Our last day at sea...

Alright- Today is packing day and I am already packed.... I'll share a little of last night- The Alumni Ball.

It went pretty well, the champagne at our dinner tasted great (but that's because it tasted like cider) :]

I'll show you all photos of my dress- but just know...

The reason why I strongly dislike kids our age who can't control their alcohol intake:

I had bought a dress before this voyage- specifically FOR the Alumni/Ambassador ball, I won't bring up money, but let's just say, I got it from a Bridal shop- it wasn't exactly cheap.

Anyways- through a drunken toast, the kid next to me (George- here's your mention) spilled red wine all over my light yellow dress- needless to say I was not very happy. Most of it has since come out, and just about every girl in the vicinity of my table yelled at George and helped me clean my dress. (Here's a shout out to my dad for teaching me how to blot stains and not rub them in!) :]  He should have followed Dean Byron's advice and "Be cute- not STUPID!"

Anyways- all is well know, dinner was pretty good, and the dance was really nice- although I didn't stay long, knowing my luck someone would have stepped on my dress and ripped it :p

I cut my losses, and headed to watch a movie with some ladies.

All in all, not too shabby of a night.

It dawned on me yesterday, that as ready as I am to be home, I am going to miss Semester at Sea intensely. There really is no way to describe everything we've done. I can't believe I'm already an alumni of SAS.

Oh! Helpful hint to some of you going on this- hit the radio button on your TV remote- there are 2 radio stations other than Ch.1 on your TV (It would have been more useful if I knew this in the beginning).

On that note- there is only one thing left to say: This is to all my fellow shipmates on the Fall 2009 voyage of SAS

DO IT IN THE AFT!

:]

Catch you kiddos on the flipside.

-Sam

This update is urgent- As I have been reading my previous blogs, I have stumbled upon many grammatical errors, for this I deeply apologize. Outlook Web Access doesn't really catch incorrect words or phrases.

Also- I cannot recall if I have mentioned this, but there is an ESCALATOR inside the 5th deck kitchen...yes it is true. Look- it's right near the door, and it goes down to the Crew decks (Decks 1 and 2- in case you were curious).

I also learned that engine room workers have stripes (which they should since they keep the ship moving)- and therefore are considered of a "higher status".

Tonight the Ambassadors had an official pinning ceremony, where we all got "pinned" as official ambassadors- it was cute, and we got free ice cream.

My advice to future SASer's...DO NOT buy the books. My professors did not use 1/2 of the books they said were required- we didn't even LOOK in them! Plus- UVA has high book prices, and low sell back prices since they know students don't want to lug a bunch of books back home with them. Books are always on reserve in the library for the classes- so unless you absolutely want to- don't buy the books.

I have collected way too many items in the countries we've visited- and will probably spend a billion dollars in overweight, and extra baggage fees.

I've been having insane dreams lately about the ship doing flips, and me driving the lifeboats... vvvvierd.

Jennifer is currently petting and caressing my external hard drive. We are crazy, and sleep-deprived.

Alright- there was a point to this blog- I had learned more ship secrets- but have forgotten them. Plus I wanted to use this blog to tell people that I am aware of my horrific grammar mistakes in previous blogs- not to mention sentence structure.

Okie Dokie- I will most likely update later if I remember what I wanted to say.

A- Low-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Before arriving in Hawai’i- my week continued to be crazy and unpredictable. I spent a night in Cristina and Maddie’s room which resulted in us playing a middle-school, iTouch version of truth or dare. For reasons unknown (probably because of all the cold medication I was on) - I was wearing a life vest, a shirt from India, and jeans; along with some crazy bracelets- and my hair was pretty out-of-whack (Please note this was not a dare…I’m just crazy). Anyways- it was 3 am, and clearly I was acting like a drunken fool. I was running down the halls to find someone to wave to me (this was a dare), jumping off chairs doing impressions of Tarzan, and many other ludicrous things. Cristina was dared to brush my teeth- which was quite an experience in its own.  Moving onward, every time someone said “and”, I had to bark like a dog- and when someone said “like” I was required to say “There you again!” It was quite an amusing game- and I didn’t go to bed until 7 am. We are all going mental on this ship- 10 days is way too long. But it makes for an interesting time, for sure.

Alright, so Hawai’i…I must admit, I was very impressed with Hawai’i, and being there made me wonder why anyone would ever want to leave.  Honolulu is a HUGE tourist area- but filled with a lot of very cool things. I didn’t get a chance to head to the Arizona memorial, but I will definitely making a few trips back to Hawai’i. Barry and I headed out early in the morning to get stamps and tour the city before jumping to our fates. We almost got mauled over by an old lady in the post office line, we sat on bike racks that looked like bicycles and took tourist-like photos, and we went to the 30’th floor of a Banking building so we could ride the glass elevators which were on the outside of the building. Basically we had a lot of fun, and laughed at all of the trolleys filled with Japanese tourists. I was originally jumping in Barry’s group- and we were all going to dress up for the jump- but I switched last minute- Barry wore a white tux, and looked awesome! So my first day was already planned out for me- A few of the ladies and I were going skydiving. I had hopes that I would get an adrenaline rush from this.  Lindsay, Liz, Denim and I packed ourselves into a van full of SASer’s, and off we went to skydive. The skydiving field was in North shore- and we’re here at just the right time for the big waves (just in case any surfer-types are reading this). Upon entering the driveway for skydiving I started to get really hyped about skydiving. After bungee jumping, and being in cars in Morocco- I feel invincible and unstoppable. The ladies and I waited for a while before we got to jump- but I was excited when we did. It was the 4 of us, 4 camera men, and 4 jumpers. My guy was Rick- He was absolutely awesome, and very worldly- my camera guy was Knox- who I am absolutely in love with, and I will leave it at that since family members read my blog :]

Lindsay’s jumper was Lyle- who I affectionately referred to as Lyle Lyle Crocodile- I also loved him. Her camera guy was older, and pretty quiet- but friendly. Denim’s jumper was quiet but her camera man… OH her camera man… Nacho… let’s just say, I also had a thing for Nacho. AHEM. Moving onward… I don’t really recall Liz’s jumper of camera guy- but I think she may have had Georgie.

So we all hop in a very decorated plane- and head up to 14,000 feet. It was one of the noisiest and best rides ever- especially since you’re sitting on a small wooden bench-practically in the lap of the person behind you (in this case- that would be Rick, my jumper- who I wanted to be attached to since he had the chutes).

