The Big One
Trip Start
Aug 23, 2007
1
2
10
Trip End
Dec 07, 2007
The middle of the ocean, Hawaii
Friday, August 31, 2007
Hello from abroad!
Not even a week has passed but so much has happened. This post is going to be a long one, so find a cozy seat. I'll try and organize it so I can remember to include everything, and also so you can browse. This ship is a strange little microcosm of society, and I am endlessly entertained by it. I am continually reminding myself not to judge the stereotypes that wander around, and to attempt to make friends... but this place is just asking for a mock-u-mentary to made on its behalf. Here goes.
The Food (first and most important)
It is, in a word, horrible. Imagine a girl with good taste in food who spends her time running around L.A. eating at amazing authentic international restaurants, shopping at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, and indulging in the various burger joints and pizza places that make this city so delicious. NOW imagine gross cafeteria food... then imagine eating it three times a day. Then imagine feeling nauseous constantly. I'm hoping the longer I am on this trip I will forget about the food I love and my taste buds will go dormant so I can stomach this stuff. As soon as I get to port I will spend considerable time eating as much as possible even if it makes me sick. I have been warned many times over about travelers diarrhea, and the effects of foreign food on my system, but hey, I'd rather be sick off food that tastes amazing then food that wasn't even worth swallowing. Right? The highlights of my day include when they serve croutons with the salad and any kind of meat that isn't coated in mystery sauce. I live off fruit and P.B. and J., and will gain forty pounds as soon as I get home.
The Boat (and its eternal rocking)
When people said "motion sickness" I assumed from moving forward. I assumed wrong... and by wrong I mean catastrophically incorrect. This boat rocks! (and not in the dumb cliché way, so go ahead and chuckle.... Now shut up). It shifts back and forth up to ten feet side to side at any given time, and it does it 24 hours a days. The beds in our cabins are set up long ways so we rock from head to toe instead of side to side. But every kind of movement up or down, like sitting, or bending over to pick something up launches you into potential vomit situations. The new 'in thing' is wearing a Dramamine patch behind your ear, as about 70% of the people on the boat do. The shift is so significant that everything on the boat is basically bolted down, and you must secure anything on tables or desks. After my first day of unpacking I returned to my cabin to find most things on the floor...drawers that close are my new favorite thing. For me, the sickness has subsided, but there were a few days there that were touch and go. Now, sleeping with the rocking is fabulous. There are few times I've ever slept better. Imagine reverting back to some child like state of being placed in a big warm rocking cradle. It's nice. However, taking a shower is difficult. I have to put one foot up against each wall of the shower so I don't slip, and it is so small that if I bend over to pick up my shampoo, I often shut of the water with my butt. Yeah, with my butt. I am suuuuuure you can all imagine how funny it was for me the first time it happened and then again the second and third time. It's the little things...
The Boat's Crew
The crew is almost entirely comprised of men and women from the Philippines who work on this boat 9 months out of the year to support their families. That being said, they are also the nicest, most polite, and attentive people I have ever met. They clean this boat 24/7 and greet you with a smile every day. They serve us drinks during meals, and take our dirty dishes away faster then any bus boy in any L.A. restaurant. Most of them have memorized all the students' names, and amaze me with their clever wit. I mentioned there is a maid service... and the maid for my floor on the boat, Raymond, is always knocking on my door during my naps to let me know, in broken English, "hello pretty miss, it is time to clean, go nap in the sun miss." I love these people, and am constantly mumbling 'thank you' every time I pass one of them. They keep this place running, and it's a beautiful place to be.
The Teachers/ My pointless Classes
The boat has 'A' days and 'B' days. Numerical date and day of the week only matters if you are figuring what day we port... other then that, no one knows anything. While sitting on the deck last night with friends it took three of us to figure out what day it was, and one of us had to check the calendar on our cell phone. We have class everyday we are on the boat, so weekends don't exist, and neither does any concept of the date. So my classes meet on 'A' days or 'B' days, otherwise known as EVERYday. It is difficult, but when you factor in that we spend four or more days in port, it makes sense. All the teachers on the boat have a sense of humor, and try as hard as they can to get everyone laughing at some point during class. The most important class is Core class. It's called Global Studies, and that's what it is. It meets every morning at 9:20am and discusses history, culture, politics etc. of what ever country it is we are en route to. So all this week we are learning about Hawaii. As students file in every morning there is vibrant and ethnic music playing to wake us up, and a sing along of some sort is guaranteed. Last week is was "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas... yeah. Don't worry, I got it on video and will post it soon. I call the classes pointless because USC won't take credit for any of them, so my grade doesn't count for much. Otherwise I would feel a little intimidated, as these classes are defiantly challenging. But I have to admit, sitting and eating dinner with teachers and their families every night definitely changes the average teacher/student dynamic...and open critique is welcomed by the teachers so they can restructure the classes to help the students learn better. Very cool.
The Students (constant entertainment)
There are 630 students on the boat, and then the staff is about 100. I have made friends with a fare amount of people, but I'm a bit older then most of the students so it makes things difficult. Part of the difficulty is that I don't really want to be friends with them because they are dumb. (This may sound harsh... but I'll sit on my thrown of witty maturity and judge others if I want to) The work study students, like me, of which there are 25, are all very cool, and I spend most of my time with them. We have this tight little alliance formed, and we hook each other up with inside information, and report back about other potentially interesting people. It's really creepy in all honesty, but I am a creepy person. The most entertainment comes from watching the bar open on the seventh deck at night. The drinking age is 18 on the boat, so the students go absolutely crazy. People actually get dressed up to walk a few flights of stairs to the pool deck, then stand around and drink their canned Budweiser. It's sad. Then everyone runs around pretending they are drunk, and the halls are filled with mumbles of "I'm so gonna to get laid tonight" or "dude, I'm totally wasted." IMPORTANT: There is a drink policy on the boat. Only beer and wine is offered (no hard liquor), and you are only able to consume two drinks per hour, not to exceed six drinks in one night. The boat issues you a 'drinking voucher' which is stamped by the bartender with the date and time of each drink purchase, and you must pass in your full drink card to the pursers deck before receiving another one. So they keep track of which students are consuming the most alcohol. I don't know about you, but I don't remember the last time I was able to get "totally wasted" under conditions like that. It is nearly impossible unless you starve yourself and weigh 90 pounds. But evidently... some students (mostly the dumb frat boys) are livin' it up. Also, all the RD's and staff member show up on the deck t chaperone the activity. It is hysterical.
Okay, I have to go to work, but I will try and post more later tonight. I still have to tell you about my job on the boat, and about the amazing views from the decks. I'm sure you guys need a break from reading this anyways.
I opened a new e-mail account, because AOL takes too long to load, and I'm paying by the minute for my internet. So e-mail me at kimono617@gmail.com. ALSO, if any of you want postcards, I need you to e-mail me your addresses!!
Okay, I miss all of you!! PLEASE e-mail me!! It is so nice to check my inbox and see letters from you guys keeping me updated on what's going on with you, and letting me know what you think of my little adventures. Ask questions, as I have too much information to put in these posts... and you ALL know about my affinity for detailed stories. I get to Hawaii on Sunday and will have cell reception all day, so feel free to call me if you want to say hi. Until then...
