25-Hour Days!

What do you do with an extra hour almost every day? This is often a question we explore in our leisure studies courses. Crossing the Atlantic has given us the opportunity to “live” this experience (five hours in seven days). So what have I done with this gift?

Enjoyed the sunrises

Coffee with colleagues

Course preparation

Writing for our blog

Reading (e.g. “A day no pigs would die” one of Davis’ English 9 books)

More leisurely workouts in the gym

What has Davis done? I’ll let him answer that. What would you do?

What else is new? Today we finish session 4 in each of our subjects, 16 more to go! Tomorrow is a “free” day or should we say “no obligation” day (ha, ha). There is so much scheduled and so much course work to do that I’m sure we will all find something of value to do. I think I will try and do some reading on the deck. The weather has been quite warm as I’ve heard we are in the “Gulf Stream”. This morning it was 24 degrees at 6:00 am!

We have two guests on board travelling with us from Lisbon to Panama. They have interesting backgrounds and provide unique perspectives to our courses. Dr. Eduardo Gutierrez has served for 33 years with the United Nations. He is currently finalizing a paper on “Human Security in Latin America and the Caribbean”. Dr. James Rieley is an advisor to CEOs and leadership teams in both Europe and the USA. He has experience in business and consulting. I hope to have both of them come into my course on Managing Cultural Diversity in Business.

That’s it for now! On to course preparation!

Ken

Things have settled down now on The Scholar Ship and it seems that things are getting into more of a routinely fashion. I am getting more school work done now that fewer distractions are around me. I have become pretty close with a big group of students. I will definitely get some pictures with all of them and show them to all of you. The media lab is open downstairs. It is like my haven. It has 2 iMac computers loaded with all of the things I need, and they have 2 professional video cameras that I love to use. I am probably going to make a few videos that can go up on YouTube or something so I can give you a ship tour, and show you what it is like on board! Today, I sat outside in the blistering sun for 30 minutes and in that time, I got so dark. I will look out of place coming back into winter months. It is fun playing volleyball and basketball up on the top courts. The food has been amazing. I rarely make it for breakfast since I am getting up at 10:30ish. Oh well. My schedule works productively, so there is no reason for me to get up earlier! It works just fine.

Well, I miss you all and hope to hear from you via e-mail or comments!

-Davis

ps. I think someone should come surprise me and dad in one of the ports. Just a simple suggestion.

Farewell to Lisboa!

Tonight we leave our friendly port of Lisbon for the open Atlantic Ocean! We’ve had seven wonderful days on shore with numerous sights, sounds and other sensations! On the formal side of things I’ve been a participant leader with the International Business and Communication undergraduate learning circle students, a group of 66 very diverse and dynamic learners. More on that latter … Fortunately for me my partner participant leader was Yas, an energetic and highly capable IRC (Intercultural Resident Coordinator). AFP’s (Academic Field Programs) are coordinated learning experiences with partner Universities, businesses, tour companies and other organizations. As in most learning opportunities, some were better than others. A few samples of our learning adventures …

• Introduction to ISCTE, (business school)
• Learning about Sonae and experiencing Continente (department store)
• Visiting and learning about the Belem Tower & Monument of the Navigators
• Learning about early explorers at the Maritime Museum
• Experiencing the Jeronimos Monastery
• Sampling products and learning about Belem Pastries
• Feeling the “bumps” and “eating” dust on the Sintra Jeep Safari
• Standing “on the edge” at Cabo da Roca
• Wandering the streets and experiencing Sintra
• Experiencing and learning about mythology and history at Quinta da Regaleira
• Learning from the Jeronimo Martins (food distribution) experience in Poland from the Strategy and Development Director, Margarida Martins Ramalho
• Exploring “Entrepreneurship – Theory & Practice: A Dialogue Between Entrepreneurship and Culture” with Professor Virginia Trigo from ISCTE
• Receiving a hospitable presentation and tour about Grupo Luis Simoes, a trucking and logistic company, from Antonio and Andreia
• Learning about Audax, a centre for entrepreneurship and family business at ISCTE, from Rui Ferreira the Director
• and so on and so on …

