CIRCUMNAVIGATIO N: A Practical Travel Guide for voyagers on Semester at Sea

Length: 250 pp. Delivery date: December 2004 Karen L. Arcelaschi 14 Harpswell Street Torrington, CT 06790

2 Table of Contents

why is this necessary? 3 brief description 3 target audience 5 competition 5 research 6 book table of contents 7 extended summary 8 annotated book table of contents 12 sample material 20 bibliographies 31, 39, 50 the author 51

3 Why is this Necessary?

This book proposal is a culmination of all of the education I have received as an English major here at the University of Massachusetts. My career goals are aimed at travel writing, particularly for a publication such as Lonely Planet Guides. These guides are written for the person who wants to get more out of their travel experience than just being a tourist. These guides are written casually, with an informal authority that captures an audience by using humor and cultural anecdotes. Since unsolicited manuscripts are likely to be turned away by publishers, I chose to write a book proposal as a way of gaining practical experience in a field I am eager to immerse myself in upon graduation. Through Professor Toomey (my project chairperson), I have had experience in writing grant proposals as well as a book proposal last semester. After my graduation, I will be heading to Osaka, Japan to teach English as a foreign language and while I am there I plan on submitting a book proposal to Lonely Planet Guides on covering the Osaka area, as they do not have a guide for that region. This proposal was a great way to gain the guidance and discipline needed to submit a proposal to a company while combining my creative ideas for the Semester at Sea program to improve preparations for future voyagers.

Brief Description

Circumnavigation will be a practical travel guide for Semester at Sea participants, based on my own experiences aboard the Spring 2002 voyage.

The book will work chronologically through the four-month Semester at Sea voyage, each host country having its own chapter. It will begin with Cuba and move through Brazil, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China and will end with Japan. Within those chapters, I will give a brief summary of that country’s history, economy and politics: all the essential information voyagers need to know in order to achieve the most out of their visit. I will also devote a section of each chapter to answering common questions that voyagers had during our trip. These range from the logical, ‘What was the Kyoto Protocol?,’ to the silly but often wondered, ‘What is the difference between a Brazilian wax and a regular wax?’ I encourage the participants to get the most out of their voyage by trying to immerse themselves in each local culture as much as possible. I suggest that one of the best ways to do this is sampling cultural cuisine and provide several local dishes that should be tried for a true authentic meal. The bulk of each chapter is the travel portion. This section explains the things I chose to do during my voyage, whether they be planned Semester at Sea group excursions to places like the Taj Mahal, or adventures with just a couple of friends. I will explain my reasons for selecting what I did in each country and if I recommend doing it again. The instructors on the ship provide many descriptions of other excursions that participants can take. I want a personal experience to show through and help to influence their decision, whether negatively or positively. By giving the voyagers a first hand view of these countries they will be more prepared to embark on the country itself, and not just the tourist spots. Different countries have similar gestures that mean vastly different things. This section will explain what is considered respectable behavior and what is inappropriate so that each voyager can have the opportunity to impress and make friends.

4 There will be a short list of common translations for voyagers. There will also be a perforated section for students to rip out and carry with them that includes essential information on the ship’s address and emergency number in that local port, the on-call medical staff and dean on duty and the name and location of the United States ambassador in that country. I will end each chapter by giving a list of suggested reading material for that country as well as a bibliography, should readers wish to consult any of my sources.

My focus throughout the text will be on my personal experience. I am creating this book as a means of providing future voyagers with the information that I wish I had on my own voyage, to have made that experience more rewarding. There will be plenty of opportunity for students to read up on their travel options and to have textbooks on geography, but I want to focus on experience. Not all countries are the same, and none is like the United States. I will discuss what it was like to meet Fidel Castro and the difference between my time in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Brazil. I opted to do everything independently of Semester at Sea in South Africa; my friends and I planned all our own excursions, and I will discuss my thoughts on that. Is it better to travel independently when you are in countries where English is widely understood? Is it safe to travel alone in certain countries? In Mauritius, I will discuss how a ‘spring break’ from a semester where you are constantly traveling is necessary. In India, I opted for the more touristy route, going to the Taj Mahal and the Gandhi Museum rather than volunteer at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Sick and Dying, as some of my fellow voyagers did. Singapore was the country in which I focused on a lot of my class work, taking a field excursion to the legal and illegal Red Light Districts with an extremely sexist tour guide. Vietnam was one of my biggest surprises, a gorgeous country where bootleg DVDs are easy to find and knock-offs of any designer label are around every corner. Crawling through the actual Cu Chi Tunnels left from the war was frightening, both in the sense that it instilled me with claustrophobia and because it was a chilling reminder of a war that was not too long ago. Hong Kong showed me that neon lights and architecture make for true, awe-inspired beauty. By the time we reached China, I was feeling independent enough to venture from Hong Kong to Beijing with two friends and our plane was caught in a horrible sand storm for two hours. Japan seemed more modern that the United States, yet had more history than any other place I had visited. I rode the bullet train to Hiroshima and was able to compare that museum to the war museum I visited in Vietnam.

Most of the participants on this voyage have never been to these countries and have no idea where to begin deciding how to spend their time in each one. By providing my experience, I will be able to offer them an honest look into some tourist spots and unconventional travel methods that should help them decide what they would best like to do. I will also discuss what I would do differently or again, if I had the chance to participate on another voyage. I want to offer information that is useful and practical. A lot of this information was missing from my voyage. I want to provide the information necessary for these voyagers to have an easier time choosing how to spend their stay in each port.

5 Target Audience

This book is extremely specific in that it will be written for Semester at Sea voyagers. However, more than just students participate on these biannual voyages. There are the faculty and staff, who often bring their families. On my particular voyage there were children of all ages. Although they don’t make up a large percentage of the voyagers, I would like this to appeal and be useful to the older children. In addition to all the aforementioned passengers there are “senior passengers,” people, usually much older and often retired, who take the voyage as a vacation. Some save all their life for a voyage like this, but some go several times. Our oldest passenger “Wild Bill,” as we called him, was 93 years old and this was his fifth Semester at Sea voyage. My goal is that every passenger will be able to benefit from this guide in some way. In writing the book, I focused largely on the college student population as that makes up roughly 90% of the voyagers. The program was designed for students and therefore, this guide should be most useful to those students.

Competition

Writing for a program as specific as Semester at Sea is beneficial because there is no public competition. However, there is a text called Port to Port, which is used in the required World Geography class. This is the only class required of all voyagers and the textbook comes in handy, though it focuses mostly on history. While my book won’t replace Port to Port, it will be a practical aid to it, similar to how a workbook aids a foreign-language text. It provides practical, hands-on use, which is exactly what I am hoping Circumnavigation will do for the voyagers. In addition to the text, there were handouts that we received the night before landing in each port, which included much of the information that I provide in this book. My goal is to eliminate the handouts entirely, replacing them with my book. Receiving handouts the night before arrival in a port was not sufficient time to prepare for that country. The book will be available to the voyagers anytime before their voyage so that they can learn, and retain the most information. Putting the handouts in a book format available before the voyage will also will save on paper and cargo space. The handouts were made for the roughly 700 passengers before each port. This increased the amount of paper we had to purchase and store on the ship. Towards the end of the voyage, paper became a hot commodity, as we do not buy those things (unless for personal use) in port. Putting this information into a book will save on paper and toner for the copier. By limiting the number of copies that we have to make, we can save greatly on cost and inconvenience. These reasons are why I feel that my book can completely replace the handouts and can serve as an essential supplement to the required Port to Port text.

6 Research

While preparing for my voyage in the Spring of 2002, I became discouraged by the lack of materials the school provided for me. It was during this time that I came up with the idea to create this travel guide. I was lucky to have known from the beginning that I wanted to write a guide that combined all the handouts and articles the staff gave us throughout the voyage into one practical book, so I saved everything that we were given on the voyage. This included the Port to Port textbook, all of the handouts and brochures and any other material that I collected from each country. I also subscribe to several different travel magazines such as Condé Nast Traveler and National Geographic Traveler. The internet has been a valuable resource for me, in that I can collect information from all of the top travel guides such as Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, and Fodor’s. I also found great recipes on websites and homepages for some of the major cities. It was not difficult to find information on these countries, between the things that I saved, the UMASS library and the internet. I not only kept a very detailed journal of my voyage but kept in touch with my roommates and friends who shared my journey.

Further research will involve more thoroughly exploring items in this text. I also would like to include some interviews and experiences from other passengers to serve as a voice for different aspects of the voyage. Including the other viewpoints will round out the text and eliminate the bias of a single narrative.

7 Table of Contents

Introduction: Semester at Sea, Spring 2002 Voyage

Chapter 1: Cuba Chapter 2: Brazil Chapter 3: South Africa Chapter 4: Mauritius Chapter 5: India Chapter 6: Singapore Chapter 7: Vietnam Chapter 8: Hong Kong Chapter 9: China Chapter 10: Japan

Afterword

8 Extended Summary

Having jumped into the Semester at Sea program blindly, I continue to see how it profoundly changed my global attitude and academic priorities. However, if I had to do the program again, I would want to be better prepared. I have designed this book to help future students prepare for their voyage so they can get the most out of their experiences.

The cover page for each chapter consists of the name of the country discussed and a quotation that best describes that country. The quotations are from authors, political or historical figures, and fellow voyagers. There is also a general map of the country labeled with the major cities. This is to provide the voyagers with a general idea of where they will begin and what kind of ground they can cover during their stay. At the bottom of the page, I listed key statistics to help the students learn the important facts about the topic country. I include a geographical description of the location, the land area and the area comparative, as it was always easiest for me to comprehend the size of a place when compared with something familiar. I include an interesting geographical note, the population, the capital, and the currency (I do not include the exchange rate because it changes frequently). I believe that every student should have a memorized understanding of the statistical information for each country.

