Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Last Post until After Japan!
I am finished with my 2 tests and now am packing for Japan!
Last night was another super rocky night and dinner was very exciting with plates, food, and drinks flying everywhere. One of my friends was sitting cross legged in a chair and just completely tipped over backwards!
Dodgeball was cancelled AGAIN due to high winds….. It has been surprisingly warm out all day though- probably in the 50s and we are only 120 nautical miles from Japan- hopefully that means it won't be as cold as we have been expecting!
We had a UVa reception where all the UVa students and faculty met up. I am surprised at how few of us there were… about 16 students and 4-6 teachers…. some may have been no shows though…. They had chips and salsa though and it was absolutely incredible- I can't get over how food that normal can seem like such a treat on the ship!!
I am meeting my "ship family" tonight! There is an optional program where you sign up to be part of a family and one of the teachers, spouses, or life long learners becomes your "parent" with a group of kids and you can do meals or activities with them just as another way to meet and connect with more people. Tonight we are going to get pizza and ice cream at the snack bar!
Also tonight is Japan "pre port": a required meeting telling us safety, dock time, and logistics. I thought these meetings were going to be really annoying but they are actually really helpful, short, and surprisingly interesting.
Thanks for the comments! To answer virg's question- yes, your test posts came through!! i got lots of email notifications and it was pretty funny! and also I figured out that right now if you add 10 hours to my time here, you get EST but earlier in the day. So if its 5:45 pm on Tuesday for me, it is 3:45 am Tuesday for EST. We got 2 extra hours over the course of the past 2 days- catching up on sleep we won't be getting in Japan!! To answer your other question if you go to semesteratsea.org and click on the Spring 2014 50th anniversary voyage you get our whole itinerary! And I'm obviously missing family, friends, uva and chloe but with February coming up where I am only on the ship sporadically for 9 days, and seeing mom and dad in burma I'm really all set!
Dad- I will be sure to ask about how long 1,200 nissans would keep the plant busy!!!
Jessica- yes- i literally can't sleep without white noise- its the best!!!
Thanks for the long emails from lots of my friends and mogie- its sooo good to hear from you!!!
I am not planning on blogging until I get back on the ship and have email which will probably be February 4th. I will have a big update then though!!
Last night was another super rocky night and dinner was very exciting with plates, food, and drinks flying everywhere. One of my friends was sitting cross legged in a chair and just completely tipped over backwards!
Dodgeball was cancelled AGAIN due to high winds….. It has been surprisingly warm out all day though- probably in the 50s and we are only 120 nautical miles from Japan- hopefully that means it won't be as cold as we have been expecting!
We had a UVa reception where all the UVa students and faculty met up. I am surprised at how few of us there were… about 16 students and 4-6 teachers…. some may have been no shows though…. They had chips and salsa though and it was absolutely incredible- I can't get over how food that normal can seem like such a treat on the ship!!
I am meeting my "ship family" tonight! There is an optional program where you sign up to be part of a family and one of the teachers, spouses, or life long learners becomes your "parent" with a group of kids and you can do meals or activities with them just as another way to meet and connect with more people. Tonight we are going to get pizza and ice cream at the snack bar!
Also tonight is Japan "pre port": a required meeting telling us safety, dock time, and logistics. I thought these meetings were going to be really annoying but they are actually really helpful, short, and surprisingly interesting.
Thanks for the comments! To answer virg's question- yes, your test posts came through!! i got lots of email notifications and it was pretty funny! and also I figured out that right now if you add 10 hours to my time here, you get EST but earlier in the day. So if its 5:45 pm on Tuesday for me, it is 3:45 am Tuesday for EST. We got 2 extra hours over the course of the past 2 days- catching up on sleep we won't be getting in Japan!! To answer your other question if you go to semesteratsea.org and click on the Spring 2014 50th anniversary voyage you get our whole itinerary! And I'm obviously missing family, friends, uva and chloe but with February coming up where I am only on the ship sporadically for 9 days, and seeing mom and dad in burma I'm really all set!
Dad- I will be sure to ask about how long 1,200 nissans would keep the plant busy!!!
Jessica- yes- i literally can't sleep without white noise- its the best!!!
Thanks for the long emails from lots of my friends and mogie- its sooo good to hear from you!!!
I am not planning on blogging until I get back on the ship and have email which will probably be February 4th. I will have a big update then though!!
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Japan Plan
T- minus 48 hours till Japan!!!!!
We got another hour of sleep last night and another one tonight- so no clue what time it is EST!!
I haven't posted what our plan for Japan is yet so here goes:
Jan 29- 8 am Arrive in Yokohama- I have a "field lab" for my Global Business Class where we are going to the Nissan Auto plant, meeting with officials there, going to dinner in Yokohama with US Embassy Officials. Probably going out with friends and spending the night on the ship (or taking the train to Tokyo that night)
Jan 30- Early Train from Yokohama to Toyko- very short 40 minute train. Check into hotel with 4 other friends (ginger, erin, morgan, and bridget) and a few other groups of our friends are staying at the same place. at 5pm meeting up with Hiroe (japanese exchange student who lived at my house last semester) to walk around the neighborhood. then going to "Gonpachi. It is a Japanese restaurant and the interior is very beautiful. Michelin Star rated and Former President George W. Bush and movie starts visited the restaurant. The place is also famous for the movie "Kill Bill. " (thats what Hiroe told me). It is with a few of her friends and a few of my friends!!!
Jan 31- Waking up super early (4am) to see the famous fish market and then spending that day in Tokyo
Feb 1- Bullet train to Kyoto to stay in a traditional "Ryokan" the one we picked looks awesome!! you have to take your shoes off at the door and you take baths and they serve you a fresh 9 course private dinner with your group!!
