October 22nd- 23rd
New Delhi and Agra
Although Eat, Pray, Love turned out not being well-liked in most of the countries it was based upon, I still had a connection to the book since I had recently read it and deeply enjoyed it. However, I found all three aspects, eat, pray and love, in India. The food is so fresh and delicious, religion and spirituality surrounds you and you catch yourself pray and meditating on everything around you, and i have never been so in love with a place or had so much love for myself and others while in this country. My favorite novel in the world, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, which is also about India, was definitely in my thoughts the whole time as well. I related it to my whole experience in India and it allowed me an inside feeling on the people and prepared me for the next few days. I was ready for the India head wobble, for the mass amounts of people, for the near death experiences in tuk tuks, and for the true honesty and humanity in each human being their. Professor Aguilar told us that if you want to know what a human being really is, go to India, and I now understand that. They are truly unlike any people I have ever met, and I have never felt more real because of that while I was there.
I decided instead of writing every detail about my excursion in New Delhi and Agra, I would bullet point the trip. If I can write 3 pages on one day in Pondicherry, I know I could write a lot about this experience and it might be better just to attempt to be brief ☺
- Meet up at 9 with the SAS group for the flight to New Delhi. There was delicious curried rice on the plane
- Arrive in New Delhi, met Kajil our tour guide, went to Humayun Tomb. Cameron and I took a bunch of pictures and enjoyed the beautiful architecture even though we weren’t really sure what the Humayun Tomb was other than a tomb.
- Went to the Rajghat Gandhi Samadhi during sunset, which is the place where Gandhi’s body was cremated before being spread throughout India. I said a few prayers and meditated with Jill in the grass near the cremation site. I don’t pray as much as home but in India it felt right and I always felt comfortable to do so.
- Killed by a man who didn’t agree with you ways/ you changed the dinition of peace/ ashes scattered throughout the land/ yet this eternal flame is your soul for us to keep
- Took bus to the hotel- stayed at Le Meridian. The hotel was ridiculously nice which would anger me at times because we were in the middle of India and it felt wrong to stay there but c’est la vie.
- Dinner was American so some of us went to explore New Delhi and got dinner at a local Indian restaurant where Cam ordered the two of us amazing dal, nan, roti, and spinach like veggies. Had a few beers and we were so happy enjoying the whole experience.
- Got back late, so we went to bed since we had to be up early for our train ride to Agra the next day
- Two of my guy friends, Peter and Rob missed the bus, met us at the train station while one of the guys, Ryan, missed both completely and took a cab to Agra because he was not going to miss the Taj
- The train station was crowed with people everywhere, standing, sitting, and laying down (some actually sleeping), it was like they didn’t have homes and made the train station a place for them to sleep at night
- A bunch of children kept coming up to us and asking for food every so often, which was heartbreaking especially since there were so many of them
- The older people looked exhausted, truly exhausted and would sit there on the floor some with happiness in their eyes but almost all with despair
- The train station brought out so many emotions, because there were so many different types of people that you cannot generalize the entire crowd because everyone was truly so different
- Slept most of the way on the train, but when I would look out the window I saw the real India. Strangest site was that there were houses 5 feet away from the railroad tracks (India’s fastest running train) and children playing on the tracks. All with the greatest smiles, but it didn’t feel right at the same time.
- Houses built 2 feet away from the fastest train in India/ outside the window children are playing/ the garbage is everywhere/ yet the smiles never seem to leave their faces
- Got off the train and there were disabled persons trying to get food or money from you. Man with elephantiasis on both feet. Are these people born this way, with these disabilities, or is it done to them when they are children, like in Slumdog Millionaire, in order to make more money…
- Went to Fatehpur Sikri took lots of pictures, kids everywhere trying to sell stuff, both kids and adults would throw things on you so you felt compelled to by it and when you tried to give it back they wouldn’t take it. There were snake charmers, people with orange hair, and women covered in the most colorful sari’s imaginable
- Went to the Agra Fort (the most important fort in all of India), took a lot of photos again, first site of the Taj Mahal
- Finally went to the Taj- it was breath taking. Way bigger than I assumed but couldn’t get over the beauty. People looked like ants standing next to it. We were there before sunset so the scenery was amazing. The detail on the building was so intricate and the amazing-ness of it was more than people could ever explain. Too long of a line to go inside- I guess I have to come back, but it was really as amazing as people say, way more beautiful than I expected
- After Kajil took the buses to a marble market for some shopping but Cam, Leigh and I didn’t want marble so we walked around and found another shop. Met an amazing shopkeeper who helped us around
- Went back to the train station to head back to New Delhi. We were given boxed dinner on the bus, each thing individually wrapped. At train station children begging for food. A lot of us gave dinner parts of our boxed dinner to the children, trying to separate it out as much as possible. Just felt like the right thing to do.
- On the train I was sitting next to Professor Adams, but during her nap went up and hung out with Spencer, Jay and some random girls and just talked for the next hour.
- Got back to the hotel, called mom, dad and riley- so great to talk to them, it’s been so long!
- Next was our adventure to Varanasi!
That is my short synopsis of New Delhi and Agra. Of course India had a huge impact on me and I loved every moment, but it gets difficult to write everything that I felt while explaining everything that I did. If you are ever interested in knowing more than what is written I will be happy to talk about it :) Next is Varanasi and that’s where the brilliance of India is exemplified and the harsh reality of this amazing and spiritual place is displayed.
Namaste
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Eat, Pray, Love
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
INDIA INDIA INDIA (day 1)
October 21st- Pondicherry
We are finally here. My most anticipated port has arrived. I stood off the back deck of the ship, watching us pull in and I couldn’t wait to get off. I felt some sort of energy truly pulling me towards the land. I was ready to explore and wanted to go at that particular moment. After making it through the madness of getting our passports and customs forms from the pursers desk, I met up with Jill and Jess to discover the temples and ashrams in southern India. We ran into three of our guy friends who were interested in going with us and made our way off the ship, out of line, and onto the bus out of the port. The bus drop off was congested with people coming at you in every direction, hoping you would take their particular rickshaw to your desired destination. The six of us were pulled a part by different drivers until we decided to split up, three and three and have them take us to a bank. Our first drive in an auto-rickshaw was crazy. There is absolutely no organization when it comes to driving in India, at least none that I could see, however, the drivers all know what they are doing and instead have created organized chaos that works for them. After the bank, we finally make our way to the train station where we abruptly decide we are going to go to the temple and ashram that is three hours away instead of the one that was an hour away, so we could get away from everyone and fully immerse ourselves in southern India. Our bus fare was 150 rupees (so a little over $3) and we were off. We drove through a part of India that I have never really imagined with palm trees, oceans, grasslands, and a lot of space, with very little people and other cars around. It was a good transition into what we would be experiencing in the next few days, but at the same time you could still feel that you were in India. There were even times on that bus ride that I felt like we were going to crash or hit a cow which were feelings I became very familiar with during my time there.
