so some of you might have noticed that joeandjoy.com has a new look. It is much easier for me to update when I put new pictures up... speaking of which if you tried to go to the India link it wouldn't have worked until now and it still won't work all the way for awhile... it is uploading as I type and it takes a little while.
Halloween dance tomorrow night... not sure what I'm going to be yet, if anything...
We are now in the Red Sea and yesterday we sailed within 2 miles of Yemen, which we could see out our port. Learning a lot about the history of Egypt, which I, like most of the other countries, knew nothing about.
The third global studies test is tomorrow... plan on taking it but I haven't done all the reading for this one so it might be ugly.
Had a noon intramurl basketball game today... way too hot to be playing basketball at noon on the red sea. It was a good game but we couldn't pull it out at the end. I play with RD Gail and a professor named Michael Pearson. We aren't that bad but we usually get out sized and we have no subs. I think that might have been our last game as we didn't make the next round.
Also played my first volleyball game on the ship last night, was a little dark but still a lot of fun.
*** just had a Deja vu moment, but I can't imagine ever writing about playing volleyball on a ship in the middle of the red sea***
Ok, I'm gonna go now... keep checking the India picture page, should be working sometime today.
http://joeandjoy.com/india/index.html
Friday, October 27, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
INDIA
I know, I know! Could I take any longer to write about India?!
It’s funny because I used to be SO BUSY on the ship that I’d make myself write a blog in the twelve minutes of free-time I had each day… and NOW… I have so much free time, I keep putting it off!!
Anyway – here goes…
So, as I alluded to earlier, India was a tough port for many people. (Thank you, Nancy, for suggesting the trip to Erode – it was definitely the way to go!!!)
Even though we knew that we would encounter some harsh realities in India, many people were not emotionally prepared for the human hardships they would face on a daily basis – extreme poverty, rampant begging, etc. At our previous ports, when everyone returns to the ship during our last day in port, we hear endless accounts of positive experiences, adventures, quests and heart-to-heart moments with local people. This time was different. I heard a lot of: “I don’t like India,” or “I’ll never go back to India.” This was very sad for me to hear for a number of reasons. First, Joe and I had a totally different experience of India and would DEFINITELY go back someday. Second, I was disappointed that so many people (students, staff, and faculty alike) would so easily write off an entire country because of a few tough experiences. Granted, some folks who went to the Taj Mahal were burdened by a trip that was WAY TOO LONG and involved way too much travel and too little cultural immersion. But still… it makes me sad to think that some people will never go back because they didn’t get the chance to see another side of India – beyond some of the touristy spots that do not reflect the soul of India.
It had been recommended to me by my friend Nancy to do a homestay in one of the rural villages of southern India. This turned out to be one of the best pieces of advice on our voyage so far. I was the trip leader for a group of 30 students, staff & faculty to a town named Erode, southwest of the port city of Chennai. Chennai itself is the 4th largest city in all of India, so it is definitely an overwhelming, big, hustle-bustle city with fast-paced, slightly unnerving rickshaw rides all over the city. I can’t really describe what a rickshaw is, so I’ll wait for Joe to show y’all pictures of them. (P.S. Brian Holtz, you would want one of these rickshaws as your personal vehicle. They are awesome!)
Anyway - On the evening of our first night in port, my group traveled by sleeper train overnight to Erode. The sleeper train was so much fun! We had heard nightmares of bed bugs in the blankets on the train (yikes!), but we didn’t experience any bug attacks. We woke up from our little train beds at about 6:00am with bags under our eyes, but ready to experience rural India. We were met by our gracious guides who took us by motor coach into their small village of Jayaramapuram. When we reached the village, we were greeted by our host family and welcomed into their beautiful home. Our hosts brought out endless cups of hot tea & coffee, which immediately warmed our bellies and our hearts. The heads of the household were joined by their son and daughter in law, and a few other family members who served as our guides, friends, and hosts for our trip. They were amazingly accommodating and were willing to answer endless questions and tell many stories about their lives, arranged marriages, Hinduism, the caste system, etc. This particular family has been hosting Semester at Sea groups for 18 YEARS!! They love the opportunity to share India with the students and, as our wonderful friend Bharathi put it, “send more ambassadors for India out into the world.”
On the first day they took us on a tour of their farm, to the rice paddies, and adventured with us to the local markets. In between our outings, we were treated to some AMAZING homemade Indian food. Let me tell ya – I was in vegetarian’s paradise in India! The food is incredible, and since the cow is sacred in India – no cow meat and very little other meat is served. For dinner we were served a traditional Indian dinner on banana leaves. We all ate with our right hand – not our left because it is considered offensive. We got very accustomed to eating with our right hand! Did I tell you how good the food is??!! Coconut rice, chutneys, curries, naan bread, and endless yumminess!!! I was in food heaven!
We played games, told stories, and just hung out with the family and their children.
The following day we had to leave our wonderful host family, but it wasn’t without drawn-out goodbyes. We were sad to have to leave our gracious hosts, but it was time to join up with our guides and travel to the Bhavani temple in Erode. This temple was incredible… intricate, detailed Hindu stories and gods depicted on buildings… beautiful shrines… and an elephant that blesses each person that gives him (or her?) rupees! (see pictures).
We also had the pleasure of visiting two different Indian schools – one was a school for physically challenged young children, which was an incredible experience but way too short! The children performed for us – dances, martial arts and more – and then we performed for them, too! We had developed a routine the night before which included some acrobatic moves, an African stomp dance, and a traditional dance from Java.
Next we traveled to a large school in Erode to experience a day in the life of an Indian student. It was so fun! We got to look around the classrooms – 4000 students attend the school!! – talk with students, play a little basketball, see more traditional performances, and then – get ready for it – for our performance (we were not aware we had to perform)… our group pulled off a synchronized, country-style “Electric Slide” on stage in front of the whole school! It was hilarious.
Some of the students from the school accompanied us throughout the day, visiting temples, local factories, etc… this was really the highlight of the whole trip… to have such incredible travel companions who were so willing to share themselves and their culture. It was wonderful.
As the day came to end, we knew it was time to leave but none of us wanted to get back on the sleeper train. Our trip was too short, but we’ll always remember it!!
We slept like rocks on the way back, had another early wake-up call on the train, and arrived back at the ship around 6:30am. Joe and I took a nap and then traveled to Mamalapurum (south of Chennai on the coast) with the Exec. Dean and his wife, their son, and our friends J.B. and Theresa. Mamalapurum is a coastal town that has a resorty feel to it. It was very beautiful and we got to visit some ancient ruins that date back to 500-600 AD, yet were only discovered very recently. Joe has some great pictures of these…
All in all, we had an incredible experience in India. Our homestay provided us with the opportunity to see another side of India outside of Chennai and to truly interact and “just be” with our newfound friends in rural India. We definitely plan to return someday!
It’s funny because I used to be SO BUSY on the ship that I’d make myself write a blog in the twelve minutes of free-time I had each day… and NOW… I have so much free time, I keep putting it off!!
Anyway – here goes…
So, as I alluded to earlier, India was a tough port for many people. (Thank you, Nancy, for suggesting the trip to Erode – it was definitely the way to go!!!)