Feb 2- Train to Hiroshima in the morning (after our Ryokan breakfast!) for a day trip and back to Kobe that evening.
Feb 3- Explore kobe- EAT KOBE BEEF! back on ship at 6pm
Due to Japanese Law all email and internet is shut off from tomorrow at midnight until we leave Kobe on Feb 3rd. Not sure how much I will be able to blog in country (I want to spend my time exploring not blogging!!!- But I will write all about it when I get back on the ship!)
I met up with Hirume (Japanese woman on the ship who I talked about in an earlier post and is here for only this leg of the trip as a lecturer and guide) who told me all about things to see, food to eat, train system etc- so now i have the inside scoop!!
In February we only have 8 class days- the rest of the time we are in country (China, Vietnam, Singapore, Burma!!!)
Dodgeball is back on tonight!!!! Its getting rainy and rocky so hopefully they don't cancel!
not to brag but I got the 2nd highest grade in the class on my bio/nutrition test!! I need to go study for my 2 tests that i have tomorrow though (so glad they will be all done before Japan though!!)
Shoutout to Jessica as the newest follower and commenter! and to Jewel for the long email she wrote me!
We got another hour of sleep last night and another one tonight- so no clue what time it is EST!!
I haven't posted what our plan for Japan is yet so here goes:
Jan 29- 8 am Arrive in Yokohama- I have a "field lab" for my Global Business Class where we are going to the Nissan Auto plant, meeting with officials there, going to dinner in Yokohama with US Embassy Officials. Probably going out with friends and spending the night on the ship (or taking the train to Tokyo that night)
Jan 30- Early Train from Yokohama to Toyko- very short 40 minute train. Check into hotel with 4 other friends (ginger, erin, morgan, and bridget) and a few other groups of our friends are staying at the same place. at 5pm meeting up with Hiroe (japanese exchange student who lived at my house last semester) to walk around the neighborhood. then going to "Gonpachi. It is a Japanese restaurant and the interior is very beautiful. Michelin Star rated and Former President George W. Bush and movie starts visited the restaurant. The place is also famous for the movie "Kill Bill. " (thats what Hiroe told me). It is with a few of her friends and a few of my friends!!!
Jan 31- Waking up super early (4am) to see the famous fish market and then spending that day in Tokyo
Feb 1- Bullet train to Kyoto to stay in a traditional "Ryokan" the one we picked looks awesome!! you have to take your shoes off at the door and you take baths and they serve you a fresh 9 course private dinner with your group!!
Feb 2- Train to Hiroshima in the morning (after our Ryokan breakfast!) for a day trip and back to Kobe that evening.
Feb 3- Explore kobe- EAT KOBE BEEF! back on ship at 6pm
Due to Japanese Law all email and internet is shut off from tomorrow at midnight until we leave Kobe on Feb 3rd. Not sure how much I will be able to blog in country (I want to spend my time exploring not blogging!!!- But I will write all about it when I get back on the ship!)
I met up with Hirume (Japanese woman on the ship who I talked about in an earlier post and is here for only this leg of the trip as a lecturer and guide) who told me all about things to see, food to eat, train system etc- so now i have the inside scoop!!
In February we only have 8 class days- the rest of the time we are in country (China, Vietnam, Singapore, Burma!!!)
Dodgeball is back on tonight!!!! Its getting rainy and rocky so hopefully they don't cancel!
not to brag but I got the 2nd highest grade in the class on my bio/nutrition test!! I need to go study for my 2 tests that i have tomorrow though (so glad they will be all done before Japan though!!)
Shoutout to Jessica as the newest follower and commenter! and to Jewel for the long email she wrote me!
Saturday, January 25, 2014
An Exciting Dinner!
Last night the seas were the roughest they have been. At dinner time they started to get really, really big and a few times waves hit that were so big that everything on all the tables jsut fell off. When the first big wave came, there were broken plates, food, water everywhere. I wasn't at the table when it happened, but one of my friends John had about 5 plates and water pitchers all fall on him when the first wave hit and he was covered in food, plates, cups and water…. wish i had seen it. People then started to pay more attention but throughout dinner cups and plates kept flying off tables. a few people fell off their chairs or they tipped backwards- no one got hurt so it was actually hilarious!! I didn't feel sick at all- but didn't sleep too well as our drawers kept opening and closing throughout the night due to the rocking.
Today though Its about 70 degrees and sunny with medium waves- perfect weather for doing work outside on the tables on the 7th deck.
Dodgeball was cancelled again- we aren't sure why because it is gorgeous out and not too rough at all.
Hard to believe Japan is coming up so soon- only 2 more full days!! I thought the trip from Hawaii to Japan was going to be a lot worse but as I am getting more accustomed to things on the ship and since the weather has been so good it really hasn't been as bad as I thought and its actually been really really fun and I am loving being on the ship!
My dad emailed me and said its going to be in the 40s and 50s in Japan which isn't as cold as expected- good thing because I brought barely any warm clothes!
FYI- mom and virg- your comments went through, and I received them as an email notification- thanks!!!!
Ill post again tomorrow!
Today though Its about 70 degrees and sunny with medium waves- perfect weather for doing work outside on the tables on the 7th deck.
Dodgeball was cancelled again- we aren't sure why because it is gorgeous out and not too rough at all.
Hard to believe Japan is coming up so soon- only 2 more full days!! I thought the trip from Hawaii to Japan was going to be a lot worse but as I am getting more accustomed to things on the ship and since the weather has been so good it really hasn't been as bad as I thought and its actually been really really fun and I am loving being on the ship!
