Day 4 (Friday, August 29)
700 students swarmed the ship today. Previous sense of tranquility is gone. Stood in a hallway all morning directing students to the registration room. Got away to find some postcards, found out they were made in the U.S.A. Appropriate to the stifling commercial nature of Nassau. Went to generic Senor Frog’s bar last night, like a Semester at Sea party, lots of SAS kids. Met some nice people today doing hallway duty. Roommate is Steven Newman, cool guy, comes from a musical family in Malibu, plays guitar, we get along great. Bought a couple of side trips today, a homestay in India, a service project and a bicycle ride in Brazil, something cool in Namibia too but I forget. Stuff I couldn’t do on my own mostly, except for the bicycle ride, doing that for fun and to meet people. We should be leaving Nassau soon.
…
21:46
25º 23.4N 076º 5.13W
Rumor is that Hurricane Gustav has rerouted us towards Puerto Rico. Does seem stormy outside. All students crammed into auditorium for a meeting with the Dean (Jack), said that a quarter of the ship is from CA. 76% female, student body. 1015 total passengers. Over 300 different colleges, 20 different countries. A little nervous with constant introductions and first impressions, trying to relax and just be friendly. Going to go play guitar in the lobby.
…
We’re not going to Puerto Rico, just going 75 miles off course to get around tropical storm Hannah, so we’ll pick up the speed to make it to Brazil on time.
Day 6 (Sunday, August 31, 2008)
Today was my first day of classes. “Towards the Interior: Poetry and Short Fiction” and “Indian Singing Ensemble”. Poetry teacher a youngish 30-something professor who gave us interesting readings, where poetry meets prose, I forget the author’s name. Never seriously written poetry or short fiction before so I’m excited. It will support my creativity, songwriting, for sure. Indian Singing class was also a rich experience, very energetic, expressive professor, had a 20 year apprenticeship with his music teacher, a spiritual experience singing the pentatonic scale and learning Indian solfege. Both were great. Signed up for two more trips today: Jazz safari in Cape Town and a homestay in Kyoto. Jazz Safari, will meet S African musicians and play music with them, go to jazz club with them. Get along great with roommate. Played a little concert in the piano lounge last night, very fun. Dvd guy was videotaping. Will make it a regular thing. Also had first day of work study job today, not a bad gig, sit around and do homework, occasionally go to help professors with A/V equipment. We actually did stop in Puerto Rico to fill up on gas, greeted by U.S. coastguard. Feels like I’ve been on this trip for weeks, in a good way. Every day is full of activity and interaction.
Day 7 (Monday, September 1, 2008)
Had a Science Education class today, we built towers out of straws with professors’ kids and talked about how to engage students. Then struggled to stay awake during a class with a lot of powerpoint.
Day 8 (Tuesday September 2, 2008)
Lat 08º 11.69N Long 050º 39.76W
I’ve been playing music every night at 10, regular jam sesh, lots of talented musicians on the ship. Enjoy all of my classes, challenging to keep up. Haven’t gotten bored yet, been at sea for four days straight now, but still very busy every day. Lots of group interaction, helps me learn. Only the one traditional lecture class. Invited to swim with sharks in S Africa. We’re traveling down by the east coast of S America now. By French Guiana I think. Sometimes it feels like all I do is sit places or go to the next sitting place. However, that, like the food, will heighten my appreciation of port experience.
Day 9 (Wednesday September 3, 2008)
It’s a good morning. I’m feelin it today. Whoo! We cross the equator in 2 days. Global studies class is very disconcerting, asking, “What are we going to do about China?” Built little cars with the kids in science class today. Ours was pretty awesome. Cardboard with wooden axles, plastic wheels, two spoons for weight. Rolled halfway across the ship. We were team Triumph.
Poetry class, my first prose-poem, modeled after Robert Haas’ “In the Bahamas":
He laid on his stomach, face sideways in the sand. His respite, interrupted by a taste of the afternoon tide. The briny sting persisted as he walked back to their suite. She called from the hallway, "Do you mind if we get a cab? We could walk, but it's humid today." He filled a green plastic mug with tap water. "It’s always humid." he said, under the hum of her blow dryer. He rubbed his beard by the window, the pastel collage of hotels fading like a dusty postcard.
notice how i used a past blog to inspire the last line?
Lat: 3º 23.3N Long: 42º 38.0W
Had a nice crowd in the piano lounge tonight, I’m out of CD’s! Thoroughly exhausted.
Day 10 (Thursday Sept 4, 2008)
First time doing yoga this morning. 6 am on the pool deck. Feel great, tired though from lack of sleep. Will cross equator today. First time seeing hash browns in the breakfast line…much preferred to the usual diced potatoes. Croissants were superduper as usual.