Lindsay was freaking out the entire ride up- which was hysterical; all the jumpers kept telling her that they grabbed the wrong sized harness, and that she’ll just have to hold onto them when they jump. It was pretty hilarious- and also on film:] (Love you Lindsay!) Since Lindsay was freaked out- and right next to the door (which is clear by the way) - they made her go first- she screamed the entire time.

I was second- My feet went to the edge of the plane, and you would think my heart would be racing, but nope- Rick gracefully “fell” out of the plane with me, and it just felt natural. I had 60 seconds of free fall which was one of the most amazing feelings ever. Imagine sticking your head out of a moving cars window…only imagine it being your body at 120mph- It was awesome! My photos and video are a little ridiculous- especially since I was posing for pictures during my falls (in my video it looks like I am trying to sign a message to the world- too funny). The chute opened, which hurts your thighs- because you go from a laying position, to sitting up, and obviously the harness pulls on you. Rick and I did \many spins, and a few flips, where we went over our parachute (it’s hard to describe), and that was a lot of fun. I saw the most gorgeous view of North shore where the 50 foot swells looked like microscopic white caps. Rick was like my tour guide in the air- he showed me all around the area, and we slowly glided back to the ground. (Out of the 4 of us to jump I was 2^nd, but last to reach the ground)

Now… you want to know what I was afraid of. The landing. I obviously didn’t want to slide on my ass like I had seen people do- But I also didn’t want to slam my ankles into the ground. Rick- my jumper reached ground first (don’t worry I was still attached to him) - and he gave me the okay to put my feet on the ground. Well- UNFORTUNATELY… I put my feet into his feet (which were running on the ground), and our legs tangled, and we tripped, and I did a somersault through his legs. It was absolutely hysterical and I really don’t know how it all happened, but I ended up with grass and dirt all over my ass. But it was well worth it. I realize that I am neither the most graceful jumper- nor the most graceful lander- but I have a heck of a lot of fun jumping off and out of things.

PS- The professional jumpers make landings look like a breeze- at first it looks like they’re going to slam into the ground, but then they gracefully glide- like they’re walking on water. Although I did see a single jumper face plant into the ground- it was pretty funny. Lindsay and I started talking to a group of pro jumpers where we proceeded to get invited to a rock band/ beach party- we didn’t end up going because there are crazy things that go on on Aloha Friday’s in Chinatown. But let’s just say- if we ever need a place to stay in Hawai’i- our backs are covered. Later that night I went out with Christine, Jennifer, and Stephanie where I proceeded to have Kobe steak (which really is to die for). Then we hit up China town to see what all the fuss was about- there was live music, hoppin’ clubs, and art galleries open- but nothing too extreme (especially compared to some of the things we have witnessed on this voyage). We came back to the ship around 11, where roomie and I continued to watch Sex and the City until we fell asleep.

The next day I was on a trip- with 3 other students, and about 12 lifelong learners- but it was a lot of fun. Our tour guide Auntie Em was humorous, and we all had a really fun time (even though Devil Rita was there). We explored all over the island of Honolulu, and I made many friends with all of the locals.

That night our ship headed towards Hilo- which is a fascinating place- it is on the Big Island of Hawai’i, and is home to the fish with the longest name (humuhumunukunukuapua’a) or (who-moo,who-moo, noo-koo, noo-koo, a-pooh-a-ah) Don’t worry- I knew about this fish since I was a youngin’ so I was a pro at saying it :p

It is home to many varieties of hibiscus (flowers) which happens to be the state flower- the yellow hibiscus with the red flute inside. Anyways… It is also home to the longest beach in the world? The highest mountain- Mt. Kauna- The only place in the world with black sand beaches, white sand beaches AND green sand beaches. Crazy eh?

Wal-Mart was the first stop in my plans since I needed packing materials. Then I became a victim of a tourist trap…fresh water pearls. Oh my heavens they were everywhere! I got to choose an oyster- tap 3 times, and say “ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHA! Very loudly- and then I got to keep the pearl (they let you open 1 per day in hopes that you will set it). Jennifer and I spent a lot of time together in Hilo, and we lounged on the beach, collected shells, rode in the back of trucks, saw sea turtles, and hung with the locals. We met some of the friendliest most amazing people- who will offer everything they have just to speak to you. Our first local was Danny- sweetest guy on earth (this is whose truck bed we rode in). Then after walking across molten lava (which was solidified… come on guys- I’m not that crazy!) and walked through a few beaches before meeting 3 lovely gentlemen Mackenzie, Junior, and Jonah. They offered us brewskies (which we declined), but also offered us Coke (as in coca cola…) to which we obliged. We sat there on the beach talking the day away with locals- we then decided as the sun was setting that we should head towards the ship. We opted to save on a cab and walk, and upon walking we stumbled upon a hostel/ice cream shop/botanical garden…. So we stopped, had some amazing ice cream, and walked through the gardens- it was pretty neat. We went back to find my very drunk roommate- so I spent a majority of my time split between Jennifer’s room, and Cristina’s room. The next day, Jennifer and I went to Ihop- which is always amazing, and spent the day doing absolutely nothing- it was a lot of fun.

When all students were back on ship we had a BBQ- which I loved because they had plain steamed white rice- that is all I had, and I was in heaven! Later that night they told us that they needed to tell us crucial information and that everyone needed to meet in the Union. Many students thought that Obama or someone famous was on ship for the 100^th voyage- but instead they told us that due to weather we weren’t heading off to San Diego right away. They told us that we weren’t allowed to stay in port in Hilo because other ships had plans to come in and dock there- so they said we were headed back to Honolulu!!! AND, they were letting us get off, and our on-ship time wasn’t until 9pm! I have never seen our student body more alive than that night.

So- obviously the next day we were back in Honolulu- on O’ahu. I spent the day with some friends and we sat on the beaches of Waikiki, soaked up the sun, and sipped fruity cocktails out of pineapples instead of studying for our finals./ We also stopped at the world’s largest outdoor mall, and ate at a place called Islands (which is also in California)- It was delicious, but reminded me a lot of Red Robin.

Since then I have been back on the ship- I still have a little bit of my cold, and I have been getting sick pretty often, but all is well. My finals ended yesterday, and I handed in my last papers this morning by 10 am. So other than the alumni ball I need not worry about a thing. My bags have been 90% packed for a while- and now we’re finally headed to San Diego. I don’t know if I will update before San Diego, but I will do my best to do so.

I am almost positive I am forgetting a day I spent in Hawai’i- but this blog will have to do :p

This is Sam signing out.

Winding down...

