Singapore, sing some more!

I suppose now is a better time than ever to update everyone on what has been going on in my life. I’m in the union, chillin’ in front of Singapore (I feel like I won’t often be able to say that). We’re bunkering- aka filling up with fuel so we can continue sailing.

Well- this week has been one of the most chaotic; yet entertaining weeks on board. For starters- two nights ago was our Crew Talent Show. This is hands down, the BEST event on board. Our crew is phenomenal at everything they do. (Trust me folks- when you see crew out in port- they look damn fine!) I have a surplus of photos and videos from this amazing event, and I may or may not have a crush on 2376583279 crew members, just saying.  I cannot wait until I can show all of you just how amazing the crew are. I have about 12 favorites, and although most of them are married, I plan on marrying them.

So yesterday was Halloween (for us at least)- But Happy Halloween to those of you back in the states. It was hilarious to see how creative people were with their costumes. (I mean we have fairly limited resources on the ship- we can’t just sail to Wal-Mart). I was insanely busy all week, so my costume- was not much of a costume, but got big attention anyways. Let’s just say it may have involved my tattoo. Hahaha.  By far my favorite costume some guys had put together was a Rickshaw. They had a little bike that they bought in a country, and had 1 person “sitting”, 1 driving, and one guy following them trying to get them to buy things. I suppose this won’t really be that humorous to those of you who haven’t been to other countries. (I don’t mean that to sound stuck up- but just like in the US, people want you to buy things from them, and they are, how shall I say, a little more persistent than those in the States). Think Battery Park, NY, add crazier, pushier people…and you’ll get the idea.

There was also the Ambiguously Gay duo- which was absolutely hilarious- but also sad since the majority of the already small amount of men on this ship, are gay ( which I absolutely love- except for the fact that in general, no guy is looking at you, except the crew, who you cannot fraternize with. Dang!).- The ship is a great place to become a lesbian, you’ll up your chances with relationships and what have you.

Picture this: The entire shipboard community is dancing and enjoying Halloween festivities last night, the ship is obviously en route, and meanwhile outside, I kid you not, our crew was waiting with hoses in case pirates decided to attack our ship. No lie. Apparently En route to Singapore is one of the most dangerous places (I have no clue if this is true or not since Wikipedia is my only source, and highly unreliable). But the crew legitimately were ready to hose pirates off our ship- this to me, is awesome; however, if pirates really were to come and attack, I would not have the same feelings. My roommate made me double-lock our door. Which is ridiculous when you think about it; if pirates can scale the MV Explorer and get on board, they can surely get through a double-locked door. Nevertheless, it was humorous. I have been watching Harry Potter intently this week, and I am beyond excited that Hocus Pocus is showing today.

Other than that, not much has been going on, just a lot of work, and a lot of writing e-mails back and forth with everybody under the sun.

Some people claimed they “saw pirates”- but I’m pretty sure that’s their vivid imagination. Most people are expecting a wooden pirate ships with skull and cross-bone flag and canons- when in reality, their somewhat-average looking people in stolen boats of all sorts (usually speed boats); but it is fun to think that  Captain Hook is after us- so I’ll go with it.

Oh! Crazy story- Yesterday was a rainy and dark morning, and Rachel came back to the room and screamed “There is a tornado!” Sure enough- there was a tornado following the ship (not extremely close). It was such a neat experience, how many people get chased my tornadoes while at sea? (Well- maybe a lot of sailors…but nobody I know).

I’m pretty excited for Vietnam, but sad because they voyage is quickly coming to an end, and the next few weeks will be intense. Tests and due dates left and right, two days of classes, 3 days of port, class for 2 days again, and then port again. It’s going to be chaotic.

I am 10 hours ahead of Eastern time, but FINALLY we get to fall back, and gain an hour of sleep. Which is crazy, because 2 days ago we were 9 hours ahead of the Eastern time zone, but we had to advance our clocks and hour for Singapore, just to turn them back tonight.

Just to let you know- Spring SASers- you have it made, because you CONSTANTLY ACCUMULATE hours. I should have thought this one through :p

But either way, I am having a blast, and I love the people on this voyage- we have a great group. Well, it’s time for class. Funny to think I am half-way through my day, and many of you are hours away from even waking.

Happy Halloween again, I’ll update again after Nam, unless something ridiculous like an attack on the ship occurs.

Much <3

Samantha Zerio

Executive Student Ambassador of Semester at Sea

Goodwill Operator

My childish rant and keen observation

While I have some time to kill in Global Studies- the course equivalent to death, I will share with you all, something that I forgot to.

One of the most prevalent things in India was the "bobble head"! Indians move their head like a bobble head when unsure of a question, or if they're saying yes. It is awesome! They must think it's strange when we nod our heads up and down for yes, and side to side for no.

That was my brief update/ rant of JUST how much Global Studies sucks- but I could write a 20 page blog on how much I dislike Global Studies- since all we learn about are cell phones, and "Network clouds". Not to mention our professor is a pompous prick- I think that may be part of the application process for becoming a Global Studies professor.

"How big of a douche bag are you?"   

Ahhh yes- It will be difficult to explain to my school that I failed Global Studies while circumnavigating the globe, but it just might have to happen.

Our professor legit just tried to defend himself when 2/3 of our student population got D's and F's... clearly that states that you SUCK.

All I have to say is, it's a small ship...

Anyways- enough of my rant on Global Studies. As of tonight I will be 10 hours ahead of Eastern time- crazy!

We will be in Vietnam in 4 days, I'm pretty excited :]

Much Love kids.

The day I bought India

My introduction to India was nothing less than spectacular. I didn't know what to expect from it, and feelings throughout the ship were a mix between excitement and disgust. 

