Abroad Again

I know it has been almost 2 years since I last blogged... but I'm going abroad again! The time between stepping off the MV Explorer and today has been the second best times of my life (second, of course, to the 4 months of Semester at Sea). In this time, I have completed another year and a half of nursing school while working two jobs and attempting at a social life.  I have traveled to California and back with my boyfriend, Eric, visiting some SAS friends.  I have driven from Wisconsin to South Carolina, to Alabama, and then up the East Coast to see even more SASers. My sister and her boyfriend moved their lives to Hawaii in September and my grandma passed away in May.  I am still getting used to life on land after those amazing 4 months, but they say that time heals all... I'm not so sure about it, because I don't go a day without wishing I could wake up one more time to "The Voice" and watch the sun set at a different longitude every single night.  

Now I am onto my next adventure; somewhere I have never been before: Europe.  Tomorrow I leave Wisconsin to visit my cousin, Cassie in London where she is currently studying for the semester.  We are spending Christmas in Italy with some beloved family members and then taking New Years on in Paris, France.  If you'd like to follow me, I'll try to keep everyone updated on my endeavors.

One Love and Good Things,
Hannah

A Real Hawaiian Experience

Hitchhike Number One: A man named John brought us to Pahoa, about 30 miles out of Hilo, where we were told there was a mad cool hippie market.

Hitchhike Number Two: A guy named Doug, and his 6 year old son, brought us into town, where we had breakfast and bloody Mary’s.

Hitchhike Number Three: After we started walking back to the hippie market, a couple in their mini van blatantly told us that it was much too far for a nice stroll.

Hitchhike Number Four:  A guy with curly long hair wearing a straw hat.  He couldn’t get us all the way back to Hilo, but he brought us as far as the Humane Society and kindly agreed to come back out after he fed his three puppies to check if we’ve found a ride yet, and if not, he’d gladly help us out.

Hitchhike Number Five:  A woman named Lola, born and raised just north of Hilo, brought us to the Hilo Farmer’s Market.

Hitchhike Number Six:  A group of the ship’s crew who had gotten their own ride to Walmart, picked us up and brought us to Ken’s (the local favorite restaurant).

Hitchhike Number Seven:  A couple who had no room in their truck cab, but gladly brought us to the Pahoa turn in the back of their pick-up.

Hitchhike Number Eight: Another man named John.  He grew up in DC and got a job on a ship at 18.  He’s been to 78 countries, is a recovering alcoholic, been sober for twenty years, has two beautiful children, and a wife fighting breast cancer.  This man had more stories to tell than seconds in a day.  Nicest guy I’ve ever met.  He brought us all the way to Kahenda Beach and showed us exactly how to get there.

Hitchhike Number Nine:  A 25 year old named Matt who grew up in Massachusetts.   He moved to Hawaii and hasn’t left.  When we hopped in his car and asked where he was headed to he said, “Nowhere, just cruising.”  We took him to lunch and headed back to Hilo.

Hitchhike Number Ten: A woman who was also born and raised in Hawaii.  Super nice, she brought us to the local organic grocery store for some last minute snacks before we stepped on the ship headed for California.

Taiwan: Spontaneous, Unexpected and Unexplainable Greatness

The MV Explorer pulled into the Keelung Port at about 11pm on April 3rd and the ship cleared at 8am on April 4th.  Our last international port.  Within my first day there I had decided that Taiwanese people are without a doubt the nicest people I have ever met (with the possible exception of Ghanaian people)  INSTANCE #1: We had no idea how to get to the bus station and the language barrier was very high.  Literally five minutes after we stepped foot in Keelung a man handed us 200 Vietnamese dollar (about 7 US $) and pushed us on a city bus.  So we found our way to the Keelung City Bus and Train Station.  It was pouring rain.  Our goal was to get to Yangmingshun National Park.  We hopped on a semi-random bus to some town that we understood to be north of where we were (The National Park was north so it seemed like an educated guess).  We ended up in a little town called Janshun.  There we walked around in the rain a little and grabbed a few beers as we tried to leap over language barrier after language barrier and failed numerous times.  INSTANCE # TWO: We showed a woman cooking food on the street the phone number to where we were trying to go, she kindly used her phone, called the number, and wrote in Traditional Chinese Characters the name of the Camping Area so we could more easily find out way. We were told that to get to the Jingshan Camping Area we needed to take the red bus.  So we did.  When we got off at the last station, a five-star hotsprings hotel, a kind waiter who spoke English told us we had gone in the exact opposite direction.  We laughed.  There’s really not much you can do in situations like these than laugh.  Getting lost and ending up somewhere you had no intentions of going is half the fun of traveling!  As we waited for another bus to come back and take us forty-five minutes in the other direction we met a very nice couple from Australia. 

After a while we did end up where we wanted to be.  We made it to the Jingshan Camping Area.  Well by this time we are soaking wet and hungry.  Instead of renting a campsite, we decided to get lunch instead.  INSTANCE # 3: The newest waitress at the restaurant ordered a special meal for us without us even asking, drew us a map to the next bus station, and walked us down the hill in the rain to make sure we knew where we were going.  So when Sarah (the waitress) set us off we walked towards the bus station.  An intriguing trail came up on our left and of course we had to see where it lead.  Lucky for us the trail read, “Jyansih Waterfall.” You can’t just stumble upon a waterfall and not go check it out!  We hiked a ways in the rain to a beautiful waterfall and even farther to a grassland.  The sign there read, “Pathway ahead in the meadow used to pasture cattle in the early years, where still remained many wild cattle to date, tourist shall pay attention to your passage and detour while cattle are in sight.” It was awesome to see because the rain made it very mystical and eerie feeling.  You couldn’t see ten feet ahead of you, so on top of a mountain with random cows and tall grasses everywhere… it was really neat.  We wanted to get back before dark so we hiked back to where we were told the bus would pick us up and what do you know… INSTANCE # 4: Sarah was at the bus station, she had just gotten off work.  She helped up get to Taipei, then onto another bus back to Keelung, and she insisted on buying us some cake because it was her favorite and she wanted us to try it. I would definitely say day 1 in Taiwan was a success.

