Tuesday, May 5, 2009

"I love to travel, but I hate to arrive." – Albert Einstein

Many of us aboard the MV Explorer are feeling like this right now. Our journey, which began in Nassau 107 days ago will be coming to a close tomorrow morning. It has been the experience of a lifetime and one for which there are truly no words to describe it with. During the course of our time together, we have bonded as a community. At one point or another, we all found ourselves calling the MV Explorer home and we looked forward to getting back on board the ship and being with our new family just as much as we anticipated arriving at our next port of call. The experiences that we shared together will be forever ingrained in our minds as well as our hearts.

For those of you back home anxiously awaiting the arrival of friends and family (there are probably even a few of you staked out right now in the port in Ft. Lauderdale), you should know that we are not the same people that left you in January. We have all changed. Our perceptions of the world have changed, our knowledge has grown, and we may view our lives back home through a new set of lenses. The voyagers who will be disembarking in Florida tomorrow will carry with them a greater appreciation for the freedoms and comforts that we enjoy so casually at home. When we spend $4.00 on a drink at Starbucks, we may catch ourselves thinking about how many days that would have fed a family in India for. When we go back to our neighborhoods, we might stop to compare them to the impoverished townships in South Africa that are home to millions. When we see a confused traveler in our hometowns, we will remember the countless people around the globe who came to our assistance. There were those who may have done something as small as take five minutes to walk us to a destination we could not find to others who were kind enough to provide us with a place to sleep.

We will all walk away from this journey knowing more about ourselves and the world. Here is how Semester at Sea has changed us:

Kathryn Cammack, Metropolitan State College
“Semester at Sea has proved and disproved stereotypes that I held before this journey about both people at home and of different cultures around the world.” Kat told me how much both her immersion in different cultures and being a part of the shipboard community has meant to her.
Meriel Colglazier, University of Virginia
“Before this journey, I didn’t know about the world. I only knew what I had seen for myself and outside of the United States, I had only been to Europe. Seeing all of these cultures made me more aware of what is out there and I am looking forward to bringing my experiences home and sharing them with others.”
Alexandra Bosee, Stetson University
“Before going on Semester at Sea, I felt like the world was a lot bigger. I saw the world through what I was told to believe through textbooks. Now my perceptions shape the world that I live in."
Amanda Barbara, University of Miami
“Semester at Sea made me want to see as many places as I possibly can and share them with others. We have seen cultures around the world and now I can apply them to my own life. It makes me appreciate the simple things and not take anything for granted.”
Julius Schwerin, Citadel Military College
“It made the world seem a lot smaller and put everything within my reach. Being on Semester at Sea also taught me to rely on people more than I ever have before. The kindness that greeted us everywhere we went was inspiring.”
Robert Perry, San Diego State University
“I have been around the world. I have everything seen from the Southern Cross in the sky to the lava flowing volcanoes of Guatemala. I’ve made connections with people halfway around the world when we could barely speak to one another and it showed me the similarities and cultures of people around the globe”
Naazaneen Hodjat, University of Washington
“It was really interesting to see different cultures mixing and see how people fulfill their needs. People are the same all over the world, they are just trying to live and their main priorities are just to be able to do the basics, like providing food and shelter for their family.”
Gavin Booth, University of Arizona
“Reflecting now on Semester at Sea, I have made the best friends and connections of my life. I have been able to see the entire world and as a business student, every aspect of the world has changed. I’m thinking more globally than I ever did before.”
Jie Chen, Shantou University (China)
“I saw that visiting China changed the way people viewed my own country. They learned more about life in China and how our country works. Being with students in this community also changed my life. It gave me a feeling that everything is going to be okay in the future. They taught me to be confident. My attitudes towards life have changed a lot.
Robert Arnot, Pepperdine University
“Once you see things for yourself, they really have meaning in your life. After seeing the grandeur of the Taj Mahal and the other magnificent places that we had the opportunity to go to compared in stark contrast with the poverty of the common people in India and others around the world that I saw for myself, I am beginning to develop a new perspective on people and society in general. You also always hear people talk about what is wrong with society. Well, now I have seen the world and I have seen for myself how beautiful it really is.”
Miguel Castillo, Emmanuel College
“I was shocked by how similar people were. We went to all of these different countries all over the world and we got to see all of the different cultures and had incredibly unique experiences in all of the countries but in the end, I discovered that everyone, that all people are essentially the same.”
Braxton Henderson, University of Pittsburgh
“I used to think that I would never go to all of these places, that they were too far. Even when I was actually in all of these countries, I didn’t really believe that I was there. I had to step back on reflect on the incredible journey that I was on. I found that we all live in the same world, we’re all human…everyone wants the same things from life. They just want to be treated with respect, to be able to be happy and live with their families. The differences between us all are not so big…we shouldn’t allow them to become barriers. Semester at Sea has exposed me to people around the world and the differences I saw just made me want to learn more about them.”

These are just a small representation of what we will all walk away with tomorrow. No voyager has had the exact same journey and we will all take something different from our experiences. I want to thank all of you who have followed this blog throughout the semester. We’ll be seeing you soon!

Samples of Academic Work

I received some requests following yesterday's post so see some of the work that was mentioned so below are copies of the papers submitted by Grace Dixon and Natalie Elghossain. Enjoy!

Grace Nixon
April 13, 2009
Demography, Dr. Grindstaff
2nd Port Report
Death and Dying in Asia

While death and dying is certainly a universal topic, perhaps no region of the world has more varied beliefs and traditions from our western approach to the subject than Asia. Many of the countries that spanned the first half of this Semester at Sea voyage were greatly influenced by Islam and Christianity – two religions that indubitably have substantial histories, but which could be considered relatively “new” when viewed in comparison to Asian religions such as Buddhism or Hinduism. These ancient religions provide a sociological playground when examining rituals and traditions associated with death. With histories that span millennia, the countries of India, Vietnam, China, and Japan provide fascinating views into the means by which many Asians deal with the universal experience of death.

I. India

The Hindu religion influences much of the country of India and thus guides most of the traditions surrounding death in this area of the world. The layers of Hinduism could fill multiple books – indeed, they have. As such, it would be impossible to use a few short paragraphs to fully cover all that is involved when a person of the Hindu religion dies – however, an overview can certainly be attempted.

According to Shaid, an undergraduate student from Chennai, a body is generally cremated upon death if the person belongs to a higher caste. However, burial is also accepted within Hinduism, particularly among those of lower castes in southern India. When someone dies, all the relatives are called and the body is taken from the house. Daughters are not allowed to see the corpse or the burning of the body once it leaves the home and is taken for cremation.

The cremation ceremony begins with a one rupee coin being placed on the middle of the deceased person’s forehead. The chief mourner, generally the eldest son, circles around the body three times. The son carries a bottle of water over his shoulder and every time he circles the body a hole is punctured in the bottle. On the third circling, the bottle is broken and the fire is lit. Bathing by the people in attendance must take place, along with the shaving of the men. Later, there is a gifting of a cow which may be symbolic or actual. If the body has been cremated and not buried, a bone-gathering ceremony takes place, the contents of which are eventually spread in a sacred river such as the Ganges.

The entire funereal process takes place over ten days – death and the crossover to ancestry is a tenuous transition and certain rituals must be performed in order to aid the soul in this journey. It is interesting to note that the belief in ancestors is held in conjunction with a belief in rebirth of the soul. As is noted by Religious Traditions of the World, there is a “sense that after three generations ancestors begin to dissolve into vaguer zones from which they are eventually reborn” (795). The many rites and rituals surrounding death in India almost serve as a mirror to the Hindu belief in the complex process that a soul undergoes as it transitions from life to death and into new life once again.

