3,000 Miles to Go

Today things were back to normal on the ship.  Classes resumed and Hawaii already seems like a distant memory.  Even one day in, I’m ready to get to Japan.  My friends and I are sitting down tomorrow night and planning on what we’re doing in Japan.  We’re trying to be as frugal as possible, as we’ve heard Japan can be very expensive. 

I forgot to mention one other thing in my Honolulu post, which I think is interesting.  When I was at Red Lobster, one of the Chinese exchange students on board Semester at Sea came with us.  She had some very interesting things to say about life in China, and her impression of the United States. 

Her comments regarding American students were pretty depressing.  She said, “[Most American college students] seem to be preoccupied with drinking and could care less about their studies.”  From what she was telling me, the Chinese education standards are a lot more strict then those in the United States.  (No wonder we have a whole day on board the ship dedicated to China, focusing on the question: does this century belong to China?) Learning English in China is a very important part of the primary and secondary curriculum.  The language classes there seem much harder then those in the U.S.   She said, “[English classes] were the hardest ones I’ve ever had.”  I should mention that she's mathematics/science major.  Her English is very good and the only thing she seems to have trouble with is the slang. 

I also was surprised to learn a few things about China.  She stressed that in China, it’s okay to criticize the government.  Newspapers, television programs, and radio stations all do it.  I think the perception we have about China’s government in the United States may be a little off base.  The Chinese government does not, however, allow citizens to access sites like Facebook or Twitter.  How do they live?  Haha just kidding. I’m surviving with out Facebook (some people on board are having difficulty). 

So we’ve got over 3000 miles to go until we get to Asia- can’t wait!  Also, if you tried to e-mail me anytime on Friday, there’s a good chance I didn’t receive it.  The ship’s e-mail system was having some problems. 

Honolulu/Goodbye America

We docked in Honolulu on Wednesday, January 28 at around 6 AM.  Luckily we didn’t have to go through customs so we could sleep in a little.  Everyone was dead tired from the night before.  I was up by around 7:15 and I had a trip pre-planned to Pearl Harbor.  Being a history enthusiast, I was very excited for this trip.  

The drive through Honolulu was very interesting.  When I think of Hawaii, I think of picture perfect beaches, crystal clear water, and just paradise.  Driving through Honolulu I was really reminded of the fact that this is just plain, old America.  There was traffic, homelessness, shopping complexes, and just America I guess.  For some reason, Hilo didn’t remind me of this as much. 
Pearl Harbor was awesome.  First we were able to walk around a little museum.  It had stories, pictures, and even veterans who were there answering questions.  I also bought quite a few souvenirs from gift shop; including a replica of the Dec. 7 evening newspaper.  We then watched a video about the day, which really provided an excellent, brief back-story of December 7, 1941.  Going out to the U.S.S. Arizona after watching and touring the museum, you could really feel the history that was there.    It was incredible to be standing there and thinking this is exactly where it happened.   The bombs were here, the people died here, and it just actually happened here.  Oil from the Arizona’s hull still comes up and surfaces on the water, which is really eerie.  The tour guide let us know that there was a debate raging whether or not to remove the oil because of ecological purposes.  Estimates are that there are still over 500,000 gallons of oil in the ship.  I say leave it alone.  The Arizona, after all, is a tomb and memorial to the “a date which will live in infamy.” The whole experience was remarkable.  Being at Pearl Harbor was almost the same feeling as walking around Gettysburg, PA. 

After Pearl Harbor, a group of us went to the beach for some more sun.  We decided not to go the Waikiki  (we got there later at night) but to a beach that a local had recommended.  It was called Alaho Mona (I don’t know if I’m spelling it right) Beach.  It pretty much was the same as Waikiki but less crowded.  Again, this beach was very different from the Jersey Shore.  The waves still broke out about 200 yards from the shoreline.  In the space between was a pool of water, which I could not get to the bottom of.  There were also a few fish swimming around the water but no coral.  We also saw a dead eel washed up on shore, which was pretty cool.  We stayed at the beach until sunset, which was very beautiful.  I got some good pictures.
We decided to go to a good, “American” restaurant for dinner, as it would be our last chance for a few months.  We ended up going to Red Lobster and had a really enjoyable evening.   After Red Lobster, we went to Waikiki.  The night was definitely one of the best so far. 