My dad emailed me and said its going to be in the 40s and 50s in Japan which isn't as cold as expected- good thing because I brought barely any warm clothes!
FYI- mom and virg- your comments went through, and I received them as an email notification- thanks!!!!
Ill post again tomorrow!
How to Comment
I have gotten a few emails with confusion about how to comment, and since I cannot go online (already used up my data package and need to go buy more) I am can't easily change the settings. Virg figured out that:
When you click the link you are directed to a modified page. at the very bottom of the page there is a button for "WEB VIEW" if you are not in "web view" you cannot log in to comment. once you go to "webView" there is a log in in the upper right hand part of the page. Log in and then you will be able to comment!
Hope that is helpful and thanks virg for figuring it out!
It is only 7:45 am on the ship, so I will post this afternoon!
When you click the link you are directed to a modified page. at the very bottom of the page there is a button for "WEB VIEW" if you are not in "web view" you cannot log in to comment. once you go to "webView" there is a log in in the upper right hand part of the page. Log in and then you will be able to comment!
Hope that is helpful and thanks virg for figuring it out!
It is only 7:45 am on the ship, so I will post this afternoon!
Friday, January 24, 2014
Rough Seas
Today has been the roughest day of the whole trip. I am not really sea sick but it is just really rocky- its very hard to walk and you have to be really careful when you put things on tables as your plate or water will slide right off. The rising and falling sensation makes me feel like at one moment I am weightless and the next second a million pounds and when I walk and there is a big wave I have to walk completely tilted to stay upright. when you pass people in the hall ways it looks like they are on a diagonal- i still haven't gotten used to how weird it is!!
Update on Dodgeball: we were about 10 minutes into playing last night when we started to see dark clouds and rain approach- it was really cool to literally watch the storm hit us. We had to postpone the game because it was so windy. If you threw a ball it would either fly back the other direction or have absolutely zero accuracy. We were supposed to rematch tonight but the weather is rainy and the seas are the roughest they have been so we had to postpone again.
2 highlights: We got yet another hour of sleep last night and it was Taco night- pretty awesome. So now it is about 3:30pm on Saturday for me and 11:30 pm on friday back home. It makes email correspondences quite delayed which again doesn't help when I am trying to make train tickets (hint hint- mom)
I had my first test this morning- in my bio nutrition class- i think it went well!! I have 2 more before Yokohama- but since the weather is colder now (50s-60s) - being inside and studying isn't so bad!
I am going to go try to find a quiet place to study! and thanks for the emails dad and mogie!
Ill post again tomorrow!
Update on Dodgeball: we were about 10 minutes into playing last night when we started to see dark clouds and rain approach- it was really cool to literally watch the storm hit us. We had to postpone the game because it was so windy. If you threw a ball it would either fly back the other direction or have absolutely zero accuracy. We were supposed to rematch tonight but the weather is rainy and the seas are the roughest they have been so we had to postpone again.
2 highlights: We got yet another hour of sleep last night and it was Taco night- pretty awesome. So now it is about 3:30pm on Saturday for me and 11:30 pm on friday back home. It makes email correspondences quite delayed which again doesn't help when I am trying to make train tickets (hint hint- mom)
I had my first test this morning- in my bio nutrition class- i think it went well!! I have 2 more before Yokohama- but since the weather is colder now (50s-60s) - being inside and studying isn't so bad!
I am going to go try to find a quiet place to study! and thanks for the emails dad and mogie!
Ill post again tomorrow!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
"Study Day"
We won dodgeball again last night so playing in the semi finals tonight. When we made teams originally we split up our group of 10 friends into 2 groups and tonight we are playing each other! It's going to be fun! Loser has to buy the first round of drinks in Tokyo!
It's another beautiful day which makes it really hard to study. We all thought it was going to be getting cold a few days ago- but it is still bathing suit weather!! I have a test tomorrow morning then I have 2 days to study for my other 2 tests that are both on the day before we get to Yokohama. I almost hope it gets cold so I won't be tempted to go outside!
Last night was karaoke night- it was pretty hilarious. The line to get drinks at the bar was sooo long then they cancelled it because they gave the crew the wrong schedule with the international date line so they didn't have the people on duty to serve drinks or something like that. Everyone was really bummed. We still watched karaoke for a bit and 2 of our friends got picked to sing- it was pretty funny.
I am going to go down to study because it is near impossible studying outside with everyone lying out and having fun!
I'll post again tomorrow!
It's another beautiful day which makes it really hard to study. We all thought it was going to be getting cold a few days ago- but it is still bathing suit weather!! I have a test tomorrow morning then I have 2 days to study for my other 2 tests that are both on the day before we get to Yokohama. I almost hope it gets cold so I won't be tempted to go outside!
Last night was karaoke night- it was pretty hilarious. The line to get drinks at the bar was sooo long then they cancelled it because they gave the crew the wrong schedule with the international date line so they didn't have the people on duty to serve drinks or something like that. Everyone was really bummed. We still watched karaoke for a bit and 2 of our friends got picked to sing- it was pretty funny.
I am going to go down to study because it is near impossible studying outside with everyone lying out and having fun!
I'll post again tomorrow!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Another day on the boat!
It is a bit overcast today but still very warm out so it's nice to be outside in shorts and a tshirt. I have 3 tests before japan so I need to make myself go to the library and get a lot of study time in. Tomorrow is a "study day" but I have review sessions in all of my classes so it will pretty much be like a normal class day plus all the studying I have to do:(
We only have 5 more full days till japan which isn't too bad- going to be veryy ready to get to port though! The first day I have a "field lab" for my global business class and we are going to the Nissan factory for a tour, talk/ discussion and dinner with some of the people who run the plant- should be very cool!