II. Vietnam

Whereas Hinduism is the religion of the majority of people living in India, Buddhism takes center stage in Vietnam and directs many of the beliefs and traditions surrounding death. While both Hinduism and Buddhism subscribe to the belief in reincarnation, there are significant differences when it comes to rituals that are performed around a person’s death and beliefs that the living hold about the afterlife.

According to Hiep, a a tour guide for Destination Asia, ancestors in Vietnam are buried in the rice paddies under tombstones that all face one direction. The family comes once a week to pray for the ancestors’ intercession in asking for good crops. Thus, while the soul is reincarnated, it can still hear the prayers of the family.

In the villages, the belief in reincarnation is certainly present and is passed along through stories that are shared amongst the villagers. According to Quan Nguyen-Huy, a Bangkok tour guide who lives in the Mekong Delta region, there are reports in his village of children telling their parents that they contain the soul of the parent’s best friend, brother, or sister. They demand that the parents treat them well or buy them nice things since they hold the soul of someone who was loved and has died. Quan said that these children are five or six years-old, not yet old enough to be of the age of reason and manipulate information about reincarnation to work to their advantage. As evidenced by these accounts, Buddhist beliefs regarding the afterlife and reincarnation are not simply contained within books outlining the tenants of Buddhism – they truly are held by the people.

III.China

Like Vietnam, the country of China is largely influenced by Buddhism. Much of the proceeding information regarding Chinese customs surrounding death, however, is not necessarily associated with any one religion but rather reflects the traditional, ancient Chinese belief systems.

Not surprisingly, many of these traditional Chinese rituals are conducted in the more rural areas of the country that have not been modernized to the same extent as most of China’s cities. When someone dies in rural China, at least 200 people gather at the family’s house. A monk says some prayers and then everyone eats. During this gathering, traditional Chinese music such as ancient Chinese opera is played or sung by performers who are brought into the home. This music may not be anything current-day or popular.

Following the meal, a procession to the burial ground takes place. There is a definite order to the procession – in the forefront ahead of the coffin are the people who chose the burial plot. The coffin is next in line, proceeded by the eldest son who carries a picture of the deceased. Next come the members of the close family to the deceased, all of whom wear large masks that cover their faces. These family members also carry walking sticks that are wrapped in beautiful white paper. They lean on these as they walk, symbolizing the fact that they are nearly immobilized by the immensity of their grief. In keeping with the great sadness that the family members have, they are supposed to weep loudly and cry out things such as, “Oh father, now that you are gone there is such a void in my life! How will I go on without you?” If a family member cannot bring himself or herself to weep, he or she will hire a professional mourner, a woman who can cry on command with great feeling.

Following the immediate family in the procession comes the rest of the people who have gathered for the funeral. Finally in the rear of all of the mourners comes a band of musicians playing sorrowful music. Everyone in the procession – from the people leading the throng to the person in the very rear – wears white which symbolized mourning in China.

Upon reaching the burial grounds, the body is buried and a group of people will bring small buckets of food to leave at the grave. This offering of food symbolizes the sustenance that the person will need in the next life. In addition to this custom at the time of death, there is also a yearly festival occurring in April in which offerings are made for the deceased. This festival, called the Cleaning of the Tombs, consists of families going to their ancestors’ tombs; here they leave three cups of water and wine along with other useful items and money. Oftentimes, the money will be folded and arranged into some type of object like a house. The money is placed on the grave and burned in hopes that the ancestors will witness the regard that the living family members still hold for them and bless the family with good fortune.

The day following the burial, the friends and family gather again to partake in another meal and a hearty celebration. Just as happens for the initial lunch, musicians are brought in – this time, however, a popular band from the city is brought in and joyful, popular melodies are played.

Despite much of China’s modernization, the ancient rituals applying to some of life’s most significant and weighty moments are still alive and well throughout the nation.

IV.Japan

While Japan is an incredibly modernized nation in many ways, its people still hold very traditional views that hearken back millennia. Interestingly though, according to Mayu Kanai, a college student from Tokyo, the Japanese’s rituals surrounding death are undergoing an interesting transition as they teeter between traditional practices and more western means of approaching death and dying.

Customarily, funerals in Japan occur within the home and are only intended for the close family. A Buddhist monk will come to the home and read prayers in front of the casket. Then each person present puts a flower into the casket before it is closed. The casket is then taken in a hearse to be cremated. This ceremony and the cremation occurs two days after the death. The bones are buried in the cemetery in the family tomb, underneath the family headstone. Wives are buried under the family stone of their husbands.

Forty days after the death, the family prays again because the soul must be sent up to heaven. Mayu mentioned that the Shinto religion (which, along with Buddhism, predominates in Japan despite the small numbers of people who actively subscribe to either) teaches the concept of heaven and hell. Mayu also mentioned that the Japanese traditionally believe that a soul behave differently depending on the type of death that a person underwent. If the person did not die a peaceful death, his or her ghost may remain on earth seeking revenge. In such a case, it would require the help of a mediator to send the soul up to heaven.

While traditional ideas surrounding death undeniably still exist in Japan, western means of approaching this event have started to take hold more and more. One such example can be seen in regards to the deceased being buried in the family tomb – Mayu explained that currently one would find only two or three generations being buried in the tomb with ancestors since people are gravitating towards being buried underneath their own stone. Similarly, while funerals were traditionally held in the home, the recent trend is for these ceremonies to take place in funeral homes. As is the case with living, breathing societies (particularly in our increasingly globalized world), traditions can morph and change as is evidenced through these trends in Japan.

V. Conclusion

The countries of India, Vietnam, China, and Japan each bring a wealth of traditions revolving around death and a rich complexity of ideas regarding the role of ancestors, reincarnation, and the afterlife. In delving into such material, one is not only able to better understand core beliefs held by the people of these countries, but is also able to better understand the general cultures themselves.


Natalie Elghossain
Migration Around the World
Field Report #1
3/2/09
People Following Jobs

Migration, particularly at the international level, is undoubtedly a prevalent and pressing issue in today’s globalized world. Due to the significant impacts that migration has on both sending and receiving nations, it is important to understand the root causes of such frequent, widespread migration around the world. The push-pull theory characterizes the general dynamics of migration, whereby some people move because they are pushed out of their previous residence while others move because they are pulled or attracted elsewhere. Potential migrants tend to develop a cost-benefit analysis to help determine whether or not moving is the most advantageous decision. Research has shown that the desire to get ahead, particularly economically, has served as a significant and beneficial pull factor for many migrants, one that outweighs many of the costs associated with migration. Indeed, "if it is assumed that people spend much of their life pursuing various goals, then migration may be seen as a possible means--an implementing strategy--whereby a goal (such as more education, a better job, a nicer house, a more pleasant environment, and so on) might be attained" (Weeks Chapter 7, pg. 11).
From my own personal observations in Spain, Morocco, Namibia, and South Africa, it is apparent that a significant pull factor for many migrants is a job opportunity, one that is typically more desirable and more economically prosperous than what is being offered by the potential migrants’ current location. These observations are consistent with the Dual Labor Market Theory of International Migration, which separates the labor market into primary and secondary sectors. The following observations involve people in the secondary labor market, which is characterized by low wages, unstable working conditions, and lack of reasonable prospects for advancement. It appears that the people involved have been recruited passively into their jobs, through the diffusion of information that jobs are available. It can be argued, then, that "the flow of labor ought to be explained by a simple supply-and-demand model, with people moving from places where there aren’t enough jobs to places where there are jobs" (Weeks Chapter 7, pg. 22).

Although Spain has one of the largest immigrant populations in Europe, I did not come across any international migrants. In both the cities of Granada and Barcelona, I stumbled upon many international students who temporarily reside in Spain while they study abroad in the country, but because they have not permanently changed their place of residence, they represent mobility but not migration. I did, however, learn that Gorca, my walking tour guide in Barcelona, is an internal migrant of Spain. Gorca leads walking tours around the major metropolitan city of Barcelona multiple times a day and almost every day of the week. He originally comes from a small town outside of Barcelona but moved to the city about five years ago. He is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history and culture of Barcelona and found that he could share his knowledge with tourists in Barcelona where tourism is particularly fruitful. In this case, Gorca serves as an example of migration evolution, whereby the populations in many developed countries are largely urban based, and people are increasingly moving between and within urban places where jobs are plentiful.