 First off, yes we are by a coal factory, but it honestly does NOT smell that bad, people are over-dramatizing it. You get used to the scent within minutes. The port is a commercial port, but not too hard or far to navigate.

The vehicles (particularly the trucks) are a wide array of colors, and I love it! Yesterday I had a service project (which I think are the best experiences one can have). We went to a school that held 1000 kids from all types of ages. infant- 14 (?) Once we reached town, the bus was too big to fit through the streets, so we got out to walk a short distance. Upon exiting the bus we were greeted with homemade flower necklaces, dots, and markings on our faces (girls were the only ones who got this), flowers to hold, and a sugar crystal placed into out mouths. They had a band all dressed up that marched us through the streets. There were about 40 school children who welcomed us, and formed a circle around all of us by linking arms. So we walked down the street circled by these wonderful children. EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE- was hanging out their windows, their shops, or standing on the street waving to us. I seriously felt like I was someone famous. We literally had a parade for us all the way to the school.

When we reached the school the most beautiful little children in the world were standing in lines forming a walkway between them; they then handed us roses, and we went to sit. There was a banner up thanking us for being here, and then they had some of the children perform.

These children were not only gorgeous, but had practiced for who knows how long to perfect a dance for our visit. It was one of the most breathtaking experiences I have ever witnessed. They were all dressed in Saris and bangles, and did a phenomenal job. After a few introductions we got to work. There were 26/27 of us, and between us all we painted blackboards, planted flowers and other seedlings, painted doors, windows, and buildings.

The kids were incredibly fascinated with us, and I think all of us were just as fascinated by them. Each student would come up, put their hand out, and ask what our names were. It was adorable! They couldn't pronounce Samantha- or Sam...but to be fair I was nowhere near close to pronouncing some of their names.

The kids would engulf us, and the teachers were excited to meet us as well. One even braided my hair! She was a sweetheart. The kids asked us to write our names down so they could practice and remember them- it was adorable!

They sang English songs with us like Twinkle, Twinkle... and then when we were finished we all played with the kids. It was absolutely beautiful. They love having you take their picture and then seeing it afterward. we spun them around, threw them in the air, and just had a ball. These kids were so energetic and so happy we were present. At one point a little boy asked me to kiss his cheek. And once I did, a swarm of boys and girls came up to me, and every other girl in our group, and asked us for kisses. They were some of the most precious children I have ever seen.

By the end of our time there- the leader of the school asked us to join him in a ceremonial activity, where we shared our thoughts and experiences of the day, and lit homemade candle tea-lights, and formed a circle of light. Then, I kid you not- as if their friendliness wasn't extended enough, THEY gave US presents. We received gorgeous metal bowls and plates, as well as a certificate thanking us for being a part of this.

It was truly an amazing day, and has opened my heart and mind up to India. I am fascinated by their culture, and love the people. They are just as friendly as the people in Ghana, and have such an innocence about them.

To top of one of the best days of my life, it was sweet and sour pork/steamed rice day in the main dining hall. A great day, followed by a great dinner. I cannot complain.

Today I am going to pursue around Chennai, and take a rickshaw to some shops with Anjuli. Then I am returning for lunch, and to go to an orphanage- which I am sure will be both heartbreaking and astounding.

I had some time to kill today, so me and Gdifa (G-fuh) decided to grab a rickshaw/cab into town to do some shopping before my orphanage visit. We went in this sketch looking cab- that did not start properly, but I made friends with the cab driver Alex. He was a cool guy- even though he brought us to a store we didn't want to go to at first. Side note- For those of you going on SAS- please note that cab drivers get "points" and money for stopping at their friends shops (whether you buy anything or not). So Gdifa and I made friends with the shop keeper Raja, and he gave us some good tips, and told us Alex was nice, but crazy. Schweet. So we finally went to some markets, where I bought some beautiful sarees (PS- bargaining in India is harder than most countries).

Oh PS- Alex (our cab driver) said we only had to pay 50 Rupees (25 each) and he would drive us around the entire day. For those of you who aren't up to date on the US Dollar/ Indian Rupee exchange rate. Right now $1 = 46 rupees.

So basically for 50 cents...yes... 50 CENTS we got a personal chauffeur for the day. Can we say AMAZING!

Okay- so after buying sarees we shopped around for bangles (most of them although they were cheap...just looked cheap- and looked like stuff I could find in a dollar store in America- but I did find some cool ones). After a fun-filled half day of shopping, I needed to get back to the ship to visit the orphanage.

Alright so the orphanage. Not exactly what I expected- although to be fair, I was set in my mind set from yesterday. All of these kids, well-behaved, and putting on shows for us at the school- they were very obedient.

The orphanage- I keep having to remind myself, was a little more chaotic. It definitely was not crazy- but there were just SO MANY kids, and so few adults. And the adults didn't have much control over the kids. They weren't really unruly- they were just so hyper. And over-excited as soon as they saw cameras.

Here was my pet peeve. We all brought toys and small gifts for the kids (which was put in a box so it didn't get more hectic in there- understandable), but some "GENIUS'S" (that is sarcasm) decided to bring candy- but not just ANY old candy, they brought CHOCOLATE.

Hello- Maybe it's my maternal instinct kicking in... but chocolate, ESPECIALLY in the hot weather in India... MELTS! The kids had chocolate all over themselves, us and our cameras.

Now would be a good time to note to get a very durable camera- as kids love taking photos of each other and themselves. They won't run off with your camera, but they will ask you if they can take photos with it.

The kids were a handful, and hanging all over us. But they were a lot of fun. We then went to the playground where the toddlers and much younger kids were. It was really depressing because so many of the kids were just unresponsive.  Some were so lively- and others showed no emotions- they were completely blank.

There were kids just sitting on swings- not really moving, staring- and this was for an hour or so. It was just so sad. Most of the kids warmed up to us, and we spun them around, climbed things, ran with them, played ball, you name it, we did it.