I need to head down to class but below is a picture of my dodgeball team! We are super intense!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
The Future
Today I woke up and it was really cloudy and rainy- worked out for like 35 mins, went to class and when I got out of class it was really sunny and warm!! There is a lot of sea breeze so I am coated in salt being outside on the 7th deck- but working hard on my tan- so it's all good!
We have taken a new route to avoid a bad storm which means we have gone way south (warmer weather!) and will cut up north and go to japan at higher speed. We will still arrive on the same day but we are going slower now and down below the storm but will have to cut north and go faster to stay on schedule arriving in japan. The seas are wayy rougher- much harder to walk around the ship- everyone sways a lot and you feel weightless for a second then feel like 500 pounds as the boat crashes in and out of waves- good thing I am keeping the sea sick patch on!
I have been trying to do more japan and china planning but like I've said before- not being able to go on the internet makes things veryy difficult. Going on the "free sites" like wsj, Uva library, and wiki travel take soooo long to load it isn't even worth it. I spent 45 minutes loading the main page of the wsj to get market data for my business class!
Tonight is the first night of the dodgeball tournament. My team is me Bridget, and 3 of our guy friends! We only play one game tonight and hoping we win so we stay in the tournament and keep playing on our way to japan!
The picture below is us crossing the international date line!
Monday, January 20, 2014
Another Good Day!
Happy Birthday Virginia and Liz!! I have to say both now, because tonight we will go to bed on the 20th and wake up on the 22nd!!
Such a beautiful day today! We got another hour of sleep so I woke up without an alarm at 6am! Beautiful sunrise and hot out today!
8am is Astronomy which is taught by this irish guy who is about 60 and astronomy is his passion. He is also teaching a bio class because that is what his degree is in but he loves astronomy so much he is teaching my class! he has the thickest accent and the funniest phrases- I am really enjoying it!
9:30 is English- we are reading Robinson Crusoe right now. The teacher is a bit bland and kind of rambles. There are about 5 life long learners in that class and they do a better job of teaching than the teacher does!
After that I went up to the 7th deck for sun, reading, and lunch- I got burnt on my legs yesterday because I forgot to put sunscreen on them so I put lots of today!
2:30- Global Business- Awesome class- the teacher is so friendly and nice and tells us stories about different countries and experiences he has had all over the world. Then in the last 20 minutes of class we finally got to the actual material. It is really interesting though and probably my favorite class on the ship
After class I hung out with some friends on the 7th deck and now I am in my room so I can shower before dinner!
Last night i went to an "inside lecture' (every night they have optional lectures at 8pm) given by a japanese woman who is only on the ship from Hawaii to Japan to be the specialist for us to learn from. She has a degree in Japanese history and custom which is pretty cool. She had the classic accent and way of saying things and it was really funny to hear her try to say certain things- but she was super knowledgable and very interesting. I am meeting with her tomorrow to ask her suggestions for us while traveling in japan and they things we must do and see! I have also been in contact with Hiroe and we are going to get dinner in Tokyo one night with her and 4 of my friends!
I am going to make myself do homework tonight because I have 3 tests before we get to Japan and I need to start studying for them!
I am going to head up to the 7th deck now because my Astronomy teacher said tonight will be a great opportunity to see the "green flash" as the sun sets!! I remember my dad always talking about it and looking for it in St Barths when I was little but I don't really think I ever saw it so hopefully I see it tonight!!
Ill post again tomorrow!
Such a beautiful day today! We got another hour of sleep so I woke up without an alarm at 6am! Beautiful sunrise and hot out today!
8am is Astronomy which is taught by this irish guy who is about 60 and astronomy is his passion. He is also teaching a bio class because that is what his degree is in but he loves astronomy so much he is teaching my class! he has the thickest accent and the funniest phrases- I am really enjoying it!
9:30 is English- we are reading Robinson Crusoe right now. The teacher is a bit bland and kind of rambles. There are about 5 life long learners in that class and they do a better job of teaching than the teacher does!
After that I went up to the 7th deck for sun, reading, and lunch- I got burnt on my legs yesterday because I forgot to put sunscreen on them so I put lots of today!
2:30- Global Business- Awesome class- the teacher is so friendly and nice and tells us stories about different countries and experiences he has had all over the world. Then in the last 20 minutes of class we finally got to the actual material. It is really interesting though and probably my favorite class on the ship
After class I hung out with some friends on the 7th deck and now I am in my room so I can shower before dinner!
Last night i went to an "inside lecture' (every night they have optional lectures at 8pm) given by a japanese woman who is only on the ship from Hawaii to Japan to be the specialist for us to learn from. She has a degree in Japanese history and custom which is pretty cool. She had the classic accent and way of saying things and it was really funny to hear her try to say certain things- but she was super knowledgable and very interesting. I am meeting with her tomorrow to ask her suggestions for us while traveling in japan and they things we must do and see! I have also been in contact with Hiroe and we are going to get dinner in Tokyo one night with her and 4 of my friends!
I am going to make myself do homework tonight because I have 3 tests before we get to Japan and I need to start studying for them!
I am going to head up to the 7th deck now because my Astronomy teacher said tonight will be a great opportunity to see the "green flash" as the sun sets!! I remember my dad always talking about it and looking for it in St Barths when I was little but I don't really think I ever saw it so hopefully I see it tonight!!
Ill post again tomorrow!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Another day on the ship!
