NOV 27

ALOHA ! and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hope everyone had a great turkey day watching the Macys Day parade, playing/watching football, and eating ALOT! I spent my turkey day in Hawaii on Waikiki surfing, tanning, swimming, and shopping for a mere 12 hrs I was here. o and I had a Thanksgiving dinner at the Sheraton Princess hotel so I got some normalcy. But its just a tease to be given a taste of the US and then leave just like that! So now spend the next 2 weeks working off those pounds you gained from all that turkey just in time for the XMAS holidays. :) I am thankful for all my wonderful friends and family that have been keeping tabs on me in my travels. MISS AND LOVE YOU ALL!

gobble gobble

Nov 23-25

My days have been filled with work work work more work and working out in between and meetings and trying not to get sick on the side. Thankfully we have a little break soon but its not long enough and then we dive into finals. Trying to take advantage of these finals days and trying not to think that its going to be over.

2nd Nov 22

So I have another Nov 22 . Another Saturday. Having a repeat of the same day. So weird. There has to be some time travel involved I swear. We crossed the International date line. So as of now I am BEHIND eastern time and not ahead anymore. We have passed you and are experiencing the same day but now hours behind. Its hard to explain and hard to comprehend but it did happen. My year is now going to be 367 days (leap year + extra day). Slept in and then had a Ambassador Ball meeting and we are putting together decorations and planning for the ball that is like 10 days or something. Next was lunch which was a huge BBQ and fresh fruit and icecream. It was freaking amazing. Definitely better than tacos. I also had the World Food Summit from 1-4 pm where a bunch of students got together and represented countries and had to discuss their positions and discuss solutions to two given crises. It was a lot of fun. I was Egypt and it was interesting to get involved in something that most people in the US aren’t thinking about which is the food shortage in the world. After took a long break that involved hanging with the girls and dinner. Then it was back to the 10 page paper. Finished, did a quick workout and then went to the Auction. The auction was a bunch of items/items/vacations donated by people on the ship. Rob and Emma were the MCs and they made the productions. People were betting up to $600 of some stuff. It was crazy and hilarious. It went on for a solid 2 hrs. Sara Kasie and I just sat through it and observed people throwing away their money. The only good thing about it is that the money is all going to charity.

1st Nov 22

So today was a regular old B day filled with doing lots of work and one class. Most of the day was full of discussion of trying to figure out our extra repeat day and what lunch would be. Usually every day off or special day we have had tacos. Austin and Kyle were set on it so it was a bet. The girls and I ate dinner outside because it is gradually getting warmer again and I just had to enjoy the fresh air. The Sea Olympics committee had a reunion meeting and we played some speed scrabble. I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard. It was a new game for me but it was a good break from all the paper writing that this week has entailed. After about an hour it was back to the paper and getting to bed early.

Nov 20

Tonight we had Kurt’s memorial service. His roommate Vince and his closest friends read some memories, stories, and prayers in his honor. I gave Sara the poem The Dash for them to read because they couldn’t find one. Mason put together one of the best slideshows I have ever seen. He had pictures of Kurt on all his travels and had video of all his closest friends talking about him. Someone also played a song on the piano and it was such a sad song I started crying immediately. I didn’t know Kurt that well at all but from people talking about him I feel like I know him. Also from people talking about I feel like I should have known him. He was such a funny essentric person who was kind but sarcastic and could laugh at himself. He sounded like the perfect guy and we could use some more Kurt’s in the world. It is so sad and unfair for his life to end so soon when he had so much to offer. He could have made such a difference in the world. He affected to many people in just 72 days I can not imagine what he could have done with another 50 years. I guess God just has a plan for us all and I pray for Kurt and that he watches over us and guides his family and friends to a place of no pain and to live their lives the way he would want them to. It makes me think more about how I want to live my life and what I can do to change to not have a care in the world. Kurt lived for himself and lovingly accepted everyone for who they were. He didn’t judge and took everything for what it was. This is a unique and special gift that most people don’t have. We tend to judge right off the bat and turn our heads the other way. Kurt has taught me to give more than one, two, or three changes to have someone prove themselves to me. We all are different and bring something into this world and judging someone that may be “different” or have different views than you is not a way to go through life. Everyone deserves a chance to show their true colors and deserves to be liked for who they are. No one should have to change who they are for someone else to like or accept them. Kurt has given me a vision of who I want to be when I go back home and into the real world. One can only strive to be as amazing as Kurt and be able to love whole heartedly like he did. Kurt I am thinking of you and hope you can guide me to become a better person and to conquer my fears and to not be afraid to do something crazy or out of the blue. Everyone needs laughter in their life consistently. Thank you for showing us your gift.  

Nov 19 Trans Pacific

Starting our trans Pacific voyage and it is so rocky. The worst it has been. The ship is going so slow so it doesn’t feel bad but when you look at the water it is the craziest I have seen it since being on the ship. Should be an interesting 18 days at sea!

