Semester at Sea Reflections

Semester at Sea was truly an experience of a lifetime.  During the 110 day voyage around the world I was introduced to new customs, government systems,  foods, music and people that have left a lasting impression. I embarked on this voyage sailing west around the globe visiting 10 foreign countries including Mexico, Japan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, and Brazil. 

Prior to each port we were briefed on the country’s leadership, history, culture,  and relations with the United States.  In fact, an entire class was dedicated to ‘Global Studies’ where we were able to discuss the context of our travels in an academic setting. World leaders and renowned cultural experts boarded our ship between ports as guest lecturers providing fascinating perspectives on current events.  Because of the shipboard classes and incredible faculty, I was able to set aside my preconceived notions and fully experience each country upon arrival. While I learned a significant amount from textbooks and classroom conversations between ports, my most valuable learning experiences came from the hands-on cultural interactions through independent travel.

In Japan, we visited six cities in the seven days we were there. Tokyo provided a drastic contrast to historic Kyoto and Hiroshima displayed the importance of world peace after being decimated by the American atomic bomb.  In China, we visited four cities including stops at the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City to name a few. This country’s communist government and homogeneous population proved to have more of an impact on me than expected and I now appreciate American diversity and liberties more than ever before.  I learned so much in South Africa and Brazil about developing economies and potential for success in the coming decades should corruption not impede the way.  We embraced each country’s culture and did our best to do as the locals do. 

Through my travels I experienced periods of unease and vulnerability between times of amazing joy. These opportunities to reach out of my comfort zone were the most positive and fulfilling moments of the trip. One day in Chennai, India sticks out as particularly gratifying. We joined a local Dalit (‘Untouchables’) Village in building a women’s center that would empower the local mothers to earn a living by learning to sew and read.  This day was so special because I worked hand-in-hand with the most destitute people of society and learned about their families, hopes, and way of living as they welcomed me into their homes.  I had many more days like this one, where I interacted with the local population and learned what it would be like to have been born in a different situation.  The classroom discussions prior to arriving in each country came to life as I listened to locals and soaked in the culture. 

This experience has made me a more informed, interested, and confident young adult.  Now that I have seen through many foreign lenses, I know what it means to be an American, privileged with the gift of education and empowered by knowledge of the world.  I would strongly encourage anyone to take the opportunity to not only go abroad, but instead to go on Semester at Sea and understand how the world itself is the best teacher.  I will carry these experiences with me for the rest of my life. 

Final days in Brazil

DAY 3 BRAZIL:

Today we decided to explore all of Ipanema and Copacabana by bicycle.  We rented bikes at the far end of the Ipanema beach and cruised all the way to the other end of the Copacabana beach (about 4 miles away) stopping to look at sand sculptures and beach-volleyball games.  We got lunch in Copacabana, shopped around at the street vendors and enjoyed the atmosphere.  It was a holiday so the street was closed and the beaches were packed.  Families strolled the boardwalk, couples rollerbladed, and friends soaked up the sun in itsy-bitsy bikinis.

For our last dinner in Rio de Janeiro we decided to go out for a nice meal at a traditional Brazilian Barbeque restaurant.  I had never been to a restaurant like this before, but the way it works is that there is a salad bar then you have a card that is green on one side and red on the other.  Once you are ready for meats you flip the card to green and suddenly waiters with different types of meat ranging from filet mignon to chicken hearts appear at your table asking if you would like a serving.  Specialty drinks are even served from a cart.  We all ordered the famous Caipirinha drink made of Brazilian liquor from sugarcane, lime, sugar, and ice.  Everything was delicious!  The food is endless- the American mentality of having to finish everything on your plate doesn’t work too well here.  We all left completely stuffed.

For our last night out we went to a popular local reggae, hip-hop area called Lapa.  The streets were packed with people our age and bars had live performers with music blasting out the doors.  There were also prostitutes everywhere.  Women dressed in next to nothing tried to sell themselves to our guy friends as we walked by.  We had learned about the problem of prostitution in Brazil before arriving but didn’t fully recognize it until tonight.  It was disgusting and saddening to see how the women carried themselves, but it was a matter of life and something that I saw in other developing countries as well.  Tomorrow is our last day in Rio before we head back to Salvador. 