Alright- The past week or so on the ship has been a very chaotic experience. The ambassadors (my work study) held our Auction, shipboard drive/ annual fund, Spirit Week, and so much more. I didn’t sleep for 48 hours, and played Solitaire in the computer lab for 5 hours straight.  In this time on the ship I have recognized who I like, who I dislike, and who I wish I had gotten to know.

There are many things in the countries we visited that I wanted to do, but just didn’t have enough time or money. I will surely visit these countries again so I opted to stray away from the “tourist-things”- no matter how amazing it’d be to visit- I did NOT want to be on a bus/plane with 60 other SASers and view the world from inside an Air Conditioned bus while sipping Coca Cola and eating Oreos- that is not what I signed up for. I signed up for a cultural experience- where I could be put in someone else's shoes for even a minute, and enter their world, and by doing what I did; service projects, and touring our ports and going random places- not knowing where I was going to be lead- I feel like I accomplished this. Now I am not saying to not go on the big trips- so many people had the time of their lives on them, I would just rather go see some of the world’s greatest wonders without the conveniences of American, and without the rest of the ship. So here is what I did NOT do:

Spain- I did not go to Barcelona- instead I split my time between Cadiz and Seville and formed some of the best friendships with people on the voyage.

Morocco- I did not go on a camel trek- I have ridden camels (granted not in the Sahara) but I would not want to ride camels through a hot dessert for 5 days- it just doesn’t appeal to me, a day or 2 would be sufficient enough, and then you’d get to see more of Morocco. So instead- I went to Marrakech with 2 people I barely knew, became great friends with them, met a Moroccan man who showed us all around Marrakech, he toured us through the souks, and brought us to a hole-in-the-wall mansion converted to a restaurant for lunch where we had an amazing meal.

In Ghana a lot of people went to Togo and Benin- which would be awesome, but they didn’t even see Ghana- they saw it for about 4 hours when they returned. And to me, Ghana is one of the greatest experiences anyone could indulge in. Everyone is so laid back, and inspirational, and they’re some of the friendliest people in the world. All I did was go to Rasta parties on the beach, play drums for hours on end, and form friendships that would last a lifetime. And almost got arrested…but that was everyone in Ghana on SAS.

In South Africa- this was my top favorite fun port. I did go bungee jumping and shark diving, which a lot of kids did- but clearly not through SAS. The clubs were a lot of fun, as were the locals. I hiked Table Mountain, but sadly did not go to Johannesburg. But the big thing I didn’t do was go on a safari. Sure it’d be fun- but 4 days of the same reserve seems like a little overkill. Instead I went to the Cape of Good Hope- and viewed the world from the southernmost point of Africa.

Mauritius- Was basically everyone’s “party port” (which was essentially every port) - There was not anything “big” to do here except rent a villa and hang out on the beach- which I didn’t do. I saw 7 colored earths, and went zip lining.

India- So I didn’t go to the Taj Mahal- which is no doubt spectacular. But again- I will surely visit these countries again. There is just so much more to see, and you don’t get to see and experience a lot when you’re riding in buses and planes. A lot of people said the Taj was incredible- but their trips were rushed- so they recommended planning your own (plus it’s cheaper that way).

Vietnam- I did not go to Hai Long Bay or the Mekong Delta directly- but these I would recommend doing at some point because the photos I have seen are some of the most gorgeous ones. I did visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, and got to know Ho Chi Minh City a lot. I have also mastered walking out in front of traffic and not getting a single scratch on me.

China- I did not get a chance to hike the Great Wall- and this is something that I will accomplish the next time I visit China.

Japan- There was a lot I wanted to do here- but there is so little time in each port. I would have loved to go to Hiroshima, Kamkura, and Kyoto... But I plan to live in Japan at some point in my life- so I will definitely visit these places.

Again- I’m not saying don’t do any of the big trips- definitely do. But if you have a small budget, and really want an authentic experience- I’m telling you that this is extremely possible, and I personally would not have had as much as an amazing time as I did if I had gone on the “Big Trips” with SASers.

I just don’t like traveling in big groups- however if you do “Big Trips” independently in small groups- you will surely have the time of your life.

It has definitely hit me how much I am already missing SAS, and I’m not even off the ship. I love all of the people I have spent time with on this voyage, and it’s going to be a challenge to assimilate back into American culture, and go to classes on a non-moving campus (unless you want to get technical…)

Having 10 days on this ship has certainly made us all crazy- but we barely notice it since we’re all acting this way.

I can’t even begin to describe this trip to anyone. As much as I want to share things with people, it will be hard for them to fully understand any experience I have had.

Everything I have previously learned in life, I completely threw out the window on this voyage. I talked to strangers- and learned so many opinions and views, I took food from strangers, and found it to be some of the most delicious food that has ever graced my taste buds, I spent days in these countries by myself- and had some of the most eye-opening experiences ever, I didn’t follow the head to my elders advice, I walk out in front of on-coming traffic (because this is the only way you will ever cross the street in Viet Nam), I trust strangers, I hop onto the backs of motorbikes, jump from the highest bungees, and swim with great whites.

When you’re on this trip, you don’t think- you just do- you experience and take in everything going on around you. You realize that there are no limits or boundaries you aren’t willing to break. I don’t really know how to describe it, nothing mattered, yet everything mattered- all at the same time. I just let things happen, and went with the flow. I had no worries- which may be both good and bad. I was lost many times- but I felt safe, so I was okay.

Any stereotype I had of other countries has been broken, or understood. Every stereotype I had of America was sadly confirmed.  (We are loud- you will especially notice this in Japan- and at some point in your voyage you will surely be embarrassed by how stereotypically “American” some people are).

It’s hard to imagine that this voyage was real life. More real than anything I have ever experienced.

No matter how much anyone writes about SAS, or tells you, there is no way to prepare you for anything you are about to experience, good or bad. Go in with an open mind and don’t set expectations for any countries- you’ll never be disappointed if you do this.

I realize how random this entry is…well surely all of my blogs are random. And if you couldn’t tell- “surely” seems to be my new word.

As I wind down my journey… I am happy to almost be on my way home. I would even be alright if we skipped Hawaii even though I have never been. China and Japan with their weather and Christmas decorations really put me in the mood to be back home. This voyage has been the most amazing thing I have ever gone through- and I really am going to miss just about everything about it, even some of the crazy ship rules. (They aren’t that bad- just ridiculous).  I will miss the crew, and the friends I have made. I will miss being able to be in a new country every 7 days, and the fact that only had 23 class days while aboard. I will miss the diversity of the ship, and the countries, and will miss being at sea.