The text for each chapter begins with an informal introduction to the location, politics and economy of that particular country. I try to include only the key facts that are essential to understanding how that country came to be what it is today. My goal is that this section is an entertaining account of that country’s history. I try not to go into too much detail about any one thing in particular, figuring that much of this will be covered by guest lecturers from those countries and that if the student sees something they are interested in finding more about, they will contact a more in-depth source to learn the full details. I think it is important to start with the background information because that is how a country came to be the way it is in the present and knowing this right away will aid in understanding the information that follows. . The next section is entitled ‘Things you always wanted to know but didn’t even know to ask.’ I wanted to include this question and answer section because I had a lot of unanswered questions. These ranged from what I never learned in high school that I wish I had such as, “What began the embargo and travel ban with Cuba?” to those that I can’t help but wonder about like, “Can you really see the Great Wall of China from space?” Some of the questions I came up with were my own and some I heard classmates asking, but some of them I came up with after visiting the countries. I thought that had I known about that particular thing before I went, I would have been able to better experience that part of their culture. For example, in Vietnam a common form of entertainment is Water Puppetry, something I had never heard of before my visit. However, it is such an integral part of their culture that had I known about its importance to the Vietnamese, I would have made certain to see a full performance. (I was lucky enough to catch a small scene from a show). The idea of this section is to provide a format in which the reader can scan the questions, skipping ones that they already know the answer to and read about the things they don’t. I am hoping to get reactions of “Oh yeah, I always wondered that,” or “Oh! That is what it meant in the book.” (The latter would be if they discover the

9 answer for themselves in the country). Some countries have more questions than others because their history and size didn’t offer as much to be asked. However, the beauty of this section is that there is always room for additional questions.

The next section focuses on local cuisine. On my voyage, we were encouraged to try as much local cuisine as possible. Of course, I urge that everyone exercise caution to avoid illnesses such as “Delhi Belly,” which can make your visit extremely unpleasant. No one wants to vomit out a bus window or to have painful diarrhea in the middle of a tour. (Both of these happened to people on my voyage). However, if you use common sense, local food can be safe and delicious. I learned that Chinese food in China is vastly different from Chinese food in America. I also made it a point to learn the names for local delicacies that I wanted to avoid. Many of us voyagers were vegetarians, and finding food wasn’t often an easy task. Not only are dietary restrictions something to watch out for, but also extreme cuisines such as cat, dog, snake and ostrich are things that passengers may wish to avoid. I learned those words to be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Sometimes, grossing out the voyagers can be fun, as was demonstrated in one of my classes where a Vietnamese delicacy of eating a baby chick right out of the egg days before it hatches, was introduced. Most of the time, though, it is more exciting to explain some of the lesser known dishes. I include some pictures, if I feel it enhances the description of the meal. Otherwise I discuss some of the common practices and delicacies.

The meat of each chapter is in the next section entitled, “What should you do in five days?” The ship docks in most ports for approximately five days, although this can vary due to weather, political instability, trouble with the ship, etc. (All three were a cause for minor adjustments to the itinerary on my voyage). Many people on the voyage come from different economic backgrounds, so the one thing that everyone has in common is time, not money. I suggest how to best spend the short amount of time they have in each port. There is a field guide list available for each voyager to choose what they want to participate in with Semester at Sea. There is also an onboard field office to assist those who want to travel independently. My purpose in this section is to provide the voyager with information on what I did in each country and how it stacked up to my expectations. There were some things I didn’t always get to do that I would recommend to people, like the organized city orientations. They are a great way to familiarize yourself with the different sections of the city so you don’t have to waste time figuring out if you will like that area or not. There are things that I would do again in a second, like my trip to Veradero Beach in Cuba. Other things I would turn down in order to experience something equally as wonderful, like instead of returning to Rio, I would like to visit The Amazon. And some things I think are better done independently than through Semester at Sea, like my time in Beijing. By traveling with friends, we were able to see what we wanted at our own pace, rather than be confined to the limits of the group. There are things I strongly recommend doing through Semester at Sea, like traveling to northern India. It is much safer traveling there in a large group, since there is some anti-American sentiment close to the Kashmir and Pakistan borders. I had varying experiences in each country and I explain those fully along with my reasons for why I would or wouldn’t do it again. This is the essential part of each chapter, as far as I am concerned. I chose things based on things I had heard in the past, but in looking back I wish I had heard more about what it would be like to visit some different places that I

10 hadn’t thought about, or visiting them in a manner different than I am familiar with. Whether my experience turns a voyager on or off to that particular excursion is not important; what is important is that this section gives them the information they need to make that decision more clearly, without running the risk of regrets.

The most fun I had writing this book came in doing the next section which is based on culturally acceptable and unacceptable behavior. There is a different title for each country based on a specific anecdote I found on miscommunication of some kind. Sometimes, there is mercy shown on those who are foreigners, but it is more respected and appreciated if you visit a country familiar with their culture. In some cases, it can even be impressive. The inspiration for this section came from the supposed miscommunication experienced by late former President John F. Kennedy when he went to Berlin. He had practiced saying ‘I am a Berliner’ to greet the people in Germany but literally the saying is translated into ‘I am a jelly donut’ (A Berliner is a type of jelly filled pastry in Germany). It is certainly funny to think of such a distinguished man as the President of the United States flubbing like that, although perhaps not as uncommon with our current Commander in Chief. I think that this section will draw the most positive results from readers, as it is extremely useful advice and it is really fun to read.

I have excluded the next section in my sample chapters because I wanted the focus to be on my writing, but I think it is important to include a list of common words and phrases translated into the local language. Only in India and South Africa was English spoken widely enough that I didn’t need to translate, but even in countries such as Mauritius and Singapore, where English is one of the official languages, I did not find it to be widely spoken or understood and needed to refer to my high school French classes, or my pocket Malay translator, respectively. There are some words that are useful to know right off the bat, and these are the ones that I include in the book, but I encourage voyagers to take out a pocket translator from the library so that they can say more and get around the country easier. In some cases, like Asia, where phonetics rarely help, I used a picture translator, where I could point to the picture of a taxi and be taken to one immediately. I also make a point to remind the voyagers, that there will be guest students and lecturers from those countries on the ship who can help you translate anything you need. Particularly useful in Asia was having a sheet of paper with the port address where our ship was docked written in that country’s characters so that we could just show it to the taxi driver and he could take us there. (Note: Trying to get to a destination by using the address that is printed on the back of a matchbook, like a hotel’s, may get you a trip to the matchbook factory, as happened to one man I read about). The most important things to learn are “What time is it?” so that you make it back to the ship before it leaves port, and “Where is the bathroom?” for obvious reasons.

Although I never needed this next section, it is one of those things that can be just as important as your passport, should you need it. This section is entitled “Wait! Don’t Leave Home Without This!” as a warning to all students that this should be carried with them at all times while off the ship. It will be perforated so that it can be torn out of the book without damaging the other pages, and will have spaces for information such as the name and location of the current U.S. ambassador and embassy as well as the emergency phone number for the ship and port address and the names of the medical staff and dean of duty during the time in that country. As I said before, it would also be best to have

11 another sheet with the same information in Asian characters, for those countries, to carry to show to others.

At the end of each chapter, I will include a list of suggestions for further reading. These are the suggestions offered by the Semester at Sea website in conjunction with that voyage’s professors. I am also not including this section in my sample chapters, as it is not focused on my writing and can easily be added at a later time and/or accessed off the Semester at Sea website.

Finally, at the end of each chapter will be a bibliography. This is because so much information is collected from different sources for each country. Rather than include one long and confusing bibliography at the end of the book, I thought it might be easier for students who wish to find out more information if there was a list at the end of each chapter.

12 Annotated Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Cuba

Cuba is a difficult port for those on the Spring voyages because you arrive only two days after the trip begins. Most people don’t know anyone else and it is hard enough getting adjusted to your new surroundings, let alone preparing for one of the most controversial countries in the world. The ship will dock along the Bay of Havana, which is one of the safest harbors in the world, according to Semester at Sea. This bay also provides an amazing view. Across the bay is an old lighthouse and all along the waterfront you can see locals fishing with their homemade poles. On Sundays, if you follow the stone wall along the bay down to the green, you will come across the flea market, which is the best place to do your shopping. Be prepared to bargain! The best paintings and souvenirs are found at this market, so I would save your money for that. Speaking of money, Cuba does not use credit cards at all. U.S. Dollars are the only currency that you will be able to use. The local currency was not available for us and travelers checks are difficult to use as well. Make sure you have cash on you before you leave the Bahamas.

Havana is filled with a lot of things to do, and hopefully you will participate in the Welcome Reception held by the University of Havana. Lunch will be served (though be careful because a lot of people got food poisoning during my voyage from that lunch --- Cubans included!) and tours will be given of the university. This is a great way to meet Cuban students who will be more than happy to act as your guides during your stay in Cuba. I opted to go on a Semester at Sea trip to the University of Mantanzas and Veradero Beach, which was worth the time and cost, but it meant missing a baseball game. I had friends who attended the game and said it was a great experience; they even taught the Cubans the wave. Since it is Cuba’s national pastime, I would try and go. But, if you decide to go to the University of Mantanzas, you will not be disappointed. After a lovely bus ride through the Cuban countryside, a performance was put on for us by children that attended the performing arts school. The evening was spent at a hotel on Veradero Beach where we listened to a Cuban band play poolside. Spending time on the beach was great because Veradero is a gorgeous beach, but that early in the voyage, it allows you to make some friends with people you don’t already know. I learned during this trip that the promised itineraries “are subject to change.” I was really looking forward to visiting the caves, but was glad to skip that in order to visit with Fidel Castro. He enjoys meeting with Semester at Sea students and has done so with several voyages before and after mine. I hope that you are so lucky. He is a brilliant man and wonderful speaker (though long-winded).

Spanish is the local language, although my Spanish-speaking friends tell me that Cuban Spanish is more difficult than other Spanish because they speak so fast. If you come across anyone who speaks English, they will be excited to try it out on you, and will help you with your Spanish, as well.

13 Chapter 2: Brazil

(see sample chapter)

Chapter 3: South Africa

You will undoubtedly cherish sleep, but if there is one time that you want to wake up at an unreasonable hour, it is when you dock in Cape Town. You will pull into port as the sun rises against Table Mountain. It gave me chills, even though I was crabby on two hours of sleep.

If you are planning on going sky diving (and if you aren’t now, you probably will be by the time you get to Cape Town, as I was) then book your jump as soon as you get off the ship. The sky diving office is located right on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, where the ship will be docked, and there will be a mad rush to sign up. The sky diving office knows when the ship docks they are prepared to handle everyone who wants to skydive. In my opinion, the view of the South African coast is more beautiful as you are falling from a plane in the sky, than it is on the top of Table Mountain. However, I think you should still make sure you see Table Mountain; just don’t leave what you really want to do until the last day. My friends and I were lucky in that we were the last group of people allowed on the mountain that day because the winds were really picking up. Had we waited five minutes more, we would have missed our chance to see the mountain at all.