The next day we met a taxi driver named Jason.  Jason drove us down the northeastern coast of Taiwan for about 5 or 6 hours.  It was incredible.  The rocky ocean line of the country made for the most beautiful pictures.  We saw waterfalls and a mountain shaped like King Kong’s Head.  We hiked next to an elementary school overlooking the ocean and to a lighthouse.  We rock climbed.  It was easily one of the greatest days of my voyage.

That night a bunch of us went to a popular night market in Keelung where they eat everything.  Literally, there was everything from candy coated strawberries and fried sweet corn to live fish and sea urchins just sitting on tables in the streets!

The last day in Taiwan; my last day as an international student.  My roommate, Eric, and I took the metro to Taipei City and saw the second tallest building in the World (Taipei 101) and visited the Taipei International Floral Expo.  It was the perfect way to finish things off.  On-ship time was 6:00.  The next time I step on land it will be that of the United States of America. 

I cannot believe that this is almost over.  I have circumnavigated the world.  11 countries in 100 days.  Now… An 11 day stretch to Hilo, Hawaii and then it’s time to wrap it up.  Although I know this experience will follow me for the remainder of my entire life, I wish it didn’t go by quite so quickly.  Ship life is busy with activities and school work so I will be plenty busy, but I have a couple more things I would like to share with everyone… So keep reading!

Tragedy in China:
Although China was an incredible experience, amazing opportunity momentarily turned into tragedy for two students on our voyage.  Two girls were hiking the Great Wall…. The exact same experience I speak so wonderfully of.  They were actually in the middle of their introductory conversation. (Hi, I’m Lilli.  Hi, I’m Gabby.  Where are you from…)  when the step in front of them, was in reality much steeper than they ever anticipated.  Both girls tumbled down a flight of steep stairs that makes up many parts of the Great Wall.  One, Lilli (my roommate on the ship) fell onto her knee and is doing okay now.  She had 27 stitches and it almost walking on it.  She is grateful as ever, because she knows that a fall could have happened to anyone, and a scraped up knee is a much better outcome than what could have been.  The other, was not as lucky.  She fell on her head and was knocked unconscious.  Courageous and admirable SAS students pull through once again on this trip:  Students with medical background managed to pull doors off the Great Wall, tie these two girls to the doors acting as stretchers, and hike forty minutes in the dark to get them to an ambulance.  Right now, Lilli is back on the ship and doing well, and the other is in a Hong Kong hospital, responsive and breathing on her own.  Her mother and our nurse on board are there with her.  I am writing this story in my blog because I simply ask all of you to add these two girls and everyone affected into your thoughts and prayers.  As the close friends everyone has made on Semester at Sea, I am proud to say that everyone worked together like family, and in result saved two lives. 

Get ready for a long one, guys!

Day 1: Hong Kong. We arrived in Hong Kong around 9am on Saturday, March 26th. The ship cleared at about 11 o clock and we were all set free to explore as we wished.  It was a big difference from Vietnam that’s for sure.  There were high buildings and lots of people.  First, a couple of friends and I hopped on the Star Ferry, which takes you from an outlying island which our ship was docked to the mainland of Hong Kong.  On the mainland we ate some lunch (consisting of Chinese famous dumplings), shopped a little, ate some ice cream, and walked the city.  It wasn’t really a culture shock here, at least not yet. Most young people knew English, and Caucasian people weren’t difficult to come by.

As nightfall hit, my friend, Meg, and I took a bus up to “The Peak” of Hong Kong.  It was simply beautiful.  An unbelievable scenic view of Hong Kong by night, with a nice laser show addition around 8 o clock.  After we took in the view, we headed down to a street called “LFK” for short, something like La Fong Kwa for real.  Little did I know, we had just crashed the biggest party happening in the world that night.  The Sevens is a huge rugby league which holds tournaments in large cities all over the world.  Following the tournaments, are the biggest fans/partiers imaginable.  I’m talking blocks beyond blocks of people wearing Halloween costumes and rioting shoulder to shoulder.  Meg and I happened to wander into a local bar to find a bathroom, and visited with a group of men from all over the world who come together during these tournaments.  We visited with them for the remainder of the night and went back to the ship to sleep.  

Day 2 and 3: I woke up bright and early, got breakfast and coffee, and headed to the airport.  I had a flight to Beijing at 1:00pm.  Before my Semester at Sea trip began back in January, I had signed up for a tour called “The China Guide.”  I know now that I am definitely not a large group traveler.  I don’t like to be toted around.  I like to decide when and what I eat, how fast I walk, and where exactly I’m going next.  More important that deciding, I like to go with the flow, with no real plan… So I knew right away that this trip would be a little overwhelming, but it did give me the opportunity to see everything I wanted to see while in China.  I visited 4 huge cities in 7 days.  It was basically the equivalent to flying from LA to Chicago to New York to Miami.  So we got to Beijing, found some dinner, and hung out in the hotel for the night.  The next day we woke early and headed to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.  They were both very cool to see.  I found it interesting when I asked my guide, Judy about the massacre that happen at Tiananmen Square.  She was 100% sure that the massacre I spoke of was a “Western Myth” and never happened.  Students were never run over by tanks and nothing like that ever happened.  If the government is succeeding in hiding a secret that large, I find it a little discussing, but I wasn’t going to argue with her.  We ate a traditional style Chinese lunch and hit up “The Silk Market.”  The Silk Market was like every other market I’ve been to on this trip: Crowded, loud, overwhelming, and filled with knock off brand names.  I walked the jewelry floor for a while then got out of there.  The next part is what I had been waiting for…. The Great Wall of China.  We drove about 2 hours out of Beijing.  We hiked the Wall and watched the sunset.  Yes, the sunset over The Great Wall of China.  It was incredible.  To describe it…. Honestly, it is exactly like the pictures, but it’s real life.  Being the little rebellious climber I am, I began my hike along side the wall, and when I couldn’t find an easy way around to get into the middle, I just climbed over☺ As the sun went down we hiked down to our bus, where we had a Chinese dinner at a restaurant at the bottom.  Now it’s bundle time.  I say this because the Great Wall is cold at night.  After being on the equator for three months, I’m talkin’ COLD.  A sleeping bag was just not efficient.  About 10ºF by night…. It was really fun though.  We hiked to our sleeping area with flashlights and laid out our stuff.  They had beer waiting for us and the night was relaxing and a great time.  Yes, I slept on the Great Wall of China.