Nov 18 Yokohama

Woke up, did some more internet time, checked out and Ali and Jocie met up with Ali’s host mom she had when she did an exchange program two years ago. Jewel Sara and I made our way to the ship that was in Yokohama. By now we were masters of the train and subways and effortlessly got ourselves to Yokohama. On the way back made a side trip the Ramen Noodle Museum and Factory. It was interesting to say the least. They had all these different kinds of Ramen from all over Japan and it was set up like an old movie set with old music playing. It was weird but now I can say I went to the Ramen Factory. We literally did a 15 min walk through and headed home. Got back on the ship around 3pm. Had face to face customs at 4 , dinner at 5, and then I was in bed by 8. It is less than a month until I get home, I think its like 24 days or something and that is crazy!!! The end is coming way too fast.  But of course its finals time and will be swamped with work.. BOO!

Nov 17 Tokyo Day 2

Got up at 10:15 am to check out of the rooms and move into another room for the last night. We went out site seeing but  first we all needed food and water. We walked to Asukasa district and found a Denny’s that wasn’t really a Denny’s but it was food. Then we walked to this area with temples and pagodas that had all these little shops everywhere. Apparently there was a festival going on that was only celebrated in the area. We just walked through the aisles of shops enjoying the crowd, the fall weather, and the smells. Bought a couple of small things nothing major because you cant barter in Japan and its kind of expensive. Found a Dippin Dots in the middle of nowhere! The festival was going on so all the food vendors were out. There were also these welcome basket things that they bought for the front of there houses for good luck. Got to see the temples and observed people praying and took a bunch of pictures. It was a gorgeous day and perfect temperature. Its so weird in Japan though because the sun seems to start to set at noon. By 2:15 pm the sun was almost half way down. We would all think it was later than it really was. Headed back the hostel and took a 3 hr nap and then got up around 7 and went out to dinner around Ueno Station to find some more sushi! We were going to hit up a Karoke bar but the girls were just exhausted and Sara and I had no voices. Came back via subway and n the way walking back stopped at a bunch of vendors and tried all the street food. Most of it was so delicious and other stuff was kind of interesting. Got back to the hostel and ran into some SAS kid and thought about going out-seriously. Took a semi nap and then realized we were way too exhausted and would hate ourselves in the morning. We did a lot of internet time and then went to bed.

 

Nov 16 TOKYO DISNEY SEA

Got up and left for Disney at 8 am. It was raining out unfortunately but that didn’t stop us. Took a bunch of trains to get there because public transportation in Japan is AMAZING. You can get anywhere by train and it’s the cheapest way to get around. We made it there and the rain had stopped and just ended up being overcast all day. For a rainy Sunday there were masses of JAPANESE! Got into the park by 9:30 and being that this trip was for Sara’s birthday she was so excited. I was just as excited as her and we just couldn’t contain ourselves. Our first stop was to a store to buy ponchos and ears! We all got them and it was awesome because we were the only American/white people in the park. No joke. Disney Sea is one of the newer parks of Disney and it is also the biggest park in Tokyo Disney. First ride of the day was Tower of Terror. Ali and Jocie didn’t go on because they hate rides but they still found stuff to do while we were in line. All the rides were in Japanese and no one spoke English so I kept making up storylines for all the rides. It was hilarious. We got Ali and Jocie to go on some more low key rides before it was time for lunch. After lunch we got Fast Passes for some rides and then explored for some shows and easy rides. Ali and Jocie left the park around 2pm. Some of the other rides we did were 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Indiana Jones, Sinbad (like Small World), explored Ariel’s World, Raging Spirits, Windstorm, and Aladdin show. Around 5 pm Jewel and Nine left but Sara and Kassie  and I stayed until the final Christmas Lights show. Oh I forgot to mention that the entire park was already Christmas themed so there were Christmas carols playing, the characters were in xmas outfits and red and green lights everywhere. The lights show and fireworks was the cherry on top of the day but it wasn’t over yet! We left Disney at 9:15 pm and got back to the hostel at 10:15 pm and then got ready to go out to celebrate Sara’s birthday! Hopped in the shower and got ready in 45 min to go out in Roppongi district where all the bars/clubs were. The subways stop running at 12 so the plan was to go out late and stay out late to take the subway back @ am when they started again. Hopped on the subway and on the way Jocie wasn’t well so we sent her back on the train across the way at a stop. Got to Roppongi and just roamed to try and find any club. Some random bouncer grabbed us and took us to his club. I have never seen so many black people in Japan ( or at least heard of it). It was Sara’s bday night so we got ½ price drinks and a bday song along with BSB, Britney Spears and Nsync songs. Great way to start the night. Decided to leave as more SAS kids showed up and moved on down the street. All the guys kept grabbing us and talking to us so we escaped into this club called 911. It was packed with latin music and hiphop. Saweet just what we needed to dance! Met the National German Karate Team on their last night in Tokyo. Apparently the Karate World’s were being held in Tokyo. A bunch of the the coaches and refs were out as well which was so weird. They were from France, Dubai, and the Netherlands. It was crazy. We all just started dancing and getting free drinks because of Sara’s bday. The German kids that couldn’t speak Enligh kept trying to talk to me and I couldn’t understand them. One kid would whisper into my ear but then I’d look at one of his friends and they would translate. Not how I wanted to spend my night. I talked with a bunch of them and found out some of them actually placed and were even champs of their weight class. The Team as a whole I think got 3^rd so they were pumped. The guy I had my eye on and danced with most of the night was Jonathan Horne and was the 80+ kg champ. He was tall and handsome but only half German (he was a little dark and spoke English very well). They all started training when they were 4 or 6. I couldn’t believe it (I actually looked them up on the internet, its legit).  At some point Sara lost her camera so that was just tears and a solid 45 min searching for it. We think one of the guys took it but no luck finding it. Ali Me and Jewel took a cab home because we couldn’t kind Kassie, Sara, and Nina and I wanted to stay of course but wasn’t going to stay by myself. The other girls ended up taking the subway home at 5 and got home at like 6:15 am. We got home at like 4:30 /5 am. 