I spent my time in Cape Town with my friends. I opted only to see a play with Semester at Sea and go to the Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve as an organized trip. The reserve is great, and it was my first time to the desert. This reserve requires reservations, so I doubt that you would be able to get there independently, but it is also a four-hour ride that would be expensive by taxi and it is pretty secluded so I doubt you can get there by bus. The Reserve is worth going to because you are hundreds of miles away from civilization and on a clear night you can see Jupiter and Saturn through a telescope. We also rode in jeeps to participate in a nighttime animal watch. They don’t have lions or tigers or any of the big safari animals, but there are a lot of springbuck and a couple zebras. All the animals are cool to see, but don’t expect the big ones. My only complaint comes from the fact that I have an enormous fear of insects, particularly spiders. The spiders at the Reserve are absolutely gigantic. I usually cover insects up with a cup or something until someone can kill them, but these were too big to fit under anything we had. In fact, I had to switch cabins originally because my bed was covered in insects that were busy feeding off of another dead bug of some kind. If you are terrified of that kind of thing, make sure you have a roommate who will get rid of the spiders for you, as mine did for me.

Other than visiting the Reserve, I did all the other things with my friends. I recommend going to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was in prison, but I think you save money by going with friends instead of with Semester at Sea. It is also nice to

14 be in groups with people who aren’t from America. After a while, all the Semester at Sea stuff becomes very familiar and can take away from the cultural experience.

Definitely check out the markets and shops along the waterfront. There will be a lot of handmade crafts for sale and some good music. For food, Mama Africa was the best restaurant I went to on the whole trip. They serve authentic African food; I had butternut squash while a friend of mine had the wild game dish. We ate while listening to a great African drum band. If you have the time, eat there, but make reservations because it is always packed.

Lonely Planet says that there are eleven languages in South Africa, but English and Afrikaans are the official languages. Communication won’t be a problem at all. And if you are planning on doing any shopping, do it here. The exchange rate right now is a great save for Americans. 11 Rand to 1 USD. I recommend buying food at the grocery store in the waterfront mall near the ship. You will miss having your choice of food when you get back on the ship and you will save a lot of money buying it here. Another thing I found useful was getting my film developed here. A lot of people have digital cameras, but I still used good old 35mm film. Again, because the exchange rate works in our favor, getting what you already have developed here is a smart idea.

Chapter 4: Mauritius

(see sample chapter)

Chapter 5: India

I was extremely lucky to have had a close friend travel on a voyage a couple years before me. She gave me a lot of tips that helped calm my nerves about what I was to expect and I want to share some of that with you. To me, India is the most difficult country to digest. Much of what you see will be beautiful and much of what you see will be unsettling. Here are some of my tips for successful travel in India:  Sometimes the smells are extremely unpleasant. In order to avoid being overcome by this, I had a strong minty chap stick that I wore all the time, spreading it from my top lip to under my nose so that the menthol smell covered up what was unpleasant.  Always carry a travel pack of tissues with you. There are two good reasons for this. The first is that there is no toilet paper in India. Not all facilities are equipped to handle toilet paper, but as gross as it may sound, there will be a trash can nearby. The second reason is that while I was in India, I found the air so polluted and harsh on me that I had a bloody nose the entire time I was there. It wasn’t a drippy mess, but I felt the need to clean often and it wasn’t pretty. I know that I was not the only one to experience this.

15  Carry bottled water with you everywhere you go. Water is one of the things that I wouldn’t trust anywhere but the ship. Even the bottled water in the nice hotels is likely to just be tap water in a bottle. India does not have the bottled water regulations that we have in the US. Bring your own water with you. To give you an idea of how bad the water can be for you, the ship does not take in any water while in India. Normally the ship will refill its water supply in every port and all the water goes through an extensive filtration process. The water in India is so risky for Americans that we do not take on any water and the ship has special hours when water is available. If you have extra bottles, stock up on water just before you dock in Chennai.  Carry granola bars or something like it with you if you are going away on long trips. This is particularly true for those of you who are going on Semester at Sea sponsored trips as you will not always be able to stop when it is convenient. There is so much to see that you will be getting to bed around midnight and then ready to leave at 5 or 6am. We even left one morning at 4am.  GIRLS…wear long cotton skirts. It is really rude to show skin in India and a meeting on appropriate dress will be held before you reach port. It is unfortunate that the country where you must cover up the most is one of the hottest. The weather in northern India is similar to that of the southern US, but in southern India, it is often unbearable. Long, loose cotton skirts are the best. It is not advisable to wear only tank tops because too much skin is exposed, but I bought a pashmina (a long, wide scarf like cloth) that could be used for many things. I wore a tank top so that I could cover up with the pashmina in public and be comfortable when on the bus with my fellow students. It also doubled as a blanket during our six hour train ride. You will want to be in layers as some buses will be scorching because they don’t have air conditioning, while others with air conditioning will be freezing.  If you have sandals, wear them. When visiting temples, you will have to take your shoes off. Sandals are much easier than sneakers to remove on a regular basis, not to mention your feet will stay cooler. Just be sure that you are careful where you step.

Chapter 6: Singapore

(See Sample Chapter)

16 Chapter 7: Vietnam

Over and over again on my voyage, we heard our professors say “Vietnam is not a war, it’s a country.” You are likely to hear the same from your faculty. It is true that the Vietnamese people no longer focus on the war, but that doesn’t mean we should forget it ever happened. My voyage left only a few months after the September 11 attacks and the situation in Vietnam in the ‘60s is reminiscent of the current situation in Iraq. We all took special pains to visit the War Remnants Museum. (Remember, in Vietnam, they call it The American War). The museum is difficult to get through and the pictures are extremely graphic, but I think that anyone who visits will think twice about supporting any war.

In addition to the war museum, the organized trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels is worth every cent. The tunnels were built underground by the Viet Cong during the war as a way to hide from U.S. Troops. The Viet Cong could jump into a hole not much wider than my women’s size seven shoe and disappear out of sight. We were able to crawl through some of the actual tunnels, though for tourists they had to be widened because we wouldn’t have been able to fit through the original tunnels. If you are claustrophobic, do not even attempt to go in. If you aren’t claustrophobic, you can see the world that they created underground. There was a makeshift hospital, kitchen and meeting rooms. The tunnels had three levels and ironically they built a set of tunnels right underneath an American base, and subsequently blew it up.

Water puppetry, a native form of entertainment is really spectacular to watch. There are no words, just puppets acting out to music while in water. There is a screen that provides the back wall of the stage area, behind which are people operating the puppets. You cannot see them and even though you know there are people back there, it is still amazing how they do it.

I spent my time in Ho Chi Minh City doing independent travel. There is a lot of shopping. At the mall across the street from the Rex Hotel, there are a lot of bootleg DVDs for $1 each and knock-off North Face bags for $15. Our voyage had a blast stocking up on all of that stuff, but a friend of mine who went on the voyage directly after mine in the Fall of 2002 said that the government had cracked down on the sales in the mall. Apparently they heard the government was afraid the city was becoming too capitalistic. Hopefully, you will be able to find some good deals there.

There will be a ball at the end of the voyage that we dubbed “the prom.” Many people didn’t bring along nice clothing for the voyage, but getting things tailor made in Vietnam is a great excuse to buy something nice. My roommate and I lucked out with dresses and pants, but my other roommate went a little later when the shop was busy and they took her measurements wrong and nothing fit right. Usually, though, everything comes out looking spectacular and feeling really great.

Aside from the Cu Chi Tunnels, the other trip I recommend going on through Semester at Sea is the day trip to the Mekong Delta. You will see people conducting business on their boats, which they call ‘floating markets’ and you will get to tour someone’s home. The people are really kind and allow you to sit on their patio while

17 they serve you tea and the freshest fruit you will ever taste. Use the bathroom before you leave because their bathrooms in Vietnam consist of a plank over the lake with a hole through which you take care of business. There are three walls to surround you, but it still feels a little too out in the open for me. Not to mention that every pond contains catfish, a Vietnamese menu favorite. There is a popular saying in Vietnam, “feed the catfish in the morning, eat them at night.” Of course, you can do whatever you like.

Note: You will be told not to ride the motorcycles. There are so many motorcycles on the road and very few taxis that it will be tempting to ride on one. My roommate used her cunning tactic of peer pressure on me (simply suggesting we ride one) and of course I burned my leg against the tailpipe. Not only did I burn my leg, but the driver tried to rub my burn away, which peeled all the skin off. I am not sure why that was his reaction. I was scared to report my injury to the health center for fear I would get in trouble, until I saw insects around the infected area. When I went to the health center they made a special re-announcement not to ride the motorcycles. I still have a small scar and love to show people my ‘Nam wound.

Chapter 8: Hong Kong

DO THEY REALLY EAT CATS IN HONG KONG? Yes. They also eat many other things that are not common menu items here in America. The important thing is to know how to order what you want, or to recognize menu items that you definitely DO NOT want. On my voyage, the interport lecturers were great about answering these questions; just be sure that you phrase them correctly. Try not to mention that you think it is gross. We may prefer cats as pets, but it is perfectly normal in Hong Kong, as well as mainland China, to eat them. Especially beware in open markets, where animal carcasses may be proudly displayed for buyers. The practice of eating cats was brought down to Hong Kong from mainland China, particularly the southern part of the country in the Guangdong Province. Cats aren’t the only thing that they eat that are unusual to Americans. There are restaurants that have been known to keep tanks next to your table filled with live menu selections until you order, and sometimes they will cook your selection right on your table. One dish in particular is called Dragon, Tiger and Phoenix, in which the main ingredients are snake, cat and chicken. A popular saying in Cantonese culture goes, they’ll eat “everything with legs except for chairs, and everything with wings except for airplanes.” Good luck…

WHAT IS FENG SHUI? Literally, feng shui is translated to mean “the wind and the water”. The term represents the larger scale of the natural environment and its power. When speaking about themselves, the Chinese do not consider themselves to be superstitious but instead to be avid practitioners of feng shui. It is an ancient practice that creates good fortune by placing objects (and building structures) in harmony with nature. In China, mountains and dragons are linked together and Hong Kong, as you will see, is built on mountains. To avoid upsetting the dragons, the buildings are designed so that the dragons that reside on the mountains can pass through the structures easily on their way to the water where they clean. Every building in Hong Kong is built according to fend shui and is even tested by a feng shui master (their version of a building inspector) to make sure that it

18 meets all necessary requirements. It may seem silly to us, but don’t make jokes about it because as you can see, the Chinese take this very seriously.