I came back to my envisioned India when we arrived at the train station in Pondicherry. People were everywhere, of course, just going about their daily routines, while the six of us are trying to figure out exactly what to do. We got a rickshaw to take us to the temple, cramming each of us in the little tuk-tuk as he insisted. Sam sat up front talking to our new friend and the other 5 of us were pilled on top of each other, sitting on laps, watching our lives flash by our lives because of this mans driving, yet we never stopped laughing. Laksmi the Hindu elephant was standing outside the temple blessing those who were waiting to go in the temple. The idea was great- a painted Asian elephant that would place its trunk on your head after putting your donation to the temple into her trunk. However, after seeing the African elephants in South Africa it was a tough site to see because Laksmi was in captivity. Those types of thoughts kept crossing my mind, but it was time for me to experience and enjoy the temple for what it is. The boys and girls decided to separate having the boys go in the temple first while we held their stuff and shopped. The number of shops outside of the temple surprised me. Most of the stuff was geared towards tourists but we were definitely the only white people around so it seemed strange. We later learned that there are a lot of Indian tourists in India or particular temples others in India want to see because the country is so big. It was finally our turn to go into the temple and left our shoes and purses with the guys. Jess, Jill and I walked in the temple not really knowing what to expect or do. The inside was covered in Hindu art all around the walls and ceiling which was gorgeous. They told so many ancient stories that are important to all of Hindus and did a great job depicting the stories with only paintings. People were standing in a line to go through this small room in the center of the temple so we diced to join in line. In that line we relieved the white ash to spread across our forehead and said a prayer to the God at the end of the line. Although our skin color definitely made us stand out, we were welcomed and embraced. After stepping outside of that room we wanted to look around the temple some more so we started wondering admiring the beautiful architecture and paintings. A man came up to us telling us we were walking in the wrong direction so we quickly turned around. He walked with us for a bit inside the temple explaining what we were supposed to do inside the temple. In essence, you walk around clockwise three times and pray to the various deities that are set up. When you are finished you can receive the red dot on your forehead and then join on the floor for your own personal meditation. We did exactly that. Realizing the boys might hate us if we took any longer, we cut the meditation short to meet up with them outside. After our time at the temple we decided to walk around and find other things to do in Pondicherry. Jill and Jess stepped inside a herbal shop and asked what else was recommended to see or do in the town. She mentioned for us to go to the ashram, the place we thought we just left since our rickshaw driver told us just that. However, we were wrong and the site we actually came to Pondicherry for was just a few blocks away. We only had 45 minutes before the ashram closed to the public, but that actually ended up being the perfect amount of time. Once we arrived, we all separated and made it each of our own experience, which is always nice to do. I said a prayed at the bed of flowers, bought books on meditation in the bookstore, and then meditated for the reminding time. I was calm and feeling at peace. The drive to Pondicherry really opened my eyes to a different India than I was expecting but at the same time it was a good thing for me to see. It allowed my first day in the country I had been most excited for to be calm and relaxing, getting me settled in. I was finally there and of course my anxiety was high, ready for me to explore everything, but the time in Pondicherry was calm. Meditating allowed me to soak it all in and prepare for the next few days.
We left the ashram refreshed and ready to see what the rest of the town had to offer, specifically in food and shopping. The main street felt like the Vegas strip with all of the lights, colors, and people except this strip was crowded with rickshaws, bikes, people, unfamiliar smells, dirt roads, and shrines. We were all so happy. We walked around for about 3 hours until we decided to grab some food. There was a small sign for a restaurant that looked pretty authentic so we decided to climb the five flights of stairs in this narrow building to make it to the restaurant on top. Again we were the only white people, making us comfortable that this would be some good Indian food. We weren’t really sure what we ordered but it was delicious. You really get to know people when you are in a foreign country, eating local food, enjoying local beers, and talking about life. Connections are instantly made and you catch yourself talking about the most random subjects, but they always have some sort of meaning to you. Although I had learned a lot about myself over these past months, I have learned a lot about the types of people I enjoy hanging out with. They all have taught me a lot and when you can get deep into a great conversation with people you don’t know that well, you know there is something more and fun times only continue you build.
A little after ten o’clock we decided to wrap it up and head back to the bus station and then to Chennai. We found out that the bus ride all night, not hurrying us, but instead of taking the 150 rupee bus, we decided to take the “more local looking” bus that was around a dollar for a $3 hour bus ride. There were bright neon lights flashing and a Bollywood movie playing in the front, so we were excited to take the “party bus.” There was absolutely no space, the seats were super close to each other, the ride was extremely bumpy, and the doors were left open a lot of the time so people could hop off, but I thought it was great. We didn’t arrive into Chennai until about 3 o’clock in the morning and after arguing on prices for 30 minutes, we finally got a ride back to the ship. The entrance to the port, however, was blocked off and after spending a good amount of time trying to figure out how to get in, the driver dropped us off near this ditch thing for water run-off. He gave us crazy directions to get to the port from there, telling us to go down in this ditch thing, and go up and around and across railroad tracks and we just did it. It’s funny because you are always taught not to talk to strangers and take advice that tells you to go into a water sewage sketchy area, but in India at that moment, I completely felt safe and that he was telling us the truth. We finally saw the lights illuminated on the MV Explorer and took a big deep breath at four in the morning, so excited to finally lie down in bed. That first day was so much fun and such a great way to be introduced into India. Although it was great to be back on the ship, I couldn’t wait to get up in the morning because we were heading to New Delhi for our Taj Mahal and Varanasi trip.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Pre-India Reflection
I dont know how to explain this feeling
about to port in my beloved india
why am i on the verge of tears when i think about it?
colors, poverty, smiles, spirituality, and head wobbles blur my sight
for all i perceive to be the truth is from pictures, books, and movies
but some feelings are coming out from my past
why do i have the feeling as if there is a pit in my stomach?
is this the true feeling of excitement and anxiety?
we haven't even arrived and I already want to go back
I've been inspired and touched by something divine
getting nervous no one will understand me
i know i've changed and i'm ready to arrive
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
My Darling Medwa
A Little Bit of Information on Medwa- my elephant from Elephant Whispers
I got this information at the elephant sanctuary and thought it was pretty cool so I wanted to share it with you if you were interested ☺
Medwa
Medwa, whose name means ‘thorn’ in Shona, is a 13-year-old male elephant who weighs approximately 2 tons. He is an exceedingly intelligent elephant: one week after he was rescued from a culling operation, he had already learnt to follow five verbal instructions. From the start, he has always been comfortable interacting with humans, often seeking out human company. He responds positively to challenges, he enjoys learning new commands and can become quite a show off when he has mastered a new skill!
His constant, happy, calm demeanor can be thrown off by Lindiwe; his jealous streak comes out when he sees Lindiwe getting attention, or treats. Separating them at the interaction site and in the stables easily solved this, and of course by giving Medwa the never-ending attention he so enjoys.
The wise saying that elephant never forget is proven by Medwa’s demonstration of his impressive long term memory. Medwa recognized a guest he had been introduced to by name, eighteen months later when she again visited. We asked Medwa to take a basket to her, she was standing with a group of guests, and without any hesitation he signled her out and gave her the basket. He knows all the Elephant Whispers staff members by name and by listening to us calling our pet dogs, even knows their names.
In March 2008, we were all most anxious when a lump in Medwa’s mouth had to be removed in a fairly lengthy procedure. Following this, Medwa’s mouth was a little painful and the stitches uncomfortable when eating, the softer food and tasty treats he was given during his recovery helped sustain him. The Elephant Whispers team was most relieved when the test results on the lump were benign and delighted when Medwa quickly recovered from his ordeal; once again demanding attention and trying to steal the limelight from Lindiwe.
A day with Elephants
October 7, 2010
Elephant Whispers-
On our last day in Kruger, we were given the opportunity to go to an elephant sanctuary to play with and ride elephants. The second this option was presented I was totally into it and could not believe it was possible. Elephant Whispers is the elephant sanctuary I mentioned in my previous blog that is home to 6 elephants from Kruger protecting them and learning from them. These particular 6 were at once threatened with death (all individually) and this organization asked to take them in and protect them. One elephant, Tembo, is 25 years old and weighs 6 tons! We got to stand under Tembo’s face and grab on to his leg and such to really get an idea how big he is in comparison to the rest of us. The rest of the elephants were around 12 to 15 years old and not as big as Tembo, but were so adorable and funny to “play” with. Each elephant there knows at least 80 commands and acts accordingly when they are told to do something. If they do it correctly they are rewarded with elephant treat type things, but if not nothing happens. They told us that they don’t want to make the elephants like circus animals so the commands are all really basic, like turn left/right, lift your truck, stay still, open your mouth, etc. In addition, we learned that these elephants are extremely smart and loyal. Right now they are testing elephants ability to find cancer in people and how they can help find it before people can, and also their amazing sense of smell and using that with checking for drugs. They are trying a variety of things with the elephants but are hoping that there can be some crazy change with more research of these incredible animals ☺ Obviously I’m excited and loved every moment of it. Riding the elephants was so much fun and really different to riding camels in Morocco, but I enjoyed it. There really isn’t much more to say, pictures are better for this experience. I had such a blast though and definitely bonded with my elephant Medwa ☺
Lions, Cheetahs, and Elephants, Oh My!
