Rock’n roll!

We are rocking and rolling in more ways than one! The last few days we’ve had “rough” seas meaning we tend to rock back and forth quite a bit. In our cabins we can watch the ocean disappear and then re-appear through our cabin porthole. The same is true for the sky. In bed (and while we’re sitting) we find ourselves sliding (not too far but nevertheless sliding back and forth). In the halls and on deck no one is able to walk a straight line. Fun to watch! Running on the treadmill poses its own problems.

On board, things have been “rock’n roll’n” in terms of events. A few days ago there was a very successful auction (both live and silent), raising funds for a school program in Africa. A variety of “things” and “people” were auctioned off. Davis raised money through auctioning off a personal photo shoot and then a day-long date with himself including breakfast in bed and carrying books to class. I’ll let Davis tell you more about that.

Also, we recently had a very moving and exciting intercultural night with performances from many of the cultures represented on the ship. Songs, dancing, skits and even a fashion show from around the world. Highlights for me were the dances from Morocco, Ghana, China and India and songs from talented musicians from Australia, USA and Indonesia. And of course seeing Davis modeling in the fashion show (more on that from him).

There’s the usual “rhythm” of the classroom, meetings, meals, movies and more! Tahiti is two days away. Rock on!

Ken

Ferry rides from Vancouver to the island will feel motionless now. Nothing will compare to how rocky the seas are right now. You find yourself falling over and hitting unexpected walls, as well as falling off of your bed if you aren’t paying attention. I have developed an iron stomach. It sure is fun though. It is like being on a ride 24/7.

A few nights ago, students put on a charity auction to raise money for schools and communities in Africa. The turnout was great. We had people auctioning off massages, jewellery, t-shirts, vacation homes, tours of their home cities, dates, etc. People bid unbelievably high! I think having a bar at the venue was definitely a plus. I auctioned off a photo-shoot, and Alfred (the onboard life director) won the heated live bidding with 60$! My first paying job! I still need to talk to him and figure out when he wants his photo session. I also auctioned off being someone’s boyfriend for the day. I was coaxed into it by my friends, so I said, “What the heck, why not?” I ended up being in a heated battle between many wanting people. I eventually sold for 140$ to one of my good friends. She said, “I couldn’t stand seeing all of those other girls wanting you that bad!” It was really funny and we all joked about it for days. Yesterday, I gave her breakfast in bed, carried her books, and walked her to class. It was pretty fun, but I usually hang out with her daily anyways. It was for a good cause though, right?

Two nights ago was Intercultural Night. People displayed their culture in dances, speeches, songs, etc. A fashion show was also displayed at Intercultural Night, and I was in it. It was alright, but sort of dumb that we displayed our own clothes. Nonetheless, people all got quite a kick out of it.

Well, that is what has been recently happening on board. Midterms and important papers and essays are in the air and students are staying up all night powered on Red Bull and espresso shots. It is quite humorous watching them get up the next morning.

-Davis

“A few of my favourite things”

If you’ve seen the movie “The Sound of Music” you will recognize the words “these are a few of my favourite things” from one of the songs. So as I sit here with the song in my head I reflect on “a few of my favourite things” on board The Scholar Ship. Or in other words what do I like to do when I’m not in class.

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” (no, no, that’s from the song . . .)

Having a massage (just had one yesterday – it was wonderful)

Have a drink with colleagues or students in the staff lounge or student centre (just had one yesterday – it was also pretty good)

Reading the books from Davis’ grade 9 English curriculum (there’s some good stuff)

Early mornings on deck (watching sunrises, enjoying an “okay” cup of coffee, chatting with colleagues or students or accessing email when very few people are on)

Writing and reflecting (some of it you see on this blog)

Those extra hour days (we’ve had two more recently)

Morning workouts (alternating between the bike and the treadmill and upper and lower body)

Engaging conversations with students and staff (at meals, at meetings and even in classes)

Being out on deck (enjoying the sun and sea)

Meal times (even though meals are starting to be repetitive and just okay, it’s still a great time to converse with others)

Class preparation (yes, one of my favourite things is to read course material and determine how best to facilitate student learning – as we all know the best way to learn something is to teach it)

Catching up on Davis’ day (we don’t seem to see much of each other even though we’re roommates)

So on that note, over to you Davis . . .

Ken

Days seem to fly by while on the ship. There is so much to do during the day that it is sometimes hard doing everything you planned.

I like to…

- Hang out with my new friends a lot. Most of my time is spent with them.

- Lay out in the sun and tan; occasionally jump in the pool.

- Work out. It is a good way to keep the sickness off of you. Sweat it out. I won the muscle contest yesterday. I had to go up and show of my pipes in front of the panel of judges.

- Lay out in my hammock. I had it up where nobody would find me, so I enjoyed reading or playing the guitar while up there, but someone stole my ropes, so I took it down.

