Holy eff! Alright- So I don't even know where to begin. I found some people last night and made plans for Marrakech today- we met for breakfast at 7:30 and apparently they wanted to catch the 8:50 train...which seemed ludicrous to me, we needed much more time. We found out that just about every SASer was going to Marrakech today- there was 5 of us to start- and then it turned to ten...and ended up as 3. Hahaha Anyways. Taxis wait at the end of the ship and charge OUTRAGEOUS fees to get us out of our port- and our free shuttle doesn't start until 9...so we walked the 25 minute walk. It was 8:35ish when we got to the exit of the port, and we knew there was NO WAY we could walk to the train station- so we ended up paying 3 USD each to ride in the cab (which seems like a little amount- but remember 1 USD is = to 7.81 dirham) So we got jipped. We all know I love thrill rides and roller coasters...but pardon my French (what little I speak) when I say "Holy Fuck" I don't know how many times we thought we were going to die...honestly, like...we were crammed in the Petit taxis (go look them up), and we looked like we were in clown cars! Some roads have lanes- not like it matters, literally you are window to window with people. They drive with not even inches to spare, and don't follow any lane at all. We made it to the station at 8:45... with 5 minutes to spare 10 of us had to get tickets. There were no 1st class left- so we had no choice but to get 2nd class (which teachers told us NOT to do). I don't even know how- but we all somehow...somewhat togetherish got on the train towards Marrakech (this was after a series of running up and down endless steps[I had NO CLUE where I was going- I just followed the Americans running])

So... we hop on, and we all made it (even though we were unsure if we all made it)- we found a cabin with enough seat for 3 of us- so Rosario, Ally, and I sat- And Caris and Micah were a cabin or 2 away. 2nd class honestly was NOT bad.

SAS gave us a HUGE speech- basically instilling fear in us about Morocco and how shady it can be- but honestly, if you follow your instincts and go with an open mind- it's great. Anyways- They painted a picture that we would be standing- packed like sardines for 4 hours. We had pleather orange seats, and no AC- but you could still feel a breeze. (It was absolutely fine- and 40 dirham cheaper). In our cabin was a couple that stayed on for like 10minutes and got off the next stop; our stylish friend from Essouria (Around the High Atlas Mountains) named Amihd; and my favorite- Mr. Juicy (It was like "hoo-sey" but he said just call me juicy). Mind you, NONE of us spoke French...or Arabic for that matter- but through hand communication- we all had a great enjoyable, and quick ride to Marrakech. And I had picked up a few Arabic words- so I could roughly translate/speak "Hello, Thank you, You're Welcome, and a few other small words"- nothing to form a sentence- but it's a start. We threw our French-Spanish-English speaking skills together and formed a language I like to call Fraspanglish. Mr. Juicy was cool- and from Gabon- in Central Africa(only it's on the coast). It was a cool ride in, and what beautiful landscape there was once we were out of Casablanca. After about 3 hours (not 4 like they said) we reached Marrakech; and holy heck was it gorgeous! The train station was practically brand new- and we got off and found the rest of our group. Now...my original group was going to stay overnight in a hotel- Our 10 people had dwindled to 8 (because someone was meeting someone...) and 6 wanted to stay overnight (I had no preference)- They were attempting to get a hotel for 3, but sleep all 6 of us- which I stated was stupid because: A. They would notice 6 Americans walking into the same room, B: We can't pull that shit in America- so why would they let it fly here? This is what hostels and hostals are for...

Anyways we asked a pleasant bellhop where the Souks were (markets), and we started walking...this was a very long and annoying process with 8 people. (Word of advice travel in groups of 3-5- it makes life SO much easier). Finally and Thankfully G (a friend) knew a little French and asked directions, after walking for 15/20 minutes, we had to turn back around for the markets... then in the middle of an island on a busy street we found 2 Spanish women with a map (and we had 2 fluent Spanish speakers with us), they told us the Souks/Medina were an hour walk...so we went and got a Taxi (which we probably over-paid for, but 8 of us got in (It was a van-taxi). We got there and split off into 3 and 5... 3 being me, Ally, and Micah and the other 5 were the hotel-stayers. We wished each other luck and went on our ways.

