Amazing Namibia

Sorry for not posting an update for the longest time, I’ve just been a little tired. Ship life is great, but I just have not gotten used to the rocking; thus, I am having a lot of trouble falling sleep. Classes are okay, but I am taking more and more interest in them, especially my comparative literature class; we discuss about the different types of theoretical approaches of space and how they can be applied to real life. I have also gotten through the first bout of tests and papers, which was not as bad as I thought it would be.

After eight weeks at sea, the MV Explorer finally arrived at Walvis Bay, Namibia. When the ship was docking, it was cold as hell, and there was fog. I was not expecting it to be so cold because I had always thought Africa was a warm place. This was the first preconceived notion that was broken. After the ship docked, I went off the ship with a group of friends and walked around in the city. My first impressions of the city were positive: the city was clean, uncongested, and semi-developed. Many people from the ship expressed their feelings of thinking that Walvis Bay did not feel like Africa. I believe the reason for this is because many of us expected Africa to be a place where all the people were poor and destitute. However, the city was quite westernized; there was a KFC and many European cars in the city.

I returned to the ship and met up for a Faculty Directed Practica required for class. The FDP explored an oyster farm in Namibia. It was not very exciting to be honest. Most of the time, we stood in a warm enclosure were we looked at extremely small oysters. It was interesting, however, to see microscopic oyster moving around. At the end of the tour, the workers allowed us to try some large fresh oysters. Most of the people in my group ate the oyster, but I did not. I was very cautious because I did not want a repeat of what happened in Brazil (read last post).

Next day was when the real adventure began; I organized a four day tour with eight other students, and the first activity was an overnight quadbiking (ATV) trip. It was extremely thrilling: the guide took us all over the Namib Desert including sand dunes (where I got stuck once), the riverbed (where it was extremely dusty), and canyons. It was a sight not to be missed. I did encounter a mishap once, however; I was quadding through a riverbed and it was extremely dusty that I was barely able to see anything ahead of me, and long and behold, there was a 180 degree sharp turn ahead. I was able to break some, but it was not enough and I flipped over with my quadbike. I fell into a bush, and my quadbike was on its side. Good thing I fell into a bush and got two or three minor scratches; I was up and running in less than one minute.

We arrived at the campsite and it was better than I expected, I had my own tent with a bed and a shower. Also, we had dinner under three large rocks. The dinner was delicious: rice, beef stroganoff, bread, etc. Early next day we were quadding again, but this time to our sand boarding location. I choose to sand board lying down because I did not know how to snowboard. Sand boarding was an exciting experience since we sled down hills over speeds of 70 km/hr (which I think is over 50 mph?). I also had one mishap here: I was sliding down the biggest hill and right when I got to the end, I had a wipe-out where I rolled around in the sand a few times. I got sand in my clothes and mouth.

Later in the day we walked around in Swakopmund, a boring German tourist city. There was barely anyone on the streets. We did walk around on the beach, which was nice, and went to a market where every vendor was selling the same items: animal figurines and masks. I did not buy anything because I felt most of these objects were not “authentic,” but were, instead, exploiting the African stereotype of safari animals and tribal populations. I, instead bought a painting the next day during the all day 4x4 Jeep tour. The painting was a simple seagull painting, but it represented, I believe, the real Namibia because the painting was of a real coastline that we visited and was painted by a Topnaar person.

During the all day 4x4 tour, our tour guides, Fanie and Andrew, took us around the massive sand dunes; it was thrilling and rough at times like a roller coaster when we went over crest of hills and down 30 to 40 degree slopes. We first visited a field of human bones in the middle of the desert, and then a Topnaar family. The family had the cutest baby, but was living in poverty; the house was made out of simple materials and was in the middle of nowhere. We then stopped at Sandwich Harbour in the middle of the day. Sandwich Harbour, in my opinion, was one of the most beautiful places I have even seen; we drove up 500 feet high sand dunes and the view was spectacular because one side was full of sand dunes and the other side was the turquoise ocean. The juxtaposition of these two sceneries made for one amazing view, and to make it even better, we had lunch in between these two landscapes on the beach. I definitely loved it.

