Journal #24 March 9, 2009
Today was my last day in India. I have mixed emotions about leaving. I loved India so much I did not want to leave, but I did want to get back on the ship and head for Thailand. I woke up around 9, got ready and took a taxi to Spencers Plaza to meet up with Sayeed. Meghan, Elise, Alexandria, and I went together. We spent a while in his shop buying some stuff and then he took us to his house were we had cookies and tea. The tea was awesome. It was saffron, sugar, and cinnamon. SOOOOO GOOD!!!!
We then went to a fish market so see what that was like. It smelt pretty bad and there were bugs everywhere but it was still interesting to see. Then me and Meghan had to leave early and head back to the ship to go on an SAS trip. It was hard saying goodbye to Sayeed and his wife. They had taken care of me and been so nice and this was probably the last time I was going to be able to see them.
I got back to the ship on time and headed out for my next trip. I was going on a trip that showed the socioeconomic problems in India. We were headed to the poorest area in India. I knew this was going to be a hard trip but I was really excited. We took a bus for about 45 min and arrived at the town that was the most destroyed by the tsunami in 2004. It was right across from the beach and all the homes were built on sand. We walked through the town for about a mile and were able to see the smiling faces of all the residents.
Our fist destination was a school for disabled children. This was probably my favorite part. The kids were soo happy and cute. We were able to dance with the kids and play games with them. One of the girls went to the special Olympics in Italy and won the silver medal. She was my favorite. We were able to communicate with our hands and she told me all about her plane ride to Italy. We took lots of pictures. I was extremely humbled by the way the teachers help these children and love them unconditionally. The children made necklaces and baskets that were really cool.
After the school we went to a building of women who were in a self help group. There was about 30 women in the building and all of them were from the town and had been with the group for over a year, but no longer then 5 years. Each of these women joined this group so they could supply for their family and be able to send their kids to school. A lot of the women had raised over $10,000 and was able to give others loans to help their kids. These groups of women were just amazing in my eyes. They come from a culture where women do not take role in their supplying for their families, but they want their children to have a better education and to have clothes and a home to live in. I was amazed at their courage and determination for their families. As we were leaving, children and parents from the town came around the bus and just wanted to meet us. We got many pictures of the kids and every time I took one they made me show them on my digital camera. It was crazy how this is the first time that they have ever seen a camera like this.
When I got back onto the ship I went straight to my room and just cried. It was not a cry of feeling sad for these people or of my being homesick, but rather a cry of amazement. The people of India are some of the nicest people I have ever met. They are the happiest and have no worries. They have barely anything but act like they have the world. I wish every person in the US could come to India and see what I have seen. India is truly one of the greatest places on earth. Who cares if the air is so dirty every time you breath you inhale smoke, who cares if there is dirt on every inch of the ground, who cares if there are homeless people sleeping in the medians at night, because what makes a country so rich are the people in the country. And in my standards India is the richest country of all. I really do hope to come back one day, and bring my family and friends. Because I want them to see how great of a country India is.
Love
Michelle
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Adventures in India
Journal #23 March 8, 2009
On Friday March 6th I woke up early to head to Agra to see the Taj Mahal!!! It took us about 40 min to get to the air port. The air ports were very similar to the ones in the US. High security, no liquids, and so on. The seats on the air planes recline so much further than other air planes though! We flew into New Dahli and had to take a train to Agra. The train station was just like the one in Slumdog Millionaire, lots of people and very busy. We had about a 2 and a half hour train ride, 5 hours later we arrived in Agra. I have never been so anxious to get off a train.
It was 11 at night and we had not eaten since breakfast. It was not a good day of traveling. Everyone was cranky and tired. It was also sad because a family was with us and they had a one year old daughter. She did so amazing during the trip, but I felt so bad cause she was soooo tired and could not sleep because the train would stop almost every 15 min.
So when we arrived we went straight to the hotel and ate dinner. We stayed at the “holiday inn.” The food was sooo good I think I ate 2 little children. Me and Elise were roommates, thank goodness. We had an early wake up call so we went to bed early, we were going to see the Taj Mahal!!!!
So on Saturday we left the hotel at 6 am. When we got to the Taj we had about a half mile walk and there were beggers and people selling stuff. It was a little overwhelming. We had to wait in line for about 20 min. In front of my group was a couple from India but now lived in Canada. They were really nice and told us how much we really needed to pay the sellers. The men and the women had to stand in separate lines to get through security. At one point we had about 8 Indian women try to cut through our group. They were pushing us shoving us into the people in front of us. The lady from Canada told the security guards and they came over with their guns and started yelling at the women. I was never really scared at this moment but a little startled at how mad the women got at us.
So when I got to security I walked through the metal detector and they searched my purse. They told me that I was not allowed to take my deck of cards in, I was a little startled by that. They said that I had to take it to the lockers and pay to keep them there. I said I would just throw them away but they got mad at me and said “No take to locker.” Thank goodness the lady from Canada had to put stuff in the lockers too because it was about a mile walk away from the Taj. The entire way she told me how to deal with the men at the lockers, to follow her lead because they will try to charge me more. She taught me several words that I would need to know. I was just a little frightened. So it worked out well, I got a locker for my deck of cards and headed back to the Taj. I was soooo thankful that lady was with me.
When we got back inside I realized that my group had left me. A little frightened because I was not with the lady anymore I started walking really fast. Then I got to an area where it split into three different parts, which way to go?? I was starting to get really scared. So I picked the left and I am super glad I did because about a miles walk and I was with my group. When we were able to see the Taj I was pretty much blown away. It is sooo gorgeous. I can not imagine that a king would build this to show his love for his wife. A year ago I never would have thought that I would be standing in the same place where one of the 7 wonders of the world is. After all the scariness, tiredness, and upsetness, I had no worries. I WAS AT THE TAJ MAHAL!!!