On Thursday, January 29 I was up bright and early for snorkeling.   It was okay at best.  It was raining on the part of the island we were on.  That really put a damper on the experience.  I did get to see a few cool fish, including a sea cucumber!  I also went banana boating. Basically you go on a raft shaped like a banana and are pulled around by a speedboat.  I went twice.   It was so much fun!  We were going at least forty miles an hour around the bay.  That was the best part of the snorkeling adventure. 
After snorkeling, I just went to Starbucks and finally had full access to the Internet.  I finally uploaded some pictures!  The link to them is: http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c217/djd4598/Semester%20at%20Sea/
I didn’t get all of them up but I will get them up in Japan.  I hear there’s a ton of free WiFi spots near the port we dock in. 
On the way back to the ship, a cop stopped me for jay walking in downtown Honolulu.  Apparently, it’s a big deal.  He just told me not to do it and I ended up getting into a ten-minute conversation with him about my trip, but I thought it was really funny.  So different from center city Philadelphia.

Honolulu was fun, but I really enjoyed Hilo more.   The local people I encountered in Honolulu weren’t nearly as nice as the ones I met in Hilo.  Honolulu to me really just had the feel of any American city.  If I ever vacation to Hawaii I’d definitely go to Hilo.  Also, Hilo just had a more homely feel to it.   Many of the local people knew Semester at Sea was docking and were excited for us to be there.   Honolulu didn’t seem to care…typical Americans…just kidding!  From what I hear from past SAS alums, our coming into the foreign ports is a HUGE deal.  There normally is a huge crowd to greet us as we come off the ship.  I’m very excited to see if this is true. 

Leaving Hawaii was bittersweet.  It was a great (but insanely fast) four days.  As we left the dock, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad.  This is the last time I’ll look at an American city until May!  The comfort we had in Hawaii also disappears, and now everything is foreign to us.  I think the SAS administrators put Hawaii as a first “ice breaker” port.  We were still used to everything and navigating around was pretty easy.   I wasn’t sad to leave the prices in Hawaii.  I don’t want to even think about how much money I spent.  Luckily, after Japan, the prices of everything go down. 
So, I’m sitting on deck watching Hawaii fade away and the rest of the world is ahead of me.  We’re at sea now for eleven calendar days, but in reality we’ll only experience ten.  We cross the International Dateline and I won’t have a February 2, 2010.  Very strange.  It’s going to be a long ten days of classes and schoolwork- e-mail me if you have a chance:  djdorazio@semesteratsea.net! 

ALOHA Hilo

Finally Hawaii is here!  We got into Hilo (it’s on the big island) at around 6 AM on Monday, January 25 and we had to be up that early to get cleared by customs.  Surprisingly, a ship full of college students didn’t mind the early wake up call; everyone was ready to get onto land! 

My day in Hawaii began at 8:30 AM and we were headed straight to the beach.  When I think of the beach, I think of the Jersey Shore.  The beach we went to (Richardson Beach) was nothing like New Jersey.   Rocks, cliffs, and coral had formed inlets, which was where the shoreline was.   The waves broke about 200 yards away from the shoreline.  We explored the rocks and cliffs for a little bit and then found a great spot on the sand.  The sand was actually black, a remnant of the lava that had once been there.   Semester at Sea students had pretty much taken over the beach, but we were lucky to get a spot next to a local Hawaiian.  The local, Cool (aka Gordon but he calls himself Cool so when you see him in a bar you say “It’s Cool”) had some really interesting and deep things to say.  He gave us his thoughts on the U.S. takeover of Hawaii, the economics of the state, and how prominent drug use was in the state.   The water was incredible- crystal clear!  Luckily I had my goggles, and was able to see the coral and ocean life.  The coral was beautiful and the fish were within an arm’s reach!  I also got to see some sea turtles!  I was able to swim out to the waves (the currents were much stronger then the Atlantic) but couldn’t ride them in; the rocks and coral made it a death trap.   I did get a few cuts (as did a lot of people) from the rocks and coral all around.  Aside from that, the beach was awesome!  Cool bought us pizza and gave us a ride back to the ship. 