A bunch of the kids even put on a dance routine, and sang for us. Then we all did it in return. All in all today was a lot of fun. I don't think it can compare to my first day- but who knows. Tomorrow is another day. I guess today is just one of those days to reflect on what you saw. I imagine an orphanage in any country would be that sad- but it just so happens I experienced it.

Overall it was still an amazing experience and I am glad I went. I learned a lot, and hope the children gained something too.

On my third day in India- I used it as a shopping day. Anjuli, Kyle, and I went to Spencer Plaza- which is a market and mall combination- and shopped for hours... and by hours- I mean the entire day. I spent a lot more than I should have, but definitely got A LOT of things. Including a bunch of free things! :]

For the first time in my life I had trouble putting on a shirt because my boobs were too big! I also announced that to the entire store, and then the shopkeeper said "Boobs no big- small boobs, shirt will fit" Hahaha SHOT DOWN. I told him to let me have my moment of glory.

Poor Kyle had to deal with me and Anjuli wanting to stop in just about every store we passed. And eventually we told Kyle that he could leave us because we wanted to shop more- he was such a trooper, but ended up leaving with Dean Nick and Eddie. The shop keepers were so incredibly friendly- and one of the last shops we went to, this man invited us to his house for dinner and tea! He had showed us photos of other SASers that have been in his shop and they even had welcome signs made for us! He is such a great business man- he uses a "no pressure" tactic, so you end up buying a lot more- smart man. Anyways we decided that we would eat dinner at his house the next night (last night- the 26th). After a long day of shopping, a friend Jennifer and I prepared to pick up our interport student from Vietnam. We had to leave the ship at 9:30 pm , and her flight was to arrive at 11pm. Well- it took us about 40 minutes or so to leave the gate because the port guards were telling us we had a curfew. So our driver was yelling at them, and eventually we had to call the port agent from our ship to come and sort things out. (I hope India is the only place we need shore passes- because it is annoying to sign in and out of port EVERY time you leave and come back). I understand it is for our safety- but 99% of the ship are CLEARLY not from India...

Anyways- we finally left and headed to the airport, our drivers were incredibly nice. We then waited at the airport FOREVER to pick our interport student up. Her plane was late and arrived at 12:35- I felt so bad for her because she flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok to India. So she was exhausted. On our way back we had to stop again- because at certain times at night they close roads for safety reasons, and to reduce issues, or some crazy stuff- so we were stuck there for about 15 minutes or so. Then we headed to immigration to get her papers to allow her into port- then from there we had to get through 2 more gates in port in order to reach the ship. We FINALLY got to the last gate which is like a "check point" gate and 100ft away from the ship- and they wouldn't let her in... so we waited for about 90 minutes while our driver called the port agent AGAIN to come talk to these guys. Then we finally got on the ship- and needed to get her all set up with a room key, card, and show her where she can at least get food. Then we brought her to her room. I went to bed about... 3:30 ish? And I had a trip- The trip I was looking forward to the most- which would leave at 7:00. I woke up at 7:30- I was all sorts of emotions. But mostly livid. I went to breakfast to find a trip leader to see if I could catch up to the bus- and after talking to 3 of them they informed me that it would be hard to since the village was 90 minutes away, however they informed me, that under my circumstances they would reimburse me. So I was definitely upset- but what could I do?

So then Karen from the field office found me, and invited me to join her and a lifelong learner for the day- I agreed so I wouldn't have to sit on the ship while everyone was out. I had so much fun! Karen, Diane and I had such a blast- we went to see temples, and saw the gorgeous beaches, we had a personal driver all day- JC, he was amazing! And they paid for EVERYTHING for me. They were so incredibly sweet, and I was thankful since I would not have been doing anything otherwise. We came back to the ship around 5:30 or so, but I had had such a blast! (We had even passed the village I was supposed to be going to- People told me it wasn't that spectacular, so I felt better).

Last night Anjuli and I headed back to Spencer Plaza to go to the shop keepers house- there ended up being a large group of about 10 of us going, and we all had so much fun! And I... yes I ... tried some India food, and LOVED it!

Tandoori chicken has a little spice, but it's good, and I got to eat with my hands again (which I absolutely LOVE), and we had these tortilla-like things, and there was some yellow sauce which was just incredible.

I know I must sound like a crazy person to everyone because I met a man and went to his house after knowing him for like 3 hours. But I felt safe with it. That is my rule for anyone going on this trip- You will know when something feels right, or doesn't. And I felt great- so I jumped on this opportunity and I am SO glad I did. We all had a blast, we met his wife and daughter who were going to do Henna on us, but it was getting late and we were very tired. We just had a blast!

Rickshaws + Auto Rickshaws = SO MUCH FUN!

I have decided I want to send MTV's "Pimp my Ride" to India so they can do: Pimp my auto rickshaw.

I would also like to buy an auto rickshaw- because they're awesome. The drivers are insane! They let me drive one- which was an awesome experience- but also dangerous, but I only drove it near port- not when we got on the highway-ish thing. It was intense- like camping.

I have seen and learned so much in this country, and have had so much fun. I really love India, and I will be upset to leave. All of the newspapers have pictures of "The float university coming to India". We're all like movie stars here- and I love it! India will change a part of who you are after you see some of the poverty here. People literally just sleep on the sidewalks right next to the main highway- but it's not like a few homeless people- it is millions. You cannot pass a corner, sidewalk, or dirt patch without someone laying there. It is incredibly sad, and really makes you think things over. It will take a while to reflect on the things I have seen in India, but it's been one of the most amazing experiences I have had.