ME AND MY ROOMMATE MEGHAN AT THE Taj Mahal!
The gardens were immaculate, the marble was just gorgeous, and the architecture was magnificent. How could they have built this so well so long ago. We walked around for about and hour and just took a lot of pictures.
MONKEYS OUTSIDE THE TAJ MAHAL!
After going back to the hotel and getting dinner we headed to a palace. The palace was about an hour away from the hotel but we rode through cities that were fascinating to look at. I was able to see people in their everyday lives at work. The palace was pretty cool, but my favorite part was when some boys jumped into a pool about 50 feet high to show off and get some money from us. The pool was soooo gross and you could see the dirt spreading when they jumped in. I gave them some good money for doing that.
Then we headed back to the hotel for lunch and then we proceeded to a fort in Agra. The fort was really cool and pretty. At this point I was getting a little tired :) The fort was cool because our group was sitting waiting and a group of Indian College students were all in a line taking a picture about 50 feet from us, so we all go in a line behind them without them knowing and they took the picture, when they noticed they got really excited and had to take several pictures with us. Not a single word was exchanged during this encounter between any of us and I could tell that we all were enjoying the same experience and know how similar our lives were.
When we left the fort we were taken to a place where marble accessories were made. That was pretty cool and I was able to buy a marble Taj Mahal. We then proceeded to the Taj for the sun set. Elise, Thomas, and I went on an adventure and went into the Mosque, took a bunch of pictures, and Thomas got attacked by monkeys. That was really funny but scary :)
When we left we headed to the train station to head back to Dahli. The train station was extremely hard for me. This was the first time that I was actually impacted by the children begging for food. The children had several problems with their bodies, some had clef lips, some were missing limbs, and some could not even walk. It was heartbreaking. I sat there and tried to hold back the tears but I was unsuccessful. It was so hard not to give those kids some food, they were not even begging for money, just food. I knew that if I gave one of them food they all would come running.
The train ride was much better then the last. We were on the express train so we got there in one and a half hours. When we arrived at the hotel I was amazed at the gloriousness of it. It is called the Lalit and is probably one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in. The beds were sooo comfortable and the pillows were so soft. I fell asleep watching homeward bound. We were able to sleep in a little bit but I woke up early for breakfast. OMG, the breakfast was awesome. Probably best yet. They had every type of breakfast food possible. They had from doughnuts to smokes salmon, from omelets to Japanese stir fry. They had everything.
When we got ready everyone headed to the Red Fort. When we got there it was closed because the ex-President of Pakistan was there. I was a little sad but right as we were about to get on the bus they opened it. So that was perfect timing, oh yeah I forgot to tell you. We were running about 30 min late because a boy on our trip PJ got drunk the night before and passed out outside on the patio of the hotel, and was woken up 10 min before we left. So it was actually perfect that this incident happened because we would have missed the fort.
But anyway, the fort was pretty cool. We only were there for about an hour and then headed for lunch. We went to a local restaurant where they served us chicken nuggets and ice cream, haha, not very local.
Well, it was time for us to leave Dahli. The flight was pretty good, I slept most of the way. The plane was full of SAS students. When we were leaving the airport my group was the first to leave, we had 5 other busses behind I was so proud of ourselves because we knew the line would be soooo long to get on the ship if we were the last bus to get there. As we were driving a bus passed us and we all started screaming, it was a race, our bus driver kept trying to pass them but was not successful. Finally right before the port be cut them off and we were first!!!! But then we stopped a the gate, our bus driver did not have the paper work to get through the gate :( we sat there for probably 10 min watching every bus pass us in the time being. Ahhhhhhhh we were sooo close.
It took us about an hour to wait in line and get all our bags checked, not a very fun night. We were all so tired and crabby. When I got on I headed up to our private dinner on the ship and then headed to bed, it had been a long day and a long trip. I really enjoyed my trip! The people on it were really fun and the places I went were really cool. I would have to say my favorite part was the Taj Mahal though!! I mean how could you not love seeing one of the seven wonders of the world. I really enjoyed Dahli but Agra was not my favorite place. If I ever come back to India I would definitely stay in the Lalit in Dahil.
I hope everyone is doing well.
Love
Michelle
On Friday March 6th I woke up early to head to Agra to see the Taj Mahal!!! It took us about 40 min to get to the air port. The air ports were very similar to the ones in the US. High security, no liquids, and so on. The seats on the air planes recline so much further than other air planes though! We flew into New Dahli and had to take a train to Agra. The train station was just like the one in Slumdog Millionaire, lots of people and very busy. We had about a 2 and a half hour train ride, 5 hours later we arrived in Agra. I have never been so anxious to get off a train.
It was 11 at night and we had not eaten since breakfast. It was not a good day of traveling. Everyone was cranky and tired. It was also sad because a family was with us and they had a one year old daughter. She did so amazing during the trip, but I felt so bad cause she was soooo tired and could not sleep because the train would stop almost every 15 min.
So when we arrived we went straight to the hotel and ate dinner. We stayed at the “holiday inn.” The food was sooo good I think I ate 2 little children. Me and Elise were roommates, thank goodness. We had an early wake up call so we went to bed early, we were going to see the Taj Mahal!!!!
