Good Ol' Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss said, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go." In the short span of 24 hours I have to take a semester's worth of finals (the downside of a condensed semester.) Between my three finals I'm being tested on 22 pieces of world literature and although it is a bit overwhelming, the text have been part of the key to my successful Semester At Sea experiences. My professors picked out books applicable to the countries we visited. Whether it was ancient Greek travel writing or about the currents and wind patterns of the Mediterranean Ocean, the texts have helped me have a fuller view of each country. The different texts gave me glimpses of the country's past, as well as voices of the present. Dr. Seuss was correct; my readings made me know more and that allowed me to go to more places! Although the exams are a bit of a buzz kill, the silver lining is that they allow me to reflect on everything I've learned this semester. We read the books prior to entering each country, so it is fun to review the material now that I've been to the countries and experienced the cultures.

I love you all and after sailing over 12,000 nautical miles, I can finally say that I'm almost home! I can't wait to see everyone!

Shout Out

I forgot to mention my other favorite crewmember: Mizram. Mizram is from Jamaica and has been working on cruises for over 30 years. He is one of the most joyful people I've ever met and always has a smile on his face. Mizram is truly inspirational. I know that it is not easy to smile every day, but he makes it his mission to spread cheer. When I ask him how his day is going he often replies, "My God is good, so I am good." He is constantly singing worship songs and talking to students about God's love. One morning I was seasick and felt sorry for myself, his Jamaican voice popped into my head and I heard "My God is good, so I am good." With that new perspective I decided to get over my pity party, eat some saltines and enjoy the day. I am grateful for his open love for God and that he shares God's love with all the students.

Work Hard and Be Nice To People

        We are now heading west across the Atlantic Ocean! It is crazy that to think that I've been to nine countries (including the USA) in two months- especially when I think of my 2011 summer. Last summer I spent two months serving at a Young Life camp for middle school students. I would work 12+ hours a day, seven days a week and I did not get paid. We did not have Internet, email, cell phones or television. Although we didn't have luxury items or lots of time to relax, it was a fabulous and rewarding summer. This summer has been fabulous and rewarding, but in much different ways. I have had the opportunity to travel around the Mediterranean while taking classes that filled me with knowledge about each country. I love facts and history, so I felt spoiled that my three classes all fed into my interests.

Another thing that has been different for me is my role on the ship. Last summer I was part of the camp staff. During the first month I spent my days scooping hundreds of ice cream cones and in the evening I would work behind-the-scenes to set all the special events. During the second month at camp I worked in the kitchen, preparing three meals a day for 400+ people. Both jobs taught me to get my hands dirty and to work with a smile. On the ship we are blessed with an AMAZING crew. The cabin stewards, pursers and waiters are constantly in contact with the students. During our first week on the ship, before everyone settled into their friend-group, the crew made us feel at home and loved.

Angelito is my cabin steward and he is fabulous. He is from the Philippians and is about my height. He keeps my room so clean that it sparkles. From the very start, my roommate and I decided to keep our room as clean as possible for Angelito. Ask my roommates from school, my room always was messy- so keeping it clean was a big deal for me! He makes your beds every other day and if your clothing is on the floor, he folds it for you. I felt uncomfortable making him fold my clothing when I am perfectly capable of not being a slob. After cleaning the neighborhood dock bathroom for eight summers, I know what it is like to clean up disgusting, unnecessary messes. I wanted to treat Angelito with the kindness that I would hope people would treat me with.

In David Foster Wallace's article "Shipping Out" he says, "I've found myself doing everything I can to distance myself in the crew's eyes from the bovine herd… I make a big deal of carrying my own luggage and my own cafeteria tray and am effusive in my thanks for the slightest service" (50). Although I am not a big fan of Wallace's article, I strongly relate to this quote. In the dining hall I struggled with being on the receiving side of the services. I know how hard the kitchen works to prepare the large meals and I know that the waiters are working long, exhausting days. At first, I felt guilty having them take my plates, but realized that it is their job and isn't rude to let them take your plate. When they take my plate I make a specific effort to be genuinely grateful. They are so kind to me and I know that a small act of kindness can go a long ways. I love the simple motto, "work hard and be nice to people." Although this summer hasn't been filled with physical labor and service, I have still tried to be purposeful with my interaction. I don't want to be blind to the hard working people that make my life comfortable. I've learned to graciously accept their service, while letting them frequently know how much it means me. 

