March 15 post

Today is Neptune Day and at 8 am this morning we crossed the equator. There was somewhat of a band going around the ship notifying everyone of the special activities. People who had not crossed the equator before could “volunteer” to have their heads shaved. Since I already crossed the equator in Kenya, I didn't “have” to undergo that treatment. Can you find the equator on the map? On the side of the map there are numbers from the bottom to the top, and it is the 0 in the middle—called the latitude.) I have no indication that LJ & SK are participating in this, but there will be a test when I get home!

Much of this activity was taking place on deck seven “aft” which is the back of the ship. Neptune (the captain of the ship) was green, had a crown and a spear at his side. Many of the young men had their heads shaved, and only some of the young women braved the look. Most of the LLL were amazed by the festivities, and kept their clothes and hair on!

Since today is not an A or a B day but a “study day” (no classes for the students), you can see that they were studying hard! Ho, ho....

I think I wrote earlier that I was going to try to spend more time outside on the deck, and I began that today. It is entirely possible to be inside all the time with all the classes and special events and only notice that you're on the ship by it's gentle swaying. At night in my bed, I feel like I'm in a crib and someone is rocking me to sleep.

I've had several conversations about this experience with others about how very different it is from the other international traveling I've done. This experience is really meant to expose students to a wide range of cultures and not immerse them in any particular one—kind of like a “survey” course in college. You get to know a little bit about a lot of stuff, but nothing very deeply about the countries we visit. On the issue of getting to know the culture more up close and personal, my previous overseas experiences far out weigh this experience. I am in no way saying I regret being on this voyage, it's just a very different way to travel...I feel more like a tourist. My conversation with two teachers from the University of Virginia tonight confirmed my perception.

I've met some interesting LLL—like Jackie, a woman who was a math teacher on navy vessels for
a few years, and now is a “professional” clown! She was attending an international clown convention in India and boarded when we were there.

Then, there is a couple—Donna and Jim—who are in their 80s and have no permanent home. They have an RV and travel all over the United States—including up to Alaska. Right now their RV is in storage in south Texas somewhere. Jim says he stores it there because he doesn't have to winterize it in that location. Interestingly, there are thousands of people who adopt this life style in their later years, and even go to huge conventions where vendors come to sell supplies to help make repairs on the RVs. (Anything new to you on this, Andy?) At Thanksgiving time, Donna and Jim go to a state park somewhere in Tennessee, rent some cabins for their children and grandchildren, and they all spend a week together. This concept is totally new to me, as I only know people who take their RV south (or rent one) in the winter. It certainly would cut down on the clutter!