Classes

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 Lauren Gray
Unfortunately I have to take class while I am onboard. I am taking the following classes
 Classes are divided up between A and B days. I have 2 classes on each day so it shouldn't be too bad. We don't have class the days that we are in port.

CHED #COURSE #CREDITSTITLEFACULTYDAY/TIME
00021COMM 38453FOUNDATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSWHEATON SCHLANDERB 1045 - 1200 
00015COMM 4690-23INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENTWHEATON SCHLANDERB 1455 - 1610
0001SEMS 1010-13GLOBAL STUDIES (A DAY)WINCHESTERA 0920 - 1035

00058SEMS 2559-143INTERNATIONAL SERVICE LEARNING (SECTION 1)STRENECKYA 1335 - 1450



If you really want to learn more about my classes you can click here.

The weird thing is that there is a class called The US South. 
Focusing not on the history of the US South but on the complexity, of its culture, this course will study 

the US South as a global south or an Atlantic world South that has been shaped and continues to be 

influenced by Caribbean, Latin American, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Middle Eastern, and North 

African, as well as European and American Indian peoples and cultures. We will explore traditions 

reflected in the art and architecture, language and literature, folklore, film and theater, music, and 

religion, as we visit the countries that have contributed to the complex creole that is the American South 

and that continues to evolve as a consequence of globalization. 


For some reason I really want to sit in on this class just to see what it is like. Seeing how I will be in the minority on SAS since I am from the South (most of the people are from the west coast or New England. There are barely more people from the Southeast, which also includes Puerto Rico, then there are international students) I wonder what people think about the south. I really just can't believe that that is actually a class.


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SEND ME MAIL!!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 Lauren Gray
As the title says...please send me mail. No packages though - just letters!
K Thanks!

Sending Mail to the Ship

Important Reminder: Mail to those aboard ship should be addressed as follows:

MV-Explorer - Fall 2009 Voyage
ATTN: Name of Recipient 
Port Agent Address (from list below)

Currently the U.S. Post Office recommends sending international mail at least two weeks in advance. Please keep in mind that mail service in other countries may vary. Letters should be sent Airmail only. Please do not send any mail to the Institute for Shipboard Education or to the University of Virginia to be forwarded. Do not enclose currency in the mail.

Please do not send packages to the ship - Excessive duty is charged in some countries. In many instances, packages are not delivered to the ship. Packages may be held in customs, or at a local post office, and the recipient aboard ship is never notified. If you send packages, you do so at your own risk.

Please note: The agents listed below are not contracted by the Institute for Shipboard Education, but by the ship's management company. Therefore, the Institute cannot assume liability for the actions, or lack thereof, taken by those listed below regarding receipt and delivery of mail and faxes.

When sending mail please mark "MV Explorer - Fall 2009 Voyage" on the first line and "Attn: Participant's Name" on the second line. The Port Agent's Address (from the list below) should be written on the subsequent lines.
PORTADDRESS OF PORT AGENTSUGGESTED AIRMAIL DATE
Cadiz, SPAIN 
Phone: 34 956 276 112
Fax: 34 956 276 766