Today I have an FDP to visit a hospital, and then we head out :[ But we're going to Vietnam! I am sure I am leaving out 893474897 things. But it is so hard to tell everything what I have seen, and what smells I have been smelling, and how people are. It's one of those things that no matter how many photos you have of it, and no matter how well you describe it, you will never know until you have been here. I am so happy I didn't go to the Taj Mahal- everyone said it was gorgeous but they were rushed- plus I had such an authentic, rustic time in Chennai and really assimilated myself- and submerged myself into their culture. India is filled with hear-felt, wonderful people, and I would gladly come back any given day!

Basically India has been an experience, both good, and eye-opening. The Taj trips came back yesterday, and roomie has some of the most devastating photos ever. People were cremating bodies in the street, dead people were floating in rivers, and get this- monkeys… had guns.

So we have goats in trees in Morocco, and monkeys with guns in India- this is pure craziness!

I am in love with India- but so excited to be going to Vietnam!

Until then.

<3

Olympics!

Where do I even begin to start? I am almost positive that yesterday was one of the best days of my life. It was the highly anticipated day of the Sea Olympics.

For those of you who know me, in High school I wasn’t filled with school spirit- but when I got to College I had spirit up the wazoo! Well. I must admit, I was not ecstatic about yesterday due to the fact that my Sea- the Balearic Sea’s color- was pink- my LEAST favorite color in the World!

For those of you in the dark… The Sea Olympics is a tradition of Semester At Sea that essentially marks the Halfway around the World part of the Voyage. There are usually 10 Seas- halls are divided into seas, and one sea is usually faculty and staff, and one for Lifelong Learners or WOW’s (Waves of Wisdom) and dependents (the kiddies on the ship).

However we had 9 seas since the Lifelong Learners/Faculty and Staff joined together.

Anyways- Each Sea will have Captains. All the Captains (weeks before the Olympics) come together to discuss the activities and scoring of the day/events.

Every team is required to make a torch, and have a photo of it somewhere neat and fun. Every sea decks themselves out in their color, and creates their own chant to sing.

Our chant was:

Who are we?

Balearic Sea

We swim, you sink.

We do it in pink!

Now- here’s the scoop. The Seas are VERY uneven in numbers. Some teams had 80 people, pothers 50, and ours, and another sea only had 30 something. Keep in mind there are some people that don’t participate.

This left us, the Balearic Sea with about…20ish participants? On top of that- there are not very many males on this ship… and there are only 6 in our hall.

All of the events require minimum amounts of people, and specific genders, which is VERY hard to do with a group of 20 something people.

Anyways- I knew if I didn’t participate I would regret it by the time I got home, if not sooner. So I, Samantha Zerio- decked myself out, clad in pink items- and attempted to get into the spirit of things.

The first thing had signed up for was Scattergories- oh yes- that’s right family…

I DOMINATED! I won our team 1^st place (even after people threw out practically every answer I had). After that, I was competitive, and fully confident in our small but fierce team doing well.

The competition was fierce, and the games were so much fun! I will name as many as I can remember:

Scattergories, Pictionary, Scrabble, Dean Byron Says, Extreme Musical Chairs, Hawaiian Bowling (soap between caution wet floor signs), Popcorn eating contest, a Relay Race which consisted of many activities like a wheel barrel race, water pong, fishing, flip cup, find sticky, up and down, so many other crazy events! We had SAS Trivia, a Spelling Bee, and a “Finish that Tune” type of bee.

We had a lot more, like synchronized swimming, sweatshirt melody, bat spinning…the list goes on, you get it.

Our team was awesome! We were classy, and showed good sportsmanship, but most importantly – we had FUN!

We scored 2^nd and first in a lot of games- like Dodge ball, and the crab walk, and we really worked together as a team. Every team was also to make a banner- ours, and all of them, looked fantastic!

Ours was “It’s not the size of the wave, but the motion of the ocean”- very fitting to both the fact that we’re on a voyage, and that we’re the smallest Sea in the Olympics.

After all activities, judges scored while we enjoyed a BBQ dinner (trust me- you will anticipate these like no other when you’re at sea).

There were hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni salad, corn on the cob, ribs, an array of fresh fruit (my favorite part of the dinner), bread galore (There are NOTHING, but carbs on this ship FYI), strawberry ice cream, sherbet, and then an assortment of 7 or so desserts. I have never seen so many people come to dinner at one time, and I am pretty sure people from nearby land had come onto the ship to join the festivities… seriously, all the hermits of the ship were out, and it was so much fun.

Not to mention, I saw what was probably the most AMAZING sunset I have ever seen in my life.

The day was truly breathtaking. The day was filled with good friends, great memories, and a whole lot of spirit. It was an intense day, but so much fun. Some people took it a little too seriously, but most people were just there to have a good time. And that goal was definitely accomplished.

I was feeling pretty good when they were about to announce the winners- and guess what. 3^RD PLACE BABY! The first and second place teams were 2 of the largest Seas on the ship, and us, the smallest- got 3^rd! I was, and still am, so proud of our team. We did amazing! I give us a lot of credit! The rest of the night pretty much turned into an awesome dance party (we have a lot of those on ship) - and then ended with Slumdog Millionaire.

So- To tell you the truth, I am addicted, and have been for a while, to Mah Jong… So last night, after the Sea Olympics, I went to my room, and turned on my lappy to play Mah Jong.

To my dismay- my laptop looked like a blind person was trying to use it. My icons were the size of golf balls, and my screen was stretched out. I spent a good 25 minutes trying to fix it, before I started asking random people in the hallway to help me. Luckily my friend Collin fixed it a good amount- so I went back to my room, and for some reason, my computer screen literally flipped. Everything went sideways! I spent at LEAST an hour trying to fix it, and I did, was manage to rotate my screen to the other sideways direction, AND make it have giant icons. If that wasn’t enough- somehow a magnifying glass appeared on top of that, so every time I moved the mouse, everything was blown up to just about the size of my fist. It was absolutely HILARIOUS! I decided to watch Monsoon Wedding, and hit the hay.