“THE GIRTH OF THY DONKEY’S SADDLE IS LOOSE” Chinese, either Mandarin or Cantonese, is very difficult to speak because it is a tonal language. It is useful to memorize certain phrases, like the man who said the above quotation tried to do, but any slip in tone, and your message will take on a whole new meaning. This quotation was intended to be a thank you toast after a meal during one man’s business trip to China. He prepared a statement saying “Thank you very much for the dinner. I am so full I must loosen my belt.” My suggestion is that instead of trying to learn phrases, stick with simple words. The Chinese are incredibly polite people and believe in saving face no matter how embarrassing you may make things. They understand that you do not know their language so they do not expect you to know it. In fact, many people speak English in Hong Kong, (it is one of the two official languages) so it may not be as hard to communicate as many fear. Should you decide to try to communicate in their language, a simple effort will more than please them.

Chapter 9: China

I traveled through China with two friends. It was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done, but financially it saved us more money than had we decided to take the arranged trip through Semester at Sea. A jet ferry took us from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, where we boarded our flight. The ferry was comfortable and super fast, seeming only to hydroplane on the water. It was very roomy and comfortable, such a fun way to travel. The plane ride was a different story altogether. When we boarded, it was beautiful. The sun was beginning to set and we actually saw the sunset from the plane. It was amazing and tranquil. About 45 minutes after take off, when half of the plane had been served dinner, we hit an awful lot of turbulence. In the beginning of the plane ride there were instructions in both Mandarin and English, but once we hit the turbulence, they only spoke Mandarin. The turbulence continued for over an hour and the rest of the plane didn’t receive their dinner, while mine bobbed around in front of me. I was able to sit next to one of my friends, but our other friend was next to a lady who kept vomiting into her food tray. There were a few times when we thought we were going to crash. I had never been in turbulence like that before and we later found out that we were caught in a horrible sand storm. Our friends on the Semester at Sea trips had to wait in their planes on the runway for nearly three hours until the storm passed. Even in rough times, just remind yourself that travel is an adventure.

Visiting the Great Wall was unbelievable. My two female friends and I were in a small tour group from our hotel that included two men from India. They were very nice and we felt very invigorated when we made the hour and a half climb to the top of the wall and they had to take the tram. On our way up, I, a white American, and my two friends, one a Korean-American and the other, Bahamian, were stopped by a group of Chinese women who spoke no English, but made it very clear that they wanted to take their picture with us. Never before had someone wanted to take a picture with me because I was American. I felt pretty good about myself. Not only had I climbed to the

19 top of the wall, but I had been recognized as an American and that caused excitement in people. It made me realize that the world is a lot bigger than we sometimes think.

Chapter 10: Japan

You will be very tired by the time you arrive in Japan. There is often only one day at sea between the countries in Asia and each day at sea loses an hour. Try to rest up.

Our ship docked in Osaka, but sometimes, for whatever reason, the ship will dock in Kobe. Either way, the cities are beautiful and full of things to do. There are two nearby cities that Semester at Sea urges voyagers to see, one is Kyoto and the other is Nara. Nara has a deer park which is pretty, but other than that it shares a lot of things with Kyoto, and I think that Kyoto is the more exciting of the two cities. Historically, Kyoto is more interesting as it was the original capital of Japan before Tokyo. There are also gorgeous temples including the Golden Pavilion, which was built as a retirement villa during the era of Shogun Yoshimitsu. The entire outside of the pavilion is covered in gold. It is really amazing, and to me, symbolized typical ancient Japan.

I rode the bullet train one way to Hiroshima, which took only an hour and half. The bullet train was so comfortable that I wished the ride lasted longer, and it was so fast I felt nauseated if I looked out the window. We took the commuter train back and that took us roughly seven hours. Ah----it’s all about the experience. I strongly recommend going to the Peace Museum at Hiroshima and comparing it to the war museum in Vietnam. It is interesting to compare how the two represent the different wars.

Two things that I didn’t have time to do, that I would do again if I got the opportunity to go back to Japan is to go to Tokyo and to ride the world’s largest Ferris Wheel, which is right outside the port in Osaka. Looking at it at night when it is all lit up is amazing, but I bet there are some great views of the city from the top. There is a tourist office in the terminal that hands out discount coupons to ride the wheel, so if you have the time to take advantage of that I strongly encourage it.

20 Sample Material

Chapter 2: BRAZIL

“I’ve never beheld such a paradise. The people are enchanting and…this is the only place where there isn’t any race question.” Stefan Zweig - Author

LOCATION: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. LAND AREA: 8,456,510 sq. km AREA COMPARATIVE: Slightly smaller than the US GEOGRAPHY NOTE: Largest country in South America. It shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador. POPULATION: 176,029,560 CURRENCY: Real (BRL) CAPITAL: Brasilia

21 MEET BRAZIL… Where is it, anyway? The fifth largest country in the world, Brazil makes up roughly half of South America and borders every country in its continent except for Chile and Ecuador. Brazil was settled by the Portuguese in AD 1500 and remained under their control until 1822. The population consists primarily of Europeans and European-Africans. The African population, like that in the United States, rose from slavery, which began in 1790 and only lasted for 98 years, ending in 1888. In the 1920s, thousands of Japanese arrived in Brazil as poor farmers and now, the capital of Brazil, Sao Paulo, currently has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. Brazil also contains much of the Amazon Rain Forest, a point of deep political, economic and cultural tension between Brazil and many other nations of the world, particularly the United States. Thanks to information provided by Semester at Sea, here are some interesting and little known facts about Brazil: 1. Brazil constitutes one-half of the continent of South America – both in land area and in population. 2. Brazil’s population is around 176 million, making it the sixth most populous nation in the world. 3. Brazil is one of the richest countries in terms of natural resources. 4. Over 90 different gemstones are found in Brazil. This is a greater variety than anywhere else in the world. 5. Brazil is larger in area than the continental United States without Alaska. 6. Brazil has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.

Salvador at Sunrise

22 Politics and the money they fund it with… Brazil has been under a democratic system since 1946, and like most democracies, many inequalities exist. The most severe inequality is economic. In recent years, Brazil has seen a slow increase in the number of people in the middle class, but before the last decade, virtually no middle class existed in Brazil. The economic disparity between the wealthy and the poor in Brazil is the most extreme in the world. Many of the upper class live in spacious apartments or lavish homes while the poor live in favelas, or shanty towns. These are tight knit communities where people make their homes out of whatever materials they can find and often there are no schools or doctors for their families. Brazil has the most advanced economy in all of South America and coffee and textiles are the biggest export commodities. Brazil, not Columbia (as popularly thought), is the world’s leading coffee producer. On a world scale, Brazil is still considered a developing country because its economy is not fully developed, but this country certainly has the potential to become a larger player in future world economics. In the most recent elections, a new President and Vice President took office in January of 2003. Currently, the President is Luiz Ignacio Lula Da Silva and the Vice President is Jose Alencar. In Brazil, the President is both the chief of state and head of government.

THINGS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW BUT DIDN’T EVEN KNOW TO ASK…

WHAT IS CARNIVAL? It wouldn’t seem like a visit to Brazil without participating in Carnival. Luckily, when I traveled to Brazil, I spent part of Carnival in Rio and part of Carnival in Salvador and it was my birthday. You can’t really top that. Anyway, Carnival is supposedly the last chance for celebration before the Lenten Season (the forty days of fasting that precedes Easter). Eighty percent of Brazilians are Catholic and nearly 100% of Brazilians participate in Carnival events, which begin at midnight on the Friday before Ash Wednesday and last for five days. It is thought that the word ‘Carnival’ was derived from the Italian “carne vale” which means “farewell to meat” (many Catholics give up meat for the Lenten season). Every year Carnival has a theme which is reflected in the costumes and parades each night. There are competitions among ‘samba schools’ neighborhood groups described as ‘moving operas’ that have different stories or chapters of the overall theme of the events. The best places for Carnival viewing and participation are in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. Rio is best known for Carnival celebrations and is the flashiest and most competitive but you will find the best street dancing in Salvador. In Salvador, you can dance along with the musicians performing on top of trucks that have

23 loud speakers that turn up the volume to deafening levels. Be sure to exercise the most extreme caution during Carnival, as this is the time of year when crime is at its peak and tourists are the most vulnerable. I had several friends who were mugged at knife point simply because they had some kind of valuable item that looked appealing to a partygoer. Even if it is a watch from Target, don’t wear it. And if you bring money, don’t bring a lot and keep it in your underwear.

WHAT IS MACHISMO? Machismo is simply exaggerated masculine pride. It comes from the Spanish, meaning macho male. Specifically, machismo is a practiced way of life in many Latin American countries, which are typically male dominated. Sadly, women are routinely subjected to physical abuse and it is a common practice to acquit men who kill unfaithful wives. It has also been reported that 70% of all assault, rape and murder cases against women take place in the home. There have definitely been changes in the treatment of women in the last few decades. Many women are deciding to enter the workforce and urban women are more prevalent in politics and the media. Old fashioned ways still rule most of the rural areas of the country. Though there has been great progress for women in recent years, Brazil still remains very much a patriarchy, governed by machismo.

WHAT IS A BRAZILIAN WAX AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM A REGULAR WAX? When answering this question, keep in mind that I am referring to waxing the bikini area. Men should probably skip this question as it may disrupt the awe of looking at beautiful women in bikinis everywhere. In a normal, plain, American bikini wax, hair is removed from outside the panty line. Anywhere that hair might be after your bikini is on is mercilessly ripped out by pouring hot wax on the selected area, rubbing a cloth strip onto the waxed skin and ripping it off as fast as possible. A Brazilian bikini wax is much more intrusive and painful. Hair is removed from inside most of the bikini area as well as outside the panty line. If requested, hair can also be removed from any other place in that area. You may be red for a while but the hair won’t grow back for weeks. It is assumed that this is coined as a Brazilian bikini wax because Brazilian women wear very skimpy clothing. On the beach, bikinis are very small and the women are very proud of their bodies and have no qualms about showing them off. Thus, small bikini coverage led Brazilian women to seek extreme hair removal. Once you see the bikinis in Brazil, you’ll understand why this wax is so popular. Hint: if you are at all insecure about being naked in front of everyone in sight, don’t buy your bikini in Brazil.