Nov 15 Hiroshima

Had to get up and catch a 8:02 am train to Hiroshima. It was a 2 hr ride so we got to take naps. From the station we took the bus system to the Peace Memorial Museum. The muesm was at the atom bomb site where one of the 5 buildings that survived the bombing stood. They preserved this one building in memory of all those that died.  We walked through the park and saw a bunch of memorial statues. One was for this one girl that made 1000 paper cranes in hopes that she would get better but she end up dying. The site has these glass boxes filled with paper cranes of all different colors. It was very beautiful. Next we headed through the museum. I got the kind of feelings I had going through the Vietnam Museum. I felt confused, shocked, and ashamed but they way the Japanese set up the museum was not bashing on America. It was truly a peace museum and just showing that they never wanted anything like this to happen ever again. They recognized the fact that dropping the bomb was the only way to end the war because the Emperor was going to send every Japanese into the war to die until there was no one left to fight. We took our time and read almost everything in the museum. They had before and after pictures of Hiroshima being bombed. They had layouts and models of where the bomb was dropped and where it exploded. They had so many pictures and remnants of the city and the effects of radiation. There were melted bottles, roof tiles, bodies, clothes, pictures of bombed victims and fetuses affects by radiation. It is just so sad. I cant believe we had to go this far in a war. I guess there were many reason but still I couldn’t imagine being on the other side of that bomb. Walked around some more and decided to try and get to this island Ali wanted to go to and see the famous gate and deer island. We got on the wrong bus line to a different port and running low on time we couldn’t go. But the waterfront was beautiful. Made our way back to the train station to catch out train to Tokyo. It was a 4+ hr ride so we got some sleep and work done. Had great directions to our hostel so it didn’t take long to find. Ran into these New Zealand boys who were staying at our hostel too and helped them find it. Met up with Kassie and Nina at the hostel. They took us to dinner and sushi! Then we walked back to the hostel to rest up for DISNEY! We could barely sleep we were all so excited. Me Sara Nina and Kassie were all in one room and kept reminiscing about our times going to Disney and our favorite rides. 

Nov 14 KOBE JAPAN

Pulled into Kobe and had to be dressed and ready to go at 7:45 am for the quarantine process. They had to take all of our temperatures before we could get off. This process involved us walking by this heat sensor and then waiting for another hour before the second half of the process began. Around 10 am they called us to go through customs, which involved getting a picture taken and fingerprints scanned. Once everyone I was traveling with (Jewel, Jocie, Ali, Sara) got off the ship we headed out to Kyoto by train. Had to take the subway to the main train station and then from Kobe Station went to Kobe station. Then we had to figure out where our geisha place was. We asked everyone is Kyoto where it was and even tried calling the place. Took a bus some of the way and eventually decided to try and take a cab. The cab got us to the little allyway which we definitely wouldn’t have found by walking around. No wonder no one knew where it was. Found the geaisha place and found out that we couldn’t pay with credit card. So off we went searching for an ATM. We initially followed the girl from the geisha place’s directions but this took us to a dead end. Again we started asking people where an ATM was. Found some ATMs but they weren’t in English or wouldn’t take our card in general. We were about to give up when we ran into another American. He suggested finding a 711 or to go to the main downtown area about two blocks over and find a post office. We opted to go to the downtown area. Found a couple banks but they didn’t have ATMs and one bank actually gave us directions to this mall and that on the 7th floor was a post office that would have an ATM. Not in a million years did we ever think a post office would have an ATM but sure enough we found won. So about an hour later the few of us that went searching met back up with the two girls that waited with our stuff back at the geisha place. Finally we began the process of dressing up as geishas. We had to strip down to our underwear and wear these pink robe like things- so hott. Next they did our makeup which was just caked on and pinned up our hair. Next we got our fake hair pieces out on our head. It was so heavy and detailed. After that we picked out our robes and they dressed up in the all the layers. They put on about 10 lbs worth of stuff on us along with making you a box so they pull everything so tight. I could hardly breathe. It was ridiculous! When we were all complete we had a photo fashion show. We also got a professional photo done for us. The girl taking the photo placed us exactly so, it was so hard not to laugh and to stay still to take her seriously. Jewel and I had a little laughing fit but had to pull it together for the photo. We also had to smile without showing our teeth which was almost impossible because I couldn’t stop laughing. We took so many photos and then ran as fast as we could back up stairs to get everything off. This was a challenge because I could only make a lot of little steps. The makeup took forever to scrape off. Once we were decent again we prepared ourselves to get to our hostel. We had no idea where it was and the people at the hostel didn’t speak English so when we tried to call them for directions it was hopeless. We knew it was somewhere back near the train station so we made our way back there. Once we got to the station we started asking everyone in Japan if they knew where the hostel was. A nice couple from Ohio who was visiting their daughter who was living in Japan were able to visit us somewhat because they could speak a little Japanese. We got pointed in a direction and started walking and continued to just ask everyone we came across. No one speaks English and there is just a lot of pointing and gibber jabber. After about an hour of walking in circles we finally found it! Our room was just one big room with mattresses on the ground and big comforters. It was like a 3rd grade sleepover. We were all exhausted and had to get up early to go to Hiroshima so just got a couple of beers, watched movies and gossip girl and went to bed. 