Additionally, in Morocco, I found that I was unlikely to come across people who have immigrated into the country. Indeed, there is a large population of Moroccans who have emigrated from the country and have settled in Spain, and many people from Southern Africa travel through Morocco in order to ultimately reside in Spain. However, I did not meet a single person who was not a native of Morocco. Additionally, according to Nadia, a middle-aged Moroccan woman whom I stumbled upon at the train station in Casablanca, only a small number of Moroccans have traveled outside of the country. According to her, few in Morocco have the means or the opportunity to travel a significant distance within the country let alone outside of the country. Like Gorca, Nadia is a follower of the tourist industry, as she is a full-time tour guide for French and English tourists. The day I met her she was traveling to Marrakesh to conduct a pre-scheduled tour in the city, but she travels all over the country constantly, wherever her company sends her, in order to conduct tours. Although she symbolizes mobility only and not migration, her story is representative of the significant pull that a job can have on a person and, also, that the benefits of having a job, particularly for those in the secondary sector of the labor market, are very much worth the costs associated with travel.

Despite the relatively small, young population of Namibia, I met a handful of locals in Swakopmund who had immigrated to the country, all of whom migrated with the intention of obtaining a specific, more prosperous job. All of them had chosen Namibia because its gorgeous landscape attracts a growing amount of tourists, making it easier and more conducive for their particular lines of work. All three of my sand boarding instructors, Jay, Clayton and Heini, came to Namibia with the intention of teaching sand boarding on the largest sand dunes in the world. Clayton emigrated from neighboring South Africa, but Jay made the move all the way from Northern California in the United States, symbolizing a drastic, permanent change in residence for the sake of a desired job opportunity. Heini, a native of Namibia, moved to Kenya for a while to work in the sporting industry (other than sand boarding), but was recently pulled back into Namibia when a friend told him about the good money that can be made as a sand boarding instructor in Namibia. Similarly, when I asked Lawrence, our hot air balloon conductor who is originally from Kenya, “What brought you to Namibia?” he replied explicitly, “Hot air ballooning.” Lawrence has been an international migrant for much of his life, as he has lived in Kenya, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Germany, the U.S., and, finally, Namibia. He received his licenses as a pilot and as a hot air balloon conductor in California, where he worked for a few years as a pilot. He later developed a passion for hot air balloons, and once he discovered how wonderful hot air ballooning can be in Namibia, particularly in Swakopmund where he monopolizes the industry, he moved to Namibia and brought his wife along with him. Therefore, Lawrence also clearly demonstrates the concept that "people migrate for job-related reasons and then, very often, their family members follow them in a pattern of chain migration that involves family reunification" (Weeks Chapter 7, pg 22).

Although South Africa is often referred to as “the world in one country” because of its vastly diverse population, a large amount of whom are immigrants, South Africa is also currently suffering from the so-called “brain drain.” During my FDP with Professor Strouse to Plumstead High School in Cape Town, I talked with a math teacher, whose name I have regrettably forgotten, who had only recently returned to Cape Town to teach after many years of teaching in Kuwait. She is a native of Cape Town, where she originally began teaching, but she was lured many years ago to teach in Kuwait where teachers are better compensated. According to her, she has returned to Cape Town because of family issues, but she made it seem as though she would have stayed in Kuwait otherwise because the socioeconomic opportunities for teachers are greater. She noted that there is a common problem in South Africa with many other well-educated teachers leaving the country because they are not nearly as valued or as compensated as they should be or as teachers are in other places around the world. In this case, emigration of well-educated South Africans is detrimental to society, particularly when it includes teachers because they are responsible for educating the rest of the population.

In conclusion, these several cases based on informal observations all exemplify the significance of the job market as a pull factor for both internal and international migration.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Crossing the Panama Canal


After a long day of crossing the Panama Canal, we are finally through and back out on the open seas. I’m not sure any of us really grasped the scale of the canal itself before we saw it with our own eyes. The locking system that was dreamed up by brilliant engineers over 100 years ago is astounding.


For those of you who are not familiar with how the canal system works, here is the simple explanation. The Panama Canal is not at sea level and in order to make it across, ships must be elevated through a series of locks. These are basically compartments where the water level can be raised to elevate ships or lowered to bring them back down. Once a ship is in the lock, its gates will be sealed and the water level will be adjusted to bring the ship to its appropriate height. Engines running along the side of the canal on tracks then pull the ship through the lock until it is back in open water. There are three locking systems that ships must pass through in addition to a number of both natural and man-made waterways that carry ships most of the way through.

Altogether, the Panama Canal is about 48 miles in length but that is nothing compared to the 14,000 mile journey around the Cape Horn that it replaced. We entered around 8:30am this morning and we were probably out by about 4:45pm. It is estimated that about 14,000 ships pass through a year and there were quite a few out there with us today.

There has also been a lot going on aboard the ship. Yesterday marked the last day of finals and there was one exam in particular that caught the shipboard community’s attention. All semester long, Aniseh Burtner’s World Dance class has been studying and learning different styles of dance from around the globe. For the final exam, students prepared their own dances and performed in the Union for all of us. There were performances based on styles from all of the countries that we visited over the past three and half months.

This afternoon, there was also an Academic Gallery to showcase exemplary work during the semester. Faculty were given the opportunity to nominate students from their classes, who were then recognized during a brief ceremony that was followed by presentations from the students themselves that gave us a chance to see what they have been working on.

Grace Nixon, a student from Santa Clara University, has been conducting interviews with locals in every port for a project for her geography class. The assignment was to choose a topic in sociology to research and Grace chose to compare the different views on death and dying around the world. “It was fascinating to see different views around the world,” Grace remarked. Natalie Elghossain of Cranbury, NJ has been studying immigration issues as she traveled around the world with Semester at Sea. The focus of her research has been the main factors that cause people to emigrate.


Visual art was on display as well. Rebecca Braun of Tenafly, NJ and a student at the University of Michigan has been enrolled in an arts class aboard the MV Explorer. Her sketches and drawings combined with a written journal captured the spirit of our journey and of the people and places that we visited. Elyssa Tanenbaum, a student at the University of Florida chose to show us some pieces that she created for her digital photography class. There was some amazing work on display and all of the students aboard the ship have a lot to be proud of.


Photos #2, 4, and 5 by SAS Photographer John Weakley

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Providing Safe Passge

In 1997, a schoolteacher in North Carolina named Hanley Denning decided to spend a year in Guatemala to work on her Spanish so that she could communicate better with her Spanish-speaking students. Somehow, one year turned into two but after that, she was all set to go home. As Hanley neared the end of her time in Antigua, however, a friend of hers brought her along on a visit to the slums next to the Guatemala City dump.

What she saw there would change her life. The families living in and next to the dump basically survived off of what they could find there. They made their living on whatever they could unearth and sell amidst the trash, often ate whatever remains they could find, and without any money for an education, they had no prospects of ever being able to lift themselves out of poverty.


That very same week, Hanley founded Camino Seguro, which means “Safe Passage” in English. By going into her savings and having her parents sell her car and computer back in the U.S., Hanley was able to put together enough money to educate 40 children who were living in the Guatemalan City dump.

“We believe every child should have the opportunity to receive an education and to go as far as they are able in school. Our programs are designed so that each child can gain the skills needed to obtain stable jobs, to be self-sufficient and to lead their families out of poverty in a dignified and permanent way,” the program’s goals state. Camino Seguro works to provide the children of families living in and near the dump with an education, nutritional support, medical attention, vocational training programs, and extracurricular activities.