Even though we knew that we would encounter some harsh realities in India, many people were not emotionally prepared for the human hardships they would face on a daily basis – extreme poverty, rampant begging, etc. At our previous ports, when everyone returns to the ship during our last day in port, we hear endless accounts of positive experiences, adventures, quests and heart-to-heart moments with local people. This time was different. I heard a lot of: “I don’t like India,” or “I’ll never go back to India.” This was very sad for me to hear for a number of reasons. First, Joe and I had a totally different experience of India and would DEFINITELY go back someday. Second, I was disappointed that so many people (students, staff, and faculty alike) would so easily write off an entire country because of a few tough experiences. Granted, some folks who went to the Taj Mahal were burdened by a trip that was WAY TOO LONG and involved way too much travel and too little cultural immersion. But still… it makes me sad to think that some people will never go back because they didn’t get the chance to see another side of India – beyond some of the touristy spots that do not reflect the soul of India.
It had been recommended to me by my friend Nancy to do a homestay in one of the rural villages of southern India. This turned out to be one of the best pieces of advice on our voyage so far. I was the trip leader for a group of 30 students, staff & faculty to a town named Erode, southwest of the port city of Chennai. Chennai itself is the 4th largest city in all of India, so it is definitely an overwhelming, big, hustle-bustle city with fast-paced, slightly unnerving rickshaw rides all over the city. I can’t really describe what a rickshaw is, so I’ll wait for Joe to show y’all pictures of them. (P.S. Brian Holtz, you would want one of these rickshaws as your personal vehicle. They are awesome!)
Anyway - On the evening of our first night in port, my group traveled by sleeper train overnight to Erode. The sleeper train was so much fun! We had heard nightmares of bed bugs in the blankets on the train (yikes!), but we didn’t experience any bug attacks. We woke up from our little train beds at about 6:00am with bags under our eyes, but ready to experience rural India. We were met by our gracious guides who took us by motor coach into their small village of Jayaramapuram. When we reached the village, we were greeted by our host family and welcomed into their beautiful home. Our hosts brought out endless cups of hot tea & coffee, which immediately warmed our bellies and our hearts. The heads of the household were joined by their son and daughter in law, and a few other family members who served as our guides, friends, and hosts for our trip. They were amazingly accommodating and were willing to answer endless questions and tell many stories about their lives, arranged marriages, Hinduism, the caste system, etc. This particular family has been hosting Semester at Sea groups for 18 YEARS!! They love the opportunity to share India with the students and, as our wonderful friend Bharathi put it, “send more ambassadors for India out into the world.”
On the first day they took us on a tour of their farm, to the rice paddies, and adventured with us to the local markets. In between our outings, we were treated to some AMAZING homemade Indian food. Let me tell ya – I was in vegetarian’s paradise in India! The food is incredible, and since the cow is sacred in India – no cow meat and very little other meat is served. For dinner we were served a traditional Indian dinner on banana leaves. We all ate with our right hand – not our left because it is considered offensive. We got very accustomed to eating with our right hand! Did I tell you how good the food is??!! Coconut rice, chutneys, curries, naan bread, and endless yumminess!!! I was in food heaven!
We played games, told stories, and just hung out with the family and their children.
The following day we had to leave our wonderful host family, but it wasn’t without drawn-out goodbyes. We were sad to have to leave our gracious hosts, but it was time to join up with our guides and travel to the Bhavani temple in Erode. This temple was incredible… intricate, detailed Hindu stories and gods depicted on buildings… beautiful shrines… and an elephant that blesses each person that gives him (or her?) rupees! (see pictures).
We also had the pleasure of visiting two different Indian schools – one was a school for physically challenged young children, which was an incredible experience but way too short! The children performed for us – dances, martial arts and more – and then we performed for them, too! We had developed a routine the night before which included some acrobatic moves, an African stomp dance, and a traditional dance from Java.
Next we traveled to a large school in Erode to experience a day in the life of an Indian student. It was so fun! We got to look around the classrooms – 4000 students attend the school!! – talk with students, play a little basketball, see more traditional performances, and then – get ready for it – for our performance (we were not aware we had to perform)… our group pulled off a synchronized, country-style “Electric Slide” on stage in front of the whole school! It was hilarious.
Some of the students from the school accompanied us throughout the day, visiting temples, local factories, etc… this was really the highlight of the whole trip… to have such incredible travel companions who were so willing to share themselves and their culture. It was wonderful.
As the day came to end, we knew it was time to leave but none of us wanted to get back on the sleeper train. Our trip was too short, but we’ll always remember it!!
We slept like rocks on the way back, had another early wake-up call on the train, and arrived back at the ship around 6:30am. Joe and I took a nap and then traveled to Mamalapurum (south of Chennai on the coast) with the Exec. Dean and his wife, their son, and our friends J.B. and Theresa. Mamalapurum is a coastal town that has a resorty feel to it. It was very beautiful and we got to visit some ancient ruins that date back to 500-600 AD, yet were only discovered very recently. Joe has some great pictures of these…
All in all, we had an incredible experience in India. Our homestay provided us with the opportunity to see another side of India outside of Chennai and to truly interact and “just be” with our newfound friends in rural India. We definitely plan to return someday!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
No Pics but more Video
So I don't have the pics ready yet from India but I've got a little video clip of some of the things we saw. It is really short but it will give you a little taste at least.
http://joeandjoy.com/india.mov
I've been hoping to totally redesign the website to make it easier for me to update and for you all to find everything but I can't seem to find the time or rather the energy to do it. But we still have 4 days until Egypt so maybe.
I'm currently reading a book called "The 13.5 lives of Captain Bluebear: a novel" found it in India and it is pretty amusing. Not sure if you can find it in the states or not but you might be able to get it online and I highly recommend it. Those of you in santa cruz can borrow it when I get home. The books I've read so far goes like this:
Populaiton 485 - so so book about rural life in Wisconsin... Kristi and Brad might like it
Best Women's Travel writing 2005 (I think) - thanks Brian and Nicole it was great
Norwegien Wood - Japanese author... supposed to be the most widely read book in Japan and I enjoyed it.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - given to Joy by Marilyn... she hasn't read it yet but I liked it very much.
Burmese Days - I think George Orwell's first (we all read 1984, I'm sure) It was a pretty interesting book about what life was like in Colonial Burma under British control.
Now on Bluebear...
Ok the video is up so I'm gonna sign off!!!
joe
http://joeandjoy.com/india.mov
I've been hoping to totally redesign the website to make it easier for me to update and for you all to find everything but I can't seem to find the time or rather the energy to do it. But we still have 4 days until Egypt so maybe.
I'm currently reading a book called "The 13.5 lives of Captain Bluebear: a novel" found it in India and it is pretty amusing. Not sure if you can find it in the states or not but you might be able to get it online and I highly recommend it. Those of you in santa cruz can borrow it when I get home. The books I've read so far goes like this:
Populaiton 485 - so so book about rural life in Wisconsin... Kristi and Brad might like it
Best Women's Travel writing 2005 (I think) - thanks Brian and Nicole it was great
Norwegien Wood - Japanese author... supposed to be the most widely read book in Japan and I enjoyed it.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - given to Joy by Marilyn... she hasn't read it yet but I liked it very much.
Burmese Days - I think George Orwell's first (we all read 1984, I'm sure) It was a pretty interesting book about what life was like in Colonial Burma under British control.
Now on Bluebear...
Ok the video is up so I'm gonna sign off!!!
joe
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Captain's Dinner last night
Last night we finally got to go to a Captain's Dinner... I think it was the last one and it turned out to be a pretty good time. Pretty much what it boils down to is a fancy shmancy dinner with all the high ranking ship crew, faculty, staff, and adult passengers. We were not at the captain's table but at the Chief Engineers and I got to sit next to Biff, who is an adult passenger from Seattle and she is a hoot. The food was very good and I actually drank 3 glasses of wine.
Unfortunately, I was pooped and didn't last long after the dinner.