WHAT IS CAPOEIRA? Capoeira is a native Brazilian sport mixing elements of dance and martial arts, which is credited to the African slaves in the early 1500s. It is a sport that involves physical, musical, mental and emotional expressions and applications that are important to the African culture in Brazil. Around 1814, Capoeira was banned by many slave owners for fear of uniting the slaves especially as skilled fighters who could harm the plantation owners. Originally, Capoeira was practiced in Rio as a violent sport while in Salvador it was practiced as more of a dance-fight game. One theory suggests that

24 Capoeira was a martial art disguised as a dance so that it could be practiced without punishment from slave masters. Today, Capoeira is practiced throughout Brazil as a dance-fight game. It is not uncommon to see young men play on the streets, attracting crowds of impressed tourists. Usually an instrument called the berim bau is accompanying the players. It is an African instrument that is used to keep tempo for the players and used to serve as a warning for police or other intruders back when the sport was forbidden. When played as a warning, the players would then begin dancing the samba in an attempt to disguise their sport. This caught on with slave owners and police and for this reason, anyone caught practicing either Capoeira or the berim bau could be imprisoned or executed. I highly recommend watching Capoeira during your stay. You will not have to try hard to find it. It is performed along beaches and streets all over the country.

Capoeira

I THOUGHT COPACABANA WAS NORTH OF HAVANA? Who isn’t confused by Barry Manilow’s genius song lyrics? This was a popular question on my voyage, believe it or not, and we all wanted to know if there was a Copacabana that we didn’t know about or if Manilow was geographically challenged. The famous Copacabana beach is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is clearly south of Havana. If he was talking about the famous Copacabana club in Havana, how could it be north of itself? Well, lose sleep no more! I have discovered what Mr. Manilow meant in his song. According to devoted Manilow fan Laurie Wheeler, the title for the song came after Manilow vacationed on the famous beach in Rio; however, the inspiration for this song was the famous Copacabana night club in New York City, not the one in Cuba. Who knew? Certainly no one on the Spring 2002 voyage.

25 WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING TO THE AMAZON RAIN FOREST? The Amazon rainforest is being reduced at a rate of approximately 15,000 sq. miles (between 1.5 and 4 percent) per year due to logging, mining, ranching and the resettlement of the many landless peasants in Brazil. The Amazon is home to about ninety percent of the Earth’s animal and plant species and is a major producer of the world’s oxygen. Thousands of plant and animal species have been lost from logging and many species are presumed to have never even been discovered. In the next decade, a 2.5 million-acre “green belt” will be created in an already devastated area of the Amazon. Upwards of fifty million seedlings have already been planted and it is hoped that responsible forestry will generate jobs for Brazilians and keep the untouched areas of the Amazon where many native Indians live will remain untouched. However, this resolution was agreed upon by Brazilian and foreign investors. Everything that is going on with the rain forests is driven by money and the people of Brazil don’t necessarily see it the same way. There are over 10,000 families that are without homes or land to build homes and the rain forest is the only place where these families could hope to live. Many Brazilians would prefer the rainforests to be cut down so that they have a place to live. Many timber companies have realized that it is more profitable to properly manage the woodlands than to completely cut them down. This doesn’t mean that the rain forest is ‘out of the woods’ as far as extinction. Ultimately, it is up to the Brazilian government to decide what to do about the Amazon. While the “green belt” has already been approved, the government could decide to listen to its rising homeless population and cut down much of the land to help the people of Brazil.

WHAT IS CANDOMBLÉ? Candomblé is an Afro-Brazilian religion that rose out of a resistance to slavery. This religion is unique in that, unlike most major religions, women play a major role in directing Candomblé ceremonies, the usual object of which to persuade the spirits to descend into the bodies of the worshippers. Sometimes, the animals may include things like animal sacrifices (done outside of public view), offerings of food and drink, drumming and dancing. Dancing can go on for hours to induce the trance that allows the spirits to enter their bodies. After achieving a trance, the dancers change into the sacred costumes of the gods, then return to the main hall in a procession as the spirits are once again amongst the congregation. A possession can include the dancers whooping and shuddering; their eyes may roll up and they whirl around the floor, bouncing off the walls while the other members oversee safety. It is permissible to watch these worships and those who watch are asked to dress modestly in white. They are also asked to stay out of the dancing area, no matter how infectious the dancing and singing may be. Photographs should never be taken (anywhere) without express permission from someone in charge. If offered food, do the polite thing and take it, but watch what others do because this food isn’t always eaten; it is also used to throw over the dancers (like rice at a wedding).

26 CRAVING CULTURAL CUISINE? Rice and beans are a staple of the Brazilian diet. You can find them almost anywhere but if you want some authentic Brazilian food try these dishes:

FEIJOADA This is the national dish of Brazil. It is a meat stew served with rice and a bowl of beans. Accompanying the stew are orange peels, pepper and farinha (flour). This is considered the Brazilian equivalent of American ‘soul food’.

Beans, beans the musical fruit…

ACARAJÉ During your time in Salvador, you will see many Brazilian women in beautiful white dresses selling this dish on street corners. Made from peeled brown beans mashed in salt and onions and fried in palm oil, this is a favorite of tourists, largely because of the beautiful women selling them.

GUARANÁ This is a popular Brazilian soda made from the berry of an Amazonian plant and is absolutely delicious. It has an exotic flavor that has a fruity taste, and the best brands shouldn’t be overloaded with sugar. There isn’t caffeine added because the guaraná plant naturally delivers the same kick as

27 caffeine. Definitely try this soda, and if you can manage not to drink it during the rest of the voyage, bring some home for the fam.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN FIVE DAYS?

Brazil is a huge country and there is so much to do. You may want to take in the Amazon since it’s future is uncertain, you may want to party in Rio, visit Iguassu Falls or just stay around Salvador and see all that you can while going back to the ship for the free meals. Whatever you do, you are sure to have a great time. Just remember that Brazil is a country known for petty theft. Keep your valuables on the ship unless you absolutely have to have them. It is even recommended that wedding rings be left on the ship. When wearing a backpack, you might want to risk looking silly and wearing it in the front. Razor artists are everywhere in Brazil, who will simply slice your bag and take everything inside without you knowing. Be especially careful on the elevator to the upper city of Salvador. There is usually an announcement that the ship has arrived and many people will stand outside of the port area waiting for fresh meat. Some Brazilians have even described American tourists as ‘filet mignon’. It would be unfortunate to lose that digital camera in your second port. You have eight more to go and will definitely want pictures. Be safe and you are sure to have a great time. Don’t forget now you are south of the equator and summer is December through February. This will be the time you are visiting. Winter isn’t cold for Brazilians but in the southern part of the country, summer can be unbearably hot. Luckily, the Brazilians aren’t shy about skimpy clothing so you can always dress for comfort! Here are some tips on what to do and where to go based on my experience.

In and around Salvador: . Itaparica Island. THIS IS A MUST SEE! This is a little island located off the coast of Salvador and has beautiful beaches with clear water and a lot of foliage. There is usually a ferry every hour and I highly recommend spending at least half a day soaking up this island and taking in a traditional Bahian lunch and a Capoeira performance. Hint: wear lots of sunscreen as the sun south of the equator is much stronger than anywhere in the United States. I learned this the hard way and suffered horrible burns all over my body that turned into bubbles and the health center on the ship told me to stay out of the sun for the rest of the year. You can still see some of the scars from the bubbles on my arms. In and Around Rio de Janeiro: How lucky was I that I got to spend my 23rd birthday in Rio on Copacabana Beach during Carnaval? You will probably not be that lucky. However, I am absolutely certain you will have a blast. . Copacabana. This is likely the world’s most famous beach and with good reason. Rio is a city that is jammed between gorgeous ocean and beautiful escarpment. Copacabana beach gives you the perfect view of all of it. It runs for about 3 miles in front of what is possibly the most

28 densely populated residential areas on earth. Surf, swim or tan; it is all possible here. At night from sundown to about midnight there is a market on the beach where you can buy some really great clothes and jewelry as well as gifts for home. . Impanema. This is Rio’s richest and most chic beach. If you’re looking for models this is the beach to go to, but you’ll find beautiful people all over Rio. . Pão de Açúcar. Known to most Americans as Sugar Loaf, this is, as Lonely Planet says, “God’s gift to the picture-postcard industry.” To get to the top of this mountain, you ride two cable cars with glass sides 1300ft above Rio. At the top, you can see all of Rio while enjoying ice cream or soft drinks. . Corcovado. This is a 2460 foot mountain with the beautiful and chilling statue of Christ the Redeemer at the top. You can see the statue from just about any point in the city. It stands at 100 feet tall and was built in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Brazilian independence. Up close you feel incredibly dwarfed and no matter what your religion, it is daunting to have such a huge figure looking over you all the time. My tour guide, Marta told our group that the reason the statue’s hands are spread out like that comes from the workaholics in São Paulo who think that the people in Rio are lazy. The statue is holding his arms out waiting for the day that the people of Rio go to work so that he can clap. . Parque Nacional de Tijuca. Only fifteen minutes from the beautiful Copacabana Beach is this forty-seven square mile tropical jungle that once surrounded all of Rio. You can find luscious greenery and many waterfalls in this jungle. I recommend taking a jeep tour of the jungle. This way, you can see more of it without passing out from heat or exhaustion, and you’ll still have the rest of the day to explore the rest of Rio.

