Well well well I already have an update for my many dedicated readers!
Our itinerary just changed BIG TIME. Basically, Semester at Sea has decided that the Gulf of Aden is not safe due to piracy issues. Apparently there was an attempted attack on a passenger ship recently in addition to several better known episodes including a take-over of an oil tanker. Anyway so we're not going there. We're going elsewhere.
Instead of visiting Italy, Turkey, and Egypt we'll be traveling down the west coast of Africa and around the horn on our way to Asia. This means that after Spain, we'll head to Casablanca, Morocco (I've already been here but I'm excited to go back as it was one of my favorite trips ever); Walvis Bay, Namibia (I don't know very much about Namibia but it sounds pretty exciting to me!); Cape Town, South Africa (I was in Johannesburg once over night and I've wanted, since, to go back and really experience South Africa, especially as beautiful a place as Cape Town); and Port Louis, Mauritius (I'm the MOST excited about this! Google Earth Mauritius NOW).
Seriously, did you know that Mauritius is about to be the first country to have nation-wide wireless internet access (granted Mauritius is a teeny island East of Madagascar)? The national languages are English and French and the people are really diverse, most being of Indian descent. I literally had never heard of Mauritius... and it just seems incredible. The skyline of Port Louis just looks extremely urban, the beaches are STUNNING and inland there are tea farms.. I can't wait!
While this change means I probably won't get to see my friend Juan in Italy, as planned, I may see him in Spain and I'll definitely see my friend Amy (one of the people I currently live with) in Cape Town.
Basically, I'm really really glad I won't be kidnapped by any pirates (or at least I can say that that possibility has been lessened) AND I am PUMPED to be spending more time in Africa.
In other news, Robbie and I just went out to dinner and it was really nice. We realized we're only going to be together for slightly under two weeks before we're separated for five months! So we're making sure we have a really fun under-two-weeks. We literally haven't been apart for more than three weeks at a time since we MET. Even over summer breaks. But we're both really excited for our adventures. Robbie's going to Edinburgh which I think will be the perfect place for him. Except he's never lived anywhere that got cold enough for snow... so that'll be fun to hear about! He's making a blog too, by the way. I asked him if he thought he'd make one and he said probably not but then I pretty much challenged him to a funniness-off: Whoever has a funnier blog wins. That got him! Once I know what his blog site is I'll post it here. Also, I know my blog hasn't been funny yet but juuuuuuuust yooooooooooooou wait. Once I'm actually travelling I'll have plenty of material FOR sure.
In other news, I made a packing list... I was in a class where other people were giving presentations and I had already given mine so I was pretty much done until the final anyway. I figure if I couldn't remember a clothing item the other day when I was making the list then I don't care about it enough to pack it, right? Right.
We're getting close, y'all.
Martha
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
A Welcome to My Blog
Hellooo.....
I started a blog today.
Let me explain a few things about it:
1. Marfar, far away is a clever pun because when I was really little I pronounced my name "Marfar" and because I'm going abroad next semester hence the "far, far away."
2. It is my hope that this blog will help me tell people I care about what's going on in my life, particularly when communication will be limited next semester. You can read it if you want. I know that at least a few people will: my mom and dad, my grandparents, Katie and Pete, Kendra, Robbie... YOU?
With those two things in mind, I think I'll just write down a little info about Semester at Sea and then go back to not doing my homework.
I leave on January 17th for Nassau, Bahamas. I'm going to be flying with Ali a girl from Portland who I met through Abby Crumpacker, our mutual family friend. Abby has been on Semester at Sea multiple times while her husband was the dean. Ali and I went out to tea over Thanksgiving break and I'm really excited to know someone who I'll definitely have things in common with. We check in on the ship on the 19th and then depart for our first destination Cadiz, Spain! After that it's Naples, Italy - Istanbul, Turkey - Alexandria, Egypt - Chennai, India - Bangkok, Thailand - Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam - Hong Kong, People's Republic of China - Shanghai, People's Republic of China - Kobe, Japan - Yokohama, Japan - Honolulu, Hawaii - and Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. Whew! Then we return to the United States (Florida) at the very beginning of May (I forget the date). We study and take classes every day that we're at sea, between ports and then when we arrive in port towns we get usually about four days to explore. The classes I'll be taking are a Global Studies class which is mandatory for all students, Studies in Poetry, Marine Biology, and U.S. Foreign Policy. I'm basically taking this opportunity to study things I'm too intimidated by at Pomona. As for what I'll be doing in port towns, I'll probably see several friends from school and maybe from Portland along the way. My friend Juan may visit me in Italy (he'll be in Vienna) and my friend Mark is in Hong Kong all semester so we'll be going out for dim sum. Also, I'll be doing some activities hosted by Semester at Sea in the ports, like going to an "Elephant Village" in Thailand and seeing the Cu Chi Tunnels in Viet Nam and witnessing a Sufi Dervish ceremony in Istanbul and going on an overnight trip to Cairo, in Egypt to see the pyramids and the Sphynx. All of these excursions will be led by Semester at Sea professors or by local professors chosen by Semester at Sea.