So it isn't there yet but within the next 12 hours (It is 3:07 a.m. in california right now) I hope to have this video up... if doesn't work the first time you try, wait a few hours and try again.
http://joeandjoy.com/eledance.mov
peace... joe
Unfortunately, I was pooped and didn't last long after the dinner.
So it isn't there yet but within the next 12 hours (It is 3:07 a.m. in california right now) I hope to have this video up... if doesn't work the first time you try, wait a few hours and try again.
http://joeandjoy.com/eledance.mov
peace... joe
Monday, October 23, 2006
Sea’Lympics
Whew. What a day!
The Sea’Lympics was a huge success, so I’m feeling pretty good right now. It was a great day for the whole shipboard community – lots of smiles and laughter… and some pretty amazing, crazy energy!!! I think we needed a day of fun, particularly since India was pretty tough on some folks, and also because we’ve had some negative energy recently with 5 students being discontinued from the voyage.
It was hilarious to see everyone up and awake by 7am – out practicing for their events, yelling their cheers and dressing like fools! Usually we can’t drag the students out of bed for Global Studies at 9:20, but for Sea’Lympics… it was no problem.
One of the best parts of the day for me was that I got to be “the voice” for the day. For those of you who have done SAS before, you know what I mean! It’s fun to be the one who gets to make all of the announcements over the loud speakers broadcasted throughout the entire ship.
I was running around literally all day – from 8am to 11:30pm – just making sure that everything was running smoothly, people were happy, and that each event was as fair as it possibly could be.
Just so you have an idea of how this works, there are 9 “seas” and 9 Resident Directors that go along with each sea. In addition to the 9 seas, we dubbed the remainder of the shipboard community (the faculty, staff, family, and other adult passengers) the “Pacific Ocean.” So, there were 10 teams competing all day in different events ranging from tug-o-war to synchronized swimming to egg toss…
Some highlights:
o My sea – The Caspian Sea – bringing it home with 1st place wins in dodgeball, volleyball, and root beer pong… gives you a sense of my sea, huh?
o My boss – the Director of Student Life – winning first place in Ping Pong (with his fancy-schmancy $60 ping pong paddle!)
o The executive dean, academic dean, global studies professor, doctor, and a few professors doing a HILARIOUS synchronized swim routine in the pool. I could not breathe, I was laughing so hard.
o An absolutely ENDLESS game of 10-cup root beer pong – we’re talking 4 hours long… which MY SEA WON. (proud mama).
o Our incredibly intricate obstacle course, which involved spinning around a bat, pushing one cheerio on the ground with your nose, crab walking, playing Catch Phrase, tossing water balloons from one deck to another, eating peanut-butter filled saltine crackers, crawling under deck chairs, and finally shooting free throws… it was a little dramatic to try and judge this event, but everything ended up being okay. Small controversies, but I kept trying to remind people that the Sea’Lympics are a day to have FUN, not to get crazy over winning.
o Joe almost bringing in the bronze at the hot dog eating contest (yuck!!) It was absolute CHAOS at the hot dog eating contest. I had to yell at the top of my lungs to get people to shut up so we could start the competition – people were cheering for their seas SO LOUD! Each person had to eat as many hot dogs as they could in 3 minutes. Of course, after 3 minutes we had a tie for 1st place (14 hot dogs – no buns), so I had them do a 1-minute playoff. Not a good idea. They tied again (4 more each), so I just gave them both first place. I wasn’t about to make them eat another freakin’ hot dog.
o The Talent Show to close out the evening was definitely one of the highlights. My sea did a skit called “Joy’s Night Out in Vegas” which started out with one of my students singing an “Ode to Joy” on the acoustic guitar, which had… um… slightly inappropriate lyrics. He is an amazing singer, so people were very impressed & laughing hysterically. Then some of my girls performed a fancy ladies dance – Vegas-style. And THEN… 7 of my most burly, athletic, testosterone-filled boys performed a choreographed “Chip ‘n Dales” type dance that they had practiced for 3 days straight. It was H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S. I love – absolutely love – my sea. I start to get teary-eyed when I even think, for a second, about having to say good-bye to some of these guys. You form such a different sort of bond on an adventure like this.
o We were winning the whole thing for much of the day, but in the end – we got beat in the Talent Show, and came in 2nd place overall. My sea had lots of sad, puppy dog faces, but I told them that they are ALWAYS number #1 to me!!!!
It was, by far, my most favorite day on the ship so far. But… I’m glad it’s over!!!
I know, I know… I haven’t even written about India yet, but don’t worry – it’s coming!!!
The Sea’Lympics was a huge success, so I’m feeling pretty good right now. It was a great day for the whole shipboard community – lots of smiles and laughter… and some pretty amazing, crazy energy!!! I think we needed a day of fun, particularly since India was pretty tough on some folks, and also because we’ve had some negative energy recently with 5 students being discontinued from the voyage.
It was hilarious to see everyone up and awake by 7am – out practicing for their events, yelling their cheers and dressing like fools! Usually we can’t drag the students out of bed for Global Studies at 9:20, but for Sea’Lympics… it was no problem.
One of the best parts of the day for me was that I got to be “the voice” for the day. For those of you who have done SAS before, you know what I mean! It’s fun to be the one who gets to make all of the announcements over the loud speakers broadcasted throughout the entire ship.
I was running around literally all day – from 8am to 11:30pm – just making sure that everything was running smoothly, people were happy, and that each event was as fair as it possibly could be.
Just so you have an idea of how this works, there are 9 “seas” and 9 Resident Directors that go along with each sea. In addition to the 9 seas, we dubbed the remainder of the shipboard community (the faculty, staff, family, and other adult passengers) the “Pacific Ocean.” So, there were 10 teams competing all day in different events ranging from tug-o-war to synchronized swimming to egg toss…
Some highlights:
o My sea – The Caspian Sea – bringing it home with 1st place wins in dodgeball, volleyball, and root beer pong… gives you a sense of my sea, huh?
o My boss – the Director of Student Life – winning first place in Ping Pong (with his fancy-schmancy $60 ping pong paddle!)
o The executive dean, academic dean, global studies professor, doctor, and a few professors doing a HILARIOUS synchronized swim routine in the pool. I could not breathe, I was laughing so hard.
o An absolutely ENDLESS game of 10-cup root beer pong – we’re talking 4 hours long… which MY SEA WON. (proud mama).
o Our incredibly intricate obstacle course, which involved spinning around a bat, pushing one cheerio on the ground with your nose, crab walking, playing Catch Phrase, tossing water balloons from one deck to another, eating peanut-butter filled saltine crackers, crawling under deck chairs, and finally shooting free throws… it was a little dramatic to try and judge this event, but everything ended up being okay. Small controversies, but I kept trying to remind people that the Sea’Lympics are a day to have FUN, not to get crazy over winning.
o Joe almost bringing in the bronze at the hot dog eating contest (yuck!!) It was absolute CHAOS at the hot dog eating contest. I had to yell at the top of my lungs to get people to shut up so we could start the competition – people were cheering for their seas SO LOUD! Each person had to eat as many hot dogs as they could in 3 minutes. Of course, after 3 minutes we had a tie for 1st place (14 hot dogs – no buns), so I had them do a 1-minute playoff. Not a good idea. They tied again (4 more each), so I just gave them both first place. I wasn’t about to make them eat another freakin’ hot dog.
o The Talent Show to close out the evening was definitely one of the highlights. My sea did a skit called “Joy’s Night Out in Vegas” which started out with one of my students singing an “Ode to Joy” on the acoustic guitar, which had… um… slightly inappropriate lyrics. He is an amazing singer, so people were very impressed & laughing hysterically. Then some of my girls performed a fancy ladies dance – Vegas-style. And THEN… 7 of my most burly, athletic, testosterone-filled boys performed a choreographed “Chip ‘n Dales” type dance that they had practiced for 3 days straight. It was H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S. I love – absolutely love – my sea. I start to get teary-eyed when I even think, for a second, about having to say good-bye to some of these guys. You form such a different sort of bond on an adventure like this.
o We were winning the whole thing for much of the day, but in the end – we got beat in the Talent Show, and came in 2nd place overall. My sea had lots of sad, puppy dog faces, but I told them that they are ALWAYS number #1 to me!!!!