Nov 11 SHANGHAI

Had an FDP at the Peking Opera School and went with Sara and Jocie. Saw all the training the kids go through, dancing, posing, face painting, etc. I was bummed we actually didn’t get to see a full performance which I thought we were going to see. The kids go through a lot of training and the teachers are very firm and demand perfection. Fell asleep on the way back to the ship and went straight back to bed and watched movies and cleaned my room. It looked like a bomb went off in my suitcase of clothes.  I can be so messy sometimes. Chilled all day on the ship because I had no desire to go out. I need to catch up on sleep and work. There was also a meeting about the details of Kurt’s death so after that no one was going to be productive. I spent a lot of time supporting my friends who were close to them and just talking it out. It is so sad. Makes me miss home a lot and everyone I care about. Just want to let you all know I am being as safe as possible and I have a great group of friends that looks after each other. I plan on being home in a month and making it there so see everyone. Miss and love you all very much. Please pray for Kurt and his family (he had a twin brother studying in New Zealand). 

Nov 10 Beijing City Tour #2/ Shanghai

Had another full day in Beijing. Went to the Temple of Heaven that was used by the Emperor twice a year to make sacrifices to the gods for harvest or give thanks for a productive year. The major tower was constructed with no nails, just pillars interlocked together (like lick-n-logs). The main colors are blue, yellow, and green that are on almost all buildings in Beijing. Blue=sky Yellow=people Green= earth. Next stop was Beihai Park that was a public park on the outskirts of the temple where tons of retired people come to all sorts of activities. The park is full from 6 am – 6pm everyday. They exercise, dance, ribbon dance, sing, play cards, racket ball, hacky sack, comedy acts, and try to sell small trinkets. People bring snacks and picnic stuff and can spend all day there. They were all so cute and I was just amazed that at their age they would be doing all this in the freezing cold! Wish there was something like this in the US because I think more people would enjoy it. Had lunch in a 5 star restaurant called Wahaha and it was the best meal we had had all trip. I am soo sick of Chinese food though. I like US Chinese so much better, trust me, real Chinese food is nothing like it by any means. The last activity on our trip was taking a tour through a town via rickshaw. It was a nice afternoon and the air was fresh. The town was an old military town and we got to walk through the street. We visited a family’s home and got the talk with them through an interpreter. Mostly basic and simple questions about everyday life were asked but the most interesting answers was how much the house was worth. $3.5 MILLION! Now this house to any American would look like a simple house in the country or in a small suburbia town. It was all one floor but was in the shape of a square with a small courtyard in the center. 3.5 million dollars! Jeeze! I guess it was because of its location just outside the Forbidden City but didn’t look like it. After rode back to the bus in the rickshaw and the weather was so nice I didn’t want to leave. Got to the airport and took our 2 hr flight to Shanghai. Watched a movie and took a nap. Made it back to the ship around 8:30 pm and then went out with the Rollins girls at 10 pm to meet one of their friends that was studying in Shanghai. Met up at this club called Rouge Bar. Very red and very expensive but great music. Met their friend and she had a friend with her who was from all places FAIRFIELD, CT! But it gets even better she went to Laurelton for high school and knows Brittany and all those girls. Goes to college at Miami of Ohio and is good friends with Matt Stephens and knows these two swimmers at Charleston. IT IS A SMALLLLLL WORLD. Of all places….Shanghai to run into someone who knows like a good ¼ of my world. (I can’t remember her name but I think her last name was Ryans or something). So spent most of the night there and got back to the ship pretty late.