DAY 4 BRAZIL:

We woke up in Rio this morning and it was pouring rain!  The beaches and streets were empty- a stark contrast to yesterday’s crowds.   We spent the last morning at the Leblon shopping mall near our hotel and all made a few good purchases with our remaining Reals (Brazilian currency).  Our 2-hour flight back to Salvador went just as planned and we got back in time for a last local Brazilian dinner.  We sat at a picnic bench table in an outdoor roofed restaurant as it down poured outside.  Our traditional, shrimp stew and rice meal was fantastic.  It came in a huge wok with several side dishes and seasonings to compliment the stew.  After, we took a taxi to the local reggae area in the center of town for some music and casual atmosphere.  Since it was raining we ended up sitting in another outdoor covered bar and enjoying beers together for hours while reminiscing about the last three months together.  It was a bitter-sweet night because it was our last in a foreign country, which marked the beginning of the end of our voyage. 


DAY 5 BRAZIL:

Our last day in Salvador was designating for site seeing and shopping.  In the morning we went to the old-town area where we had been the night before and visited a beautiful church while mass was being held and also walked the cobblestone streets. The town had a distinctly Portuguese style with ornate architecture and brightly colored buildings.  Everything was densely built but beautiful.  We stopped in this one tourist store and they had a Michael Jackson music video playing which was filmed on the very streets we were walking outside the store.  We were all mesmerized by the film and had to go to the music store to buy some local Brazilian tunes after.

For lunch we went back to our favorite beach area, Playa de Barra, and had a long meal at an outdoor patio restaurant.  We walked over to the Salvador lighthouse and sat in the grass for a while just watching the locals.  With just a few hours remaining in our journey we headed back to the market area near the ship to spend our final Reals on artisan souvenirs.  We were at a local bar enjoying Brazilian beers and cigars when it suddenly started pouring again.  We enjoyed the rain from under the awning but had to dash back to the ship with just 10 minutes to spare.  Running with our bags of souvenirs, wearing our new Brazilian shoes (which I had to throw out because they smelled like the urine streets the next day) and soaking wet we made it back on the ship just in time!  They had a barbeque for us to celebrate the final port.  

Now we are headed back to America.  It will be an interesting week of reflection as we all get closer to reality and recognize our changed perspectives.

Beautiful Brazil...

April 21st, 2010:
DAY 1 BRAZIL:

Today we pulled into Salvador, Brazil.  It was raining, but warm, everything was green and the buildings looked as though they’d crumble down the side of the hill at any moment.  We’d been warned about how dangerous this port was time and time again.  So, a little apprehensive but very excited, we disembarked the ship for the last time into a foreign county.   It was a national holiday so almost all shops were closed.  It didn’t take long exploring the streets until we got threatening stares and comments in Portuguese to leave the area.  We happened upon two police officers carrying kitchen knives and guns who motioned to us that our bags would get robbed and that we should leave.  Needless to say, we booked it back to the main area with not the best first experience in Brazil.   After we regrouped we took a taxi to a beach town nearby and grabbed lunch on a covered patio watching the waves roll in and the locals jog by.  It ended up monsooning as we were having lunch so we stayed there most of the day until it was time to catch our evening flight to Rio. 

Once again we feared for our life as our taxi cab driver zoomed in and out of lanes coming with in inches of hitting other cars.  We made it to Rio de Janeiro unscathed and ready to start our Brazil experience over again.  That night we met some nice locals our age as we were out an about for a midnight dinner.  They laughed at how much we had gotten ripped off so far on the trip but said they’d help us if we need it.


DAY 2 BRAZIL:

When booking flights to Rio all of our families had hesitations about us going because of the city’s dangerous reputation.  We knew that Rio was a must-do while in Brazil, so we booked a nice hotel in an upscale area, Ipanema, to make sure we’d be safe.  Rio is generally known for it’s large, touristy beach, Copacabana; however, this area is much more dense and also dangerous for picture-taking tourists.  Ipanema is the up-and-coming beach next to Copacabana, slightly smaller in size but much less overwhelming.  The first morning we explored the Ipanema area around our hotel, went shopping and walked on the boardwalk. 

In the afternoon we went hang gliding off of one of the high peaks overlooking all of Rio de Janeiro!  It took 5 hours for the winds to pick up, but we ran off the edge of the cliff and floated through the air just before sunset.   It was exhilarating and peaceful at the same time. I got to fly the glider and even help land it.  On our way down I saw Christ the Redeemer off in the distance (he was covered by scaffolding because he got a lighting bolt to the face recently) and also much of the Rio coastline.  The city is absolutely spectacular and the people are all active, family oriented, and friendly. 