The last day was also an adventure when my group and I went kayaking in the harbour. It was a real treat because we were able to kayak next to a massive seal colony; they attempted to splash us at times. During the middle of the kayaking excursion, my friend and I almost marooned ourselves on the beach in the middle of the seal colony because we were too close to the shore. Good thing at the last minute we thought about reversing our boat away from the shore lol. For the rest of the day I went shopping for snacks and ate at Wimpey’s where I had delicious milkshakes. At the supermarket checkout, the cashier asked me to take her to America, and I think she wanted my contact information so she would be able to find her way to America. At this point, I felt a little bad that I could not really do anything, but it affirmed for me that I am lucky to be living in America, and I should not take that fact for granted.

In conclusion, my experience in Namibia was an amazing one and I will definitely come back in the near future so I can explore more of what Namibia has to offer. Until next time in Cape Town, South Africa:

Alan Shih at Sea

Rio De Janeiro

Even though my experience with the Rio trip was not all positive, I'm actually loving Rio. Yesterday, I went hang gliding in the morning; it was an amazing experience, and I think it was one of the best thing I did in Rio. The instructor and I took off from a mountain that was 1,500 high. I wasn't scared at first, but when I was about to run off the platform, I was a little intimidated. However, when we were in the air, I actually felt relaxed and was enjoying the spectacular view of Rio. I was able to see the city and beach. Also, we had an overview of the nice houses that were situated on the sides of the mountain. Landing was intense because it was fast, and I fell on my ass when we landed; it was all part of standard procedure though.

After hang gliding, a few of us went to soccer game. Even though I do not particularly enjoy watching soccer, let alone been to a soccer game, I wanted to experience Brazil's greatest passion: soccer. The game was the World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Bolivia. My expectations for the game was that it was going to be crazy and wild. However, the game was not really what most people expected. The stadium was half full and the game was not really exciting; no goals were scored, which resulted in a tie. I did not really enjoy the game, but it was still a spectacle seeing the audience boo and chant "Punto" (bitch).

Oh yeah, we also went to the Copacabana beach to relax for a bit. It was nice and relaxing. However, I missed visiting the Sugar Loaf and the Redeemer, two main attractions in Rio. I was disappointed with this, but I will definitely come back to Rio soon so I can actually visit these two sites along with many other great sites I was also missed, including Ipanema. Copacaba beach was really nice, but I wouldnt say the best in Rio. I heard Ipanema and the "beautiful people" beach were better.

My day, however, was mared by, you guessed it, Travelers Diahhrea. Im not too embarrased to mention it because it is a very common sickness for Travelers. Much of the day, I had terrible stomach pains. It got unbearable during the soccer game. That was yesterday, and I feel much better now beause my body has gotten rid of the toxins and pepdo bismal has taken effect.

I also had an amazing time earlier in the week. I joined a favela tour of Brazils biggest favela, Rochina (pronounced Hosinia). Right before the tour, the girl who organized the tour in our group never showed up for the tour, so I gathered a bunch of people to join the tour. The tour itself opened a completely new perspective for me of the favelas. Before I joined the tour, I thought favelas were very poor slums where violence and drug cartels ruled the area; City of God, the movie that they played on the ship, really perpetuated that stereotype. However, the favelas actually werent as bad as I pictured it, and it was more lively than I thought. The tour really showed me that the favela community really isnt that bad. Even though the environment is dangerous and dirty, the people that lived there didnt seem to mind it because they are used to it. I believe they make the best out of the situation they are in.

After the favela tour, a couple of us went to a loungue/club called House. The place was really hip, though extremeley crowded. The club has great electronica music which I danced very much too. I was able to let loose in this club, something that I needed after days or tiring traveling in Rio. This is what Rio is all about; the nightlife.

Overall, Rio was a great experience for me. Even though many of the people in my group did not particurily get along with everybody else, the city atmosphere really made my Rio experience a particulariy gratifying one. I saw many things in Rio that most tourist do not see, and to be honest, I loved much of it. Thus, I feel a little sad and disappointed that I am soon leaving Rio and Brazil. However, I plan on returning to Rio soon so I can experience more of what Rio has to offer. Now, on to Namibia, Africa!!

So until next time,
Alan Shih at Sea


(Check my facebook profile for photos)
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1238207

Ship Life

We have just a couple more hours until we finally dock at our first port of call: Salvador, Brazil. From there, I will be taking a flight with about a dozen students to Rio de Janeiro. We will be staying at a hostel I believe on Ipanema Beach for 4 days. I will update more on Brazil later, but first ship life so far:

Classes have officially started, and I do not particularly love my classes. The teachers are good, though, some of them have a hard time teaching the class with enthusiasm. There is one class I really enjoy: Introduction in Science Education. This class is an education course where the professor utilizes a hands-on approach to teach student the best approach to educate primary school kids. The first day of class, student built the highest possible tower with straws, and in the most recent class, students built balloon powered cars. Being able to have a hands-on class really reminded me of time when classes were fun. Berkeley, being the stubborn bureaucracy they are, has refused to approve this course for credit, so I will be dropping the course and sticking with the original courses I signed up for. 