Day 4: The Hike.  We all woke up, returned our sleeping bags, and hiked a good 2 hours along the wall.  We topped sixteen watch towers, and drank a victory beer at the seventeenth.  We hopped back on our bus and headed to the Birds Nest and Olympic Square.  We didn’t spend very much time here, but it was really cool to see.  I can only imagine how crowded the area was during the 2008 Olympics.  Another Chinese lunch and another market.  This time I went straight to the coffee shop next store.  No one was convincing me to go into one more market.  My coffee was delicious, though!  That night, a traditional Chinese Acrobat Show: Coolest thing I’ve ever seen, and made me miss gymnastics a whole lot!  All who are interested, ask me to show you videos of it!  Very very cool stuff.  I actually read on the Viterbo Website that there is a Chinese Acrobat show coming to campus really soon.  I think everyone that has the opportunity should go!

Day 5: We took a rickshaw ride around a local town, I forget the name… We got to watch a drum ceremony, participate in a tea ceremony, and learn how to make our own Chinese dumplings with a local family for lunch.  Then we walked through Summer Palace, a lakeside park, and arrived at the Beijing Railway Station to catch our 7:00 train to Xi’an.  Somehow it ended up that every SAS student was conveniently roomed with three other SAS kids… except me.  I walked into my assigned sleeper room to find three people-all Chinese.  All I could get for conversation was, “Hi” or “Nee-hau” and I fell asleep.

Day 6: Xi’an was a quick, busy, and great day.  When we got off the sleeper train at 8am, met our guide, and hopped on our new bus our first stop was the Terracotta Warrior Museum.  It was way cool! So much more astonishing than I imagined!  I would go into detail of what I learned about all these things in China, but my blog would then be too long and I think I would lose all of my followers☺  We had a buffet style lunch in Xi’an which was my favorite meal thus far in China. Why? Because they had French fries.  By this point, I had the mind set of “If I don’t eat Chinese for five years I will be okay.”  I had had enough, and a plate full of French fries was exactly what I needed.  After lunch we biked the “Old City Wall” It was beautiful.  The wall is about 12 kilometers around with a moat surrounding the entire thing.  I want to get my aunts Kathy, Tammy, Julie, Mary, and now in training-my sister, Kim’s attention! Every spring they hold a marathon on the City Wall.  Runners circle the wall three times, raising money for preservation of the wall itself.  It would be a beautiful run, and although I only spend one day in Xi’an, it seemed like an amazing city and I would be very interested in going back. After our bike rides and walks, we had another sleeper train to catch at 5:00pm.

Day 7: Another 12 hour sleeper train brought us to Shanghai, where we transported by bus to where the MV Explorer was docked.  Immigration in China required us to get another copy and another stamp before we could get off the ship for the day.  Although I did manage to be in People’s Square of Shanghai by about 11:30am.  I had an incredibly relaxing day in Shanghai.  I needed the cool down day after spending six with a huge group of people.  What I also needed: American Food.  Where did I go?  Hooters; Shanghai, a local brewery, and Costa Coffee.  As the ship pulled out of Shanghai, I sat on the front of the ship and got to talk to my mom, dad, and sister.  It was perfect.

China: CHECK

It seems like every country I step foot in I like even more than the last.  Maybe it’s because as my trip passes by, each country I visit teaches me more about the world.  I am simply decorating my passport by traveling the world, but becoming a real global citizen.  If someone were to ask me at the beginning of this trip to order the countries on my itinerary based on how excited I am to see them or which ones I will like most to least, Vietnam would most likely been sitting at the bottom.  I had no real thoughts on Vietnam.  I wasn’t really ready for it.  I did not know what to expect; therefore I expected nothing.  In reality, Vietnam is so cool.

I stepped off the ship and into Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday morning with no clue, no plan, no map, and no idea what I was getting myself in to.  So I walked.  First things first, we were told that when you walk across the street in Vietnam you are to look down, walk slow, and don’t stop.  It’s different than India, where auto rickshaws were the means of transportation. In Vietnam, it’s mopeds.  They are everywhere.  Millions of them.  But Vietnam is different than India again because crossing the street isn’t scary.  Here, they go around you.  If they were to hit you it is only slowing them down.  So I walked away from the ship with my handy compass around my neck and no idea what was in store.  Adding to my lack of preparation: almost no one spoke English.  Don’t get me wrong, being ill prepared and without a plan is probably the best way to travel.  When you expect nothing you get everything. 

We walked straight through Vietnamese culture, stumbled upon the Art Museum, and found our way to the center of the city: Ben Thanh Market.  This place was by far the most overwhelming place I have been in my life.  My stress levels went up about seventeen points as I stepped into the square.  It was packed.  Thousands of tiny vendors, each with their own six-foot area, trying to sell you knock-offs.  I mean don’t get me wrong I did by a few cool things, but only after I had a couple beers and the nerve to walk in that place again.  The coolest thing is that is Vietnam, boys can go to one of these little shops, pick out a fabric, be measured, and have a custom suit made for them by the next day! For like sixty dollars!  Well I did my share of market shopping and had lunch at a local café.  That night, me and a few kids went to a local bar for a couple drinks that night.

The next day I went took a trop to the Cu Chi Tunnels.  During the war, the Vietnamese people hid underground seeking safety from the Americans.  It was very interesting seeing the side of the war from Vietnamese.  When we got back we had lunch on the ship-which I have to talk about…… sometime when we’re in port the cooks get really nice and make really awesome food.  We had pulled pork sandwiches, FRENCH FRIES, grilled cheese, amazing pasta, and ice cream! It was pretty cool. I then ventured out into the streets of Ho Chi Minh City once again... got a little lost, but all was well.  I saw the Cathedral of Notre Dame and finally made it to the Ben Thanh Market again, where we stopped for dinner and some jazz at The Jazz Club. 