On the informal side of things, numerous sights, sounds and other sensations were also enjoyed. These include …

• Savouring the fine port and wines (and beer) of Portugal
• Experiencing “life” in the port community
• Tasting the local cuisine (e.g. cod dishes, sardines)
• Enjoying a “real” cup of coffee (cappuccino)
• People watching at the many outdoor restaurants
• Meeting locals in their home environment (e.g. the Estonian server in the cafeteria, Valdemar the Renault car salesman from Porto)
• “Feeling” the local culture on the many forms of transportation (i.e. buses, street cars, metro, train, by foot & taxi)
• Sharing the experience of Fado music and Portuguese dancing with Dana, Shirley and Bachir at O Forcado in the eclectic and delightful Bairro Alto district
• Hearing, smelling and watching life on the streets of Lisbon during our various walkabouts
• Joining all of our students for a night of food, fado (“Tuna Academica de Lisboa”) and fun hosted at, and by, the University of Lisbon
• and so on and so on …

It’s been fun, flavourful, educational and exhausting! I need a rest.

-Ken

Portugal has been amazing. It was far more amazing than I thought it would be! Dad covered a lot, so I will make my share short. The days have been pretty laid back. The first day, we walked into town and saw the main square. It was beautiful. Musicians filled the streets, as well as outdoor restaurants and civilians. We walked around down there, until I crashed. They (Dad and Bashir) dropped me off, and then went out for dinner. I had dinner on the ship that night.

For 2 days, I rested and just chilled out on the boat. It was relaxing. On day 3 in Lisbon, we went on our AFP, which was a discovery walk/tour of Lisbon. We ventured into the Belem area of town, which is historic and beautiful. We saw monuments and statues, followed by a maritime museum. It was neat to see the paths the Portuguese took in their explorations, as well as seeing the models of their ships. Following the museum, we went to an old Catholic monastery. It was absolutely beautiful. It was decorated so incredibly inside and out. After that, we went to the legendary Belem Pastries shop in the Belem district. They have a secret pastry recipe that only three people in the whole entire world know. It was delicious. I truly think it was just sugar and butter, but it was very tasty. Following that, we got back to the ship in time for lunch.

On day 4, we had an amazing adventure. We went on our Sintra Jeep Safari. We got in jeeps and ventured off. We first went to the most western point of Europe. The people of Europe used to think this was the furthest west you could ever go. If they went any further, they thought they would have fallen off the world! I lost my sunglasses at the end of the world. What a story to tell. We got back into the Jeeps and then rode down a narrow, windy cobblestone and dirt path that led us through the bush and into a little village. It was so amazing! They had a little marketplace, colourful buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, and local inhabitants. It was the true Portugal. It was so beautiful and cool. It is what you see in those movies. We didn’t stop there, but we got a pretty neat ride through. We kept going and ended up in a nice park. No vehicles can go in there, but the jeeps were exempt. It was a nice ride, as well! We ended up at a beautiful viewpoint of the area. We sat there for a bit and nibbled on our lunch, and then went on our way to Sintra. Sintra was a beautiful town full of cobblestone streets, back alley shops, and amazing foliage and sights. I could definitely live my life there. We were left to explore freely in Sintra. After an hour or so of exploration, we were regrouped and walked to a palace. It was astonishing. The garden was massive. Everything there was so picturesque and perfect. We got a very informational guided tour and walk around the area. We got to the top and walked down ‘the 9 stages of Hell’. It was a 9 story hole that you could walk down. The fall wouldn’t be pleasant. Rituals used to be held at the bottom of the grotto. We waked down, and then escaped through a little, pitch-black passageway. Scaring people around the dark corners was quite a laugh. We walked to the end and then got a tour of the actual palace. It was beautiful as well. Tired and sore from walking, we left Sintra in a tour bus. We got back to the ship after a long day. Sleeping wasn’t hard after that day.