After a quick nap, we headed to downtown Hilo for dinner.  We ate at a Hawaiian/Italian restaurant called Café Pesto.  I had calamari with coconut in the breading- delicious!  After dinner, we found a tour guide, Theresa (crazy, crazy lady) who took us to see the active volcano on the island.  She took us to the bottom of the volcano and we saw the lava erupting at the top- an amazing sight! Unfortunately I couldn’t get any pictures because of how far away it was.  Where we were actually had been a town of 490 houses up until the early 1990s when the volcano erupted and destroyed everything.   Theresa then took us for a drive around the island.  We basically made a circle around it and it was astonishing.  The roads she took us on were something out of a movie.  The trees grew above/across the road so it had the illusion of being a tunnel and it was just surreal.  She then took us to a thermal spring and we went swimming.  Much better then any hot tub!  We finally arrived back at the ship at about 2:30 AM and I went straight to bed! 

The next day, Tuesday, January 26, I was up by 9 AM and three of us went to see the waterfalls on the island.  We went to two: Boiling Pots and Rainbow Falls.  Both were gorgeous.  At Rainbow Falls my friend actually dove into the water from the waterfall.  I would have too, but I didn’t feel like walking around the rest of the day wet.  Boiling Pots was fun because we were able to hike across the rocks and get to the edge of the falls.  The lack of rain made this doable, and it was great.  Standing at the top of the falls you were five/six stories up and the view was breathtaking.  We then went to downtown Hilo for some lunch and a little shopping.  We also went to Wal-Mart to get things we’d forgotten.  We got walkie-talkies for use on the ship and in the other ports.  Honestly, that was a high point of my day, and playing with them made me feel like a five year old but it was so much fun!   We then spent about an hour at the Japanese Gardens a few miles from the ship.   The gardens were very, very pretty.   We were back on the ship by 4:45 and we left Hilo for Honolulu by 7:40 PM. 

I really enjoyed out stay in Hilo.  The thing that surprised me the most was how friendly the locals were.  They were so easy and willing to talk, and also ready to give any help needed- much different from people at home.  I would definitely like to come back to Hilo and check out more that the island has to offer.  As I learned from Cool and Theresa, Hawaii is much more then beaches and sun!  Now off to Honolulu where I’ll be going to Pearl Harbor and snorkeling!  I promise to get pictures up before we set sail for Japan!
 

Tomorrow!

We get into Hawaii in just under 11 hours and the anticipation on the ship is killing everyone!  I can't wait to hit the beaches and relax! 

I promise to get some pictures of the ship and Hilo up here tomorrow!

Here are a couple of links you might want to check out: 

SAS Spring 2010 Official blog: http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyage-blog/spring-2010/

MV Explorer Position Report: http://www.semesteratsea.org/current-voyage/overview/position-report.php  

Two Days Till Hawaii!

I can't believe only a week ago I was home eating a great dinner with my family and friends at Redstone about to leave the next day.  It seems like ages ago.  I've already gotten used to life on the ship.  It's really a lot of laying around on deck, enjoying the sun and reading.  The boat really makes for some great reading.   

The ocean is still really rough.  The past few nights I haven't been able to get into a nice, deep sleep because of the waves.  Apparently last night the waves were reaching 30 feet.  I'm sitting out on deck right now and I can't believe how high the waves are.  It's crazy to watch the water disappear and then reappear.   People go sideways walking down the hall or wherever, and plates and food have been spilled off the tables countless times.  Luckily, I haven't gotten seasick yet.  The Captain keeps stressing staying hydrated and I've been sure to take his advice. 