I had class this morning at 9:35 and did a brief work out before! The work out room was pretty full so I only was able to jog for 15 mins on the treadmill- then I did about 15 minutes of stretching and stuff outside. That's one thing about the ship- working out is very minimal!
Since this morning when I woke up to now ( about 7 hours) it has gotten noticeably rougher. I put on another half patch behind my ear for seasickness and have been fine! It is a bit cloudy today and pretty windy too so I am up on the 7th deck in my bathing suit and a fleece. today they had hummus and avocado pita bread sandwiches and tiramisu for lunch-food like that is unheard of on the ship and it was literally the by far the best food we have had served and I am in the biggest food comma!! Clearly we restocked in Hawaii so next few days of food will probably be pretty good then it will start to go downhill as we get to japan...
In the process of finalizing japan plans and I think we found a great ryokan to stay at in Kyoto! (Hard to finalize with such horrible internet but hopefully will figure it out tonight) also hoping to buy china rail tickets tonight too... May have to buy more internet minutes because it takes about 10x as long for things to load on the ship- so annoying!! I will post in the next few days our japan itinerary!
They also changed our schedule so now we miss January 21st as we cross the international date line (sorry Virg!!) We get yet another extra hour of sleep tonight then when we go to bed Monday night the 20th we will wake up Wednesday the 22nd!! Crazy!
I am going to do some reading and it looks like it is about to rain:(.
P.s. My dad figured out that if you want to comment you have to sign into your gmail or google+ account before you can subscribe or comment.
I'll post again tomorrow!
Sent from my iPhone
Since this morning when I woke up to now ( about 7 hours) it has gotten noticeably rougher. I put on another half patch behind my ear for seasickness and have been fine! It is a bit cloudy today and pretty windy too so I am up on the 7th deck in my bathing suit and a fleece. today they had hummus and avocado pita bread sandwiches and tiramisu for lunch-food like that is unheard of on the ship and it was literally the by far the best food we have had served and I am in the biggest food comma!! Clearly we restocked in Hawaii so next few days of food will probably be pretty good then it will start to go downhill as we get to japan...
In the process of finalizing japan plans and I think we found a great ryokan to stay at in Kyoto! (Hard to finalize with such horrible internet but hopefully will figure it out tonight) also hoping to buy china rail tickets tonight too... May have to buy more internet minutes because it takes about 10x as long for things to load on the ship- so annoying!! I will post in the next few days our japan itinerary!
They also changed our schedule so now we miss January 21st as we cross the international date line (sorry Virg!!) We get yet another extra hour of sleep tonight then when we go to bed Monday night the 20th we will wake up Wednesday the 22nd!! Crazy!
I am going to do some reading and it looks like it is about to rain:(.
P.s. My dad figured out that if you want to comment you have to sign into your gmail or google+ account before you can subscribe or comment.
I'll post again tomorrow!
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Hawaii!!
Hawaii was awesome- wow it felt SO good to be on land! Getting off the ship we had to go through customs but Bridget and I were smart and sneaky and were literally the 10th people off!! The sunrise was amazing going into Hilo that morning- we woke up around 6:30 and we were able to see the moon set and the sun rise- it was gorgeous. We got off the ship at 9:30 and we walked into town- about 2 miles- I was kinda dizzy being on land-it was weird.
We went to a farmers market and got tons of fruit. we got 3 big ripe papayas, pineapple, this other lychee fruit for literally 2 dollars- it was crazy cheap. Then we went to these jumping rocks that one of our friends showed us. He goes to the University of Hawaii so knows his way around the island well. we had to walk through this jungle path then over rocks and across a stream and down more rocks to get there- but it was worth it and really cool! We stayed there for a few hours and there were probably 15-20 sas kids there. Then bridget and i were really hungry so we went back into town and got the most amazing sushi. it was so fresh and good and tasted amazing- especially after all of the bland and not fresh ship food we have been having. We relaxed outside and walked around the town checking out different shops. For the rest of the afternoon we went to a bar and got drinks then went to another restaurant and got fresh fish to go- at this point we needed to start making our way back to the ship so we walked back and ate our fish at the pier before getting on the ship. It was the perfect end to a great day.
It was such a good break from ship life and so good to be on land, relax, and have good food!
Today we were refueling in honolulu but we had classes and had to stay on the ship but literally everyone was out on the 7th deck using their phones to call people, check up on things at home, and figure out japan and china plans. I was in front of my computer with my phone as a hot spot for almost 6 hours today- planning is hard!!! made a lot of reservations with great group of friends so japan and china are looking very good!!
It was a gorgeous day today and nice that the ship was docked so it wasn't rocking. We set off around sunset and I happily put my phone back on airplane mode and signed off instagram, Facebook, etc. I was talking to a few friends as we were pulling away and losing service about how we were so relieved we wouldn't have to check our phones again- it was a weird feeling literally not caring about any social media and looking forward to turning it off- i didn't expect to feel that way but i do!
It was really wonderful to be able to talk to my family and friends though!!
So now we are officially headed for Japan!! We get another extra hour of sleep tonight so almost 5 or 6 hours behind est now!
I am heading to bed- tomorrow is an A day- so only one class- plenty of time to enjoy the sun before it starts getting cold as we head for Japan!
Ill post again tomorrow!