Perez Y CIA S.L. 
C/ Ecuador, 2
11007 Cadiz, SPAIN

August 21
Casablanca, MOROCCO 
Phone: 212 61 29 8894 
Fax: 212 22 48 4793

LASRY MAROC S.A. 
30 Avenue des Far 
20000 Casablanca, MAROC

August 27
Accra, GHANA 
Phone: 233 22 300 894 / 5
Fax: 233 22 202 989		HULL BLYTH
Seatec House / PO Box CO 214
Akosombo Road
TEMA		September 8
Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA 
Phone: 91 44 252 12032 
Fax: 91 44 252 43813		JOHN T. RENNIE & SONS
19th FLOOR
No.1 Thibault Square
8001 Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA		September 19
Port Louis, MAURITIUS 
Phone: 230 202 70 40
Fax: 230 208 58 14		Ireland Blyth Limited
Shipping Operations Department
No 6 Dr Ferriere Street
Port Louis, MAURITIUS		October 1
Chennai, INDIA 
Phone: 91 44 252 12032 
Fax: 91 44 252 43813		J.M. BAXI & CO
3rd Floor, Clive Battery Complex 
4 & 4A, Rajaji Salai 
Chennai 600 001, INDIA		October 9
Ho Chi Minh City, VIET NAM 
Phone: 84 8 825 7996
Fax: 84 8 824 2996		GENERAL FORWADING AGENCY 
5th Floor Osic Building 
8 Nguyen Hue Ave. 
D. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, VIET NAM		October 20
HONG KONG 
Phone: 852 2786 1155 
Fax: 852 2744 3240		INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES (HK) Ltd. 
Units 1802-1805, 18th Floor
Nº 3 Lockhart Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong - CHINA		October 28
Shanghai, CHINA 
Phone: 86 21 6323 1350 
Fax: 86 21 6329 1519		PENAVICO SHANGHAI 
3/F 13 Zhong Shan Road (E 1) 
Shanghai 200002, P.R. CHINA		November 1
Yokohama, JAPAN 
Phone: 81 45 201 6991 
Fax: 81 45 212 1614		INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES
2F Asahi Seimei Yokohama Honcho Bldg 
36, 4-Chome Honcho, Naka-ku
Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 231-005, JAPAN		November 6
Kobe, JAPAN 
Phone: 81 78 391 3046 
Fax: 81 78 391 3105		INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES (Japan) Ltd. 
Kenryu Bldg, Room 502 
6 Kaigan-dori, Chuo-ku 
Kobe-shi, Hyog-ken 650-0024, JAPAN		November 9
Honolulu, HAWAII 
Phone: 1 808 599 8604 
Fax: 1 808 599 1950		INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES
521 Ala Moana Blvd
Suite 256 
Honolulu, HI 96813		November 20
Hilo, HAWAII 
Phone: 1 808 599 8604 
Fax: 1 808 599 1950		INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES
521 Ala Moana Blvd
Suite 256 
Honolulu, HI 96813		November 23
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Where Am I Going?

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 Lauren Gray

So here is the map of where I am going on Semester At Sea this fall. And here is the list....


  • Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Cadiz, Spain
  • Casablanca, Morocco
  • Accra, Ghana
  • Cape Town, South Africa
  • Port Louis, Mauritius
  • Chennai, India
  • Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
  • Hong Kong / Shanghai, China
  • Yokohama / Kobe, Japan
  • Honolulu / Hilo, Hawaii, USA
  • San Diego, California, USA
I am so excited and I can't believe it is just under a month to go until I actually leave!! When I find out what trips I got from the pre-sale (assuming that I might get bumped from a trip in the lottery) I will post what I have planed for each country.

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One Less Thing to Stress About....

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 Lauren Gray
My passport safely arrived home with my China, Ghana and India visas inside the other day while I was coming back from New Smyrna. So that is a relief. It is starting to hit me that in 29 days I will be leaving the country and flying to Halifax. With all the stress of figuring things out with TuitionPay and WKU I really haven't had time to really sit down and think about what I am going to be doing this semester. Yes I did look through the pre-sale trips, but even then I really didn't get to digest what I would be doing. I don't think it is really going to hit me until I am on the ship or in Halifax. 

I did find out that there are 6 other people from WKU coming on this voyage in addition to Carley and I. Also, Charis Brasel from BGA and is currently at UT will also be on the voyage. So much for thinking I am not going to know anybody. In addition to meeting Shasank in India, Margaret Walker is going to be in Ghana for 4 months doing some sort of internship or something so I will be seeing her also. Go figure we can't meet up when we are in the same country - we have to journey to a whole new continent. 
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Update

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 Lauren Gray
It has been quite a while since I updated. Things have been crazy since I left disney with the houseboat and the beach. So here is everything that has happened since. After I applied for my scholarships, I managed to get a Work Study Scholarship within the Student Life Department onboard. It is a $4,000 scholarship so that brought the total $19,395. So that was still good, but not great. Then when we got back from the houseboat, I got a e-mail saying that I also received a $7,000 grant through WKU and ISE so that is pretty much amazing. So then that brings the total to $12,395. So that was a very nice surprise. It turns out that Professor Strenecky has pulled some strings at WKU and is running SAS through the honors college and there are going to be about 10 people going from WKU this fall and the grant I got is only for this semester. I guess it is an incentive to get people to go. 
I also recently registered for my trips in country. I had to register for the trips in Spain and Morocco and all other overnight trips. There is a possibility that I couldn't get some of the trips that I wanted so I will wait until I find out for sure what I get. 
I have yet to book my trip to Halifax, but Carley and I are trying to figure out how to split a hotel room, but I have to check in a day before her because of the work study scholarship and now Dad told me that he may try and come with me. That would be fun. 
I talked to Shashank and we are meeting up in India and going to the Taj. So that should be fun. So I guess that is pretty much it until I find out what trips I get. 
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