Saturday, June 24, 2006
Semester at Sea (trial run: Honolulu to Taiwan)
June 22: Left Charlottesville at 6:00 am, to DC, to LA (long layover), to Honolulu, arriving at 8:30 local time (2:30 am Ch'ville time). Go to my hotel, wandered around a little, then to bed. My room, a corner on the top floor overlooking Diamondhead Mountain and Waikiki Beach, looked like this at sunrise.
I got a tattoo (more on this later). In the morning I took a long walk up and down the beach, had lunch at the gorgeous Sheraton Waikiki hotel.
and came in for a rest, took more pictures at midmorning
before going off to lunch with friends. Then, to the ship.
The Explorer is quite something. It's pristine clean, new (build in 2002), gorgeously appointed, and beautifully designed. I was settled into my balcony suite
then given a tour of the ship by the Executive Director of this voyage. It has everything: classrooms, cafeterias and dining halls, library, campus store, computer lab (20 terminals), exercise areas, public spaces, a pool, a spa (massages and steam room), and so on. All small spaces, of course, but utilitarian.
I went outside to forage for some dinner and overhead two women talking about "A Taste of Honolulu," one of those fund-raisers that allow one to sample good dishes from a zillion restaurants. So, of course, I went. It was in a lovely park, full of people and entertainment. That's where I got the tattoo -- a Chinese lion, representing the zodiac sign Leo.
I was extremely pleased when, later in the evening, one of the Chinese experts on the ship asked me, "Why do you have a lion tattoo'd to your neck?" Imagine how shocked I would have been if she had asked me, "Why does it say 'This guy is an idiot' on your neck?!" It's created quite a stir among the students and staff, as you can imagine. After chatting with some of the faculty in the faculty lounge I hit the hay. We took off at midnight, and while I noted the rocking of the ship as we sailed, I slept peacefully and well. This morning, fine, although I'm wearing the bracelets and I've taken Bonine to ward off the evil effects of sea sickness; but so far, other than that vague dizzy sensation one can get, it's been fine.
June 23: Breakfast was an awesome buffet of fresh fruit salad, dry cereals and cream of wheat, juices, coffee, milk, omelettes, hash browns, pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, toast, croissants, sweet rolls, English muffins, bagels, peanut butter, jelly, yogurt, and the like. Having it out on the back deck isn't exactly punishment.
Following Global Studies class (an engaging lecture on the global economy, with specific examples taken from the Pacific Rim counties the ship will be visiting, plus a quick overview of Chinese art in preparation for the visit to Taiwan). The students are complaining about the amount of reading they have to do, but it looks reasonable to me. Most say they're keeping up with it, and I do indeed see a lot of them sitting around reading. Classes are sprinked throughout the day, from 8:00 to 5:00.
Lunch was also very good: lots of fresh salad, vegetables, fish, meat , potatoes, fruit. I think one of the challenges will be to find time and space for exercise (you can't do a walk loop around the decks, without going inside and outside several times; I don't use the workout machines, which are, at any rate, booked up most of the day; there's a small basketball court outside). I signed up for a tour of the bridge, which was really impressive (instrumentation, documentation, professionalism). Dining room and faculty lounge:
I'm taking the afternoon "off" to do some of my own work. There is a Dean's reception today at 5, followed by dinner (too early for my tastes), then evening activities which I'll discover later. Skipped dinner (the reception was very nice), did some e-mail, then went to "Community College" to learn how to post a blog. It was pretty interesting; from there, to the faculty lounge for a drink with the troops, and quit. I have a little time to settle in to read and take notes, then to bed.
June 25: I'm finding the rhythm of the ship, and the good news is that there's time for everything: classes, meetings, discussions, reading, relaxation, meals. There are slightly fewer than 300 students, plus about 30 "senior" participants, and a group of teachers. Each unit is directed and lead by someone else, but the groups intersect in terrific ways (everyone goes to Global Studies, for example).