2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the organization’s founding. Tragically, Hanley was killed in an automobile accident in Antigua in 2007 but the work that she began and Camino Seguro have continued on the path that she laid out. Today, over 550 Guatemalan children are being educated by Camino Seguro and receiving assistance through its other programs.

While we were in Guatemala, two groups of Semester at Sea voyagers traveled to Guatemala City on service projects and visited the dump to see the work being done there by Camino Seguro. “It was one of the most inspiring yet horrifying things I’ve ever seen,” said Nancy Abbott. “The people there are in a terrible cycle of poverty that they can’t get out of because they can’t afford education.” Camino Seguro provides the means for these families to pull themselves out of poverty.

During their visit, voyagers were able to speak with the staff of Camino Seguro and meet with some of the families benefitting from their good work. This service project, and the many others that students have participated in over the voyage have really inspired many into action. “I don’t want to just go home and sit down,” said Sarah Shields. When she returns home, she is planning on looking into ways to raise money and awareness for the different causes she has volunteered for while on Semester at Sea. Many students have also said that they would like to return to organizations that touched them to volunteer for lengthier periods of time.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Last Stop, Guatemala


Tomorrow morning at 8:00am, the MV Explorer will be docking in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, the final port visit of the Spring 2009 Voyage. The port itself is one of the largest in Guatemala and puts many of Guatemala’s greatest sites within just a few hours reach.

One of best destinations will surely be Antigua, located in the central highlands of Guatemala. It is not a big city, but it is known for its incredible architecture and natural beauty, which includes three large volcanoes that surround the city. It was even designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A number of voyagers will be traveling there through a homestay program that will place them with a Guatemalan family for the duration of our stay in the country.

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site that will be visited by voyagers is Tikal, a major archaeological site of the Mayan civilization. Located in the northern part of the country, Tikal thrived from roughly 200-900. It is located in the midst of a rainforest and is home to thousands of ruins, the largest being six Mesoamerican step pyramids. There is still much to unearth at the site.

There are also scheduled trips to climb Guatemala’s incredible volcanoes, immerse oneself in Mayan culture, and do service visits that will address some of the issues of poverty in the country. The array of options available to voyagers should provide something to everyone, and it should be a great finale to an incredible voyage.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Academic Support

Most students are probably breathing a big sigh of relief right now. Yesterday was the last full day of classes and this afternoon, they completed the final Global Studies exam. There are two more days of exams and then the academic calendar for the semester is finished! I thought this would be a good point to tell you more about the academic support system that has been in place all semester to help students with their classes and other academic pursuits.


Every living learning coordinator (LLC), the equivalent of a resident advisor, also has a collateral assignment. One of those LLCs is Brad Miller, who is responsible for academic support programs aboard the MV Explorer. “I try to bridge the chasm between academic life and residential life and serve as liaison between faculty and students,” Brad told me.

This is the second year in Semester at Sea’s history that this position has been in place, and it has really made an impact on the students. Brad has years of experience in education and has used that experience to design an innovative program that brings together the academic needs of students, their extracurricular interests, and shipboard life.

He received an undergraduate degree from Harvard University where he majored in Latin. Following college, Brad taught Latin at a boarding school while he ran one of their dorms. He then spent a year at the University of Florida where he earned a master’s degree in Latin and worked for the football team in their Quality Control department. He then moved on to Stanford, where he received a master’s degree in education and worked as an assistant football coach. After some time teaching in California, Brad then moved to Florence, Italy where he most recently was the Academic Supervisor of an international school.

To make sure he knows what the students are going through, Brad regularly attends classes and meets with professors, the academic dean, and our registrar. “It’s great to be back in the classroom again after some time as an administrator and experience just a small piece of what our students get, “ he said. Brad told me that his goal has been to setup a “scaffolding of academic support,” that can adjust to fluctuations in the academic workload.

The programming that the academic team has provided has really done just that. They started off during our first week at sea with a strong presence at the student activities fair. Right then, Brad was able to identify students with unique skills and those who were enthusiastic to help provide assistance during the semester. A popular student interest in creating “language tables” during meals (interested voyagers would sit together and study a language through conversation) also led to the start of a number of language tables including three in Spanish, one in French, and one in Japanese.

As classes began, the emphasis shifted to assisting students succeed in such a unique environment. The greatest challenge to students, Brad explained, is the irregular calendar, caused by the interruptions due to our field excursions. The challenges though, Brad said, “forceseveryone to rediscover their best ways of learning.” To address this issue, a panel composed of faculty, staff, and lifelong learners spoke to students about the study aids that worked for them when they were in school and provided them with other tips to have a successful academic voyage.


As the semester went on, the academic team was there to meet any needs the students may have had. Faculty would refer students to Brad that they felt might be falling behind and Brad also looked out for students that he thought might need a little extra help. A number of students have also been very proactive and sought out assistance when they felt they were having difficulties. In all of these instances, the academic team worked with students to pair them up with stronger people in their classes who might be able to help them with notes or tutoring or help them devise study plans. Brad also pointed out the many faculty who “embrace the 24/7 aspect of shipboard life,” that allows them to interact and assist students on an informal basis. The academic team also started a writing center where students could have their papers reviewed by student volunteers.

Additionally, a Graduate School Night and a Career Night were held in response to student interest. Both drew large numbers of voyagers. For the graduate school session, students attended a dinner and sat with faculty, staff, and lifelong learners who had been through the graduate school application process, and in some cases taught in the relevant fields, so that they could gain some insight into the application process and learn more about specific programs. For Career Night, students had the option of attending different sessions throughout the ship to learn about internship possibilities, what classes might help them in a chosen profession, and get more information on potential paths to their dream jobs. There was really something for everyone, with offerings from medicine, to communications, to politics and much in between.

The students themselves started a number of initiatives though. One of the best examples of this is the Port Research Operations (PRO) Society, which took off after a group of students expressed interest in learning about the current events of South Africa as we approached Cape Town. Over the past few months, interest has spread and the group now meets in preparation of every port and presents on the current news of our next destination to the entire shipboard community during global studies. The group also maintains a facebook group called “PRO Society – Semester at Sea Spring 2009” if you would like to see what they have been up to. The students are planning to continue their research after the voyage is over so that they can keep up to date on the places we have visited.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Have you ever wondered….?

During an Explorer Seminar the other evening, voyagers were given a rare opportunity to quiz the four most senior officers of the crew on anything and everything having to do with our voyage, their jobs, and the MV Explorer.

There is a lot that goes into the daily operation of the ship; probably more than we’ll ever know. There are over 200 crew aboard the MV Explorer who work tirelessly to ensure that things run smoothly during the voyage. The ship was built as a cruise liner in 2002 by the German firm, Blohm & Voss, and then later retrofitted as a floating campus when purchased by Semester at Sea. It is the fastest passenger ship of its kind in the world, with a capability to reach around 30 knots and it is just under 600 ft. in length, with seven decks.

L to R: Chief Engineer Mario Penniello, Staff Captain Konstantinos Siamantas, Master Captain Jeremy Kingston, and Hotel Director Stefan Heuser

Now meet our incredible officers. Our Master Captain, Jeremy Kingston, has been on the sea since a young child. He joined the P&O Steam Navigation Company as a Cadet Officer in 1974 and then served on a number of vessels as he interspersed his voyages with studies at the Southampton School of Navigation at Warsah in the United Kingdom. It would take him about ten years of training before he qualified to be a captain and another twelve before he received a master position, but in that time, he achieved an exemplary record in the cruise industry.

Our Staff Captain is Kostas Siamantas. He began his career at sea as a deck cadet at the age of 18 for Niarhos Shipping Company and then attended the Merchant Marine Academy of Thessaloniki, Greece from which he graduated in 1985. In 1987, Siamantas began his career in the cruise industry and over the years, he has held the positions of 1st Officer, Safety Officer, and now captain.