So on Saturday we left the hotel at 6 am. When we got to the Taj we had about a half mile walk and there were beggers and people selling stuff. It was a little overwhelming. We had to wait in line for about 20 min. In front of my group was a couple from India but now lived in Canada. They were really nice and told us how much we really needed to pay the sellers. The men and the women had to stand in separate lines to get through security. At one point we had about 8 Indian women try to cut through our group. They were pushing us shoving us into the people in front of us. The lady from Canada told the security guards and they came over with their guns and started yelling at the women. I was never really scared at this moment but a little startled at how mad the women got at us.
So when I got to security I walked through the metal detector and they searched my purse. They told me that I was not allowed to take my deck of cards in, I was a little startled by that. They said that I had to take it to the lockers and pay to keep them there. I said I would just throw them away but they got mad at me and said “No take to locker.” Thank goodness the lady from Canada had to put stuff in the lockers too because it was about a mile walk away from the Taj. The entire way she told me how to deal with the men at the lockers, to follow her lead because they will try to charge me more. She taught me several words that I would need to know. I was just a little frightened. So it worked out well, I got a locker for my deck of cards and headed back to the Taj. I was soooo thankful that lady was with me.
When we got back inside I realized that my group had left me. A little frightened because I was not with the lady anymore I started walking really fast. Then I got to an area where it split into three different parts, which way to go?? I was starting to get really scared. So I picked the left and I am super glad I did because about a miles walk and I was with my group. When we were able to see the Taj I was pretty much blown away. It is sooo gorgeous. I can not imagine that a king would build this to show his love for his wife. A year ago I never would have thought that I would be standing in the same place where one of the 7 wonders of the world is. After all the scariness, tiredness, and upsetness, I had no worries. I WAS AT THE TAJ MAHAL!!!
ME AND MY ROOMMATE MEGHAN AT THE Taj Mahal!
The gardens were immaculate, the marble was just gorgeous, and the architecture was magnificent. How could they have built this so well so long ago. We walked around for about and hour and just took a lot of pictures.
MONKEYS OUTSIDE THE TAJ MAHAL!
After going back to the hotel and getting dinner we headed to a palace. The palace was about an hour away from the hotel but we rode through cities that were fascinating to look at. I was able to see people in their everyday lives at work. The palace was pretty cool, but my favorite part was when some boys jumped into a pool about 50 feet high to show off and get some money from us. The pool was soooo gross and you could see the dirt spreading when they jumped in. I gave them some good money for doing that.
Then we headed back to the hotel for lunch and then we proceeded to a fort in Agra. The fort was really cool and pretty. At this point I was getting a little tired :) The fort was cool because our group was sitting waiting and a group of Indian College students were all in a line taking a picture about 50 feet from us, so we all go in a line behind them without them knowing and they took the picture, when they noticed they got really excited and had to take several pictures with us. Not a single word was exchanged during this encounter between any of us and I could tell that we all were enjoying the same experience and know how similar our lives were.
When we left the fort we were taken to a place where marble accessories were made. That was pretty cool and I was able to buy a marble Taj Mahal. We then proceeded to the Taj for the sun set. Elise, Thomas, and I went on an adventure and went into the Mosque, took a bunch of pictures, and Thomas got attacked by monkeys. That was really funny but scary :)
When we left we headed to the train station to head back to Dahli. The train station was extremely hard for me. This was the first time that I was actually impacted by the children begging for food. The children had several problems with their bodies, some had clef lips, some were missing limbs, and some could not even walk. It was heartbreaking. I sat there and tried to hold back the tears but I was unsuccessful. It was so hard not to give those kids some food, they were not even begging for money, just food. I knew that if I gave one of them food they all would come running.
The train ride was much better then the last. We were on the express train so we got there in one and a half hours. When we arrived at the hotel I was amazed at the gloriousness of it. It is called the Lalit and is probably one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in. The beds were sooo comfortable and the pillows were so soft. I fell asleep watching homeward bound. We were able to sleep in a little bit but I woke up early for breakfast. OMG, the breakfast was awesome. Probably best yet. They had every type of breakfast food possible. They had from doughnuts to smokes salmon, from omelets to Japanese stir fry. They had everything.
When we got ready everyone headed to the Red Fort. When we got there it was closed because the ex-President of Pakistan was there. I was a little sad but right as we were about to get on the bus they opened it. So that was perfect timing, oh yeah I forgot to tell you. We were running about 30 min late because a boy on our trip PJ got drunk the night before and passed out outside on the patio of the hotel, and was woken up 10 min before we left. So it was actually perfect that this incident happened because we would have missed the fort.
But anyway, the fort was pretty cool. We only were there for about an hour and then headed for lunch. We went to a local restaurant where they served us chicken nuggets and ice cream, haha, not very local.
Well, it was time for us to leave Dahli. The flight was pretty good, I slept most of the way. The plane was full of SAS students. When we were leaving the airport my group was the first to leave, we had 5 other busses behind I was so proud of ourselves because we knew the line would be soooo long to get on the ship if we were the last bus to get there. As we were driving a bus passed us and we all started screaming, it was a race, our bus driver kept trying to pass them but was not successful. Finally right before the port be cut them off and we were first!!!! But then we stopped a the gate, our bus driver did not have the paper work to get through the gate :( we sat there for probably 10 min watching every bus pass us in the time being. Ahhhhhhhh we were sooo close.
It took us about an hour to wait in line and get all our bags checked, not a very fun night. We were all so tired and crabby. When I got on I headed up to our private dinner on the ship and then headed to bed, it had been a long day and a long trip. I really enjoyed my trip! The people on it were really fun and the places I went were really cool. I would have to say my favorite part was the Taj Mahal though!! I mean how could you not love seeing one of the seven wonders of the world. I really enjoyed Dahli but Agra was not my favorite place. If I ever come back to India I would definitely stay in the Lalit in Dahil.
I hope everyone is doing well.
