TSS 2

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I tried to post this blog yesterday, but it was taking too long to upload the webpage. And I’ve had questions about my internet time…the 250 minutes is total for the entire trip, not per week or per leg of the voyage. So that’s just over 4 hours for 4 months.

Anyway, here are my thoughts from yesterday…


January 5
16:30

I woke up at 6 this morning to the sound of a helicopter. It turns out one of the crew members was sick and had to be medically evacuated to Hong Kong. They said what he had wasn’t contagious and they expect him to meet up with us in Shanghai. I guess on the last voyage several people had to be helicoptered out of here…the doctor’s resources are limited so if anyone breaks a bone or needs hospitalization, in comes the coast guard (is it called the coast guard?) and out goes the person.

I’ve had my first day of classes today! They are both with the same professor and both seem like they will be overlapping each other tremendously. Both are also a review of other classes I’ve had…unfortunately I don’t think we’ll be covering much ground that I haven’t already covered because many of the students in the class have no prior knowledge of these topics. The good news is my professor is a trained lawyer and specializes in international law and negotiation. Since law school has been on my mind, I figure a review class might be a good way to impress her and get a good recommendation, right? Haha, I’m only partly serious when I say that… I do think these classes will be an opportunity for me to explore my own path and decide what I want to do in the future. I can do some in depth research instead of trying to cover a lot of shallow ground, which will be refreshing. And the fact that my teacher has my ideal job cannot hurt at all.

At lunch we were looking through one of the books we bought but don’t need…it’s actually a reader, not a book, but we opened it and realized it’s an Al Qaeda training manual. I swear on my life it’s page after page after page of typed up translated material that came straight from Al Qaeda. There are sections with pledges, what to do if you’re caught at immigration, how to forge passports and documents, how to spy, how to beat and kill hostages…literally it’s every possible thing you can imagine. And the class I bought this book for is called Diplomatic History since the Congress of Vienna. WHAT does an Al Qaeda training manual have to do with diplomatic history?? Our professor didn’t even know why it was on the book list (the professors aren’t the people that made the syllabus)…it’s a little frightening that this material is made readily available to the public. What is even more scary is that some people were traveling through airports with these books. One girl in our class is half Persian and she had this book on her person…if they would have opened it she would have been detained, I’m absolutely positive of it. Heck if anyone was caught with a guide to being a terrorist, they’d be detained. I just don’t understand how TSS thought it was a good idea to let us have these books and travel with them.

This evening I met with two of the residential directors about conflict resolution and mediation training. I noticed that during our orientation they never mentioned anything about offering those services, so I approached one of the people about my skills and experience in that field. She was very excited to have a trained mediator on board and thus I will be teaching skills to all of the students on Monday and I will be training all of the IRC’s (RA’s) on Tuesday. I will also be a part of the group that will offer mediation services to students and staff alike. I’m really pleased that I’ll be able to brush up on my mediation skills and that I’m able to bring something to the TSS table. It’s also reassuring to know I possess a skill that is desired and sought after. Maybe I will get a job someday & I won’t be a broke college student for forever!

I also found out that my roommate will not be joining us on the voyage. She backed out a the last minute and I will be getting another random roommate placed with me in the next couple of days. They are having a lot of roommate switching because of the price cost associated with different rooms…some people were put into upgrades and don’t want to have to pay for it and some were put in the basic cabins and want upgrades. I’ll just stay in my little slum…some of the rooms cost up to $5000 extra! Who has that kind of money?!?!

I think that’s about my news for now. I’m really enjoying my time here so far and I can’t wait for everything to settle and a routine to set in. What’s not to like? I don’t have to pay bills, I don’t have to go to work, someone comes in and cleans my room every single day, someone picks up after me when I eat and every night I get rocked to sleep by the boat!

Thinking of everyone back home today… Hope you have a great day!

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Comments

[Mom]

negotiate this
Why don't you negotiate for an upgraded room for the mediation services you will provide????? Love the blog, Love you. Daddy's party was a blast. As soon as I get the pics I'll email your gmail account with details and pics. He loved your letter, as did everyone else. xo

[Evelyn]

Alumni Office
Hi Megan, Wow ... congratulations, you're finally settled on the ship! You have a wonderful attitude about the whole experience, including your closet size room! :) We had a wonderful time at your dad's surprise birthday party this past Saturday evening at Edgewater Acres. I loved the humorous and touching letter that you wrote to your dad ... your mom read it out loud for all to enjoy. Happy New Year ... sending lots of love and hugs.