Any school where I can lay out while doing homework and view the most magnificent sunsets is definitely considered amazing in my book. Not to mention it’s the only school where you can get away with “My homework flew overboard” or that you didn’t come to class because “I was seasick…” Hahaha I will miss some of those excuses. Or the fact that I see half-naked men roaming around the ship 24/7... that's just an added bonus. I will also miss knowing some of the few-known secrets on the ship: Like where they hide the extra food after meals and snack bars are closed, or the fact that there is a tailor on board the ship- and that it’s free (which people would know if they read the voyagers hand book).

I guess I will finish up since my laptop battery is yelling at me, and I have a lot of papers to write.

Random fact: A football just got thrown of the edge of our ship by accident- and the entire 7^th deck just applauded…. I shit you not we have been on this ship way too long if things like that amuse us. Ha-ha.

We all need some sleep, and to be on land apparently.

Farewell friends!

Happy Thanksgiving! And Japan :]

A few things I didn't mention: People in China pronounce their "a"'s as "er"s. For example (because you will surely hear me talking like this) Today while in Chiner I sawr a Pander Bear! Also- this is probably a very ethnocentric view.... but you know how you see a lot of Caucasian women with Asian(typically Chinese) babies? All of China I kept seeing blond haired- blue-eyed Caucasian babies with Asian mothers- I kid you not! Also going to Chinatown in China... that was priceless! :] DO IT!

Happy Thanksgiving all! (Even though it was yesterday for me). Thanksgiving on the ship doesn't even compare to real Thanksgiving, and it barely felt like it, but I was surrounded by great friends who have essentially become a part of my family- so it was amazing in that sense.  In China a bunch of our crew sadly left, including our head chef- our replacement chef is a hefty American chef; translation- The food is better by everyone else's standard- I still eat PB&J's :p   But the food has become less starchy, and of better tasting quality.

Alright! So Japan. As the MV berthed in Yokohama, we had a band greet us to Japan! Their port was awesome- we had a great skyline view with beautifully lit buildings, and apparently the world's largest Ferris wheel. (Although it didn't look that big). First- everyone on board had to go through a special immigration process- This was intense, no lies; humorous- but fierce. We got called through to the terminal (which by the way we walked through crazy amounts of attachments to get off the ship) by Sea, and stood and awaited instructions. We had to receive our passports which was stuffed with papers, then stand in line and wait to be called. Once called we had to hand our passport to the immigration people, put our fingers in these scanners, push down, and get our fingerprints recorded, after that or photograph was taken, and then they handed us our passport where we proceeded to go through a checkpoint with scanners for our bags- then we were free to explore Japan! Our passports had to be on us at ALL times. Japan is awesome, but very strict when it comes to foreigners- they're not mean at all, they just have harsh policies is something bad happens. Please keep in mind that at our pre-port we were required to watch a video on how to go through immigration- Americans aren't THAT dumb- did we really need to watch a 5-minute video on how to stand in a line, get finger printed, and our photos taken? Hahaha. Anyways- Anna, Chloe, Jennifer and I decided to go to a place called Sea Paradise- on the outskirts of Yokohama. We went to the post office and ATM first, since it's a 5-10 minute gorgeous city walk from the ship- and super simple. PS- For any of you going on SAS- when you get maps, especially of Hong Kong and Japan- things look REALLY far away- but they're incredibly close, which is awesome. Just a pointer. We happened to be in Japan when a holiday was about to start, so I took out a majority of money I would need the entire time in Japan. *** This is crucial*** If you are going on this trip- especially to China and Japan; here are a few pointers: DO have a VISA card (I have a MasterCard and it was INSANELY difficult to find an ATM to accept it), also- DO bring cash, and save it/ exchange it for these countries- A LOT of places in China and Japan surprisingly do NOT take credit cards- yes this means McDonald's too. The Chinese and Japanese typically do not pay for things on credit, so cash is something you should always have on you.

Also- for those of you crazy kids who like pocket change like I do- you're in luck! Change is a great thing to have in all countries, especially in markets- or when you go out to eat with friends. Rule of thumb- just keep cash on you at all times.

My first major observation was that Japan is an incredibly quiet country. Which I absolutely love about it.

Alright. Yokohama is absolutely gorgeous, and the weather was ideal. Crisp cool air, sun shining- but not too much, just the right temperature for Fall. After walking around town for a little, we hopped on the Metro (which you will ride constantly in Japan), and headed towards Sea Paradise. Once there- it was like a ghost town, there were no other SASers (which is awesome). Sea Paradise is a small theme park, with an aquarium, and restaurants, and so on. The aquarium was awesome- and I highly recommend going here- we didn't go on any rides because that was a separate pass from the one we got, and because the next day we were going somewhere a little special. We got to play with and pet penguins, whales, and dolphins! The penguins came down the stadium steps dressed in little Christmas outfits! It was absolutely adorable! I attempted to get a photo of my gnome and the Christmas penguin we could take photos with...and lets just say, my gnome got attacked by the penguin, several times- He has since recovered, but let it be known that Japanese Christmas penguins do NOT like lawn gnomes. :] After a fun-filled day at sea paradise and many polar bears, and penguins later- we arrived back to the ship around sunset and wound down from our day. The next morning Anna, Chloe, Jennifer, Kelsey and I got up early, headed to breakfast and set out to Tokyo (mind you Chloe and I were staying off the ship at this point- so we brought our clothes for 3 days with us). An assortment of metro systems and trams later- we arrived at... don don don dah- Tokyo Disney! We decided to go to the Seven Seas park- since it is unique to Japan. There was small mellow drama in the beginning and we ended splitting into a group of 3 and 2. Anna, Chloe and I went on a bunch of odd rides, which of course were all written about in Japanese so we had no idea what to expect- which was awesome, because we went on a ride called "Center of the Earth" and it was like a crazy space scene underground, followed by a surprise roller coaster drop outside, then back underground. It was awesome. So many people in Japan assumed that we spoke Japanese (but I suppose a lot of us assumed they spoke English- which a lot did not- just like China) which is funny because when they'd tell us safety instructions and what not- we had no idea what they were saying to us- who knows they probably said "We just made you wait 2 hours for a crappy ride" or something ludicrous. Ha-ha Just kidding.  Continuing on- we just had an amazing day there. It was a lot of fun, and 1 day was just not enough to see it all. We all met up at the center globe, and headed to the trams- where Chloe and I would then part from the rest of the group returning to the ship to go to Kobe. Chloe and I reached Tokyo around 7pm or so, and we spent 2 hours attempting to get out of all the crazy tram stations (plus we got distracted by Hello Kitty items). Once we got to the street we attempted to look for a place to stay; Now would be a great time to mention that if you're staying in Tokyo- I highly recommend getting booked reservations in advance. Anyways, our night consisted of 2 hours of searching, a whole lot of talking to guards, and random people on the streets, cab drivers, hotel concierges calling other hotels to see if there was room, and a whole lot of frustration. Chloe was on the verge of an emotionally break down because it was now around 11pm in Tokyo and we got rejected from a bunch of hotels because they were either all booked, too expensive, or for men only. We seriously almost slept in a 24 hour McDonalds. You laugh now- but wait till you hear where people slept! People slept in game rooms, Starbucks, clubs (which by the way stay open until 2pm...not am, yes kids 2 PM), people slept at random strangers houses, it was crazy- because 80% of people didn't have plans. But I kind of liked having the thrill of not knowing if you were going to find a place to stay- and what a great experience to say you slept in a game room in Tokyo. (I know I must sound insane to everyone reading this, but if you go on the trip you will completely understand- your comfort level and confidence will sky rocket). So- we call this hotel- Asia Central Hotel (Stay there!) and they said they were all booked- just as we were about to hang up the phone and head to McDonald's they screamed "WAIT" by luck- a room had just opened up. $120 USD for the night- so split between 2 = 60 dollars which is AMAZING- especially for a hotel in the business district of Tokyo. We take a cab (which has automatic doors that pop open, and shut), to the hotel, we get out, go inside and we're immediately greeted with the friendliest people on earth, whom I am pretty sure spoke better English than us. We thanked them so much, chatted with them for a while, and headed to our room. The hotel was pretty nice. They gave you complimentary water, toothbrushes, toothpaste, a "woman's package" with random necessities any girl could need, an all inclusive breakfast buffet voucher, as well as the best service known to man. The room wasn't that big- but other than that the hotel was amazing- and you stick your key into this power strip in order to turn everything on- that was kind of neat. -Chloe and I decided to head out since we were starving, and we wound up at an Italian restaurant named 1830 (I recommend it)- where I proceeded to have some of the best gnocchi known to man. (Almost as good as my families). After that Chloe and I unwound- went back to the hotel, talked of our plans for the next day, and watched sumo, and Japanese game shows. Also- we got familiar with using bidets (which I am in love with).