October 5, 2010
Kruger- we woke up this morning after another great night at Mitchells (the bar in port) and after about 4 hours of sleep to pack our bags and head to the best safari in all of Africa. The plane ride was about 2 hours, just enough to get a big nap in. Landing at Kruger National Park was pretty surreal. I had a window seat and could not help myself from searching for animals. I kept thinking if I looked hard enough I could see giraffes just wondering around minding their own business, but to my dismay, I was wrong. It was strange to land at this particular airport because for the most part the area around it was undeveloped, making it seem like there was just a runway and a building plopped in the middle of the park to serve as an airport. We then had a 45-minute drive to our hotel where we were greeted with orange juice, mixed nuts, and a buffet style lunch. There weren’t many vegetarian options but I was able to managed by eating the quiche and veggie pizza. After our quick lunch it was time to go on our first safari. We saw giraffes, hyenas and a lot of antelope in the beginning and before we knew it there were elephants, buffalo, rhinos, and hippos too! It was so cool to see these animals in their natural habitats and not in the zoo. They were completely different looking then at the zoo too. We weren’t allowed to get out of the car because they aren’t official park people, instead they work for a private company, but we still got pretty close. Ranger Chris was telling us stories about the different animals when we got close to them, which was really interesting. He told us that there is a really bad problem with poaching in the park especially with rhinos. Supposedly there were 13 incidents with rhinos being killed in the past few weeks in order to take their horn. People come in and kill the rhino just to take the horn because they are so valuable and can be sold for $100,000 sometimes. I thought it was pretty sad, especially since sometimes it’s the park rangers because they are allowed to have guns on them and aren’t usually suspicious.
After getting back from our safari, we came back to the hotel and rested for a bit before dinner. Dinner seemed to be a bit traditional, with at lot of different barbequed meats, porridge, potatoes, vegetables, salad and bread. It’s not as hard as I thought it would be to be a vegetarian because all of the countries have vegetarian options or accommodate for vegetarians, which is really nice. We decided to stay up for a bit at the bar where I met three South African girls from Durban who are about 22 years old. I have really enjoyed the locals here because they are so open and willing to talk about anything. These girls and I hung out for hours playing South African Trivial Pursuit, talking about apartheid, racism, education, sustainability and everything in between. They were so great and I loved learning from them and they enjoyed getting to know Americans since they don’t always meet a lot. One of the girls, Kerry, told me that meeting me made her change her outlook on Americans because I wasn’t fat and stupid and actually was open to learn about the cultures and lifestyles of the places and people I am going to be visiting over the next few months. They taught me a lot of South African phrases and words and that I wasn’t in Kruger for a safari but instead a game drive. They thought I was crazy when I kept using the word safari so for the rest of the time I referred to my trip the proper way as a game drive. We talked a lot about the lifestyle of South Africa and how prevalent racism is still to this day. Roxanne told me that when she was younger she wasn’t allowed to be friends with kids who were black because it was seen as taboo. It has gotten better she said and now has many black friends but the racism is still bad. I actually had noticed this a few days before at this restaurant I was at. A white man in about his fifties came to talk to us about the football game that was on TV while a black waiter tried to get by him. I have never seen somebody look at someone else with such disrespect and degrading eyes. I was in shock. When I told the girls this they told us it was normal and how although the apartheid was over many of the effects are still here. With this, the girls informed me to make sure I treat everyone I meet with the utmost respect so they know I actually care about them as a person. I thought this was something quite obvious but they told me as if it was normal for people to be disrespectful. They started asking me questions about the United States, most specifically questions about our education system and stereotypes about Americans. I had a lot of fun talking to them and answering their questions and learning so much from them. Learning from the locals is such a different experience than learning in class. Not that my professors are wrong when they teach me something, but there is always something a little different or more when you here if from somebody who has been through it or lives it.
The next day we went on a game drive for the whole day, meaning we woke up at 4am and got back at 3, rested for an hour and a half and went out again from 4:30 until 8. Literally the whole day! We saw everything but I had two favorites. First we saw a leopard that had just killed an antelope thing and brought it in a tree where he was nibbling at it. You could see the blood and the dead animal drooping over the branches. I could not believe we saw that. It definitely was something you would not see in the zoo, which made it so much cooler. Obviously the park is so much better than the zoo and the animals are free and wild, but at times you have the feeling that its all staged because its just so perfect. However, when I saw this it was absolutely crazy because that was definitely something I would have never seen if it was not for Kruger. The second coolest thing we saw was a cheetah. Our ranger told us that it was so rare to see cheetahs in Kruger nowadays and we were so lucky to see one. I got some amazing pictures since it was about ten feet away from us. We watched it for so long but it never got boring. It was so beautiful and so strange to see in real life. All the animals were like that though. For example- my favorite wild animal is an elephant. I’ve seen them in the zoo and on TV and I know how cool they are. But in real life- Oh My Goodness! Its crazy! They are huge and so adorable! Elephants are one of the smartest animals and are very similar to humans. It’s sad though because Kruger is starting to have a problem with overpopulation of elephants. The carrying capacity (the number of something a certain area can sustain) for elephants in Kruger is supposedly 8,000. However, right now in Kruger there are 16,000 elephants (according to the people from the elephant sanctuary which I will talk about later). Therefore, there are people who come in planes and in 60 seconds with 60 bullets they kill 60 elephants. Elephants almost always travel with their entire family, unless it’s a lone male trying to find a mate, so its harder to only kill one, making it easier to kill multiple at a time. It’s so sad that this is happening because with the climate change occurring in our world today, it is estimated that by 2050 most of the megafauna in Kruger won’t be able to survive any longer. Luckily there are some organizations near Kruger trying to combat these issues and protect the animals within the national park, but it’s not always as easy as it may seem.
Great Whites Anyone?
October 4, 2010
Today I swam with the largest sharks in the ocean- Great Whites. The company we went through, Great White Shark Diving, arranged to have drivers pick us up from our port and take us to Gansbaai for our dive. The drive was 2 hours away but allowed us to see a different part of South Africa than Cape Town. I really enjoy Cape Town but it is so modernized and city-like that I don’t really feel as if I am actually in Africa. Imagine you are in San Francisco or Seattle, or even Long Beach by the aquarium and that is what Cape Town is like. Absolutely beautiful, but it is its own world. Our drive showed us the actual reality- townships. I did not really understand what exactly townships were before coming to South Africa, but the best way to envision them are tin huts that are crammed together. They looked identical to the district for the aliens in District 9 (and no I am not exaggerating at all). Ghana is a very poor country and I did see a lot of poverty, but the poverty in these townships was incomparable. The disparity between rich and poor in South Africa is the highest in the entire world with a gini coefficient of .65 (again a 1 means the country is totally unequal). Although there are many wealthy people in this particular country, the poverty is unfathomable. When passing by the townships I could not and still cannot comprehend the fact that it was actually real and people actually have a life in there. You would hope that these townships would be small and just a few people live in them… but that is definitely not the case. When looking at them you could not even see how far back they went because it was and is so big. In just one hour we passed by 4 of these huge, poverty stricken, townships and those are just ones that are off the main highway. Driving through this area, on our way to Gansbaai, was only a small part of South Africa and the poverty that lies within. For the majority of South Africa, poverty is everywhere and hearing different students stories is so crazy to know that it really is spread throughout the country. It’s shocking and I really don’t know how to explain it that well. As we got closer to our destination, the houses began to get a lot nicer, probably similar to an average home in the United States (not a huge mansion but a nice sized home). However, something seemed to be different. There were bars on the windows and the houses seemed to be in lock down. We later learned from some friends we met in Kruger in the next few days that people in nicer areas have to have bars on their windows and actually have a lockdown area instead the house that separates the sleeping quarters from the rest of the house. Because robberies are so common there (like 3 times a month for some), people are always prepared.
