Classes On a Boat

Well, school is officially in session on the MV Explorer. Today was
the second day of class, and we have now had one A day and one B day.
I'm happy that my class schedule is fairly evenly divided - I have two
classes on A days, and two on B days. As all the students learned
yesterday, there was some miscommunication about the FDP policy.
Older syllabuses and alumni had made it sound like FDP's (Faculty
Directed Practica) were really flexible, and teachers often let you
substitute independent travel for FDPs. Turns out they are not that
flexible about it: We have to do two FDPs for each class, except for
Global Studies. It's not too bad - some things, like going to Cape
Point and seeing the penguins (an FDP for Marine Biology), are things
that I wanted to do anyways. Others I wouldn't have done on my own,
but they all sound really interesting. The hardest part is now
planning around these FDPs, and now there's just less free time in
some ports. For example, I had to add two FDPs in South Africa, so
with my safari, I only have one totally free day in Cape Town. I'm
thinking of purchasing another SAS trip on that free day - there's a
trip to a winery/cheetah conservation center that sounds really cool.

The classes themselves seem pretty interesting, if you can get there!
I definitely got lost trying to find some of my classes, especially
since some are set up with fake walls that don't exist all the time.
On A days, I start with East Meets West, an art history class that
focuses on the historical trade routes, and how that influenced art
worldwide. Professor Wilkinson seems very nice. I didn't realize
this was an upper-division class, but I don't think I'll have any
problems! I have to do FDPs for this class in India and Hong Kong.
One thing to watch out for in class is the boat rocking - it feels
like being rocked to sleep, which makes staying awake at times
difficult...
My next A class is World Prayer. This class seems like it will be
very interesting, and a very different way of analyzing prayer. It
feels very open-ended, which is good, because I think any class
involving prayer should be quite open-ended.

Today was a B day, which meant that I had Global Studies and Marine
Biology. Global Studies is the class offered on every SAS voyage, and
everyone has to take it. I've heard that the Global Studies professor
can make or break a voyage. Good thing my professor seems like he'll
be a great teacher! We learned about Dominica's history today, and it
was actually really interesting. The professor is clearly really into
it, which makes the lecture engaging. I'm excited, because I think
this class will end up being very interesting. My teacher for Marine
Biology was also very enthusiastic. I definitely feel like I'll have
an advantage, after taking Intro to Oceanography last semester.

So far, ship life is going well. I've met a lot of really interesting
people. It's pretty funny to see everyone attempt to walk in a
straight line as the ship is rocking back and forth. The food is
unexpectedly good, and so far I have yet to feel seasick. I'm not
sure if that because of the ear patch - I put one on before we left,
just in case - or if I don't get seasick. I'm hoping I just don't get
seasick! I actually think the rocking is pretty fun.

We had a Student Involvement Fair, and I signed up for a few things:
Yoga, Insanity and Extended Family. Yoga on a moving deck seems like
it would be really fun. I've never done/heard of Insanity before, but
apparently it's super intense cardio - I'll at least check it out.
Extended Family seems like it will be a really cool program - you get
matched with a Lifelong Learner, or a professor you don't have, along
with a few other students. Together, you form a "family" for the
voyage. I just think it will be another great way to get to know more
people on this voyage.

Tomorrow we get to our first port! It's pretty exciting, and I think
Dominica will be a lot of fun. At first I was disappointed to not go
to Cuba, but Dominica seems like a really unique place in its own
right, as the "Nature Island" of the Caribbean. It's where they shot
scenes for Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3, and it's sperm whale
mating season, so our chances of seeing sperm whales are quite high.
Good news for the Whale and Dolphin Safari I'm signed up for!