Sintra, Portugal Photos #2

My love for Portugal is clear with my abundance of photos and blog posts! Here are some pictures of our second day in Sintra- at the Capuchos convent and Moorish Walls.

Snow White and the Capuchos Monks

We started the day with some fresh loaf of bread and jar of jam- like true Europeans. With our bags on our backs we got an early start and headed down the foggy forest road to the village center of Sintra. After realizing our favorite mode of transportation (walking) was nearly impossible, we hailed a cab and headed up the mountain to the Converto dos Capuchos, a former monk convent. Less than a dozen monks lived on the expansive property at a time. The monks spent hundreds of years perfecting the decorations of the convent with seashell mosaics and cork woodwork. Cork is Portugal's top export and can be harvested from the bark of Cork Trees ever nine years. The monks definitely used the cork trees to their advantage and covered every door, window and frame with the spongy material. Due to our early morning we were the only people in the convent, so we (once again) had free exploration! The convent is nuzzled between giant, moss-covered boulders. You barely could tell it was there, but a small cross above a cave-like opening gave hint to the entrance. We ducked our heads beneath the boulder entrance and discovered the convent. We went inside the small convent and walked through the old, dark, narrow hallways. It felt as if I was Snow White stumbling upon the Dwarf's home because the doorways to the bedrooms were only three feet high and one foot wide. I do not mind small spaces, but the site of those tiny doorways made my heart skip a beat. We exited the convent through the Door Of Death (clearly marked with a skull and crossbones) and meandered into the forest. The monks had built chapels into the hillside, wedged in between boulders.

            After our time at the Converto dos Capuchos we took a cab to the Moorish Walls. Imaging a miniature version of the Great Wall of China. Equally as high, but about 1/7 of the width of the Chinese wall. We were eager to hike the entire wall, but didn't consider our travel bags that we had to lug around. After hiking for an hour, admiring the view of our tiny village and spotting Lisbon in the far distance, we headed back to Lisbon.

            For our final night in our final port we had a celebratory dinner and enjoyed each other's company. It is crazy that I have now left my last port. The saying, "time flies by" doesn't quite capture my experience on Semester At Sea. Time has gone by in the blink of an eye, yet Spain feels like it was ages ago. My friends and I have been joking around and frequently asking, "is this real life?" To which we answer- no. Semester At Sea has felt like a wonderful dream. I've always dreamt of studying abroad and this experience has been all of the different scenarios I've dreamt about blended together. It has been an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to nine countries in 66 days and SAS has given me a bad case of the Travel Bug.

This won't be my last post for my SAS voyage- we still have to sail across the Atlantic! Wish us luck!!

Sintra, Portugal Pictures

Here are some wonderful pictures of the Palacio e Quinta de Regaleira- the enchanting garden! My friend Katie is a wonderful photographer and let me copy her pictures. Thanks Katie!!

The Land of Fairytales

Before leaving for Semester At Sea Katie Dot gave me a list of her favorite places in Portugal. My friends and I were planning out our four days at the port and wanted to make our last port extra special. After reading a few guidebooks we agreed that Katie's list had the best suggestions and that we must go to Sintra. Sintra is west of Lisbon and only a 30 minute train ride away. We booked our hostel, packed our bags and hopped on a train. When we arrived in the main square of the village we were awe-struck. We had just stepped into the land of fairytales. Castles decorated the hillside and cobble stone streets wandered through a lush forest. After dropping off our bags we went to enchanting gardens in Palacio e Quinta de Regaleira. The gardens were magical and spectacular. We spent half a day getting lost on garden paths that were lined with blooming onion flowers and trickling streams. I can't put the garden's beauty and charm into words that would do it justice.