After such a bizarre drive, we finally arrived to the shark diving site. It was pretty chilly outside and kind of rainy, but we were still allowed to go out. The ride was very rocky and we were all bundled up as much as possible. When we stopped the engines our captain began making his special chum and through a huge half of a tuna on a hook into the water to attract the sharks. It didn’t take long until we say our first great white. It was huge! He had some of us put wetsuits on, getting ready for us to go in the cage and some of my friends decided we would be part of the first 6 to go in. But our luck didn’t last for long and sharks were nowhere to be seen for some time. He decided to move the boat and find a better spot so all of us in our wetsuits sat around for a bit (I actually fell asleep…) I woke with a jolt when I heard our captain yelling for us to get it. We literally grabbed the weight belts and jumped right into the cage where you could see different great whites ripping a part the tuna less than a foot away from your face! It was so crazy and surreal! Animals that I have only seen on TV were inches from my face. Although it was hard to ignore the combination of the water temperature, the wind chill and the swell, the sharks were quite a sight. We stayed out there for a few hours, watching these enormous creatures swim around the boat until we finally called it quits and went back to shore. Shark diving was such a wild experience and actually not scary at all. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to anyone who has the chance to do it. I thought I would be really nervous but I have actually realized on this trip that you can’t hold your self back and when you know an amazing opportunity lies ahead you have to seize the moment and go for it. I mean you probably wont find me bungee jumping in China (since I didn’t do it in South Africa), but there are other things that I have just stepped a little out of my normal comfort zone and did it, which I so far haven’t regretted. I’m learning a lot about myself on this journey around the world and although shark diving isn’t a life changing experience, it still has enabled me to figure myself out a little more.
Monday, October 11, 2010
The Dancing Queen
Father’s Home Care Orphanage
One my last day in Ghana, I was signed up for a service trip to Father’s Home Care Orphanage. I really did not have a clue what I was doing, but I knew I wanted to do a service trip and I absolutely love African children. To my surprise, Father’s Home is a community for orphaned, abandoned and needy children from infancy to 18 years of age. However, because it is a home, those who have lived at Father’s home are always welcome back no matter what age they are. This particular blog has taken me the longest to think about because I really haven’t been able to think of words to describe this experience. I took a lot of photos and video while I was there, hoping that would capture my experience but I know you won’t be able to see that for a while. Father’s home is a home with “mothers” and “fathers” who take care of these abandoned children while they are at school until they have a job of their own. It is a grassroots organization that started when a local Ghanaian saw a child on the street crying under a piece of cardboard in the rain. When he asked the child why he was crying, the child replied that he couldn’t go home until he has some money so until he does, he has to sleep on the street. After this moment the man decided to make a place of safety and shelter for children similar to this one and provide them with the basic needs to live. Children are brought in by social services for a variety of reasons and as of now there are 28 children who live at the home. The home is composed of a few bedrooms some with three beds in a room, in order to accommodate all of the children, a kitchen, a dining room, a library, and a few bathrooms. The hardest thing for me was the lack of a play area for the children since they are all so athletic and love to play sports, especially football (soccer). The only outside area they have is the driveway and asphalt, no grass field. However, Father’s Home is building a new location that has a bunch of grass and more space for the children and it should be finished by next year.
We first started off by mingling with the children by drawing and coloring. Again, similar to the village, the kids were more intrigued by the cameras then they were by us. We colored, photographed, and talked for a while getting to know one another. They were all so great and they way the children interacted and treated one another was inspiring. Even though they were not related, they treated each other like true family, maybe even better. After meeting a few different kids (some who were even just a few years younger than me) I finally met Eunice. Eunice is a 16-year-old girl whose smile lights up an entire room. We started to talk and immediately bonded over our love to dance. I totally took her as any other 16-year-old girl and their love to dance, but Eunice she is different. This girl has a talent unlike any I have seen before. She can move her body in so many different ways it is absolutely insane! I cannot wait for you all to see my videos of her! It’s just wild. Some of the boys brought out their drums (yes they don’t use iPod speakers but instead traditional drums) and started to jam. Eunice was the first on the floor and it didn’t take long to convince me to start dancing. It was so much fun! After about 20 minutes of straight dancing we both had to run out into the rain to clean off all the sweat! But I wouldn’t take back one moment of that. It’s funny because although I would not consider myself to be shy by any means, I don’t necessarily always consider myself to be outgoing. When I was in Ghana, however, I never let a moment pass me by that I knew I would regret if I didn’t do it. If someone told me to dance, I danced. If I was told to try something, I tried it. I wanted to engulf everything at every moment and not let anything pass me by and I did. Being with such a range of kids that day really taught me a lot and how just a smile can mean the world to someone.
Leaving Father’s Home was not particularly easy. We all stood in a circle and the leader of the home said a few words to us. He told us that although we only came for a day and that many of us may not be back in the future, we made a difference to each of the children around us. Whether it was words of encouragement, your actions, a conversation you had, or even just giving them a smile and engaging with them, they will be affected because of it. It was truly amazing. Eunice and I exchanged addresses and she asked me to send her a post card from India, telling her all about it and I know I will. It was so great to meet all of these wonderful people who because of Father’s Home will have a better life and have a chance to succeed, which I know they will. Its so hard to leave, not knowing if you will ever see this person again, with the chances be really slim, and having a child who is 6 years old wondering why you have to say bye and why you are leaving. But it was all worth it. It is programs like Father’s Home, grassroots programs, that are going to transform these areas. When locals are involved and addressing their problems, it seems as if more is done because they know exactly what the issue is. Like I said, this was such an amazing experience and words can’t express my thoughts and feelings, but maybe you will get a little taste of this experience one day- I really hope you do.
Adjoa Poomah
Ghanaian Village Experience
My time at the village was a little different than what I was expecting. After such an authentic experience in Winneba, I assumed that for some reason the SAS trip to the village would be authentic as well. Instead there were about eighty of us students, which made the whole experience more of a tourist feel than realistic. Our drive up to the village was actually really great and we had an awesome tour guide named Yao accompany us to the village. He told us a lot about Ghana and the economy. Tourism is Ghana’s fourth main export with the mix of both tourism within the country and exporting items out for tourists to purchase elsewhere. We also learned that right now Ghana imports all of its oil and refines it in the country to be more cost effective. However, recently they have found an oil reserve off the coast and can drill/refine it themselves, hopefully boosting the country’s economy. Although Ghana is a poor nation similar to the rest of Africa, it is actually one of the more developing African nations. They are slowly growing and gaining the knowledge and proper resources to make the country prosper.
On the drive to the village, it was hard to ignore the poverty that surrounded you, but it also made you recognize the life that was around the areas. The village was off of a dirt road ten minutes away from the ‘main’ road that we had been on. It wasn’t necessarily in the middle of nowhere but there wasn’t really much around the area. When we arrived we were welcomed with a traditional welcoming ceremony with drumming and dancing from members of the local tribe. There were colors everywhere and each was so bright and lively. The dancers moved flawlessly but aggressive with fully of emotion at the same time. They were all barefoot on the bare ground, stomping and jumping around, but all you could see where the different emotions brought out by the dancing. We were then introduced to each of the tribal leaders before we were welcomed into their tribe. The main point of the village experience was to become a member of the tribe and given a traditional African name. Mine was Adjoa Poomah meaning born on a Monday, the firm one. It took awhile going through the people who were there and naming each and every one of them so we started to play with the children. It’s so funny how intrigued they are by the cameras and how much they love having their pictures taken or taking pictures themselves that we were all entertained until the ceremony was over. Afterwards, more dancing occurred but this time we were included and not only people from the tribe. Some of the women dancers were teaching us local dance moves and we were all soaking it in. It was then time for lunch, but instead of eating there in the village we were taking to a hotel. I was surprised by this since I assumed it was part of the village experience, but the locals there told us that we would not be able to handle the food they eat- our immune systems would not be able to process the food they eat there and instead we have to have it made special at a hotel. It, in the end, is kind of the same food, but made with clean food and water and in mass quantities for all of us. It's understandable since we are so used to eating in large quantities versus their smaller portions, but i do wish we would have had a completely authentic meal (minus the stomach pains that would have followed). Anyways, the food was delicious and I have a new obsession with plantains! :)
Overnight to Winneba
Winneba Trip
9/22/10-9/23/10
I'm in love with it here. Yesterday I went on my trip to Winneba and was able to spend two days getting to know local Ghanaians. Winneba, like the majority of African towns, is engulfed in poverty, but is was a great place. There are shops everywhere that are full of color and life and then there are shacks upon shacks that are homes and shops combined. Yes I felt engulfed in poverty because I was, but at the same time all the people there are so wonderful and happy that it didn't seem all that bad. I know it was and I know they are lacking so many basic necessities but it was such a different experience that I don't even know how to explain it. I have two more days here in Ghana so maybe I can come up with words to describe this experience during those days, but for now (when I can post them) pictures might just have to suffice.