So the all inclusive breakfast... AMAZING! They had breads, cereals, some Japanese cuisine, fruit cocktail, and... STEAMED WHITE RICE. I had steamed white rice for breakfast! I knew it was going to be an amazing day after that. Chloe and I got a billion maps on how to get to the train station, and how to get to do all the things we wanted to in Tokyo.

We found a Capsule hotel (which I wanted to stay in but a lot are for males only) called Ace Inn, so we decided to stop and make reservations there before we headed out for the day. Just as Chloe and I got onto a metro I hear "SAM!", all I could think was "That is NOT a traditional Japanese name (although it is very prevalent in Ghana). I look out to see Cav, Drew and Paulo, a few friends of ours from the ship! They hopped on the metro and we all discussed what we did the night before and what we were doing that day. Turns out that not only were they going to sleep at the Ace Inn like us- they had JUST come from the same hotel we spent the night at! Only they had pulled an all-nighter in the lobby since Chloe and I had taken the last rooms apparently just before they got there :] Small world.

Here was my list of things to do in Japan:

Go to the Anime Street to take pictures for all my Anime friends, and to enjoy quite a production: Fail- did not find it.

Find REAL Ninja Stars, and go to an underground Ninja range where you can throw ninja stars at targets: Fail- sort of, I'm pretty sure the underground ninja ranges are either fake- or very secretive since they're most likely illegal. Although I did find dulled ninja stars which were real.

Get a photo with my tattoo and Japanese kids: Fail :[

Go to a Sumo Match: Fail- It was out of season in Tokyo- and to get to one it was further than Hiroshima- probably 8 or so hours away. (Please note- find out what season you'll be in Japan, and just Google the Sumo seasons and where they're located during which months before your trip)

Go to Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Hot Springs

Go to a Modern Toilet Restaurant- Fail- couldn't find any- go to the one in Hong Kong!

Keep in mind- I am sure these are all doable things- but you will be moving 24/7 and probably running on no sleep, and it will cost a lot of money! Also- I did NOT buy a rail pass, and I thought it was cheaper to go by metro everywhere. My ticket from Tokyo to Kobe was about $120, but Rail passes are $300, and you can get to Kyoto by metro for $10. So unless you plan on going to a BUNCH of places all over Japan- I would not but a rail pass for the 6 days we're there- but that's just my opinion.

So it sounds like I didn't do anything in Tokyo- but I still had a blast. Chloe and I went to Condomania (hilarious store- I recommend it), Kiddy Land (this sounds dumb but is 7 or 8 floors of pure bliss- they have an entire floor dedicated to Snoopy, one to Hello Kitty, and so on. Then we went to Harajuku St. - which consisted of a lot of expensive shops such as Oakley, Burton, and also some crafty funky shops, and used clothing shops. It was quaint and a lot of fun. PS- I don't know if it rains a lot in Japan, but they are obsessed with umbrellas! They have umbrella shops like NYC has Starbucks- and a lot of their umbrellas are adorable, and about $5! :]

We then went to Tandimori street?

Please know that Sunday is the prime day to go and see Harajuku girls. Also know that this is a VERY crowded street. Please also realize that you may see Harajuku girls, but it's not like they're standing around and autographing things- they're walking around in the crowds, and shopping just like everyone else. They occasionally pose to take pictures with tourists and to be photographed by professional photographers, but a lot of people did not think that this was the Harajuku set up.

After lots of photos, and one fluffy zip-up later, Chloe and I headed  back to our inn after a full day of shopping. Back at the capsule we were discouraged to find out that our entire floor of the hotel was SAS kids- and kids from USD at that. (Not all USD kids are bad- but when grouped together...eeekkk- And the stereotype of dumb Californian blond valley-girls- definitely TRUE). Shoes are always taken off in the lobby of the hotel and slippers are used to walk around in (but I just chose to walk around in my socks)- you pay 1 yen for the showers, and these capsules were not the crazy space ones that you may have heard of (those a generally $50 and more a night and are typically male-only) instead we stayed in what looked like wooden boxes in the wall, with a curtain at the end as a door. (You do have lockers to store items in- but they're typical the thin lockers that don't hold much) I'll show everyone photos when we get home, but capsule hotels are generally cheap, and a fun experience. But do note that a lot of them have curfews. Ours was closed from 2:00 am to 5:30 am- so if you went out, you stayed out. They also typically have a common area where everyone from all floors can hang out. This is where I spent a majority of my time, where I met 5 Australians, a kid from Canada, one from Iran, and two girls from the states who are in the JET program (people who teach English). We all had an awesome time, made fun of SASer's and loud Americans, made runs to the 7-11, and drank a corn beverage as well as a vitality drink while playing Where's Waldo- which was clearly in Japanese (but you don't really read Where's Waldo anyways.