The last three days of my time in Viet Nam I went to Cat Tien National Park.  Our small group of one faculty, two life long learners, and four students ventured almost five hours by bus to the 71,350 hectare Biosphere Reserve.  We each stayed in our own private room, located in one of ten guesthouses.  Every meal was included—Vietnamese style.  The first day we took a boat ride down the Dong Nai River, spotting birds, monkeys, and trees.  Shortly after the beginning of our ride it started to storm.  And I’m not talking just any little thunderstorm…. This was literally the worst storm I have ever experienced, and there we were in the middle of a river, in a 14 foot boat with a 60 Yamaha on the back of it… Ron, our life long learner along with us, used to study lightning, and told us that the lightning was striking the ground nearly 500 feet from where we were.  So we found the nearest village and the people kindly opened a common building for us to camp out in for a couple of hours until the weather settled down.  We made it back to camp, where we ate dinner in a swarm full of winged termites that had just hatched due to the rain…

I am making this sound awful but it was actually quite awesome… My own room, tons of time to relax, lots of hammocks everywhere to lay in, and trails beyond trails to hike!  After dinner we took a night drive to spot nocturnal animals.  The rest of the time we hiked to Crocodile Lake, saw a 500 year old tree (20 people cannot fit around its base), visited a bear and leopard restoration center, and learned incredible amounts about the rainforest in Vietnam.  I had an amazing time, and it was nice to be in the middle of nothing for a while, seeing as tomorrow I will be in China.

So Vietnam was more than I ever thought it would be.  I loved it.  The food was good, the people were nice, the scenery was beautiful, and the atmosphere was chill. 

China… Here I come!

Tragedy in Japan:  As you know, due to the horribly tsunami and earthquake in Japan, we will not be porting in Kobe or Yokohama on our voyage.  The US Department of State has declared Japan an unsafe travel destination due to radiation and aftermath of the 8.9 point earthquake.  In Japan, there is a series of six nuclear reactors.  One was automatically shut down, but the other five are active and releasing radiation.  To get an idea of the risk in Japan right now…. I will have you know that on Tuesday, reactor number 3 released more radiation than an average area can be safely exposed to in a lifetime.

Announced at a community-wide speech made by Dean Dan last night, we will be traveling to Taiwan!  If you have any cool ideas for things to do in Taiwan, please email me! hmnoel@semesteratsea.net.

I hope everyone is enjoying Wisconsin (or wherever you are reading this from) right now! It’s gotta be starting to get warmer! For college students, it’s probably around Spring Break time, so many of you traveled to somewhere tropic!  I’m thinking Spring for all of you! You deserve it, after what I have been told was a long winter. LOVE YOU ALL!

Good Things,
Hannah

Reverse Culture Shock:

India and Singapore can be exactly compared to black and white; exact opposites.  A dusty, poverty stricken, and chaotic life-style straight to the cleanliest, wealthiest, and organized place I have ever seen.  We ported in the Singapore Cruise Center around 8am.  Getting off the ship was very organized.  We had to walk though a series of security checks, which ended in a very nice terminal/mall.  I could almost add a /mall to every single place I describe in Singapore.  We hitched a ride down town on the nicest shuttle bus I have ever stepped foot of.  The down town/mall is exactly what it sounds like.  If you think the Mall of America is big, you’d be in for an enormous surprise.  Image miles of mall of both sides of a beautifully landscaped street.  Four stories tall, filled with high-end shops.  The basements of all of these malls are food courts, but like everything else is Singapore, these are not your average food courts.  High class Singaporean cuisine: Everywhere!

So after we got a bite to eat I bought a Metro Tourist Pass.  Singapore has an incredibly efficient metro system.  You can by a tourist day-pass for 18 dollars, travel all day long on trains and buses, then return the card for a 10 dollar refund.  So you get basically a whole day of traveling anywhere you want in and around Singapore for around 8 US dollars. 

I volunteered with Semester at Sea’s Global Ambassador Program from 1-3:30.  As part of the program, we were asked to give University of Singapore student tours of the MV Explorer.  I actually had a lot of fun showing off our awesome ship, and it only took up a couple hours of my time.  Plus:  we got all of the extra cookies and pop to take to our room!

We hopped on the train and bus to the Singapore Botanic Gardens.  It was absolutely gorgeous! Home of the largest orchid garden in the world.  It was a nice, relaxing stroll. 

Then we bused and trained back to Clarke Quey, where we found Hooters: Singapore! We had a Tiger Beer (famous beer of Singapore) and a Singapore Sling (super fruity drink but I was told I had to try it) before we hurried back to the ship before On-Ship Time.

Singapore is beautiful.  You could spend an entire month there and probably not get everything done you want to….. but if you spend more than a couple days, you wouldn’t have any money left to spend.

And we’re off to Vietnam!

As all of you have obviously heard, we were merely three weeks short of being directly affected by the tsunami and earthquake off the shores of Japan.  It was the seventh worst earthquake in world history, measuring at an 8.9.  The shipboard community was not directly impacted by the disaster, although there are many participants who have family and friends in Japan.  Here are a series of emails we have received from our Dean, of which he received from the Institute of Shipboard Education in Charlottesville, Virginia: 

_____________________________________
Dear Shipmates,

The following is a message I just received from our Semester at Sea Headquarters in Charlottesville.

As you may know, a devastating earthquake has hit the northeastern coast of Japan.  We are closely monitoring the situation as it relates to the current voyage. The program is currently unaffected by this incident and we do not expect any future impact. Today the MV Explorer will depart Chennai, India, several thousand miles west of Kobe, Japan, where we are scheduled to call on April 4. We will continue to assess conditions in Japan in consultation with our senior shipboard administrators and risk assessment agencies and will share any updates or changes to the itinerary on our website.

As part of our crisis communication plan, a statement has been posted on our website and all emergency contacts and study abroad representatives will be contacted as well.

It is likely that this unfortunate incident will spark calls and inquiries both in the Charlottesville office and on the ship.  Please be guided by the statement above and assure everyone that the shipboard community will be kept safe and informed of any changes to the program.


We will  be working with the Captain and keep you informed with all relevant information.  In the meantime our thoughts should be with those immediately effected by this tragedy.

Warmest regards,

Dean Dan
_____________________________________

_____________________________________
Dear Shipmates,

Here is another communication from ISE / Semester at Sea in Charlottesville.  Know that ISE and we are following the tragic news from Japan and will continue to update you periodically.

