A day of rest and then it's off to Italia

We will be in Italy tomorrow!

Right now I’m sitting in my room between classes. Why am I not outside you ask? Because it’s really hot outside. As soon as you walk outside, you’re drenched in sweat. At least the sky is clear and the water is blue! I’m in the Mediterranean! I just can’t get over what I’m doing right now. I had a test this morning for Global Studies. So easy! 100 matching questions about people, putting places on a map, and terms that we needed to know. But all of the stuff that we studied was word for word basically what the test was, which was really nice. We had an hour and 15 minutes for it, but I used about 25 minutes. I just had 5 questions I was unsure about, but oh well! I submitted my paper at 9 this morning. Huge load off of my shoulders! I have another paper about Flamenco due the day between Italy and Croatia, but I’m going to definitely try and have it done before the end of the day so that I can enjoy myself! Though that last day I’m in Naples I don’t know what I’m going to be doing, so I wouldn’t mind working on that. Apparently 6+ people have dock time which SUCKS! There were some people that were really late, like after 8:00pm late. If we weren’t waiting for the Barcelona SAS trip to get back to leave, we would have left those kids behind.

You get dock time if you are late back to the boat after on-ship time, which is usually about 6:00. For every 15 minutes you are late you get 3 hours of dock time, So those kids that came back after 8pm and weren’t with an SAS trip have about 24 hours of dock time. That is the first day in Italy! So, I’m definitely going to make sure I’m back for the ship on time for everything. We’re coming back on the last day from Rome, so we’ll definitely have to get an early train back. Oh yeah, I’M GOING TO ROME!

Anyway, here are the plans for the next few days. Today we are sailing between Corsica and Sardinia some time this evening, which is going to be awesome! We are getting to port around 8am, but I plan on being up around 6:45 again to see the sun rise over Italy. We have to make it a point to witness this with all of the countries.. if possible… The last 2 sunsets have been unbelievable. I can’t wait to get pictures posted when I get back! My bus to Rome leaves around 9:30-10:00 am and we are getting dropped off outside of the center of the city since tour buses can’t go into that section of the city. From there I’m meeting Rachel and Tim at the train station and then we’re headed off on our adventures! We don’t know exactly what we want to do yet. All 3of us want to see the Vatican. We heard that it’s best to get a tour guide since it’s overwhelming and you get to skip ahead of the line, so that is probably what we’ll do. It will be a bit more expensive, but it’s better than standing in line all day and not having a chance to see the Vatican. Rachel’s dad studied abroad in Rome, so he gave us some good pointers on where to go and where to eat too. That will definitely come in handy.

Our biggest issue is going to be finding a hostel. There are some really cheap ones that don’t have that bad of reviews, so I think we should be OK. It is nice that we’re traveling with a guy too. We’re meeting our friend Nate in the city the first night too. That should be fun and interesting to organize since we don’t have cell phones! Maybe we’ll just have to meet in front of something big at a certain time. It should be an interesting and fun experience.
I was worried for a while about not being able to meet up with people for things since we don’t have phones, but it’s not really that hard on the boat. There really isn’t anywhere for people to go, which sometimes isn’t so great when you want to get away from people… or person… haha.
So Italy. I can’t wait for the food, gelato, and to experience first hand some of the greatest sites in the world. I am really excited about everything! I’m just planning on taking each port as it comes so that I don’t rush through anything and miss out on something fun! (Although, I’m VERY excited about Croatia and the Croatian student that will be joining us in Naples!)
Ok, off to class, gym, shower, and paper time. Then a meeting for the Ambassador’s ball and then a briefing for Italy!!!

I think I would weight about 300 pounds if I could eat Churros every day

So, it’s June 27th and it’s 6:00pm and it’s officially on ship time! So everyone that boards the ship after this gets dock time in the next port (unless they are on an SAS trip). Dock time SUCKS! If you’re an hour late, you get 12 hours of dock time! I guess you’ll be laying by the pool and doing work while the rest of us are enjoying Italy! Anyway, as amusing as watching people run back to the ship is, it also means that we’re leaving Spain. BOO! Just when we got a good grasp of the city and it’s layout, we have to ship off to another country. Haha not so bad, I know right?

Alright, about my last 2 days in Cadiz, Spain. Yesterday was fun. We woke up early and went out to get churros con chocolate at a small café near the flower market. They were DECLICIOUS and really really bad for you! Churros are deep fried dough kind of like funnel cake, but in stick form. The chocolate was basically melted chocolate bars in a tea cup. Paired together, it made one delectable (and fattening) breakfast. After that we just wandered around the market area getting some shopping done. I got a post card, a Spain flag, a soccer scarf for the Spanish national team (hooray Fernando Torres!), a magnet, and a flamenco fan. So now my room Is semi decorated… it has a magnet on my wall of Cadiz. Haha. Erin has all these pictures, so I look really lame. After wandering around, we went to the beach around 2 and ate lunch, laid in the sun, and played in the waves. Let me tell you. It’s definitely an experience seeing a 50 something woman weighting around 180lbs topless on a beach. There were maybe 3-4 other girls topless, everyone else had swimsuits on. I guess I’m going to have to get used to this!