            When we were children, my sisters and I would make fairy homes next to mossy rocks in our backyard. We would decorate the homes with flower beds, leaf cups and pebble tables. If I were 8 years old again, I would swear to you that this garden was the land of fairies. The garden had gorgeous gazeboes, small castles, green houses and tea houses. We discovered secret water caverns that were connected to caves that twisted under the garden. My friends and I loved the castle minarets and took plenty of "princess" photos. Unfortunately, while standing in the castle I did not find my Prince Charming- but when I do, I will demand that my wedding is held in this garden!! (Here's to hoping!)

            After a day of exploration and fairytales we bought some baguettes, cheese, and local Vhino Verde and ate dinner in an orchard. As Taylor Swift would say, "Today was a fairytale."

            ~Tori            

Pictures of Lisbon, Portugal

Here are some pictures from beautiful Portugal

Morocco Pictures

Due to my camera breaking I had to get copies of all of my friends' pictures. The nice thing about digital cameras is the ability to share photos... so now I have over 3,000 pictures to go through!! Here are some from Morocco. I'll try and post in sequential order and upload Portugal's after Morocco's pictures.

Enjoy! ~Tori

Wafers In Portugal

In July of 2011 I confidently said that I loved Turkey. In July of 2012 I professed my love for Italy. Well, both of these confessions of adoration are insignificant compared to the way that I feel about Portugal! Where do I even begin?

            I got off the ship and saw beautiful calasada (black and white stone) sidewalks. Most of the walkways in Portugal have different stone designs creating works of art. Each pattern is unique and every stone is hand cut to make the specific design. The buildings were either covered in tiles or pastel paint. The pastel paint looked like a sunset on some of the buildings as the paint peeled, exposing the colorful layers of old paint. Very few buildings were older than 250 years due the terrible earthquake in 1755 (that caused a tsunami and fire from all of the candles.) As we left Lisbon I felt like I was back in Oregon when we drove through lush valleys that looked like the hills of Portland. My class got off the bus and went to explore an abandoned fortress we gulped breaths of fresh air. It was the purest air we had inhaled in two months! (In Morocco there was so much smog that you could stare directly at the sun for minutes at a time. Compared that to the fact that Lisbon has planted a tree for every citizen- over 600,000 trees!) My class walked around the tourist-free city and went to some churches that we've been reading about. We visited the tiny churches, heard about the miracles that the church believed happened and say the religious relics related to the miracles. At the Church of St. Stephen we saw a communion wafer (more like a pile of dust) in a gold case. The wafer supposedly gushed blood as a Catholic women took the communion wafer to a Jewish witch (they weren't too politically correct back in 1600…) to get a spell to stop her husband's infidelity. She hid the bloody wafer and in the middle of the night it started glowing and the priest deemed the wafer to have been visited by the Holy Spirit. In order to see the wafer an old little man, who did not speak any English, wound a heavy crank to open a gold case that was two stories above us. He motioned for us to walk up the rickety back staircase and we entered an attic-like room that was decorated with statues of saints. One by one we climbed a ladder up to the open gold case. There was sign warning us to watch our heads and not kiss the relic. I quietly chuckled at the sign and soon regretted my silent laughter. I crouched down as I climbed the wobbling ladder and when I reached the case I slightly lifted my head because "watch your head" signs normally do not apply to people that are 5'5''. Clunk… as stars sparkled in my eyes and my balance lessened I dizzily thought of the sign- if only I hadn't laughed!

            Another church that stuck with me was the San Domingo Church. This massive church was partially destroyed by the earthquake and fire in 1755. The marble columns and statues had large chunks missing and the walls were stained with the soot of the fire. The church had been left as-is and was a beautiful and eerie site. It was magnificent seeing the destruction and imagining what the church used to look like. It served as a visual reminder of God's great power and His will to get you through the tough times. The church was one of my favorites due to its broken beauty.

