More interesting was what was happening on the inside of the ship. Our last days were like that of senior year at college: everyone spending as much time together as possible, aware that it would all end soon. Margie and I metamorphosed into social butterflies, flitting from birthday parties to drinks in the staff lounge to lengthy dinners with friends and daughters to evening talent shows. I marched with the faculty at Convocation where 44 seniors decked out in life jackets and Vietnamese sun hats processed into the Union. On one of our final days at sea the Captain announced that he would be gunning all four engines to give us the experience of going 30 knots, as fast as any ship the size of the MV Explorer can go. And it was a thrill!! The Captain kept us up at top speed for a good half hour or so, giving time to move around the ship and get the full effect from all angles. It was actually the most fun to be aft, watching the huge plume of the ‘rooster tail’ and the large rippling wake we left behind. Some of my favorite people photos were taken here, everyone excited and happy and living in the moment…

For in no time, we were awakening on our last morning on ship, eating our last breakfast, and watching as the city of Miami came into view. We slowly chugged into the harbor, all 850 of us on deck. The small group of family and friends awaiting our arrival seemed to grow bigger, and as we got closer there were enthusiastic waving hands, big banners, and many smiles and tears. Kids got on cell phones to talk to parents on the dock: “Where are you? I can’t see you. Are you near the banner? You are? The big white banner or the big blue banner?” and so on. It would be hours before anyone actually got off the ship, what with Customs and baggage to deal with, so for us there was no sense of urgency, no springing into action once the ship actually docked. When the process for disembarking actually began the faculty and staff were allowed off first (as it should be!) and the rest was done by lottery, pre-determined days before. All luggage except ‘carry-on’ items had been packed and left outside cabins for crew to take away the day before, so about 2000 bags had to be transported off the ship before any person could walk down the gangway. Finally! at noon the announcement was made for faculty and staff to muster in Timitz Square on deck 5. Photos, hugs, tears, promises made to be in touch soon, and then we were walking down the gangway. Far off from the 7^th deck, Margie and I heard a familiar voice call out to us: “BYE, MOMS!!” We both recognized the voice of our daughter, Becca, and even though we couldn’t really see her in the crowds we turned and waved wildly… it was as if we were also waving goodbye to the ship, the semester, and the incredible life we lived for four months.

Costa Rica was but a brief respite on our journey toward home. Our last port! Finals are over, grading is done. No more school, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks. (Somebody please tell me how that little ditty really goes.) Puntarenas is a sleepy little town on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. As with most of our other ports, tourism is a large component of the area’s plan for economic growth. We took an afternoon bus tour into the mountains at the center of the country to Sarchi where the locals are known for their beautiful craftwork. Our tour guide, Vicky, was knowledgeable and gregarious, and we enjoyed wandering around the craft markets for a few hours. We marveled at a church made entirely of riveted steel (a precaution against earthquakes which toppled the previous newly-constructed church early in the twentieth century). Many of the church doors and windows stood open, and birds swooped in and out. Several parrots pondered us from lofty heights. The mountain temperatures were noticeably cooler than at sea level, and we arrived back at the ship laden with souvenirs, tired but refreshed and happy. Dinner that night was at an outdoor restaurant on the main drag that blared Latin American MTV versions of American songs from the 1980’s. I was in heaven! I never actually got out of my chair, but much chair-dancing occurred, to the entertainment of my dining companions. The local beer, Imperial, was consumed but pronounced inferior to Tiger, a favorite beer from numerous Asian ports. The seafood was deemed fresh and tasty (although I must here confess that I gave in to my craving for a hamburger).

The next day was a lazy one for the intrepid travelers. We wandered down the main drag (pretty much the only drag) to The Point, where we found what looked like a decrepit, abandoned YMCA on the edge of the peninsula. My capitalist brain started thinking of possible lucrative applications for this prime piece of real estate that came with a swimming pool. It was hot, and near here is where this photo was taken, which I like to title: “Which one looks closer to dead?” As we walked from The Point we saw many local families spreading out lunch on the beach, parking their cars close enough to blast the live football (AKA soccer) game from the radio. I was so hoping to hear G-O-O-O-O-O-O-A-A-L! (the international language!) but the match was apparently more about strategy than scoring. We ate at an outdoor restaurant that was showing the match on TV but again, no one scored. We chose the place because it had the word ‘espresso’ in the window, and that seemed a good omen for snobby coffee drinkers. In fact, I had a mocha iced coffee that was more dessert than drink, and it was delicious. See my rapture. The food wasn’t bad, either, whatever we had. I decided that the place was either an American tourist trap or a gay bar after noticing a prominent photo of those hotties from Bonanza.

After returning to the ship we ventured out again for dinner at Kiosko el BumBum, an establishment right on the beach. We were served by the owner, who seemed to take a special pride in providing service to us. It was flattering, and it was delicious! We then headed back for the ship, well-aware that the sooner we got back, the more likely we were to avoid long lines. Staff were worried about our last port, post-finals, being a problem but they were ultra-prepared and the ship was cleared for departure 10 minutes after ‘on-ship time’ of 8pm. That means all were on board, all had their passports, and we had a relatively uneventful departure from Costa Rica. We all drew a collective sigh of relief, and it was on to Miami!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

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!