Marrakech's markets are ENORMOUS! The 1st main strip was VERY tourist-like and had almost no authentic Moroccan items...it was crap, but we went deeper in- to the unpaved parts under canopies, and found the goods. The markets are fairly easy to navigate, and many people speak English (or enough to understand you-and for you to understand them). I worked my haggling magic and did the classic "walk-away" trick, and ended up with a Cashmere scarf, a neat bracelet, and a hand (long story- I'll elaborate later). Ally got the teapot for the mint tea that is SOOOOOO GOOD here- and a pretty glass to go with it (they look like shot glasses). Anyways- we started to get hungry. After having many people follow us for 5-10, and even 15 minutes (after not buying their products even though they insisted "Good price, good price") we were ready to find the main strip and get out. Just then- another "shop" owner said something to us- then I turned and said "No Shukran (No Thank you), and he said "WAIT!"... we all thought- Oh god, what does this guy want? We walked over, and started talking- expecting the same BS from people selling their goods- and to our surprise he asked where we were from, and when we said America- he said "Ahhhh I just came back from NY). So he's seemed legit- and we got to talking (He probably spoke English better than us) and he was such a fun guy! He had a rubix cube and Micah solved it within minutes! :]  So we were just talking about all sorts of things and we introduced ourselves- His name is Yousseff (Joseph), and we mentioned good food. He said he could show us where a good place was, and no "sketch indicators" went off, so the 3 of us followed. He took us in to this gorgeous old mansion that had been turned into a restaurant- and he knew all the staff and the owner. It was awesome! He gave us a private tour and said- "If you want to look at a menu, and like it, stay, if not, I can show you other places to eat". After our private tour and talking to who I believe was the manager, we looked at the menu and decided to stay. Everyone was super friendly, and as it turns out- a bunch of SAS students had found this place (which doubles as a hotel) and had spent a night there. The people were so incredibly friendly, and although I only ate the bread- it was so good! Yousseff kept coming in and out (since he has to tend to his shop), but the manager (who was dressed casually/modernly...which a lot of people in Marrakech do) carried on wonderful conversation with us. It was such a great experience. He shared his views on the Koran, and Jbidara and the masks that cover women's faces. And he said he honestly doesn't trust it- because he doesn't know who is behind it, and if they will rob him or not (PS Dad- he also sells Moroccan rugs and wants to do business with you). He was such a down to earth and very modern man, and was so pleasant! After a while we decided that although we were going to catch the 9pm train back to Casablanca- that we could leave early because we felt like we had a real Moroccan experience- I mean how many people get NON-sketchy private tours of mansions?!?!? (Other than Johnny in Rabat). We asked Yousseff if it was a far walk to get back to the train station- or if we should take a cab. He told us to follow him, but keep a distance (because he'd be shunned if he was helping us? Or something)(He gave us a lot of good tips- like what we should be charged for taxis, etc...). We gave him 5 Euros as a tip (which are worth a heck of a lot in Morocco- and he declined it a few times until we insisted he took it for being so pleasant)(Key note- Most Moroccans will have you follow them and make you tip them at the end- but Yousseff was modest and felt bad about accepting the money-honestly) So we followed him discreetly through the markets, and he'd stop every once in a while to make sure we could still see him. We passed many a snake charmer, and people with monkeys doing tricks...And some guys with funny hats (which I'm not sure what they serve purpose as). When we got to the main street he signaled for us to approach us and "ask for directions like we never met him). He gave us beautiful directions, and it was only about a 30 minute walk- so we gave him many thanks, and know that Allah is watching him now. We got to the train station at about...5:45 or so, and the next train to Casablanca (which would be a good movie title...) was at 7. But after the rush this morning we were more than happy to be early. This time we opted for 1st class tickets- just for the experience. The train got in early so we boarded. The chairs were comfy, and there was air conditioning- so it was nice to relax after a hectic day. Micah, Ally and I kept reminiscing about how we had such a great experience- and we'd all definitely come back to Morocco. You just have to go open-minded, and do a little walking to find the fun in every country. And there are good people- they will find you, and you will find them, they exist, and they're not all out to get you. As is, Moroccans are not very aggressive (unless they're driving- PS they use their horns CONSTANTLY- It's like background music to Morocco). And although I originally wanted to ride a camel- I feel like that is too tourist-like... especially when I had this great of an experience today. No words or pictures can describe the experiences we had today, it was insane, but worth it, for sure! Our cabin on the way back had a woman (who we thought we pissed off in the beginning by talking), and a nice man with the cutest little boy in the world. Side note- 3 Americans- 3 Moroccans...all in the same cabin- we had no food with us (except the Moroccan lunches in our stomachs), and they had KFC and McDonald's.. hahaha, just  a funny observation. Anyways- 7 is when the sun goes down, which means fasting is over for the day- and they could eat. And they offered us some of their food! (Literally people buy delicious things in the market- and just share it with everyone!...complete strangers- I love it!) I had a little, I don't even know what... It was a small triangular bread thing- with honey on it- it was so good! And then the woman offered me a cup of 7up! So in turn (I had brought snacks with me) I gave them Gummies, and a Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal to-go bar (And for those of you who know me...those are like my 2 favorite things, currently at least). It was great. And even though there is a language barrier- we all somehow communicated through the trip. Everyone has been so nice today- and made Morocco out to what I really think is a great country- despite the negative experiences others have had. (SAS really made us fearful of Morocco- to the point where 1/2 the ship won't leave because they're too afraid something will happen). And it's a great place! PS- Marrakech= super clean, and not smelly. Hahaha. Anyways- so we're all a little tired, and it's pitch black outside, and then "___________________"- the trains lights black out while going through a tunnel...and we come to a dead stop- I shit you not, it was straight up out of a movie-like. I remained calm, as did Micah. I figured if the locals weren't worried- neither should we be. We were stopped in the middle of a desert land, in pitch black, the intercom was not working, and we just sat. After what seemed to be 389758 hours (but was really 10 minutes) we started back up again, lights came on- this time going slow. So I figured they probably blew a fuse- or hit something on the top of the train while going through the tunnel- and were taking it slow, just to be on the side of caution. Then within minutes we start FLYING, like... Maglev status, and the clanks and clinks that trains usually make got louder, our turns much sharper, so of course we're thinking...okay this is a little fast- but the lights are on- and I don't think it is that easy to hijack trains anymore... So I stayed calm. We're still traveling at the speed of lightning (which is usually great- I'm all for speed...but not on a train that follows tracks and sways- and could easily be re-routed off-track). Then "________________" the lights go out again.