We continue to monitor the situation in Japan, including recent reports of the nuclear reactor explosion in Fukushima, for possible impact on the current voyage.   Fukushima is about 200 miles north of Yokohama, which is one of our ports of call.  As of now, we have no reports of any damage to the port facilities in either Kobe or Yokohama, which are our scheduled ports of call.  At this point, we do not expect any changes to the itinerary. As the situation develops in the coming days, we will keep the shipboard community and parents apprised of any changes.  The ship sailed from India on March 11th and is on the way to Vietnam.  Our scheduled call to Japan is on April 4th, more than three weeks away. As always, the health and safety of our students and everyone involved in our program, is paramount.

Dean Dan
_____________________________________

_____________________________________
Dear Shipmates,

As some of you may have already seen, below is the official notice that ISE has posted.  This decision follows a conversation we had at about 1:00 a.m. our time. This is a good decision and although we will need to work hard to determine an alternative port, I know this community of  seasoned travels will take advantages of the opportunities provided in our new country stop.


March 14, 2011: The Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE), in consultation with our shipboard administration, has resolved to cancel the Spring 2011 Semester at Sea voyage's call to Kobe and Yokohama, Japan on April 4 and April 7 respectively. This decision follows our careful assessment of the conditions in Japan which raise serious concerns about health and safety as well as concerns that our visit would impede relief efforts currently underway. Our assessment also takes into consideration a recent travel warning for Japan issued by the U.S. State Department.  Currently, ISE and senior voyage officials are evaluating alternative ports in consideration of safety, logistics, and maximum value to the academic and field programs. Thank you for your patience during this complex process. A revised voyage itinerary will be announced on the SAS website in the next 48-72 hours. Participants who have signed up for ISE-sponsored field trips in Japan will be reimbursed.

Please know that the choice of alternative port is very complex.  The Captain will be very involved in helping us determine our next safe harbor and the route we take.  Faculty will be meeting to examine various academic options that will supplement and compliment our current itinerary. In the end we will do the best we can to take advantage of this opportunity and make our revised stop a remarkable educational experience. As you have come to expect, Marti will keep us informed through announcements and the Dean's Memo.

My personal approach is to nod in recognition that things have changed and then lift my eye toward the horizon of possibility. Let's make a great decision and fully commit to our next port.

Warmest regards,

Dan
_____________________________________

As you read, they are adjusting our itinerary at this very moment.  In our Global Studies class this morning, Dean Dan stated we are swaying between a few ports of interest:
1. South Korea
2. The Philippians
3. Taiwan
4. Stay in Hawaii for longer

I believe that all of these ideas have benefits of their own.  I would personally love to see South Korea, but I will be excited all the same at whatever the decision ends up being.
I will post as soon as I find out!
Or check out Semesteratsea.org and you'll probably know before me:)

I’m going to try to base my blog around the menu of a local café/hookah bar I went to called Elementz Café, Chennai, India. I will first write exactly as the menu reads, and follow by describing some things about my time in India as they relate to each element, or because I just really want to share them.

THE FAMOUS FIVE:

The Menu Reads:
Space-
-----The omnipresent source of all energy, it is the domain of promise, potentials to be realized and paths to be traveled.  The source that creates and nourishes the elements.-----

Gandhi: Mahatma Gandhi is known as the Father of India.  It is very apparent how much of an impact on the nation he had, through countless monuments, gardens, parks, and tomb named in his honor

We met a lot of locals during our time in India.  We seemed to grow a quick friendship with two in particular.  They rent out a space in Pahrganj Bizarre, selling homemade goods by their friends and family.  Their main business, though, comes from tourism.  They rent out their houseboat in Northern India, taking groups trekking, horseback riding, and snowboarding through the Himalayas.  We spent most of our free time in Delhi hanging out with them, drinking Chai (tea), and playing pool with these guys.  If at all possible I would love to go back to India to experience the Himalayas and to see them again.

The Menu Reads:

Air-

-----This power of movement.  Nothing stops it.  It twists and turns on its own will and is the master of its own destiny.  A free spirit.  It symbolizes travel, freedom and thought.-----

First I’ll talk about the air in India in general… It’s bad.  I knew it was going to be dirty before we even arrived in Chennai, when our crewmembers were covering the floors, stairs, tables, and chairs with cardboard and plastic wrapping.  The seventh deck was closed down and the doors to the fifth and sixth decks were locked.  Immediately upon arrival, Hannah’s allergies act up in full force (Go Figure).  Luckily, I was very prepared for this situation and allergy meds saved my life throughout my stay in India.  I don’t want to bash the atmosphere in general… It just reminds me of when I lived in Minneapolis and we had “bad air days”.  Minnesota’s air quality scale wouldn’t know what to do with India.

Now for the symbolic meaning of air: Meaning travel. Travel we did. On Sunday we hung out in Chennai, shopping and getting to the area.  On Tuesday morning (about 4am) my friend Eric and I got a taxi to the airport and flew to Delhi.  The Chennai airport was very unorganized but we got through it pretty quickly and surprisingly pretty efficiently.  We arrived in Delhi around 10am where a driver was waiting for us.  We drove to our hotel as he explained briefly the many historical sites we passed on the way.  We stayed in the Rak International hotel in the Pahrganj Bizarre area for about 6 dollars a night.  The Pahrganj Bizarre is on the border of what they call New Delhi and Old Delhi.  It is a common area for back packers to stay, and was filled with beggars, small street shops, tiny restaurants, and cows (yes, cows).  We spent the entire day on Monday exploring Delhi.  We saw temples, monuments, forts, mosques, the India Gate, and more.  That night we ate at a local restaurant and played pool with Massy and some other guys. Monday night three other guys (Steve, Jim, and Chris) met us at our hotel and stayed with us the rest of the time.  Tuesday we went to Lodi Gardens.  It was absolutely beautiful.  We relaxed and played hacky sack in between some gorgeous flower gardens and I climbed some trees.  On Thursday we went to see a wonder of the world, The Taj Mahal.  It really is just as beautiful as people make it out to be, and how ever amazing you think it is… multiply that by about seven hundred.  We hung around Delhi, saw South Extension Two and Deference Colony before we flew back to Chennai on Thursday evening at 11pm.  On Friday we tried to have a little “soak in India” day and went to Elementz Café.

The main means of transportation in India: Rickshaws.  There are two kinds: Regular Rickshaws and Auto Rickshaws; three wheeled bikes or automobiles.  The Indians who drive them around are nuts.  I will admit, though, as chaotic, unorganized, and crazy the streets of India are, the people do it pretty damn well.