- Playing the instruments set out. They have a bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, a keyboard, and a grand piano. I realized I need a lot of work to get back up to where I was playing piano. I may want to start playing again…

- Participating in the theatre production group. It started yesterday, and it is super fun. We play games and such, and we will write and produce our own play by the end. We practice every class day.

- Napping. It is tiring on this ship!

- Going to the snack bar and ordering a pizza or a smoothie.

- Lastly; homework. Since there is nothing to do, I sit in my room and do a whole bunch of my homework all hours of the day.

-Davis

It's not all roses!

I may have given the impression that everyday is filled with wonderful life-changing experiences! Although everyday is filled with wonderful experiences they often come in the form of challenges (or should I say opportunities). A sampling of these challenges (opportunities):

Internet access and speed – it often takes 5-10 minutes to get connected and then several minutes to download an email or an internet resource – fortunately we haven’t been charged to-date (that changes come Monday)

Limited resources – limited library resources, basic classroom supplies, space for gatherings, extension cords, plug-in adapters and so on

Illness – several students have had to be evacuated (3 out of the 4 are back on board) or quarantined – numerous students have come down with a cold (or flu) and seasickness

Theft – in port students and staff have been “robbed” of some of their belongings (e.g. money, camera, I-pod and so on) – onboard students and staff have either misplaced or been “robbed” of some of their belongings (e.g. camera, I-pod, computer and so on)

The unexpected – I often arrive at my classroom on a blue day at 8:00 am (to set-up for my 8:30 class) to find the classroom filled with musical instruments and chairs from the night before – I then find out the extension cords are missing or that the plug-in no longer works – or I find out I can’t print from my computer – or I find out there’s been a change in our AFP schedule

Competing cultures (activities) – three cultures compete for attention on the ship (the on-board life culture, the port programs culture and the academic culture) – to get the students to focus on their classroom education has been challenging partly because their “space” is filled with other wonderful learning opportunities (e.g. social, physical, travel & so on)

Finding space – there are few “spaces” where you can get away on the ship – you can only stay in your room for so long before you have to “get out”

How do I find the “roses” in these challenges? Early mornings are the best time to access the internet (hardly anyone is on at that time) and I seldom use the internet to seek resources. In terms of resources I scrounge and hoard as well as purchase my own extension cord and plug-in adapters (and of course carry them with me). I also make use of the limited library resources (I’ve rediscovered Encyclopaedias) and utilize the “people” expertise on the ship. To avoid illness I stay active, take vitamins and wash my hands frequently. “Luck” has helped me to avoid theft on and off the ship. To deal with the unexpected I come prepared and “roll with the punches”. Competing cultures will take a bit of a “shift” on my part as well as others. I will continue to emphasize learning both in and out of the classroom and will hold the students accountable for their classroom learning. I will also seek ways of creating a more “integrated” culture where there is less competition. To find personal space I get up early when nobody else is around.

If I still can’t find the “roses” I head off to the student centre or staff-lounge for a Scotch or beer (or Scotch and beer)!

Ken

The Ecuador Experience!

Another port, another “bunch” of experiences! Highlights include:

People, people, people (Olmedo, Ian, Ruth, Johnny, Julio and so on) – we have been fortunate this port to have had contact with some wonderful locals which has really given us a taste of the country and culture. AFP’s were assigned “mentors” to travel with us throughout our 5-day program and we have also been fortunate to be assigned great tour guides and student interpreters.

Our AFP experience – from visiting banana and cocoa bean plantations to packing and processing plants to the port and Corpei (exporting agency) we have learned much about the process of exporting in Ecuador. Along the way we have also been fortunate to experience the local cuisine, crafts, sites and of course chocolate!

The students – our team of 10 post-graduate international business students (and our IRC Dana) have been a pleasure to work with. They have been motivated to learn and engaged in the entire process, taken on leadership of the group and have even produced a paper on recommendations regarding the Ecuador export market. I would take a team of learners like this anytime!

The country-side, the beach, the developing downtown of Guayaquil, the University (UEES), the old part of town, the rivers, the new part of town, the people and places – once again it’s all been good!

Off we go to Tahiti!

Ken

Photos!

It is just Davis updating here!
I finally set up a Flickr account and that is where I will post photos!
It is the only site where it is possible, and I can group them.
I put my Panama pictures up, so go and check those out!
I will update photos regularly there, so check back frequently.
Click

Talk to you later!
-Davis

Panama Port Reflections

Tonight we have left for our next port in Ecuador. Memorable moments in Panama include . . .

