The First of the Lasts, 4/29

We’ve now had our last Global Studies, our last day of classes, and the last Taco Day. We are 8 days out of Miami! It is all going so very quickly now. People are savoring the experiences, being more social, staying up later, making more of an effort to get to know the people they haven’t spent much time with. It feels like we’re running out of time, even if the thought of going home is exciting and not unwelcome. We’re trying to prepare for reverse culture shock: will everything at home seem the same, whether we wish it to or not? What will re-entry feel like? And can I bring my cabin steward home with me?

Back in the U.S.A.!! 4/22/08

For 12 glorious hours we docked in Honolulu… what an experience to step onto U.S. soil. It felt like home. I knew the language and the currency and the customs and had no trouble reading maps and street signs. Clearing the ship took awhile, but when we got off sometime after 9am it was a beautiful, breezy day. Many of the students had plans to go sky-diving but that was not on my agenda for the day. Instead Margie and I walked to the Honolulu Academy of Art and saw a fabulous exhibit of Bhutanese art never seen before in the West. Called “The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan”, the exhibit included over 100 restored paintings (“thangkas”) and hundreds of hours of video of sacred Buddhist dances. Bhutanese culture has stayed largely intact for many centuries because this small, remote country was never colonized. The government has an official policy of measuring the Gross National Happiness (GNH) instead of the GDP but I have no idea how they actually do that. Sounds like an interesting place.

In other news, we boxed up a bunch of souvenirs and other stuff and sent it home via UPS. This will save us some time when we dock in Miami so we can hopefully make our plane home. With that chore out of the way we went down to Waikiki Beach with friend Bess and had a great meal at the Hula Grill: the Early Bird Special! We were due back on the ship by 9pm and got back with less than an hour to spare. Sadly, the rumor going around the ship was not true: we were not to stay an extra day in Hawaii, so back out into the Pacific Ocean we went.

At Sea, 4/18

Another No Class Day!! Reduced library hours, BBQ for lunch, perfect sunny weather as we cross the Pacific. It doesn’t get any better. It was also declared to be Gay Pride Day, and in addition to arranging the BBQ, the gay student group put on a fun fashion show in the evening. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a really nice, inclusive event with an even mixture of gay and gay-supportive students and faculty. It was not a drag show, but an opportunity for people to show off the various outfits they’d acquired on the voyage, and do a little bit of vamping and dancing. The Union was packed and the audience was very appreciative!

In library news, we’ve started to see a lot more research requests as finals approach, and I’ve recently distributed a lot of proxy passwords to get to the databases. This week I put info in the Dean’s Memo about free, full-text searching in Academic OneFile, put up signs in the library, and added links to the library catalog to help students find the databases. Finding the best and most effective way to communicate our rich resources to students is a challenge when all they think they want is Google and Wikipedia. But here’s a great quote from one I did manage to reach this week:

“Who knew that the best resource in the library would be the librarian.”

Who knew! Made my day!

Domo Arigato, Mister Roboto, 4/11-4/14

One of our pre-port lectures on Japan was about robotics and technology, and it reminded me of the old Styx song. I had it in my head as I traveled around Japan. “You’re wondering who I am, machine or mannequin…” I was so impressed with Japan, our first 1^st World country since crossing the Atlantic. I suppose Japan is an easy place for a Westerner to love, after having been through countries and cultures that are so fundamentally different from the U.S. The streets are clean and quiet, the people are polite, if somewhat indifferent to my presence (which was actually refreshing!), but extremely helpful when asked a question.

We arrived in Kobe around 8am but had been forewarned that “clearing the ship” (for disembarking) would take hours because of the stringent immigration procedures. We all actually had to have our temperatures taken and had to meet face-to-face with immigration officers. The fascinating thing was how they got the temps for every single person on the ship, including the crew, seemingly without error, and in about an hour. Every one of us (about 1000 on the ship) had to pick up a card with our ID numbers and when called, were to march up to the staff lounge, single file, hand over our card, and walk briskly past this device that looked like a 35mm camera on a tripod, manned by a stern-looking immigration official. I was mightily impressed that the process seemed to achieve the desired result, and the ship was cleared quickly. Isn’t technology wonderful

Kobe was near the epicenter of a huge earthquake in 1995, you may remember, yet there was not a single sign of damage and destruction. The Japanese have a remarkable capacity and will to rebuild after complete devastation. One can’t help but reflect on and compare the rebuilding efforts after Katrina in our own 1^st World country. Beautiful Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples appear on many downtown streets, a quiet respite from the hubbub. We visited Kyoto to see more temples and shrines. They’re still talking about when GWBush visited in 2005 and took a few hours to see the sights (time perhaps he should have spent signing the Kyoto Protocol on global warming). Himeji (“white stork”} Castle was a highpoint of our time in Japan: surrounded by three moats, the castle was built of wood in 1333 and is notable for its effective defensive design. The main castle is 6 stories high and one can’t wear one’s shoes when climbing it, which must be for purposes of preservation. We especially enjoyed touring the peaceful gardens. And the cherry blossoms were spectacular! Blossoms floated in the air like snowflakes and covered the ground.