My thought was...they were going too fast and blew a fuse. The lights came back on within a minute or 2 (this time the train didn't stop- it was like twilight zone- speeding in darkness). Anyways- we continuously kept going fast...like super fast- to the point where the nice man holding his cute little boy said "SHIT!". ... Not even kidding folks- true story- Glad I am alive to share it. We hear, on the speaker- through the Arabic and French "Casablanca"- and we almost got off- but realized it was not our stop- and that we were the next one. So we rode for about..8 minutes? To Casa-Voyagers (which is apparently the Casablanca we wanted). Wished the man and cute boy the best of luck (they were headed to Rabat- probably another hour or 2) and got off. I contemplated kissing the ground... but didn't.

So off the 3 of us went- to get a taxi back to the ship- looking to spend no more than 30 dirhams. After about 8 cabbies attacking us with questions, and asking for 50 dirham, or Euros (Because everyone thought we were straight up from Europe)- we decided that we'd just walk back- in hopes that a taxi would pick us up part of the way and get us back without us walking through the port/ main city- for cheap...aka native price. Finally a guy at the station caved in- and we set out on another dare-devil act of bumper-humping, and no-lane following- but somehow made it back to the rat-infested port (which I found out tonight as rats scurried near my feet), and got to the Ship.

All in all today's experiences were undeniably unbelievable. I had such a great time- every day here gets better and better.

I will end this soft and sweet if you have managed to read this far...

Here are some pointers:

Don't travel in too large of groups- it draws attention in a negative way.

Don't draw attention to yourself (i.e. clothes, jewelry, etc..)

Ask before you take photos of people or their children (it is against some of their religions to be in photos).

Respect their culture as you would like yours to be.

Don't be afraid to trust someone- there is more than evil in this world.

That being said- trust your instinct and gut feeling- if something is off- walk away.

Ask questions- and learn.

And above all- just have fun. Be safe, but don't be afraid to try new and different things.

Moroc (Morocco) has been such a great experience, and although I originally was going to go to Rabat and Fes tomorrow- I think I will stay in Casablanca- and enjoy the great memories of Marrakech.

Goodnight to you all!

Alright- so this double-day entry is well worth it. Trust.