After beaching it, we headed back to the boat, showered, ate dinner, and then napped. We all woke up, and got ready to go out. We ate dinner (well they did we didn’t) with Nate and Russell and Eric. Then grabbed some icecream before joining up with some other people from the ship. We headed to this one bar called Nahu. It was really awesome inside. There was a hookah and it was decorated sort of Turkish styped/ Moroccan style. It was really nice. Beers are 1 Euro and a glass of their sangria is 2 euros, which isn’t bad at all and it was delicious. (did I mention that Spain breeds the prettiest men in Europe I think? The bartenders were gorgeous and so were all of the guys at the beach….) This bar definitely played mmmbop. It was HILARIOUS. It came on and all of us just started singing. I mean, really? In a BAR!? They played a lot of American music, it was weird. So we headed to another bar and it was OK. I decided to go home, Erin and I were tired and it was 3am.

Today we just slept in and then went to the post office to mail our postcards and to walk around a bit more. I had to go to a store to get a new shower sponge and random things. We then ate some lunch (I had paella! Which was amazing!) and then back to the ship to get our computers. After attempting to get free wifi for the longest time, we managed to use it for a bit (but I forgot to upload this!) and then we just got back on the ship since it was on board time soon and we didn’t want to get stuck in a long line.

Tonight we are meeting with our small groups to discuss more of Amartya Sen’s Identity and Violence and to do a port debriefing. I just want to get it over with so that I can start working on my paper for Global Studies and start looking at the other papers I have to do for other classes. Rachel and I are going to go sit in a classroom and do work and watch Almost Famous tonight. I’m looking forward to it! Coincidently it’s my second favorite movie and she brought it with her!


So that is my Spain update. Nothing too exciting. I’m waiting to sell my ticket for Rome on Your Own so that I can just grab a train with Rachel and Tim and stay in Rome for 2-3 days. We’re going to stay in a hostel and everything, which I’m excited about. I wanted to give us enough time to see the Vatican and everything that Rome has to offer before heading back to the ship and heading to Naples.

Anyway, look forward to some more updates on my travels! If you want to contact me email me! It’s free for me at mlvukmir@semesteratsea.net... No internet minutes are used, which is great!

Adios!

A charming city, delicious food, fresh sherry, and some Flamenco

Me encanta España!

It’s day 10 since the boat left Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 16th and I’M IN SPAIN! The night of the 23rd felt like Christmas eve when I was 6. Erin and I had the HARDEST time getting to sleep and then when we did, we both woke up 15 minutes before our alarm clocks went off at 6:45am in order to see the sun rise over Spain and to watch as the guide boats helped our ship into the dock in SPAIN! After eating breakfast while the ship was OKed by security in Spain, I went back to sleep from 8-11 and Erin when our for her first FDP (field project). I know, I know, I was really lame and went back to sleep, but I was exhausted and my stomach was upset, so any walking around would have just been me being cranky! Plus everyone else was off on independent field studies, so I just went to sleep. Woke up, showered, and got ready to head off on my first SAS related trip which was the Cadiz city orientation. I know yesterday I talked about maybe going to Cordoba today, but Nate and I found out that the train runs at 8 am and like 5pm, so there was no way we would get a good Cordoba experience before we had to be back for today’s FDP for our ethnomusicology class.

But all-in-all I was fine with yesterdays events! I woke up, and showered like I said before and met my group on the pier by our boat. We then headed to the first monument which was across the street from the pier. It was recognizing the signing of Spain’s first constitution. It’s huge and awesome and made of white stone. It’s very pretty. We then headed down the very narrow, stone streets through the old section of the city (dating back THOUSANDS of years BC when the Phoenicians first came from Morocco to inhabit this section of land), to the archaeology museum. We had a tour through there with our tour guide where we saw various artifacts from the years when the city was first founded. It was insane to think about just how old some of the buildings around us were. It just puts you in awe when you think about how those buildings had seen thousands of years of life before the US was even founded? There was an archway we saw as we walked through the city that was built in the 1200’s and it’s still standing and just about perfect! We walked through the city a little longer, went to the main square and went to the different markets in the area. We scoped out a lot of little restaurants too to get an idea of things to eat and places to go.