Today I woke up early to attend and participate in a Memorial Service on the ship. A member of our shipboard community recently lost her son (who was born in 82- and is SAS alum). Captain Jeremy Kingston allowed the ship to go in a circle in the middle of the ocean for about 40 minutes or so while Katherine poured her sons ashes into the world. Then, many students (a surprising amount) came forth with flowers, and loved ones were read off, as we threw flowers into the sea. It was such a glorious morning. The sun was shining in the most spectacular way, and a rainbow had appeared (even though it had not recently rained). It was a powerful ceremony complete with poems, and a live choir (mostly faculty and staff). I had my dad’s best friend Sherwood’s name called out, and when I tossed my flower into the Sea, I thought not only of Sherwood, but everyone who has touched my life who has passed away. My grandmother Barbara, my cousin Emily, Jeff Hoffelder, Warren Skinner, Ze Palma, Eric Fries, and so many more. It was beautiful, and we could not have asked for a better day. It amazes me what we do on this ship sometimes, and it makes it that much harder to know that at some point I will have to leave.

I wish not to come back to my friends and family, but that they join me on an experience like this.

I have never appreciated what I have; more than I have on this trip. I am excited to get home to see everyone, but I could honestly stay on this ship forever. I have seen and learned so much, but I still have a ways to go. I’m interested to see how I will have changed by the time I am back home.

I’m currently sitting on Deck 5 AFT outside, listening to music, and writing to all of you. This is probably what I will miss the most about this journey (other than the countries of course)…It is so relaxing and peaceful out here. The waves have been practically non-existent from Mauritius to India. The water is just about flat, and the clouds are the most well-defined clouds my eyes have ever witnessed. The water is a mix of Navy blue/Indigo, and sky blue.

On that note- today is my day off. I have a lot to do, but I figured I would update before India.

I miss you all, and wish you the best in whatever you are doing.

Until after India…

-Sam :]

What can I say other than Mauritius is a beautiful country? I feel like it's been ages since I wrote- even though it has only been a few days. On a side note- this past Wednesday was the first time I took my Malaria pill without gagging! I felt very accomplished. (Note to those of you going on SAS- get a malaria pill that is gel-coated, or somehow coated. I am on Mefloquine, and it instantly starts to dissolve in your mouth once it's put in- and this is undoubtedly the most AWFUL taste ever). Okay- so back to Mauritius. Port Louis! The first day involved an FDP ("Required" class trip); We stopped in China town (yes- they have one here) and went into a "medicine shop" where they had crazy things! They had an enormous bag of dried mushrooms- and I mean like... the size of an average human. I really wanted to bring one back on the ship. Then we stopped at the markets and got some free samples of things from a lovely shop keeper. We spent some times in the market- which was mainly a food market. Let me stop here and tell you that Mauritius is SUCH a colorful country and I absolutely love it! I also fell in love with a boy there- I don't know his name- but we're getting married. We also visited 2 hospitals in Mauritius, and although it doesn't sound that thrilling- it was actually very neat. In the first hospital we learned all about Ayuveric Medicine, and a girl in our group got a full neck, shoulder, and back massage! (Key note in this- ALWAYS raise your hand first). Then we stopped for lunch- Everyone prepare yourself to laugh, as well as be in awe.

We literally were out in the middle of NOWHERE, and there were farms, and a hew scattered houses, and then our bus went down this bumpy dirt path (no-no...not a road, a path), and BAM! There was this gorgeous house all set to serve us lunch.

The appetizer (which I did not try) consisted of "chili bites", Chili dip for the chili bites, and some pastry-like covered chicken?

I just drank water.

Then they come out with banana leaves (I was excited because our Prof said there was a lot of fruit plantations around so we would most likely be getting lots of fruit...we didn't).

Then people start coming out with tin and silver pails and bucket- stay with me here. They spoon this orange mush onto our banana leaves-aka plates; then comes potatoes and beans mixed with curry and 34786583 other spices; then there was the seaweed/baby diarrhea looking thing (It was part of the lettuce family? And steamed); then came These potato slices in rectangular shapes with some green garnish.

They then set in front of us, bowls of "fried dough" (it is not sweet like fried dough)- just bland. And that was our utensil.

Now- here's where you will be in awe. I did NOT try the curry (because I have tried it other places before- and do not like it). I DID try the orange mush, baby diarrhea, and potato concoction.

The verdict: The orange mush was pumpkin- and so good that I seriously ate it all! The baby diarrhea tasted like Spinach- I tried it, it wasn't bad, but I loved the pumpkin! Then I tried the potato thing- which tasted like potato fresh out of water, this also wasn't bad- but the dough and potato together was too bland for me. So again- I stuck with the pumpkin. But I tried things! I am very proud of myself.

Okay- so for those of you close to me, and for people named Joseph Pizzoferrato; this will make you smile. Imagine my face when I saw them bring out a huge bucket of Steamed white rice! I took my hand, and literally pushed all the leftover gunk off to the side of the leaf to make room for the love of my life; rice.

Mmmmmmm is all I have to say.

Then they put this homemade tamarin? jelly on our leaves- and I dipped my dough into it, and it was incredibly tasty!

The house at this place was outstandingly beautiful.

Common theme in all the countries:

Everyone thinks I am from Spain, Italy or Greece (not complaining about that).

Everyone calls EVERYONE gorgeous (But the reassurance is always a booster) :]

For some reason I have had at least 1 person in every country tell me that they love my voice.

Hey-I'll take it!

There is a huge Chinese and Indian influence in Mauritius- and most of the people look like they from India- only they're complexion is slightly darker, and they speak Creole (A broken French).