The best meal we ate was Kobe steak, which was prepared in front of us. The steak was beautifully marbled, and perfectly cooked, by our own personal chef. It was an elaborate and enjoyable (and expensive) dining experience! One of the best meals I’ve had on this voyage.

Getting Shanghai-ed, 4/8

Shanghai is probably a lovely city if it is not rainy and cold, but I may never know for sure. Our last day in China was spent wandering around the pedestrian mall and Renmin Park (‘The Peoples’ Park’). We went to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall and saw two enormous models of the present and future Shanghais: in both there are tall, stately buildings, inviting waterfront, orderly neighborhoods. Shanghai will host the World Expo in 2010 and it seems as big an event as hosting the Olympics. They have their own mascot and everything. Those of you who have seen my father’s artwork will be struck by the similarities with Land of Oz and his many other works that incorporated themes of architecture, technology, and symmetry.

We also spent a delightful afternoon in the Shanghai Museum, also in Renmin Park. The paintings, bronze, and sculptures were exquisite! We bought a book about the museum and its holdings and took many photos (on flickr). Wish we’d had more time there. By the time we left the museum it was raining, so our plans to catch a cab back to the ship were dashed (everyone else wanted a cab, too). We walked all the way back, squishing and grumbling, but made it in time for dinner and perhaps more importantly, in time for the departure from port.

April 15. Again?

I haven’t finished writing about China or Japan but I can’t miss the opportunity to tell you that on the ship we are now on our second April 15th, all the more confusing because I don’t think we’ve really crossed the International Date Line yet: we’re not close enough to Hawaii. But it is not for me to question these matters. Today is Tuesday April 15, just like it was yesterday. We are now 11 hours behind the East Coast and will lose another 6 hours before arriving in Hawaii. This continued loss of sleep does not please the shipboard community and only adds to my natural state of befuddlement.

Now that we have left Japan it feels like we are heading home. Across the Pacific we travel, the waves swelling and pitching us to and fro. Students are thinking of upcoming final exams but many of us are trying to put the voyage into perspective: What have we learned? How have we changed? What next?

At noon today we had a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre. The ship’s bell tolled 32 times. What have we learned?

Hong Kong and Beijing, 4/3-4/7

We arrived in Hong Kong Harbor in fog and rain, a bit of a disappointment after the hype we heard at pre-port the night before about the spectacular skyline. We saw few tops of buildings! But the thrilling thing was that the mysterious banging and clanging we’d heard while docked in the previous port turned out to be a new observation deck! It’s over the staff lounge in the front of the ship and provides an unobstructed view of our entrance to port cities. We had the premium docking spot next to the Star Line Ferry on Kowloon, giving multi-directional access to all points Hong Kong.

Entrance to the city from the ship was through a swanky mall. Yes, we found the closest Starbucks within minutes, then were sufficiently charged for the remainder of the day. It was Thursday and we were surprised and disappointed to find that the Hong Kong Museum of Art was closed. On Thursdays?? So we walked around the streets of Hong Kong and eventually wandered into Kowloon Park, a large public green space with meandering walkways, a large swimming pool, fountains, an aviary, gardens, sculptures, and exercise areas. There was evidence of the upcoming Olympic Games everywhere, from omnipresent vendors hawking t-shirts, hats, and pins to a sign in the park counting down the days, hours, and seconds to opening ceremonies. We were in China, you may remember, while Nancy Pelosi (and others) was calling on our President to boycott the opening ceremonies, and I just wished she would be quiet about it until we were out of the country. (But I actually didn’t experience any discomfort about politics while in China.)

The next morning we left for three days in Beijing with 28 students. My last stint as a trip leader! The sights we saw were incredible, best described by the photos on flickr. The Great Wall was unbelievable: it goes up and up and on forever. I climbed to the top but my legs have never been so sore… even after running the 4-Miler… but it was worth it! The students were great, for the most part, and happily no one even came close to getting arrested (that I was aware of, anyway). I had to take one student with a very high temperature to the ER in Beijing but he was eventually able to join the group again. Thank you, Margie, for stepping in as de facto trip leader!!

Our guides were two students from Renmin University (‘The Peoples’ University’) and they were fabulous! So generous with their time, and so resourceful when we had to make last-minute logistical changes. Susan, in particular, did a wonderful job as my translator in the ER. This is the first country we’ve been to where English is not commonly known, so she was invaluable in relaying critical information. Sheng, too, was so good at keeping us on schedule and willing to help with a myriad of requests. We also had dinner with a large group of Renmin students the first night we were in Beijing, and I loved looking around the room and witnessing the animated conversations. Later, they all went out to Karaoke! And the old folks went to bed.

We saw the magnificent Temple of Heaven, a palace complex that was used for sacrificial offerings starting in the 15^th century. The temple is featured on the Chinese yuan (currency) and is said to be a masterpiece of traditional Chinese architecture. Later that evening we experienced a Chinese opera, which was a rather noisy affair punctuated by amazing acrobatics and some of the longest and most elaborate fight scenes I’ve ever witnessed. Translations were posted on large electronic boards to the right and left of stage, so I suppose we could have sung along if we wanted.