Interacting with the Embera tribe

Tasting the rich flavours and freshness of a 12-course Panamanian meal at Manolo Caracol (old city) with friends from Morocco, US, Scotland & New Zealand

Watching traffic go by in the Panama Canal

Swimming in the waterfalls

Catching mosquito larvae in the Gamboa Rain Forest

Boarding and riding the tender boats when we were anchored out in the harbour

Seeing crocodiles, turtles, toucans, birds and butterflies in the wild

Standing among the ruins of the 15^th century old city of Panama (Panama Viejo)

Wandering the streets of modern Panama City (in the rain) looking for the “Crème” (a nightclub where TSS folks were partying)

Watching part of a quarter final World Cup rugby match in a pub on Calle Uruguay and sharing in our New Zealand friend’s grieve (the New Zealand All Blacks lost)

Listening to the sounds of the jungle

Walking the streets of old Panama City (Casco Viejo)

Riding one of the famous city buses from the Albrook Mall to Casco Viejo

Hobbling home in a broken-down taxi with five of us crammed in

Hearing about Davis’ adventures in the Darien Jungle (read below)

Only three more days and we’re in Ecuador! I think I’ll sign up for the “healing mud bath”!

Ken

The last few days have been some of the most life changing events I have ever experienced. I ventured out deep into the Darien Jungle region of Panama with 23 students, and we had the most amazing time. Our trip started off with a four hour bus ride from the boat, and eventually had to change into jeeps since our big van could not handle the tough roads of the jungle. After about 30 minutes in the jeeps, we came to a small village which had a school, a general store, and about 5 houses. I forget the name, but I will update you when I get that information from other people. The kid’s classes were in session, and they welcomed us with a warm heart. They sat us down in their small little desks, and then performed dances for us. They seemed like they were so happy to see us. The kids ranged in age from 5 to 9. Eventually, we were all pulled up to dance by someone. A little girl grabbed my hands and led me to dance Panamanian style. It was so fun and amazing. They treated us to a meal of their own chickens, and the meal was accompanied by rice as well. After we finished that, the kids had to get back to classes, but I first got to say goodbye to all of them and get a group picture with the kids.

The company that put on the tour rented horses from the locals. Advantage Tours is big on community trade and helping the local villages. We mounted the horses and started up the mountain on what we thought was going to be a 3 hour ride. If that wasn’t long enough for you, it was actually 6 hours. My body ached from sitting on a saddle for 6 hours, but nonetheless, it was so fun. The trail was so muddy that some of the horses ended up getting stuck and falling over. Nobody got hurt, but I felt bad for the horses. We finally got to a point that was too steep for the horses, so we had to walk in thick mud and straight uphill for 20 minutes. A lot of falling left people fairly unhappy, but eventually, everyone just didn’t care about the mud anymore. By the end of the trip, we were used to sinking in knee-high mud. My white shoes did not take kindly to that.

We finally made it up to base, which had 5 rooms that each held 5 people. I took top bunk in one of the rooms. The base looked over a huge mountain-top which was so beautiful. Everyone was tired, so we had dinner and went to bed early.

The next day, we woke up at 8 and ate breakfast. The chef, Jesus _[hay-zeus], cooked the most amazing meals. He didn’t even have an oven; just a little stove top. After a big breakfast, we went on a 2 hour nature walk through the woods. We saw green and black poison frogs, monkeys, toucans, amazing birds, and the beautiful trees and forest. We also learned about the forest and the trees in the area. That hike was easy. We got back and ate lunch, and then ran down to the river. We swam in the river under waterfalls and in pools. It was incredible! It looked like a movie. We got back and sat around camp, because we were too tired to do anything else. We had dinner, and then followed up that by playing cards and the students drank the alcohol that they bought for miniscule prices at the super market. It was like 5$ for a huge bottle of anything! I went to bed fairly early that night.

The next morning was about the same as the first, except instead of going on a 2 hour hike, we went on a NINE hour hike to the top of the mountains that look over our camp. It was probably one of the hardest hikes I have ever done. We saw all of the wildlife that we saw in the previous hike, but we saw a whole lot more of them this time around. That took us the WHOLE day, so we got back, ate dinner, and then had another night the exact same. That was our last night on top of the beautiful mountain.

The next day was earlier than the rest, because we had to pack up and ride back down the mountain. We cleaned up camp, and then grabbed our bags and left. The ride down on the horses only took half the time, and it was so fun! My horse was really aggressive and always wanted to be in front. My horse also loved to run. At the end, the guide told us to finish it off on our own, so we ran at full speed with the horses! We were going so fast! It was one of the highlights of my trip! We returned to the village with the school, returned the horses, and waited for the others, since we were so ahead from running. When we all got back together, we got back into the jeeps and returned to our van.