Love
Michelle
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Best Day of My Entire Life!
Journal #22 March 5, 2009
I am sitting here in my bed completely speechless. I have had to most amazing day!!! As I got off the ship I knew I would be a completely different person when I got back on the boat later that day. I have been hearing all week how India is going to change my life. But I never thought I was going to feel like this.
As I left the port I was a little overwhelmed by the ambush of taxi drivers. Even if you did not need a taxi they would still pull at your arms asking where we wanted him to take us. I was a little scared. When we finally found a taxi we headed towards Spence’s Palace, we were gonna do a little shopping first. I was scared for my life while the taxi driver was driving, hahahha. There are no lines on the road so anyone could drive where ever they wanted. Americans would not be able to function if this was our driving system. I give the people of India credit for being such good drivers.
When we got to the mall we went into a store called “Indian Cottage.”I have never met such nice people in my entire life. The owner was Mohd Sayed and he treated us so well, and we got some great things. For about 2 hours we just did some more shopping and ate some lunch, then as we were leaving we ran into a guy that worked at the same shop. He asked us where we were going and he said that he would take us there for free. So Mohd took us to a place where they sold silk fabric. Mohd told us about his life and many stories about India. He then proceeded to invite us to his house and have dinner with his wife and kids. His two children are in college studying engineering so he wanted to get us together and talk about our schooling. I thought to myself what would my parents do? I knew that they would be cautious about going to a strangers house but I felt really safe with Mohd, and plus there was three of us going. Mohd kind of also reminded me of my dad and so I knew he would be an amazing hostess and treat us well. Hence, we decided to go have dinner at his house.
So when we got to the silk shop it was a huge building just full of fabric. There was only men working. My friends got some fabric and we headed back to the ship to freshen up and get ready for the nights festivities. When we headed out to the shops to meet up with Mohd we had some complications. We had 10 min to get to the shops and none of the taxi drivers wanted to give us a deal. So we rode in two person bike carriages, we knew it would take us about 30 min to get to the mall.
When we reached the port exit he told us to get out and get in an auto rickshaw. This is a very small looking boxlike thing, i'll post some pics, that I guess is kind of like a car but with no doors. I was quite scared for my life again. Thank goodness we got there in one piece!!! So we were about 20 min late but Mohd did not care. He is such a care free guy who just wants to meet people and get to know them. So as we arrived we met his son Thouseef. He is 20 years old and is studying mechanical engn. He just like his dad and is very nice. We stayed in their shop for a little while and just talked about life. Me and Thouseef had a lot in common so it was fun to talk about classes and such. I told him he should come to the US for grad school :)
It was about a 5 min drive from the mall to their house. They live in an apartment building on the 3rd floor. Right as I walked through the door I knew I was in for a great night. Mohd’s wife welcomed us in with loving arms. We sat and watched TV and I was able to meet their daughter. Her name is Maseeha who is 21 years old and is studying electrical engn. I also was able to talk to her about classes. Their house had pretty decorations and looked out on a type of court yard.
When dinner was ready I startled when none of them sat down to eat with us. Mohd told us that it is apart of the Indian culture to serve the guests and let them eat and then eat after they are done, this way the guest can eat as much as they want.
However, let me tell you how good the food was!!!!!!!! There was chicken, fish, curry dip, sheep, cucumbers, bread, rice, and more rice, and soooo much more. The food was the best food I have tried in a really long time.
At the dinner table we were able to talk about several different things. We talked about the government in India, and Obama, and how the schooling systems differ from the US, and arranged marriages, and so much more. I learned that the Universities in India are very similar to the Universities in the States except for the fact that they do not have weekends and they go to class from 8-5 every single day. The only days they get off are 2 Sundays every 2 months. No wonder people from India are so smart.
So after everyone was done with dinner, Maseeha offered to give us hena tattoos. She is so talented. I can not even explain how cool the designs she did on my arm and hand. During this time Thouseef got us some ice cream which was so good. I can not even tell you how honored I felt to be at the Sayeed house spending time with them. We talked for about another 30 min and then decided to head home. Maseeha and Thouseef were going to drive 2 on their motorcycles and Mohd was going to drive two in his car. I was one of the lucky ones to ride the motorcycle. I knew it was going to be safer then during the day because it was 11:30 at night and traffic would not be bad.
So, im sorry mom and dad but I had to not let this chance pass by me, I hopped on the back of Maseeha’s bike, with no helmet, again im sorry mom and dad, and headed back to the ship. It was the most exhilarating thing I have ever done!!!!!! The wind blowing my hair and me not thinking about a single thing. As we got back to our ship we said our sad goodbyes and parted ways.
I am truly thankful for my time that I have spent with the Sayeed family. It is because of them that I have had the best day of my entire life. I know that whenever I think of India I will think of my Indian family and how much fun we had together.
I still am in a little shock not realizing what really happened to me today. It only seems yesterday I was in Norfolk either going to work, spending time with friends and family, or going to school. And today I met the most amazing family in INDIA!! I hope to keep in touch with my “family ”and maybe we will soon see each other one day and I hope that who ever is reading this will one day find a family like I have found today and cherish them forever.
“I have found my seavus”– Les McCabe
Love
Michelle
I am sitting here in my bed completely speechless. I have had to most amazing day!!! As I got off the ship I knew I would be a completely different person when I got back on the boat later that day. I have been hearing all week how India is going to change my life. But I never thought I was going to feel like this.