Everyone on board is ready to get to Hawaii.  I can't wait.  Our first port, Hilo, is going to be awesome.  I can't wait to be laying on the beach, swimming and relaxing with friends.  I'm also really excited to tour Pearl Harbor and go snorkeling in Honolulu.  Hopefully the next to days of classes (yes I have classes on the weekends!) go by quickly.  We get into Hilo at 6 AM on Monday...can't wait!!!

I'm In the middle of the ocean...

Embarkation day was a long one. I left the San Diego Sheraton at 8 AM and we were headed to Ensenada, Mexico. Crossing the border into Mexico was what took forever. Our bus had to be searched twice, once by U.S. Custom agents and then by Mexican Custom agents. A drug-sniffing dog came on and had an “accident.” It was hilarious, but the smell on the bus wasn’t so funny! It was also incredible to see the line of cars waiting to get back across the border into the U.S. The line had to be at least 2 miles long, and there were four lanes of cars!

The drive through Mexico was mixed. We drove right through Tijuana, which looked horrible. Houses were torn down, people were sleeping in the streets, and buildings were crumbling and abandoned everywhere you looked. After Tijuana, it got better. The drive along to coast was gorgeous, and the houses and buildings got much nicer and more kept. I will upload pictures when I get to Hawaii; the ship’s Internet isn’t the fastest!

We got to the boat by about 11:30 AM (Pacific Time) and we didn’t get to our cabins until about 1:30. It took a while to get through and be inspected by the ship’s security officers. My cabin is tiny, but comfortable. The thing that I’m going to have to get used to is the darkness of the room. With all the lights turned off, the cabin is pitch black no matter what time of day it is. The ship itself is gorgeous. It’s just like a cruise ship. Someone will come in and clean my room, make my bed, and give me fresh towels daily. After meals, you simply leave your plates on the table and the crew takes it away. I feel really spoiled. The captain did warn us that we were heading into rough waters; the ship’s been rocking back and forth like crazy. I’ve gotten used to it I think, but a lot of people have become seasick.
Classes don’t start until tomorrow (January 18) and today is just orientation. It’s also really interesting to be meeting people from all over the U.S. I’ve met people from at least twenty different states. I’m looking forward to seeing what classes will be like…

San Diego

I can't believe that today was the day I left. It seems like yesterday I was sitting in the study abroad director's office looking through the Semester at Sea brochure. I was up by 6 and at the terminal by 7:15. After a tearful goodbye to my family, I was on my way.

The flights (connecting one in Denver) were okay; lots of turbulence and packed. Finally, after what seemed like an endless day of sitting at airports, I arrived at my destination: the San Diego Sheraton. The hotel is gorgeous. San Diego also is a great city- so different then Philadelphia. We ate downtown and walked around. It was great to be walking around in the middle of January in shorts and sandals. The city was also very, very clean. If I hadn't been so exhausted from the flights and the long day, I would have spent the whole night exploring San Diego. I definitely want to return!

Tomorrow I leave for Enaenada, Mexico and finally set sail!

Two Days!

I can't believe I leave for my trip this Saturday. It seems so weird that I'll be out of PA for over three months. I'm excited and nervous to head out. I'm ready to just leave and get the trip started. Here are some links you might like to check out:

The boat: http://www.semesteratsea.org/our-ship/overview/aboard-the-mv-explorer.php

Our itinerary: http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/spring-2010/spring-2010-intinerary/calendar.php

I'm also anxious to see how hard the classes will be compared to Cabrini's courses. I'm only taking 12 credits while sailing, and was lucky to get the whole trip counted as an Field Experience for education. The classes I'm taking are: History of the British Empire, Global Studies, Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Human Sexuality, and Contemporary Moral Issues. I'm most excited for History of the British Empire and Contemporary Moral Issues, which I'm hoping will be one big debate.

I guess I'll just to have to wait two more days...my flight leaves from Philadelphia International at 9:30 AM!