!!! Breaking Story- I discovered that Waldo loses an item in almost every page, and if you search the page- you can find the item he has lost! Yes- I am easily amused. By 2ish, a bunch of the gang decided to go to a club- but I was discouraged by the $40 cover charge on top of the insane costs for drinks - especially since I don't drink- so I decided to catch up on some ZzZzZzZ's.

Well... that didn't happen, because no sooner than I was ready for bed, the SASer girls came back from the club- without focusing my entire blog on the density of them- they were inebriated beyond all belief, one girl thought she ;lost her wallet, one girl went of with some random guy from the club, and another thought she lost her passport (Which by the way you do NOT want to do in Japan- because they will deport you, and you are automatically not allowed back on the ship, and kicked out Japan, and you then lose credit for all your classes, and cannot complete the voyage- just an FYI). After an hour or so of this soap opera, the Cali boys came back and added to the loud octave level. By this time it was 4ish in the morning, and I hadn't slept for 1 day, and had constantly been on the go. Finally the lights went out. Now... keep in mind my friends also went out, and Drew made up a knocking system- where if he knocked twice- he was coming over, and if he knocked 3 times, I was to go to him (the pods AREN'T as small as people say they are- we comfortably fit 5 people in a pod sitting- and could easily fit 2-3 laying) So... I heard a knock- and thinking it was Drew- opened my curtain. To my surprise- there standing on the ladder, was a random Japanese man who said "Hellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Now- I had only gotten a little sleep at this point, and was obviously tired, I didn't understand why he was there, on the ladder to my pod. He continued to speak to me, and to this day I have no clue if it was English or Japanese- all I know is- he came into my pod and sat in there for an hour talking to me. I do not even remember what type of conversation we had- and then he left. This definitely was not a dream, and I wasn't drunk k...this is a true story- and it was absolutely crazy- but definitely hilarious.

Unable to sleep I headed downstairs and saw my friends Marissa and Araceli- who were headed to Kobe on an early train. It was 5:30 or so by this time- my crew still wasn't back from the club. Just then- Chloe and them walk in, and I told Chloe that I was going to hop on the train to Kobe with them so I could go back and get some sleep. Chloe joined- and we all made it to the station, and boarded the train towards our ship. Tokyo was a lot of fun, but crazy and tiring, especially since ports have been so close together, and since we have to advance an hour almost constantly. Spring Voyage- you have it made by gaining all these hours we're losing! :]

Wooo okay- winding down- we passed Kyoto by train, and it was gorgeous from what I could see. Out of all the people who went to Kyoto I did not hear one person say anything other than it was breathtaking- so I would highly recommend going. When I got back, I unpacked, slept and showered, and then slept some more since I picked up a cold in China. The next day, our last day, I went out with Jennifer so we could explore the port of Kobe. I'm not going to lie- I did not like Kobe. There was absolutely nothing to do in Kobe- our day consisted of spending the last of our yen, and going to china town. It was a good but frustrating day since no ATM took my MasterCard- and no stores/restaurants took credit cards. At least I spent less money this way.

In somewhat of a conclusion...Japan is incredibly safe, and full of wonderful and very helpful people. They bow repeatedly for thanking (which you will see me do) and say "Hi, hi, hi" a lot- which I think means "yes" or something of that nature.

As a tourist it is our duty to take so many pictures of the toilets in Japan. They're pretty awesome, and have so many buttons!

I'm obsessed with the Japanese, and their phones that have u33239897398 trinkets hanging off of them! And the fact that kinky means happy. So at 8am people will say "Is everyone feeling kinky?!?!?"- It's great!

Also- The trains and metros have such fun music for when the train is approaching! I even heard a jazzy version of the itsy bitsy spider!

Christmas was all over Asia! And it put me in the mood to be home, and be baking, and bundling up by the fire! :] Japan celebrates Christmas as a holiday of love, and not for the religious reasons many others do.

We had a Farewell reception on the ship where we learned origami and how to write calligraphy- Japanese style. It was definitely a lot of fun- and I got to meet a bunch of University students who were incredibly sweet.

I think that is about all for Japan- my blog is late because it is crunch time on the ship. Not only does everyone have a zillion papers, projects, and FDP's due in each class- but with work I am going crazy. I am throwing a "Spirit Week" this week so people can have a little fun on this long stretch, and our team is preparing for the ball and live and silent auctions that we're putting together. It's definitely a mentally stressing workload, and I am burnt out from this voyage.

I love being on this ship, and having the experiences I have had, and spending time with the friends I've made- but with the Holidays around the corner, I am ready to be home with my family and friends back in the States.

I will end this entry here. I am excited for Hawaii, but I want to see my White Christmas.

Happy Holidays! And enjoy not having classes on Thanksgiving :[                      :p

Much love

-Sam

Let’s talk about Shanghai! I am absolutely in love with Shanghai- and many disagree with me, but that’s their issue. It was a lot colder in Shanghai, and I think that is why I liked it, it reminded me a lot of back home, and the weather I have been missing out on :] the port was nice here too. China is crazy- they went right from summer, to winter this year, without a fall, so the Grass is green and its 5 degrees out- I love it. I had nothing planned the 1^st day, so I decided to hop onto the city orientation tour- which was definitely worth it. I fell in love with our tour guide Josh. We headed to the Vu (pronounce ‘you’) gardens, and the jade Buddha temple, as well as had lunch  right next to the Oriental Pearl Tower (look it up) Shanghai is famous for their skyline. We went to a market, saw Nanjing Road (which is basically really touristy, and contains almost all department stores)  then we headed to dinner, and got to view and acrobatic show, which was awesome. My second and last day in Shanghai, most of the Great Wall SAS and Independent trips came back , and I went on a trip to a water village. The water village was incredibly interesting, even if it was pouring and cold, I loved every minute of it. On both this trip, and the City Orientation I made friends with J.P. who is an engineer, and the head of ISE, who happens to idolize Patricia Cormier (Longwood’s Dean of the University).  I was hoping to get back early, because all I wanted to do in all of China was ride the Maglev. On ship time was 6:00pm, and our trip got back at 4:00pm :[  The traffic was awful, but on top of that Obama happens to be on his Asia tour- and what were the chances that he was in Shanghai while we were? Well he was, and he held up traffic. I was bummed, but we got free food vouchers because they couldn’t hold lunch for us on the ship, and I was absolutely dying since I had only eaten a banana for breakfast at 7am   They kept forgetting my order (Zerio Luck) and I waited an hour for a 5 minute pizza to be cooked -_- I was bitter, cold, and starving, and definitely NOT a happy camper. So then I went down to Tymitz Square- and to our entire ships surprise they decided to give us all extra time in port, so we didn’t have to leave until 12:00pm the next day! I grabbed my friends Jennifer and Cristina and we headed to hail a cab to the closest metro to head towards the Maglev.