When we got to Winneba we were introduced to the city council and they were so excited to have us there. They did a traditional welcoming which was so interesting and different to anything I have experienced and we met some of the chief warriors of the town. Afterward, we went to the college. It was similar to a lecture hall (it reminded me of a presentation I went to at San Diego State) but instead the class was filled with Ghanaian students and we were the special guests. We talked about our relationship to Charlottesville (the sister city in VA to Winneba) and talked about Semester at Sea. We asked each other questions about the others education and so forth, and were trying to encourage them to participate on SAS because since they are sister cities and Charlottesville is where the University of VA is (who sponsors SAS) they want to get some Ghanaian students to participate on the program (obviously for way cheaper). After the formal Q & A we all just hung out for a bit and talked to the students. They were so interested about the Semester at Sea program and about us as individuals that it was a lot of fun talking to them and getting to know them as students and people my own age in such a different place.
We then went back to the hotel for dinner and it was delish! A lot of rice, potatoes, and plantains, but it was sooo yummy I ate everything they served me (which was a lot!) The hotel was interesting but I can't complain. It was really nice, but of course totally different than what were used to. I really like being engulfed in the culture and did not feel out of place at all (I mean other than being white) but I really feel like I could go back and stay for awhile and be so happy. Today when we woke up it was pouring rain. We had plans to meet the Chief Fisherman of the town but had to delay that for a bit and meet him at the "city hall" instead of the beach where he usually works. So we went to the court to see how local court systems work in Ghana. It was pretty cool and almost everything was in English, except for when the plaintiff or defendant spoke since they didn't speak English. The court systems is really similar to the court system in the US since it follows the Civil Law practice that was brought over by the English in Ghana. We completely lucked out though and it turned out that one of the cases happened to be a couple's wedding! We watched the short ceremony occur, took lots of pictures, and were on our way. We then went back to the city hall area to meet with the Chief Fisherman, learn about his title, and then focused on conflict resolution in the fishing business. All the men were in traditional cloth and did not speak English so our friend Joe Bani (who has been on the ship with us from Morocco to Ghana, who is actually from Winneba and came with us for the trip) was our translator. Our next stop was the elementary school to give the children a soccer ball we brought for them. It reminded me so much of Jamaica. The children were so great and were so excited that we were there. I got some great pictures and had such a blast playing with them. Some of the girls grabbed me and we started playing a game. Its so strange that even though they are speaking a different language I knew exactly what to do and what was going on. We played their version of Little Sally Walker ☺ Before I knew it, however, we had to leave. Our final stop was the local market where we met the market queen. About 20 other women accompanied her, interested in learning our reasons for coming. We talked for some time and then were given a few minutes to shop around and talk to some of the locals. I loved it.
I have been emailing Jake and talking to him about Africa (since he was in Uganda for about a month) and just listening to the advice he has been giving me. Something stood out to me though and I want to share it with you. "Africa is a most horrid place, in a certain scope, but the soul and beauty of the land and people still take my breath away." For the past three and a half years, I have never been able to understand Jake’s description of Africa and his time in Uganda. Of course I loved hearing about it and knowing what he felt, but as they say ‘going is knowing’ and I never really knew what he has meant throughout these years until I got here. I couldn't agree more to what he said and I get this perplexed feeling when I think of these two contradictory things. But I love it. I love the energy I have felt, I love the smiles I get when I walk by the people, I love these people who are living such a different lifestyle then anything I have seen, but the same lifestyle as the majority of this world. But there have been times (and all this again has only been in the past 2 days) when I have cringed at the smells around me, where I have felt uncomfortable for a moment when I get my camera to take pictures of people like they are zoo animals even though we were all friends the moment before, and when I was in a somewhat clean marketplace with colors and shops everywhere and then to the right of that are "homes" that aren't even fit for animals. The feelings here are intense, and I have already had to stop myself from crying. It was a mixture of everything, the sensory overload of me finally being in a place that I have dreamed of coming to for years now and the way it is all presented. And to know that I am finally here and seeing things that are so hard to even describe, all the feelings messed with me and I started to get really emotional. I'm so happy I am here and I cannot wait for the next two days. I am trying my best to soak it all in and engulf myself in this new environment and I know I will.
Akwaaba!
Ghana- Day 1
I can’t believe I am finally in the Africa I have always wanted to be in. Although Morocco is in Africa it is so much different than what I have been looking forward too in an African experience. I woke up this morning, got breakfast and watched the ship get pulled in to port. I decided to start my morning by working out and doing some yoga before beginning my day. The air was much cleaner than Morocco and the sun was starting to shine through the clouds. I had to meet at 10am for Professor Toscano’s FDP (faculty directed practica) to Winneba. For this particular FDP, we would be going to Winneba, Ghana, the sister city to Charlottesville, Virginia (where the University of Virginia is located). We waited on the ship for a few delegates from Winneba to come join us for lunch and a tour of the MV Explorer. Most of the people who came worked for the municipal system of Winneba or were chiefs of tribes there. After lunch it was time to go. The drive was supposed to take about 90 minutes, but because there really is only one main road with a lot of people who want to drive on it, it took about 4 hours. The sites were insane, with the landscape changing every so often. There were markets left and right, then villages, then grass and trees and then it would repeat. The village/market scene was of course unlike anything I have seen before with so many colors and women and children walking around carrying everything on their heads. There were people everywhere and goats randomly roaming the streets- it was beautiful, but such a different beauty than one is used to. At times it felt familiar to me, like I was in Jamaica again, so I didn’t feel so out of place. After our drive we finally arrived in Winneba. I already love it here and it really hasn’t even started; can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip will hold.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Au revoir Maroc
Our Last Days in Morocco
Day 4
When we got back from Marrakech we decided to take a formal tour of the inside of the Mosque Hassan. They had tours in every language and we were so lucky to find out that there was an English one available when we got there. We had to take our shoes off before going in, but the inside of the Mosque was absolutely beautiful. The religion professor on SAS happened to be in our group and had gone to Marrakech with us so her and I had bonded for a bit and kept asking the guide questions about the mosque and the Muslim religion as a whole. We learned about the separation of men and women within the mosque and how different areas are allowed for different sexes. I also learned that in Morocco women have choices on how they want to cover up (either just covering their head or their entire face). Our guide considered Morocco a liberal Muslim state where women are given more options and liberties, which I found interesting because I felt as if they were still pretty suppressed by the men. After the tour I decided to go back to the ship. I still wasn’t feeling to great and wanted to rest as much as I could.
Day 5
On our last day in Morocco I went to go shopping in the morning but unfortunately nothing was open or I had bad luck finding a place to go. Since it was our last day in Morocco I wanted to shop for more souvenirs, but I did not really have the option. I met up with some other people and we decided to go to the infamous Rick’s Café from the movie Casablanca. This restaurant was only recently put in because of the movie and did not even really serve Moroccan food, but it was fun to go to. After lunch I saw a small souvenir shop that was open as was able to buy a few more things (I was most excited for my teacups to match my teapot!)
Marrakech- Camels and Delicious Food
Marrakech, Morocco- On the morning of September 11th, we all met for our Semester at Sea Marrakech and Camel Riding in Palm Groves adventure. I do not know exactly how everyone around me was feeling but I was a bit nervous. The news isn’t exactly the easiest thing to get while you are at sea. Sure we have a few sites that are free for us to use, but to get them to load, not shut off, and see everything can be quite the task. When I had my cell phone I was able to have my news forwarded to read in the mornings, but without that I’m basically unaware of many US and global events. The day before we left for Marrakech (the morning we arrived and had our logistical pre-port meeting) the Executive Dean of SAS warned us about the Priest(?) in Florida who was planning on having a demonstration on 9/11, burning Qurans. Because we would be in Morocco, a predominately Muslim nation who are not very fond of United States citizens, they told us to be careful. This made me a bit nervous. Sure I am culturally sensitive and did not think the Moroccans would do anything to act out against us, but I was still a bit nervous. It was really frustrating to hear this news and to know that a religious figure would consider this action, especially when we were in a Muslim nation ourselves. Needless to say we were fine and only experienced ‘regular’ actions and behavior by the locals towards Americans. (I didn’t experience it myself but I guess some girls were spit on, people were chased out of shops, and some verbally attacked.) Fortunately, I had a positive experience in Morocco, but I will come back to that later.