700 students swarmed the ship today. Previous sense of tranquility is gone. Stood in a hallway all morning directing students to the registration room. Got away to find some postcards, found out they were made in the U.S.A. Appropriate to the stifling commercial nature of Nassau. Went to generic Senor Frog’s bar last night, like a Semester at Sea party, lots of SAS kids. Met some nice people today doing hallway duty. Roommate is Steven Newman, cool guy, comes from a musical family in Malibu, plays guitar, we get along great. Bought a couple of side trips today, a homestay in India, a service project and a bicycle ride in Brazil, something cool in Namibia too but I forget. Stuff I couldn’t do on my own mostly, except for the bicycle ride, doing that for fun and to meet people. We should be leaving Nassau soon.
…
21:46
25º 23.4N 076º 5.13W
Rumor is that Hurricane Gustav has rerouted us towards Puerto Rico. Does seem stormy outside. All students crammed into auditorium for a meeting with the Dean (Jack), said that a quarter of the ship is from CA. 76% female, student body. 1015 total passengers. Over 300 different colleges, 20 different countries. A little nervous with constant introductions and first impressions, trying to relax and just be friendly. Going to go play guitar in the lobby.
…
We’re not going to Puerto Rico, just going 75 miles off course to get around tropical storm Hannah, so we’ll pick up the speed to make it to Brazil on time.
Day 6 (Sunday, August 31, 2008)
Today was my first day of classes. “Towards the Interior: Poetry and Short Fiction” and “Indian Singing Ensemble”. Poetry teacher a youngish 30-something professor who gave us interesting readings, where poetry meets prose, I forget the author’s name. Never seriously written poetry or short fiction before so I’m excited. It will support my creativity, songwriting, for sure. Indian Singing class was also a rich experience, very energetic, expressive professor, had a 20 year apprenticeship with his music teacher, a spiritual experience singing the pentatonic scale and learning Indian solfege. Both were great. Signed up for two more trips today: Jazz safari in Cape Town and a homestay in Kyoto. Jazz Safari, will meet S African musicians and play music with them, go to jazz club with them. Get along great with roommate. Played a little concert in the piano lounge last night, very fun. Dvd guy was videotaping. Will make it a regular thing. Also had first day of work study job today, not a bad gig, sit around and do homework, occasionally go to help professors with A/V equipment. We actually did stop in Puerto Rico to fill up on gas, greeted by U.S. coastguard. Feels like I’ve been on this trip for weeks, in a good way. Every day is full of activity and interaction.
Day 7 (Monday, September 1, 2008)
Had a Science Education class today, we built towers out of straws with professors’ kids and talked about how to engage students. Then struggled to stay awake during a class with a lot of powerpoint.
Day 8 (Tuesday September 2, 2008)
Lat 08º 11.69N Long 050º 39.76W
I’ve been playing music every night at 10, regular jam sesh, lots of talented musicians on the ship. Enjoy all of my classes, challenging to keep up. Haven’t gotten bored yet, been at sea for four days straight now, but still very busy every day. Lots of group interaction, helps me learn. Only the one traditional lecture class. Invited to swim with sharks in S Africa. We’re traveling down by the east coast of S America now. By French Guiana I think. Sometimes it feels like all I do is sit places or go to the next sitting place. However, that, like the food, will heighten my appreciation of port experience.
Day 9 (Wednesday September 3, 2008)
It’s a good morning. I’m feelin it today. Whoo! We cross the equator in 2 days. Global studies class is very disconcerting, asking, “What are we going to do about China?” Built little cars with the kids in science class today. Ours was pretty awesome. Cardboard with wooden axles, plastic wheels, two spoons for weight. Rolled halfway across the ship. We were team Triumph.
Poetry class, my first prose-poem, modeled after Robert Haas’ “In the Bahamas":
He laid on his stomach, face sideways in the sand. His respite, interrupted by a taste of the afternoon tide. The briny sting persisted as he walked back to their suite. She called from the hallway, "Do you mind if we get a cab? We could walk, but it's humid today." He filled a green plastic mug with tap water. "It’s always humid." he said, under the hum of her blow dryer. He rubbed his beard by the window, the pastel collage of hotels fading like a dusty postcard.
notice how i used a past blog to inspire the last line?
Lat: 3º 23.3N Long: 42º 38.0W
Had a nice crowd in the piano lounge tonight, I’m out of CD’s! Thoroughly exhausted.
Day 10 (Thursday Sept 4, 2008)
First time doing yoga this morning. 6 am on the pool deck. Feel great, tired though from lack of sleep. Will cross equator today. First time seeing hash browns in the breakfast line…much preferred to the usual diced potatoes. Croissants were superduper as usual.
Comments
Your trip sounds like a lot of fun and I'm happy to see you are enjoying it.
Definitely swim with the sharks. I was planning on doing that in Hawaii, but the cost might keep me away.