            Another reason (my last for this post) that I fell in love with Portugal was the Portuguese people. SAS students have been ripped off, pick pocketed or discriminated against in some of the countries we've recently been in. This behavior exists all around the world, I just wasn't used to experiencing it first hand. In Portugal I had the exact opposite experience. Locals took time out of their busy days to help us with directions, tell us about a special deal to cut prices or ask about our lives. The locals genuinely cared about us and I felt incredibly safe and welcomed. It reminded me of the hospitality that I take for granite in Oregon. Kindness isn't a right, it is a gift and I was so grateful for the meeting the wonderful Portuguese people.

            I'll post more on Portugal later, but it is a beautiful country. It historically and recently has had struggles, yet the people shine through and reach out to the travelers.

~Tori

125 Degrees...

        On the three-hour drive to Marrakech we drove past many small Berber villages that consisted of a simple adobe square wall surrounding four to twenty adobe one-room homes. There are four main Berber tribes, but many villages. The Berbers were the original people that lived in Morocco. The homes were simple, a hole for a door and curtains that served as windows. There normally was a donkey or two standing in the shade and a flock of sheep nearby. The closer we drove to Marrakech, the hotter it got. I sympathized for the cloaked shepherds that walked with their flocks across the hot desert. The men wore long smocks and small caps.

            We finally made it to Marrakech and entered the 125 degree dry heat. The moisture in your mouth was instantly gone as your breathing became shallow. We set off on our journey and visited the beautiful Jardin Majorella- a colorful garden. Despite being in the western tip of the Sahara Desert, the Jardin Majorella garden was lush. It had desert plants and vibrantly colored pots and buildings. The garden stood out against the brown landscape and adobe buildings. We then visited two old palaces- and I'm a little embarrassed to admit this- but I don't remember too many details about the buildings. I distinctly remember how hot it was and that we our last meal was eight hours ago… but not much else. We went to a spice market and then to a wonderful Moroccan lunch. The meal was delicious and full of flavor, but despite its tastiness, it didn't treat me too well the next day.

            As we sailed to Portugal we talked about Morocco in our classes and realized that while in the country there were many high points, as well as many low points. One of our deans shared a proverb from Abraham Lincoln and it (roughly) says, "Behinds the clouds the sun is always shining." Some students walked away with bitter feelings towards Morocco and he reminded all students that sometimes good can come from bad situations. Some of the great highlights I heard from other students included an amazing hike through the Atlas Mountain to various Berber villages. These villages never see tourist and welcomed the students with open arms. My roommate had a fabulous time in Marrakech and got to experience the night life. She said that Marrakech comes to life at night, once everyone breaks fast. She got a beautiful henna tattoo, had for fortune read (in Arabic) and saw a snake charmer. I think it would be very interesting to revisit Morocco when it is not Ramadan. The life style of the entire country is changed for the Holy Month and I am eager to see the similarities and differences at other times of the year. Overall Morocco was interesting, unique and insightful and I can officially say I've been to Africa!

We are about to dock in Portugal! I'll give you updates soon.

~Tori

P.S. Nat leaves for TCU tomorrow! I can't believe my baby sister is growing up!

P.S.S. I get home in 12 days- it is crazy how quickly this has gone by!

Breaking The Fast

Casablanca, Morocco

August 1-2, 2012

Morocco was the first Islamic country I've ever been to. Morocco has a king who is the ultimate Islamic and political ruler of the country. The king can veto or create any law he likes and nearly has complete political power. His picture was plastered on most street corners and outnumbered the abundance of McDonald's signs.

