We are home at last! We spent a night in Fort Lauderdale in close proximity, although we didn't realise it at once, to other friends from the ship. Our first meal off the ship was shared with Nilo and Nasim in, of all places, Burger King! They were in the same hotel. Then, walking into Barnes and Noble which was accross the road from the Springhill Suites (my cheap Hotwire discovery!), we bumped into Mindy and Eli who were staying close by and arranged to have supper with them and Mikey. As we all sat enjoying Pizza that evening we were joined for a few minutes by students Amanda and Patricia and then for longer by Sergio who let me speak to his wife Maggie on the phone for some minutes. (Maggie had been on the voyage with us for a short time and it was great to hear her Scottish accent again!). When we finally called it a day and returned to the hotel I walked into the elevator in something of a daze (it is hard to be ashore!) knowing only vaguely that I was sharing he elevator with two young men. "How're you feeling?" asked one: I looked up and noticed their Semester at Sea T shirts...'OK' I replied 'How about you?' "Well....not bad I guess".....I think we were all somewhat "removed" from this stable American world. ('stable' in he sense that it was not moving!)
Our flight back to Toronto was bumpy most of the way but it was great to be 'in Canada' so to speak. Next to me was a young woman, newly married I think, who hated flying, with a young husband who was so scared his mother had given him pills to sleep whch he did all the way. She spent nearly the whole flight touching up her hair and make up. It has been a long time since i have witnessed such total narcissism in a beautiful young woman. I wanted to say to her "Why are you doing this? You are beautiful, you don't need all this stuff on your face, you do need to think outside yourself .....you need a semester at sea to get your priorities and values straightened out. Of course I didn't! I labelled her obsessive compulsive because of the way she returned over and over again to her mirror and some tiny perceived flaw near her eyes which had to be repeatedly dabbed and her hair which had to be similarly touched and moved into the correct 'frame' for her face. All the while she stared into her own eyes in the small mirror. It was really disturbing. Every now and then she would ask me a question or tell me somethng. I think she would have like to talk but I treasure plane time for reading and didn't cooperate. Because George and I both prefer aisle seats we were not sitting together.
When the plane finally bumped down the Toronto runway I felt a surge of relief to be in Canada again. Although I feel much more comfortable and at ease with our American neighbours than I did a few months ago it is a wonderful feeling to be back in sane (?!) old Canada. Most of the close friends we made on board the Explorer were like ourselves, sort of 'ex-patriots'. In retrospect I believe that certain Americans, certanly at the beginning of the voyage, were uncomfortable with our 'differentness'....is there such a word? They seemed to have come to terms with this during the last week (!) but were always a little suspicious of us until then. There were of course some noteable exceptions: Beth, Mikey & Mindy (and Eli), Ted, Pamela and Michael, the two Joans, Jodie and Louise.....and all the friendly and loveable students we met over those months. Alicia, Sonia, Amanda, Lara, Tracey, Grace, Molly, Stephanie, Tammy, Joe, and Danielle (the latter 4 our 'family') Jason and Tiffany (from class).
Did I happen to mention that our group received an A for our project "Othello in Johannesburg, South Africa during Apartheid? well we did!) Ted our teacher director seemed to drift away from his friends during the last few weeks. I think he felt totally lost without his family and hurried off the ship so that I for one hardly had a chance to wish him well. If you ever read this Ted, au revoir and good luck!
I realise this blog is going to make boring reading for most of you and I apologise. I am truthfully not quite here and still feel connected to all our friends....it was hard for all of us, living thousands of miles apart to say goodbye not knowing whether or when we will see each other again. I shall especialy miss Theresa and John, whom I felt I knew from the first day and in a sense I did as John and I had been emailing after being introduced by another Semester at Sea Alumni., Evelyn Hannon....thank you Evelyn! Theresa you will be sorely missed by us both, Calgary is sooo far away; Nilo and I had breakfast together yesterday....this time accompanied by Nasim and George, but we managed to have a chat! When George and I came down with ALL our luggage to get the Airport shuttle, Nilo had managed to sneak away to say a final farewell. Her cell phone rang twice and it was Nasim! I have a photo of her taken from inside the bus...