Mauritius is also a hot spot for European tourists and Hollywood movie stars on a regular basis. They are known for their Coral Reefs, Beaches, Villas, and of course- the famous, yet extinct, Dodo bird (of which they are VERY proud of). OH! And something like 70% of their land is sugar cane- so as you can imagine they produce a lot of it. They also produce coffee (but not nearly as much as the sugar cane). They have the Phoenix brewery headquarters here, as well as Rum distilleries on the island.

And they have a drink (which EVERYONE always seems to be out of)- called Alouda, which is basically an almond milk shake, and locals swear by it! They also have many street vendors with fresh squeezed fruit drinks! Mmmm :]

Alright let's see here- onto yesterday... Alys and I had planned to go to the Botanical Gardens, 7-Color earth and Adventure Park. I used my (what I think are awesome) bartering skills, and dot the taxi driver down to 800 rupees per person- so roughly 24 ish dollars.

So for 24 USD we basically had our own personal driver for a majority of the day (because while you do your activities they wait for you)- Not bad at all in my book. I'm sure I could have gone lower- but it seems like a great deal to me, and after all he is a business trying to make a profit. So we literally drove up and down the coast of Mauritius. Nashid was our driver, and really cool- he liked my gnome! :] Hahaha. We went to 7-color earth first, where we saw giant tortoises and an amazing view (which you can all see when I come home). :]

The adventure park was literally minutes (if that) away from the 7 color earth- keep in mind that this whole entire time we are literally driving through farm fields, and a mini rain forest... We got to the park- paid the equivalent of 30 USD (which was cheaper than what we planned to pay for!), and started on our journey.

There are 2 courses you get to do- 7 bridges that are connected from tree to tree- and then an obstacle course and zip line (Tollanders- Think of the ROPES challenges). The bridges were really cool (you have a harness and clip yourself to a wire with rock climbing clips). The bridges were also crazy- because you often had to jump since there were enormous gaps between the wooden planks.

The obstacle course was awesome- and I have MANY awkward photos of me and Alys and our attempts to do theses gracefully. At the obstacle course there is supposed to be a guide with you throughout the entire thing... well, nobody was there- so I just took that as initiative to start :p

It's hard to explain without pictures but here we go... The first bridge was a rope net base- with no handles or anything- so you just walked across a rope net. The second was two rope nets- one on your left, and one on your right- they were vertical... and there was NO bottom.

AKA you look like Spiderman while going across this (and I am pretty sure I have become extra flexible from this course). The rope nets are loose- so they swing and sway, and you do mid-air splits (ha-ha- it is too funny).

Alys got stuck part way and fell, and ended up having a mini zip line- but then got caught in the end tangle of ropes and nets. So I hooked myself back on, and proceeded to save the day :]

Then there was the log swings- where you jump from swing to swing hoping not to fall. And at one point I was sitting on it, literally swinging. The logs were high- then low- then long and narrow, it was crazy!

then we got to a rope net that was vertical and there was just one (this was actually very easy- but I did get rope burn on my hands).

Then there was the zip line- by this time a guide had spotted us, and was astounded we weren't dead. Ha-ha- Good thing he did spot us, because I would probably have attached the zip line incorrectly. The zip line was a lot of fun- and you literally SLAM into this "cushioned" wall.

The last obstacle was so much fun- but very challenging. you had two ropes for your feet- and two for your hands. I slid across the ropes like a duck- and the tour guide and I were laughing so hard- that 2/3rds of the way through I fell, and got tangled in all the ropes to the point where he had to come untangle me. It was too funny. I then managed to miraculously get back onto the rope- but then fell forward as soon as I was up. So I did I mini "zip-line" to the end of that.

The views from this place were spectacular- I felt like I could see the entire island!

I'm sure there is a bajillion things I am forgetting to tell you.

OH! I FINALLY got an external hard drive, since the start of the trip I have 13,741 photos from various countries. I know- insane!

And the worst part is... probably 1000 pictures/videos of mine somehow got messed up- so they aren't even included in that 1000 :p

Okay so yesterday- our last day in Mauritius (:[) I went snorkeling, and rode on a catamaran!

It was awesome. I swam over coral reefs, and had 2 underwater cameras with me, so I hope the pictures turned out great. We saw a school (?) of dolphins (Which is when my camera decided to "break", and we saw a whale.

I was telling this girl that Discovery Channel gave me unrealistic expectations of sea life- because you always see them jumping, and doing all these crazy things- and of course nobody EVER sees that.

Well. The whale must have heard me, because 2 minutes later- it LEGIT jumped like 10 feet into the air! It was amazing, and none of us got a picture :[   But I guess there's a reason for that. It's stomach was facing towards us, but it was one of the most magical moments.

I loved Mauritius, but not as much as I thought. SAS glorified it a little too much- and made it seem like this luxurious, luscious island, which it is...if you're at the beach the whole time. People forgot that this too, was a country, with it's problems and downfalls like every other.

I noticed that in Mauritius, and SA dogs are A LOT more prevalent then other creatures. The dogs here were always on top of roofs, and wandering the streets. And the roosters I saw were gigantic! Like... 20+ lb roosters- it was crazy.

It was also interesting to see Chinese people, as well as Indian people speaking Creole.

This is information I learned, but I do not know how accurate it is, so take it with a grain of salt. Mauritius is about the size of Rhode Island, with a population of 1.2 million. 800,000 of that 1.2 million our tourists.

Oh! We got to take water taxis from our ship to the waterfront! It was kind of neat- but also annoying, we paid 2 USD (which is not a lot, but we do not go far, and if you repeatedly go out- it adds up), and it got extra annoying because the drivers would make you wait until a larger group of people came to go on the taxi. So one time I waited 45 minutes.

I don't think there is much else to say right now. We are headed to India.

I'm doing mostly service projects there, but it will be a lot of fun.