This next person is arguably the most important member of our crew, especially considering the fact that there are over 700 hungry college students aboard the ship. Our Hotel Director, Stefan Heuser, runs the operations of the ship that are probably closest to us, such as the dining services and housekeeping. He was born and raised in Germany and started his professional career with a formal apprenticeship to become a chef. He began is career at sea in 1992, working on a small luxury passenger ship, and then he joined V. Ships, the company which manages the MV Explorer, 14 years ago. After a number of successful assignments around the globe for V. Ships, Stefan joined the crew of the MV Explorer in August 2005 and has been with us since.

Our fourth senior officer is the Chief Engineer, Mario Penniello. Mario oversees all of the technical aspects of the ship and literally keeps the engines running. He also is in charge of a number of other essential systems of the ship including our water and electrical systems.

Here are some of the questions that voyagers asked our officers. (Not exact quotes, I have paraphrased in some cases)

Q: How is water made aboard the MV Explorer?
Chief Engineer: The ship has a freshwater system that takes in seawater, which is then run through filters and chlorinated. In addition to the pure water used for drinking , we also have grey water and black water tanks. The grey water is water collected from the sinks, galley, laundry, and showers, etc…Black water comes from our sewage system. While we are at sea, both forms of water can be ejected (black water is treated with chlorine first) according to maritime regulations.

Q: How does our water usage compare to other voyages?
Staff Captain: Voyagers this semester are using the amount that is expected. Consumption is about 220-240 tons per day while we have the capacity to produce around 500 tons per day.

Q: How many pounds of potatoes are used during voyage?
Hotel Manager: We use about 500g/person/day at sea, which is about 400lbs/day. (That’s 43,200 lbs of potatos!!!)

Q: Where is the bread from?
Hotel Manager: All bread on board, with the exception of our bagels and English muffins, is baked fresh for every meal. We probably produce around 700-800 rolls per meal plus the toast at every meal and the pastries provided at breakfast.

Q: What is the ship’s fuel consumption like?
Chief Engineer: The ship’s fuel capacity is 1190 tons. We estimate that we will use about 700 tons to go from Hawaii to Guatemala.
Master Captain: We will probably get around 6 miles per ton. If we are going really fast, we may only get about 4 miles per ton. Our most efficient speed is probably somewhere around 14-15 knots but that is really debatable because the slower you go, the longer you are at sea, and you still consume a lot of fuel just to keep the ship going.

Q: How is electricity generated?
Chief Engineer: There are four generators on board that are separate from the main engines. Two are usually in use, sometimes three during maneuvers such as pulling into a port.

Q: What does it cost to be in port?
Master Captain: It really depends on the port. The cost is generally calculated by the gross tonnage of the ship. Sometimes, we are given exemptions though because we are an educational ship and prices can be reduced or even waived altogether.

Q: Do we have the capacity for green energy?
Chief Engineer: We try but there are no real alternatives to running the ship. All we can do is try to minimize consumption and be more efficient.
Master Captain: To give you an example of where technology is right now, there is now one ship being built with solar panels. All of the panels on board will generate enough electricity to be able to power one elevator.
(I also wanted to note Semester at Sea's Greening of the Ship initiative, which will be a phased $2.6 million project starting in Spring 2010. The plan will include improvements to the MV Explorer's water management system, HVAC, propellers, lighting, consumption, hydraulics, and other ship functions and will be integrated with a sustainability awareness program for voyagers.)

Q: Can you explain how the ship’s stabilizers work?
Master Captain: Stabilizers are basically like an aerofoil, which extend about 4 meters on each side when they’re out. They are controlled by a gyro sphere that automatically deploys them when it detects the ship leaning in one direction or the other. The effect on speed is debatable. I estimate we lose about half a knot when they’re out but if the ship is zigzagging a lot, you may use more fuel.

Q: How much can the ship roll? How far below waterline is the ship?
Master Captain: The MV Explorer is able to roll to about 67 degrees and come back without a problem. The ship extends about 24 ft below the surface.

Q: If you’re all here, who is driving right now?
Master Captain: I really don’t take the controls except for what is essentially parking the ship. There are three people who take turns steering and they work in shifts.

Q: What are the crew’s facilities like?
Staff Captain: There is a crew mess as well as an officer’s mess. There’s also a gym and a crew bar in the evenings where we hold events. Deck 4 aft is also available to them. In addition to the facilities on the ship. We also often organize trips in ports of call.

Q: How many washing machines are aboard the ship?
Hotel Manager: The ship has two large washing machines and 3 dryers. (I have to say, this really surprised all of us!)

Q: In case of an emergency, what is the estimated time to get everyone into lifeboats?
Master Captain: By law, we need to be able to get everyone safely off of the ship in 30 minutes or less.

Q: If there is a medical emergency while at sea, is surgery possible?
Master Captain: We have the capacity on board to perform surgeries but the ship’s medical facilities are generally designed to stabilize a patient’s condition until you can get them to shore. If necessary, we could also call for a medivac.

Q: Captain, in your opinion, what's the coolest room on the ship?
Master Captain: The meat room. (Get it?)


Photo by SAS Photographer John Weakley

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Hawaii FDP

Our visit to Hawaii was fairly short but it gave all of us some much needed time to stretch our legs off of the ship after about a week at sea. It was also a nice place to transition back into America. For two days, we didn’t have to think about exchange rates, deal with any language barriers, and our cell phones actually worked! Hawaii is the most diverse state in the country though and the culture there is a wonderful mixture composed from the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands, the American mainland, and other Pacific peoples.

One of the representations of this diverse culture that I was able to experience along with a group of about fifteen other SAS voyagers was a trip to a Korean Buddhist temple in Honolulu. It may seem surprising that a number of students chose to visit a Buddhist temple in Hawaii when we only had two days there, especially given the fact that we had just finished with a whirlwind trip through Asia. I can’t even count the number of temples I visited during the different excursions I went on.

However, our visit had a very specific purpose. The temple was a beautiful sanctuary in the hills overlooking Honolulu. Built with strong architectural influences from Tibet and Korea, the complex is actually quite large and we were told that it is among the largest in the world. It was founded in 1982 with a message of world peace. Monks from all over the world visit for up to ten months at a time to study there.

That was not why we were there though. We came to this spiritual center in the hills of Honolulu to talk about killing, or more specifically, how to work towards a “nonkilling world.” The term “nonkilling world” was coined by Dr. Glen Paige, our discussion leader and the founder of the Center for Global Nonkilling as well as the author of Nonkilling Global Political Science. He defined a nonkilling world for us as one where people did not kill one another, where there were no weapons, where there was no justification to kill another human, and where there was no fear of being killed.


We all wrote down whether or not we thought a world like this would ever exist and listed a few reasons to support our conclusions. Then we traded note cards amongst ourselves and read the opinions in anonymity. The ensuing discussion was largely a philosophical one that debated the possibility of a nonkilling world. Most of us felt that it a nonkilling world would be impossible to realize, however we all agreed that it was something to work towards.


This FDP was created by Professor Mark Shadle, who joins Semester at Sea from Eastern Oregon University. He teaches three courses aboard the MV Explorer on topics relating to literature, writing, and media. He brings extensive experience with him and expertise in multiple fields and his full bio can be found here.



Photos by SAS photographer, John Weakley

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Arrival in Honolulu


The MV Explorer will be pulling into the island of Oahu and docking in Honolulu in just about seven hours. Our crossing of the Pacific has gone great so far, but I don't think anyone will be complaining about getting off the ship for a few days after over a week at sea.

Oahu, known as "The Gathering Place" to Hawaiians, is the third largest of the Hawaiian islands and the most populated. The island is home to Honolulu, the state capital and Hawaii's largest city, as well as Pearl Harbor. I know everyone is looking forward to returning to U.S. soil, even if it's only for two days!