The next day was a rest day. By the evening, I was quite bored. So the video crew, the two other kids, and I went out for a night filled with Fado music, food, and Sangria, which is absolutely delicious, by the way. The night was beautiful. The music was so pretty. I passed as 16 so it was all good. =)

The next day was a breather day. Stephanie, the coolest faculty member on this ship who is from London, and I went out to the center of the city again. We pretty much just wandered around. We looked for new sunglasses for me, but were unsuccessful. It was fun anyways. That night, we got dinner actually served to us. It was really weird and random. The university held a dinner and entertainment night, but I was so tired so I stayed in that night. I went to bed early. So now we are on to today. Today, we got up early (9:00!) and went back to the city again. I got all of my hair cut off by a local barber! It was really funny. Communicating was so hard but funny. A great ‘cultural experience’, right? I also got a whole bunch of clothes. It is so cheap in Portugal! I got 3 nice tees from H&M for 9€! I spent probably 120$ cad. It was well worth it though. =)

Now we are awaiting our departure for a 12 day excursion. It will be pretty cool! I am looking forward to Panama.

I am becoming friends with a lot of cool people. The students and staff are so nice and cool. I really got to get going on school work, though. I doubt that will be a problem with a 12 day sea voyage, though.

Well, that is all for now.

Time for our Titanic voyage across the Atlantic! Let’s just hope that we don’t sink.

Wish us all luck!

-Davis

Sights and Sounds of the Sea!

Day 8 at sea! We’ve definitely experienced a variety of sights and sounds of the sea! Sunrises and sunsets are spectacular! Yesterday we felt, heard and saw what rough seas could be. Although it only lasted a few hours we were tossed around and rocked to sleep. White boards tipped over, students sat on the floor in the classroom and “barf bags” were handed out and placed strategically around the ship (e.g. along corridor rails).

This morning we were treated to the Rock of Gilbraltar and views of Morocco. Tonight we were entertained with a pod of dolphins! Tomorrow we hit the shores of Lisbon. Can it get any better?

Ship life has settled into somewhat of a routine. We’ve had two sessions of each of our classes. I teach two classes on “blue” days and one on “green” days. Most students have two classes on each of the days although I’ve talked to some who have three on one day. Classes resume in about nine days. I should say formal classes resume.

Academic field programs that last five days will soon be starting up in Lisbon. These include everything from lectures at a University, visiting a winery, touring castles or the country-side or meeting with international businesses. Now that’s what I call an education!

Included in our education are many extracurricular activities. Emma (one of The Scholar Ship photographers) and Davis hosted a photographer workshop with over 30 in attendance. Tonight we have salsa lessons following our safety briefing on Lisbon. There are many other activities starting to appear (e.g. palates class, model UN, student government, basketball, foosball, soccer, table tennis, an “ab” workout group and so on). Again, that’s what I call an education!

Thoughts – I can definitely see community being developed: more interactions; more student leadership emerging; norms being established; traditions being discussed; ceremony becoming part of the culture; and a definite “spirit” of community. What impresses me most is the positive and accepting attitude, or spirit, of students and staff. Although we’ve experienced inconveniences and small setbacks through our eight days together, there remains this refreshing “spirit” of cooperation and community and virtually no “complaining” and negative attitude. I wonder what it will be like at the end of the voyage? I really do need to pay attention to this and try to capture what makes it work – is it the “nature” of the people, the confined living space, the values of The Scholar Ship or overcoming obstacles together?

On a personal note – I continue to enjoy my morning workouts followed by a coffee, breakfast and conversation. I also am enjoying connecting with students “in”, and “outside of” the classroom as well as getting to know other staff. And of course I’m enjoying my roommate, Davis. Today, with the rest of the students, we started to develop a “roommate vision”. No problems so far, although he continues to come in late and sleep in.