After returning to the ship, I rested for a bit and then met Tim, Nate, and Eric to go to the beach on the atlantic. It was a quick 10 minute walk across the city (yes across the city in 10 minutes!) before we got to this beautiful beach. The water wasn’t quite crystal clear yet because we are just on the cusp of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, but I could definitely see my feet when I was in water up to my chest! It was awesome! The waves were really fun and Nate and Tim are great people to hang out with! YAY NEW FRIENDS! Haha, anyway, after we were there for a good 3 hours swimming, we dried off and headed back to the boat to shower and get ready for dinner. Unfortunately, we went to dinner with a group of like… 15? And they chose this expensive restaurant, so my new best friend Rachel and I ordered something really cheap and shared it! We had croquetes, which are these little deep fried things filled with random meat and cheese. They were really good. Then we wandered around Cadiz looking for a bar/club to go to. Ran into some friends of ours, and went to a bar that they were at, which was one of the only two open on a Wednesday night.

We had a few drinks then called it a night since Tim had to be up at 6:30 to head to Sevilla and I had to be up for today.

Today was amazing. My FDP was the best thing about this trip so far! First we met outside on the pier and boarded a bus to Jerez de la Frontera, a small city inland in Spain about an hour away from Cadiz. We headed to the Flamenco center, which we later found out was in the center of the Santiago neighborhood – a gypsy neighborhood. Flamenco originated from the gypsies when they came here from the middle east. It wasn’t publicly performed until recently since the gypsies weren’t accepted in society. In some places they still aren’t. Anyway, we found out that students from all over the world studying dance, guitar, and just the general musicology of Flamenco go to this place and stay (for free). It has all sorts of books and scores and videos and recordings dating back 1-2 centuries when Flamenco was first arriving in Spain.

People generally think of flashy dancing and guitar and big swirling skirts and sometimes fast paced rhythms when they think of Flamenco. However, that is not generally the case. There are over 70 different types of Flamenco and the most important person in the group is the singer. The singers get SO intense in the music, which is a majority of the time about some sort of pain over something or rising above the hardships and sometimes love. The voice is usually harsh and doesn’t really sound much like “music” to most, so it’s not generally liked by western music lovers (everyone that likes a definite beat and technique). It sounds a lot like the chanting of the Quran (sp) or some sort of Islamic or Muslim prayer, which makes sense since that is the region where Flamenco came to Spain from!

Anyway, after the flamenco center, we boarded the bus again and headed to a bodego (a bar) in another section of Jerez. We walked through the bar portion into the back which was a huge warehouse where they were fermenting and storing their sherry. There were chairs and tables set up and that is where we spent the next 4 ½ hours. It was amazing. Words can’t really describe what happened. There were several guitarists and singers and a dancer (who was British but had lived in Spain for the past 25 years) who first taught us to dance Flamenco and then who played and danced for us. The emotion that goes into Flamenco is unreal. I mean, I’ve seen singers and dancers passionate about their work, but I’ve NEVER seen anything like this. It’s their life. Since I don’t really want to blog your ear off, if that is possible, I won’t rant about how spectacular this was. But they played and sang songs from different regions of spain and different types of Flamenco. We ate jamon (ham) and Queso (cheese) but it wasn’t typical ham and cheese. The ham looked like bacon but was 10 times better and the cheese was some sort of crumbly cheese that sort of resembled parmesan? We split a bottle of sherry at my table between me, Rachel, and Nate. We got the sweet sherry which was OK. It tasted like molasses, it was weird. I didn’t really want to try the dry sherry. We figured we might as well taste it since it’s coming straight from the bar that we were at!

Anyway, I’ll close this with something both the tour guide and the Flamenco Center and the guy, Simon, that was doing our Flamenco lesson said.

Flamenco isn’t something you just learn for the hell of it or to get another dance style under your belt. You have to feel it. It’s a connection you make emotionally. There is no gray area. Either you like it or you hate it. And if you like it, you love it, and can’t get away from it. And you don’t have to be a gypsy to love it, people come from all over who have sparked their passion for Flamenco in some way. It’s terribly hard to master, but it’s an amazing journey.

Adios y hasta manana!!

" I am the lady in Spain, I'll sing a haunting refrain..."

Alright, day 6 of classes, day 7 at sea and day 8 since I’ve left Nova Scotia and guess what? TOMORROW I’M GOING TO BE IN SPAIN! I seriously can’t even begin to describe how excited I am about getting to Spain. The ship is supposed to dock around 8am, so I’m definitely getting up early and watching as we pull into the harbor. Then I’m headed to the beach until about 11:00 or so when I’ll go back to the ship, change, and get ready to hit Cadiz for my city tour/archaeology museum trip which won’t take that long. My roommate is only doing a day thing as well, so we’ll probably get dinner together and then hit up Cadiz!

Yesterday we learned about Spanish food from David Geis, the guy with all of the insane credentials (I don’t know if I mentioned him before, but he has a Ph D from Pitt and has published like 5 books and 100 and some articles about Spain. He was knighted by the prince of Spain and everything!