As I left the port I was a little overwhelmed by the ambush of taxi drivers. Even if you did not need a taxi they would still pull at your arms asking where we wanted him to take us. I was a little scared. When we finally found a taxi we headed towards Spence’s Palace, we were gonna do a little shopping first. I was scared for my life while the taxi driver was driving, hahahha. There are no lines on the road so anyone could drive where ever they wanted. Americans would not be able to function if this was our driving system. I give the people of India credit for being such good drivers.
When we got to the mall we went into a store called “Indian Cottage.”I have never met such nice people in my entire life. The owner was Mohd Sayed and he treated us so well, and we got some great things. For about 2 hours we just did some more shopping and ate some lunch, then as we were leaving we ran into a guy that worked at the same shop. He asked us where we were going and he said that he would take us there for free. So Mohd took us to a place where they sold silk fabric. Mohd told us about his life and many stories about India. He then proceeded to invite us to his house and have dinner with his wife and kids. His two children are in college studying engineering so he wanted to get us together and talk about our schooling. I thought to myself what would my parents do? I knew that they would be cautious about going to a strangers house but I felt really safe with Mohd, and plus there was three of us going. Mohd kind of also reminded me of my dad and so I knew he would be an amazing hostess and treat us well. Hence, we decided to go have dinner at his house.
So when we got to the silk shop it was a huge building just full of fabric. There was only men working. My friends got some fabric and we headed back to the ship to freshen up and get ready for the nights festivities. When we headed out to the shops to meet up with Mohd we had some complications. We had 10 min to get to the shops and none of the taxi drivers wanted to give us a deal. So we rode in two person bike carriages, we knew it would take us about 30 min to get to the mall.
When we reached the port exit he told us to get out and get in an auto rickshaw. This is a very small looking boxlike thing, i'll post some pics, that I guess is kind of like a car but with no doors. I was quite scared for my life again. Thank goodness we got there in one piece!!! So we were about 20 min late but Mohd did not care. He is such a care free guy who just wants to meet people and get to know them. So as we arrived we met his son Thouseef. He is 20 years old and is studying mechanical engn. He just like his dad and is very nice. We stayed in their shop for a little while and just talked about life. Me and Thouseef had a lot in common so it was fun to talk about classes and such. I told him he should come to the US for grad school :)
It was about a 5 min drive from the mall to their house. They live in an apartment building on the 3rd floor. Right as I walked through the door I knew I was in for a great night. Mohd’s wife welcomed us in with loving arms. We sat and watched TV and I was able to meet their daughter. Her name is Maseeha who is 21 years old and is studying electrical engn. I also was able to talk to her about classes. Their house had pretty decorations and looked out on a type of court yard.
When dinner was ready I startled when none of them sat down to eat with us. Mohd told us that it is apart of the Indian culture to serve the guests and let them eat and then eat after they are done, this way the guest can eat as much as they want.
However, let me tell you how good the food was!!!!!!!! There was chicken, fish, curry dip, sheep, cucumbers, bread, rice, and more rice, and soooo much more. The food was the best food I have tried in a really long time.
At the dinner table we were able to talk about several different things. We talked about the government in India, and Obama, and how the schooling systems differ from the US, and arranged marriages, and so much more. I learned that the Universities in India are very similar to the Universities in the States except for the fact that they do not have weekends and they go to class from 8-5 every single day. The only days they get off are 2 Sundays every 2 months. No wonder people from India are so smart.
So after everyone was done with dinner, Maseeha offered to give us hena tattoos. She is so talented. I can not even explain how cool the designs she did on my arm and hand. During this time Thouseef got us some ice cream which was so good. I can not even tell you how honored I felt to be at the Sayeed house spending time with them. We talked for about another 30 min and then decided to head home. Maseeha and Thouseef were going to drive 2 on their motorcycles and Mohd was going to drive two in his car. I was one of the lucky ones to ride the motorcycle. I knew it was going to be safer then during the day because it was 11:30 at night and traffic would not be bad.
So, im sorry mom and dad but I had to not let this chance pass by me, I hopped on the back of Maseeha’s bike, with no helmet, again im sorry mom and dad, and headed back to the ship. It was the most exhilarating thing I have ever done!!!!!! The wind blowing my hair and me not thinking about a single thing. As we got back to our ship we said our sad goodbyes and parted ways.
I am truly thankful for my time that I have spent with the Sayeed family. It is because of them that I have had the best day of my entire life. I know that whenever I think of India I will think of my Indian family and how much fun we had together.
I still am in a little shock not realizing what really happened to me today. It only seems yesterday I was in Norfolk either going to work, spending time with friends and family, or going to school. And today I met the most amazing family in INDIA!! I hope to keep in touch with my “family ”and maybe we will soon see each other one day and I hope that who ever is reading this will one day find a family like I have found today and cherish them forever.
“I have found my seavus”– Les McCabe
Love
Michelle
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Beautiful Indian Ocean!
Journal #21 March 3, 2009
Well, I guess most of you guys have realized how busy I am. I have been doing a lot of school work and getting prepared for India. The day after Mauritius we had or sea Olympics, there were a total of 10 seas competing against each other and I was on the red sea. At the beginning of the day my sea was not doing so hot. There were many competitions; such as, pictionary, treasure hunts, tug of war, volleyball, dodge ball, sudoku, and many more. There was even a flip cup one, don’t worry it was with water, I watched this one and my sea won!! That was really exciting.
So during the middle of the day we started catching up. But the Pink team was doing really well. I made my roommate sign up for the M&M eating competition. This is where you had to put your face in a pile of whip cream and find 10 M&M’s hahahhahha, she got 2nd place!!!
So anyway, the day went great everyone had fun and it was pretty well organized. At the end of the day it was the closing ceremonies and they announced the winners. By the way the winners get to get off the ship first in Florida, I think I already told u that. Well, the red sea GOT 2ND!!!!!!!! The Pink team won, but we still got 2nd out of 10!!! So that was pretty exciting.