We are definitely looking forward to Lisbon! More on that later…

My days have been pretty unorganized, but that is the fun part of this whole experience; just enjoying the moment and doing things as they come. This morning, I slept in till 10, got up, went to the gym, and jumped into the pool. After I got out, I walked up to lunch. The food is amazing. Words cannot explain it. Tonight at dinner, I tried guacamole and it was amazing. There, mom! I am trying a lot of different things! Tomatoes and onions are even becoming a personal fave. Me and Dad started taking pictures of our cabin. We will take pictures all around the ship, and then post them up somewhere! We will give you a peek at our lives on board. 2 people have already been evacuated for medical reasons! They weren’t related. One had appendicitis, and the other had some bleeding issue. We rode up the coast of Sardinia to drop one off, and the other, we had to ride up the coast of Spain! Me and a few other students came to the conclusion that this is all a MTV Real World season, and they are secretly filming us. All of these evacuations are people getting voted off. Well, that is just my two cents.

We are off to a safety briefing for Portugal.

Talk to you later!

Dave.

Okay.

Me and Dad wrote this yesterday, so we have a bit of updating to do. This morning, we docked in at the Lisbon port at 8. Lisbon is beautiful! We walked around today and saw the city. We didn't see that much, because we didn't want to spoil our tours. Speaking of tours, I signed up for (and payed for) some excursions that will be happening in Portugal! I just chose the ones Dad has included in his AFP (Academic Field Program) so I will tag along with him. We are going on Lisbon and the Discoverers, which is a tour of the city and sights, mainly the marine explorers and their impact on the area. We are also going on a Sintra Jeep Adventure! I am so excited for that. We will be going into the countryside of Lisbon, Sintra, and we will get a Jeep ride to a nice remote location where we will enjoy a nice picnic lunch! It will be amazing. I am so happy right now, because there is an area that you can access free internet from the port while still onboard the ship! The signal is limited, so I am here at 11:15 sitting on the deck of the ship, trying to keep a decent signal. Dad went back out for dinner with some of the teaching staff, but I decided to stay behind and have dinner on board. I didn't feel like going back out again. My feet were dead. We walked for so long! Dad should be back soon.

Well, I am done writing for tonight.

We are missing all of you and wish we could experience this with all of you!

Gooood night.

-Dave

Life At Sea

This is our fourth day at sea and we seem to be settling into a rhythm. Classes have started, recreational activities have begun, movies are shown often, and we continue to eat all of the time. I go to the gym most mornings at 6:00 am and then for coffee at 6:45. I’m usually showered and ready for breakfast just after 7:00. It’s a great time on the ship with sunrises and quiet time. Not many students up at this time, including Davis who has been sleeping in most days. Davis has begun his English course and is making good progress. He continues to connect with various staff and students. Today he will attend a video workshop.

My classes – between 3 and 14 students, great diversity, mostly motivated students. I teach two on “blue” days (Managing Cultural Diversity in Business & Tourism and Hospitality Management) and one on “green” days (Human Geography). We still have limited resources (e.g. paper, photocopying, printers and of course internet). Most of us are using power-point as the six classrooms have projectors. Students and staff remain flexible as we get through the first couple of sessions. It does make me appreciate all of the academic support systems we have in NA. It also forces us to be a bit creative in the classroom.

We are off the coast of Sardinia and Tunisia. Today we had the coast guard come and pick up a student who had some sort of illness. He will have it looked at in Sardinia and he will meet up with us in Lisbon.

Tomorrow we prepare for the academic field programs in Lisbon. I will be accompanying students who are in the International Business Learning Circle. More on that later. . .

-Ken

My life has been pretty laid back on the ship so far. I am pretty tight with the video team, Josh, Ed, and Erik; they are like brothers to me on the ship. I help them out a lot. One of the students is the ‘designated photographer’ and her name is Emma. She is a surf instructor from O.C. California. She has an XTi, the same camera I have! She is super cool. I have started school, and I can tell I will be done it all on time. I just have to get a schedule going so I can stay consistent with my work. My plan is to finish all of my school work, and then help out with the video team and get school credit for that. If that happens, that can count as my elective and I can have a spare block when I get home for the 2^nd semester. That allows me to finish my homework, help out with yearbook photos, and sleep in or go home early. That would be so awesome. Internet is so limited here, so keeping up with you guys will be a struggle. It is 17$ an hour! I now can never take unlimited internet for granted ever again in my life. When I get home, I am planning to get a job and start my career. Dad said he would help me get a business license. That allows me to sell my photos legally. I also want to get a domain name, preferably davishammer.com. It is only 8$ a year. I finished my website, but it is hosted on shaw.ca.