Sent from my iPhone
We went to a farmers market and got tons of fruit. we got 3 big ripe papayas, pineapple, this other lychee fruit for literally 2 dollars- it was crazy cheap. Then we went to these jumping rocks that one of our friends showed us. He goes to the University of Hawaii so knows his way around the island well. we had to walk through this jungle path then over rocks and across a stream and down more rocks to get there- but it was worth it and really cool! We stayed there for a few hours and there were probably 15-20 sas kids there. Then bridget and i were really hungry so we went back into town and got the most amazing sushi. it was so fresh and good and tasted amazing- especially after all of the bland and not fresh ship food we have been having. We relaxed outside and walked around the town checking out different shops. For the rest of the afternoon we went to a bar and got drinks then went to another restaurant and got fresh fish to go- at this point we needed to start making our way back to the ship so we walked back and ate our fish at the pier before getting on the ship. It was the perfect end to a great day.
It was such a good break from ship life and so good to be on land, relax, and have good food!
Today we were refueling in honolulu but we had classes and had to stay on the ship but literally everyone was out on the 7th deck using their phones to call people, check up on things at home, and figure out japan and china plans. I was in front of my computer with my phone as a hot spot for almost 6 hours today- planning is hard!!! made a lot of reservations with great group of friends so japan and china are looking very good!!
It was a gorgeous day today and nice that the ship was docked so it wasn't rocking. We set off around sunset and I happily put my phone back on airplane mode and signed off instagram, Facebook, etc. I was talking to a few friends as we were pulling away and losing service about how we were so relieved we wouldn't have to check our phones again- it was a weird feeling literally not caring about any social media and looking forward to turning it off- i didn't expect to feel that way but i do!
It was really wonderful to be able to talk to my family and friends though!!
So now we are officially headed for Japan!! We get another extra hour of sleep tonight so almost 5 or 6 hours behind est now!
I am heading to bed- tomorrow is an A day- so only one class- plenty of time to enjoy the sun before it starts getting cold as we head for Japan!
Ill post again tomorrow!
Sent from my iPhone
Friday, January 17, 2014
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Another hour of sleep and Hawaii tomorrow!
Last night we got an extra hour of sleep! I like traveling this way around the world! I think we are 5 hours behind est now....?
It is a gorgeous day today! I sitting outside on deck 6 with Bridget and a few other people doing email, talking, and having breakfast! I only have one class today then plan on reading, hanging out and lying out by the pool- rough life.
Also cannot believe we will be in Hawaii tomorrow!! Too bad it's only for one day- then longgg stretch to japan- I hear that by the time we get to japan we are 1/3 of the way through classes for the semester! And we even miss January 20th (Liz's birthday!!) completely because of the international date line- also in February we have like 6 days of class total! Pretty awesome.
Yesterday a few friends and I signed up for the "bridge tour" and we got a tour of where all the ship controls are- it was really cool to see how the boat works- and all the safety mechanisms they have- thank god!!
Last night went to my first "pub night" it was so nice outside at the 7th deck outside bar and there were a bunch of people. I was nervous that drinking would make me more sea sick or something but I was totally fine!!
Oh and I took off the 3 day sea sick patch 2 days ago and got a bit sick feeling yesterday afternoon so put another patch on and felt totally better 2 hours and a nap later- I don't know if it's mental but I think the patches work really really well. I will probably keep them on always unless we are in port!
I will post again after Hawaii to tell you about it!
comment or email me!! It's the only internet that is unlimited and I love hearing from you!
Sent from my iPhone
It is a gorgeous day today! I sitting outside on deck 6 with Bridget and a few other people doing email, talking, and having breakfast! I only have one class today then plan on reading, hanging out and lying out by the pool- rough life.
Also cannot believe we will be in Hawaii tomorrow!! Too bad it's only for one day- then longgg stretch to japan- I hear that by the time we get to japan we are 1/3 of the way through classes for the semester! And we even miss January 20th (Liz's birthday!!) completely because of the international date line- also in February we have like 6 days of class total! Pretty awesome.
Yesterday a few friends and I signed up for the "bridge tour" and we got a tour of where all the ship controls are- it was really cool to see how the boat works- and all the safety mechanisms they have- thank god!!
Last night went to my first "pub night" it was so nice outside at the 7th deck outside bar and there were a bunch of people. I was nervous that drinking would make me more sea sick or something but I was totally fine!!
Oh and I took off the 3 day sea sick patch 2 days ago and got a bit sick feeling yesterday afternoon so put another patch on and felt totally better 2 hours and a nap later- I don't know if it's mental but I think the patches work really really well. I will probably keep them on always unless we are in port!
I will post again after Hawaii to tell you about it!
comment or email me!! It's the only internet that is unlimited and I love hearing from you!
Sent from my iPhone
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Sunrise!
This morning I woke up at 6 to watch the sunrise- it was awesome. My friend, ginger, and I woke up and met up on the 7th deck- did yoga (ish) talked and watched the sunrise, had breakfast outside (it's sooo warm now!! And marg- they had chocolate croissants!!) and then went to class. After that I jogged on the treadmill for 30 mins (much easier because the seas are veryy calm and we are going super slow) so I didn't feel like I was constantly going to fall off. Now I am lying out on the 7th deck on the reclining chairs with beautiful sun!! I have SPF 30 on because I don't want to get burnt! I have another class this afternoon (global business) which I am really loving!!
I'll post again tomorrow!
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
My room!
Another day on the ship!
Every day has been getting warmer and warmer on our way to Hawaii!! The ship has slowed down a lot so that we can get more class time in, but we will be getting to Hawaii on friday! i am so excited!
Today I only had one class so was able relax and spend lots of time outside because it is so nice out. I was wearing a sweatshirt and shorts and lying on one of the many deck lounge chairs and doing reading for some of my classes and talking with friends.