For those of you who don’t know- the Maglev is the world’s fastest train, and like its name implies, it has no wheels. It levitates while using magnets to keep it afloat. This is the equivalent to the Great Wall for me. Well we get our metro tickets, and we got there just as one was leaving, Cristina and Jennifer ran into one, while I got bombarded with Chinese business men, and like in classic movies, Jennifer and Cristina were inside the Metro waving to me, as I stood on the platform. I had missed the Metro, but after my bad day, I just laughed it off. I caught the next tram- and headed towards the Maglev. The Maglev has only one stop- the Pudong Airport- It’s top speed is 430 km/hr which is roughly 268 mph or something crazy like that, and depending on what time you go on the Maglev, depends on the speed you will be traveling. It takes 7 minutes to get to the airport, and if you pass the other Maglev on the way- the effect makes it feel as if you’re going 700 km/hr- or around 500 mph or something intense like that, and we passed another Maglev! How crazy. I was so excited to be on the one goal I had for China. :] The three of us spent about 2 hours in the airport, and had a ridiculous amount of fun. Yes, I can even make airports fun, I am that scwveet. We rode the Maglev back- stopped at McDonald’s for Jenn, where we encountered the first McDonald’s she had ever been to that did not take any credit cards- cash only.  It was interesting. We also saw a McDonald’s delivery guy. Who no joke, rides a red glittery moped with a yellow M encrusted on it- and it looks like he’s wearing a space suit. I have photos- it was great!

When we got back to the ship Cristina and I  headed outside in the cold rain to take photos with the Shanghai skyline. The next morning Kim, Cristina and I headed out on the mission of going to the Shanghai World Financial Center (aka the 2^nd tallest building in the world)- It is 101 stories, and on the 100^th floor there is a glass walkway so you can see all the way down to the ground. Unfortunately it was too cloudy, so we ended up just being in the basement of the building. So we went to nearby Jinmao tower which hoists the tallest hotel in the world. Its lobby is on the 58^th floor I believe; and we got a spectacular (and free) view from there. After that we went to the Pearl tower, and rode up as far as we could go, where they also have glass so you can see to the ground. I believe this is the world’s 3^rd tallest building, but I am not positive on that. With a few hours to spare before on ship time, I NEEDED to have my favorite dish in China. We went to a street vendor where I order the most fantastic bowl of white rice ever! I was in heaven :] we came back to the ship, and I had completed all I had wanted to do in  China.

Here’s where I will share with you some reactions.

China and Hong Kong =  Remarkably different- Hong Kong has a huge imprint of the British left with them, and drive on the left side of the road, where as in mainland China, they drive on the right.

Surprisingly, for as advanced as China can be, unless you’re in the business district there is a huge language barrier- especially in Beijing (I didn’t go- but others told me).  The products actually sold here- are generally really poor quality. The toilet situation… well…

Bring your own toilet paper- and go to the restroom before you leave the ship/hotel you’re in. You either come across toilets that are flat-faced to the ground (like in other countries), or you get the experience of the most high-tech toilets ever. My friend went to the highest bar in the world (in Shanghai)- and when you walk into the stall, the toilet seat detects you, the lid opens, and lights turn on, when you’re down, it also detects this, and will wipe and dry you. It also has a control panel to hand operate it if need be. Also in China- they have the Modern Toilet Restaurants (go ahead- Google it). They started in Taiwan, but have them in China and Japan, I plan on going to one in Japan for sure.

 Also- I took my photo off the wall because I thought it was goinbg to fall on me and kill me. I feel like at this point in the journey- If I am to die, I don't want it to be because I was impaled by a gigantic ugly picture hanging in my room on board the ship.

I am sure I am missing a bunch of things, but it is seriously crunch time on the ship for everything. We are down to having one class day in between ports, so it’s getting kind of crazy. I will leave on the note that yesterday I was deathly ill, and Gio, the love of my life (my husband- I’ll tell you about that sometime) came to my rescue, and I cannot thank him enough.

Until next time… I’ll be in Japan tomorrow- how insane is that?!?!?

Hong Kong Lovin'

So we just got into Hong Kong, China- and let me tell you, Hong Kong might as well go back to being its own country separate from China. It’s like day and night between the two. Hong Kong has its own flag, its own currency, and they speak Cantonese- not to mention the politics are a lot different. Hong Kong is very much like NYC. And at night- the skyline is absolutely stunning. Every night from 7-10 pm Hong Kong’s buildings put on a light show- its amazing!

In our pre-port the deans said that we would literally be inside the mall when we came into port- now clearly no ship is going to fit inside a mall! How ridiculous. But let me tell you, our ship was as close to being in that mall as anything. Our ship docked on port side, and instead of our usual gangway that brings us from 5^th deck to the ground- we had one of those airplane walkways attached to our ship- and we crossed through it, and literally the only way to get out of our ship was to go through the mall. Talk about marketing us to buy things! The mall was huge, and crazy expensive. The entire lower level was all for baby clothes with stores such as Burberry, and Louis Vuitton baby edition. Crazy! But trust me, after shopping in markets, you will have absolutely no desire to ever go to a mall again.

