Oh myy god..Im finally here! Everything has been nothing short of amazing. Being here, listening to the dean speak about the programme ahead of us, oceanview classrooms and rooms, better still, oceanfront alfresco dining on deck! Everyday! How cool is that! Everything that Ive pictured in my head is now right in front of me. And it all started with a thought, an idea, a dream that came true!
Up until last night at San Diego, where I met random people at the lobby, everything still seemed so surreal. Its like you get it that yes you are in San Diego and yes you are in a hotel and yes it feels like you’re on holiday but are you really going to live on a ship and travel around the world for the next 3 months? Is it really happening?
In the morning, we boarded the bus to Mexico and along the way, the view was breathtaking. Blue water, white sandy beach. After 2 hrs, we finally arrived at the port in Ensenada and there it was – The MV Explorer (ship). One stop closer to believing that it is going to happen. I get on, head to my room, start to unpack, and it starts to sink in that I AM gonna live here. Then as the ship leaves the harbour, it suddenly becomes real! Byebye mexico! Im sailing around the world!
29 Aug 2007
Ok lets describe the ship. There are 7 decks altogether and my room is on the 3rd deck. The top deck has a pool, which really looks more like a bathtub, and a gym, which I haven’t been able to utilize because I decided to leave my smelly running shoes behind in New York. The 6th deck has a dining hall that has an open-air area that I love to eat at. It was cold today so I couldn’t stay on deck for too long, but I’d really like to when it warms up. We have a library (small) and a computer lab (small). Here’s the thing. This boat is like a Hotel, a Cruise and a University all merged into one! The cabins look like hotel rooms. There are stewards who clean your room, there are waiters and concierge –everything a hotel has. Even the classrooms look like mini ballrooms. As for the cruise element, there’s a captain, deck hands and crew members. And of course, the Deans and 24 faculty members complete the university.
The stairs and lift lobby..
The dining room...
My Cabin is small, but the space works. Ive been pretty comfortable and settled in so far. My roommate and I are getting along. We’re both pretty laid back, so its cool. After living in a common setting, sharing bathrooms with 8 kids and 3 girls, and then sharing a room with 7 other strangers, this is a luxury for me. Attached bathroom, 1 roommate, heaven! I guess the past 2 months have really toughened me up huh.
My Cabin...
Bathroom...
So Ive met some people that said they were pretty nervous about being on the ship because they feel like they don’t know anyone. Hmmm.. imagine me. Not only do I not know anyone, none of these people are from my country, and half of them probably don’t know where Singapore is! Oh, not counting that Singapore in China. And strangely enough, Im pretty comfortable. Maybe because Im used to being among strangers, maybe because Im living on the ocean. I don’t know..but Im happy.
Bumped into a girl from Malaysia and my roommate at the San Diego hotel, and we all went to my room to watch Greys Anatomy on the laptop. Ok classes start at 8 tomorrow. Better sleep.
30 Aug 2007
Ha. So it was the first day of classes and my alarm rang at 7am, just like I set it. Of course, I went back to bed and the next thing I know, its 8am. I jump out of bed, brush my teeth, get into clothes and ran up. Managed to get there at 815am, embarrassed as I walked into class. 830am, professor says ok, end of class, you may go. Perfect. We might be at sea and everything might be different, but my being late never changes.
4 September 2006
Interesting things to note about life on board the Explorer.
1. Walking zigzag along the hallways, bumping into doors and tables-is normal.
2. Most people have a funny beige circular patch stuck behind their ears (for motion sickness)
3. You look out the window of your ocean view suite, and instead of buildings you see endless water 360 degrees.
4. Some people fall off the treadmill while working out.
5. People type really fast on the computer because we’re charged by the minute for Internet.
6. I have fruits stocked up in my refrigerator that I steal at meal times.
7. We have 25 hr days. (we turn the clocks back 1 hr every time we travel 15 degrees west.)
September 5, 2007
Ok, the stress is kicking in. I am taking 4 classes, and there are tones and tones of reading. So here’s how it works. On board, we have A days and B days. No Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays.
Global Studies, a compulsory class for all, falls on both A and B days. The rest of my 3 classes (Oceanography, Communications, and International Business) falls on Day A. So I absolutely DREAD A Days. I mean I probably wont mind it if we just have to go for classes and that’s that. But we have readings....and just as you think you’re done, the next A day comes and you have more readings. You’re never done!
And Im starting to feel like theres nothing fun to do here. Can’t go for supper at midnight, can’t go on the internet and take as long as I want, can’t really call people because every call is US$2.30 a minute, cant go walk around the park and talk to random people. And here’s the thing, majority of the people here are American college students. 19yrs, 20 yrs... All they want to do is get drunk and party. Not my kind of fun really. The night we came back after Hawaii, we waited in line to get back on the boat for 1 and a half hours because they had to check every bag because people were doing everything they can to sneak in alcohol- including filling ziplock bags with alcohol and strapping it to their bodies. No kidding!
My Singaporean Kiasuism is kicking in. I think Im just gonna take it easy la. Read whatever interests me. No point getting too stressed about this. Need to conserve some energy for the countries. Need to be a sponge and absorb everything I can in those countries. We’ll see how this works out.
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