we were served some traditional indian snacks. we had samosas - pastries filled with potatoes and spices, and some fried rice-flour snacks. it was such a treat and so nice of them to provide a snack for us. we then headed up to the terrace for a 360 degree view of chennai. we could see some greenery in the distance, the train station and the highway with cars rushing by. it was wonderful to get a bird's eye view of the city, to get a better idea of where we were. a group photo, a couple more snacks and gifts from the office & we were back on the bus heading to the ship.

a sleepy ride through the city, past marina beach (one of the longest beaches in the world) and the slums, we made it to the ship.

i found mckendree and we decided to try and get on the sas welcome reception trip. we had heard wonderful things about the evening and knew it would be great if we had the chance to go. we changed into our new skirts from the mall, grabbed our cameras and made our way down to the buses, hoping that there would be room & that we could have tickets written for us.

luckily, sas knew that the trip would be popular and ordered an extra couple of buses. so we got tickets, wrote down our names and hopped on the bus. it was a short ride to the hotel where we would be meeting up with students from SRM university. upon entering, we were given bindis (the dots on the forehead) and flower necklaces, which smelled wonderful. everyone was so very happy to see us. the whole time we were in india, everyone was incredibly welcoming and generous to us, complete strangers.

there was a long table set up with jewelery, scarves, bags, etc. as well as a table with henna (the 'ink' is called henna, the art/design is called mhendi) and a long table of food. we had a wonderful time chatting with students who were eager to ask questions and to hear about life on the ship. i got some mhendi from a young girl, who must have been about seven; she was so sweet. it was the first time i've ever gotten henna and i love it! i wish it would last forever. the designs are so intricate, its incredible. i took some pictures, no worries.

also at the reception were some traditional dancers who were amazing. i've seen some indian dancing before, but these girls were mind-blowing. they were dressed in very fancy saris, had tons of jewelry on and very heavy eyeliner. the dance was very intricate, with hand motions conveying meanings in addition to the arms, legs, feet and most importantly: the eyes. their eye movements were intense.

we had some traditional food, which i don't know the names for. there was a 'sweet,' which was like a donut saturated in sugar water, a rice cake to be dipped in various chutneys, a spicy soup, large thin pancake-like bread to eat with and a fried crab-cake like concoction made with rice. it was all delicious and too spicy for my liking, but good nonetheless.

we stayed as long as possible, talking with students about arranged marriages, the caste system, america, pop stars and families. we reluctantly boarded the buses and headed back to the ship.

exhausted from the long and intense day we'd had, mckendree and i nearly fell into bed. we watched a movie on the tv, caught up with friends about their day at an orphanage & hiv/aids clinic and listened to the new fray cd. luckily mckendree likes the cd as much as i do and we now listen to it on repeat.

i showered and found dirt everywhere. when we used to go to new york city, dad always said that it was so dirty, we'd blow our noses and see black. i know that's a bit much, but it was on a whole new level after india. soot was even in my ears!

i was soon falling asleep and planned to meet up with rennika for breakfast at 830. mckendree and kelsey were going to be leaving for a trip very early in the morning and so i said goodbye to them for the next three days.

and so concluded my first day in india. a swirl of color, pollution, wonderful people, unique smells and life.

oops!

i wrote out an email and tried to send it. then i lost it. and i don't remember what i wrote, nor did it save. so i think you all will have to go without. sorry!

and now i'm exhausted and must go to sleep. everyone is tired, the ship is quiet; no classes tomorrow and we're losing a half hour of sleep, so i think it will be a quiet morning.

tomorrow, i'll type.

much love from the indian ocean, off to thailand!