When I think of India and I think of thought, I am reminded of the numerous “Reality Checks” we had to give ourselves while we were in India.  Randomly and spontaneously during our trip, one of our “five” would call out ‘Reality Check, Where are we?’  It was a friendly reminder to remember how lucky we are.  Instead of sitting in a classroom in America, we are learning across the entire globe.  Our answer to the reality check question was always a deep breath, and then, “We’re in India.”

The Menu Reads:

Water-

-----Without any attributes to be proud of, it is still the lifeline to all the species.  Cleansing, purifying, loving, shapeless, it cuts through mountains with persistence.  Symbolizes humility, flexibility and determination.-----

The water in India… We were told that it takes the average person five to six weeks to become adapted to the water.  Seeing as we only had five days, we were not advised to go anywhere near anything but bottled water.  Lucky for us, a liter of purified, bottled water was about ten Indian rupees, which is equivalent to about twenty American cents. 

In India you have to be flexible with plans and timing.  It’s a little like Africa time, nothing ever goes as planned.  But I have found, as I have said before, that if you expect nothing, and go with whatever life throws at you, you will have fun, and you will come out with more than you could have imagined.

Yes/No Head Shake. This doesn’t have anything to do with water or the things water symbolizes, but it was a pretty interesting cultural behavior.  So, in America when we want to say “yes” we not our head.  If we want to say “no” we shake our head.  Well, in India, they do this head wobbling thing… it’s hard to even explain.  Hold your head straight and tilt it to the right then to the left, really fast.  A lot like a bobble head doll.  Well this motion literally means both “yes” and “no”, which makes it very confusing when trying to ask an Indian person any sort of question.  Their answer is always the head bobbling yes/no.  So unless they speak English, you never really get an answer that you are sure of.

The Menu Reads:

Earth-

-----The ever-giving mother, who sustains life.  Bears the weight of every living form on her shoulders.  A symbol of fertility, grounding, stabilizing and nurturing.-----

The people of India: They live their own, simple, yet unorganized lives.  A life I’m not sure I will ever understand.  But they do work hard.  The first day in Delhi, we met a man name Massy, who took us around to some monuments and temples.  He was very nice. The thing I will remember most distinctly about Massy is how much he loved and talked about his girlfriend.  I remember this because she is from Japan, and was supposed to be flying to Delhi yesterday… I’m not sure how the earthquake in Japan had affect on that, but please keep Massy and his girlfriend in your thoughts and prayers.

As Earth symbolizes marriage, we were invited to a traditional Indian wedding.  Unlike American weddings, Indian wedding do not have a set time.  The wedding was set to happen that night, but at no certain time in specific.  The males were arriving much too late for us to stay for the actual wedding, but we were lucky enough to meet the bride and the entire bride’s family.  She looked amazing, with henna, piercings, and Indian silk covering her body.

The Menu Reads:

Fire-

-----The creator and the destroyer.  Responsible for the metamorphous of all that exists; it has led the human race through the darkness of the ages.-----

Fire reminds me of the human race; more specifically the relationships built by the Semester at Sea Community and the people of the countries we visit.  We are building bridges between cultures.  We have the opportunity to either create greatness, or destroy it. 

“Be the Change you wish to See in the World” –Mahatma Gandhi

As you can imagine, with over 600 students, 100 faculty and staff, and 50 life long learners… a voyage like this cannot go uninterrupted.  Two days ago, we were made aware that a number of participants were experiencing health problems that required more care than the medical staff aboard the MV Explorer could give.  In spite of this, we would be making an unexpected, but absolutely necessary stop.

Diego Garcia is a small island in the Indian Ocean owned by the British. Its territorial waters, going out to 3 nautical miles (6 km) have been restricted from public access without permission of the BIOT Government and is exclusively used as a military base, primarily by the United States.  As you can imagine it was not an easy task just “dropping by” Diego Garcia.  As we approached the island, a tub boat and six small boats, all filled with armed British and American military men, surrounded our ship.  Six armed individuals boarded the MV Explorer to perform some sort of “sweep” before anything else could happen.  We were strictly forbidden to take any pictures of the island, even from afar.  Once all mandatory actions were performed, two students and one crew member were safely evacuated from the ship to a small medic boat, where they would be brought onto the US naval base, and then emergency med-flighted to Singapore, where necessary actions could be taken.  Although it was quite an eventful morning, we must remember that the reason we stopped at this usually forbidden place was not a good one.  Luckily, though, none of the participants were in life or death situations, and they will be okay. 

We spent one day (twelve hours to be exact) in Port Louis, Mauritius.  It was fun, relaxing, and beautiful to say the least.

Yesterday, March 1st marked the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps Organization.  In celebration and recognition, a dinner was held on the ship, in which alumni and intuitive participants had the opportunity to converse.

It is dinners like this, and conversations with the countless incredible people on this ship that truly (I don’t know how to put it in any better words) make my brain hurt, in a good way.  I spent the first half hour of my dinner talking with Dean Dan, who spent two years with the Vista program, working in at-risk city areas in the United States.  I asked Dan why he chose to work in the United States instead of taking the Peace Core path; he replied by telling me that at that time he had the “why help outside countries when the same problems are found in your own” viewpoint.  Then I was intrigued by how he got to this point: the Dean of Semester at Sea, a program that takes students around the world. It was reassuring and moving when he said, “I learned that it doesn’t really matter what you’re doing, as long as you’re doing something.”  Along with Vista, Dan worked with Upward Bound and countless other programs I cannot even begin to list now.  He really has accomplished some amazing things in his life.

Then I spent almost two hours with Bill Cuff. Bill is simply wonderful.  He has the most interesting and heartfelt viewpoints of anyone I have ever met.  Bill always gets my head spinning.  We started, of course, talking about his experience with the Peace core in Africa, why he chose to do what he did, and how it became one of these most meaningful things he has ever done.  He described the Peace Corps as the toughest job you’ll ever love.  The conversation quickly turned to other things, though.  We always end up on the subject of “Why we’re here” and how it’s not really about what happens in these four months, in his words: “take your shots while you can” but it’s what you do for the rest of your life that matters.  And even though you may feel that you are not making any impact in the countries you visit for small amounts of time, you are doing something.  Everyone waits for the opportunity to be a hero or heroin.  Bottom line, that time wont come for most of us…. We cannot all do one huge extraordinary thing, but we can all do little things extraordinarily. 

