Yesterday was the 53rd day of Semester at Sea, Spring 2013 Voyage. That means we have now officially passed the halfway mark of the 106-day voyage. In three weeks from today, we will dock in Cape Town for a week, and I will get to see my family and The Boy. I am so excited!
Tag Archives: semester at sea
Oh Little Children of Myanmar
The children in Burma waited for us, greeting us with smiles and postcards. Buy a postcard, buy a postcard, buy a postcard. They greet us with impeccable English, helps us merrily on our way to the next attraction. The children in Burma told us which were the nice fruits to eat, the cheap shops toContinue reading “Oh Little Children of Myanmar”
Singapore’s Healing Garden
On a hot and humid day in Singapore, I visited the Botanical Gardens (entrance free, and beautiful) and found myself in the “Healing Garden”. Presented here are various plants and flowers appreciated for more than their aesthetic worth – plants that have been used for a myriad of complaints and purposes.
Rant: Water and Other Scarce Resources
Semester at Sea offers some truly innovative courses that mobilise the many young driven students on board to become change-agents in their lives and professions. (Change-agent, by the way, is a concept taught in one of the classes I’m doing online for back home. How’s that for integration of knowledge. I digress.) At the beginningContinue reading “Rant: Water and Other Scarce Resources”
The Mekong Delta, Southern Vietnam
The river is their use-all depository, but they would never dream of disposing of rice husks here, because that would pollute the water. It is filthy, they know, but clean enough to bathe in. Clean enough for the catch of the day, “elephant-ear fish”, a local delicacy sold for cheap. That is, if you considerContinue reading “The Mekong Delta, Southern Vietnam”
Intro to Vietnam
The night before: Vietnam sounds dangerous. I better remove my earrings and be incredibly careful. I’m so scared of this country. First hour on land: This is pretty quiet… These streets are not as scary as they said! Second hour: Why is everything closed! [It’s the Tet Festival and everyone returns to their hometowns.] WhoContinue reading “Intro to Vietnam”
CONDOMANIA: Health Promotion in Japan
When in Japan, my friends and I spent a day exploring Tokyo (my feet complained, but not the rest of me). I was surprised by the scope of public health here (and as I would soon find, the rest of Japan). This was perhaps the most surprising:
Kon nichi wa, Sayonara, Japan
Japan… Oooooh Japan. Did I think Japan would be like China, because I’ve been to China before and it’s also in Asia? Maybe I did, and that’s a pretty ignorant assumption I made. Lesson learned. It’s been a day since we left Japan and I’m still overwhelmed. I’m not entirely sure how to put intoContinue reading “Kon nichi wa, Sayonara, Japan”
Winter on the Pacific
They don’t tell you this when you plan on doing Semester at Sea, but wintertime in the Pacific Ocean is pretty rough. Right now we’re on the last few hours to Japan, which means we’re traveling in a kind-of Northwards direction. It’s pretty choppy. In my classes today there were so many students absent dueContinue reading “Winter on the Pacific”
In honour of the newbies
Today, my little sister moves into her new residence for her first university year. Our parents will be helping with the move, and I know it will be a difficult day for them all. I wish I was there to help. I remember so clearly how hard the goodbyes were when I first came toContinue reading “In honour of the newbies”
Barefoot Whispers 