June 22: Left Charlottesville at 6:00 am, to DC, to LA (long layover), to Honolulu, arriving at 8:30 local time (2:30 am Ch'ville time). Go to my hotel, wandered around a little, then to bed. My room, a corner on the top floor overlooking Diamondhead Mountain and Waikiki Beach, looked like this at sunrise.
I got a tattoo (more on this later). In the morning I took a long walk up and down the beach, had lunch at the gorgeous Sheraton Waikiki hotel.
and came in for a rest, took more pictures at midmorning
before going off to lunch with friends. Then, to the ship.
The Explorer is quite something. It's pristine clean, new (build in 2002), gorgeously appointed, and beautifully designed. I was settled into my balcony suite
then given a tour of the ship by the Executive Director of this voyage. It has everything: classrooms, cafeterias and dining halls, library, campus store, computer lab (20 terminals), exercise areas, public spaces, a pool, a spa (massages and steam room), and so on. All small spaces, of course, but utilitarian.
I went outside to forage for some dinner and overhead two women talking about "A Taste of Honolulu," one of those fund-raisers that allow one to sample good dishes from a zillion restaurants. So, of course, I went. It was in a lovely park, full of people and entertainment. That's where I got the tattoo -- a Chinese lion, representing the zodiac sign Leo.
I was extremely pleased when, later in the evening, one of the Chinese experts on the ship asked me, "Why do you have a lion tattoo'd to your neck?" Imagine how shocked I would have been if she had asked me, "Why does it say 'This guy is an idiot' on your neck?!" It's created quite a stir among the students and staff, as you can imagine. After chatting with some of the faculty in the faculty lounge I hit the hay. We took off at midnight, and while I noted the rocking of the ship as we sailed, I slept peacefully and well. This morning, fine, although I'm wearing the bracelets and I've taken Bonine to ward off the evil effects of sea sickness; but so far, other than that vague dizzy sensation one can get, it's been fine.June 23: Breakfast was an awesome buffet of fresh fruit salad, dry cereals and cream of wheat, juices, coffee, milk, omelettes, hash browns, pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, toast, croissants, sweet rolls, English muffins, bagels, peanut butter, jelly, yogurt, and the like. Having it out on the back deck isn't exactly punishment.
Following Global Studies class (an engaging lecture on the global economy, with specific examples taken from the Pacific Rim counties the ship will be visiting, plus a quick overview of Chinese art in preparation for the visit to Taiwan). The students are complaining about the amount of reading they have to do, but it looks reasonable to me. Most say they're keeping up with it, and I do indeed see a lot of them sitting around reading. Classes are sprinked throughout the day, from 8:00 to 5:00.
Lunch was also very good: lots of fresh salad, vegetables, fish, meat , potatoes, fruit. I think one of the challenges will be to find time and space for exercise (you can't do a walk loop around the decks, without going inside and outside several times; I don't use the workout machines, which are, at any rate, booked up most of the day; there's a small basketball court outside). I signed up for a tour of the bridge, which was really impressive (instrumentation, documentation, professionalism). Dining room and faculty lounge:
I'm taking the afternoon "off" to do some of my own work. There is a Dean's reception today at 5, followed by dinner (too early for my tastes), then evening activities which I'll discover later. Skipped dinner (the reception was very nice), did some e-mail, then went to "Community College" to learn how to post a blog. It was pretty interesting; from there, to the faculty lounge for a drink with the troops, and quit. I have a little time to settle in to read and take notes, then to bed.
June 25: I'm finding the rhythm of the ship, and the good news is that there's time for everything: classes, meetings, discussions, reading, relaxation, meals. There are slightly fewer than 300 students, plus about 30 "senior" participants, and a group of teachers. Each unit is directed and lead by someone else, but the groups intersect in terrific ways (everyone goes to Global Studies, for example).
# posted by Admiral David @ 11:30 PM 