            I took a tour through Semester At Sea and our first destination was the Hassan II Mosque. On the way to the mosque we passed the "poor neighborhood" of Casablanca. This neighborhood was not the slums of Morocco, but one step up from that. The shanties were composed of cardboard-layered walls and scraps of tin that served as a roof. The neighborhood had been walled-in in a poor attempt to mask the unpleasant scene. We were warned not to go near it and then the subject was quickly changed. Less than a mile away was a gorgeous mosque that was built in 1993 and cost over $700 million. The king's massive palace was also within a mile of the neighborhood. The king has a palace in every city in Morocco and although he lives in Ramat, he has a golf course and horse race track at his Casablanca palace. There are wealth divides and heart breaking extremes in every country, but it is not usually this visible and easy to compare. It brought back memories from driving over the Mexican border with my church. We left lush, green America and suddenly were in a dry land with cardboard homes plastered to hillsides. This was a hard first impression that I receive and while appreciating the country's beauty I held it in my heart.

            Our first official stop was at the Hassan II Mosque- the most beautiful mosque I've ever seen. Unlike the Blue Mosque, the Hassan II Mosque does not use tiles for decorations. The material for the mosque was mostly from Morocco, with the exception of Venetian glass. The mosque was built partially over the Atlantic Ocean and has a massive ceiling that opens, allowing fresh air and sunlight to flood the interior. When Hassan II commissioned the mosque he intended for the Muslims to contemplate Allah's sky and water- two reoccurring important themes in the Qur'an. The floor, columns and exterior arches are made of marble and had geometric designs. The interior arches are made of stucco that consists of marble dust and egg whites, allowing the beautiful and intricate carvings that cover all the walls. Cedar wood was used for the female prayer balcony. Similar to the stucco, the cedar is elaborately carved and painted with stunning shades of green, gold and red. The mosque was breathtaking and as I appreciated the immense beauty I could hear was the soft flapping of the birds' wings as they soared through the open ceiling. The mosque was so gorgeous that I revisited it the next morning. The rest of the sites on the tour had similar architecture and carvings. I've appreciated the architecture in every city, but seeing the recent beauty that they created was very exciting.

            When I wasn't touring sites I was in the Medina (Old City). We walked through the Medina and into an outdoor maze of booths. Morocco has beautiful craftsmanship with wood and etched metal. It was similar to the Grand Bazaar, you could bargain for prices and you also could find similar products at a dozen shops. I fell in love with the inlaid cedar wood jewelry boxes and hand etched metal plates. My favorite shop was outside of the Medina and we were able to watch the boxes and plates being made. Many shops were closed until late afternoon due to Ramadan. One man told us that during Ramadan many Muslims become nocturnal and sleep once they start their fast at sunrise, they then start their day around 3pm. In the evening all of the shops, except for the Jewish shops, would close down for the breaking of the fast at sunset. Casablanca became a ghost town, yet proof of locals' existence was found in the delicious curry scents drifting through the air and the sound of silverware clinking against plates. We went to Rick's Café (from the movie Casablanca) and as we entered the host warned us that our dinner would be delayed for 15 minutes as they broke their fast. It was special being able to see the breaking of the fast and the excitement that spread of their faces as the food was being brought out.

            Casablanca was interesting, but we quickly learned that the real excitement was in Marrakech, three hours away. I'll write about that soon! 

Waka Waka I'm in Africa

As Shakira would say "Waka Waka I'm in Africa." I officially have docked at my fourth continent in the short span of 30some days. We are in Morocco and its been the biggest culture shock so far. I'll post later about Morocco, but for now here are some pictures. My camera broke so I'll have to get Moroccan pictures from someone else and upload them.

Our pool deck. Normally it is packed with people sunbathing. It is empty because this was taken as we waited for the sun to rise before Istanbul. 

My favorite tanning place on deck 5.

Some of my hall mates and I. Our hall is called the Adriatic Sea and our color is purple.

Home sweet home, my bed is on the left.

The other half of my room. It's not as tiny as I had expected!

My enthusiastic hall after the Sea Olympics.

Kaitlin and I at the Hassan V Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco.

Hassan V Mosque. Morooco

These are real chicks! They were bright colors and were for sale!

Hassan V Minaret 

The Pearl of Casablanca. A city building- absolutely gorgeous

In the Medina of Casablanca. An outdoor market- of everything you'll never need.

Love you all,

~Tori