It was, by far, my most favorite day on the ship so far. But… I’m glad it’s over!!!
I know, I know… I haven’t even written about India yet, but don’t worry – it’s coming!!!
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Sea 'Lympics Today
Today is Sea 'Lympics day which is very exciting, as well as the biggest thing in Joy's job description... so she is a little on the busy side. I will be competing in Tug-o-war, Flip Cup, and the Hot Dog eating contest.
Should be fun.
Since folks are wanting us to post more things, I'm really going to give it a try during this long stretch to Eygpt...
Today you have a fun treat of watching some cane ball in action.
http://joeandjoy.com/caneball.mov
The quality is not great cause it would take way to long for me to post it if I made it big but you will get the idea.
Hope everyone is well... Joy sends her love and she will put something on tomorrow when she is less stressed.
Oh and finally we are starting to see some wildlife ... yesterday there were some whales (which I missed) and just 20 min. ago I saw some dolphins chasing a school of fish around. Good Times.
Should be fun.
Since folks are wanting us to post more things, I'm really going to give it a try during this long stretch to Eygpt...
Today you have a fun treat of watching some cane ball in action.
http://joeandjoy.com/caneball.mov
The quality is not great cause it would take way to long for me to post it if I made it big but you will get the idea.
Hope everyone is well... Joy sends her love and she will put something on tomorrow when she is less stressed.
Oh and finally we are starting to see some wildlife ... yesterday there were some whales (which I missed) and just 20 min. ago I saw some dolphins chasing a school of fish around. Good Times.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Looking out on Sri Lanka...
(tried to post this last night but it didn't work... so here it is now)
If you have been paying any attention what-so-ever to the goings on in the world you will know that Sri Lanka is in the midst of a "civil" war. In the last 2 days there have been a couple of battles that have happened at sea. I kind of thought we would swing out way away from the island but as it turns out we just spent the last 3 hours looking out on its eastern coast. Many thoughts went through my mind, especially as we past all the small fishing boats. People going about there business, trying to make a living, as their home land is in constant strife. It also is the coastline that was hit so hard by the tsunami 2 years ago.
Sad news on the ship is that we lost a fabulous staff member. The amazing NAM, has gone to be with her family in Florida , and help her mother battle cancer. We will miss her very much but she will be glad to know that folks kept their word last night and had a gin and tonic for her. It was bound to happen sooner or later but with Nam being gone, I have volunteered my services to work her DUTY shifts... just can't get away from the Res Life life. :0)
There is a lot to say about India but you all haven't even seen the Burma pics yet so I will save writing about India for another night but the long and short of it is WOW... in good and bad ways... WOW.
So with any luck the Burma pics will be up before I go to bed (23:19 here at the moment)
http://joeandjoy.com/burma/index.html
A couple of quick shout outs:
B. Stevens: YOU READY????
White: Congrats... when do you leave?
Upper Quad RAs: keep on keepin on... you all rock
Holtz: I got Apps
David P: Hope your feeling well and will be hiking soon
Karen P: twins and mets... DOH
The Fam: Love Ya!
Yum Yum: We love ya and miss ya already!
M Stevens: what happened to your blog?
Sarah W., Sarah H, Christina B - Thanks for the mail... keep it coming
Sunday, October 15, 2006
FYI... we made it to India
sorry for the short update and no pics but things are just happening so quick. We are already in India and WOW... is all I can say for now.
We are very sad because one of our favorite people on the ship (and in life) is leaving us on Thursday. RD Nam is flying back to the states to be with her family. She found out her mother has cancer and it is fairly far progressed. We will miss her very much and are sending good vibes out into the universe for her mother.
More on India and of course pics in a few days!!!!
joe
We are very sad because one of our favorite people on the ship (and in life) is leaving us on Thursday. RD Nam is flying back to the states to be with her family. She found out her mother has cancer and it is fairly far progressed. We will miss her very much and are sending good vibes out into the universe for her mother.
More on India and of course pics in a few days!!!!
joe
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
BURMA
We have a day and a half left in this beautiful country and I don’t ever want to leave. The anticipation and trepidation I felt as we arrived in Yangon has been transformed into pure amazement and bliss. I have been looking forward to visiting Burma ever since I began researching its history and culture. I was especially anticipating the opportunity to be in a country that is 89% Buddhist. It is so apparent that their religion is intertwined with their culture and humanity. Every single person you meet on the street or in the market greets you with a humongous smile and a wave. While the country is stricken by widespread poverty and oppression by the government, there is not a poverty of spirit.
The past few days have been the best of the voyage for me. Yesterday Joe and I visited the Shwedagon Pagoda in the early morning, which was a very powerful experience for me. What an enchanting, beautiful place. The shimmering gold main stupa towers 326 feet above the city of Yangon and is visible for miles. The Shwedagon Pagoda is considered one of the wonders of the religious world. The very top of the stupa is encrusted with 4531 diamonds, the largest of which is a single 76-karat diamond! The entire grounds of the Pagoda are beautiful and very powerful. I felt as if I could spend the entire day there, looking at all of the hundreds and hundreds of different Buddhas, carvings, and ancient architecture. It is a very holy place for the Burmese people. Many people come to the pagoda in the morning and evening to say prayers to the Buddha. There are different statues of the Buddha encircling the stupa, for each day of the week. Depending on which day of the week one was born, the person offers cooling water to the Buddha by pouring small cups of water over the Buddha statue’s head. Each person pours the number of cups as his/her age, plus one year. The extra year isn’t for good luck, but for the (almost) year one spends in his/her mother’s womb. All of this is deepening my passion for Buddhism and reminding me that I need to reintegrate a regular practice into my daily life, now, and when I return home. I am thankful.
Next we visited the Kalaywa Monastery where we got to interact with about 200 young novice monks and nuns in their school. They learn English throughout their education, but they had been practicing even more knowing that we would be coming to visit. They had lots of questions for us! What is your name? Where are you from? What is your parents’ name? What is the name of your ship? Please sing a song for us! Please tell me your favorite hobby…
It was so fun to sit and talk with them. We also got to play a giant game of tug-o-war with the monks. (Joe has great pictures of all of this!) Then, they taught us the traditional Burmese sport of Chinlon (Cane Ball), which is similar to hacky-sack, but played with a woven cane ball. They were VERY good at it! They let us try to play with them, but we weren’t too talented… except for Joe, who is always good at games. Joe also showed the monks how to juggle, which they loved! J It is difficult not to fall in love with these people. If only you could be here, you would see.
Today, I had the pleasure of leading a trip to a small rural orphanage. The orphanage has 2 main one-room schoolhouses, a meditation room, and a separate kitchen. The kids were SO HAPPY to see us! Right when our bus pulled up, they ran out of the school with big smiles on their faces. They greeted us with a traditional song of well wishes and welcome. We were so happy to be with them! When we arrived in their schoolhouse they offered us a demonstration of their prayers and chants to the Buddha, they recited their alphabet and lessons, and sang us some traditional songs. At one point they sang their national anthem and expected us to return the gesture. Our national anthem isn’t the easiest song to pull-off on a whim, but I think we did a pretty good job. Then, we got to PLAY with the students! This was the best part. I sat and drew pictures with a bunch of different kids, while other students demonstrated how to make origami, how to play the recorder, and how to play ping-pong with mini paddles. It was so fun! Everyone was glowing with happiness. It was very difficult to leave once it was time to go.