After Hawaii we have 11 ship days till Japan- going to be really long so hope to stock up on snacks etc! During that time we will have a study day (no class) and I will have my 1st 2 tests- one in my Astronomy class (I just switched into it last night) and one in Global Business.
I have been starting to talk to my friends about plans for Japan too! We port in Yokohama on Jan 29th and I really want to go to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and pick the boat back up in Kobe! Bridget lived in Japan as a kid so she has lots of info on what to do and see and I also have been in communication with the Japanese exchange student who lived at my house this fall- Hiroe- to get her recommendations. Hopefully we can organize to see each other in Tokyo.
I have gotten totally used to the never ending rocking of the boat. It has begun to feel normal and literally rocks you to sleep. I have also started to get used to the lack of internet - no Facebook, Instagram, netflix, google, weather, etc etc- but i am getting used to it and its really not bad! Snack time at 10pm has also become a tradition- they have these awesome brownies and its great to hang out inside or outside around that time.
I have heard from some of you that you are unable to comment- but I asked my dad to change the settings on my account (I can't get enough internet to do it myself!) so hopefully that will start working soon. Till then emails are great!! (thanks margaret!!) Sean- I have been getting your comments- thanks!! I get email notifications when you comment- i love it!!
I now know my way around the ship- what rooms are on what floors- snack bars, dining halls, classrooms, ship store etc. Its awesome walking around and running into people I now know and just sitting and talking and hanging out. Though i am getting veryy ready to get off the ship for a day- i really am loving being on the ship! I have made good friends with our house keeper, Don. We left him a tip and he got us extra pillows!! All of the staff are sooo nice and at meal times they are constantly refilling your water or clearing your plate when you are done- i feel wayyy too spoiled!
I am about to go down for dinner but I will post again tomorrow!
Today I only had one class so was able relax and spend lots of time outside because it is so nice out. I was wearing a sweatshirt and shorts and lying on one of the many deck lounge chairs and doing reading for some of my classes and talking with friends.
After Hawaii we have 11 ship days till Japan- going to be really long so hope to stock up on snacks etc! During that time we will have a study day (no class) and I will have my 1st 2 tests- one in my Astronomy class (I just switched into it last night) and one in Global Business.
I have been starting to talk to my friends about plans for Japan too! We port in Yokohama on Jan 29th and I really want to go to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and pick the boat back up in Kobe! Bridget lived in Japan as a kid so she has lots of info on what to do and see and I also have been in communication with the Japanese exchange student who lived at my house this fall- Hiroe- to get her recommendations. Hopefully we can organize to see each other in Tokyo.
I have gotten totally used to the never ending rocking of the boat. It has begun to feel normal and literally rocks you to sleep. I have also started to get used to the lack of internet - no Facebook, Instagram, netflix, google, weather, etc etc- but i am getting used to it and its really not bad! Snack time at 10pm has also become a tradition- they have these awesome brownies and its great to hang out inside or outside around that time.
I have heard from some of you that you are unable to comment- but I asked my dad to change the settings on my account (I can't get enough internet to do it myself!) so hopefully that will start working soon. Till then emails are great!! (thanks margaret!!) Sean- I have been getting your comments- thanks!! I get email notifications when you comment- i love it!!
I now know my way around the ship- what rooms are on what floors- snack bars, dining halls, classrooms, ship store etc. Its awesome walking around and running into people I now know and just sitting and talking and hanging out. Though i am getting veryy ready to get off the ship for a day- i really am loving being on the ship! I have made good friends with our house keeper, Don. We left him a tip and he got us extra pillows!! All of the staff are sooo nice and at meal times they are constantly refilling your water or clearing your plate when you are done- i feel wayyy too spoiled!
I am about to go down for dinner but I will post again tomorrow!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Day 2 of Classes
Last night in bed it was SO wavy that everything was falling off the shelves- both Bridget and my computers went sailing off the bedside table at one point- they still work though! It was super rocky though and kind of scary at points.
We also got our first time change- so we are now 4 hours behind eastern standard time. Getting that extra hour of sleep is so nice!!
Today I had the rest of my classes:
English- we are starting to read Robinson Crusoe and its a really small class which is great
Religion and Conflict- may try to switch out of this class because the professor is pretty boring and I have talked to other friends who have taken classes with other teachers that have sounded way better and more interesting
International Finance- going to be a great class- teacher is really funny and excited about what he is going to teach and we get to go to the Nissan factory in Japan!
My favorite thing so far has been waking up early and getting breakfast and eating outside with people and talking for an hour or so before class. It is always so beautiful and it is like 65 degrees and feels so good to be outside.
We signed up to do a "bridge tour" in two days which is where you go to the captain's station and learn about the ship- its going to be really cool!
I was 2 minutes late to pick up my drinking pass for the night so will have to wait till tomorrow to get my 5 drinks (2 with dinner and 3 from 10-midnight).. crazy!!
Startting to plan Hawaii (we get there friday!!) the plan is hike a volcano in the morning and beach in the afternoon- cannot wait!
Shout out to Sean for reading and commenting on my blog!! I will post again tomorrow!
We also got our first time change- so we are now 4 hours behind eastern standard time. Getting that extra hour of sleep is so nice!!
Today I had the rest of my classes:
English- we are starting to read Robinson Crusoe and its a really small class which is great
Religion and Conflict- may try to switch out of this class because the professor is pretty boring and I have talked to other friends who have taken classes with other teachers that have sounded way better and more interesting
International Finance- going to be a great class- teacher is really funny and excited about what he is going to teach and we get to go to the Nissan factory in Japan!
My favorite thing so far has been waking up early and getting breakfast and eating outside with people and talking for an hour or so before class. It is always so beautiful and it is like 65 degrees and feels so good to be outside.