Nov 9 Beijing City Tour #1

Got to sleep in and left at 9 am for the Forbidden City. Walked through Tiananmen Square while Dave gave us some history spiel. The square is the largest in the world and is surrounded by government buildings and museums. Took lots of pictures. Usually the square is known for kite flying but I didn’t see many kites. But I did see tons of Asian tourists. They are the pushiest people ever. Saw the well-known picture of Mao on the gate into the Forbidden City. We filed in with the mob into the city. We were given automatic guides to listen to for the buildings we decided to stop at as we went through the city. They let us free for an hour and the girls and I walked up through the middle of the city. Most of the major buildings were there. We tried to see where the Emperor’s throne was but trying to get to an opening was impossible. There was a mosh pit of pushy Chinese coming from all sides, I couldn’t even move or breathe. It was ridiculous. I have never experienced anything like it. I couldn’t even tell you what I was trying to take a picture f I just wanted to get out of there. After making it through the city with only a couple bumps and bruises we headed to lunch in a 4 star Chinese restaurant. After lunch was the Lama Temple. It is a working temple where the monks live and people come to pray to Buddha. There are multiple statues in buildings throughout the campus. It is also the site of the tallest Buddha statue made from a single tree trunk. This thing was huge!! Biggest thing I have ever seen of a Buddha. It was interesting to see people lighting incense and praying to Buddha. We weren’t allowed to take pictures of the statues of Buddha but I tried to take some inconspicuous hip shots. Some came out ok. A group of us made a quick tour of everything and then headed to the Pearl Market again. I had to buy a suitcase in order to get everything back on the ship. Came back, rested and then went to dinner at this really fun place. After went to an acrobatic show. One of the coolest and most bizarre things ever. The way the girls bent their bodies was not natural or normal. I think they surgically removed their spines. Bending ever which way and doing tricks upside down while holding/balancing a lamp thing in their foot….unbelievable. The guys did lots of flips, balancing, and positioning tricks. Lifting each other or rocket launching them into the air. The show was themed around birds and they live parrots and cockatoos. They did bike tricks, plate balancing on sticks, and hamster cage stuff. Really really cool but some times the guys almost fell and that was nerve racking. CRAZY! After went back to the hotel and just watched movies and chilled.

Nov 8 The Great Wall

The morning got off with a slow and tragic start with the news of the death of Kurt Leswing. He was hit and killed by a drunk driver in the early morning on his way back to the ship. He was a senior at the University of Wisconsin and was from Milwaukee. It was shocking and I still don’t know how to deal with it. I kind of knew him by face and through other friends (Alyssa and Nina were close to him and were supposed to go on a trip with him that day). The ship is deeply saddened and we will be having a ceremony for him after Japan. We took an extra hour to leave for the Great Wall so that everyone could process and decided if they wanted to come or not. We arrived at the Mutianyu section of the wall and it was nice because it was less crowded and less touristy. There were the usual vendors all trying to get you to buy one useless thing after the other. They love to grab you and say “Hey Ladyyyy”. Made the trek up to the wall with Darby, Jen, Sam, and Nia (Rollins girls).  Man oh man it was a work out. It was freezing out but on the way up I worked up enough heat and sweat I actually took off my jacket and gloves. Took a couple of “picture” breaks on the way up. Finally got to the wall and it was just breathtaking. It was overcast but the seeing the wall in the distance stretching over the hills was so cool. We walked along the wall for a couple of hours. Had a lunch break and took tons of pictures. We stood on the wall, went up into towers, and met all kinds of people. When it was time to go back down we decided to take the louge down the hill that turned out to be the best idea ever! You could control your speed to go faster/slower so we of course went really fast down the windy path down the hill. The Chinese guards yelled at us…oops! Rammed into Darby at one point but it was so fun I was laughing so hard. At the bottom we took pictures with these two guys dressed up in old traditional guard gear. On the way back from the Wall we stopped at the Olympics site to take pictures from afar. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to get into them but the Aquacube and Bird’s Nest are just as amazing in person as they are on TV. To see them lit up at night would have been a real treat. The rest of the afternoon was at our leisure so the girls and I booked it to the Pearl Market. We got there just before 6pm and it closed at 7pm. So it was a shopping power hour, which isn’t easy when you are trying to get al this cheap stuff that you have to bargain for. Bargaining is exhausting!!! Kind of glad this is the last port we have to bargain. Of course I spent way too much but got a bunch of really nice gifts for people. Once the market closed we had to get back to the hotel and had the most difficult time trying to find someone to take us back to the hotel. Finding a cab wasn’t the problem at all but because the hotel was so close they wouldn’t take us because it was rush hour and they wouldn’t make any money via meter. By the 8^th cab we finally got a guy to take us. It was absolutely ridiculous! Got back to the hotel and rested and showered and then went out really late for dinner and the only thing that was still open and cheap was Outback Steakhouse. So we ordered some appetizers and cheap wine. Then went out to this club called Suzie Wong’s. Upper-class bar with good music and decent drinks. Bunch of SAS kid showed up. Headed back early to rest up for another long day.

Nov 7 Beijing China

Woke up and headed to the airport at 5 am. We had a good size group of 33 people. Some I cared for and others I didn’t but as a whole it was a good group. Slept the whole way to Beijing catching up on some sleep. Met our tour guide David and then he took us to lunch at a Chinese restaurant (Taiycun Restaurant). After lunch we filled the afternoon with a tour of the Summer Palace. It was an imperial palace built during the 1^st year of Emperor Zhen Yuan of the Jin Dynasty. In 1888 the Empress Dowager Cixi used millions of dollars to reconstruct it and rename it. The area is 75% water wit the palace over looking the lake. We were there late afternoon and the colors and the air reminded me of Fall. We took a Dragon Boat across the lake to get to the palace faster. The view was gorgeous. Got to the other side and walked through the garden along the lake and down the longest corridor in the world. It is covered in paintings in every section but not one picture repeats itself. Also saw this huge marble boat the dowager built to have the most impressive boat but it was so heavy it couldn’t leave the dock. It was white marble covered in designs of colored vines and flowers. Afterwards we headed to the hotel, checked in and then went out to find a jacket because it was cold enough to need one. It was really nice to have fall/cold weather but wasn’t used to it. It was down to 32 degrees F at night! Came back and got ready for dinner. Dinner was at a Peking duck restaurant. It is considered a specialty and they eat all parts of the fuck. I tried duck wings and they were so gross (looked like jelly, but chewy. Ew). The duck meat was actually pretty good especially when we wrapped it up in a flat pancake with a brown sauce. Went back to the hotel and just stayed in. Everyone was exhausted and we had a long day tomorrow.