 

I was writing in my journals for classes and doing homework like the good girl that I am. The ship is bare bones since everyone is on camel treks. So I ventured to Apollon  (Deck 6) for lunch.

 

I saw my super (supervisor- just catching you all up on some lingo) sitting, and joined him for lunch. After determining that I was the pickiest eater alive, and a lot of convincing- he got me out of doing my homework so he had a buddy to tour town with. We set off walking since the shuttle bus was on it's lunch break- and it def. was a 25 minute walk. Hahaha. After near-about dying several times by means of tankers, and dirt bikes, and Nikola grabbing me from behind and scaring the hajeebies out of me, we headed out of the port- towards the Medina in search of a...wait for it... this really is happening... Hookah Bar. We got lost several times- but me being me- just point blank asked the Moroccans where to go. We FINALLY found D'Anfa- the street we wanted (after trekking through one of the worst markets...on earth). To our dismay, not only could we not find the Hookah bar- but if we did, it would be closed, so we set back on a journey back to the ship. Browsed in a few shops, and lo and behold, 5 minutes from port, was a Hookah Bar. They were open! I must say- there are LOTS of photos of this hilarious event- I partook in this wonderful activity. Although I don't smoke, I am VERY tempted to buy a Hookah- and some shisha.

 

Ours was flavored green apple (which is pretty generic)- My super (who mind you has done this a few times before) got really light headed- and I ...not a thing.  Although I exhale out of my nose, and often my nose and mouth- and therefore my new nickname from him is "Dragon lady" or Dragon for short. Hahaha. It was one of those once in a lifetime opportunities. The water was clean, and the mouth piece was fresh out of a bag. We also enjoyed mint tea...which honestly. BEST TEA EVER.

 

Even if you don't drink tea...guaranteed you'll love this. I feel like I have had an authentic Moroccan experience.

 

Plus the thought of me and a hookah is just absurd- as I am sure many of my friends are stunned, and laughing at the mere thought of this.

 

Not to mention I was also with my Super- It made it that much better. Plus we had a great bonding experience. Morocco is a pretty chill place to be. The sun has come out, and there's a slight breeze, and it's sunny and 70. It has been such an amazing day- and I am glad that I broke my homework streak to venture out again.

 

I cannot wait until Marrakech tomorrow. I am stoked! I miss you all and hope you're having a wonderful time living vicariously through my blog.

 

<3

Salam! I cannot believe that my feet have touched ground in the glorious continent of Africa! I am currently in Morocco- Casablanca to be exact. Our ship docked in port yesterday; the port is the biggest port in Casablanca (which is home to about 3 million people), and the third largest port in all of Africa. We have a shuttle bus to take us from our ship to the main gate- other wise it's about a 25 minute walk (IF you don't get lost). Our port is VERY industrial- filled with cranes and trucks.

Where should I start? Oh yes! Remember that movie Casablanca? Yeah- forget it! It was filmed in Hollywood and I know why. Here are my super-biased opinions of Casablanca: It is smelly, filthy, and overall gross. Picture New York's Time Square after New Years, and multiply that by 392757... there are things all over the street! Not to mention an endless amount of malnourished cats and kittens. (So sad- and I HATE cats). However; after packing my biases in a hidden compartment of my brain- and enjoying a city tour of Casablanca- I realized you just have to go a little further in to see the beauty that Casablanca holds. The Medina (or old city) is full of open-air markets, or Souks. These are where you can haggle deals like you would in Battery Park, NY. It's intensely surreal that I am living in [pictures I once viewed in National Geographic.  The people are very friendly, and won't bother you if you don't make yourself too noticeable. I would highly recommend wearing closed-toes shoes here- unless you want muck/garbage filtered onto your feet- plus you walk a lot.

It is illegal, and considered a felony if you take pictures of any type of person "in uniform" aka- Guards, Police, Traffic Directors (yes they have those here!), etc... They will either A. Yell at you and take your film. or B. Yell at you and take away your camera. (And they will stop vehicles your in to get those pictures).

For any religious savvy person reading my blog- you will know that it is Ramadan- where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. They cannot drink anything (including water), eat anything, or have sexual relations until after sunset. This goes on for 1 month.

Interesting fact kids: Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States as a country in 1776.

And the Hassan II Mosque has a green laser beacon that shoots into the sky every night- announcing that the daily fast is over, and people can now eat. (It can be seen all over Morocco) That's intense.