I had already decided that I was going to try to make it back to the ship in time to leave on a different trip back to the Kalaywa Monastery to see the Buddhist Novication Ceremony. I made it just in the nick of time, as my bus returned at 12:59, and the next trip was leaving at 1:00. Each male in Burma, in accordance with tradition, must become a monk during his lifetime. Before they become monks, they must participate in a Novication ceremony. On this day, the boys are dressed in glittering clothes to look like a prince. The boys’ families and relatives (and us!) follow the procession accompanied by singing and dancing. The journey symbolizes the Buddha’s life as a Prince, which he renounced in his search for enlightenment. At the end of the procession, the boys recite some ritual prayers with the head monk and then they have their head shaved. Once their heads are shaved, each boy asks for admittance into the monastery. Once accepted, each boy is given his monastic robes and remains at the monastery away from his parents. Tradition is that a boy does not enter the monkhood before the age of 7, but there were some very young boys at this particular novication ceremony. Our guide said that some families choose to have their son enter the monkhood at an early age because it is considered good fortune to have a monk in the family, particularly if a relative is in ill health. There were two boys today who were barely 2 years old!
I did not expect that our group would actually participate in the procession, but it was explained to us that our donation allowed some of the families to “give” their sons to the monastery. So, we are considered symbolic parents in the ceremony as a result. The whole experience was one of the best of my life. It is so amazing to see how interwoven Buddhism is in the lives of the people. Their rituals and ceremonies revolve around family and community and permeate every single person. I felt honored to be a part of it.
We’ll tell you more stories soon!
MISS YOU ALL!
A BIG thank you to Oakes College and to Sarah & Danny! It was so fun to receive your cards in Burma!!! Joe says Crown and College Eight better get on it… Oakes is showing you up!!!
The past few days have been the best of the voyage for me. Yesterday Joe and I visited the Shwedagon Pagoda in the early morning, which was a very powerful experience for me. What an enchanting, beautiful place. The shimmering gold main stupa towers 326 feet above the city of Yangon and is visible for miles. The Shwedagon Pagoda is considered one of the wonders of the religious world. The very top of the stupa is encrusted with 4531 diamonds, the largest of which is a single 76-karat diamond! The entire grounds of the Pagoda are beautiful and very powerful. I felt as if I could spend the entire day there, looking at all of the hundreds and hundreds of different Buddhas, carvings, and ancient architecture. It is a very holy place for the Burmese people. Many people come to the pagoda in the morning and evening to say prayers to the Buddha. There are different statues of the Buddha encircling the stupa, for each day of the week. Depending on which day of the week one was born, the person offers cooling water to the Buddha by pouring small cups of water over the Buddha statue’s head. Each person pours the number of cups as his/her age, plus one year. The extra year isn’t for good luck, but for the (almost) year one spends in his/her mother’s womb. All of this is deepening my passion for Buddhism and reminding me that I need to reintegrate a regular practice into my daily life, now, and when I return home. I am thankful.
Next we visited the Kalaywa Monastery where we got to interact with about 200 young novice monks and nuns in their school. They learn English throughout their education, but they had been practicing even more knowing that we would be coming to visit. They had lots of questions for us! What is your name? Where are you from? What is your parents’ name? What is the name of your ship? Please sing a song for us! Please tell me your favorite hobby…
It was so fun to sit and talk with them. We also got to play a giant game of tug-o-war with the monks. (Joe has great pictures of all of this!) Then, they taught us the traditional Burmese sport of Chinlon (Cane Ball), which is similar to hacky-sack, but played with a woven cane ball. They were VERY good at it! They let us try to play with them, but we weren’t too talented… except for Joe, who is always good at games. Joe also showed the monks how to juggle, which they loved! J It is difficult not to fall in love with these people. If only you could be here, you would see.
Today, I had the pleasure of leading a trip to a small rural orphanage. The orphanage has 2 main one-room schoolhouses, a meditation room, and a separate kitchen. The kids were SO HAPPY to see us! Right when our bus pulled up, they ran out of the school with big smiles on their faces. They greeted us with a traditional song of well wishes and welcome. We were so happy to be with them! When we arrived in their schoolhouse they offered us a demonstration of their prayers and chants to the Buddha, they recited their alphabet and lessons, and sang us some traditional songs. At one point they sang their national anthem and expected us to return the gesture. Our national anthem isn’t the easiest song to pull-off on a whim, but I think we did a pretty good job. Then, we got to PLAY with the students! This was the best part. I sat and drew pictures with a bunch of different kids, while other students demonstrated how to make origami, how to play the recorder, and how to play ping-pong with mini paddles. It was so fun! Everyone was glowing with happiness. It was very difficult to leave once it was time to go.
I had already decided that I was going to try to make it back to the ship in time to leave on a different trip back to the Kalaywa Monastery to see the Buddhist Novication Ceremony. I made it just in the nick of time, as my bus returned at 12:59, and the next trip was leaving at 1:00. Each male in Burma, in accordance with tradition, must become a monk during his lifetime. Before they become monks, they must participate in a Novication ceremony. On this day, the boys are dressed in glittering clothes to look like a prince. The boys’ families and relatives (and us!) follow the procession accompanied by singing and dancing. The journey symbolizes the Buddha’s life as a Prince, which he renounced in his search for enlightenment. At the end of the procession, the boys recite some ritual prayers with the head monk and then they have their head shaved. Once their heads are shaved, each boy asks for admittance into the monastery. Once accepted, each boy is given his monastic robes and remains at the monastery away from his parents. Tradition is that a boy does not enter the monkhood before the age of 7, but there were some very young boys at this particular novication ceremony. Our guide said that some families choose to have their son enter the monkhood at an early age because it is considered good fortune to have a monk in the family, particularly if a relative is in ill health. There were two boys today who were barely 2 years old!
I did not expect that our group would actually participate in the procession, but it was explained to us that our donation allowed some of the families to “give” their sons to the monastery. So, we are considered symbolic parents in the ceremony as a result. The whole experience was one of the best of my life. It is so amazing to see how interwoven Buddhism is in the lives of the people. Their rituals and ceremonies revolve around family and community and permeate every single person. I felt honored to be a part of it.
We’ll tell you more stories soon!
MISS YOU ALL!
A BIG thank you to Oakes College and to Sarah & Danny! It was so fun to receive your cards in Burma!!! Joe says Crown and College Eight better get on it… Oakes is showing you up!!!
Friday, October 06, 2006
Vietnam is UP...
THEY SHOULD WORK NOW!!! GIVE THEM A TRY!!!!
http://joeandjoy.com/vietnam/index.html
for pics
http://joeandjoy.com/vietnam/sand.mov
for movie
http://joeandjoy.com/vietnam/index.html
for pics
http://joeandjoy.com/vietnam/sand.mov
for movie
ALMOST TO BURMA
I forgot to mention in my last blog that have been at sea without our ship’s doctor since Vietnam. Both Dr. Bob and his wife were caught in the typhoon that hit central Vietnam the day we left port, so they were stranded with no way to get back to the ship in time. The ship doesn’t wait for anyone… not even Dr. Bob! He and his wife flew back to Saigon and will be meeting us in Burma tomorrow. We have two nurse practitioners on board, and the ship’s crew doctor is also available in case of any emergencies, so don’t worry… we’re in good hands.