Anyways, we all met up at 8 in the morning reading for our adventure to Marrakech. The bus ride took a few hours, but about halfway there we stopped at a little café called Oasis for pastries and orange juice. For some reason Morocco has some of the best orange juice I have ever tasted. It is fresh squeezed but very unique compared to the fresh squeezed at home. If you ever get a chance to go to Morocco I highly recommend you try it, just don’t forget to not have ice! The weather was quite hot, but I was still comfortable. It was strange how warm it would get throughout the day and even though I would be sweaty, the heat never made me really uncomfortable. When we started to get closer to Marrakech, the view outside of the bus was hard to ignore. There were a lot of sandy colors (mostly browns, reds, and oranges come to mind when I think of Morocco), but there were some palm trees (could have most likely been planted more recently since they did not seem to be part of the natural habitat or ecosystem). Before we knew it, there were camels randomly sitting on the side of the rode in the dirt, just waiting around. Many of them did have people with them, as if they were preparing for tourists to come ride them. I wondered if any locals would come ride the camels, but I am almost positive they were just for show. When we got to the camel trek site the other busload of students had taken all of the camels. To our surprise our bus was preparing to ride either dune buggies or 4-wheelers through the desert/palm groves! Kelly and I decided to team up together and I would lead us through the path. After that particular adventure I had probably half an inch of dirt all over my body! It was pretty crazy. We ended at our lunch spot which I don’t even know what it really was. It seemed to have been an old small village/house thing that was all outdoors except for two rooms. One of the rooms is where we ate lunch. It fit about 80 of us with cushions all over the ground and small tables set up randomly for the communal dishes.
This particular Moroccan meal almost perfectly reflected the Mediterranean diet with lots of grains, veggies, nuts, and olives. The food came out in stages. First we had hot mint tea poured out of the teapot in front of you. I later learned that some people show their respect for you by how high they pour the tea for you. I kind of really wish I had known before so I could see what my respect level was ☺ Even though it was extremely hot outside and we had all been sweating, the tea was still so delicious and we could not stop drinking it. Next we had fresh made bread with a ‘Moroccan Salad.’ The fresh made bread was always delicious (like all the Moroccan food I ate). When I go out to dinner back at home in the US, I can usually say no to the bread they bring, however, in Morocco I could not turn it down. You could actually taste how fresh it was and it tasted so different to the bread from home. The salad was a big bowl with five different sections of food inside. There were carrots, beets, green peppers, potatoes, and cucumbers. These vegetables were so fresh and tasted so different then the vegetables from home. Probably because they are actually fresh and not grown with chemicals like some vegetables are in the United States. The spices and herbs that the locals use to prepare their food also gave it so much more flavor then we are used to. Next part was the main dish. The chef’s had prepared large bowls of couscous for each table with garbanzo beans, carrots, caramelized onions, some other vegetables, sweetened raisins, and chicken. This is where the Moroccan meal became unlike anything I have ever experienced. I could have eaten this dish with no problem, picking out the pieces of chicken inside of this large dish, but that isn’t what they wanted me to do. Instead, the cooks had prepared the exact same meal for me in what they may have considered to be a smaller bowl (still giving me enough food for like five people). It was absolutely delicious. The variety of flavors was unreal. Of course I kept eating when I was completely stuffed because the food was so good! Finally the main dish was cleared, but then a plate of fruit was served as something sweet to eat after the big dish. It was then time for dancing! We danced to traditional Moroccan music that the men played out on the patio area of the village. While everyone danced and played, tea was again served in order to help our bodies digest the delicious Mediterranean meal. Last, but not least, a peanut butter tasting cookie was passed around with the tea for one last bit of sweetness before we were off. Needless to say the entire meal was made to perfection. Obviously I am obsessed with food but I had to give you a description of actually how good it was! I am definitely having Moroccan food nights at my house next year and all are welcome!
While we were leaving our lunch experience, the locals began to wrap our heads up in turbans for camel riding. Riding my camel was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. It was so strange and unreal, but I totally loved every moment of it. It is really hard to believe though that people use camels to cross long distances in the desert. Experiencing that feeling for just forty-five minutes was long enough and to know that people actually do that for days is mind-boggling and probably really uncomfortable. We came back to the hotel afterwards and were able to nap for a bit before getting dinner. Dinner was free at the hotel so we enjoyed the Moroccan buffet and again had delicious food. Our tour guide had informed us of this festival that was occurring that night for the end of Ramadan and so a large majority of us decided to go. I have no idea how to explain it but it was like a Moroccan Renaissance Fair with buildings that looked like palaces, tents covering dining spaces, camels walking in an arena sort of place, belly dancers, horse acrobats, fireworks, and even a magic carpet. Words can’t even really do justice in explaining that festival. It was so different and strange but really fun at the same time.
The next day we toured Marrakech. We went to the mosques, olive gardens, an old palace sort of place, until we ended up at the markets for lunch. After we ate we went to a Moroccan herbal pharmacy where I was blown away by all the herbal remedies. Needless to say I spent wayyyyy too much money there but I couldn’t help myself. We later went to the market, the medina, and the souks where I was able to use my great bargaining skills. I bought a few things there and I enjoyed spending time in the souks. Many of the people I was with did not like it in there and left because they felt violated for being pressured to shop. It did not bother me and I just went about my business talking my way through things. Not only were their clothing, craft, and jewelry shops, but there was food such as fresh(?) hanging livestock, spices, and almost any type of food you could imagine. Plus there were men with snakes and monkey’s trying to get tourists to take pictures with them and then charging them for the picture. Oh and apparently one of the ladies who works on the ship was bit by one of the monkeys! Creepy, right? Overall I really enjoyed the whole shopping experience and wish I had more money to keep shopping, but I had left it on the ship and it was time to go. We had dinner again at the hotel and later enjoyed the Moroccan hookahs on the roof deck of the hotel.
In the morning we left Marrakech and went back to Casablanca. I did enjoy my time in Marrakech, but I wished I could have seen Fez as well. I wasn’t feeling well (still sick with a cold) so instead of booking a train ride to Fez or staying in Marrakech, I decided to go back with SAS. Marrakech was a cool place; the only problem I found with it was that it was a bit on the touristy side. I felt like almost everything was created for tourists, but at the same time although it seems to have been that way, a lot of it was actually just how they lived. The market wasn’t created for us, but instead something that has been a part of their culture for years. It just seemed to be made for tourists since there were so many in that particular area. I enjoyed my time in Marrakech and Morocco in general and know it is a place I would like to visit again in the future.
Salam Wa Aleikum!
September 10, 2010
Sorry to be so behind on all of my blogs! Spain and Morocco were literally back-to-back so it was really difficult to keep up with everything on top of being super busy with school when I am on the ship. Overall, I really enjoyed Morocco, or as they say Maroc. It was a very interesting place unlike anything I have experienced (I have a feeling I am going to be saying that about all the places we are going). We were prepared to not be liked but the locals, for only 16% of the Moroccan population actually has a favored view of the United States, so I caught myself saying I was from either England or Canada a lot. The people were nice I thought, but not ridiculously over the top nice, but they were very hospitable. Of course it depends on each individual, but I personally did not have a bad experience while I was there. The only thing I would have changed was being with such a big group of Semester at Sea students. It brought almost too much attention and not a lot of the locals liked it. I would, however, love to come back to Morocco with my family, particularly Beth and Levin, and see Morocco through their eyes.
The strangest thing about Morocco was that almost nothing (except restaurants) had a set price. You basically had to bargain your way through everything. From taxi rides to shopping, there was not a set price and you could almost always guarantee that half of the price they start with is even too much. It is frustrating that they will try to rip you off the whole time, but it is already so much cheaper than anything we would pay for back at home that you start to feel bad for complaining. It was really difficult to shop or even get around at times because I don’t speak either French or Arabic, and although a majority does speak English, they do not if they don’t want to. I felt really bad and in a way disrespectful since I can only speak English and Spanish. I couldn’t even communicate a little in their languages but now I am more eager to learn other languages so that can be prevented in the future.