On September 5th, the MV voyager officially crossed the equator into the southern hemisphere. It is actually my first time in the southern hemisphere. For celebrations, Neptune Day occurred. It is a tradition on Semester at Sea in which “Neptune” (actually some faculty member) tests persons on the ship to see if they are worthy. Here is what happened on the day:

The students were woken up by the crew playing some weird Greek flute music; the crew was dressed in traditional Greek costumes.
Students who wanted to be “tested” first got their heads poured with “fish guts” (I think some punch with fish oil).
Then, they jumped in the pool and got out to kiss a fish.
Lastly, those who were the bravest had their heads shaved. Many guys shaved their heads. However, so did a dozen or so girls. For the girls who shaved their heads, I respect them.

Unfortunately, I decided not to participate in this activity, but filmed and took pictures instead.

The social life is going strong for me; I continue to meet many persons everyday including, faculty, staff, and lifelong learners (seniors who join the trip). Moreover, I will be traveling to Rio with a bunch of people I have yet to interact with, so that should be exciting.

Until next time (with pictures!),
Alan Shih at Sea

It’s Finally Starting to Hit Me (A Long Post)

I'm currently out in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, sailing away from
the Bahamas for Brazil. The water is pretty calm, though there is constant
swaying, which is making me a little dizzy. I still can't really believe
I'm starting out on a voyage around the world, but I have to say it's
finally starting to hit me.

My first thought about the ship, MV Explorer: Before I saw the ship in
person, I thought the ship was going to be a normal medium sized cruise
ship. However, when I arrived at port to check-in, the ship looked
massive. I was impressed by the size and overall appearance of the ship. I
,then, immediately stood in a long line to check-in. Checking in was
tiring for me because I had to lug about 120 pounds of luggage by myself
for about 20 minutes, but after constant grunting and sweating, my bags
were finally checked in and I was ready to board the MV Explorer.

The interior of the ship was truly bigger than I expected. There are about
eight large floors, all of which are still mazes to me. Moreover, the ship
is extremely nice; it felt like a real cruise ship rather than a college
feel, which I more or less what I expected. However, what really impressed
me were the services that were offered on board the ship. There is a free
maid service daily where the crew comes in the cabins to make the beds and
clean the rooms, including replacing towels and toilet paper. But what
really shocked me were the massage services they offered on the ship at
exorbitant prices. For example, they had a full body massage service for
80 minutes called the "Seven Seas Massage" which costs like $100. I'm
tempted to try this, but not now, maybe at the end of the semester when I
want to congratulate myself for successfully completing this experience of
a lifetime.

Now onto my cabin, I was satisfied with my cabin. I thought I was assigned
to a cabin with no windows, but long and behold, when I opened my cabin
door with my electronic card key, there was a port hole. I was excited for
that because, now, I can actually KNOW what time of day it is at all times
at sea. What the positives makes up for are brought down by the negatives.
The first negative is that my "super economy" room is right above the
engine, which means it can get a little noisy in the room, and the smell
of the engine lingers in the hallway outside my cabin. However, the noise
is constant and the smell does not linger in the cabin, which means I am
able to fall asleep nice and sound to the swaying of the ship. In regards
to the porthole, it provides a great view of the ocean, during the day and
especially during storms. For example, it was a little stormy when we left
Nassau, so during the night, I was able to see a dozens of lighting
flashes that illuminated the whole dark sky, a truly spectacular sight.

The most important part of the voyage is the students. Most of the
students were nice and down-to-earth people, and I have been hanging out
with a few of them. I can really see myself becoming really great friends
with several them. My roommate, Jamie, is from Oregon, and I'm glad to
have him my roommate because he seems like genuine and extremely
open-minded individual. In contrast with these nice and down-to-earth
people, there were a few people on the ship who felt a little fake and
superficial to me; it was made clear by a couple of them that they're
going to treat this cruise as a "booze cruise," which I believe it
completely ridiculous. Their parents did not pay $25,000 for them to
hook-up and get trashed in port. However, luckily, most of the students
are here to take full advantage of this voyage.

