Mohawk Day

Yesterday was Mohawk Day. Male and females were offerred an opportunity to cut their hair for Locks for love and sport a mohawk. An amazing number participated. Tomorrow is Neptune day. The day when all shellbacks, new people crossing the Equator for the first time, are subjected to unknown punishments. In the old days it mandated shaved heads for one and all. Today we get to choose. I'm quite sure I would look horrible, rather like a bowling ball, so I'm not getting shaved but quite a few are. We have no idea what will happen tomorrow.

Another first for our ship. We had our first drug testing group and everyone passed. This apparently is not usually so.

Be well all.

Day 80: Salvador,Brasil and Beyond

We left Salvador 2 days ago. It was all prep aside a very good visit. We were the first voyage to have no acute injuries and no reportable gastro problems. We ahve been commended by our medical ship crew as they have big headaches when there's reportable diarrhea. I,however, got to deal with all of the non-reportable diarrhea/vomiting as they returned to ship the last day. Lesson: try never to be on call on the last day in port! All that aside, and apologies to the non-medical readers, let me tell you about Brasil.

The people are beautiful and very friendly. More than accepting of our poor attempts to communicate. As we were told many times Carnival is the biggest reason for problems but it is also the most joyous of times. I did not go to the big Carnival celebrations that involved many bodies crammed together and dancing, drinking until wee hours. Hear tell from the students that it was a blast. I did get to participate or rather observe what is referred to as the Traditional Carnival. This is same thing on smaller scale, involving families and held in the old part of Salvador. Music was loud enough for me, groups were entertaining to watch and you could not help but move to the rhythms. There are small groups of individuals that gather and dress and perform a theme. Often there is a switching of genders. One of the pictures shows a group of men dressed as catwoman. Per our orientation and guides Carnival began as a way for the poor people to act at least for one night w frivolity and to be equal to those w money.

A few of our students were relieved of cash and cameras, some by knifepoint but no one was physically hurt.

The city has a beautiful outline as you come into port. After a tour though, I learned that the jagged outline that follows are the middle class followed by the favellas or slums. Middle class is not as we define it and to us seems a step above slum. People literally build on any available plot of land and then on top of those buildings. Most people earn about $200 month and that is considered good income. They seem to be trying to make inroads into the poverty, lack of education etc. Right now school is mandated till 6th grade and parents are paid a small amt to send them but in the favellas especially the children are generally kept at home to earn money. Administration is not strict on follow-up.

Merry Medicals

Merry Medicals

Medical Revue

Day 88

We arrive 6 am tomorrow at Salvador, Brasil. We have all gotten into such a nice routine that in a way stopping seems foreign. Our pre-port orientation has also scared most of us. it seems Salvador and rio are not great places during Carnival for people in small groups. We are all planning ahead to travel in groups of 5 or more preferably with at least one male. No jewlery, watches, wedding bands, provocative clothing etc. I'm going on several day trips which I'm looking forward to. This is one country I'll be glad to be a tourist.
I have "adopted" a family of 6 students and will meet them when we set sail again. There are still 80 students to be placed with an adult voyager. Homesickness is always just around the corner for all of us.
If this works correctly you will see a picture of our clinic and our group. Matt Handley is the physician out of Seattle and a terrific person. Multi-talented. We performed tonight a medley of tunes warning about STD,diarrhea,sunburn and malaria. We even received a standing ovation.
Emily Allina,RN is an ER nurse. She is literally a ray of sunshine. We all have a good working relationship. When an 80 yo passenger came in with chest pain, she whipped into action and I was glad to let her. When they come in w rashes,colds etc she's happy to let me see them.
The 2 in white uniforms are the ships's medical crew, doctor and nurse. They'll assist us if we request it and act as liason between us and the ship owners. They are fun. I imagine it's hard for them to adapt to a new medical group every 4 months but they keep smiling.
I'm also adding a picture of my "room". The virtual tour on the SAS site shows a pretty 2 bed room with a view, ours are crew quarters and no room,no window. The ship is the fullest it's ever been so we were relegated to crew quarters and the crew went Heaven knows where below us. It is very hard to get up in the morning or to go to the room during the day time just b/c there is no light. All I want to do is sleep.
It's been a wonderful voyage and promises to get even better with time. activities will start in the evenings. I'm in a Bridge group with the LifeLong Learners and some students. LLL are generally retired individuals who prefer this way to tour and like being with college students. Neat group. I'm not sure I shouldn't be a LLL as I feel the best I've felt in years. Of course napping every day, walking for miles every day and having healthy food placed in front of me 3 times a day may help. That's it for now. I wouldn't want to miss the 10pm snacks they offer.
Be well.

I had not expected to take 11 days to start this journe's story but we have been very busy (and when not busy,napping). The first 4 days in Jamaica were packed with meetings. I saw the city from the deck and the first 2 streets as we purchased provisions,ie soda, junk food. We were all ready for the students to arrive and start the 100 day countdown. The excitement was palpable and still is. We set sail at 5pm the first day and spent the next 2 days dealing with seasickness and homesickness. There were no classes so the students had a great time.

The picture is from a plaza in San Juan. What a whirlwind 3 days. I had been there 30 years earlier and it has grown so that it was unrecognizable. We have a pre-port meeting every stop and are given an overview of the culture,expectations etc. I was able to p/u one trip to the Tibbes Indian Center which gave me a chance to go inland. This first port experience was a learning experience, or as we have been told a vertical learning curve. We learned how to add available trips, mostly sit at the meeting place and see who doesn't show up; how easy it is to pass someone in the hall and ask if they want to go into town for dinner; and how not to overschedule yourself. After 3 days of fun everyone , even the students with bottomless energy were glad to be back on ship with an enforced schedule to follow. In 3 more days we'll be in Brasil.

So what do I do all day? Here's my flexible schedule:

7-8am: Bkfst

8-9: Clinic hours

9-5: A days: attend 3 classes by choice; Psychology of Women, World Religion and Intro to Theatre.

B days: attend one class: Negotiation

In btw. sit on deck, read book, take nap. Try not to miss lunch from 11:30-1:30pm

I hold the beeper for 24hr every other day. Some days are busy ( not as compared to work however) and some are not.

Dinner: 5-7:30p

Evening activities will start up soon. I'm in a bridge group, have volunteered to adopt a student family. Many students signed up for this to my surprise. They want to belong to a small "family 'group. This is including the guys.

Our cabins are small. I can reach all my belongings while sitting on my bed. The TV runs 3 choices from 1800-0800 every day. the first 2 days though all I could get was Nat'l Geopgraphic show and watched snakes eating animals more times than I can count. can't read in the room b/c it is very cold. We all begged for an extra blanket the 2cd night here.

All is good. It is wonderful to be back with college students and this learning environment. To my colleagues: thanks for affording me this experience. To my husband: Words can't tell you how I feel and thank you doesn't cover it.

Until next time: Be well