I also forgot to mention that a lot of people on the ship were hoping we would cross the equator because, apparently, there is a nautical tradition to shave one’s head once you cross the equator. We made it to ONE degree of latitude after leaving Singapore, but never actually crossed the equator. Oh well… some other time, I guess.
BURMA/MYANMAR
I find this port to be the most fascinating, by far, of all the ports we will be journeying to, and we haven’t even arrived yet! When I first saw Myanmar on our voyage itinerary, I had absolutely no idea where it was located on a map, nor did I know that Burma was renamed Myanmar by the military regime currently in power. For those of you who don’t know Burma’s history (as I did not), the country has been under a military dictatorship since 1962. It is also is the home of the leader of the Burmese National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has won many prestigious international peace prizes, including the Nobel Peace Prize. Apparently she has won more peace prized than even His Holiness the Dalai Lama! How is it possible that practically none of us have heard of her?
In 1988, the Burman people staged huge demonstrations against the military government and a military coup handed control to a new General, Saw Mung, who promised democratic elections in 1989. The elections took place, but Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest by the military. Despite her imprisonment, the National League for Democracy won an overwhelming victory at the polls (over 80%).
Unfortunately, the military regime did not, and has never to this day, turned power over to the NLD. Aung San Suu Kyi has been released and re-imprisoned under house arrest 3 times since 1989 and remains under house arrest today.
The United States has imposed major sanctions on Burma, and we have been told that only approximately 8000 Americans visit Burma each year. We have also found out that no one can reach Burma, legally, by sea, so Semester at Sea must fall under some sort of exception policy in terms of travel and tourism. I will find out more tomorrow at the Diplomatic Briefing when we arrive in Burma.
The people of Burma, as evidenced by the election results in 1989, largely do not support nor do they represent their government. The people of Burma are primarily Theravada Buddhists and are under extreme pressure and threat not to speak ill of the military regime. We have already been warned not to engage any Burmese person in political conversations that may put them at risk. I have also heard that the Burmese people are absolutely wonderful, caring, beautiful people who are anxious to meet foreigners since they are so isolated and repressed.
I am SO curious about this country. I cannot wait to meet the people who live there! We will tell you more soon! We arrive at 1600 today but we don’t get off the ship until the next morning.
I also forgot to mention that a lot of people on the ship were hoping we would cross the equator because, apparently, there is a nautical tradition to shave one’s head once you cross the equator. We made it to ONE degree of latitude after leaving Singapore, but never actually crossed the equator. Oh well… some other time, I guess.
BURMA/MYANMAR
I find this port to be the most fascinating, by far, of all the ports we will be journeying to, and we haven’t even arrived yet! When I first saw Myanmar on our voyage itinerary, I had absolutely no idea where it was located on a map, nor did I know that Burma was renamed Myanmar by the military regime currently in power. For those of you who don’t know Burma’s history (as I did not), the country has been under a military dictatorship since 1962. It is also is the home of the leader of the Burmese National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has won many prestigious international peace prizes, including the Nobel Peace Prize. Apparently she has won more peace prized than even His Holiness the Dalai Lama! How is it possible that practically none of us have heard of her?
In 1988, the Burman people staged huge demonstrations against the military government and a military coup handed control to a new General, Saw Mung, who promised democratic elections in 1989. The elections took place, but Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest by the military. Despite her imprisonment, the National League for Democracy won an overwhelming victory at the polls (over 80%).
Unfortunately, the military regime did not, and has never to this day, turned power over to the NLD. Aung San Suu Kyi has been released and re-imprisoned under house arrest 3 times since 1989 and remains under house arrest today.
The United States has imposed major sanctions on Burma, and we have been told that only approximately 8000 Americans visit Burma each year. We have also found out that no one can reach Burma, legally, by sea, so Semester at Sea must fall under some sort of exception policy in terms of travel and tourism. I will find out more tomorrow at the Diplomatic Briefing when we arrive in Burma.
The people of Burma, as evidenced by the election results in 1989, largely do not support nor do they represent their government. The people of Burma are primarily Theravada Buddhists and are under extreme pressure and threat not to speak ill of the military regime. We have already been warned not to engage any Burmese person in political conversations that may put them at risk. I have also heard that the Burmese people are absolutely wonderful, caring, beautiful people who are anxious to meet foreigners since they are so isolated and repressed.
I am SO curious about this country. I cannot wait to meet the people who live there! We will tell you more soon! We arrive at 1600 today but we don’t get off the ship until the next morning.
Heading into Burma...
So if you don't know anything about the history of Burma, now called Myanmar, I highly suggest looking it up. It is very interesting and something that we know very little about in the states. The only thing I had ever even heard regarding Burma, at least that stuck with me, is when J. Pedermen went a little crazy on Seinfeld and went to Burma to live in a cave. Pretty sad that that is all I knew about a country but I def. know more now.
Of all the places we are going this is probably the place with the most tension happening as we speak, though Turkey has been making more news. I think Joy has written more about the history so I won't repeat but it is really going to be interesting, I'm not sure if we will even feel it while we are there but the country is very unstable.
A Crown RA was kind enough to contact me this week and tell me his parents just moved to Yangon, which is where we will be porting. We are hoping to get together for dinner tomorrow night. They are teaching at an international school and I think just arrived two months ago.
My favorite thing at sea so far is when I step outside or look out a window and I am expecting to see water upon more water but instead I see an island. It is very exciting, I think because I have fantasies about being shipwrecked and it is handy to have an island near by to live on.
Students have their second global studies test today, I'm going to take it again, though I don’t think I will do as well on this one as I did on the last.
We didn't have any pirates thru the straights of Malaka but we were going so fast I don't think we were much of a target. You could have waterskied behind the ship, we were going 27 knots and we usually go 17. Good times.
Ok... chat with you later.
Of all the places we are going this is probably the place with the most tension happening as we speak, though Turkey has been making more news. I think Joy has written more about the history so I won't repeat but it is really going to be interesting, I'm not sure if we will even feel it while we are there but the country is very unstable.
A Crown RA was kind enough to contact me this week and tell me his parents just moved to Yangon, which is where we will be porting. We are hoping to get together for dinner tomorrow night. They are teaching at an international school and I think just arrived two months ago.
My favorite thing at sea so far is when I step outside or look out a window and I am expecting to see water upon more water but instead I see an island. It is very exciting, I think because I have fantasies about being shipwrecked and it is handy to have an island near by to live on.
Students have their second global studies test today, I'm going to take it again, though I don’t think I will do as well on this one as I did on the last.
We didn't have any pirates thru the straights of Malaka but we were going so fast I don't think we were much of a target. You could have waterskied behind the ship, we were going 27 knots and we usually go 17. Good times.
Ok... chat with you later.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Viet Nam pics up...
The Viet Nam pages are now all the way done, thumbnails and all.
Also... I"m hoping to have a small video clip up in the next 15 min or so.
Try going to http://joeandjoy.com/vietnam/sand.mov
It should work if you have quicktime. The video is of crossing the street in Saigon and Sand Sledding.
Did we mention that the last 2 days we have had students doing Pirate watch? Good Times!!!
joe
Also... I"m hoping to have a small video clip up in the next 15 min or so.
Try going to http://joeandjoy.com/vietnam/sand.mov
It should work if you have quicktime. The video is of crossing the street in Saigon and Sand Sledding.
Did we mention that the last 2 days we have had students doing Pirate watch? Good Times!!!
joe
No thumbs yet but we got Pics
so for all you die hards out there... I have Viet Nam pics up but they don't have any thumbnails yet so you will have to go through all the big pics... but I'm sure that is what you do anyway... here is the start
http://joeandjoy.com/vietnam/pages/page_1.html
need to go to bed it was 1 am then we lost an hour so not it is 12:22 a.m.