In 2 days we have the Sea Olympics, I'm pretty stoked for this event!

Catch you kids on the flip side!

Before my day ends on this side of the hemisphere- I would like to make a few announcements:

Happy Birthday Mom! :] I love you!

Also- Happy National Coming Out Day to everyone! I have numerous gay friends on this voyage, and it was such a great day to see how well the shipboard community supported them.

I'd also like to take this time to thank Alex (my neighbor, and true friend), for being a talented speaker; as well as being a great inspiration to everyone.

PS- If you haven't seen the film Milk, please do, it was fantastic.

That's pretty much it for today folks. We'll be in Mauritius in a few days- and it's midterm week on ship :[

Sad to say we're almost 1/2 way through our voyage. It's going to be rough going away from this eye-opening experience; but it will feel good to be home :]   (Although I will really miss the rocking of the ship- I sleep so well  on here!)

Oh! And one more thing... My friend Anna's adoptive grandma shared the most brilliant activity with her family today:

Make a list, or a book/journal, anything really- and every day write in it ONE THING that makes you happy- no matter what it is. The color blue, a friend, anything.

I encourage everyone to do it, I am starting tomorrow, and hope to continue it throughout my life.

Alright- It's getting past my bedtime (I'm 7 hours ahead of Eastern time, and after tomorrow I will be 8 hours ahead) :[

Spring Voyagers- You are lucky- since you GAIN all of these hours we've lost. Hahaha

Enjoy kids!

<3 Much love.

SA is UH-mazing!

Wow- Where do I even start?!?!? Honestly- Prepare yourself- this is going to be a looooooooooooooooooooong blog.

South Africa is arguably the most gorgeous country in the world. I am in love with Cape Town- and all who inhabit it. :] Let’s start with the waterfront- which is stunning! We are literally steps away from huge shopping areas, gorgeous malls, restaurants, and buildings! We got here on the 3^rd, and I have never seen the line to get out so packed! I had the first day free, so I decided to hike Table Mountain with a group of friends. Woo- Let me tell you… if you want to know how out of shape you are- try hiking…well climbing that mountain! All in all it was a lot of fun- and rewarding when we got to the top. Not to mention the views overlooked all of Cape Town, the port (or Jetty), and a few other towns. Then the rest of the day, Susan and I explored all around Cape Town, and then we watched a concert in the local square. Oh! For any of you who know what zorbing is (Google it!) They had the zorbing balls- but on water!!! :] There were a bunch of little kids in there- and I didn’t think adults could go in them, I wanted to do them so bad- everyone looked like hamsters! We also went to a craft market, and shopped around where I got some really neat authentic things. Unfortunately they were only there for the weekend and I missed them :[   I then took off by myself (I know, I know- save the nagging for later) and went to the grocery store, and then had dinner on the ship with 2 lovely gentlemen who most likely think I am incredibly insane, and completely bonkers. But it’s whatev.  (PS- the grape juice was AWFUL that night). Sad story.      Soooooooooooo, for any of you who were actually in suspense- here’s what my “secret activities” were:

2^nd day in Cape Town- I boarded the Bungee Bus (with 30 other SASers) and we headed 7 ½ hours towards Bloukran’s Bridge. Go ahead and look it up. Yes that is right. I jumped off the world’s highest bungee! It was awesome! I have a video, and many photos of my jump- It was the most freeing experience ever. And it wasn’t scary in the least bit. They had a little DJ stand underneath the bridge, so we were all dancing before we jumped- it was great, and I went with a fun group of people. I know this sounds horrible- but I know why people jump off of bridges to commit suicide- It is such an amazing feeling (the only difference is- I have a rope attached to my ankles…and suicidal people die). Up until the point where they hit the ground- MAN, what an experience. It is completely quiet- and peaceful.  Anywho- after we all jumped, we went to the Cliff Bar (no- not the snack), which actually has an open deck and view of the bridge so that you can see people jump. They also have a live cam inside, so you can see the person jumping on the TV set inside. Anyways……………. We got treated to what I thought was amazing pizza, and then had a cool little dance party. Then we headed to our log cabin’s (which were gorgeous), and hit the hay. We then woke up early the next morning and drove 5 hours back towards Cape Town- where I did my next outrageous stunt. I went shark cage-diving with Great Whites! This also, was a fun experience. Our boat we went out on was the Barracuda- and I pretty much fell in love with our videographer. I was the 3^rd group to go in the cage to dive, and by this time- the shark was ticked that he had not gotten the bait yet. (We were NOT the bait). He ended up thrashing into our cage- and legit stuck his face inches away from mine. It was sweet!  After warming up, and a brief lunch- we hopped back on our bus to head back to Cape Town.

Okay- so I’d like to take this brief time to state that I think I have a problem. As amazing as Bungee jumping and shark diving were- I had little to no adrenalin rush… what the heck is up with that?

I decided that if I tried bungee jumping backwards- with a great white, maybe that would get my adrenalin flowing? Hahaha.

I cannot wait to show you guys the photos!