So I’m back to typing this blog entry several hours later (and much tanner!). Apparently I might be going to Cordoba instead tomorrow. Which I’m ok with. I think it would be a great time. So, Cordoba tomorrow? It sucks that I will have to get rid of my tickets for the city orientation and archaeology museum, but Oh well, I really want to go to Cordoba! (The sunset is really pretty BTW) So anyway, we are now debriefed on what to expect in spain and how to get on and off the ship and times and stuff. Just be back on the ship the 4th day at 6pm! I’m really excited about everything though. It’s going to be a blast. I’m definitely getting up super early to see us pull into port. And by super early, I mean around 7:30am. Haha. But I hear it’s an amazing experience just pulling into port. The first port is going to be the greatest. The 4th day here however is going to get a little lame since I am going to have to start my Global Studies paper and do a lot of work for coffee house nights, but I think it’s going to be a great experience!

Anyway, off to hang out and get some trips planned for tomorrow and to just relax. The weather was beautiful today. I have a nice base tan, and I’m ready to hit up spain!

Keep in touch!

Adios!

My SAS trips that I have planned

Ok so here are the semester at sea trips that I have planned so far. These don’t really include independent travel at all, but I will try and tell you what I was thinking about doing when not on a pre-planned trip!

Cadiz, Spain

Cadiz walking tour and Archaeology Museum (June 24th from 2:00-5:00pm) - So, I was told that it is a really good idea to do a walking tour in every country or at least try to if they have one since you get a better idea of the city with someone guiding you as opposed to trying to figure things out with a map and a friend! (which is also really fun, but to maximize my time, I’m definitely doing city tours!) Anyway, this should be great because I don’t really know much about this city and apparently it’s one of the oldest cities in Europe established by the Phoenicians way back when in the Iron Age in the BC’s. It has a very long and interesting history and I’m really excited to see the influences of the different nationalities and people that have called Cadiz their home since 900BCish.

The archeology museum also houses the fine arts museum of Cadiz and I love art, so that should really add to everything! The walking tour is brief, but should be enough to get my bearings on restaurants and internet cafes! (yeah, I should get on writing some articles!)

Flamenco In Depth ( June 25th from 11:00-4:00) – This is a field study for my ethnomusicology class. I’m really excited about it! And those that know me well, know I love music and dancing, so you understand my excitement  We’re taking a bus to Jerez de la Frontera (home of the boleria, a festival Flamenco song type). Here are going to the Andalcian Flamenco Center. After lunch, we’re going to have a flamenco class! Afterward, we are encouraged to go back to Cadiz and hang out at flamenco clubs that night and do “field research”.

After that, I don’t have anything else planned for the other 2 days in spain. I’ll probably be beaching it up and maybe traveling to somewhere close by? I’ve considered heading to Cordoba or Grenada, but the bus schedules don’t really work out that well since I have to be back on the boat at a certain time! Don’t want dock time!!!!

Civitavecchia, Italy

So, we are here for 3 days before sailing to Naples, Italy. I’m only doing one trip and it’s Rome on your Own on Wednesday July 1st. They are taking us into the city just outside of city center and dropping us off at 9:30 am. We then have the whole day to do whatever we want to in Rome before getting back on the bus at 7:30. It’s a lot of time, but I’m not sure if it’s enough! So Tim, my new friend, and I are thinking about stayin in a hostel that night and spending another day in rome before catching a bus or train back to the port. We would have to look into this more though, but I think it’s a great idea. Especially since I would love to see the Vatican and I know that the line is going to take forever! I would love to see Tuscany, but I’m not sure which city I would head to. That would have to be looked into. But I think I’m probably going to be spending 2 of these 3 days in rome. The other, I will most likely spend on the beach 

Naples, Italy

I only have one trip planned for the 2 days that I’m in Naples as well. I’m headed to Pompeii on Saturday july 4th. From 8:30am-12:30pm (noon), we are touring the main archeological site at the location of the city of Pompeii. I might take a train into Sorento upon returning back to Naples and hanging out there for a day. I’m not sure, we’ll have to see what the place holds! I have to check out the individual travel suggestions that students in the past have sent in for the area. Maybe Capri? That was suggested and I might go there. Or I might park myself on the beach and get some studying done… So many exams and so little time in port!

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Osojnik Village and Folk Show (1:00 – 8:00pm July 7th) - This trip is for my ethnomusicology course and I’m really excited about it! My roommate is coming too, which is really exciting! This village is a typical Croatian country village in the mountains that has preserved it’s medieval appearance. We’re going to get to see/participate in a traditional folkshow/festival on traditional instruments and we’re going to learn some of the dances. (hopefully I remember some of them!) I’m really excited to hear the music and to see if I’m going to recognize any of the songs and dances. It’s going to be a great time. I’m really excited about Croatia.