We got in touch with our local friends that we met the previous night and asked them about going to a Brazilian soccer game at the Maracana- the largest stadium in South America and once the largest in the world.  They had been to the major team game the night before and said that the game tonight wouldn’t be nearly as exciting as the Flamengo games.   They invited us over to their house for a Brazilian BBQ with their friends, so we went and had the most fantastic steak straight off the grill.  We decided to go for it and catch the soccer match.  It ended up being a cool experience even though there were probably only 4,000 people in the 100,000-person stadium.  We got seats up close to the field and rooted on the home team!

DAY 4 GHANA- last day

Fred’s teacher, who we met earlier in the week, is a nursery school teacher at a local daycare center.  We went to visit her today as we had promised and had the best time!  Right as we walked in all of the children started chanting the word for “White People” in their local language.  All 60 of them were giggling and dancing on the tables.  The school was an open-air structure with a board separating the area into two classrooms- one for small children and one for the 4 and 5 year olds. The six of us girls split up and I went to play with the older kids.  We introduced ourselves so they didn’t have to call us ‘white people’ anymore and then we taught them their lesson for the day- Body Building Foods (Proteins).  We also taught them the song and dance “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes…” as well as Simon Says (except we changed it to Tammy Says because they liked her name best).  We colored protein foods with the kids and chatted for an hour or more before leaving.  None of the kids wanted us to leave, it was adorable.

Fred took us back to his mom’s house and she made us a delicious lunch that we ate with our hands like the locals.   It was red-red (black eyed beans with a greasy sauce) and fried plantains.  While we were eating outside under the mango tree a local shaman doctor from across the street came and visited with us.  He was born in Ghana, but grew up in London and recently moved back to help his people.  He was incredibly well spoken and had fascinating stories about his healthcare practice.  After our meal Fred’s mom gave me the bag I had her make with fabric I purchased the day before and Fred gave us some CDs of ‘hip-life’ Ghanaian music.  We walked into town for some final souvenir shopping before saying goodbye to Fred and making our way back to the shuttle to board the ship and leave Ghana.   We all left feeling satisfied with our local experience and loving the Ghanaian culture.   Now we are on our way to one of the countries I have been most excited for, but also our last port of the journey- Brazil. 

DAY 3 GHANA- Kokrobite Beach

I think today was my favorite day in Ghana! We woke up early and went to meet Fred in Accra for another adventure.  We had heard about a beach town a few hours away and wanted to go explore.  So, Fred navigated the tro-tro system and after 2hours, 3 packed tro-tro rides, and a taxi ride we made it to paradise!  The beach was absolutely gorgeous and lined with colorful fisherman boats loaded with nets.  We were at a ‘resort’ called Big Milly’s in Kokrobite.  It was a Rastafarian culture with shacks selling clothing, beads, or paintings.  Even though we were there on a Tuesday (a taboo day to fish in Ghanaian culture) Fred was still able to get a local fisherman to take us out on his fishing boat.   Unfortunately I couldn’t jump out of the boat like Tammy, Stephen, and Chris did since I had fallen in the sewage gutter the night before and had an open wound (haha), but it was still a blast cruising around the water and seeing the shoreline from the sea.  

After our adventure, Fred took us to meet his Aunt in the surrounding village. We walked all through the community dancing with the children, giving out stickers, and talking to the adults about their fishing lifestyle.  They even offered us some freshly charred fish, but we turned around and saw hundreds of flies swarming the pile so politely declined.   Fred’s aunt was so friendly.  She let us try a maize drink that they were making and also took us to her daughter’s seamstress shop.   On the way back toward the beach one of the local men stopped Fred and told him that the village chief wanted to meet us.  Fred briefed us on appropriate behavior around the chief and led us over.  The chief had recently gotten back from Italy and was so happy to see us visiting his village.  He warned us that his people are not honest, good people and that we should watch our belongings closely at night. 

It was getting dark so we headed back toward a restaurant in the sand next door to Big Milly’s which was rumored to have the best cheeseburgers in Ghana.   After an hour and a half wait, we finally got our burgers and enjoyed them thoroughly.  We headed back through the village toward the main road and caught a cab to the nearest tro-tro to begin our journey back toward Accra for another night out on the town. 

Just like every other country, our days have been incredibly long and packed with exciting adventures.  Some people joke that this program should be called ‘Semester without Sleep’ because we truly make the best of every minute we have in port for fear of missing out on something great.  Tomorrow is already our last day, but Fred still has a few more things in store for us! 