IS THAT AN IMAGINARY TELESCOPE OR ARE YOU JUST HAPPY TO SEE ME? . When a man sees a beautiful woman in Brazil, he holds an imaginary telescope up to his eye. I suppose it is the equivalent to the American cat call. Understanding gestures and customs of Brazilians is key to having a comfortable visit and will ensure you make life-long friends. . Never give the A-OK sign (the one where you make a circle by touching your index finger and thumb together. While that may mean agreement to most of us, in Brazil it translates to the equivalent of the middle finger. . The hug is as common as the handshake between all sexes. Men are very passionate in Latin America and it doesn’t mean they are homosexual. So, all you tough American guys better get used to greeting your Brazilian friends with a heartfelt hug; none of that handshake to awkward one arm hug with a

29 manly pat on the back stuff. A good, friendly hug is what they are looking for. They may also place their cheeks against yours and kiss the air. Also don’t be surprised if these passionate men cry on occasion, or exhibit tempers like you have never seen. It is all a part of their machismo. . To show appreciation for something, hold your earlobe between your thumb and forefinger. . Kissing your fingertips is a common way to say something is beautiful. It can stand for a woman, a good meal or a great looking car. . Flicking your hand under your chin in Brazil is a great way to signify that you don’t know something. Great to use if there is a language barrier. . Making a pair of horns with your pinky and forefinger, while your thumb holds down the other two fingers against the palm of your hand, is a sign of good luck. You might find this useful at a football (soccer) game, just make sure you use it for the correct team or things could get ugly. . Thumbs up is used as a greeting, for ‘OK’ and for ‘thank you’. . Always beckon someone with your palm down and your fingers or whole hand waving, as it is impolite to beckon someone with your finger(s). . Snapping the fingers signifies that something is old; done a long time ago. . Another sign of good luck is called ‘the fig’ and it is made by making a fist and putting your thumb between your index and middle fingers. This was derived from an African sexual charm brought over by the slaves. It is so popular that you can find it in the form of paperweights and charms on jewelry. . Never expect anyone to be on time for anything. It is customary to arrive approximately fifteen minutes late to appointments so don’t worry that they have forgotten. It would be wise for to be on time just in case they are trying to impress you with their knowledge of American ways, but bring a book because there may be some time to kill. . Purple is a sign of death and is not very popular in Brazil. Especially in the form of flowers. If you want to impress a date, flowers are fine as long as they aren’t purple. . If you don’t want something, slap the back of your hands as though ridding yourself of the entire affair. . If visiting a family, pay extra attention to the children. It is a great way to win the respect of the family as Brazilians are very proud of their children. . Never discuss Argentina. The two countries have a lot of tension and it is best to avoid that topic altogether. Other topics to avoid are politics, religion and of course never, ever make ethnic jokes. . If you are going to bring gifts for your hosts or friends, make sure they aren’t excessive. The best gifts are small tokens from your home. The people you will meet are generally interested in where you live, as many of them have never left their country. . Speak slowly. Many Latin Americans have a difficult time understanding our fast spoken English. Always be respectful of addressing people with the proper titles.

30 THEY DON’T SPEAK SPANISH! Don’t forget that Brazil was colonized by the Portuguese; therefore, the language of Brazil is Portuguese. This language follows the same pronunciation styles as Spanish, meaning you pretty much pronounce everything you see. You may occasionally find some people who understand Spanish or English, but it is always impressive (and respectful) to know some key words in the language of the country you are visiting.

WAIT! DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THIS! The CIA World Factbook has put out the following information that is essential for travelers to Brazil. Should you need any assistance while visiting contact the diplomatic representations from the United States: Current Ambassador: Donna J. Hrinak Embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia. The following information will be filled in during your pre-port meeting, the night before your arrival to Brazil. Please make sure that you fill this information in properly in the event you should need to refer to it. It will also be helpful to obtain this information translated into Portuguese from the interport lecturers, to ensure that you can find your way back to port with ease.

Emergency Phone Number for Ship______

Medical Staff on Duty______

______

31 Dean on Duty______

Port Address______

______

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Acarajé. Consulate General of Brazil in Houston. 6 Nov. 2003 < http://www.brazilhouston.org/ingles/acaraje.htm> Arthur, John. Brazilian Feijoada. Arizona State University. 16 Sept. 2003 < http://www.brazilbrazil.com/feijoada.html> Axtell, Roger. Dos and Taboos Around the World. White Plains: The Parker Pen Company, 1990. Axtell, Roger. Dos and Taboos of Using English Around the World. USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 1995. Brazil. Lonely Planet. 8 Sept. 2003. < http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/south_america/brazil/> Coelho, Paulo. “Rio de Janeiro” National Geographic Traveler’s 50 Places of a Lifetime Collector’s Edition, 2003: 27. Davis, Wade. “Amazon Forest” National Geographic Traveler’s 50 Places of a Lifetime Collector’s Edition, 2003: 57-59. Enkelaar, Karen, et al. eds. Geographica’s World Reference. Australia: Random House, 2000. “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Guaraná” 19 Nov. 2003. < http://www.guarana.com/> Institute For Shipboard Education. Semester at Sea. Brazil Handout. 2002. Institute For Shipboard Education. Semester at Sea. PORT-TO-PORT Global Perspectives: World Regional Geography. Guilford: McGraw-Hill, 2002. Institute For Shipboard Education. Semester at Sea Fall 2003. 8 Sept. 2003. Semester at Sea. 15 Oct. 2003. Liliana. The Brazilian Wax Defined. 14 Feb. 2001. The Brazilian Wax. 19, Sept. 2003. < http://members.tripod.com/agrrrrl/The_Brazilian_wax.html>

32 Rosenberg, Matthew T. The Handy Geography Answer Book. Canton: Visible Ink Press, 1999. The World Factbook 2002 Brazil. 1 Aug. 2003. United States Central Intelligence Agency. 21 Oct. 2003. Wheeler, Laurie. Barry Manilow Lyrics. 15, Nov. 2003. Laurie’s Barry Manilow Page. 15 Nov. 2003.

33 Chapter 4: MAURITIUS

“You gather that Mauritius was made first, and then Heaven, and that Heaven was copied after Mauritius.” Mark Twain

LOCATION: Southern African island in the Indian Ocean, east of

Madagascar. LAND AREA: 2,030 sq. km AREA COMPARATIVE: Almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC GEOGRAPHY NOTE: the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost completely surrounded by coral reefs. POPULATION: 1,200,206 (July 2002, est.) CURRENCY: Mauritian Rupee CAPITAL: Port Louis MEET MAURITIUS… Where is it, anyway?

34 Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean, 500 miles east of Madagascar and consists of one large island and several small islands. The French originally settled this island and in 1715, brought over African slaves to farm the sugar plantations. In 1810, the British took over the island and brought in indentured servants from India. From these drudges came two distinct communities: Afro-French Creole and English-speaking Indian. Both compete for influence and power. The British continued to hold control of the island until March 12, 1968 when independence was granted to Mauritius. The island officially became a republic in 1992. Because of Mauritius’ proximity to India, the religious majority of the country is Hindu. In fact, approximately 52% of Mauritian citizens are of the Hindu faith. The second religious majority is Christian, weighing in at 28% and is likely due to the immigration of Christian immigrants from Africa.

A Honeymooner’s Heaven

Politics and the money they fund it with… Economic growth is rampant throughout Mauritius. Due to the encouraging political changes in the past twenty years as well as a positive human rights record, Mauritius has become a focus for sizeable foreign investments and boasts one of the highest per capita incomes on the African continent. However, protests over lowered standards of living have developed due from poor weather and declining sugar prices, both of which are inherent to a stable economy. Annual growth has been around five percent since independence in 1968. It is largely attributed to equitable income distribution which, in turn, has caused an increase in life expectancy, lowered infant mortality and an improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is

35 responsible for 25% of export earnings and is farmed on 90% of the cultivated land area. The fortunate location between South Africa and India has accounted for the 9,000 plus business entities currently in the investment and banking sectors of Mauritius. As of 2001 only an estimated 10% of the population lived below the poverty line, with unemployment rate at an unimpressive 8.6%. However, the population growth rate is low at only 0.86%. An improvement in weather and sugar prices will be a boost to the country’s employment. This can also help to improve the average life expectancy of approximately 72 years. Since gaining their independence from the UK, Mauritius has been a parliamentary democracy, which is a political system chosen by its citizens and includes a general assembly of lawmakers. Currently the heads of the government are: President Karl Offmann (since February 25, 2002), Vice President Raouf Bundhun (since February 25, 2002), and Prime Minister Paul Berenger (since September 17, 2000).

THINGS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW AND DIDN’T EVEN KNOW TO ASK… WHAT WAS THE DODO BIRD? According to The Columbia Encyclopedia, the Dodo Bird was a large, flightless bird and distant relative of the pigeon native to Mauritius. Its feathers were dark gray though it had a white breast, tail and wings. It had a black beak and has been extinct since the late 17th century. The Dodo only laid one egg at a time therefore, unable to reproduce at a fast enough rate to keep the species alive. In addition, the Dodo laid its eggs on the ground and therefore they were easy targets for predators, although the Dodo had tough and bad tasting flesh, it was slaughtered for unknown reasons by early settlers of Mauritius. It only took about 50 years after the island was settled for the bird to become extinct.

WHAT IS THE SEGA? The Sega, the National Dance of Mauritius, originated from the ritual music of Madagascar and the African mainland. It is the musical expression of the Mauritian way of life: joy, carefree and lively. This music was originally sung by slaves who felt their souls were still connected to music. The Sega comes from the soul and cries to transcend the heartaches of life while simultaneously expressing the human desire for happiness. Today, the Sega provides entertainment to, and is part of, life for all Mauritians. The dance itself begins with the swaying of the hips to the beats of Mauritian instruments. The gentle swaying slowly turns with a gradual climb in tempo and Mauritians say that the music takes over your body and the dance increases to a force led by heights of ecstasy. If you let the music into your soul, you will be dancing the Sega with minimal effort and total emotion.

WHY CAN’T WE TAKE CORAL HOME FROM THE REEFS?

36 The EPA explains that coral reefs are extremely sensitive environments that need exact conditions to sustain the animal and plant diversity that live within the ecosystem. Coral reefs are beautiful and provide many countries with valuable tourism money to sustain their economy. In addition, many fish are attracted to the coral reefs, giving local fisherman work and supplying the community with fresh seafood. Coral reefs also provide protection from beach erosion by providing a natural barrier from strong waves and currents. Less publicly known, coral reefs provide students and scientists with materials used as natural biomedical chemicals. However, the most important reason for maintaining the stability of the coral reefs is that countless marine species, including plants, thrive in these reefs. Coral reefs are usually able to recover from natural disturbances, but not from disturbances from people, boats or even trash. If their delicate conditions are disrupted, all of the above benefits of coral reefs will be negatively impacted. For all these reasons it is illegal around the world to break apart any piece of a coral reef as a souvenir. Please respect this rule while in Mauritius and anywhere you may travel where there are coral reefs.

CRAVING CULTURAL CUISINE? Mauritian food is so diverse that you will inevitably be immersing yourself in many different cultures that have contributed to the assorted cuisines of the island. Ethnic diversity is found all over the island where you can easily choose from Creole, Indian, Muslim, Chinese, African and even English food. With that said…here are some samples of some great food to try while in Mauritius:

FRIED OX LIVER Mmmmmm…..the first thing the recipe calls for is to remove all the stringy parts from the livers! Who could turn that down. If you like your meals hot, this is for you. It includes Tabasco sauce, chilies, onions and pepper.

Tastes like Chicken!