Dubrovnik Marine Ecosystems – July 9th (9:00-3:00) – This trip is for my oceanography class. Even though I didn’t get into one of the groups with my professor, I still am going to really enjoy it! We’re going to explore the coast via kayak and then stop at certain locations to snorkel and check out the ecosystems in the area. This is going to be a blast! I’ve never been kayaking before, and I think I’m really going to enjoy it!!! I mean, who doesn’t want to take a class where snorkeling and kayaking are required!!!!

Athens, Greece

So I don’t really have anything planned for Athens. I have some friends that are flying to Santorini. I’m SO jealous. That is the ONE place in Greece I would love to go, BUT it’s really expensive, so I’m going to be spending my time on the beaches and maybe getting a ferry to one of the other islands. I think I’m just going to independently see all of the sites that Athens has to see since we are so close to them all. Should be a fun port! I might need to spend some of this time typing papers for classes! I think I have 2 more due right between here and Turkey. Hooray!

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul City Orientation July 18th (11:00-5:00) – During this we are going to see some of the most important historical and cultural sites of Istanbul. We’re basically just walking all over the city and seeing just about everything including the Blue Mosque, the St. Sophia museum, and the Byzantine Cistern.

Sufi Dervish Ceremony July 19th ( 6:45-9:30) – This is going to be amazing and once in a lifetime. We’re going to an actual whirling dervish ceremony. I’m going to need a head scarf and we’re supposed to be separate from the guys in the group. Afterward, we’re allowed to ask the performers questions and get a lecture from a wiseman/master of philosophy, symbolism, spiritual advancements, transformations, meanings, cosmology, and instruments. This is obviously for my ethnomusicology course and is going to be a fantastic time. I’m really looking forward to this.

Other than that, I don’t really have anything else planned for Turkey. A lot of people are going on this 8 hour hike, but all of the spots are full. I am going to try and look up some interesting things to do in Istanbul. I’m sure I’ll find something! I’ll be completely content with just sitting on the black sea coast all day!

Varna, Bulgaria

So this is the first time that SAS is going to Bulgaria! It’s great that we get to experience a port for the first time!!! The only trip I have planned for Bulgaria is the highlights of Varna tour. We’re going to be visiting attractions all over the city and getting a good idea of it’s layout. We’re visitin the Roman Thermae, Ethnographic Museum, an Orthodox Cathedral, and the Archeological Museum. This will be a great way to get an idea of Bulgarian culture! On Saturday, the next day, I THINK I’m going bungee jumping. Actually I’m pretty sure that I am. I mean, why not? We are getting a group together to go and my roommate and I are thinking about doing a tandem jump! There is no way I can do it by myself! But how many people can say they went bungee jumping in Bulgaria! I’m really excited about this trip! I think I’m going to have some studying and papers to write while here too since we have a few days between here and Egypt where we will be in class!

Alexandria Egypt

Just about EVERYONE is going on a 4 day trip here… Except me!

Overnight Cairo July 31st – August 1st – So we’re leaving from the ship on buses and heading through the desert to Cairo. We’re then going to the Sakkara – the oldest Eyptian Cemetary, the first monumental stone building – the Step Pyramid of King Zoser. After that we’re going to visit one of the mastabas, or tombs, then head back into the city to check into our hotel. Afterward, we’re headed to Tahrir Square, the heart of downtown Cairo, to visit the national archeological museum where King Tut’s exhibit is! At night we’re going to watch Son et Lumiere in English at the Giza Plateau. There is a sound and light performance as the sphinx and pyramids ‘dominate the backdrop’. Afterward we’re headed back to the hotel to get some sleep before getting up super early to…

Visit the pyramids at sunrise! After hanging out at the pyramids, we then head to the El Khalili Bazaar. After getting some stuff for people, we head to the banks of the Nile, River where another curise boat awaits us to sale us up the river. ON the boat, we’ll get a buffet lunch and a belly dance performance. Afterward, we head back to Alexandria.

This is the only trip I have planned in Egypt. As you can see, there are no camels involved… SO I’m going to have to see if I can get a group of independents together and take a camel trek! This has to be done before I leave Africa!!


Casablanca, Morocco

Casablanca City Orientation August 9th ( 1:30-5:30) – SO I’m just taking another city tour for Casablanca. We’ll visit the Hassan II mosque (but won’t go inside), Then were going to drive through various neighborhoods in Casablanca. Then off to Mohamed V Square, Central Market, the Habous Quarter, The Mahkama (court), the cathedral Notre Dame du Lourdes, and the Royal Palace Mechouar. After that we are again oing to some bazaars around the royal palace. I’m excited to get a feel for the city. I have no idea what else I want to do in Casablanca. Originally I wanted to do the 4 day/3 night camel hike/camp in the desert, which I should have done, but it’s over $400. Oh well, hopefully I will get to do some desert visiting while here! I’m sure that there is something that I can get a group of people together to do.