Yesterday- I decided to stay grounded a bit and I did Habitat for Humanity in a township. I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding experiences. On average 1.5 million people live in townships- in shanties (which literally look like cardboard boxes). It’s really sad- and the people are so incredibly sweet and friendly. We had so much fun working on the house! I have plenty of pictures from this too! There were lots and lots of singing, dancing, as well as brick lines, and dugga mixing. We took some time to play with the kids- who were no joke, the most beautiful people in the world. And they had the coolest toys! (I know that sounds weird)- Their toys were so simple, yet none of us could play with them, because we couldn’t figure them out. There was this top, and you wrapped a string around it, and spun it a certain way, flung it, and it’d spin on the ground- but then you had to use your middle finger and index finger in order to allow it up onto your hand- and keep it spinning! It was so much fun. We also went on a tour of the township- and fields and fields of kids just ran up to us, and started holding our hands, and climbing us. I must have carried 5 kids at once at one point. And they LOVED playing with our cameras. We got a lot done on the house- and the couple we were building it for are deaf- but the most genuine people you will ever meet. And they made us this delicious bread/muffin and apricot jam for snacks. And they even gave us a Tea Time! It was such a great day, and I had a lot of fun with it. It got really emotional when we left. I handed out toys to a bunch of kids, and one of the only guys in our group (A big, robust guy) started to loose control- and just wept. Basically I held a grown man in my arms while he bawled his eyes out- but that shows just how powerful and moving this day was to everyone. We gave a family a home, one that is safe, and functions. So on to today- man, seriously. I love this place. And I honestly plan on coming back, and at least spending a summer here. It’s seriously THAT amazing. Not to mention the World Cup is going to be here in 2010!!! :] (Thank you Laura for my new found love of soccer- football).

Okay, I will digress… Africa has 11 “official” languages- any many people can speak mostly all of them. Pretty much everyone here knows English. And their accent is my favorite IN THE WORLD! It is a combination of a British accent, AND an Australian accent (my two favorite accents :]  !!!) The also have Xhosa as a language- which is a predominantly clicking language- it’s awesome, and I definitely want to learn it! They also have awesome phrases like “Howsit?” and “Believe me you”- I love it!

Okay- so today. I was supposed to go to Robben Island (think Nelson Mandela). Unfortunately- they gauge their ferry weather off of Table Mountain- and they closed down ferries to the island for the day. But I at least have pictures of Robben Island. So I ended up running into a few girls who were going to go on a Cape Coast private tour- so I tagged along. It was amazing! We stopped on our way, and saw penguins! Then we drove through a nature reserve where we saw antelopes, ostriches, and many other animals (it was like a mini safari). Also- while driving we were in a heavily populated baboon area. MAN are they hilarious! And smart. Our tour guide Jerry- who was awesome- told us to lock the doors, and not open the windows. The baboons literally tried to open the doors of the van- it was so funny! We drove to the Cape of Good Hope (which is the Southern most tip of Africa)- and we also learned that contrary to popular belief, it is NOT where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean meet.

We also drove on Victoria Road (which is roughly 20mins from Cape Town)- Where houses typically cost 12 million or so. They were gorgeous! The road is named after Queen Victoria and is on the West- where the sun sets. They also have vernaculars to get up to their houses, because the hills are so steep, cars could not  make it up! We had a couple from Montréal, Canada on the tour with us, and 2 couples from Spain- they were all very pleasant- and so impressed with Semester at Sea, and its program. (As is everyone in Cape Town). So we got back and Becca, Kate, and I decided to head out to Mama Africa (supposedly a really good authentic restaurant). We called in advanced for reservations- and we got lucky- usually they are booked months in advanced! Okay…

Everyone prepare yourselves, because they next paragraph is a whole new Sam.

We got a platter- which had kabobs on it… I had 1/3 of each Kabob (there were 3 of us). Now… what was on these kabobs were DELICIOUS! But… this is so far from anything I would ever do. Ahem… drum roll please….

I ate:

Crocodile (Chewy- and a tad fatty- but really good!); Springbok (a deer-like animal); Ostrich (yes- I said ostrich); Kadoo (which is an antelope); and then a sausage type thing that was a mixture of Springbok and Kadoo.

I ate these all, and flippin’ LOVED THEM! They were so delicious. Our waiter- Dovi (even though we had like 7368 waiters), who I fell in love with- started sending shots to our table- and I told them all I didn’t drink. But I decided to try the shot. It was amazing! It had creamy amaretto on the top, and mint liquor on the bottom. It was so good. Then for some reason the topic of sex came up, and a manager overheard us, and sent over 3 blowjob shots- which looked gross, but were also very delicious. And I also had a lovely glass of white wine.

So let’s review:

I am NOT an adventurous eater, and I NEVER drink.

But tonight I did! I didn’t drink any more than that- and I wasn’t even buzzed- which makes me happy- but also scared that I have a high tolerance for alcohol and don’t even drink it.  They had live music at Mama Africa- which is the best music in the world ( I have CD’s- no worries), and we started dancing like crazy people! Then some fellow SAS kids that we know and love came, and we all hung out for an hour or so. Our waiters then invited us to hang out with them across the street. Dovi’s dad owns a restaurant/ live music place. But we decided to head back towards the shop to get some rest. I’m glad I went out, and could be with people who can control their alcohol intake.  

Oh yes! The Jolly Roger! There is a ship- a small one- that legit looks like a pirate ship, and you can go on and dress up! It is very exciting! :]

I love South Africa- and all it has to offer me! (Except AIDS… that was a mean joke…but so very true).

I’m sure there is 386593 things I am forgetting to tell everyone. But honestly. I think everyone needs to come to South Africa. I wish we had more time here, because there is just so much to do. And everyone has been super nice to all of us. (Even though I still think the Ghanaians are friendlier).

I am having so much fun in this country- and I never want to leave. Seriously. Ahhhh it is so amazing, and I will miss it so much! But at the same time, I am highly anticipating Mauritius- which is like a vacation within this vacation.

End results:

I don’t think I have had a better time in my life- this is definitely up there.

This is our last port in the continent of Africa :[ which saddens me. I cannot wait to come back here.

But seriously- vacations… Cape Town- everything is breathtaking here, and it is GUARANTEED you will have an amazing time.  The entire culture is spectacular here, and one of my favorites.

OH! Today- I also had my favorite lunch on the ship. Sweet and Sour pork and steamed white rice! (Joe where are you now?!?!?!).

Okay- I think I will wrap this up- but I am positive I will add more to it later.

<3 Love you all bunches.