Nov 6 HONG KONG

First day in port and Hong Kong is just amazing. The skyline is beautiful. The boat pulled up right next to a shopping mall (just a tease!). We could see all of Hong Kong Island from the ship. It took forever for the ship to get cleared but when it did the pack of us girls headed out (Me, Jocie, Ali, Jewel, Sara, Nina, Alyssa). We grabbed a map and followed Molly’s directions to the Avenue of Stars. It is a lot like Hollywood’s sidewalk filled with movie star names. Of course we didn’t know any of the names except Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and Jet Jackson. Pretty cool and you could see the ENTIRE city from the spot. Next we grabbed cabs to take us to the Ladies Market. It was 10:30 am by the time we got there and people were just setting up, they open so late which I thought was odd. Spent most of the day there buying out the fake Longchamp supply and other stupid things. But I was holding out for Beijing markets. Had to head back around 4:30 pm so I could meet us with Molly and her boyfriend James for dinner and drinks. Met them at the ferry and took it across and lucky enough got to see the lights show that happens every night at 8 pm. All the building twinkle and light up and flash all colors. It has the world record as the biggest light show or something. They toured me around SoHo and all up and down the escalator system, which was really cool. Walked around deciding where to ear and decided on Duke’s Burger. I was craving some good meat and it was the best gourmet burger I have ever tasted, it was delicious! After dinner they came with me to meet up with the girls for drinks in the major bar area. By the time I met them they were not too sober. I felt so bad, but Molly and James were such troopers and talked with everyone. They had to work in the morning so they left early. We all had an early day so we headed home kind of early by SAS standards. I had to get up at 4:30 am to leave for Beijing.

Nov 5

Well it was really Nov 4 for many of you but I got to watch all the election stuff via the internet on the boat. They broadcasted it for us. It was awesome but I wish I could be back in the US to celebrate a great moment in our history.

YES WE CAN!

OBAMA/BIDEN '08

God Bless America. 

Nov 3

The last day in Vietnam Sara and I wanted to do some site seeing and shopping. The day turned out to be the best day in Vietnam. So darling we hopped on some motorbikes and went around the city. It was one of the most thrilling things. Different and crazier than India ( didn’t think that was even possible). There are so many bikes in the city. The pedestrian situation is a little tricky too. To cross the street you kind of just go and go at a slow and steady pace. The bikes and cars go/weave around you. So scary. I just didn’t look half the time and prayed that I made it across. After a while you get used to it. On the bike we almost hit people and/or almost got hit by cars. Hey, when in Vietnam! First stop was the War Remnant Museum. Being in Vietnam in general was weird enough but seeing the war fro the other side was just heavy. There were old tanks, planes, helicopters, bombs, shells, and parts of planes in the yard. The Museum itsel was not big but it took a while for us to get through the entire thing. I took my time looking at every picture and every caption. Being there I realized that I dint know anything about the Vietnam war besides the fact it was a bad war, a lot of people died, and we were fighting communism. People just don’t talk about it and now I know why. There were so many pictures and explinations of what happened. The pictures said so much. They were from both sides and even have a hold section dedicated to the journalist from around the world that died to bring the true side/story of the war home. I think the most disturbing thing was the amount of chemical warfare and bombs the US used against the Vietnamese. And not just towards the govt/soldiers but the villages full of women and children. Agent Orange even to this day has horrifying effects. This pesticide used on people ruined their food, water, and everyday life. Children were born with disabilities, deformities, and not born at all. There were pictures of napalm burns of victims. They also had pictures of US soldiers life’s after the war and how they were effected by Agent Orange by just being indirectly around it. There were pictures of torture tactics and victims. All I could think about was how awful we could be. Almost barbaric and without morals. No that the Vietnamese didn’t have their own brutal guerrilla attacks, secret tunnels, hidden nail bed and field bombs everywhere , I feel like we stooped to their level. I understand that you couldn’t trust anyone and you didn’t know who was good or not but I think we were more afraid than anything of a culture we didn’t understand or communicate with. I was just overwhelmed with emotions. I didn’t know what to think and still don’t. Even those that fought and protested against the war at home in the states I don’t think have ever really talked about it. I know I could tell you more about the two World Wars that were way before the Vietnam War than the Vietnam War. I know it was a difficult and dark time but I wish the older generations could talk and teach the younger generations about it more. Next Sara and I went to the war surplus market that was hidden behind all these electronic stores. They had remnants of cameras, lighters, patches, shoes, jumpsuits, etc. I poked around and got a shirt, a couple of patches, and a lighter. There were rats running around everywhere so Sara and I didn’t stay long but it was cool to look at all the old gear. Our last stop was Ben Than market that is the major market in town. It is a huge block of just vendors galor. So many stores packed together of every stupid thing imaginable. Spenda  couple hours there and then headed to some dress shops and stupidly bought two dresses. Grabbed a late lunch and then headed back to the ship to workout and shower before going out to dinner with Ali and Jocie’s parents. The girls and Lauren had  spend their time in Cambodia so it was cool to hear about their trip. We got to have a later onship time (9 pm)! So waiting in line we got some DVDs and was on the ship by 8:30 pm. Wish we could have later on ship time all the time. It would give us a whole day more in port. Onship time is usually at 6 pm and ill be on the ship by 3 or 4 pm to beat the crowd getting back. If you don’t make on ship time you get dock time which is time against you getting to shore on the next port. Not fun. Overall I have had a great time in Vietnam and definitely want to come back.