Rabat Monday August 10th (1:00-6:00) – We basically are just going to Rabat for a few hours which is a town not far from Casablanca. It was something to do and was cheap.

I do want to make it to Marrakech, but we’ll see about that. I need to meet up with some people that want to head out and check out that city and maybe find some camels to ride in the desert!!!

Anyway, off to enjoy this beautiful sunshine!

Busy days in the sun and relaxing nights under the stars

Alright, so it’s day 4 of classes, day 5 that we’ve been at sea and day 6 since actually boarding the boat. I’m FINALLY used to where everything is on the ship and don’t get lost anymore  I am exhausted, but no time to nap until later. Classes are going well. I really enjoy all 3 of them. I had my first quiz in oceanography. Definitely the first ½ page multiple choice quiz I’ve had in college. It was awesome! I just sat there staring at the finished quiz and thinking about the 2 hr 4 question chem E quizzes or pillar courses. It was glorious. So, what have I done since the last time I wrote a blog entry? Lets see!

I joined the Activities committee. We have a dance planned for tonight. Everyone wanted a themed dance save 2 of us. It didn’t make sense to have a theme since everyone packed 2 suitcases and I’m sure no one came prepared for an 80’s dance! It’s not like we can just run to goodwill! (though we did see Islands yesterday. The captain changed the route so that we would sail through two of the Azores islands (Corvo and something else). Or something like that. They are basically in the middle of the Atlantic and owned by Portugal. There were people living on them, which was insane since it’s so far from anything!) ANYWAY, so dance tonight. We have a film festival to plan for the end of the semester at long with little open mic nights in the piano lounge. These things are definitely going to make our remaining few days at sea go very quickly! (not just the days between here and Spain, which is only 2 ½!!! Well less since every day is only 23 hours for us!) My days are packed with classes, meetings, and doing the loads of homework/reading for classes. It’s insane!! My ethnomusicology class just continues to get more intense. It’s great! I hardly ever look at the clocks in class. Despite the 3 hrs of sleep I got last night, I didn’t check the clock in Global Studies once! The professor is fantastic. He is very good at getting everyone interested. Everyone shows up 45 minutes early to class to get seats in the union to be in there in person. I just sit on the floor in the front of the room and time flies! He makes everything so interesting.

I’ve been attempting to keep up with working out. So far I’m 2/4. The good thing is that any amount of exercise on the ship is magnified with the balance issue! Sooo the ½ hr that I work out on the bike or elliptical is about equal to an hour in the gym at home! Lifting weights is definitely an interesting time, but the workout you get is sooo good especially for your core! Anyway, you don’t really care about that, BUT if you do, work out on a boat… it’s intense.

Yesterday it was sunny in the afternoon, which was really nice. I grabbed a lounge chair and layed out in the sun for 2 hours and now have a nice reddish appearance to my face. Ha ha. But there is really nothing like laying on a chair on the top deck of a huge ship on your way to Spain! There were dolphins surfing our wake. It was great. I missed the ones that were right next to the boat though. I had to attend a meeting, but I will see them.. don’t worry… Apparently when we sailed through the islands, there was a pod of dolphins circling out in the water getting up speed so that they could let the boat pass us and surf the wake. I had no idea they were so intent on surfing the wake on ships, but apparently it’s a major source of entertainment for them!

Yesterday we had a guest speaker, well inter-port lecturer, from the US speak to us about spain. His list of credentials was insane! He was even knighted by the king of spain recently. His name is David Geis and he’s a pretty intelligent and amazing man with sooo many accomplishments! Today I’m having dinner with a group of other students and the IT guy, Casey, to brush up on my Spanish. I don’t remember how to make past tense verbs! There is another speaker on how to drink in foreign countries without getting arrested. I’m really amused to hear this.

I have the final list of SAS planned trips that I signed up for, finally. I’m very excited about them. It’s going to be a great time and I have time in the countries to do independent travel as well. In the next entry which should be some time today, I’m going to summarize the trips that I have signed up for and add my thoughts on other things I want to do in the other countries that aren’t really set in stone. I know I’m going to get a LOT busier with a lot of exams coming up soon between spain and italy and papers and all sorts of field reports. So I might as well tell you now what I’m doing on what days!

I’m forming some great friendships on this trip too. I met another kid from pitt that is in Delta Chi and he’s fun to hang out with (thanks for introducing us before we left Matt). My roommate is still awesome! We’re very much a like, it’s scarey! But she is really cool! I can’t wait to see who else I bond with while on trips!!!! I just am trying to soak up every minute that I’m at sea. I know that the whole 6 days of classes before reaching a country is a lot and annoying to some since there is nothing but water around us, but I just can’t get over what I’m doing! We’re on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic taking classes and being sent out of our comfort zone to travel the world! (well the Mediterranean) with 720 kids we’ve never met before in our lives! Well.. most of them! It’s such a great experience. And yeah, the whole several days at sea before getting there and on the way back are long and tiring, but they are just so different than normal school. It’s not something I want to rush at all! And with this time zone thing, it’s all I do is rush! Haha, since we lose an hour basically every night.