We signed up to do a "bridge tour" in two days which is where you go to the captain's station and learn about the ship- its going to be really cool!
I was 2 minutes late to pick up my drinking pass for the night so will have to wait till tomorrow to get my 5 drinks (2 with dinner and 3 from 10-midnight).. crazy!!
Startting to plan Hawaii (we get there friday!!) the plan is hike a volcano in the morning and beach in the afternoon- cannot wait!
Shout out to Sean for reading and commenting on my blog!! I will post again tomorrow!
Sunday, January 12, 2014
1st day of class
Captain said we will have rougher sea this afternoon so hope it's not too bad.
I tried working out on the treadmill today- you sign up for a 30 minute session and then it's Really really hard because the ship is constantly swaying so you have to hold onto the treadmill or else you fall off!
Already soo excited to get to Hawaii and be able to hike a volcano and go to the beach!!!
Saturday, January 11, 2014
The First Mistake
Ship life has been great so far!
Bridget and I went to bed at 9pm and woke up at 8am- motion sickness meds knocked us out. still no seasickness though!
Amazing to wake up and look out our window at the rolling sea. We went up on deck and it was gorgeous and pretty warm.
Today there have been lots of orientations but they also broadcast them on the mini tvs in each room. So currently Bridget and I are in our beds and half listening to the boring orientation stuff.
The mini tvs play 2 stations: 1 that is semester at sea which shows where the boat is and how far we are from our next port (kind of like what they do on airplanes with all those stats) and the other channel is nbc! (i think thats what the Olympics will be playing on? so hopefully we can watch them!!!!)
Classes start tomorrow. I am taking a biology, finance, English, and religion class. I will be able to post about classes tomorrow!
Now onto the first mistake:
Last night we were getting ready for bed and setting up our email and wireless. On the screen we found out that we have a 2 hour limit for internet. Internet here is SLOW- slower than any internet I have ever used in my life, but we were fine going on Facebook and letting things load for 2-3 mins for each page, knowing that we would have 2 hours to use the internet. We were hanging out and on the internet for about 45 minutes last night- slow going but at least I had some connection with the outside world.
This morning at breakfast Bridget and we were sitting with some people and started talking about how the internet is slow- but its all good because we have a 2 hour time limit and thats plenty- even with slow internet. Only then on of the girls says, no, 2 hours per semester………So all in one night i have used almost half of my internet minutes for the semester.
Well- this is all a learning experience…..
Bridget and I went to bed at 9pm and woke up at 8am- motion sickness meds knocked us out. still no seasickness though!
Amazing to wake up and look out our window at the rolling sea. We went up on deck and it was gorgeous and pretty warm.
Today there have been lots of orientations but they also broadcast them on the mini tvs in each room. So currently Bridget and I are in our beds and half listening to the boring orientation stuff.
The mini tvs play 2 stations: 1 that is semester at sea which shows where the boat is and how far we are from our next port (kind of like what they do on airplanes with all those stats) and the other channel is nbc! (i think thats what the Olympics will be playing on? so hopefully we can watch them!!!!)
Classes start tomorrow. I am taking a biology, finance, English, and religion class. I will be able to post about classes tomorrow!
Now onto the first mistake:
Last night we were getting ready for bed and setting up our email and wireless. On the screen we found out that we have a 2 hour limit for internet. Internet here is SLOW- slower than any internet I have ever used in my life, but we were fine going on Facebook and letting things load for 2-3 mins for each page, knowing that we would have 2 hours to use the internet. We were hanging out and on the internet for about 45 minutes last night- slow going but at least I had some connection with the outside world.
This morning at breakfast Bridget and we were sitting with some people and started talking about how the internet is slow- but its all good because we have a 2 hour time limit and thats plenty- even with slow internet. Only then on of the girls says, no, 2 hours per semester………So all in one night i have used almost half of my internet minutes for the semester.
Well- this is all a learning experience…..
Friday, January 10, 2014
1st Day
Cannot believe we are actually on the ship!!
We have set sail and I have LOTS of sea sick meds in me (patch, pill, wristbands) and feeling great!! (except veryy tired) I know they are working because one girl on my hall already threw up. 3 times. all the way down the hall. yuck!
I have already met lots of people and everyone is so nice and definitely excited to make more friends!
Bridget and I are on the 4th floor with a biggg window- very happy!
Sunset leaving Ensenada was very pretty, dinner was surprisingly good, FULL day of orientation tomorrow- 9am till 6 pm with only 1 2 hour break in the middle- eek!
Already glad I have my duvet and own pillow (thanks for the suggestion marg!!)
Hope this post works and leave comments!! I miss my family, friends, and pug dogs lots already.
short post because we have to go to ANOTHER orientation session.
We have set sail and I have LOTS of sea sick meds in me (patch, pill, wristbands) and feeling great!! (except veryy tired) I know they are working because one girl on my hall already threw up. 3 times. all the way down the hall. yuck!
I have already met lots of people and everyone is so nice and definitely excited to make more friends!
Bridget and I are on the 4th floor with a biggg window- very happy!
Sunset leaving Ensenada was very pretty, dinner was surprisingly good, FULL day of orientation tomorrow- 9am till 6 pm with only 1 2 hour break in the middle- eek!
Already glad I have my duvet and own pillow (thanks for the suggestion marg!!)
Hope this post works and leave comments!! I miss my family, friends, and pug dogs lots already.
short post because we have to go to ANOTHER orientation session.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Grand Adventure!
Great pre SAS adventure in California with dad and Bridget! (Sorry for these test posts)
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