Countdown Hawaii

Porthole from yeseterday (Sunrise)













Porthole from today








Yesterday was just sort of a long, busy day. That's why there wasn't a blog. It was a good day, but I'm not completely used to my weird schedule yet. I'm thinking after Hawaii I might start staying until 9:00pm and not until 11:00pm. At this point it is a lot of directional questions and reserve circulation. It could get to the point where I would need to be there until 11:00 helping with research, but we're not to that point yet. It's busy at night, pretty steady stream of traffic, but the students are double-staffed and are really excellent.

I've also been feeling a little blah, I think I might be fighting off a little low grade something or other. I have a half-way sore throat and have felt a bit run down. I'm pounding down the airborne and trying to rest as much as I can. I don't think it's going to take hold, but I'm being cautious.

I guess I've gotten my sea legs. I'm not sure how you know when you have them, but I think it's when you don't get sea sick anymore and weaving around while you're walking, and lurching drunkenly from side to side doesn't seem weird. I thought I would get to where I could walk a straight line with the ship at a 45 degree angle, but even the crew weave around while they're walking. Tomorrow we're docking in Hawaii and I'll see if it feels strange to walk around on something that isn't moving.

Yesterday we crossed the Tropic of Cancer, I wouldn't have known that except Kelly has a couple of GPSs with him. That's not as cool as crossing the equator, but that's not too bad. The other big excitement yesterday was Mary and Kelly and I figured out the remainder of our field programs. The way it works is this, before you leave they send you a guide with all of the trips, some of them are marked as pre-sale and you have to buy these before you leave. These are all the trips in Hawaii, all of the major overnight trips through India, and some of the day trips in Japan and China. It's basically the things that require reservations. For instance, I'm going to Beijing and they'll fly us there from our port in Quindao, then back to meet the ship in Hong Kong, and we'll be staying in a hotel. Due on Sunday is all of our day-trips and minor overnights through India and our major overnights through Spain. Then at some later point we'll buy all the rest of the day trips. I already had a pretty good idea of everything I wanted to do, the three of us sat together and matched up some trips too.

Dr. Bob (the real doctor) gave us all a talk on Malaria. I was pretty well informed from the doc at the geographical medicine clinic at UVa, but if anything I feel even more aware of the dangers. I sort of assumed that the malaria medication was precautionary, and that chances of getting malaria probably weren't that high. Au contraire says Dr. Bob. More than 1,000,000 people die from malaria every year, and many people in tropical regions are capable of passing the illness on. I'm taking my malaria drugs no doubt. They're much better than they used to be. A woman who has been on previous voyages said two of the main side effects of earlier versions of the drug were hallucinations and insomnia. Can you imagine being of a ship with 600 sleep-deprived, hallucinating undergrads? Well, probably the Clemons overnight people can. Ba-dum-bump.

I have to say I have been really impressed with the students on the voyage. They seem studious, the library is always packed with them studying and reading. They're signing up for meaningful trips (not just planning drinking binges). They're definitely spoiled, but also polite and cheerful. Most of them act like they know how fortunate they are to be able to do something like this. The parties are sort of wild, but not shockingly so. Probably about what it would be like at UVa. I think I mentioned I was teaching a library instruction session yesterday morning. 8:00AM and they were asking me questions about Historical Abstracts, raising their hands. It was a better group than any I've ever taught. The brats are pretty few and far between.

I picked out the films that are going to be shown through the weekend on our closed circuit network. I think I did pretty darn good job. Yesterday was a good tropical nature documentary, KonTiki, Master and Commander, and The Corporation. A little something for everybody. Tonight it's 20,000 leagues under the sea!!

Yesterday for lunch Taco Bar! Salmon and beef tips for dinner with coconut cake for dessert (I had some of that). We must have eaten up all the leftovers because there hasn't been a stew or a casserole in quite awhile. Over easy eggs this morning were new and there was a lot of new stuff at lunch, chilled berry soup, chicken fricasse, and fresh ripe plums (where is this food coming from?)

Tomorrow is Hawaii, Mary, Kelly, Sally McBeth and I are getting a car and are going to ride around Oahu. Pearl Harbor maybe, Diamond Head, Waikiki, Dole Pineapples and Walmart.

Deej has asked that, in addition to being introduced to people around the ship you get to see some places to, so today is the most important place on the ship... not the library... this is the Garden Lounge Dining Room on deck 6. This is not my new favorite dining room, but my sentimental favorite.







Lunchline when it's short...












Lunchline when it's long... (that's Karen Ryan from Arts and Sciences in the lunch line, peeking around the pole)













Inside Seating














Deck Seating...









This is Alden Jones on her way to the Garden Lounge to get some hot water for her French Press. A lot of people have been complaining about the coffee, but if you can stand Alderman Greenberry's then this stuff is a pleasure. Alden is at Emerson College and teaches creative writing. She has a Sheltie at home that her mom is taking care of. She didn't get any of the trips she wanted in India, so I think we'll both be on the Dalit Village Overnight trip (a recent addition for me, Phil looked a little shocked when he saw that in the field program guide. People have been talking like this is the trip that separates the Girl Scouts from the Brownies.)

We've gained three hours since leaving San Diego. 25 hour days are the best. Hawaii is going to be fun, but you know what, I love being on the ship so much I'm almost a little sorry to be getting off. I'm sure I'll snap right out of that tomorrow morning, though. Maybe no blog tomorrow, but I promise a tropical delight on Sunday.