Anyway, I have to go get lunch. I missed breakfast again this morning! And I am working out at 3, so I need to eat before then! (I’m am SO going to miss these 3 meals a day!)

Email me at mlvukmir@semesteratsea.net if you want to keep in touch! I usually save at least an hour a night to reply to email (which hasn’t been needed!)

-Mattie

Learning on a floating campus

So, it’s full day number 2 at sea. The weather is a LOT better. The waves are way smaller and I’m a lot less sick. Haha. It’s been sunny all day and the waves are REALLY blue. WE sat on the deck for lunch and let me tell you - it’s an amazing feeling sitting on the deck of a giant cruise ship, eating lunch with great people and staring off into the blue ocean all around you. (I even have a bit of a burn on my arm and leg from being outside for an hour!)

Classes started today. My professors are awesome. At first I wasn’t sure how much I was going to be willing to put into these classes since they are all pass/fail for me and I only actually need to pass one of them. But, since the professors are really great and want to engage you, I think I’m going to put a lot more work into these classes than I do in my pitt chem. E classes… I really hope none of my professors read this 

My oceanography class was great. First time I had the opportunity to learn about waves WITHOUT math! Hooray! No derivatives, integrals, or equations of any kind! It really is great. My teacher is brilliant too and is making class very interesting. Who wouldn’t want to take a class where snorkeling and kayaking are a requirement? The global studies teacher is great. He is very animated and makes the class very interesting, which is good since I wasn’t sure how to feel about this class. It’s my first economics/poli sci/history/culture class EVER as a college student, but he is doing a great job! Even though I had to sit on the floor! My music class is going to be very intense. I have a lot of reading for it and he expects a lot from us, but it is definitely a different perspective to view the places we are going to be visiting. The field trips should be great with this – flamenco lessons in Spain, a folk festival in Croatia, and a Whirling Dervish ceremony in Turkey!

Anyway, I have to get to some of my work. I have a few meetings tonight for the events planning committee and our first seminar which is on how to succeed at semester at sea!

All around me is the deep blue ocean

So, it’s the second day that I’ve been on the boat and the 1^st day we’ve officially been at sea. Boarding went by last names, and since Brindle and I were in a suit together, he had to be there at 8am…. I wasn’t supposed to board until 11:20, but I went anyway, and they told me it was fine and let me on the ship. We gave them our passports, got our ID cards, sent our luggage through x-ray machines and then walked through metal detectors. It was just like the airport, except they are stricter. There are really strict rules about auto-shutoff on hair dryers, curling irons, and straighteners (so, I had to leave my straightener at home). If they saw one in your bag, they had to get it out and you had to prove that it had auto shut off or they were confiscating it. We were allowed to bring food on here, so we went to the grocery store across from the dock and loaded up on snacks. My roommate is a work study student, so she was in line taking paperwork and saw that I was early and introduced herself. She is really nice and we could probably pass as sisters. We both have short curly hair and are kind of short. Haha It’s really funny. She is 20 and goes to UVA.

So we got on board around 9ish and then after filling out the appropriate paperwork, we headed to our rooms. They are a lot bigger than I thought they were going to be. A little smaller than towers I think. The beds are actually pretty comfortable. I slept like a baby last night! I have an outside room, so we have a window. I thought it was going to be a tiny round window, but they are actually pretty big. It’s really nice to be able to see the ocean fly past. Our little ship is booking it! After unpacking and getting everything situated, I walked around the ship and explored with Eric and Rachel, a girl we met the day before that shared a cab with us. It’s so confusing in here! I didn’t realize how long the ship is and everything. It’s going to take some getting used to, but in a few days, I should know my way around the ship pretty well. (they are REALLY particular about the whole ship/boat thing. It’s hilarious). Anyway, we found the gym (which you have to sign up for after 7pm the next day!) and then the outdoor sports court, and the classrooms. It’s a really nice ship…like REALLY nice.

We had a lifeboat drill and then cast off! It was an amazing feeling standing on the deck and watching the parents waving and the boat slowly leaving the dock. All you could think was oh my God, this is actually real. I’m on a SHIP and I’m going to be in Spain in 8 days! That feeling that it was completely unreal is still with me. I can’t believe I’m actually on this trip and that I’m on a SHIP!!! It’s insane! Though the rough waters like to remind you where you are. It’s taking some getting used to. I was definitely sick yesterday. I took some of that motion sickness medicine and that helped.