Emmett we shall be thinking of you, adjusting to going back to school. Good luck and see you soon I hope. You are not quite so far away and I think a visit to Montreal will have to go into our date book.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The end of our voyage
Tuesday, 6th May
There have been a series of 'lasts': last class for George, last paper corrected, last lunch with 'family', last lunch and dinner, last 5 pm drinks in the Faculty lounge, last scrabble game with Sue, Emmett and Theresa, last time Theresa comes in to our cabin in the evening to chat and share a drink, last sunset which brough a huge collected groan from students, faculty and everyone else and this morning at 4.30 am for me first and last time of seeing a magnificent 'moon set'. I awoke to see through the glass of our balcony door a huge, round, red/orange globe in the sky. At first I thought 'is that a strange sunrise?' and then realised that it was the biggest moon I have ever seen, sinking slowly towards a black ocean. I rushed outside and watched; there was a sky full of sparkling stars, lights on the horizon (Miami? Fort lauderdale?) and this incredible orb slowly sinking and disappearing. What a gift for my last morning at sea!
Everyone's emotions are labile: lots of laughter and many, many tears, sometimes both at the same time. We have shared this incredible journey for nearly 4 months, living in such close proximity to each other....professors have never been so accessible to students. My prof/director for example is in the next door cabin. Profs are questioned as they line up for meals or when they're eating out on the dining room deck or there might be a tentative knock at their cabin doors.
Most importantly relationships and friendships have been formed in which more time has been spent together than would normally happen over years at home. Now, today, suddenly we are all going in our several and separate directions and for some of the students particularly this is traumatic. It isn't easy for us either. I can't believe that someone else will soon be in my cabin...my home! That Nilo, Theresa, Pam, Beth, Sue and I wil not be sharing any more women-only breakfasts or sharing our stories and our loot!!
Emmett said yesterday with youthful passion, after beating us again at Scrabble, "tomorrow is going to be the worst day of my life". This has been I think an amazing experience for this wonderfully intellient and delightful 14 year old (going on 40!) young man, whom we have all grown to love. He has a vulnerable quality alternating with brash confidence and often to our surprise behaves like any other 14 year old......one has to constantly adjust to Emmett! He lost his mother some years ago and I know I am very conscious of this void in his life. He goes to school in Montreal and has inherited his grandfather's(Alex) gift for languages. Both were excellent students in George's classes. His grandmother, Bea, is German, a language which Emmett has chosen apparently, not to speak. I think he will be visiting us in Ontario at some point; he will love being with all three grandchildren. He is a great companion for much younger and much older people in his life. He cries easily and there will certainly be tears shed today.
We have packed and our luggage has been taken away except for our back packs. Breakfast starts at 6 am (in 15 minutes...George is asleep an i haven't showered yet!) and we think/hope faculty and staff disembark first. We are spending one night in Fort Lauderdale (Springhill Suites, Marriott at the Airport) and flying home on Air Canada (Tango) to Canada tomorrow.
I shall write more when I get home. Greetings to Theresa's friends and Molly's grandparents, whom I have never met but who have been following our travels on my blog. I have enjoyed your company! Au revoir........
There have been a series of 'lasts': last class for George, last paper corrected, last lunch with 'family', last lunch and dinner, last 5 pm drinks in the Faculty lounge, last scrabble game with Sue, Emmett and Theresa, last time Theresa comes in to our cabin in the evening to chat and share a drink, last sunset which brough a huge collected groan from students, faculty and everyone else and this morning at 4.30 am for me first and last time of seeing a magnificent 'moon set'. I awoke to see through the glass of our balcony door a huge, round, red/orange globe in the sky. At first I thought 'is that a strange sunrise?' and then realised that it was the biggest moon I have ever seen, sinking slowly towards a black ocean. I rushed outside and watched; there was a sky full of sparkling stars, lights on the horizon (Miami? Fort lauderdale?) and this incredible orb slowly sinking and disappearing. What a gift for my last morning at sea!
Everyone's emotions are labile: lots of laughter and many, many tears, sometimes both at the same time. We have shared this incredible journey for nearly 4 months, living in such close proximity to each other....professors have never been so accessible to students. My prof/director for example is in the next door cabin. Profs are questioned as they line up for meals or when they're eating out on the dining room deck or there might be a tentative knock at their cabin doors.