I missed Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and the Ming Tomb, but the photos are on flickr, thanks again to Margie. We had a fun ride in a rickshaw (30 Americans in 15 rickshaws on the streets of Beijing’s historic Hutong district is no doubt an interesting sight to see.) Shopping seemed to be a particular favorite activity among many of the students, and they loved the Silk Street experience. I, however, was completely traumatized! The (female) shop keepers are extremely aggressive, grabbing your arm as you walk by, trying to pull you into their shop that sells the same knockoff Prada and Adidas as the next place. I later heard stories of other peoples’ personal belongings being snatched as ransom, and even someone’s child… apparently most thought it was funny but it was all much too invasive for me!

We also went to the Summer Palace, a residence and garden for emperors that is now a beautiful park with a temple and many winding walkways where the locals exercise, play cards, and dance. Again, see photos. We obediently arrived at the North gate of the park to meet the group on time, but only a few students were there. Where was everyone? Well, who knew there were two North gates? I considered giving myself dock-time but decided an apology to the group would have to suffice. Actually, I am just kidding: I never for a minute considered giving myself dock-time. Maybe I haven’t explained dock-time: one is delayed from leaving the ship at the next port for numerous hours. It is punishment meted out for various infractions (most often for making others wait) and it is very serious if the person waiting is the Captain who wants to pull up anchor. One does not want to make Captain Roman angry under any circumstances!

A Bit on China, 4/3-4/8

Lots to say on China, but not much time or bandwidth to say it. I put up a sampling of photos from Hong Kong and Beijing. We have two days between China and Japan, which is not nearly enough time to rest and prepare! We are fine, just feeling a bit like we’re being alternately dunked in hot water, then cold water, then hot water, then cold… this is a very intense few months!

Vietnam and Cambodia, 3/27-3/31/08

We chugged up the Mekong River early Thursday morning, at points only about 10 meters from the shore on either side. A few hours and a few hairpin turns later, we arrived at the dock outside Ho Chi Minh City. Almost immediately we packed up for three days in Cambodia. I was a trip leader, which is a thankless job but saves me half the cost of the trip. There were 59 of us on this trip, all with passports, boarding passes, landing cards, and other vitally important documents that can’t be misplaced but frequently are, causing delays and near heart attacks. And just hypothetically speaking, if one of the 59 decides he might be able to sneak into a temple in Angkor Wat and gets caught, he might wind up on the back of a police motorcycle making a solitary trip to a Cambodian jail to get fingerprinted while his trip leaders are trying to imagine just how bad this could get, especially since their plane home leaves in several hours. But hypothetically speaking, it all worked out and we came back with the same number of students that we left with.

The whole trip was awesome, actually. The recent genocide in Cambodia is as appalling as the ancient temples of Angkor Wat are an inspiring testament to human achievement. We toured a school that was basically turned into a torture chamber, and saw one of the many ‘killing fields’ where bodies were buried. Gruesome and upsetting (as are some of the photos on flickr). Ironically, the journalist who brought the genocide to light, Dith Pran, died on Sunday of pancreatic cancer.

Everyone rides a motorcycle or moped in Cambodia and Vietnam. Whole families pack onto one bike, usually without helmets. I saw a man balancing a small refrigerator on the back of his scooter in heavy traffic. He held it on the bike with only one hand. It’s all heavy traffic, and what one might call rules of the road don’t seem to apply. Scooters appear on sidewalks and on the wrong side of the road because that’s where they want to go. Traffic lights, where they exist, are routinely ignored. In order to cross the street one pretty much looks straight ahead and just walks into traffic. The bikes will go around you, just don’t stop, whatever you do! Several times Margie and I timidly stood on the edge of traffic until a kindly local took pity and ushered us across the street. It is a real sense of accomplishment when one gets safely to the other side, like one has survived another episode of Extreme Traffic.

The shopping is incredible, both in terms of the prices and the aggressiveness of the hawkers. “What you want, Madam?” which they may or may not have but they will surely find something else you should buy. “Yes, yes, it’s the same, only different.” My old Jansport backpack ripped out on the last day of our Cambodia trip so I picked up a new North Face for $10 on the street in HCM City. Dollars are widely accepted in Vietnam and Cambodia. There is evidence of construction throughout Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and it is clear both countries have determined that tourism is a large part of their future.

Vietnam and Cambodia represent such a vivid time in our country’s history, but not so for the people here. The American War (as they call it) was just one of numerous invasions in recent history. Possibly it’s easier to be magnanimous when you’re the victor. The tour guides we had were careful about not saying anything too anti-American, although some of us felt a sense of shame, or at least discomfort, as we listened to them being exceedingly diplomatic.

There are several faculty on board who fought in the Vietnam War, and for each it is their first time back. One gave a talk about his experiences in infantry in Global Studies, complete with many photos of the baby-faced boys in his unit… in the Union, where there is usually a low buzz of conversation and keyboard-clicking, there was not a sound.

For the over-50 crowd on the ship, Vietnam was both most anticipated and dreaded. What we found was a Communist country with a booming capitalist economy. The ghosts are there but mostly they’re just trying to move forward.