We arrived in Casablanca at 10 o’clock in the morning, ready to enjoy the day. I grabbed my green scarf, wrapped my shoulders and head, and viola my homemade burka ( I cannot think of the name of one only made for your head so burka will suffice for now) was ready ☺ We first decided to go to the Mosque in the town, Mosque Hasssan II, which is in a competition for the second tallest minaret in the world (second to Mecca and in competition to the Abu Dhabi mosque). There were so many people there since it was the last day of Ramadan. We marveled at the French architecture of this beautiful building and listened as the call to prayer was being sounded. Our next stop was the medina, which is basically the shopping center of a town in Morocco. It is like a marketplace with anything you can think of available to buy. It is all outside but the shops get so close together that at times you feel enclosed. Earlier that day during the SAS logistical presentation of Morocco we had a special presentation of photography in Morocco (and possibly the rest of the world). Unlike the United States where photos can be taken of anyone at anytime, in Morocco, you must ask for permission to take a photo for they see it as taking away their soul when you snap a shot. This became a lot more noticeable in the medina. There were some crazy sights there and any time I wanted to take a picture the looks I received from the locals told me it was not worth it. There were people everywhere, kids of the ground, adults too begging for money, fresh livestock just chopped up and ready to be sold, and stores after stores selling a wide variety of things. The smells were strong and changing up every so often. There were definitely some times that I did not think I could handle the smell anymore, but weirdly enough you start to get used to it. It was quite a scene as we got deeper and deeper in the medina. We lost track of direction, unsure of where we had ended up, but luckily (well luckily can be debatable here, since I would totally have rather been with 2 other people) there were ten of us so we were safe. I didn’t buy much that day, just a beach towel for necessary purposes, but instead I just soaked everything in.
We then went to dinner at a restaurant called La Fleur and it was packed with locals inside and out. I did notice the immense amount of men compared to women at these restaurants but that was more so during the day then at night. The food was absolutely delicious and I have a new obsession with Moroccan food, especially couscous. That was basically our day in Casablanca- chaotic, but extremely interesting and worthwhile.
Human Condition in Spain
I was sad to leave Spain, especially Barcelona. It was so strange going on the ship the next day and waving away to this wonderful country, knowing that our first port was over with. Being in Spain allowed me to meet a lot of great people, both locals and other Semester at Sea students. My time in Spain provided me with the opportunity to see things differently and how a particular society with so many similarities to my own world in San Diego could also be so different. Unlike many of the ports we will be visiting in the next few months, Spain was an easy transition for many of the students in Semester at Sea. There was not much of a culture shock and some of us, including myself, did not have problems communicating with the locals. I did not feel too much like a foreigner and could almost blend in if needed. As sad as it is to admit, many people in the countries we will be visiting are not too fond of Americans. In fact, some may even spit on Americans, but that will have to be addressed at a later port. It becomes frustrating when locals ask where you are from and the last thing you want to say is the United States because you don’t want to automatically be judged. In Spain it was more neutral and could have gone either way if you said you were from the US. I didn’t stand out since “white people” are actually common in Europe; therefore they weren’t always quick to judge. The way tourists, particularly US citizens, are perceived in the varying countries can possibly be better understood when analyzing the human condition in each country. Each port of call varies on the scale of human rights from very free to no freedom at all. Human rights is just one factor when analyzing the human condition of a country but it can also tell us a lot about the people and why they may act a certain way. For this particular blog, I am going to examine the human condition in Spain and share with you what I found to be different and similar to life we are familiar with at home.
Many of the local people I met in Spain were very similar to other Europeans I have met in the past, however, it did differ than the places I have been because of the Spanish flare. After meeting some of the locals whether at restaurants, bars, or just walking around town, it seemed like many were middle class. I did not run into many people that seemed to be completely wealthy but instead all had the c'est la vie sort of attitude and kept to themselves. However, I did run into many people who I would assume were poor. Both on the streets of Barcelona and Cadiz, I found people sleeping in parks (not casually but instead as if it were their home), begging on the street, and, as I mentioned in a previous blog, gypsies who had nothing acting mentally crazy while walking on the street. When looking into a country’s Gini coefficient (measuring inequality with 0 being perfect equality and 1 being total inequality), Spain is the most equal out of all our ports of call with a coefficient of .32. Compare that to the United States. We in the US are third in inequality out of our ports of call with a Gini coefficient of .48. This most definitely correlates with our rising gap between classes and difference between incomes of the top one percent of our nation compared to the rest of the country. I mean the top one percent in our nation is making 28% more than the middle percent of the population. Inequality is a huge issue in the US and I do notice it more back at home than during my time in Spain. I think Spain’s Gini coefficient accurately reflects my observations on the economic human condition in the country. The majority of the people all seemed to be at an economic level where basic human needs plus a few luxuries were sustained.
In addition to the economic condition of the Spaniards, I also observed the human interaction through my contact with the locals and how people were treated in general. I found Spain to be a generally friendly place. People greeted one another by exchanging kisses on both cheeks with neither age nor sex having an impact. It was just normal. Also, I felt very welcome during my time in Spain, however, I did feel more comfortable in Cadiz then I did in Barcelona. Don’t get me wrong, I completely enjoyed Barcelona and I now consider it one of my favorite cities I have been to, but the way people interacted there was different than the way they do in Cadiz. Because Cadiz is simply a port city, not many people go there to vacation. Therefore, tourists aren’t as common, possibly making the locals a little friendlier especially when the tourist speaks Spanish. I found that the locals actually enjoyed speaking to me in Spanish and would prefer if I spoke that instead of English. Although my Spanish wasn’t perfect by any means, they respected the fact that I was trying and would communicate with us more when we spoke their native tongue. I actually found myself being complimented at times on my horrible Spanish because I was making an effort. Barcelona was a little different than Cadiz when it came to speaking Spanish and respecting tourists. Maybe it is because Barcelona is swamped with tourists all throughout the year, but I did not feel as respected there as I did in Cadiz. Locals again were nice but whenever they wanted they could pull the whole “I don’t understand your Spanish, I only speak Catalan” card. After being pick pocketed at a club in Barcelona, my friend from Semester at Sea who is from Guatemala was trying to help me find my things. We went up to security and tried to talk to them (Irene speaking the whole time since Spanish is her first language), yet they told us they didn’t understand and we would have to call back the next day. Other times I found the locals to be extremely kind and speak the same Spanish we know. It honestly depended on the individual and if they liked you or not. Overall, I felt as if my experience with the locals was very positive and I enjoyed getting to know them.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Barcelona
Viva Espana!
Later that night we went out to dinner next to the restaurant we had lunch at. Out of the group of 8 we were with, Kelly and I were the only ones who spoke Spanish. Everyone was really impressed with it too! I will admit Kelly’s grammar was way better than mine, but I wasn’t afraid to speak at all. I loved knowing the language, understanding the people in Spain and being able to speak with them. We finally finished dinner around midnight and waited for the nightlife to being at 1. It was so different eating dinner so late and going out even later and then getting home in the early morning… But I really enjoyed it and feel like I could have gotten used to it. Overall I really enjoyed Cadiz, but couldn’t hold my excitement for Barcelona the next day :)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Eat, Read, Sleep, Repeat
The days have mostly consisted of classes, yoga, reading, eating, napping, reading, laying out while reading, and oh did I mention reading? I guess I’ve never realized that not everybody does their reading for class so I feel like either a total nerd or I may be one of the select few who do well this semester. Staying up until 2ish doing homework is partially, well mostly, my fault since I do decide to work outside and around people. And where there are people there is talking. A lot of it. And I cant really say that I’m not partaking in the chatting, I most definitely am, so I guess these late nights could be prevented. But the tiredness is definitely not only my fault. Tonight will be the fourth night in a row that we are losing an hour… kind of insane. I’m getting used to it though and have figured out how to add naps into my day or know what the right amount of coffee is to keep me functioning.
On another note, my classes are all so interesting. The Food for Thought class that I am taking actually forces me to eat local foods in the varying countries and write about it… Hard life I know. I’m learning a lot about global warming, climate change, overpopulation, etc. in most of my other classes, but it’s different than the way I have learned about these topics before. I mean the reading is similar, read a book, analyze the concept, and discuss, but I actually really enjoy reading these texts. Two of the books that I am reading right now, Heatstroke by Anthony Barnosky and Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman, both look at global warming and the need for a revolution but approach it in completely different ways, making them really interesting to read.