Later today we will lose a half an hour... that is right a half a freaking hour
Oh yeah and just in case you wanted to try it yourself, it is illegal to travel to Myanmar by ship... breaking the law, breaking the law
http://joeandjoy.com/vietnam/pages/page_1.html
need to go to bed it was 1 am then we lost an hour so not it is 12:22 a.m.
Later today we will lose a half an hour... that is right a half a freaking hour
Oh yeah and just in case you wanted to try it yourself, it is illegal to travel to Myanmar by ship... breaking the law, breaking the law
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Free Day at Sea!
The students have the day off from classes today, so it feels like a day off for us, too.
Last night we stopped in Singapore to refuel, but no one was allowed to get off the ship. We’ve heard a lot of stories that the straights around Singapore are the most dangerous in terms of potential pirate attacks, but we haven’t seen any yet!
I had SO MUCH FUN last night with my sea! We had our “Sea Social” in the Faculty/Staff Lounge. This is the only night when students are allowed in the faculty/staff lounge. It’s a special treat for them with drinks, snacks, and the chance to schmooze with the staff and faculty in the lounge. Everyone got all dressed up and looked beautiful!! It was awesome because a lot of the staff and faculty showed up to hang out with my students, which is relatively rare. We did karaoke, too, and one of my fave professors (and good friend), Alden, started off the evening singing “Baby, One More Time.” Ha! The students LOVED seeing their profs up there on the mic. I even got up and “sang” twice, too. Eventually, the students lost their embarrassment and started belting out the tunes. It was SO FUN. We ended the evening with an impromptu dance party until about midnight. Good times. I love my sea.
Viet Nam
I’m going to attempt to write about our experience in Viet Nam, but it is so jam-packed that I may not get to everything. You’ll have to ask us more about it the next time you see us. So… when we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), it was immediately evident that this was going to be a very different port experience than Japan or Hong Kong, particularly because of the history surrounding the war and the impact on the Vietnamese and Americans, alike. Joe and I had the pleasure of traveling with one of my fellow RDs, Nam, who is Vietnamese and visits Viet Nam on a regular basis. She has 4 siblings, all of whom were born in Viet Nam. She was the only one born in the States – in Minnesota, but her connection to Viet Nam is very strong and she speaks Vietnamese fluently.
I had been imagining the traffic in Saigon because I had heard so much about it, but you can’t really picture it until you’re walking through it. It truly is chaotic, but I LOVED IT. It totally gives you an adrenaline rush to cross the streets at rush hour. Luckily for you, Joe took a few videos of us crossing the streets, so you’ll get to experience it for yourself. Saigon is a city of 8 million people and 3 million motorbikes!! Motorbikes are the primary means of transportation, and they are EVERYWHERE. Helmets don’t seem to be a high priority, but it appears that helmet use is increasing. Some of the ship’s crew said that Saigon is nothing like it used to be. They said if I think it seems chaotic now, it was 10 times more chaotic 10 years ago. Wow.
The people of Viet Nam are wonderful. I watched as Nam was taken in by almost everyone we interacted with as immediate family. The people are so giving of themselves and their culture. We stayed in Saigon the first night and adventured around the city, eating delicious food – at a place translated as “Tasty Restaurant” – shopping at the markets, and drinking Vietnamese beer.
The following day we headed to the coastal town of Mui Ne, which turned out to be an unexpected 5-hour bus ride. The tour guide had told us it was a 2-hour bus ride, but – oh well. It was totally worth it. We found ourselves in a place that represented the exact opposite of the energy of Saigon. Mui Ne is a beachside resort area with white sand beaches, thatched-roof bungalows, and a slow, relaxed pace. We stayed in a bungalow literally right at the edge of the ocean. So beautiful! It was nice to get in the ocean and play in the waves in the South China Sea! We lucked out because it was a gorgeous partly-cloudy day, and it had been dumping rain for the past few days.
The food is SO YUMMY and SO CHEAP. We ate like royalty the entire time we were in Viet Nam, and the most we paid – in total – for the 5 of us to eat dinner was MAYBE the equivalent of 20 dollars. TOTAL.
I made the decision before coming on this adventure that I would bend a little on my vegetarianism, so that it wouldn’t be as difficult for me to eat in the countries we’d be visiting. I think this was a good choice because I’ve been able to eat seafood and enjoy the local cuisines.
The next day we went on an off-road adventure in the back of a rusty, old Jeep to the giant sand dunes of Mui Ne. I wasn’t sure we were going to make it after the 20th time the transmission grinded an awful sand-crunching noise through its gears. But! We made it and had a blast. Who knew we would be sand sledding down dunes of sand in Viet Nam?! You’ll understand when you see the pictures. We also got to see some red sand canyons, which reminded me of a miniature Bryce Canyon. All in all, we had a great time at Mui Ne… a little get-away for all of us!
Next it was back to the hustle-bustle of Saigon to go on our next adventure to the Cao Dai temple in Tay Ninh. Caodaism is a religion that originated in Viet Nam and attempted to create the ideal religion through the fusion of secular & religious philosophies from the East & West. Primarily, it combines the philosophies of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. There is an estimated three million followers of Caodaism, mainly in Viet Nam. (Thanks to Lonely Planet for helping me with the description.)
The Great Cao Dai Temple was a very interesting place, with beautiful multicolored murals, columns of dragons, and a ceiling full of sparkling stars. There are some other random aspects of Cao Daism that I need to read more about in order to understand, such as why Victor Hugo is one of the important figures. It was a little confusing, but very interesting. We got to witness one of the ceremonies while we were there. Check out the pictures.
After the temple we made our way to the Cu Chi Tunnels that the Viet Cong built and utilized during the Vietnam/American war. The network of tunnels is incredibly impressive, but very stifling and constrictive. I definitely had an emotional response to the whole scene. It was very intense to be in the actual area where the Viet Nam war occurred. There were examples of booby traps and a shooting range where people were able to fire real guns. Walking through the jungle in the rain, hearing the sounds of ammunition, and crawling through the tunnels myself gave me a icky, heavy feeling. It made the Viet Nam war more real for me from both sides.
On our last day we took a trip to the Mekong Delta, a more rural area of Viet Nam where enough rice is produced to feed the entire country. It was a trip of multiple modes of transportation as we took a bus to the Mekong River, hopped on a small ferry to the small canals of the Mekong, and then hopped into smaller boat to get to a particular canal, and then we got into a 4-person row boat and scurried through the intricate twists and turns of the delta. It was awesome! I think Joe has a video of it. Check it out.
I know this is getting too long again, so I’ll stop. Viet Nam is an amazing country – I’d definitely love to return someday. It was especially rewarding to hear how Viet Nam impacted so many of the students on the ship. I heard so many of them say that Viet Nam was their favorite port because it challenged them to see life differently through the eyes of others… and, ultimately, to look at themselves differently, too.
We have so many fascinating students on this ship. I love sharing the voyage with them!
BIG SHOUT OUT!!
A gigantic shout-out to my Dad who turns the big SEVEN-ZERO on Oct. 6th!! Dad, you are the youngest looking 70-year old out there! And everyone knows you can hike them under the table! Ha!!
Mom & Dad – Have an awesome time on your cruise! Can’t wait to see you in Ft. Lauderdale!
Sarah Hoffman – THANK YOU THANK YOU for our very first piece of real mail! It was so exciting to get a card from you in Viet Nam!
Zoe & Jake – I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother. I’m thinking of you guys!!