OCTOPUS SALAD This is a dish with a bit of French flair. Octopus can often be chewy, but it isn’t overly fishy (at least in my experience) so give it a try. It usually has finely chopped chilies in it, so they can’t be picked out as easily as they can in the fried ox liver, but a dash of lemon and onions give it just enough island flavor.

37 FALOODA DESSERT This is a highly popular Mauritian dessert that is served chilled. Think of a fruited jello/pudding mixture. This dessert is very sweet and contains milk, sweetened condensed milk, strawberry jelly, custard powder, fresh mango and grapes and is topped off with dried grapes and cashews.

J-E-LL-O!

Whatever you choose, you are in for lots of spice. The Mauritians use plenty of curry in their dishes, gathering inspiration from their large Indian population. There is also a lot of French-inspired seafood dishes and African-inspired meat entrees. Choose with caution but don’t hold back; eating the native food is the best way to experience a culture and the natives will really appreciate it.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN FIVE DAYS? This is your spring break. There isn’t a lot to do around Mauritius except go to the beach. Unless you are interested in visiting a stamp museum or a museum dedicated to the Dodo bird, the beach is your best bet. It will continue to be hot for a few more countries but the opportunity for good beach time is up after Mauritius. I didn’t participate in any organized trips because there were so few, and most of them involved hiking or snorkeling; all of which I would rather do on my own. It is just too bad that the hotel didn’t care as much about snorkeling as I did. . Le Caudan Waterfront is where the SS Universe Explorer will dock. Fortunately for you, this is where the center of the action is in Port Louis. Most of the city shuts down around 4pm and becomes uncharacteristically quiet (for a city). But at this waterfront, things stay alive well into the night. Casinos, cinemas, shops, bars and restaurants can all be found here, so if you have an early morning planned for the following day, this is a great place close to the ship to have a good time. . The Port Louis Market is for those who enjoy some good daytime shopping. The Port Louis Market is located near the water, at the heart of downtown. The market is divided into different sections where you can buy food, clothing, or souvenirs and crafts. These items are priced with flexibility so be prepared to bargain. Just remember, don’t give up. They want to sell their item more than they want the highest price.

38 . Flic en Flac. Beach Bums, surfer dudes and sun soakers, this may very well be the greatest place on your voyage to take advantage of a gamut of ocean activities. Flic en Flac (on the western coast) is the popular resort area towards which most students seem to gravitate. At most hotels here you can get a room with two queen beds, an ocean view, a buffet dinner and breakfast and snorkeling, windsurfing and kayaking equipment all included for a modest price of $35 per day. Our hotel was beautiful and the food was great, all well worth the $35.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR VALUES AT THE FRONT DESK Seen in a Paris hotel room, this is a common mistranslation for ‘leave your valuables at the front desk’. It is always best to know what you are saying if you are trying to speak that country’s language. English and French Creole are the two official languages of Mauritius. However, the vast majority of people speak French and if you want to get around with ease, it is best to have handy a pocket translator. I took four years of French in high school and it served me well when a large group of my friends and I went out to dinner and needed to read the bill. It is amazing how much you can remember when you only ate rice and your friend insists it is as expensive as the duck she just inhaled.

39 WAIT! DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THIS! The CIA World Factbook has put out the following information that is essential for travelers to Mauritius. Should you need any assistance while visiting contact the diplomatic representations from the United States: Current Ambassador: John Price Embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis This is also the place that you can find any tourist information, however, you go to the 11th floor. The following information will be filled in during your pre-port meeting, the night before your arrival to Mauritius. Please make sure that you fill this information in properly in the event you should need to refer to it. It will also be helpful to obtain this information translated into French from the interport lecturers, to ensure that you can find your way back to port with ease.

Emergency Phone Number for Ship______

Medical Staff on Duty______

______

Dean on Duty______

Port Address______

______

40 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Enkelaar, Karen, et. al. eds. Geographica’s World Reference. Australia: Random House, 2000. Institute For Shipboard Education. Semester at Sea. Mauritius Handout. 2002. Institute For Shipboard Education. Semester at Sea. PORT-TO-PORT Global Perspectives: World Regional Geography. Guilford: McGraw-Hill, 2002. Mauritius. Lonely Planet. 8 Sept. 2003. Mauritius Quick Facts. Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority. 21 Oct. 2003. Oceans, Coasts and Estuaries. 28, Apr. 2003. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 23 Oct. 2003. < http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/oceans/factsheets/fact4.html> Philippe, Madeleine. Recipes From Mauritius. Mauritius Australia Connection. 24 Sept. 2003. Rosenberg, Matthew T. The Handy Geography Answer Book. Canton: Visible Ink Press, 1999. The World Factbook 2002Mauritius. 1 Aug. 2003. United States Central Intelligence Agency. 21 Oct. 2003.

41 Chapter 6: SINGAPORE

“Singapore is so clean you could lick the street.” Anonymous SAS Alumni

LOCATION: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia. LAND AREA: 692.7 sq. km AREA COMPARATIVE: Slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington D.C. GEOGRAPHY NOTE: Singapore is the prime location for Southeast Asian sea routes. POPULATION: 4,452,732 CURRENCY: Singapore Dollar (SGD)

42 CAPITAL: Singapore

MEET SINGAPORE… Where is it, anyway? Originally, Singapore was a swampy islet that no one wanted, but now Singapore is a hot and humid Asian city-state with one of the highest standards of living in the world, thanks to its location. It is located at the tip of Malaysia and is the second busiest port in the world (after Rotterdam). At any given time 800 or more ships can dock in Singapore, which is impressive given that it is only about three times the size of Washington D.C., and half the size of Hong Kong, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Sir Stamford Raffles was the man who thought to make Singapore a free-trading port, and now he has a beautiful hotel named after him. The island edges are relatively low-lying but hills are found in the middle of the country. Their status as a leading port brings them a lot of money, which they need because they import nearly everything, including water, which they import from the Malaysian mainland. When referring to Singapore, people mostly refer to the larger island, but there are actually fifty-seven smaller islands within Singapore’s territorial waters. Singapore has used the money that it gains from its lucrative port industry to make itself a world leader in biotechnology and one of Asia’s financial-services and banking centers.

Singapore Skyline

43 Politics and the money they fund it with… During the Second World War, Singapore was occupied by the Japanese but was soon returned to its former status as a British crown colony. In 1963 it became part of Malaysia, but only for two years. Since 1965, Singapore has been its own political entity. Lee Kuan Yew was prime minister for 31 years, until 1990 and helped the economy to grow at a rate of seven percent a year. Singapore is technically a republic and is governed by a single legislative body (Parliament). The government keeps restrictions on many aspects of life. Freedom of speech is restricted, there is limited political debate and public behavior, and private life is watched closely. The up-side to this is that everyone in Singapore lives in apartments that are spacious and well-equipped, albeit controlled by the government. Even opposition politicians can be fined and sent to jail for speaking in public without police permission, since political advertising has been banned as of 1998. The government argues that since Singapore is a tiny island, they need order and hard work to keep it from being taken over by the envious and politically unstable countries nearby. In recent years, the younger generations of Singaporeans have wished for a greater voice in government, so change may be on its way, though it doesn’t seem too likely in the near future.

THINGS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW AND DIDN’T EVEN KNOW TO ASK…

IS SINGAPORE A CITY, A COUNTRY, AN ISLAND OR WHAT? Singapore is essentially all three. As stated above, Singapore is an island. It is actually composed of fifty-seven small islands as well as the one large island that is what people are usually referring to when speaking about Singapore. Singapore is also its own country and its own capital. There are no towns in Singapore. It is all one big city. I suppose that technically the actual heart of Singapore lies within the main island but there is no distinction in name between the main island and the 57 smaller islands that are in its territory.

ARRGH…WILL PIRATES BE AFTER OUR BOOTY WHILE SAILING TO SINGAPORE? Yes and no. Generally pirates would prefer to capture ships that have commodities with lots of value onboard. The SS Universe Explorer is a huge ship for pirates and although we are all amazingly interesting people worthy of a pirate’s attention, it is unlikely that pirates will want anything to do with a ship full of students.

44 However, the Strait of Malacca is located between Malaysia and Indonesia and it is necessary for the ship to pass through this strait to dock in Singapore. The Strait of Malacca is where most pirate action takes place. Since you are paying a lot of money for this voyage, the Institute for Shipboard Education does everything that it can to ensure the safety of its passengers. On my voyage we received this notice in our daily Dean’s Memo on Sunday, March 24, 2002:

Pirates in the World Oceans…The International Maritime Bureau keeps records on pirate attacks on ships around the world. Last year, there were 469 attacks, with 72 seafarers killed and 99 injured. Over the past few years, pirate activity has increased dramatically. Indonesia is the world’s piracy hot spot and the most dramatic increases have occurred in the Malacca Straits. Passenger ships like the Universe Explorer are the least likely targets for these attacks. Captain Ryan wants to assure everyone that all reasonable precautions are taken for our safety. We saw a lot of increased security at night during our voyage to Singapore. We were told to do our job by keeping a look out for smaller boats that might be approaching our ship and that appear out of place compared to all the cargo ships out that far from land. We were also told to make sure we immediately reported anyone we didn’t recognize as a member of our voyage. I figured this was partly for our safety and partly for our amusement. Everyone seemed really excited to take part in the pirate frenzy, but I am certain that pirates would much rather attack ships carrying something valuable, like oil, than a ship carrying college students. In fact, the ongoing situation with Iraq has caused an oil crisis, making these ships more valuable and more vulnerable to pirate attacks, the last of which I heard of being on August 14, 2003.

IS PROSTITUTION LEGAL IN SINGAPORE? Yes. Singapore realized that it was nearly impossible to completely eliminate prostitution, so the government decided to regulate it, thereby making prostitution legal. Be careful if you are going to get a massage. You may get more than you bargained for and it will cost you. There is a mandated red-light district where prostitution is abundant. I took a class on gender and sexuality during my voyage and one of our field excursions was in this district. We were told to travel in small groups and look for prostitutes, though we were encouraged not to speak with them. There is also illegal prostitution throughout the country. Our excursion was to include a comparison of the illegal and legal red-light districts, but one voyager decided to take a picture of the illegal brothels and they literally chased us out. The legalized area probably won’t want you taking pictures either, but at least they don’t stand to be penalized by the extremely strict Singaporean government. Finding a prostitute is easy when you are in the proper district. All you do is look for the red light and red banners hanging in the doorways of certain buildings. Of course, I am not advocating this, just sharing my experience of a class excursion.

