Don't make me get back on the boat!

Today is my last day in Hawaii. I am dreading stepping back on the boat for nine straight days. Hawaii has been absolutely gorgeous and I believe I will move here immediately upon my return from Semester at Sea.

On Tuesday I went on an excursion with one of my Professors to a preserved rainforest in Hawaii. We also saw a black sand beach, complete with giant sea turtles and went to Volcanoes National park.






Here is a picture of all the students from the Commerce school and the academic dean of the ship at the black sand beach:


On Wednesday we arrived in Honolulu, HI. If I thought Hilo was beautiful, I was not prepared for Honolulu. Everything you have ever pictured about Hawaii is exactly what Honolulu looks like. Jason, our friend Flo, and I took a phenomenal scenic route to Lanikai Beach in a rented Mustang convertible. I still can't believe this is school for me. Again I only took video of the drive so unfortunately I can't show you right now how incredible it was. Here

On our last day we woke up early to visit Pearl Harbor. We visited the USS Arizona Memorial. It was fascinating and very humbling.






Annecdote:
1/28/10: Two quarts of oil a day still seeps from the USS Arizona. I was able to capture a picture of it leaking from the submerged battleship.


Sorry for the short posts, I will describe more in text while I'm at sea. Right now I have been piggybacking off a restaurant's wireless in Honolulu for about 2 hours and I am starting to get mean looks so I don't have time to add more. Hopefully during my next nine days at sea I can figure out how to more effectively download my videos.

My next stop is Japan. Can't wait!

Hilo, Hawaii: Welcome to Pandora

Hello friends!

I'm sorry I have had such a delay in writing, I have been really busy and have had very limited access to internet.

On Monday, we ported in Hilo, Hawaii, which was announced to the entire boat via intercom at 5am. It was perhaps the best wake up call I have ever gotten. We departed the ship and went straight to the Hilo Airport to go on our helicopter tour over Hilo. We flew with Blue Hawaiian helicopters and they took us on a 50 minute journey over the volcano Mt. Mauna Loa, beautiful waterfalls that can not be reached via land, and finally over the aqua blue coast of Hawaii. It was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. We flew directly over the mouth of the volcano and were entrapped in the steam it was releasing. We saw the single house left in the lava ridden acres surrounding the volcano. The man living there has to be helicoptered out and his house will probably be destroyed within the next few months. It was a very interesting and depressing sight. As we flew over the coast we could see the MV explorer in port from above, as well as see almost half a dozen whales in the water. You could watch the water being emitted from their blow hole and see them jump and swim in the water. Unfortunately, all I took was video of the helicopter ride and my files are too big to upload on my blog. Hopefully I will eventually find a way to do it!



When we were back on land we rented a car and drove to the Hawaii Tropical Botantical Garden. We ate lunch at a very quaint restaurant overlooking the gardens and the ocean. We ate fish wraps, fresh papayas and bananas, and locally made macadamia nut chocolate ice cream (Hawaii provides 75% of the world's macadamia nuts). It was delicious and beautiful.



When we actually walked the botantical garden I was pretty sure I had landed on the Avatar set. The gardens opened up into a gorgeous beach coast. We saw a variety of native and nonnative plants of Hawaii and even caught sight of a mongoose.





While there I was able to send the native flowers of Hawaii back home to my parents. Here is the bouquet I sent:


When we left the gardens we went back to the boat and set off with other Semester at Sea students for a Luau experience with University of Hawaii-Hilo students. Although the University closely resembled Patrick Henry High School, it was still interesting to meet other students and listen to what they are studying and researching. When we left the University we went to a farm they owned on the outskirts of Hawaii. They had originally promised us a delicious and traditional Hawaiian luau with roast pig and dances. This is what we got:



As you can see, it wasn't the most appetizing meal I have ever had. I find it hard to believe Hawaiian food comes served up looking like we just got through a cafeteria line in prison.






Annecdote

1/25/2010: After we left the luau experience we went with about 50 other semester at sea students to a bar right near the port. We had a good time and sang karaoke with the locals. We found out the next day we were frequenting a gay bar. I thought all the tiny shorts and tank tops was just the fashion in Hawaii.

Rock da boat

The boat has not stopped rocking. Dressers and chairs are constantly falling over. Drawers fall open and slam shut. All the students look inebriated walking through the hallways because we can’t help stumbling and falling into walls. They closed the gym today because of the weather. Apparently a student was injured on one of the machines (I think you can guess which one that was). The captain informs us that the heavy swells (about 10-15ft) are due to the storms off the coast of California. We arrive in Hawaii on Monday, so hopefully we can all hold on till then, literally!

ANNEcdote

1/22/2010: Today I took a tour of the ship’s “bridge”, which is where the captain operates and controls the ship. The tour guide informed us the MV explorer is equipped with two torpedoes. Watch out pirates.