I'm currently at the computer lab on the sixth floor of the MV explorer.
As a look back at my day, I can say there will be many more of these days
where I will meet great people and where I will be annoyed at something.
However, at the end, I do believe it will have all been worth it. Until
next time:

Alan Shih at Sea

Bahamas- Short Update

I just got the the Bahamas a couple of hours before, it is hot and humid. I'm staying at the Towne Hotel in downtown Nassau. There's nothing really special about downtown Nassau except for its pristine beaches. I might take a swim later on.

From what I hear, Atlantis is probably the best attraction here in the Bahamas. So if you're coming down to the Bahamas, just visit Atlantis.

The Scholar Ship

About three months ago, I had no idea I would be joining Semester at Sea. Three months ago, my plan was to join The Scholar Ship, a similar program to SAS, but was affiliated with UC Berkeley. This program, unlike SAS, had a student body composed of international students, while SAS has a student body composed of mostly American students. It was because of the international community I signed up for The Scholar Ship; I wanted to escape UC Berkeley American life for a while. Moreover, I received a large scholarship from The Scholar Ship.

However, two and a half months ago, I received news from The Scholar Ship that the program was cancelled until further notice due to their sponsor pulling out. I think it had something to do with rising fuel prices and their sponsor losing significant amount of money last economic quarter. When I heard this news, I have to admit, I was close to being devastated. I had invested so much time into this program, telling people about the program and reading experiences of participants from the program. I was looking forward to The Scholar Ship, to experience its international community, and to grow as a person. In addition, I wanted to leave Berkeley for a while due to private reasons; I wasn't experiencing anything special and great at Berkeley; in fact, I was bored. I convinced myself tSS would give me that experience.

When TSS was cancelled, I thought I was screwed due to the fact that registration at my university already ended and that I would not be able to sign up for any other UC Berkeley study abroad program due to deadlines. However, long and behold, I thought of Semester at Sea. It was the closest thing to The Scholar Ship, besides not having an international community, which is one thing I was disappointed with.

I contacted the director of admission of SAS, Ryan Roth. He literally saved a bunch of our butts from not having anywhere to go for the fall. Even though the deadline passed for regular admission for the fall, SAS made an exception for tSS students due to the extenuating circumstances. I applied to SAS and I was immediately accepted. On top of that, I received a generous scholarship that almost, but not quite, matched what The Scholar Ship was going to give me. The toughest part, though, of this whole process was trying to get in financial aid and course evaluation forms to UC Berkeley seeing that I was already back in SoCal for the summer. I got through that part, and now in three more days, I'm off to the Bahamas to sail the world.

It was not the plan I had anticipated; I would have hoped for a different outcome. But, I have come to view the positives more than the negatives of the situation. Semester at Sea is still an experience of a lifetime, and I am bound to meet lifelong friends. These two positives are more than enough reason for me to look forward to this trip, and I am looking forward to this trip.

I am not sure yet as how SAS will change me as a person, but I know, I will be a more confident and worldy individual than I am now. I know will open my eyes to even more than I would have ever imagined, and at the end of the voyage, I will probably look back at the voyage and think, "Wow, I can't believe I did this, but I did, and I do not regret it one bit." This is the outcome I hope to achieve, and I have confidence that SAS will do that for me. So until next time,

Alan Shih at Sea

Student Body Profile- Fall 2008

Here's the student body profile of the Fall 2008 Voyage:

Total Applicants

• 1222 Applied
• 676 Enrolled

Gender

• Male: 35%
• Female: 65%

Distribution

• New England: 15.5%
• Mid-Atlantic: 15%
• Southeast & Puerto Rico: 7%
• Midwest & Plains: 14%
• South/Southwest: 14%
• West Coast: 31%
• Abroad: 3%
• States represented: 44, plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico
• Countries represented: 16

Ethnicity & Citizenship

• U.S. Citizens & Permanent Residents: 97%
  • African American 2.8%
  • Asian American 5.5%
  • Caucasian 76%
  • Hispanic/Latino 7.4%
  • Native American .1%
  • Other/No Response 8%
• International citizens: 3%

Just For Fun

• Most popular male name: John (9)
• Most popular female name: Brittany, Jessica, Lauren (10)

• Longest distance traveled to port of embarkation: Zhaoqing, Guandong, China
• Least distance traveled: Miami, FL

Compared to the Spring 2008 voyage, this upcoming voyage has a little more males and diversity. Moreover, most of the students are from the West Coast, while on the Spring 2008 voyage, most of the students were from the Southeast.