Street performers, and some common people will expect tips if you take their photograph, and if you ask someone if you can take one- they usually will not deny you.

Moroccans are fascinated with blonds (there really aren't any here).

All people (even if they're poor) have satellite dishes, because their included in the cost of cable.

There are NO Starbucks in Morocco-at all.

KFC delivers by van, and by bicycle.

All the schools I have seen are gated- and look really sketchy on the outside- but amazing on the inside. (They also have separate schools for Jewish kids, and a separate school for Spanish kids)- this is more of a religious segregation.

The King of Morocco has 8/9 palaces throughout Morocco, and typically only comes to the one in Casablanca to drink coffee or tea. (Not joking). Although highly debatable- People say Morocco does not have an "official language". Most speak Arabic, and a good amount speak another type of Arabic. But many know French and English as well. (Actually- they speak more English here than they did in Spain- which is surprising to me). They have two types of taxis... Petit taxis (which are red in Casablanca- but very depending on what city you go to), and fit 4 people- uncomfortably. There are also Grande Taxis- which are ALL Mercedes, and you need AT LEAST 5/6 people to get one.

The best part of Morocco thus far has been the villas- which are incredibly nice, and often lined with gorgeous and colorful flowers. Plus the streets are super clean over there :]

Tomorrow I am headed on a train for 4 hours to visit Marrakech...or Marrakesh. They have some great souks (markets) there, and our dollar is really great here (well- on our end at least).

We get 7.81 Dirham per every US dollar. Even if you pay a tourist price- you're still making out like a bandit.

I also invested in a money belt- which is comfortable and well hidden- but does require me to reach down my pants to pay for something. Hahaha. Gnomie has been on a few outings, and I have started a new trend (Thank you Jenna!) because everyone wants to be in a picture with Gnomie- my traveling lawn gnome.

Today I took a day off from exploring to catch up on some homework- especially since I probably won't be back until Monday. Marrakech tomorrow-Sunday...then Rabat and Fes Sunday to Monday.

My snack drawer is running very low, and the food probably only gets worse from here- aka I am going to stare.

Anyways, all is well. I will update more after we leave Morocco.

Until then-

<3

What can I say other than Europe has my heart?

Spain was amazing! And I will definitely come back multiple times! We were ported in Cadiz (often pronounced Cadith, or Cadis). It’s a wonderful little beach town full of GLORIOUS European clothes.

Zara is one of my new favorite stores, and it’s not even expensive! :] Everything is so gorgeous in Europe! Ahhh.

Okay, so the first day, I had an Archaeological tour of Cadiz and went to an archaeology museum. It was a bunch of fun, and I got to see some really interesting artifacts that had been recovered. I even went for Sangrias with roomie, and two of the ladies :] It was a lovely evening, and Spain is so incredibly easy to get around in.