Most importantly relationships and friendships have been formed in which more time has been spent together than would normally happen over years at home. Now, today, suddenly we are all going in our several and separate directions and for some of the students particularly this is traumatic. It isn't easy for us either. I can't believe that someone else will soon be in my cabin...my home! That Nilo, Theresa, Pam, Beth, Sue and I wil not be sharing any more women-only breakfasts or sharing our stories and our loot!!
Emmett said yesterday with youthful passion, after beating us again at Scrabble, "tomorrow is going to be the worst day of my life". This has been I think an amazing experience for this wonderfully intellient and delightful 14 year old (going on 40!) young man, whom we have all grown to love. He has a vulnerable quality alternating with brash confidence and often to our surprise behaves like any other 14 year old......one has to constantly adjust to Emmett! He lost his mother some years ago and I know I am very conscious of this void in his life. He goes to school in Montreal and has inherited his grandfather's(Alex) gift for languages. Both were excellent students in George's classes. His grandmother, Bea, is German, a language which Emmett has chosen apparently, not to speak. I think he will be visiting us in Ontario at some point; he will love being with all three grandchildren. He is a great companion for much younger and much older people in his life. He cries easily and there will certainly be tears shed today.
We have packed and our luggage has been taken away except for our back packs. Breakfast starts at 6 am (in 15 minutes...George is asleep an i haven't showered yet!) and we think/hope faculty and staff disembark first. We are spending one night in Fort Lauderdale (Springhill Suites, Marriott at the Airport) and flying home on Air Canada (Tango) to Canada tomorrow.
I shall write more when I get home. Greetings to Theresa's friends and Molly's grandparents, whom I have never met but who have been following our travels on my blog. I have enjoyed your company! Au revoir........
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Our table at the Ambassador's Ball
Our table at the Ball. From left to Right: Nazim, Theresa, Gus, Sue, Pam, Michael, me, George.
(Nilo left to lie down because of vertigo which comes if the ship rolls too much.)
Monday, May 4, 2009
Ambassador's Ball 3rd May 2009
Pam and Michael Werner and the Thomases.
The Ambassardor's Ball takes place at the end of every voyage and the passengers, students, Faculty staff and all hangers on (like Sue, Nilo, Theresa, Annie, a few others and me) get dressed up to the nines and book tables and sit down to a really good and beautifully served and presented dinner. The problem is that we know nothing about it until we're on board so there is a panicat every port to find something suitably stunning to wear! Needless to say I didn't find anything so most of us made do or borrowed from Nilo who has a huge and glamorous wardrobe
which she very quickly tires of....beneficial for anyone her size! I realised that the students would make the biggest splash and made do. There were wonderful creations worn by the students; many appeared in saris or chong sams, literally and metaphorically let down their hair, looked stunning and had a marvellous time. I'm afraid I was camera'd out and didn't do them justice. More photos to come....
The Ambassardor's Ball takes place at the end of every voyage and the passengers, students, Faculty staff and all hangers on (like Sue, Nilo, Theresa, Annie, a few others and me) get dressed up to the nines and book tables and sit down to a really good and beautifully served and presented dinner. The problem is that we know nothing about it until we're on board so there is a panicat every port to find something suitably stunning to wear! Needless to say I didn't find anything so most of us made do or borrowed from Nilo who has a huge and glamorous wardrobe
which she very quickly tires of....beneficial for anyone her size! I realised that the students would make the biggest splash and made do. There were wonderful creations worn by the students; many appeared in saris or chong sams, literally and metaphorically let down their hair, looked stunning and had a marvellous time. I'm afraid I was camera'd out and didn't do them justice. More photos to come....
Ambassadors Ball
1) Sue and Gus Gerrans
2) Nilo and Naseem Jawad
3) Gus, Theresa and John Mueller
4) George, Beth and Jodie
Panama Canal
1) Span of centennial Bridge...half way across the Panama canal
2) George on our balcony looking out
3) Sustenance on our balcony table
4) Waterways and islands along the canal
Sunday, May 3, 2009
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