Friday, April 17, 2009

Travelers Among Mountains and Streams

Something that you will find everywhere in the world, no matter where you are, is art. Though it may differ in style, content, or form, wherever you go, you will witness that basic human desire to create and express one’s self. Art can serve to interpret, comment on, or enhance basic human experiences. Viewing life through an artistic prism, it is possible to find new meaning and dimensions to things that once seemed clear. On a voyage like ours, art can add perspective and a global outlook that can reach across cultures and national borders.

Voyagers are very lucky to have Professor Fred Levine on board this semester. Both an author and lecturer on a vast range of issues in art and cultural studies, Fred is currently a professor of art history at Palomar College in San Marcos, CA. He has previously taught at the University of Texas, Northwestern University, Colorado State University, and the University of Tasmania in Hobart. He is also no stranger to life at sea. For the past twenty years, he has sailed as a lecturer on art and architecture aboard cruise ships around the world and this semester marks Fred’s third voyage with Semester at Sea.

Fred is one of the rare people who recognize art in daily life. From exceptional architecture, to natural wonders, to paintings on the walls, he is able to capture the essence of art and help the rest of us relate to it.

Earlier today, I had the chance to sit in on one of the three courses that Fred is offering this semester, Migrations of Art. As the title suggests, students in this class are learning about how different techniques, styles, and themes have migrated around the globe over history. However, there is an additional element to the course, unique to Semester at Sea that Fred offers his students. Using the skills of visual analysis and interpretation, students in Migrations of Art use the pieces they learn about in class and see in the field as a framework for analyzing their own experiences during the voyage.

I’ll use today’s lecture as en example. The main discussion focused around Travelers Amid Mountains and Streams by the Chinese painter, Fan Kuan. Considered to be one of the finest Chinese artists of all time, Kuan lived during the Song Dynasty (960-1030) and was known for his incredible landscapes.


Travelers Amid Mountains and Streams in particular is viewed as an incredible work of art, which served as a model to other Chinese artists. As Professor Levin explained during class, “One of the things that Chinese paintings tend to do over and over again…is to teach you to look at details.” He told us how Kuan would spend hours studying objects in nature to see how they interacted with the world around them. I don’t know if this representation of the painting (which is actually ink on silk) can actually do it justice, but just look at how intricate everything is – the mountain in the background and the path, set among the rocks and trees down below.

If you look closely on the right side of the painting, you will notice that there is a mule pack with two figures descending down the path of the mountain from a temple that is shown in the forest on the cliff. In Chinese artwork, paths are typically represented as a metaphor for life’s journey. Fred continued to explain how the boulders along the path signify the difficulties one may face in life and “how you need to climb over obstacles to get there in the first instance.”

Take note of how small the humans in this work are though compared to their surroundings. They almost seem to get lost in the grandeur of nature. It just shouts, “Take the time to be, to just stop and look a tree and enjoy and experience the journey while you find your identity,” Dr. Levin commented.

Now transition this to our current journey. After seeing so much of the world with our own eyes, how small do we feel? Maybe somewhat like the people in this painting. We are also nearing the completion of our voyage; we are on our “descent,” just like the figures on the path. We have had obstacles in our path over the past few months, but we have worked around them and made it through. Most importantly, I think we all learned to stop and observe both people and nature and really take in the most that this journey offers.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Pen Pals

To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.
-- Phyllis Theroux
How many of you had a pen pal when you were in school? I’m sure almost everyone did at some point. Maybe you wrote two or three letters back and forth to one another over a span of a few months and chances are you probably never spoke again. What are the odds you would still be writing one another a year later? Five years later? Almost fifty years later?
In 1961, Judy Burtner, mother of Professor Matthew Burtner (who you may be familiar with through the MICE postings) received an assignment from her social studies teacher to write a letter to a Japanese girl named Setsuko. They corresponded with one another over the course of the year and they seemed to have a lot in common so they kept up with one another, swapping stories, telling each other about the big events in their lives, and trading photos and little gifts.

They would not write each other every week, or even every month, but two or three times a year, Judy and Setsuko would check in to see how the other was doing. As the years went by, their lives, incredibly, seemed to mirror one another from opposite ends of the globe.

Judy took up the piano, Setsuko played the piano. Judy lived in Alaska, Setsuko lived in the coldest and snowiest region of Japan. Following college, Judy decided to become an elementary school teacher, Setsuko became an elementary school teacher. Both of them even married teachers! And over the years, Judy had four boys and Setsuko had thee boys (I think that’s close enough, don’t you?). It just seemed that the independent paths of their lives were running incredible parallel to one another.

Over the years, Judy explained how Setsuko had “emissaries coming from Alaska to her.” Matthew stayed with her one time and a daughter-in-law of Judy found herself a guest of Setsuko’s at another point, but over all of the years, the two had never met themselves, or even heard the other’s voice.

When Judy found out that she would be joining Matthew on Semester at Sea this Semester, she knew that this would be the chance to finally meet Setsuko after so many years. They began the preparations seven months ago and continued trading emails during the voyage since their regular method of communication wasn’t available to them. By the time the MV Explorer reached Kobe, they had worked out all of the details and had a plan to meet.

“It was incredibly emotional,” Judy said. “When I saw her, I just knew her already. I knew everything about her but at the same time, I didn’t know anything about her.” Just staring at her face, I couldn’t believe she was right there.” Setsuko reads and writes English very well, but she does not speak very much so she communicated through her husband. At one point, Setsuko brought out what her husband described as “her treasure,” a stack of letters and photos from Judy, including the first letter sent in 1961 that had been the catalyst for their incredible friendship.


Judy, Setsuko, and both of their husbands were able to spend a few days together during our stay in Japan. “Even though we didn’t talk, we were happy just to sit side by side.” Now that they have finally met, Judy is hoping that she can return the hospitality sometime and host Setsuko and her husband back in the U.S.!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Dalit Service Project

To date, the MV Explorer has called on 13 different ports in 11 countries. We have two more stops to go and in exactly 22 days, we all will have circumnavigated the globe. I feel very comfortable stating that no one will disembark in Ft. Lauderdale with the same world outlook as when they boarded the ship in Nassau two and half months ago.

Voyagers are exposed to so much of the world though that it often takes time to process our experiences. It may be weeks before something clicks in your mind. It is possible that you don’t appreciate something that happened until you are later able to place it into a regional or global context. Oftentimes, voyagers also find themselves always looking forward. With upcoming academic and field requirements, you just don’t always have the chance to reflect right away. I have found that it can be very beneficial to just take a step back, reread through some journal entries, maybe scan through some pictures, and just look back at some of the incredible things that were done during the course of this voyage.

Tomorrow will mark exactly six weeks since the ship departed from Chennai, India. Now that we have finished with the Asian segment of the voyage, I spoke with a few students about how the different countries compared to one another, and specifically where they saw India in the mix. “How do you even do that?” replied Whitney Bairstow. “It was a whole other world,” she continued. Another student, Gavin Booth joined in and said that, “You just can’t compare India with anything…its culture and religions were completely different, especially in contrast with Japan,” our last port. They were right.

Our videographer, Jerry Pratt, just finished putting together a great video on a service project with Bridge Education Trust. When I watched it earlier today, everything just came rushing back to me. The first excited child I saw as I exited our bus, the sounds of the band as we were led to the school where we would be working, and the incredible graciousness of our hosts and the important work that they do.

Bridge Education Trust works to improve the lives of the Dalits in India. Under the caste system, they were the poorest class, the “untouchables.” Historically, they were relegated to the lowest occupations, specifically those that were considered impure such as butchering and cleaning the streets. The Dalits were segregated from the rest of society and were literally untouchable, because it was believed that the tasks they performed made them unclean and that this pollution could be contagious to the rest of the population. Although much has been done in recent years to eliminate the segregation and discrimination against Dalits in Indian society, it is still a problem in many of the rural areas.