After much deliberation, and hope, Ashley A-Ram Ramos (:]) asked me to go to Seville with her. We went to the bus station around 9, and to our dismay it was closed, so we decided to go early on in the morning, and to my luck… this is going down in Zerio history… I got the VERY LAST ticket from Cadiz to Seville! That never happens. So us, and about 383476597 other SAS students headed to Seville. It is such an unbelievable city, and is too beautiful for pictures to do it justice. They have a tramway system there, which is basically a monorail through the city- It was great! Ashley, another group, and I stayed at a hostal- which differs from a hostel. Nuevo Suizo. It was such a great place! We got free internet (this is how I contacted some of you), free calls to the US, and breakfast, and it cost 16 Euros! The entire staff was so incredibly pleasant, and very helpful. Ashley, Jackie, Jenn, and I were booked for room 26- which happened to be the rooftop terrace. It was ballin’ This whole trip in Spain has made me want to backpack around the world and wing it more so than I do now. Anyways, we did have 2 other roommates, not from SAS. One was Elliot- he’s from NJ, and turned 26 on Sunday! :] And he decided to go to Spain for 3 weeks solo. The other roommate we had was a girl Valerie from Ottawa Canada, who just decided to tour Europe on a whim.  She had just spent 2 weeks in Italy, and 3 weeks in Spain, and was headed to Barcelona on our last day in Seville. Doing trips independently is the way to go, and so-so much cheaper! We hit up some really cool places, like the world’s largest cathedral, plaza de Espana which is absolutely awesome. And my favorite…Alcazar- a castle/mansion with impeccable…everything! We woke up early the next day, talked to a couple from Belgium about health care, and spoke with a sexy Londoner- Chris, who came to Spain with a friend, because they’re on their 5 week holiday from University. Then we left, and toured around a little more, and happened to walk into the middle of a serious riot. The police were armed with guns that Rambo would use. It was awesome! And SAS probably would have yelled at us had they known that we continuously stayed in that area. (I have a video of this- I’ll upload it to Facebook when I’m home). We met so many lovely people here in Spain! And some rude ones that run us out of restaurants because Jackie is too American :p  True story. Anyways. We all had a blast, and headed out to the bus station to catch the 5:00 back to Cadiz. So we get back and basically shower and crash. Then my roommate (Rachel) and I decide to get up early and go into town tomorrow for a shopping day (which was highly successful), as well as to hit the outdoor market. It was fabulous! Rachel started to feel ill, so I ordered her something at a restaurant. Then we saw some SAS girls and moved to their table. That’s when I decided I wanted to check out one more store before I left (I was, and still am, looking for these cool Aladdin pants everyone has!). So I headed out on my own, and just spent a couple hours shopping and roaming the streets. It is such a great city, and so easy to navigate, I loved being on my own, even briefly. There are probably 39039 stories I can tell, but I will just tell them all when I am home. I got back and had banana bread for lunch, and Rachel came back shortly after- so we decided that since it was only 1:30, we should go lay out and tan. And boy did I get red. So I popped a few Motrin so I should be good. Hahaha.

Oh- and I found out the hard way that our pool is made of the water we’re in, so I got a plentiful mouthful of salt water.

Well, tomorrow is Morocco Day, and Malaria Day (which means I start my Malaria pills- and my side effects are vivid dreams and night terrors. hahaha should be fun) where basically we have 738647 things planned that we MUST attend, and we arrive in Morocco tomorrow night! So exciting! I have zillions of pictures to show you all! Just know that I am having a blast and I never want to leave school if this is what it’s like. Hands down…I’m doing this again! I love it so much!

I miss you all!

PS- Never take the Rosemary!

Hola! And greetings from Espana! I can't believe we're actually in port somewhere!!! Surprisingly I did not walk funny when I got off the ship.

Cadiz is a beautiful city- and everyone has been very friendly. Although it's odd to get used to Siesta. Shops are literally open for like 2 or 3 hours, then close, and open back up later at night. It's neat. :]

The buildings are beautiful, and a lot of them are made from shells! They have such great color and architecture too.

Between my mom having a Horticulture degree, and my dad's love of anything structural, and flooring/building, I have endless pictures of beautiful pathways and roads, and so many trees. (A lot which came from Australia! <3)

It was gorgeous today! Hot..but not humid, and when you walk down the alleys (which are basically every street), there is such a great breeze, and constant shade!

I had a bite of real European vanilla ice cream (although I'm sure it was imported from another European place). It was so delicious. The culture is great here. And I have some fun  pictures of Bill and Gnomie :]

I went on an archaeological tour, which was great- we learned a lot about the city, and went to a local museum.

You know the phrase it's 5:00 somewhere? Well...it's 5:30 here, and me and some of the ladies are going to get some Sangria and Tapas :]

Then back for some naps before going out to see the nightlife at the discotecha.

I miss you all! And will most likely update you more than once while in Spain :]

It still hasn't really hit me that I'm on this trip, and in another country. Maybe I'll feel more submerged in Morocco?

<3

Alright, a brief update, because I probably won't update until after Spain (which we will be in on Saturday!).

 

Sad story- We will NOT be getting two Thanksgivings :[   Our Captain, Cpt. Jeremy Kingston (whom I'm in love with because he's from GB) said while although it was cute, we would actually be crossing the international date line on the 28th of November.

 

I am full of so much energy lately (more so than usual...if that is even possible)! I met some pretty awesome people from Mass on board the ship (most of them being from Boston). AND...they so had the same idea as me, of bringing walkie talkies on the ship... only I didn't, but they did :]. Walkie talkies + college kids + 7 decks accessible to us on the ship = mucho fun games.