Other then that I have been going to classes and enjoying my free time. By the way, the water in the Indian Ocean is absolutely beautiful, it is like nothing I have ever seen. I did not even know that it could be soooo blue. I wish everyone could see what I was talking about but maybe one day yall will have the chance to see it. Also the sunsets are gorgeous, something about the Indian Ocean just makes everything more beautiful. A lot of times I just sit out there by myself watching the sun go down wondering how it is so immaculate. The colors are beautiful and they change so quickly, from yellow to orange the purple to black, its mind blowing. I have also seen a lot of animals, we see a lot of flying fish, and today I saw dolphins!!! They were so pretty.
Well after tomorrow we arrive in India. I can not wait to get there and see how awesome it is. We have been having a lot of speakers from India talk and they just rave about it. The first thing I am going to do when I get there is buy a kurta. I hope everyone is doing well at home!!
Love
Michelle
Also, If you guys go to www.semesteratsea.org click on spring 2009 you can watch some slide shows from our trip. If you watch the ones from Spain and Namibia I am in it a couple of times.
Well, I guess most of you guys have realized how busy I am. I have been doing a lot of school work and getting prepared for India. The day after Mauritius we had or sea Olympics, there were a total of 10 seas competing against each other and I was on the red sea. At the beginning of the day my sea was not doing so hot. There were many competitions; such as, pictionary, treasure hunts, tug of war, volleyball, dodge ball, sudoku, and many more. There was even a flip cup one, don’t worry it was with water, I watched this one and my sea won!! That was really exciting.
So during the middle of the day we started catching up. But the Pink team was doing really well. I made my roommate sign up for the M&M eating competition. This is where you had to put your face in a pile of whip cream and find 10 M&M’s hahahhahha, she got 2nd place!!!
So anyway, the day went great everyone had fun and it was pretty well organized. At the end of the day it was the closing ceremonies and they announced the winners. By the way the winners get to get off the ship first in Florida, I think I already told u that. Well, the red sea GOT 2ND!!!!!!!! The Pink team won, but we still got 2nd out of 10!!! So that was pretty exciting.
Other then that I have been going to classes and enjoying my free time. By the way, the water in the Indian Ocean is absolutely beautiful, it is like nothing I have ever seen. I did not even know that it could be soooo blue. I wish everyone could see what I was talking about but maybe one day yall will have the chance to see it. Also the sunsets are gorgeous, something about the Indian Ocean just makes everything more beautiful. A lot of times I just sit out there by myself watching the sun go down wondering how it is so immaculate. The colors are beautiful and they change so quickly, from yellow to orange the purple to black, its mind blowing. I have also seen a lot of animals, we see a lot of flying fish, and today I saw dolphins!!! They were so pretty.
Well after tomorrow we arrive in India. I can not wait to get there and see how awesome it is. We have been having a lot of speakers from India talk and they just rave about it. The first thing I am going to do when I get there is buy a kurta. I hope everyone is doing well at home!!
Love
Michelle
Also, If you guys go to www.semesteratsea.org click on spring 2009 you can watch some slide shows from our trip. If you watch the ones from Spain and Namibia I am in it a couple of times.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Dipping into the Mauritius Seas!
Journal #20 February 27, 2009
Well the past few days at sea have gone by really fast. I have been reflecting on my time in the past ports, Namibia and Cape Town. But this morning we arrived in Mauritius!!! We got here on time, even though we left Cape Town late, and we had our diplomatic briefing. It was a quick meeting and everyone was excited to get off the boat.
Sadly, we only had one day in Mauritius, so all the students who were on SAS students were able to get off the ship first, and that was not me. So about 500 of us were waiting in the stairs and lounges eager to get off the ship. Luckily I was probably one of the first 50 people off so I did not have to wait forever!!!
Me and two of my friends had our day planned out already, so we were off in a hurry. We first had to ride the water taxi to the main center of the city. That was quite exciting, there were about 25 SAS students crammed onto a little boat, I thought we were going to sink hahha.
After getting to the city center we got money from the bank and headed to Grand Baie. This was a touristy beach that was about 30 min away. When we first arrived we signed up for parasailing!! This was going to be my first time ever.
We had about an hour so we did some shopping. I didn’t get anything though. The markets in Mauritius pretty much sold the same things as they did in other ports. When it was finally time to go parasailing my adrenaline was really high. We got on the boat, not a very safe looking boat might I add, and headed out to sea.
First Meghan went, she had already been before so Alexandria and I were going to see her do it. When they dipped her into the water they only got up to her knees wet. So then it was Alexandria’s turn. When they dipped her she got about up to her thigh. She had a blast.
Then it was my turn. When they dipped me, I only got about up to my knees wet. I was kind of sad because I wanted to get really wet. But it was still fun. So when they started pulling me in a really strong wind came and pulled the boat on its side, causing the rope to get stuck on a pole, causing me to go straight into the water, now I was not very high in the air at this time so I was not hurt at all; however, I did get about to my shoulders into the water and then I was dragged about 10 feet!!! It was soooo cool.
After that we got some drinks and some food and just relaxed. We spent some time on the beach, by the way the water is the prettiest water I have ever seen. Then we caught the bus back to the ship. Oh yeah, I also was able to by a movie while I was here. I bought Slumdog Millionaire. I only had to pay $1 for it and its in really good condition.
When we got on the boat I was quite embarrassed. I think about 50% of the students were extremely drunk. I think most of them just sat around drinking. It made me sad to see how these people are missing out on such a beautiful country.