Nov 2

Hanoi

Had a city tour of Hanoi. Went to Ho Chi Mihn’s Mausoleum where Ho Chi Mihn's body lies. They have preserved his body and have to re-do it once a year to keep it in tact. Got see where he lived and it has a bunch of govt buildings but he chose to live in a simple house on stilts which I thought was interesting. Then we went to the Hanoi Hilton which is a name given to a jail but the US soldiers. The jail in the beginning was used for Vietnamese who broke law, debtors, revolutionists, and eventually the US soldiers who were bombing Hanoi. John McCain was actually a prisoner o war here. There were pictures of him throughout the museum and they even have his jet suit. It was very eerie being in an old jail that was used in the war. Next saw the One pillar Pagoda built by the king who had a dream of Buddha on a lotus flower with a baby boy. The king then had a baby boy so he built the pagoda to honor Buddha. The pillar combines Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Hip made a comment that the religions are intertwined in Vietnam and that Asian in general are very superstitious people and will believe in anything. Their religion is more of a way of life than an actual religion. We saw the Literature Museum with a big statue of Confucius. After the tour we had a couple hours of free time to eat and shop but I just had lunch with Dev and her mom and we extended our lunchtime because it was POURING. It was nice to just chill and realize I was having lunch in Vietnam. It was very surreal. Got back on the bus and then on the plane back to HCMC.

Nov 1

Ha Long Bay

Got up at 6:30 am, late for most trips. Haha I consider that sleeping in now. Had breakfast and then headed to the boat. I have NEVER seen so many boats in my life. The boats were all make of wood and do not look like they would be that impressive but they are actually quite well made and almost ferry/barge like. There is the inside room and then the upper deck. It was hazy and rainy so on our way out into the bay we would be in and out of the boat with the scattered rain showers. We went early but I can only imagine the herds of people that go through the bay. Our group had our own boat so it was nice. It was rainy but we were hoping the monsoon would hold out. On the way out to the islands we got random showers but there were breaks. Got to the caves and climbed up a bunch of stairs and walked through. It was so amazing it didn’t look real. They had put all different lights throughout the save to show off all the hangings and crevices. It looked like something in a Disney ride. But it was natural and is made of limestone. Walked through and came out the other side of the cave. Back on the boat for our 4 hour tour. Weaved in and out of the islands taking pictures, relaxing, and chatting with parents and fellow SASers. Stopped when it got a little sunny and people went swimming for a while. I didn’t wear my suit because it was raining in the morning and didn’t think it would have been ok to swim. So I just sat up top on deck and soaked up the few rays with Christine. People were jumping off the top of the boat. It reminded me of Tabor Boy in the Caribbean. After swim time it was LUNCH time. Best meal of the trip hands down! Fresh fish, prawn, crab, calamari, French fries, the whole works. I didn’t want to get full. The islands are magnificent. They are trying to get Ha Long Bay to be a Natural World Wonder. I would definitely agree. It is just so beautiful. Like drops of rock randomly places covered with a green blanket. There are secret caves everywhere. On the way back it rained off and on again but the boat ride was smooth. Got back on the bus for the 3 hours drive back to Hanoi. Hip advised us that because of all the rain (20+ in) the city had flooded and it might take us a while to get into the city as we got closer. Sure enough as we got closer one of the towns outside the city was completely flooded. Cars in water up past doors, people wading in knee deep. Apparently the other SAS group that was traveling around Hanoi had to get off their bus and walk 2 km in water to another bus to get into the city. THANK GOD that was not our bus. That would not fly. Finally got to the hotel and checked in. Rested and then headed out to the Water Puppet show. The show was probably one of the most ridiculous and interesting things I have ever seen. The stage is set up in a pool of water and near the back of the pool is a scene with big shade like things covering the puppeteers. The puppets are on long pieces of wood that are under water and you can’t see it. The puppets were crazy looking, there were fireworks, there wasn’t a story line but short…short mini acts. The concept came to be from the farmers of the rice patties during the flood season and they had pools of water. Cool concept but very strange. Glad it was only an hour long. Next we went to dinner at a really nice restaurant. The food was really good. Went back to the hotel but went back out with a group of people to a hooka bar. Hip brought us to a very classy place but it was so cheap. A hooka only cost $5! We got our own private room filled with pillows everywhere. Hooka places in the US I feel are sketchy and just not nice. Wish we had more places like this. It was really cool. 