SOOO… I have big plans. I want to get my BSN, then take it to the Peace Core for two years.

Other big plans: Beginning in April (I will join in May after school is finished) of 2012, at least four students and I are planning to hike the Appalachian Trail (from Georgia to Maine), raising money for an organization called Freedom In Creation, which is based on issues surrounding the lack of clean water and its impacts on people around the world.  MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TO COME

We spent one day (twelve hours to be exact) in Port Louis, Mauritius.  It was fun, relaxing, and beautiful to say the least.

Yesterday, March 1st marked the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps Organization.  In celebration and recognition, a dinner was held on the ship, in which alumni and intuitive participants had the opportunity to converse.

It is dinners like this, and conversations with the countless incredible people on this ship that truly (I don’t know how to put it in any better words) make my brain hurt, in a good way.  I spent the first half hour of my dinner talking with Dean Dan, who spent two years with the Vista program, working in at-risk city areas in the United States.  I asked Dan why he chose to work in the United States instead of taking the Peace Core path; he replied by telling me that at that time he had the “why help outside countries when the same problems are found in your own” viewpoint.  Then I was intrigued by how he got to this point: the Dean of Semester at Sea, a program that takes students around the world. It was reassuring and moving when he said, “I learned that it doesn’t really matter what you’re doing, as long as you’re doing something.”  Along with Vista, Dan worked with Upward Bound and countless other programs I cannot even begin to list now.  He really has accomplished some amazing things in his life.

Then I spent almost two hours with Bill Cuff. Bill is simply wonderful.  He has the most interesting and heartfelt viewpoints of anyone I have ever met.  Bill always gets my head spinning.  We started, of course, talking about his experience with the Peace core in Africa, why he chose to do what he did, and how it became one of these most meaningful things he has ever done.  He described the Peace Corps as the toughest job you’ll ever love.  The conversation quickly turned to other things, though.  We always end up on the subject of “Why we’re here” and how it’s not really about what happens in these four months, in his words: “take your shots while you can” but it’s what you do for the rest of your life that matters.  And even though you may feel that you are not making any impact in the countries you visit for small amounts of time, you are doing something.  Everyone waits for the opportunity to be a hero or heroin.  Bottom line, that time wont come for most of us…. We cannot all do one huge extraordinary thing, but we can all do little things extraordinarily. 

SOOO… I have big plans. I want to get my BSN, then take it to the Peace Core for.

Other big plans: Beginning in April (I will join in May after school is finished) of 2012, at least four students and I are planning to hike the Appalachian Trail (from Georgia to Maine), raising money for an organization called Freedom In Creation, which is based on issues surrounding the lack of clean water and its impacts on people around the world.  MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TO COME

Inspiration: the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something.

Aspiration: a hope or ambition of achieving something

Two things I have found to be ever changing in a brilliant way.  48 days of evolving aspirations. 56 days filled with new inspirations. What I have learned, though, is that it doesn’t end there.
 
To each opinion its own...
Here being one: This trip is about three things;

1) Finding your self. Who are you?  What has gotten you to this exact moment?  What have you achieved?  What have you struggled with and what have you overcome?

2) Defining your self.  Who do you want want to become?  What will you do with the single life you’re given? 

And 3) How are you going to get from Point A to Point B?  I believe that this is the most important part.  First, it is important to not only achieve Part A: knowing who we are, but to REALIZE who we are; to understand the potential we ALREADY possess.  What characteristics do we own, today, which will help us to aspire who we have the ability to become? After we have a grasp on who we are, contemplated the potential of our qualities, and recognized our dreams…

Then we are here: The In-between that is life.  It isn’t about the past or the future. It’s about the journey: the present: every single second for its own…
And live it I will.

"The important thing is this: to at any time, be able to sacrifice who we are for what we could become."  -Stephen DuBois

Picture This:

Hula hooping in Timidz Square
As we sail in four Circles
Off the West coast of Cape Town
As we are patiently waiting
For the strong winds to die,
Our time to dock in Victoria Wharf
And a day and half late
We Step off the Ship
In Cape Town, South Africa

Picture This:

A beautiful Port
Lying Under Table Mountain
Live Music
Tapas at Fork Cafe
The life of Long Street,
The State Street of Cape Town

Picture This:

An entirely full moon
On the roadside of Signal Hill
Overlooking the magnificent city,
The Mountains, and Great Atlantic
U2 performing in the stadium below
The live performance broadcasted on the radio
A breathtaking moment

Picture This:

A backdrop of gorgeous mountain ranges
Rows beyond rows of grapes
Fountains, rose gardens,
And a mountain lion grazing
A production tour of a famous winery
Filled with great and intuitive conversation
With former and brand new friends
You walk through a hand blown glass shop
Sipping sparkling, red, and white wines
Learning to taste the beauty of each
You frolic through the wine lands of South Africa

Picture This:

Set between mountains and wine lands
Of a South African daybreak
The smell of fresh cut grass
And a clean set of golf clubs
A perfect drive down the first fairway
With my Sand shot improving immensely as the round progresses
Sipping a delightful amber beer to celebrate
My welcoming to the SAS family
And beating Dean Dan
And Doctor Bill
By one single stroke
Stellenbosch Golf Club

Picture This:

Riding down giant dunes
On a sand board
Shredding the Gnar

Picture This:

An hour hike into the Cannon of the Kogelberg Mountains
The Cape Floristic Region
The only place in the world
That is home to an entire floral kingdom
Gorges nestled between mountains
Mountain Climbing up
Knowing there is no going back down the way you came
Yet no plan to what to do next
No time for Contemplation
Your stomach in your chest
Risk and determination
Lead to Triumph
And as you jump into the water fifteen meters below
It is worth it

Picture This:

A hike up Devil’s Peak at sunrise
With a new understanding the “devil” in its name
Calves burning
With each step of rock
But the view over Table Mountain
Sitting about the clouds
South Africa Conquered

"And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or hear."

I got an email from my best friend, Alexandria Schanke, tonight. It simply said, ”This quote reminds me of you.”