The Director of Bridge Education Trust, Dr. Henry Thiagaraj, described the work of his organization as, “building the emergence of community leaders as agents of social change.” The group started out as a centralized organization that went out into the dalit communities to help educate the people and assist them in their climb out of poverty. Over the years, it has transformed into more of an educational institute. While its mission is still the same, its methods now include more training for local leaders and greater grassroots initiatives.

Semester at Sea’s relationship with Dr. Thiagaraj and Bridge Education Trust dates back almost twenty years and they will be celebrating their 20th anniversary of working together during the fall 209 voyage. Every time that Semester at Sea has visited India over the past two decades, Voyagers have gone out and contributed in some way to help improve the lives of India’s Dalit population.

During our voyage, there were two service projects organized in conjunction with Bridge Education Trust. One was an overnight visit to a Dalit village where voyagers were given the chance to interact with the people there and learn how they are being trained with new skills to advance in society and break free of the caste system. The second project, which the video below focuses on, visited a Dalit school set up by Bridge Education Trust in the slums of Chennai. Voyagers who participated repainted the school and then interacted with the children and other community members. I really don’t know who benefitted more that day, the Semester at Sea Voyagers or the Dalit children, but I do know that it is an experience that none of us will ever forget.




Video by SAS Videographer, Jerry Pratt

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Japan Part II: Kyoto and Tokyo

Kyoto

On the morning of our second day in Japan, I awoke early to join about 40 other voyagers for the SAS trip to Kyoto. It was one of the best excursions I have been on yet. Other participants described it as, “fabulous and a lot of fun.” One student told me that she “never thought we would get to see all of this in one day.”

Our first stop was the Nijo Castle. It is an incredibly large complex and contains two palaces, the Ninomaru Palace and Honmaru Palace. Construction began in 1601 and was completed twenty-five years later. Nijo became a residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns, who ruled Japan under a feudal system from about 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. At that time, imperial rule was restored and the shogun was forced to submit to the emperor. Prior to 1868, the real power of Japan lay with the shogun, who controlled the nation's military power, while the emperor had been more of a religious and political leader.



The majority of our time in Nijo Castle was spent seeing Ninomaru Palace and the extensive gardens of the complex. Most of the original palace, built out of Hinoki cypress, remains standing today just as it did over 400 years ago. There have been some modifications made by subsequent shoguns and emperors since its original construction but it remains an incredible symbol of the power of the Japanese shogunate.

The palace was built in concentric rings, the innermost being the shogun’s private sanctuary. As we walked through the different layers of the palace, the tone changed to reflect those who had been granted access to it. The outermost part of the palace was the most opulent and intimidating part, because this is where the shogun displayed his power to those he ruled over. As you moved closer to the center, the decorations became simpler until finally we reached the residence of the shogun, which was for the most part bereft of any lavish symbols of power. It was a simple room where the shogun could retreat and be with his own thoughts.

The gardens of Nijo Castle were equally if not more spectacular than the palaces themselves. The meticulously manicured trees and shrubbery with the ancient Japanese architecture of shrines and other buildings scattered throughout the grounds, coupled with the simple luck that we were there at the height of the cherry blossoms provided for a magnificent addition to the palace tour.



Another highlight for those of us on the Kyoto trip was the Garden of Heian Jingu Shrine. It was built in 1895 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the capital and the main entrance was built as a ¾ scale replica of the first Imperial Palace. Voyagers walked through the gardens at their own pace and were given the opportunity to enjoy the scenery, which was nothing less than stunning. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.


Tokyo

One of the great things about Japan is just how easy it is to get around. A number of Voyagers opted to travel independently from Kobe to Yokohama and meet the ship there at the end of our time in Japan. Robert Perry, an SAS student from San Diego State University who traveled Japan by rail explained that, “We just went from station to station. No matter where you got off, the longest you would have to wait for the next train was five minutes or so. It was a great way to travel.”

Robby shared one of his favorite experiences with me, something that I was lucky enough to see as well. For those of us who were willing to wake up just a tad on the early side, visiting the Tsukiji Fish Market of Tokyo was probably one of the most unique and fun experiences to have in Japan. Robby told me how he and the group he traveled with had a 4:45am wakeup call, dragged themselves out of bed and were off to the fish market, arriving by about 5:15am to see the live auction of that morning’s tuna catch. “It was just an intense experience,” Robby told me. “It was just something so unique to see, there’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world.”

Robert provided me with this video of the auction to share with everyone. Enjoy!



After observing the auction for a few minutes, visitors could just walk through the marketplace and in and out of the small stalls where you could encounter just about every type of fish and seafood imaginable. There were eels, crabs, lobsters, salmon, tuna, squid, and whale, amongst an even greater number of things that I could not name.

Just exploring Tokyo could show you so many different sides of the city. There were SAS trips that showcased Tokyo’s modern side, like the Akihabara Electric town, Tokyo Tower, and sleek car exhibits, as well as others that presented the historical and cultural aspects of the city. Voyagers on these trips were able to see the Imperial Palace, the Meiji Shinto Shrine, and the Asakusa Kannon Temple.

It was an incredible five days, but now it’s time to hit the books again. With the end of the academic semester in sight and exams in the not too distant future, students have really ratcheted up their studying and the entire ship has been consumed by students, busily pouring over their notes and organizing work completed in the field.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Reflections on Japan

There is a feeling on the ship that we have reached a turning point in our voyage. No one wants to say it or talk about it just yet, but it’s still there. With less than a month now until we return to Florida, it’s a mixture of sadness that we’re nearing the end of our journey and excitement to return home after being abroad for so long.

Our visit to Japan capped off an incredible few weeks in Asia. We couldn’t have picked a better time to be there. Cherry blossoms throughout the entire country were in full bloom and it was an incredibly beautiful landscape, wherever you were. Everyone was amazed. Dalia Auerhahn described the petals falling to the ground as appearing “like snow from a distance, but then as you moved closer, you realized they were pink flowers.”


As picturesque as the scenery was though, that was not what impacted the SAS voyagers the most. What mattered were the people they encountered. As one student, Kara Zucker put it, “It’s not necessarily the sites you see or the museums you go to, or the mountains you climb, it’s the people that you do it with, maybe that you know from Semester at Sea or the people that you met in that country.”

For those looking for a genuine living experience with a Japanese family, Semester at Sea offered a home-stay field trip, where students were paired up with Japanese families for an overnight stay. Dalia’s family joined together with others for a dinner party where everyone made sushi together. They also taught the SAS students to make origami and dressed them in traditional kimonos for a tea ceremony. Another student, Greg Lessans, discovered the complexities of a Japanese style bath, when his host mother invited him up to the bathroom to bathe. He looked at the bath, realized he had no idea what to do and quickly ran downstairs to google “how to take a Japanese style bath.” (Check it out here).

In addition to the welcoming embrace of its residents, Japan also offered voyagers with a rich history. One of the more moving trips for all who undertook it was to the memorial in Hiroshima. Michael Sene described what he felt during the post port reflection earlier this evening. “I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the people, if there would be resentment…I didn’t know what the attitude would be like.” Like many others who visited, Michael was unsure what the Japanese response would be to Americans. He went to the museum and came out of saying that it was, “very powerful, unbiased, and just pitching peace the whole time. It was very inspiring.” As Michael explained, the museum does not attempt to be anti-American or biased in its account of the war. Rather, it aims to prevent the use of nuclear weapons again in the future.

The other major destinations for voyagers were Kyoto and Tokyo, and I’ll be posting tomorrow about some of the experiences there. My apologies to you all again for the gaps while we are in port.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Arrival in Kobe, Japan

The MV Explorer arrived in Kobe, Japan a few hours ago. The customs procedures to enter the country are very similar to those in the U.S., and we probably have a few more hours to go until the whole ship is cleared to disembark. We just finished receiving our diplomatic briefing from the U.S. Consulate and everyone is excitedly preparing for our time in Japan.