Day 2 GHANA... Habitat for Humanity

Today I did Habitat for Humanity in a village 3 hours away from Accra.  The landscape completely changed on our drive out to the village.  It was incredibly green with plantain trees everywhere and mountains too.  We got to the village around 10am and were quickly set to work carrying 30 pound mortar bricks that they had made in advance.  It was completely exhausting and I got scraped up a bit with a few bricks that crumbled in my hands, but I hung in there as long as possible.  Mychaela and I decided to sneak away for a bit and explore the village to meet some locals before finding the other group to help with their duties.  We met a few children and used the words that Fred had taught us the day before to greet the people.  We even stopped to talk to a few children and ladies carrying water on their heads.  Everyone was incredibly friendly and happy that we were there to help.  Once we found the other group shoveling buckets of dirt into another house structure we decided that this job would be a good change because our forearms were completely scratched.  For the rest of the day we worked with a pick, shovel and tin pale to transfer earth into a house and bring the floor level up to the same height as the brick. Again, it was hard work but a welcomed relief from our morning duties.  For lunch we had traditional rice with spicy sauce and plantains.  I absolutely love the food here- it is so flavorful! 

After lunch I saw a little boy that I had met coming back from school earlier in the day.  I went to talk to him because he was shy and standing back from the group a little bit.  One of the adults told me that his father had passed away several days prior due to sickness.  Julian, was 10 years old, the youngest of three children, so intelligent, loved math, and wanted to be a ‘bank money man’ when he grows up.  I brought with me a teddy bear wearing a Semester at Sea t-shirt to give away and this was the perfect opportunity.  I think Julian really liked it.  I wish there was some way that I could help him more. 

After finishing a long day’s work and covered from head to toe in dirt, we headed back on our 3 hour drive to the ship.  Mychaela and I did a speedy turn around and went to grab dinner in Accra before meeting our friends.  It was another fun, exhausting day in Ghana!

DAY 1 GHANA

Our ship ported in a town called Tema, about an hour away from the capital city of Accra.  This was a bit of a hassle (like porting in Orange County when you want to tour Hollywood) but luckily we had busses constantly running to bring us back and forth to the city.  Mychaela, Tammy, Margaret, and I made sure we were some of the first off the ship so we could catch an early shuttle into town.  Within 5 minutes of being in Accra a man our age walked up to us and was so excited to say that he had been following our blogs and he toured a group of Semester at Sea students last year.  He wanted to show us around and we didn’t have any plans.  How perfect!  Fred, our new best Ghanaian friend, gave us a local taste of Ghana for the next four days. 

The local way to get around is by ‘tro-tro’ which are breaking down vans completely packed with people.  At one point during the trip we were in one with 24 passengers!!   We jumped in a tro-tro following Fred’s lead and he took us to a coffin factory.  In Ghana, coffins are very significant pieces of art.  When someone dies he will be placed in a coffin representing his profession and then buried.  This shack we went to had coffins ranging from beer bottles to airplanes, or even cacao seeds.  They were all beautifully carved, painted, and then covered in sealant. My favorite was the cow shaped coffin for children.

Next, Fred took us on another tro-tro ride to his local village.  We walked by people bathing, children playing, and women cooking.  The most striking difference about Ghanaian living compared to other African countries or any other third world country I have seen in the world is that they have open sewage drains.  Along every street (dirt or asphalt) there will be a ditch about two feet deep that is running with sewage water.  Yes, I did fall in one at night when it was dark and got a huge bruise and gash on my leg... the locals laughed at me.  Anyway, we walked through the village and didn’t feel entirely welcomed at first.  Fred taught us how to say “How’s it going” and immediately people started to smile or laugh when we greeted them.  We found a local bar in the middle of the village that was playing hip Ghanaian music so we decided to stop in to see how Ghanaian beer held up to others around the world.  This stop turned into a full village dance party.  Our group of American girls quickly attracted the attention of the local Ghanaian men who decided to come teach us dance moves.  Before we knew it tons of children were peaking in from outside and some even made it in to join the party.   We got our queue to leave once a drunk old man became a little to frisky with his dance moves. 

Fred took us to his father’s home to meet his family next.   This was such a cool experience because we sat in his living room speaking with his dad about his upbringing and current Ghanaian issues. His sister even made us a fantastic Ghanaian lunch of rice with spicy sauce and noodles.  Next, we went to visit his mom’s home in the city and Stephen and Chris met up with us.   She served us one of her specialty homemade cold drinks made of flower petals and ginger.  After speaking with his mother shortly, we stopped by another bar in town while some of our girlfriends got hair wraps at the local barber.  Hungry again, we all headed to dinner at a local restaurant with Fred before hitting the bar scene that night.   Unfortunately my second blackberry of the trip got pick pocketed so I headed back to the ship instead of staying out late.   Overall, it was a fantastic first day in Ghana and exactly how we had hoped the experience would turn out!