WASN’T THERE A GUY WHO GOT CANED FOR SPRAYING GRAFFITI ON CARS?

45 Yes, there was. Singapore is no place to mess around with the law. A good rule to follow is if you are unsure about anything at all, don’t do it. On September 18, 1993, 18 year old Michael Fay sprayed graffiti on two cars in his neighborhood. This student failed to realize that one of the cars belonged to a judicial commissioner of Singapore. Police were able to link this incident with other vandalism incidents that had occurred recently in the area, such as eggs and bricks being thrown at cars in a nearby lot. At the time of the incidents, Fay was a student at the Singapore American School. Police were tipped off that Fay and some other students were connected to these incidents and Fay was arrested and kept in police custody for nine days. The police went inside Fay’s apartment that he shared with his mother and stepfather and ransacked his room. Eventually, Fay signed a confession. After his release, Fay said that he did this so that he could plea bargain instead of go to trial. He claimed to have been slapped in the face by the police during interrogation, but an internal police examination and medical evaluation showed no signs of physical coercion. Fay faced fifty-three charges, most of which were vandalism. The Vandalism Act of 1966 came about mainly as a way to stop political graffiti from tainting Singapore’s struggle for independence. This law states that between three and eight strokes of the cane are given for each count. Ultimately, Fay was sentenced to six strokes from the cane, four months in jail and a $2230 fine. The Singaporean government stands by its decision and so did many Americans. USA Today reported that “A call in survey by the National Polling Network found that 53% were in favor of whipping and other harsh sentences as an acceptable deterrent to crime in the US.” The punishment may be severe but I can bet that there are no repeat offenders. The caning is done using a half-inch-thick rattan cane that has been soaked in water. The blows are delivered by an official who has been trained in martial arts. Often, the recipient goes into shock and permanent scars are left on the buttocks as shown below:

Still thinking about illegal activity? Here is a still description of the caning process in case you are still having doubts:

46 This provides an excellent transition into our next topic.

SINGAPORE IS A FINE CITY! As you can tell from having read the above bit about Mr. Michael Fay, the Singapore government has no pity on Americans or students, regardless of how much money daddy can pay to get you out of the mess you get yourself into. So before you decide to act stupid, here is a list of some illegal activities in Singapore…

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY FINE Jay Walking $30 Driving without a seat belt $250 Dropping a candy wrapper on the street $250 Eating or drinking on the Subway $300 Smoking in public $300 Failure to flush a public toilet $600 Littering $600 Public Drunkenness $600 Spitting in public $600 Public Urination $1000 Unnatural Sex $1000 Selling chewing gum $1200 Urinating in an Elevator $1500 Importing chewing gum $6000 Using a gun Death Murder, drug-trafficking, kidnapping Death by hanging

47 Let this be your warning…

CRAVING CULTURAL CUISINE? Much of the cultural cuisine in Singapore has Malaysian or Chinese influence. However, one thing that is truly Singaporean is the famous…

SINGAPORE SLING Many consider this to be the ‘official drink of Singapore’. Many people think that they have had one, but actually have not. Recipes for this drink vary from place to place but the one recipe that is the most authentic is from Singapore’s famous Raffles Hotel.

ICE KACHANG Originally from China, this Asian snow cone is a Singapore treat that you can find in almost any street market. For health concerns, avoid canned fruit toppings. This dish consists of a large heap of shaved ice in a bowl that is topped with anything from corn kernels to mango. Below is a picture of ice kachang with several different toppings.

Singapore Sno-Cone

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN FIVE DAYS?

48 During my voyage, our travel office described Singapore as one large theme park. Many people were discouraged by this and felt that the commercialization and wealth of this country took away from their overall experience. We were originally set to go to Malaysia, but since the events on September 11, there has been an unsafe degree of political unrest. The Institute for Shipboard Education is in constant contact with the State Department, which advised us not to go, based on recent information. However, some of our voyagers didn’t think they would get the same experience in Singapore as Malaysia and decided to break the number one rule of Semester at Sea and go to a country not on our itinerary. Usually people who do this are immediately sent home at their own expense. I am not sure what happened to these people, although they remained on our voyage until our arrival back in the United States. I am certain that they faced academic penalties as well as possible fines that were not worth the risk they took. Yes, Singapore is very close to Malaysia and the temptation may be great, but there are reasons that we are not docking there for the time being. Trust those reasons, even if you aren’t sure what they are. Singapore is a great fusion of Asian and Indian cultures and even though it is one of the richer nations in the world, it was not always that way. Singapore has had a long history of struggling for its independence and with that brings many exciting cultural traits. Just because you aren’t in a third world country doesn’t mean there aren’t things to learn and explore. Here are some of the great things to discover during your stay in Singapore: . Singapore Zoo. The zoo has a lot of great animals from many continents, but the best part is the Night Safari. Riding on small trains throughout the park, you can see many animals while getting a detailed explanation from one of the park’s guides. There is a fun (though over-priced) gift shop when you’re finished. I recommend doing this through Semester at Sea because they will also arrange for a large buffet dinner beforehand and I thought the food was excellent. . The National Orchid Garden. This is the world’s largest orchid garden, holding 60,000 plants and orchids and “VIP Orchids”, which are named after state dignitaries. DO NOT pick any of the flowers, or you’re likely to get a hand chopped off! This gift shop is also overpriced but has some great gifts for Mom and Grandma. . Orchard Road. Shopper’s paradise. Bring your money, because Orchard Road is not for the thrifty. Lonely Planet calls this the place to find “the material delights of capitalism” so bring your credit card. This is where most of Singapore’s elite can be found, usually in one of the shopping centers, restaurants or lounges. You probably won’t find bargaining common here. . Sentosa Island. This is Singapore’s most visited attraction. Sentosa is an island located off The Straits of Singapore. It is extremely easy to get to. The best way is by the cable car, which includes, with the purchase of your transportation to the island, use of the island’s bus and monorail services and admission to some of the museums. I went with Semester at Sea, but I don’t think you should. The island is so easy to get to and figure out that going with your friends on your own time is the best way to do it. The museums on the island trace the history and nature of Singapore: o Pioneers of Singapore and the Surrender Chamber. These museums both use incredibly realistic wax figures to tell the story of Singapore’s history and the chilling occupation of Singapore

49 by the Japanese during WWII. History isn’t my favorite subject but it is completely worth seeing these wax figures. Madame Tussaud, look out! o Underwater World. This is an aquarium designed to make you feel like you are in the water with the fish. There is a brochure that explains the aquarium as, “an extensive network of acrylic tanks and tunnels above and around you, as you take a flat escalator through the sites. This set-up allows visitors to see over 2,500 marine animals at close range.” Don’t worry, there is virtually no way the acrylic can burst; if you still feel nervous at the start of your visit there is a model of the acrylic they use and all the statistics. Besides, of all the times it would choose to bust, would it really be on you? o Musical Fountain and Merlion. This is my personal favorite Sentosa Island attraction. The Merlion is a large lion head that greets you when you enter the island. Inside, you can go to the top and see great views of Singapore and Sentosa, some of my friends even got the opportunity to dress like pirates and have their pictures taken. At the end of the night everyone gathers around the musical fountain and watches an incredible high tech laser show. It often tells the story of the Merlion legend, but the night I was there it was a tribute to music and sites around the world. How wonderfully appropriate.

Roarrrr…

PASTRY OR PROSTITUTE?

50 Okay, so this story actually never happened in Singapore, but I had trouble finding one of those great stories of Malay miscommunication that I know are lurking about somewhere. A friend of a friend was in Denmark and asked for a Danish, assuming he would get his morning pastry. He was unaware that he was actually asking for a prostitute. Since Singapore has a legalized red-light district, I thought this is probably a good example of miscommunication that could happen here. You will find a lot of different languages throughout Singapore and despite what you may be told, English is not that common. I don’t think there was one person I encountered (aside from appointed SAS guides) who spoke English. Malay is the national language.

WAIT! DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THIS! The CIA World Factbook has put out the following information that is essential for travelers to Singapore. Should you need any assistance while visiting contact the diplomatic representations from the United States: Current Ambassador: Franklin L. Lavin Embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508 The following information will be filled in during your pre-port meeting, the night before your arrival to Singapore. Please make sure that you fill this information in properly in the event you should need to refer to it. It will also be helpful to obtain this information translated into French from the interport lecturers, to ensure that you can find your way back to port with ease.

Emergency Phone Number for Ship______

51 Medical Staff on Duty______

______

Dean on Duty______

Port Address______

______

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Davis, Mitchell. “à la carte” Condé Nast Traveler Jan. 2003, 36. Enkelaar, Karen, et al. eds. Geographica’s World Reference. Australia: Random House, 2000. Hess, Robert. Singapore Sling. Drinkboy. 23 Oct. 2003. Institute For Shipboard Education. Semester at Sea. Singapore Handout. 2002. Institute For Shipboard Education. Semester at Sea. PORT-TO-PORT Global Perspectives: World Regional Geography. Guilford: McGraw-Hill, 2002. Reyes, Alejandro. “Rough Justice” 25 May 1994. Asiaweek Online. 2 Nov. 2003. < http://www.corpun.com/awfay9405.htm> Rosenberg, Matthew T. The Handy Geography Answer Book. Canton: Visible Ink Press, 1999. Singapore. Clean and Safe Worldwide. 15 Nov. 2003. < http://www.cleansafeworldwide.org/cat.asp?cat=105> Singapore. Lonely Planet. 8 Sept. 2003. Tan Chen Gee, Jenny. “Beat The Heat” Jul-Aug. 2003. asiacuisine.com 12 Nov. 2003.

52 The World Factbook 2002 Singapore. 1 Aug. 2003. United States Central Intelligence Agency. 21 Oct. 2003. Working Living Studying Singapore: Singapore Laws. Filmo Communications Pte Ltd. 15 Oct. 2003.

53 the author

Karen Arcelaschi will soon hold a B.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts. She is an avid traveler and Semester at Sea alumnae where she met Fidel Castro and Patch Adams. She is also proud of her bravery in sky diving in South Africa, having her nose pierced by a stranger in a crowded novelty shop in Mauritius, her stamina in climbing to the top of The Great Wall of China, and especially for maintaining her sanity while growing up in northwestern Connecticut. Her goal is to visit every country in the world at least once. She has been interested in travel writing ever since she learned that somewhere, someone would actually pay her to go to exotic places and write about them.

54