We rode down the road for about an hour until we got to a little locally-owned restaurant. We had a great meal of beef, chicken, or pork. We piled back into the van and kept going for another 20 minutes until we got to a native village. They only have visitors every 2 months, so they welcomed us very happily! They were wearing their traditional attire; topless, men and women. It was such a cultural experience. They danced and danced and then asked us to dance with them! They also showed us an enactment of getting married for the women. The girls get married at 15! They have to do a test for virginity; they tie a string around her neck, and if that string doesn’t go over her head, she is ok. We were nervous because somewhere in translation, that information got switched. We thought she was going to be in some trouble, but luckily, she was ok. The second test was to give her an alcoholic/narcotic beverage, and if she passes out, she is a virgin. It was very interesting and different. After the demonstrations, we had free time to talk to the children and buy handicrafts from the family. That went on for about 2 hours, but sadly, we had to leave to get back to the ship. It was a sad goodbye, because we all became quite close to the kids. As soon as we got into the van, I slept until we returned to the ship. We said goodbye to the three guides and presented the 250$ we gathered for tips to them, and the 350$ for the school at the village. They were so appreciative of the money, and we hope it got to the school OK.

I will never forget that experience in the jungle, and I bet it will be pretty hard to forget it with SIX HUNDRED pictures.

-Davis

Adventures Everyday!

Wow! Something extraordinary happens almost everyday both on and off the ship. As I’ve mentioned before we have had several guests on board giving lectures and sharing in class discussions. From time to time we have other scholars, researchers, press, partner institutions, parents, politicians and others. Today a number of University career/academic advisors are joining us from Panama to Ecuador to get an idea what the Scholar Ship is about, and hopefully, recommend the experience to their students.

Every evening I look forward to hearing from the various Academic Field Program (AFP) experiences from students and colleagues. Some work really well and others don’t quite provide what they promise. Fortunately students and staff make the most of all of these experiences and come away with some good learning.

Shore excursion experiences and independent travel are also shared when folks return from the day or in some cases several days away. Some times these experiences work and again, sometimes they don’t. Either way there is always something to talk about.

Yesterday a group came back from the Pirates of the Caribbean excursion with stories of over-promising and under-delivering or miss-delivering. It seems they spent the whole day driving back and forth in Panama not really seeing or learning much. One participant even had a reaction to the bug spray she used and had to head off to the hospital (everything is okay). Another participant said “we were captured by pirates and driven around on a bus”.

I talked to a few students today about their adventures to the east coast of Panama to the best beaches. They said they had a great time with several challenges to overcome. There are many more stories like this.

For me, I just got back from a great day canoeing (with a motor) up the Chagres river to a wonderful waterfall and swimming spot. We then headed to a community of the Embera Tribe (13 families, 62 people) where we were fed a wonderful meal of Tilapia (fish), plantain and fresh fruit. We learned about their history, were entertained with music and dancing and then had the opportunity to purchase their hand-made crafts. Oh, and did I mentioned we saw crocodiles, turtles, numerous birds & butterflies and other jungle “things”.

Yesterday I went hunting mosquitoes. Not really hunting. There is an international research team onboard who will travel with us and collect mosquitoes and larvae from around the world. I was research assistant along with several others. We essentially found a pool of water came up with a sample and then “sucked” up any larvae we found (of course there is lot more to it than that). Oh, and did I mention we saw toucans, sloth, numerous birds and butterflies and other jungle “things”.

As they say you really need to be here as this is only a sampling of what we see, hear, feel, smell, touch and do. I can’t wait until Davis returns from his Darien Jungle experience tomorrow. Stay tuned for his “blog” where he will share some of his adventures.
Ken

Preparing for Port!

You can tell by the atmosphere on the ship that we will soon be reaching land (after 11 days on the ocean). Tomorrow we go through the Panama Canal! And then for many of us we are either off on Academic Field Programs, Shore Excursions or Independent Travel. How do we get ready for these wonderful learning experiences?

Well it depends! Most of us have been reading through travel guides, internet sources, promotional materials and briefing sheets. In several classes students do research on the upcoming port. For example, in my human geography class we had a field trip (to the library around the corner) where we identified some basic information about Panama (e.g. population 3,320,000, life expectancy of 72.7 for males & 77.9 for females, 275 people per square kilometre and so on).

Today we had sessions on “The Ethical Tourist”, the local culture of Panama and the current situation in Central America (a presentation by Dr. Eduardo Gutierrez of the UN). Some students had meetings with their learning circle teams in preparation for their AFP’s (they review their five-day itinerary, set some goals and determine how they will maximize their learning in Panama). Tonight we get a safety briefing on Panama and Panama City.

Many students are discussing plans to rent vehicles and travel on their own (independent travel) while others have chosen shore excursions. Davis has signed up to spend five days in the jungle with 14 others. I will probably do a tour of Panama City (half day) and then a full-day trip along the Chagres River to a local village where we will learn about the native culture. In between shore excursions I will be preparing for classes as I am on an AFP in Ecuador.

We will definitely report back on our experiences.

Ken

P.S. An update, its 6:00 am and we are now entering the port. It will take the whole day to get through.