We had a meeting with all of the students and faculty and staff. They told us how many firsts they’ve had on this voyage. It’s the first time they have filled EVERY bed on the boat. There are 721 students. It’s also the first time that about 330 schools have been represented. They said their average was usually around 250. There are 39 students from University of Colorado in Boulder, 33 from Pitt, and 30 from UVA. It’s so great to meet students from all over! After meeting the staff and faculty, we broke off into our small groups. This is the first time they’ve required a book to be read prior to departure and the first time we’ve had small groups. Which, I think is a good thing. It’s nice to get together with the 10 or so of us and meet everyone and discuss the book that we had to read which was about identity and violence and sticking people into different identities. It’s pretty good. Lots of rambling though. So we met last night, and met each other. My professor in charge of my group is an English professor and he teaches at Westminster College in PA, which was pretty cool because he knew where Townville was!

After that, I headed back to my room, threw some sweatpants on and wandered around the ship. It is FREEZING outside! Then I came back and hung out with Erin, my roommate. We get along really well which is awesome! I’m really excited about this whole trip. Its going to be incredible.

Today we woke up early and got breakfast and just met with our groups again. My group meets in the top of the ship in the faculty lounge in the front of the ship which is where you happen to feel the waves the most. We could see the waves crashing over the front of the ship at points. It was insane. When we were in the union at 9am, we hit some big waves and people were knocked back into their seats and everything shook. Except for the nausea, it’s a pretty fun ride! We have a break now since my professor wasn’t feeling well from the waves. So I’m just typin this up.

I am really excited about starting classes. I hear they are really hard, but I think I want to actually put some effort into my classes instead of just writing them off since I don’t really need them. But the professors here are AMAZING. They have done so much and I think there is a lot I can learn from them, so I don’t really want to disappoint them at all. I just don’t want to be completely clueless in my classes and it’s going to be great to include hands on learning in all of them. So I might as well try!

When I got here, we had the option of signing up for extra pre-sale field programs that were still available. I signed up for a city tour of Varna, the tour of Pompeii and an overnight trip to Cairo. I am considering selling the Cairo trip to someone else, but I think that by the end of the voyage, I’m going to be basically broke, so that one will be paid for already, which I’m OK with! And it’s a great opportunity to see the sun rise over the pyramids. I’m really looking forward to it. It was the least expensive over night trip to Cairo and it includes a lot too, so it shouldn’t be that bad.

It still hasn’t really sunk in that I’m doing this yet. Right now it feels like I am watching someone live it. Hopefully that feeling goes away so that I can get 100% out of my voyage! Anyway, time to type a new article for the Examiner and to write in my journal and then head up to the union for more meetings until lunch!

Oh yeah, so far, I’m the only person I know of that speaks Croatian on the boat and my professor for my small group was already bragging about that. Haha I thought it was hilarious. Anyway, hvala!

I'm off to the home of Sydney Crosby

So, here I am sitting in my hotel room in Halifax, Nova Scotia. These past few weeks since the end of school have gone SO fast! This past weekend was a pretty epic bon voyage, I must say. (GO PENS!) Thanks guys for the great nights!

Sunday we headed down to DC to catch our plane Monday (today) morning at 8:30. So after several nights of just a few hours of not-so-fantastic sleep, I'm really excited to sleep in an actual bed tonight. However, yet another early morning awaits! Brindle boards the boat at 8am, sooo thats what time I'll be there... even though I'm not really supposed to be there until 11:20. Hooray! should be fun. Reguardless, I'm really excited.

The plane ride was fun. About 1/2 the flight was going on Semester at Sea, which made it go really fast! The shuttle from the airport to downtown Halifax was full of SAS kids. It was really fun! We're all in the same position of not really knowing ANYONE, so all you do is just introduce yourself to everyone. Anyway, we got into Halifax around 1. We then headed out with some new friends to get some lunch and to check out the pier where the boat is and the Public Gardens. The public gardens were gorgeous. Though the walk up there was a little obnoxious. The hill we walked up was definitely bigger than the one headed up to the pete and possibly a little steeper... lots of fun! We walked down to the pier to see how far the boat is from the hotel we're staying at. The boat is HUGE. I can't wait! I can't believe that that is where I am going to be living for the next 67 days!!!

This whole experience is finally hitting me. I can't believe that Im going to be on a boat for the next 2 1/2 months touring the world!! well... some of it anyway. Apparently the classes are pretty intense though, which I'm ok with. (I'm REALLY looking forward to not doing math in my classes!) I am really excited to meet everyone, especially my roommate!

AS much as I want to write more, I really can't think right now. Haha too many days of sleep-deprivation... hence the terrible English and stuff. deal with it. :) I'll be updating this every once in a while when I have a chance to. Probably before and after every port.