How on earth will I prepare for all of this? I don't know!!! I have all my books ordered... For the class part. But packing is going to pretty much be hellish. And terrifying. Plus I'm trying really hard to save money right now... do you have any jobs you need me to do? But it's mostly coming together. I'm really really really excited. And I'm excited to have this blog through which I can share it with all of you!
I'll have pretty limited internet access on the ship. I'll probably do most posts while in port so I can go to internet cafes and spend as much time as I want that way. You can reach me via an email address that Semester at Sea will give me that is unlimited or send me stuff to... some address that I don't know yet.
I think that is all I have to say right now. I'll probably post a little more before the trip about the process of getting ready for it? I don't know. That could get boring. We'll play it by ear, ok?
So welcome to my blog!
Martha
I started a blog today.
Let me explain a few things about it:
1. Marfar, far away is a clever pun because when I was really little I pronounced my name "Marfar" and because I'm going abroad next semester hence the "far, far away."
2. It is my hope that this blog will help me tell people I care about what's going on in my life, particularly when communication will be limited next semester. You can read it if you want. I know that at least a few people will: my mom and dad, my grandparents, Katie and Pete, Kendra, Robbie... YOU?
With those two things in mind, I think I'll just write down a little info about Semester at Sea and then go back to not doing my homework.
I leave on January 17th for Nassau, Bahamas. I'm going to be flying with Ali a girl from Portland who I met through Abby Crumpacker, our mutual family friend. Abby has been on Semester at Sea multiple times while her husband was the dean. Ali and I went out to tea over Thanksgiving break and I'm really excited to know someone who I'll definitely have things in common with. We check in on the ship on the 19th and then depart for our first destination Cadiz, Spain! After that it's Naples, Italy - Istanbul, Turkey - Alexandria, Egypt - Chennai, India - Bangkok, Thailand - Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam - Hong Kong, People's Republic of China - Shanghai, People's Republic of China - Kobe, Japan - Yokohama, Japan - Honolulu, Hawaii - and Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. Whew! Then we return to the United States (Florida) at the very beginning of May (I forget the date). We study and take classes every day that we're at sea, between ports and then when we arrive in port towns we get usually about four days to explore. The classes I'll be taking are a Global Studies class which is mandatory for all students, Studies in Poetry, Marine Biology, and U.S. Foreign Policy. I'm basically taking this opportunity to study things I'm too intimidated by at Pomona. As for what I'll be doing in port towns, I'll probably see several friends from school and maybe from Portland along the way. My friend Juan may visit me in Italy (he'll be in Vienna) and my friend Mark is in Hong Kong all semester so we'll be going out for dim sum. Also, I'll be doing some activities hosted by Semester at Sea in the ports, like going to an "Elephant Village" in Thailand and seeing the Cu Chi Tunnels in Viet Nam and witnessing a Sufi Dervish ceremony in Istanbul and going on an overnight trip to Cairo, in Egypt to see the pyramids and the Sphynx. All of these excursions will be led by Semester at Sea professors or by local professors chosen by Semester at Sea.
How on earth will I prepare for all of this? I don't know!!! I have all my books ordered... For the class part. But packing is going to pretty much be hellish. And terrifying. Plus I'm trying really hard to save money right now... do you have any jobs you need me to do? But it's mostly coming together. I'm really really really excited. And I'm excited to have this blog through which I can share it with all of you!
I'll have pretty limited internet access on the ship. I'll probably do most posts while in port so I can go to internet cafes and spend as much time as I want that way. You can reach me via an email address that Semester at Sea will give me that is unlimited or send me stuff to... some address that I don't know yet.
I think that is all I have to say right now. I'll probably post a little more before the trip about the process of getting ready for it? I don't know. That could get boring. We'll play it by ear, ok?
So welcome to my blog!
Martha
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