Kelsey and I decided to discover Hong Kong on our own. We had a list of things to do, and so we headed out. When we got off the ship and out of the mall- to our surprise HKG was decked out in Christmas galore. It was mostly pink and purple decorations, but none the less they had Christmas trees, music, snow globes, the whole 9 yards- it was awesome.  The thing about Hong Kong (HKG) is that we actually weren’t in HKG yet- the ship is technically in Kowloon. So we had to take a ferry to HKG, which cost the equivalent of 30 cents and takes 7 minutes, and it’s kind of fun! Once we got into HKG- everything looked so big and confusing- but in reality everything was much closer than the map insinuated.  Because Kelsey and I are not your average kids, our first stop was the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; for anyone in business, or invested in stocks like us, you’ll recognize that it is one of the most prominent stock exchanges in the world. I was a little disappointed to not see people in angry mobs screaming, shouting and cheering. In fact- everyone was in their seats- behind a computer, as cool as cucumbers. Nevertheless it was still awesome to be there. We then made our way to the Post Office- where go figure, the largest picture made from post card stamps in the world is! It was really neat. We were then on a mission to find a China favorite- Dim Sung to eat; and we were told that the 2^nd floor of city hall had the best restaurant, but we were warned to NOT go to the 1^st floor restaurant. Well- we thought it was weird to have a restaurant in city hall, but anything goes after all the countries we’ve been to. So up we went- when we got to the 2^nd floor, to our surprise, it was definitely a library. So we laughed it off and headed elsewhere.  From there we descended to Victoria Peak- where you can see the Hong Kong skyline. We rode a vernacular up, and let me tell you, this hill up was STEEP. You think San Diego is crazy?  Wait till you hit Hong Kong.  After getting some delicious Gelato and sherbet we rode down the vernacular and got off part way down (which was quite an experience) and went to go to the Zoo and Botanical gardens (where they have a vast amount of orchids).  After trekking through the zoo we decided we were pretty hungry, and both wanted to try some Chinese food, after all we were in China! So we head to the streets in search of Chinese food. During our search for food we encountered the largest escalator in the world (which was on our list of things to do but we couldn’t seem to find it). For some reason, Kelsey and I were definitely imagining a gigantically long escalator and it turns out we were walking along side it, and through it the entire time we were in search of Chinese food! Hahaha- well, this escalator is like a normal sized escalator, then a brief platform (so you can get off to the left or right), and then another escalator, followed by another platform, and so on- this goes on FOREVER. And it only goes in one direction. From 7am-12am it goes up, and from 12:01am-6:59am it goes down. Crazy! A lot of people on our trip apparently knew it was in HKG due to Scooby Doo- go figure, cartoons are educational for kids! So after an hour or so of searching for food Kelsey and I hit the restaurant streets. Unfortunately we found everything BUT Chinese food. There was food from Nepal, America, India, Vietnam, and 359348765 other places we had already been. Discouraged and starving we ended up going to a café and eating bread. To our dismay, after exiting the café and walking a matter of seconds- we came across China Town -_-. What were the chances?  Hahaha. We decided to head back to Kowloon to hit up the Space Museum. We got there, and it turns out Wednesdays are free admission days! What luck. And good thing- because it wasn’t that thrilling, it was all pretty much about America and their shuttle launches. Although we did get to do a “moon walk” activity which was pretty neat. We ended our night by shopping in the malls super-expensive grocery store, and headed back to the ship to see the light show. We had a crazy yet awesome day in good ol’ Hong Kong.

So the 2^nd day in HKG was when a majority of the ship was leaving to go on their trips to Beijing and the Great Wall and what not, so I woke up early and decided to travel alone. (Regardless of what the adults say in pre-port, I do this in every country and as long as you’re smart, and confident in what you’re doing, you will have no troubles). Here’s where my story gets a tad confusing. I took a ferry to Hong Kong to catch the 45 minute ferry to Lantau Island which hoists the world’s largest Buddha statue. Once on Lantau Island, I had to catch a bus to the Village on Stilts, and then another to the Buddha, and then take the cable car to catch the bus in order to get back to Hong Kong and take a taxi to Stanley market, to then take a bus back into Hong Kong, to catch the ferry back to Kowloon to get onto the ship. Woooo. That’s all, simple. So I got on the bus to head to the village on stilts (which worried me because I did not know the stop- only that it took around 40 minutes to get there- and I saw no village on stilts where we were driving). The Village on Stilts is literally behind the bus depot, and the dead last stop (for those of you interested). It was a fantastic little village and I got so much attention because I was literally the ONLY tourist there- with the exception of a group of Chinese school kids (who quite obviously fit in more than I did). Everyone was incredibly nice, and I spent about 2 hours roaming around (it’s not that big- but definitely interesting). Then I conveniently went to the bus depot and hopped on a bus to take me to the Giant Buddha. It was definitely a great experience, and it’s hard to explain- but definitely worth seeing, and free. I ended going on a walk on a “wisdom path” which took me to some strange village about an hour away from the Buddha- so I decided it would sensible of me to walk back towards the Buddha. From the Buddha I walked to the cable car, and rode back to where I could catch transportation off of the island. I met two tourists from Toronto, and the cutest couple from a “small” city in China which is about the size of America. They were all obsessed with me, my lawn gnome, and Semester at Sea, which made for a great cable car ride back. I was told I would need to take a  bus to catch a ferry back to HKG. But in fact Bus E11 takes you right from the cable cars to HKG. So I hopped on that bus and headed towards home.  I got off a stop near a different, but equally large mall- and got lost inside the mall several times, for about an hour or so. Including getting lost in both the parking garages. Once I got outside, I hailed a cab and asked if he knew where Stanley Market was. He, and I quote said only this; “I don’t speak English”, so I assumed he would let me out, and I would find a cab driver who could somewhat understand me. But instead, he started driving. Now I was told Stanley Market was in HKG and about a dollar or 2 to get there. WRONG. Stanley Market is in a town called Stanley (and when I first saw he brought me to Stanley I was freaked out because I thought I was in some random town, and not near the market), Stanley is where Stanley market is, and I highly recommend taking the bus, because instead of 100 HKD, you will only pay like 7 HKD (Which is a dollar, instead of $10 USD). Anyways, I saw a few SASer’s there, and felt better. Even though I was alone, I surely wasn’t completely alone in a sense.  After an hour or so of haggling, I hopped on a bus, made friends with 3 Swedish men in their 30’s , and went back to HKG. From there I walked from the HKG bus depot to the ferry, got on, and safely went home after a great but exhausting day. It definitely is refreshing to be on your own in a country; and I understand why people advise against it, but if you’re comfortable and confident, I suggest you do it. Definitely not the 1^st day in a port, or late at night, but any other time, yes.

My time in Hong Kong was nothing short of amazing, and I am surely leaving out 38972 things that happened.

The ship consisted of 100 passengers who were considered “in transit”- basically it meant we weren’t traveling independently in between HKG and Shanghai. For those of you whole are broke college students like me, or just don’t want to see the great wall, staying on the ship is actually a lot of fun.

We got catered to more so than usual. They had movies playing in the Union constantly, games, free massages, discounts on spa items, dance parties, karaoke, free snacks and soda, and most importantly, sit down fancy dinners!  I won’t go into great deal- because what happens on the ship in between HKG and Shanghai, stays on the ship with the 100 of us. :] It was indescribable, but worth it.

I had such a great time in the ship (although the sea was fairly harsh between HKG and Shanghai)