Brian & Nicole – All of your gifts and books have come in SO HANDY!! We absolutely love all of them and think of you guys all the time!!
Heidi Ho! Thanks for the notes and the pictures! Sounds like things are going smooth! MISS YOU!!
Last night we stopped in Singapore to refuel, but no one was allowed to get off the ship. We’ve heard a lot of stories that the straights around Singapore are the most dangerous in terms of potential pirate attacks, but we haven’t seen any yet!
I had SO MUCH FUN last night with my sea! We had our “Sea Social” in the Faculty/Staff Lounge. This is the only night when students are allowed in the faculty/staff lounge. It’s a special treat for them with drinks, snacks, and the chance to schmooze with the staff and faculty in the lounge. Everyone got all dressed up and looked beautiful!! It was awesome because a lot of the staff and faculty showed up to hang out with my students, which is relatively rare. We did karaoke, too, and one of my fave professors (and good friend), Alden, started off the evening singing “Baby, One More Time.” Ha! The students LOVED seeing their profs up there on the mic. I even got up and “sang” twice, too. Eventually, the students lost their embarrassment and started belting out the tunes. It was SO FUN. We ended the evening with an impromptu dance party until about midnight. Good times. I love my sea.
Viet Nam
I’m going to attempt to write about our experience in Viet Nam, but it is so jam-packed that I may not get to everything. You’ll have to ask us more about it the next time you see us. So… when we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), it was immediately evident that this was going to be a very different port experience than Japan or Hong Kong, particularly because of the history surrounding the war and the impact on the Vietnamese and Americans, alike. Joe and I had the pleasure of traveling with one of my fellow RDs, Nam, who is Vietnamese and visits Viet Nam on a regular basis. She has 4 siblings, all of whom were born in Viet Nam. She was the only one born in the States – in Minnesota, but her connection to Viet Nam is very strong and she speaks Vietnamese fluently.
I had been imagining the traffic in Saigon because I had heard so much about it, but you can’t really picture it until you’re walking through it. It truly is chaotic, but I LOVED IT. It totally gives you an adrenaline rush to cross the streets at rush hour. Luckily for you, Joe took a few videos of us crossing the streets, so you’ll get to experience it for yourself. Saigon is a city of 8 million people and 3 million motorbikes!! Motorbikes are the primary means of transportation, and they are EVERYWHERE. Helmets don’t seem to be a high priority, but it appears that helmet use is increasing. Some of the ship’s crew said that Saigon is nothing like it used to be. They said if I think it seems chaotic now, it was 10 times more chaotic 10 years ago. Wow.
The people of Viet Nam are wonderful. I watched as Nam was taken in by almost everyone we interacted with as immediate family. The people are so giving of themselves and their culture. We stayed in Saigon the first night and adventured around the city, eating delicious food – at a place translated as “Tasty Restaurant” – shopping at the markets, and drinking Vietnamese beer.
The following day we headed to the coastal town of Mui Ne, which turned out to be an unexpected 5-hour bus ride. The tour guide had told us it was a 2-hour bus ride, but – oh well. It was totally worth it. We found ourselves in a place that represented the exact opposite of the energy of Saigon. Mui Ne is a beachside resort area with white sand beaches, thatched-roof bungalows, and a slow, relaxed pace. We stayed in a bungalow literally right at the edge of the ocean. So beautiful! It was nice to get in the ocean and play in the waves in the South China Sea! We lucked out because it was a gorgeous partly-cloudy day, and it had been dumping rain for the past few days.
The food is SO YUMMY and SO CHEAP. We ate like royalty the entire time we were in Viet Nam, and the most we paid – in total – for the 5 of us to eat dinner was MAYBE the equivalent of 20 dollars. TOTAL.
I made the decision before coming on this adventure that I would bend a little on my vegetarianism, so that it wouldn’t be as difficult for me to eat in the countries we’d be visiting. I think this was a good choice because I’ve been able to eat seafood and enjoy the local cuisines.
The next day we went on an off-road adventure in the back of a rusty, old Jeep to the giant sand dunes of Mui Ne. I wasn’t sure we were going to make it after the 20th time the transmission grinded an awful sand-crunching noise through its gears. But! We made it and had a blast. Who knew we would be sand sledding down dunes of sand in Viet Nam?! You’ll understand when you see the pictures. We also got to see some red sand canyons, which reminded me of a miniature Bryce Canyon. All in all, we had a great time at Mui Ne… a little get-away for all of us!
Next it was back to the hustle-bustle of Saigon to go on our next adventure to the Cao Dai temple in Tay Ninh. Caodaism is a religion that originated in Viet Nam and attempted to create the ideal religion through the fusion of secular & religious philosophies from the East & West. Primarily, it combines the philosophies of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. There is an estimated three million followers of Caodaism, mainly in Viet Nam. (Thanks to Lonely Planet for helping me with the description.)
The Great Cao Dai Temple was a very interesting place, with beautiful multicolored murals, columns of dragons, and a ceiling full of sparkling stars. There are some other random aspects of Cao Daism that I need to read more about in order to understand, such as why Victor Hugo is one of the important figures. It was a little confusing, but very interesting. We got to witness one of the ceremonies while we were there. Check out the pictures.
After the temple we made our way to the Cu Chi Tunnels that the Viet Cong built and utilized during the Vietnam/American war. The network of tunnels is incredibly impressive, but very stifling and constrictive. I definitely had an emotional response to the whole scene. It was very intense to be in the actual area where the Viet Nam war occurred. There were examples of booby traps and a shooting range where people were able to fire real guns. Walking through the jungle in the rain, hearing the sounds of ammunition, and crawling through the tunnels myself gave me a icky, heavy feeling. It made the Viet Nam war more real for me from both sides.
On our last day we took a trip to the Mekong Delta, a more rural area of Viet Nam where enough rice is produced to feed the entire country. It was a trip of multiple modes of transportation as we took a bus to the Mekong River, hopped on a small ferry to the small canals of the Mekong, and then hopped into smaller boat to get to a particular canal, and then we got into a 4-person row boat and scurried through the intricate twists and turns of the delta. It was awesome! I think Joe has a video of it. Check it out.
I know this is getting too long again, so I’ll stop. Viet Nam is an amazing country – I’d definitely love to return someday. It was especially rewarding to hear how Viet Nam impacted so many of the students on the ship. I heard so many of them say that Viet Nam was their favorite port because it challenged them to see life differently through the eyes of others… and, ultimately, to look at themselves differently, too.
We have so many fascinating students on this ship. I love sharing the voyage with them!
BIG SHOUT OUT!!
A gigantic shout-out to my Dad who turns the big SEVEN-ZERO on Oct. 6th!! Dad, you are the youngest looking 70-year old out there! And everyone knows you can hike them under the table! Ha!!
Mom & Dad – Have an awesome time on your cruise! Can’t wait to see you in Ft. Lauderdale!
Sarah Hoffman – THANK YOU THANK YOU for our very first piece of real mail! It was so exciting to get a card from you in Viet Nam!
Zoe & Jake – I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother. I’m thinking of you guys!!
Brian & Nicole – All of your gifts and books have come in SO HANDY!! We absolutely love all of them and think of you guys all the time!!
Heidi Ho! Thanks for the notes and the pictures! Sounds like things are going smooth! MISS YOU!!
Monday, October 02, 2006
Vietnam was Amazing...
We had an amazing time and of course Joy will tell you all about it... I'll try to write more this time as well but for now, you can all enjoy some fun HONG KONG pics.
http://joeandjoy.com/hongkong/index.html
more later.
http://joeandjoy.com/hongkong/index.html
more later.
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