So tonight was the start of the sea Olympics!!! This is where floors are divided into seas, I'm in the red sea, and we compete on different events. The winner of the competition is the first people that are able to get off the ship when we arrive in the US at Fort Lauderdale. So people are really intense about it. We did our cheer and spiritness competition tonight, it was really loud. Tomorrow I am not competing in any competition but I am in charge of some. I am apart of the group that makes sure it goes smoothly. Now I am in bed watching Slumdog Millionaire. So I better pay attention. Ill let everyone know how my team does tomorrow.
Love
Michelle
Well the past few days at sea have gone by really fast. I have been reflecting on my time in the past ports, Namibia and Cape Town. But this morning we arrived in Mauritius!!! We got here on time, even though we left Cape Town late, and we had our diplomatic briefing. It was a quick meeting and everyone was excited to get off the boat.
Sadly, we only had one day in Mauritius, so all the students who were on SAS students were able to get off the ship first, and that was not me. So about 500 of us were waiting in the stairs and lounges eager to get off the ship. Luckily I was probably one of the first 50 people off so I did not have to wait forever!!!
Me and two of my friends had our day planned out already, so we were off in a hurry. We first had to ride the water taxi to the main center of the city. That was quite exciting, there were about 25 SAS students crammed onto a little boat, I thought we were going to sink hahha.
After getting to the city center we got money from the bank and headed to Grand Baie. This was a touristy beach that was about 30 min away. When we first arrived we signed up for parasailing!! This was going to be my first time ever.
We had about an hour so we did some shopping. I didn’t get anything though. The markets in Mauritius pretty much sold the same things as they did in other ports. When it was finally time to go parasailing my adrenaline was really high. We got on the boat, not a very safe looking boat might I add, and headed out to sea.
First Meghan went, she had already been before so Alexandria and I were going to see her do it. When they dipped her into the water they only got up to her knees wet. So then it was Alexandria’s turn. When they dipped her she got about up to her thigh. She had a blast.
Then it was my turn. When they dipped me, I only got about up to my knees wet. I was kind of sad because I wanted to get really wet. But it was still fun. So when they started pulling me in a really strong wind came and pulled the boat on its side, causing the rope to get stuck on a pole, causing me to go straight into the water, now I was not very high in the air at this time so I was not hurt at all; however, I did get about to my shoulders into the water and then I was dragged about 10 feet!!! It was soooo cool.
After that we got some drinks and some food and just relaxed. We spent some time on the beach, by the way the water is the prettiest water I have ever seen. Then we caught the bus back to the ship. Oh yeah, I also was able to by a movie while I was here. I bought Slumdog Millionaire. I only had to pay $1 for it and its in really good condition.
When we got on the boat I was quite embarrassed. I think about 50% of the students were extremely drunk. I think most of them just sat around drinking. It made me sad to see how these people are missing out on such a beautiful country.
So tonight was the start of the sea Olympics!!! This is where floors are divided into seas, I'm in the red sea, and we compete on different events. The winner of the competition is the first people that are able to get off the ship when we arrive in the US at Fort Lauderdale. So people are really intense about it. We did our cheer and spiritness competition tonight, it was really loud. Tomorrow I am not competing in any competition but I am in charge of some. I am apart of the group that makes sure it goes smoothly. Now I am in bed watching Slumdog Millionaire. So I better pay attention. Ill let everyone know how my team does tomorrow.
Love
Michelle
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
CHARRRGGEE!!
Journal #19 February 20, 2009
So we got our wake up call at 5am and headed down to the lobby to get ready for our 2nd day of the safari. Today we had a different driver and his name was Hamilton. I knew right away that he was going to be great safari driver. Today we went to a bigger reserve that had all of the big five, the elephant, water buffalo, lion, panther, and rhino. It took us about 20 min to get there. I was soooo excited. As we started the day we saw more zebras and giraffes. But then about an hour in we saw ELEPHANTS!!! There were about 5 other safari cars there so it was hard to see them. Then the elephants went into the shrub so we could not see them anymore. All of the sudden Hamilton took off down the road turned around and went other places. Then all of the sudden we were right up to the elephants. I asked him wow how did u know they were here, he said “I smelt them. ”hahah he was a great tour guide.
We spent several hours on our safari that day, actually 11 hours. We saw lots of rhinos, baboons, turtles, and many more animals. I was surprised that during this 11 hour safari I never got bored. It was absolutely awesome!!! When we got back to the lodge a bunch of us swam in the pool, and just relaxed. During this time I got stung by a bee :( it hurt for just a few minutes.
Again dinner was awesome and it was great to sit out and look at the stars. They were so bright and I was really excited because I was finally able to see the Southern Cross. Elise and I called it an early night again because we had another early morning. Again we woke up at 5am and got ready for out game drive. This game drive was optional so about half of us went. I was especially glad I went on this one because WE GOT CHARGED BY A RHINO!!!! It was sooo cool but scary at the same time. His name was butch and he was big. We were all screaming but we were very thankful that he was only doing a mock charge which means he charges and then stops to scare us away.
We also saw some more giraffes and realized that some of them were bleeding, they got in a fight with each other. It was sad, but its nature. As we got back to the lodge we had to pack up and get ready to go. After waiting for about 30 min we got a phone call that the bus had broken down. When it finally got there we knew that we would not have enough time to catch our flight. GREAT. As we got to the air port we missed out flight by 5 min. Then we got the news that we would have to spend an extra night in Durban. At first I was sad because I had one less day in Cape Town, and Elise and I would miss our time with Fuad but then I realized that we would have an extra day in Durban.