 

The other night we had a "mash-up" party...where basically you mismatch clothes and go to a dance. I was walking around, in my normal attire mind you...and just about everyone said "I LOVE YOUR OUTFIT!!!" Even though at this point I was just wearing my pj's... hahaha. Whatever, I went and it was kind of fun, but got old really fast.

 

I'm officially part of the following organizations (not including my work study):

 

Star-gazing group (We sleep outside on the decks!)

Sign Language group (So I can know more ASL than "I have to use the restroom; bullshit; ninja; and dinosaurs"

Vicarious Voyage (Basically pen pals with kids K-12)

Co-founder, and leader of SAS (Sigma Alpha Sigma)

The Alcohol-Free Group (For us awesome kids)

 

And maybe later on LBT, which is basically GSA (Gay Straight Alliance)... because my neighbor invited me, and he definitely thought I was a Lesbian. Bahahaha! But whatever, I'm all for the support of Gays and Lesbians abroad and aboard.

 

 

Ummm what else, okay, this is getting longer than anticipated. Basically I am almost all signed up for SAS trips, Indy trips, and FDP's at this point, but I have to wait until Sale 2 to get the rest that I want...

 

OH!

 

So... being the thrill-seeker I am, I signed up for 2 crazy activities with a group that works with SAS...I won't tell you what they are now. But I am very excited and can't wait until we reach South Africa :]

 

Until then, I'll be in class, working, and furiously typing away on my laptop while sitting on Deck 6, aft. (Which is amazing by the way)

 

You kids stay awesome. And I'll do my best not to get lost or abducted, but we all know how that goes :]

 

<3

 

-Samantha Zerio

Student Ambassador of Semester at Sea

Goodwill Operator

Okay, so I feel like it's time for some updates while I have the chance. Our current time zone is in Azores, which means it's currently 1926 here (7:26 for those who don't run on military time). And it is 3:26 where you are sitting. This is the first time in like 3 or 4 days where we FINALLY don't have to advanced our clocks by an hour. The ship is absolutely glorious, and I feel like I have been on it for days. You really lose track of things and the concept of days and times while at sea with no land in sight.

 

I love the rocking notion of the boat, as it puts me to sleep well.

 

My classes are pretty rocking'. I have 4 total, and they're all on A days (Brings you back to middle school with A/B days right? Or in Tolland Blue team's case, A-B-C-D days :p) Anyways... I discovered that with all my classes on one day, I'm only in class for 23 days this semester!!! :] How awesome is that? And my FDP's (field Practica) are mini excursions that you choose from while in port. So basically, snorkeling, and riding camels is a part of my participation and final grade.

 

I love love love my Medical Anthropology Class, it's hands down the best out of my 4 classes. Second, surprisingly is The US South... who would of thought I'd love that class?!?!? Then the other 2 are also good, but a bit dry right now, but they're slowly getting more interesting.

 

Yesterday was our first laundry day, and being the savvy person I am, I opted to do my own laundry in the sink/shower instead of paying 6 dollars to fill a small bag full of clothes. It was a pretty good success (plus we have a retractable clothesline in our shower).

 

My roommate Rachel is great! She's a crazy-hippie-Jew and I love her. The two of us together are unstoppable. My work study is really putting me to work and thus far has required me to attend meetings and events every night, but it is worth it so far, and I am having a lot of fun.

 

Everyone on the ship is excruciatingly nice; the workers, the crew, the teachers, staff, and students. My room is a good size, and very livable, and I feel like I could live here permanently.

 

Yesterday I went on a bridge tour, where you quite obviously tour the bridge. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, the bridge is at the forward (front/bow) of the ship, and is where all the controls are, and where the captain steers. (And no, there is no cool old-style Captain wheel :[  ). It was pretty exciting to see how everything works. And I even convinced the 2nd officer in command to let me sit in the captains chair, with a sailor hat!  So then everyone got to. (I'm sure they let everyone do it, but I feel like I was the reason :p).

 

I also found out today that the ship generally runs on one engine. The energy from one engine burns 1.6 tons of oil an hour...an HOUR! And on top of that, electricity burns .8 tons of fuel per hour.  That's 57.6 tons of oil a day we're burning, and that's only using one engine!

 

I am signed up for half my trips, and still have to figure out the independent trips I'll be doing...or as we call them "Indy" trips.

 

The ship has some pretty cool events each night, and even a snack time at 2200 hours! (10pm). I had 1 day to read a 26 page article and write a 2000 word response (about 6-7 pages). I feel like that's a little ridiculous for a first day load for one class... but I got it all turned in, so whatever, it's over.