As was the case in China, Voyagers had the option to sail between Kobe and Yokohama or find their own way between ports. For most of those who are traveling independently, this will mean a ride on the Japanese Shinkansen, or Bullet Train. This high speed rail system connects most major cities in Japan, and can transport its passengers at speeds of upwards of 185 mph.

The most popular stops for Voyagers in the coming days seem to be Kobe, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka, and Tokyo. This is our last stop in Asia and for those of you back home, today also marks 30 days until our arrival in Ft. Lauderdale!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Events in Hong Kong and Shanghai

The MV Explorer spent time in Hong Kong and Shanghai but Semester at Sea voyagers went far beyond those two cities. The greatest number went to Beijing where the Great Wall seems to have been the main attraction as well as Tiananmen Square. SAS students also had the opportunity to meet and interact with students from a number of Chinese universities.

What many voyagers have told me were the best experiences though were not the big tourist attractions, but the more intimate moments where they were able to experience China on a deeper level. It’s possible that the most fun was had by a group of students who were guided through Hong Kong by our interport student, Edmond.

Andrew Davis, Tomas Ramos, and Eric Stephenson were walking through Edmond’s neighborhood when they stumbled onto familiar territory, a basketball court. Within a few minutes, they had started a pickup game and pretty soon, the whole neighborhood had gathered to watch them play. “They were amazed…and yelling like I was some sort of hero,” Andrew said. The students were hugged and signed autographs, making them feel like they were celebrities. “It was a blessing for me to be able to do that and enjoy their company,” Andrew told the community last night at post-port reflection when describing how he felt that day.

There are also a number of students on board who are of Asian descent, and for them, our time in Hong Kong and Shanghai took on a more personal meaning. Some were able to become reacquainted with family, others saw the places where their parents were born or spent a large part of their lives. For others that had lived in Asia themselves, “it felt like home.”

In addition to the events taking place on shore while the MV Explorer was docked in China though, there was something very special transpiring on board the ship. Semester at Sea announced the launch of a milestone program in its academic history, the C.Y. Tung Program in Sino-U.S. Relations.

In the words of Les McCabe, our Executive Dean and the president of the Institute for Shipboard Education, “This program marks a new era by offering a timely and integrated study of China – one of the world’s most influential global powers – and its relations with the United States. It will bring together students, scholars, and prominent figures to explore the history and cultures of China and the United States, and to consider how to ensure productive economic and diplomatic relationships between the two in the future.”

This program will be an incredible opportunity to further develop Semester at Sea as an heir to Thomas Jefferson’s vision of an “academical village,” a place where students and scholars would come together and interact in the pursuit of knowledge. There is no more fitting an example of this vision than the MV Explorer, where students and faculty live together for months at a time, traveling the globe together in a journey of academic pursuit and personal introspection.

University of Virginia President John T. Casteen III remarked of the new program that, “Our collaboration with Semester at Sea has provided thousands of students from colleges and universities around the world with unique opportunities to experience and understand world cultures, political systems and literature. This program builds on Semester at Sea’s successful educational mission and dovetails with the University’s ongoing initiatives to expand its global footprint.”

The design of the program builds on the vision of its namesake, C.Y. Tung. Mr. Tung, a Chinese shipping magnate was a longtime supporter of Semester at Sea and one of the greatest proponents of shipboard education. He always believed that ships could transport more than cargo and that is why he founded the predecessor program to Semester at Sea, World Campus Afloat, in 1963. Under Mr. Tung’s vision, his ships began to transport ideas and advance the education of thousands of college students. More than 45,000 alumni, hailing from approximately 1,500 different academic institutions have benefitted from C.Y. Tung’s creation of the floating campus.

The C.Y. Tung Program on Sino-U.S. Relations will bring together distinguished faculty from the University of Virginia and Fudan University in Shanghai, China to lead upper level courses that will “serve as a forum for constructive analysis of Chinese and American worldviews, economies, and diplomacy.” Additionally, five Chinese and five American university students will be selected as C.Y. Tung Program Scholars, receiving scholarships that will cover the costs of tuition and room and board. It will be an exceptional forum for the best and brightest students of both nations to come together and examine the relations between their two countries.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Reuniting with the Past

First off, I’d like to apologize for the gaps in between posts. As I mentioned earlier on in the voyage, it is often difficult to get to a computer when I am off the ship and our travel schedule throughout Asia contains relatively short periods of time aboard the MV Explorer in between longer stretches in port.

We departed Hong Kong late last night after a two day stay in what can only be described as a remarkable city. However, we are short about five hundred Voyagers, as most are currently on trips to mainland China and will be meeting the rest of us in Shanghai in a few days.

I wanted to backtrack a little though and share an incredible story that Pamela Werner, one of our lifelong learners shared with me the other day. Twelve years ago, Pamela and her husband Michael traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to meet the newest member of their family, Tami, an 8 year old Vietnamese girl they had chosen to adopt.

The Werners already had four children at home but Pamela explained to me that she and her husband saw the hardships that people around the world endured and while they knew they could not help everybody, “we just wanted to reach out and help one [child]…and we were blessed to have gotten Tami.”

Today, Tami is about 20 years old and is in her sophomore year at a university in her home state of Florida. It was a long and difficult journey to get where she is today though. It was the warm embrace, love, and support that Tami received from her new family that allowed her to adjust and flourish in her new home.

Pamela explained how tough those first weeks were when everything was so new to Tami. She could barely speak any English, which only compounded all of the difficulties she faced in her new environment. Tami’s self-chosen guide through this period was her new sister, Hannah. Two years younger than Tami, Pamela described her as Tami’s “medium.” When Tami wanted something but couldn’t find the English words, Hannah was the one who understood what her sister wanted. “There’s just something about children, they know each other,” Pamela said. “Hannah also shared her room, clothes, games, books, toys, and friends,” with Tami.

America became Tami’s new home and the Werners became her family. However, the move had separated Tami from her birth family. Her closest relative was her sister Tu, who is five years older than Tami. For twelve years, they did not speak or have any contact with one another.

When Pamela saw her itinerary for her upcoming Semester at Sea voyage, she contacted the adoption agency that she had used to find Tami to see if it would be possible to contact Tu. Within days, she was provided with all of the information she needed. Pamela was able to reach Tu once our voyage began and they made arrangements to meet when the MV Explorer arrived in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tu, now 25 years old, traveled over 12 hours by bus with her husband, 4 year old son, and grandmother to meet Pamela when she arrived in Vietnam. There was absolute joy when they were finally together. “They treated me like I was a queen,” Pamela told me. She continued that the family could not show enough thanks and gratitude to both her and Michael for giving Tami a home and raising her as one of their own.



Pamela (center) with Tami's Vietnamese family. To her immediate left is Tu and to her immediate right is Tami's grandmother.


As wonderful as it was for Pamela to meet Tu and her family though, the rest of the Werners, including Tami, wanted to see and talk to them. I’m just going to say right here that you have to love technology. Pamela and Michael were able to set up webcams on opposite ends of the world and after twelve years, Tami and Tu were finally able to look into each other's eyes, see the other's face, and talk to one another.

According to Pamela, Tami was lectured to quite extensively by all of her Vietnamese relatives to be a good daughter and keep up with her studies. Tu also threw in some elderly-sister dating advice. The two sisters loved talking with one another and have made a commitment to keep their relationship going and growing.

Tami no longer speaks Vietnamese and Tu does not speak English (everyone spoke through a translator who was with Pamela) so each of them is taking lessons in the other’s language, and they will be able to put their new linguistic skills to use in June when Tami travels to Vietnam to spend the summer with her sister.


Pictured are Tu (left), her son (center) and Tami (right).