Post for Feb 28

I know that we “retired” people have a hard time knowing what day it is since we sleep in until 10 am, watch the soaps, and eat bon-bons all day. (LJ & SK—you know that that isn't true! I made that joke for your dad!) Life on this ship has four ways to keep track of time: (1) sailing days (2) port days. If we're sailing, there are (3) A days and (4) B days. When we're sailing, certain classes and activities happen on A days and different ones on B days. For enrolled college students, different classes are taught on different days. For everyone on board, “Global Lens” classes are scheduled according to A & B days as well, and everybody can attend them. In the evening there's at least two classes for everyone to attend if they wish. For LLL there is a class or meeting everyday at 4 pm—although they go by “maritime time” which is 16:00. Most everyone who is on the ship uses maritime time, but since I'm only a “partial” voyager, I just convert it in my head.

Although this is a ship, it is definitely not a cruise ship with fine dining and white table clothes. This is more like a dorm with dorm food. Since I really don't cook fancy stuff—or barely cook at all—it suits me fine. But, I can think of a couple of women at the wellness center who most likely would find this unacceptable. The two women I'm thinking of go on cruises especially for the food, choose the cruise for the chef, and generally don't leave the ship when it's in port.

Today is Feb 28, and I went to a small village named, Thanlyin, a place that served as base for a 17^th century Portuguese adventurer. Once we left the bus, we were literally “carted” around as two passengers in the back of a cart pulled by a “driver” and small horse. Thank goodness for “Bryson” from California who helped me get into and out of the cart. Of course, Bryson said he had my back—make that back end. At one point some of the horses got out of line, and we rear-ended (REALLY) each other! The village was pretty basic with a small Pagoda, monastery, and market. I didn't go into the monastery because I didn't want to take my compression stockings and shoes! Outside the monastery, women showed us how to make as kind of face paste using wood cut from a special tree that has to be “at least 35 years old” and water. They grind the wood into a flat surface and mix water to the “juice” of the wood. Mostly women and children put this on their faces to help protect from sunburn, and I also think they use it as a kind of decoration. Looks kind of tribal. Of course, there were skinny dogs sleeping everywhere .

We stopped at a pre-school that has only mats on the floor with a few posters on the wall and is supported by the monks across the street. We visited a class of about thirty 3-5 year olds dressed in uniforms with the sunscreen paste on their faces. LJ & SK—Can you find yourselves? There is a new primary school near it, but it didn't yet look occupied. The market was large with clothes, plastic house wares, and food—lots of dried fish—and beetle leaves. Beetle leaves are sliced and diced,then rolled into a ball that people chew. It is like an “energy” chew and keeps people going. We were bicycled back to the bus in a long line with smiling locals standing by on the road. I'm quite sure we looked pretty silly but we waved at each other.

This trip is really different for me. I'm not used to going on “tours” on the bus, but here I am. I'm used to working with folks and being able to ask questions and this isn't the case now. In a sense, I'm learning less about the places than I'm used to. However, there are just terrific people on the ship, and I like talking with them to learn about their lives. I've spent quite a bit of time with Sven and Elizabeth who are originally from Denmark. Sven came to the US to go to college and loved it. He went back to Denmark and married his “sweetheart” to settle in the US. He was a skilled carpenter and built a lot of very large houses mostly in California. He grew tired of building mansions for two people, so he quit doing that, sold their home, and he and Elizabeth went to an old copper mining town in the mountains of the state of Washington that was abandoned after the price dropped in mining copper. Someone in the Lutheran Church bought it for $1. and people began renovating the town for a retreat center. They were there for five years, and their son graduated from high school in the mountains in a program funded for remote places! After that, Sven built another home. I think they're at least 75 years old, and Elizabeth told me that they have many friends in their 40s who worked with them on the renovation. The center is being renovated more and isn't functioning now for awhile, but I'm going to look up “Holden Retreat” when I get home. Preservation in the mountains!!

Answer to the question posted on the blog about the water jugs and drinking from them. Some people have said that the water is actually for pouring over a Buddha on your birthday. Others have said they are kind of a watering hole for the community. No ladels or anything nearby. Sometimes there is a cup. As I said, it's hard to clarify on these tours....I do know FOR SURE that going to a Pagoda or monastery on your birthday to give gifts is a big deal. Unlike us, people give gifts, not receive them

on their birthday. But, for this year, Megan, you're off the hook—so go ahead and cash in those gift cards!