I’m been through my share of shit… I’ve made my mistakes.  I’ve done some stupid things, made some dumb choices.  I’ve ventured down a wrong road or two… thinking it was the right way.  I’ve gotten lost.  Hell… I’ve even ventured down the wrong road knowing it was wrong.  I’ve lost friends and I’ve lost family.  I’ve said things I didn’t mean.  I’ve broken hearts.  I’ve loved.  I’ve held on when I knew it was unavailing.  I’ve lied.  I’ve been hurt.  I’ve cared too much.  I’ve left out of fear.  I’ve acted before I’ve thought.  I’ve been cheated.  I’ve forgotten.

And the truth is… I am going to make more mistakes.  I will do more stupid things.  I will choose the wrong paths.  I will get lost again, more than once.  There will be another time when my actions advance my thoughts.  I will grieve.  I will probably say another thing that I do not mean.  I will get hurt.  But the difference is that this time around… I will remember.

Because it is in spite of all that I have done, that I have the potential to be all that I can.  Without mistakes, I wouldn’t be able to problem solve or call myself independent.  Without pain or grief, I would know not of what strength is.  If everything turned out as I, at one point, hoped it would, my enthusiasm and dedication would not exist.  If everyone was perfect; if I had never gotten lost; if I had never loved; if I had never made a bad choice; I would not have the willpower to be anyone but the person I was to start.

If nothing had ever happened to me that I at one time saw as horrible, painful, or unfair, I certainly would not be where I am right now.  But those things did happen.  And those thing will continue to happen.  It is those exact experiences that have turned me into who I am today, and it is those future happenings that will shape me into the woman I will ultimately be.

For all those things I perceived as awful, difficult, traumatic, or regrettable: I thank everyone. I am me. It was all of those hard times that made me.  I have nowhere to go but up, even if there are slight slopes along the way  In the end I will still be me, only better (or better yet, the best I can be).

The Shipboard community aboard the MV Explorer started a program called “Extended Families,” where students are grouped with lifelong learners to form a sort of family away from home.  My extended parents are Rick and Joan, and I have 5 extended “brothers and sisters”.  It is actually a great way to get to know people on the ship who you wouldn’t normally or easily be able to get acquainted with.  During our first family dinner, I spoke with Rick about hobbies and interests.  When I mentioned golf, he excitedly told me that our Executive Dean, Dan Garvey, is an avid golfer.  Dean Dan has MS, so it intrigued me to talk to him about golfing, especially golfing with only one arm! So I of course took interest in this fact and coincidentally ran into Dean Dan a couple nights later.  I stopped him, introduced myself, and said, “I have to mention that I hear you are a golfer!”  I was not even prepared for his enthusiasm at the mere word: Golf.  I explained that I golf for my home school, Viterbo University, in La Crosse, Wisconsin and have made it a huge goal to get on a few golf courses around the world.  What came next, I wasn’t expecting; he asked me if I would like to golf with him!  As of right now, he has set up a golf outing for us and 2 others with his friend in Cape Town, South Africa, and expressed interest to golf again in Japan.  He told me about these amazing simulation courses where you literally play 18 holes from a driving range! (I believe you hit your drive, a computer tells you how far you are out, you hit again, ((and again if you aren’t ‘on the green yet’)) and putt on a practice-like green) Sounds pretty awesome to me!  As he walked away he turned and said, “Now Hannah, Please do not forget!” (I’m definitely not going to forget that my Dean wants to go golfing with me!) and as he left the deck he tells me, “If you ever even want to TALK about the game, just come by my office!” So all in all, I am incredibly excited to find someone on the ship who enjoys the game of golf, and even more excited that that person just so happens to be the Dean. I am looking forward to hitting the course on Sunday in Cape Town.
Side Note: Tom, if you read this, email me a couple tips from my last lesson! I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of Dean Dan☺

On February 11th, 2011 the MV Explorer and its over 700 passengers crossed over the exact point of 0º-0º, where the Prime Meridian and the Equator cross.

I am sitting on the seventh deck forward, one hour before dock time.  I do not want to leave Ghana.  It was, in it’s own distinct way, the most beautiful place I have ever been.  If I had to choose one thing that makes Ghana the amazing place it is, I would say the people.  I cannot even begin to count the number of conversations I exchanged with men and women in Takoradi, Accra, Tema, Busia Beach, and in vehicles from one of those places to another.  My friends laughed at me because when we were anywhere, I could always be found in the back of the pack, talking to someone I ran in to along the way.  So many times I was told things like “Two different colors, one people,” “Unity is Strength,” “We come from different places, but you are my sister and I am your brother,” “It takes a village to raise a child,” and more.  Each and every quote sank into me.  I heard each independently.  I thought about every word as its own.  How can people of so far away care so much and be so kind?  It is difficult to wrap your head around, but they just simply do care that much, and they just simply are that nice.  I visited Tema New Town, a small village in Tema, where we were treated as though we had lived their our entire lives.  At the beach, about fifty Semester at Sea students, faculty, and life long learners worked together with twenty-five Africans as we pulled in a boat and it’s fishing net.  The same night I spent hours flipping with the children and doing handstands as if they were my best friends.  On our walk away from the port, a Scottish man who works in Ghana gave us a ride to the market circle.  It’s a long stretch, but think about what our world would be like if every single person thought with the African mindset?  We are all one.  We are all brothers and sisters.  We, as a community, raise each other.  We do not exist as individuals at all, but as a group of people, animals, and all things, living in the same place.  It’s good that I do not want to leave this place, because now that I have been touched by Ghana, I will come back. 

By The Waves
On Tuesday I had the opportunity to experience Kofi’s dream first hand.  Kofi’s uncle, Nicholas, brought me to the village of Premprem.  Premprem is where Kofi grew up.  I arrived at the home of the landowner, who showed me a blue-print of the area.  He brought me to the land where Kofi would like to build his school.  While standing on the soil where future students will learn, I could see the Atlantic Ocean.  I truly have an appreciation for why Kofi calls this dream, “By The Waves.”  As I walked the area, I actually got to talk to Kofi on the telephone.  It was incredibly surreal.  I am now a part of this amazing project.  I cannot wait to come home and share my experience with all of you.  Ghana is everything Kofi talks of it being.