Life on the MV Explorer

Things I have learned so far from my stint on the MV explorer:

1. BEWARE of treadmills. I have had three near-death experiences on these machines due to unexpected sways on the boat. Not only is it a hit to your ego when you fall in front of 30 people, but it could lead to very painful injuries.
2. Peanut butter and jelly is crucial to survival. The Semester at Sea cooking staff is tricky. They lure you in with delicious dinners in the first couple days at sea, and then once we are stuck in the middle of the Pacific, hit you with the back of the pantry food. I can only eat potatoes and cream of celery soup at each meal for so long.
3. Semester at Sea quickly turns you into an 85 yr old with back problems. I am now drooling by 8:30pm and wake up every morning with back pain, due to the 2X4-esqe beds.


Okay so I have decided to start a new feature on Anne’s Voyage Around the World. It will be a daily quip on an experience, fact, or anything I’ve learned on the boat that day. It is called:

ANNEcdotes

1/21/2010: Yesterday I had my first session in my Human Sexuality class. The teacher asked everyone to go around the room and introduce him or herself and tell the class an interesting fact. I, of course, informed the class that I am a former used car salesman and if anyone is in need of my expertise to come talk to me. After about 12 people or so a girl stood up and shocked the class with this:

“My name is Christine*. Until I was 16 years old I was an only child. In June of that year, I found out that I was going to have a little brother. My Mom, Dad, and I found out the day my mom went into labor. Have you seen those TLC shows that are called ‘I didn’t know I was pregnant’? Well, that’s my mom.”

As you can imagine, the class was speechless, and I’m pretty sure the same thought was on everyone’s mind…. How fat do you have to be to not know you are pregnant??

I personally, would like to meet this woman.

*names have been changed, not to protect identity, but merely because I forgot the person’s name.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s!

It's a Wonderful World

Hi everyone!

I’m off at sea. It’s a really strange feeling to look outside and only see water and know that is the only thing you will see for the next seven days. Its even weirder when you are sitting in class and your pen consistently slides from one side of your desk to the other. It’s freaking hilarious when you see people fall out of their chairs during class and professors run into walls as the ship rocks back and forth. Yes, I think I’m going to like semester at sea.

The ship is really great. It has everything a student needs, a library with over 9000 books, a variety of cool classrooms that overlook the ocean, two dining halls, two snack bars complete with espressos and lattes, intramural basketball and volleyball teams on the decks a spa with facial, massage, and steam room services, a maid staff that cleans your rooms everyday, a pool with a tanning deck….wait this doesn’t sound like school?? However, it is and I’m living this life for the next 3 and a half months, it is amazing.

So beyond my daily tanning while looking over the beautiful Pacific Ocean on the way to Hawaii, I have also started my classes. My teachers are extremely intelligent, cultured and engaging. I am really looking forward to the curriculum. On the first day of orientation my teacher wore a suit jacket with a shirt underneath that read SPAM and said he is geographically dyslexic (this one took me a couple minutes). I think I’m going to like him.

I’ve met a lot of really interesting people from across the country and internationally. One of the great things about Semester at Sea is that you are basically roommates and neighbors with not only other students, but professors and their families, as well as the life long learners. Its really great to be able to sit down and have lunch with your professor or talk to the photographer of the trip in line at the dining hall. I think I will learn a lot from conversing with all of the people on board.

I can’t load any pictures yet but they will be up next Monday when I get to Hawaii. I am so thankful for the trip, it is absolutely beautiful and going to be an incredible experience. I walked into my Global Studies class this morning and It’s a Wonderful World was playing through the loudspeakers. I couldn’t put it into better words myself.

Itinerary!

Thought I would update everyone on when and where I will be throughout the semester.

Hilo/Honolulu, Hawaii January 25-January 28

Yohokama/Kobe, Japan February 9-February 13

Shanghai/Hong Kong February 16-February 23

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam February 26-March 3

Chennai/Cochin, India March 11-March 16

Port Louis, Mauritius March 23-24

Cape Town, South Africa March 31-April 4

Tema, Ghana April 11-April 14

Salvador, Brazil April 21-April 25

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida May 5

One more day till I'm off. Can't believe its so soon that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8F3UE9qFsg (go to link)!!!

A daunting task

I have been through some pretty traumatic experiences in my life.

As a young child, I moved through 4 different states, leaving close friends and comforting surroundings to start anew in totally foreign places. However, I remained resilient and in each new place made new best friends and created a home.

In my middle school years I had to deal with the nickname of "blue-ridge gap" due to the dental device from hell-- a palate expander. Even in the face of such adversity, I held my head high and patiently waited for the 3-quarter size gap to close so the jeers would cease.

Perhaps you would think my most traumatizing experience would be in my junior year of high school. On the night of prom, I was in a life-threatening car accident where I was suspended upside down for 38 minutes waiting for EMTs to cut me out with the jaws of life. Even then, my resilience held strong and I was back in the seat of my truck two days later.

I'm afraid my friends, in my third year of college at 20 years of age, I have met my match and face my most distressing experience yet. You may ask what could possibly top being trapped in an SUV turned upside down for nearly an hour?

I will tell you.

Packing for three and half months in two suitcases that each need to weigh less than 50 pounds.

Pray for me.

t-5 days