I loved Durban, we were put up in a 5 star hotel that was absolutely gorgeous. The beds were soo comfortable, and the food again was awesome. A bunch of us went to the closest mall and did some shopping. Then we got back to the hotel, I made some phone calls home, watched Talladega Night's and went to bed. The next day we had another early wake up call and got ready to leave Durban. Of course today did not go so smoothly also. One of the girls with us never woke up and we left 50 min late.
This trip had a lot of complications but I was extremely glad to say how flexible the students were. So thank goodness we made our flight just in time. Again I slept for the flight and woke up as we landed. Because we were a day late our tour guide allowed us to be taken to the top of Table Mountain. It was the most gorgeous view. We could see all of Cape Town.
After getting back to the boat Elise and I went out on the town, we did some more shopping and went to lunch and Quay Four. Again just like most of the other ports, South Africa was nothing like I thought it would be. I can not believe how many people here are just as or if even more, racist than Americans. SA is more green than I thought it would be, I thought there was going to be more desert. There was also one point where I was talking to some tribal people and they had never even heard of Obama. That was surprising just because at every other port they worship Obama.
Well even though I had a lot of surprises in South Africa I absolutely loved it. I can not wait to come back with my family one day. It is sooo cool and a great place to visit. I encourage everyone to come here and try it out.
Well of course with our luck we were not able to get out of South Africa on time because of the weather. We left a day later and now we are on out way to Mauritius. They say we are going to make it in time because we are going fast but I am not sure. I think they waited a day later in case we see pirates we can go really really fast and not get to Mauritius early. I am not quite sure what I am going to do in Mauritius. If anyone has any fun ideas let me know. Me and my roommate are thinking about going parasailing. I think I am going to leave this port for me to do something really adventurous. Well I better get ready for bed; we lose another hour tonight so I am beat.
Love
Michelle
So we got our wake up call at 5am and headed down to the lobby to get ready for our 2nd day of the safari. Today we had a different driver and his name was Hamilton. I knew right away that he was going to be great safari driver. Today we went to a bigger reserve that had all of the big five, the elephant, water buffalo, lion, panther, and rhino. It took us about 20 min to get there. I was soooo excited. As we started the day we saw more zebras and giraffes. But then about an hour in we saw ELEPHANTS!!! There were about 5 other safari cars there so it was hard to see them. Then the elephants went into the shrub so we could not see them anymore. All of the sudden Hamilton took off down the road turned around and went other places. Then all of the sudden we were right up to the elephants. I asked him wow how did u know they were here, he said “I smelt them. ”hahah he was a great tour guide.
We spent several hours on our safari that day, actually 11 hours. We saw lots of rhinos, baboons, turtles, and many more animals. I was surprised that during this 11 hour safari I never got bored. It was absolutely awesome!!! When we got back to the lodge a bunch of us swam in the pool, and just relaxed. During this time I got stung by a bee :( it hurt for just a few minutes.
Again dinner was awesome and it was great to sit out and look at the stars. They were so bright and I was really excited because I was finally able to see the Southern Cross. Elise and I called it an early night again because we had another early morning. Again we woke up at 5am and got ready for out game drive. This game drive was optional so about half of us went. I was especially glad I went on this one because WE GOT CHARGED BY A RHINO!!!! It was sooo cool but scary at the same time. His name was butch and he was big. We were all screaming but we were very thankful that he was only doing a mock charge which means he charges and then stops to scare us away.
We also saw some more giraffes and realized that some of them were bleeding, they got in a fight with each other. It was sad, but its nature. As we got back to the lodge we had to pack up and get ready to go. After waiting for about 30 min we got a phone call that the bus had broken down. When it finally got there we knew that we would not have enough time to catch our flight. GREAT. As we got to the air port we missed out flight by 5 min. Then we got the news that we would have to spend an extra night in Durban. At first I was sad because I had one less day in Cape Town, and Elise and I would miss our time with Fuad but then I realized that we would have an extra day in Durban.
I loved Durban, we were put up in a 5 star hotel that was absolutely gorgeous. The beds were soo comfortable, and the food again was awesome. A bunch of us went to the closest mall and did some shopping. Then we got back to the hotel, I made some phone calls home, watched Talladega Night's and went to bed. The next day we had another early wake up call and got ready to leave Durban. Of course today did not go so smoothly also. One of the girls with us never woke up and we left 50 min late.
This trip had a lot of complications but I was extremely glad to say how flexible the students were. So thank goodness we made our flight just in time. Again I slept for the flight and woke up as we landed. Because we were a day late our tour guide allowed us to be taken to the top of Table Mountain. It was the most gorgeous view. We could see all of Cape Town.
After getting back to the boat Elise and I went out on the town, we did some more shopping and went to lunch and Quay Four. Again just like most of the other ports, South Africa was nothing like I thought it would be. I can not believe how many people here are just as or if even more, racist than Americans. SA is more green than I thought it would be, I thought there was going to be more desert. There was also one point where I was talking to some tribal people and they had never even heard of Obama. That was surprising just because at every other port they worship Obama.
Well even though I had a lot of surprises in South Africa I absolutely loved it. I can not wait to come back with my family one day. It is sooo cool and a great place to visit. I encourage everyone to come here and try it out.
Well of course with our luck we were not able to get out of South Africa on time because of the weather. We left a day later and now we are on out way to Mauritius. They say we are going to make it in time because we are going fast but I am not sure. I think they waited a day later in case we see pirates we can go really really fast and not get to Mauritius early. I am not quite sure what I am going to do in Mauritius. If anyone has any fun ideas let me know. Me and my roommate are thinking about going parasailing. I think I am going to leave this port for me to do something really adventurous. Well I better get ready for bed; we lose another hour tonight so I am beat.
Love
Michelle
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