Journals from the week ending February 14, 1997
New Floatie
by Maxime Aucoin, 2/10/97, aboard ship...Even after dreaming about this extraordinary voyage for a year, not one of my dreams could have described the feeling of being on this boat. It took me a couple of days to realize that I was half way around the world. When I woke up one morning and saw nothing but water around me, I finally understood that this boat is my house, the people around me are my family, and the next five months will be an experience of a lifetime.
One of my fears when coming on the Concordia was what the other students would be like. I was happily surprised to see that everybody was nice and that we are all like brothers and sisters here. I can't wait to really know everybody well and hope to develop close friendships. My objective is to keep my eyes open and try to experience to the fullest.
Malaysia
Borja Martos-Carballo, 2/12/97, aboard ship...From vipers to Buddhist temples, Malaysia's rich culture is not only impressive to its newcomers, but also to its natives. Within the Malaysian culture lies three distinct ethnic groups. These include Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Although we have had a chance to mingle with the locals, we are merely touching the tip of the iceberg. The culture here in Malaysia is very much a product of morals and other social norms. It really is not what is right or wrong in society, but more of what is right according to centuries of habits passed down from parent to child. Though there are three racial groups, they do seem to co-exist in a very productive community. While opposite from the United States, where there might be some barriers between races, people here in Malaysia live in unity quite nicely.
Having the chance to embark on one of those terrific bus tours in both Kuala Lumpur and Penang, we were able to witness a lot of this rich cultural tradition. From the Buddhist temples to batik and pewter factories, Malaysia distinguishes itself.
My Second Semester
Benjamin Dunn, 2/12/97, aboard ship...The second semester started off with an flurry of festivities. I was just shuttled off from the torturous flight that never seemed to end and finally I was home, back on the boat for another semester at sea. I thought it would be the same as last semester only in a different part of the world. However, there are some significant changes. First, we have a new professional crew, students and staff. Then, there are all the goodies we brought back from home. Last but not least, are the stops we made in Malaysia.
The arrival of new students brought about new friendships and new relationships. This came as somewhat of a surprise because there weren't that many relationships last semester so everyone assumed that not too many would arise. The professional crew brought with them new rules, new ways of handling the lines, basically an improved way that we handle the ship. The competency of the new crew has strengthened the feeling of comfort and safety onboard. The staff, consisting of teachers and Ms. Smith, is something we just have to get used to. The teachers bring about their way of teaching, which we have to adapt to as well.
Almost everybody went home for the winter break At home, we found things that we wanted to bring back to the ship. Some students brought towels, toothbrushes, posters but only the truly inventive people brought back illnesses. On this boat we live in very tight quarters, if someone gets sick we all get sick. This semester someone brought back the flu.
Malaysia was a nice country in parts but I would say the ports were very different then the gorgeous Pacific Islands we were used to. Kuala Lumpur seemed to be a very busy city that was over-populated and very dirty. It was nerve racking simply to cross the street. Penang was more fun, it was still primarily an urban area but we found things to do that I will always remember and I am glad to have done them. Our last stop in Langkawi was uneventful. It was a nice quiet little island with scattered shops that were, unfortunately, closed for the holidays. Langkawi might have been really great at another time but I was sick and the island was locked up.
All in all the new semester is, as the word 'new' implies, new. All the differences, big or small, don't really matter in the long run, after all, we are still having fun.