 

I guess I should talk about my work study because that seems to be what consumes my life here. I am an Ambassador of the ship (there are 7 of us in total). And we basically run all of the fun of the ship. We're in charge of The Alumni Ball (Formerly the Ambassador's Ball) which takes place at the end of the voyage. We're in charge of the food, theme, ticket cost, etc... We also are involved in Interport liaisons- where we pick up special guests/ students that ride with us to the next port. We put together and run live and silent auctions...and in order to do so, we also solicit to get people to contribute items to the auctions. (Most things aren't tangible items i.e.  eating dinner with the Captain in his private quarters, Spending a week in a teacher's private beach house, unlimited internet access, honking the horn while entering/leaving port, and so on...We also will be in charge of "goodwill" on the ship, where we welcome the community, get them involved, promote things, and join everyone together. On top of that we also have Marketing and Advertising. And a lot of other responsibilities. We all work on these projects together, but have each taken one over as "Head manager" if you will. I chose Goodwill. I am currently working with RA's to do special things for peoples birthdays on the ship, and I am also working on getting Ambassadors their own shirts. We held an involvement fair for all the clubs and activities you can sign up for, and I joined many :p I will be doing the Vicarious Voyage- where we get pen pals of children in classrooms, and share our journey with them. I am getting "adopted" by a life-long learner on board the ship (basically they bring you cool places in port, and tell great stories). And I am part of a leadership program, where through attending various activities, and sessions on ship, you get a certificate and a special seal on your diploma :]  I'm pretty stoked. I also co-founded Sigma Alpha Sigma, (SAS- Semester at Sea). So I will be insanely busy on and off board. We will soon be giving tours of the ship to incoming guests of the ship, so I have to memorize the ship well (which I pretty much have).

 

I wake up early every morning and eat breakfast on the aft deck (or back) and watch the sunrise- which is absolutely breath taking (except today because it was covered by clouds).

 

Hmm  what else. There really is so much to share. Most of my off port excursions are service projects such as Habitat for Humanity, and visiting orphanages and hospitals. South Africa is where I will surely be having the most fun. I have many crazy activities planned, but will leave those as a mystery to you all :]

 

Last night my roommate and I (being curious) found out that out ceiling is magnetic (we knew the walls were). And as per usual, I am psychotically organized school and work wise :p

 

I even made 3 copies of my offshore excursions in an excel spread sheet and color coded them by whether they were FDP's, SAS trips, or independent trips. Hahaha.

 

Jess is our cabin steward, and he's worth mentioning. Yes he. He is the sweetest guy ever, and they do an insane amount of work here for everyone. He changes our toilet paper, makes our beds, and replaces our towels. (We're pampered here!)

 

I have yet to go in the pool, but it's just the beginning of our journey, and has been really humid out lately anyways. Plus I'm insanely busy. Working out on board is crazy, but hilarious. Elliptical while ships are rocking back and forth = lots of awkward feelings and positions, but overall funny to be a part of.

 

Because Global Studies is a mandatory class for everyone, they not only have t in the Union (our auditorium), but they play it on flat screens across the ship, in the rooms on the TV, and in other classrooms that don't currently have classes. PS- There are 9 classrooms, and the Union stands as one as well...so 10. And 2 of the classrooms are literally in the union, and have those walls like we use to have to divide our gymnasium at school.

 

Part of me wishes something insane would happen that would make us get into the lifeboats because they look like mini submarines!  But that would be bad... I officially no longer have my calling/texting capabilities in case any of you were getting weird text responses back from my number.

 

Oh! My free e-mail is smzerio@semesteratsea.net    Use it and abuse it kids!

 

Oh, and they play pretty good movies on TV too, my roommate and I have yet to really watch one, but we plan on having a movie night tomorrow, it will be fantastic. Gnomie and Bill are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Spain (in 4 days) so they can be in some crazy photos :]

 

I suppose that is really all for now. Oh, and I'll be making a commercial for the ship to see, and I write for the Dean's Memo which comes out everyday.

 

Until then folks (I'm sure your eyes are straining if you read this all)

 

I miss you all and love you all dearly, and cannot wait until we hit Spain so I can share my first port stories!

 

-Sam

-Samantha Zero :]