Oct 31

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! So weird that it is Halloween and I am in Vietnam. Apparently they kind of celebrate it here but I think it is mostly for the tourists/college kids. Left for the airport to fly to Hanoi at 5 am! These early mornings don’t even phase me anymore I have done it so many times. After a two-hour flight we hopped on a bus for a three-hour drive to Ha Long Bay. On the way our tour guide Hip gave us some history of Vietnam. Mostly overview of the French/Japanese rule, some of the Vietnam War, Ho Chi Mihn's biography and some recent facts (80% of the population lives in rural areas, 60% of the population is under the age of 30, there is a 90% literacy rate). We made a pit stop half way through the trip to a rice field of a village that had been affected by Agent Orange. Hip pointed out the people have recovered the plantation fields and have been able to harvest rice successfully. Got to see them work up close, which was kind of neat. I slept most of the way but every now and then I would open my eyes and see village towns, a lot of open space, plants, brick factories, and rice fields. Arrived in Ha Long Bay by 1pm.  Had some lunch and then got to rest for a bit. Hop offered to take us over the bridge to the local market to get a taste of village life. The market was so cool. There was so much live and fresh stuff. Literally squids, crabs, fish, prawn, and so much more just sitting in buckets ALIVE. All the people were awed by us because tourists don’t come out to this area. The view of the water was gorgeous and picturesque with all the fisherman boats. Next to the food market was a mall like building with just tons and tons of venders of all the “Same, Same but Different” stuff. It is so overwhelming. The Vietnamese have no problem grabbing your arm and pulling you over to their shop. Bought a rice hat that came in handy with all the rain and to stay cool. Went back to rest before dinner. Dinner was awful! After went to a night market with Devyn and her mom. Again just browsing and helping them pick stuff out. Called it an early night 1. Because there were no bars in the area 2. We had an early and long day tomorrow

Oct 30

Ho Chi Mihn City, VIETNAM

Woke up around 9 am to watch the bat make its way up the river to the city. It was low tide so it was taking us longer to get to port because it was so shallow. Arrived at port at 12pm and went to the diplomatic briefing just to be called out to leave for my 1 pm FDP to the MIKE plant for Kaplan’s class. Drove an hour out to the plant. Got an impressive power point presentation by someone from NIKE about the company and its international operation as a whole. Shirley talked about where Nike’s plants were located and the relations with the community and what products NIKE is known for and produces. Next we had the Taiwanese manager of the factory and talked to us about what kinds of things the factory does specifically. Everything was very informative and it was hard to ask questions when they were done. Next we got a tour around the factory. My group was toured around the running building. Each different section of what NIKE produces is in a different building. I have never seen so many people concentrated in one space before. All throughout the buildings were all the different stations/parts of making a shoe. Everyone was working at a different job and it was a race to make the quota for the day. It was crazy. Loud noises, people rushing everywhere. I got to see the entire process of making one shoe. I had no idea a shoe could be so complicated. The factory isn’t a distributor so we couldn’t buy any shoes but so glad I got to see it. I wont be complaining about how expensive a shoe can be, a lot of work goes into them .Got back to the boat, waited for Sara to get back from the Chu Chi Tunnels. She got back and was so dirty from crawling around the underground tunnels. She showed me pictures of all the contraptions of the system. The wholes were so tiny I don’t know how she fit in (she’s an athletic girl built skinny but even these holes looked to small for her). There were pictures of the tunnels and the secret holes that the Vietnamese hid in and ambushed the US soldiers. There were also secret drop ins that had huge spikes sticking up. I can only imagine the mayhem and tragic deaths in the area. We both got ready and went out to the night market. Grabbed some street food, which was DELICIOUS and then browsed the market getting ideas of what to buy. Tons of fake bags, sunglasses, shoes and so much more. I was holding off to save money for the last day but did buy a Louis Vouton duffle bag to pack up for the weekend. Headed in early because was leaving at 5 am for Hanoi.

Oct 29

Main pre-port was tonight followed by the Halloween dance. I was not going to go at first but I said why not! I dressed up as a Red Sox Fan. I had my jersey and hat with me and then I made a sign that said “YANKEES SUCK” and pinned it to the front of me. Didn’t think it was much and didn’t compare to a lot of much more creative costumes but I got a lot of attention. For being on a ship with no resources the costumes were some of the best I have ever seen. People were dressed as some of the teachers, Play-Dough, the lost boys, pigs, the usual cat/mouse getup, truckers, Indian sales man, boxers…anything you name it probably was somehow put together. It was just a dance for a couple of hours (no booze). So it felt like middle school again but the music was great and everyone was having a great time just admiring the costumes and genuinely having a good time. 

Oct 28

Had cultural pre-port tonight followed by the Crew Talent Show. I was so surprised! All the different groups of the crew each had either a dance, sang a song, showed a talent, and it was just hilarious. The dinner crew had the best dances. I was laughing so hard I started to cry and my cheeks hurt. I didn’t know they all were so talented and had time to make up an intricate dance. The Union was packed and everyone was cheering for them. You could tell they had no idea that that many people were going to show up. Everyone had his or her favorites. The girls and I were cheering for Perry, Jesse, and most of the dinner crew. They were all out of uniform we almost didn’t recognize many of them. Some were actually really cute! Lol Afterwards they had the crew fund, which I gladly contributed to that goes towards the entire crew in general for traveling/touring purposes for them while in port.