Check it out. Give me feedback. I want to get a job so I can start making money. With money, I can buy camera accessories. With that, I can take more photos. With that, I can sell them. It is all a cycle. Last night, I got amazing shots of the sunset. Sunset photos are pretty popular in my books, but you can’t pass them down.

Well, I think that completes it mostly.

I hope to get into a healthy routine soon enough.

Talk to you guys soon!

-Dave

ps. Sorry. Photo issues. We will edit it in Lisbon and post more photos!

Off we go!

The ship heads off in 10 minutes! We’ve been “loading” students all day (200+)! There is definitely excitement in the air!

The ship has been polished, the basketball nets are up, we’ve been orientated, the foosball tables are up, Davis has been busy helping with IT and the IRC’s (Intercultural Resident Coordinators), the gym equipment has been put up, we’ve bought our last duty free things, I guess we’re ready to go! Eight days at sea! It will be different, but I’m sure an experience. There has been much talk about the ability to see thousands of stars out on the open water.

Yesterday we headed to the beach for our last land activity for a few days. We enjoyed the company of Lynn (another instructor), Alexa (15 year-old daughter of a staff member) and Kyra (younger daughter of Alexa). On the way back we stopped at Goodies for dinner (the Greek equivalent of MacDonalds).

Today we lose our free internet. We get 250 free minutes for the voyage and then it starts to cost! We do hope to keep up our blog.

Some thoughts – We feel prepared and ready to go! Travel seems to be one of those great leisure activities (reference to the chapter in the Evolution of Leisure, Are some activities better than others?). Travel frees the mind, you seem to have much more sense of freedom to choose and you don't have those feelings/thoughts of obligations. You have more opportunity to define your experience. I do think it’s one of those leisure activities that is better than others. It reminds me of the book Waiting for the Weekend where the author Witold Rybenski (spelling) talks about reading books as one of the optimum leisure activities. Again you get to choose, control how things go. You read as fast as you want, you interpret the story how you want, the ultimate sense of freedom. Enough philosophizing for now! I’m off to the bridge to watch us depart!

It's Coming Together!

Everyday, there seems to be something new on the ship. They are constantly adding new things to the ship, and rushing to get ready for our departure. It is quite fascinating! I thought I saw a flying treadmill, but it was on a crane. The classrooms are all coming together too! I sat there and watched a whole classroom be built in an hour.
The shelves are in the library, and I was recruited to help them get ready by removing the shrink wrap, stamping the books, and soon I will help catalog the library on the computers! It is fun!
Last night, some people gathered in the 'Starlight Lounge' for some snacks, drinks, and Jambai drumming! The ship actually bought instruments to bring on the journey, and we just unpacked those last night! A lady named Sherene (who is very nice) knew how to play them very well, so we all got a lesson and are now pros!
Today I sat through a session on the IT (information technology) and learned that the intranet will be up tonight. That connects us all to each other throughout the ship by email, chat, and Moodle, which distributes assignments and such. We also learned that once our 250 internet minutes are used, it will cost us between 17 and 25 dollars an hour. No more 5 hours a day for me. =(
Right now they are trying to track down the printers and photocopy machines. Somehow, they ended up in Spain, so now it will take a while to get them on the ship!
I have been delaying my studies until the students come. It is sort of my excuse to not start school. Who wants to start school when you are in Greece?
Dad and all of the teaching staff are in lessons all day. Some of them I find quite interesting, actually.
Students will arrive in three days, and everyone is rushing to get ready. We are super excited to get underway on the 5th!
Talk to you soon,
-Davis

ps. Look at the amazing sunset tonight. It was surrounded by thunder and lightning, but I wasn't lucky or quick enough to grab a shot of that.