I’m no longer teaching a yoga class on the boat. Someone else bet me to it. But I’m actually okay with it because I’ve been so busy that I don’t think I could set a time to do yoga everyday. Instead I just do it on my own whenever I want to and I don’t have to worry about figuring out a routine to teach, I just go with my instinct. Its still hard though to do it on my own and I definitely miss the M Street Yoga Association (MSYA) at home! ☺ I’m trying to start meditating as well and I attended my first meditation class tonight. Some older Asian man teaches the class and walks us through meditation. Pretty cool if you ask me.
Oh one last thing or two last things ☺ Yesterday morning we past Azores, the islands off of Spain in the middle of the ocean. We were passing them at 8 or 9 in the morning so I was trying to wake up to see them. To my advantage, however, the islands were going to be on the starboard side of the ship, my side. I was able to lay in bed and look out the window to see them. I took a bunch of pictures and will post them whenever I get to land (in 2 days). So crazy to see islands when we haven’t seen land in one week! And finally, last night one of the guys on the ship got the captains to turn off the lights on deck 8 of the ship so we could star gaze! The highest deck were allowed to go on is deck 7 but on the front of the ship there is a smaller deck above and they let us up there to star gaze! It was absolutely amazing. The sky was perfectly clear and I could see billions of stars, the milky way, and 5 shooting stars, in the middle of the ocean. It was beautiful! Anyways, talk to you all in Spain! xoxoxo
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The High Seas
Hi Everyone! Sorry it has taken me so long to add a new post… I’m only allotted 120 minutes of internet for the entire voyage and blogspot is not necessarily one of the free sites offered. Plus the past days have been so hectic that I didn’t even start journaling until today. I have an international plan on my cell phone which gives me free internet access on my phone, email, and BBM but it doesn’t work too well in the middle of the ocean… The best way to reach me is through my SAS email account: apmathies@semesteratsea.net Although I’m not always at my computer, it is another good way to get in contact with me if you would like ☺
Anyways back to my adventure. The last two days are almost a blur, consisting of a lot of meetings and getting to know people. There are 608 students and almost 60 of those students are from USD! So I never feel too lonely. The seas are starting to get rough, but I haven’t felt seasick yet (knock on wood!) and we’re supposed to hit a hurricane either Monday or Tuesday. Other than that it has been great! During our orientation the other day Archbishop Tutu came and spoke to us for a few moments. He was amazing. His energy is contagious and his views of us students on the voyage honestly brought tears to my eyes. He is so optimistic and knows that each one of us can make a difference and will make a difference in this world. I am so thankful to have him on this voyage and cannot wait to have the opportunity to sit down with him (my first goal is to finish his book Made for Goodness before speaking with him).
On another note, I had my first two classes today and each professor was very interesting. It’s funny since most students on this voyage are not used to how small the class sizes are but I am so lucky they are similar to my school with about 30 students in each class! It makes it so much easier for me to learn. My first class was Global Environmental Politics (aka The End of the World) where we will discuss issues such as sustainability, global warming, famine, and poverty. The professor, Dr. Zachary Smith, used to do consulting work with the United Nations and also held discussions with the government of the Soviet Union about environmental issues before the fall of the Iron Curtain. Pretty interesting. My second class was Global Studies, a course everyone on the ship has to take. It is very similar to an Introduction in Political Science course, making it both interesting and a little easier for me. Last but not least, I’m signing up with a friend of mine to teach a Yoga Flow class on the ship! I practiced yoga a lot over the summer so hopefully with both of our knowledge we can make the class work out. The hardest part is how much the ship moves around… so we will see how it goes ☺
Peace and Love,
Amanda
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Pre Voyage Thoughts
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Staying in Touch
Sending Mail to the Ship
ATTN: Name of Recipient
Port Agent Address (from list below)
Currently the U.S. Post Office recommends sending international mail at least two weeks in advance. Please keep in mind that mail service in other countries may vary. Letters should be sent Airmail only. Please do not send any mail to the Institute for Shipboard Education or to the University of Virginia to be forwarded. Do not enclose currency in the mail.
| When sending mail please mark "MV Explorer - Fall 2010 Voyage" on the first line and "Attn: Participant's Name" on the second line. The Port Agent's Address (from the list below) should be written on the subsequent lines. |
| PORT | ADDRESS OF PORT AGENT | SUGGESTED AIRMAIL DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Cadiz, SPAIN Phone: 34 956 276 112 Fax: 34 956 276 766 | Perez Y CIA S.L. C/ Ecuador, 2 11007 Cadiz, SPAIN | August 21 |
| Casablanca, MOROCCO Phone: 212 61 29 8894 Fax: 212 22 48 4793 | LASRY MAROC S.A. 30 Avenue des Far 20000 Casablanca, MAROC | August 27 |
| Takoradi, GHANA Phone: 233 22 300 894 / 5 Fax: 233 22 202 989 | HULL BLYTH Seatec House / PO Box CO 214 Akosombo Road TEMA, GHANA | September 8 |
Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA Phone: 27 21 419 8660 Fax: 27 21 413 0290 | JOHN T. RENNIE & SONS 19th FLOOR No.1 Thibault Square 8001 Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA | September 20 |
| Port Louis, MAURITIUS Phone: 230 202 7399 Fax: 230 208 5814 | Ireland Blyth Limited Shipping Operations Department No 8 Dr Ferriere Street Port Louis, MAURITIUS | Sept 30 |
| Chennai, INDIA Phone: 91 44 252 12032 Fax: 91 44 252 43813 | J.M. BAXI & CO 3rd Floor, Clive Battery Complex 4 & 4A, Rajaji Salai Chennai 600 001, INDIA | October 8 |
| Singapore, SINGAPORE Phone: 65 6885 0510 Fax: 65 6272 3850 | SINGAPORE V.SHIPS HANSEN 10 Hoe Chiang Road # 24-01 Keppel Towers Singapore 089315, SINGAPORE | October 18 |
| Ho Chi Minh City, VIET NAM Phone: 84 8 6261 9602 Fax: 84 8 6261 9603 | HO CHI MINH CITY CONTINENTAL CO LTD 55 Le Quoc Hung street Ward 12, District 4 HOCHIMINH CITY, VIET NAM | October 20 |
| HONG KONG CHINA Phone: 852 2786 1155 Fax: 852 2744 3240 | INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES (HK) Ltd. Units 1802-1805, 18th Floor Nº 3 Lockhart Road Wanchai, Hong Kong - CHINA | October 28 |
| Shanghai, CHINA Phone: 86 21 6323 1350 Fax: 86 21 6329 1519 | PENAVICO SHANGHAI 3/F 13 Zhong Shan Road (E 1) Shanghai 200002, P.R. CHINA | November 1 |
| Kobe, JAPAN Phone: 81 78 391 3046 Fax: 81 78 391 3105 | KOBE INCHCAPE SHIPPING SERVICES Kenryu Bldg, Room 502 6, Kaigan-dori, Chuo-ku KOBE 650-0024, JAPAN | November 5 |
| Yokohama, JAPAN Phone: 81 45 201 6991 Fax: 81 45 212 1614 | INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES 2F Asahi Seimei Yokohama Honcho Bldg 36, 4-Chome Honcho, Naka-ku Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 231-005, JAPAN | November 8 |
| Honolulu, HAWAII Phone: 1 808 599 8604 Fax: 1 808 599 1950 | INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES 521 Ala Moana Blvd Suite 256 Honolulu, HI 96813 | November 19 |
| Hilo, HAWAII Phone: 1 808 599 8604 Fax: 1 808 599 1950 | INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES 521 Ala Moana Blvd Suite 256 Honolulu, HI 96813 | November 22 |
Time Aboard Ship
- Spain(+6 hours)
- Morocco (+4 hours)
- Ghana (+4 hours)
- South Africa (+6 hours)
- Mauritius (+8 hours)
- India (+9.5 hours)
- Singapore (+12 hours)
- Viet Nam (+11 hours)
- Hong Kong (+13 hours)
- China (+13 hours)
- Japan (+14 hours)
- Hawaii (-5 hours)