Coffee House

My blog was delayed today because of the Super Bowl. While most of you were watching the Super Bowl in prime time, it was being shown on the ship through the internet at 8:30 am, and the Union was packed.  It was only possible to stream video if no one else was on the internet, so we got bumped for the greater good. The cheers for the National Anthem rang through the library next door to the Union, and I stepped in every now and then to catch a score or some of the commercials.  I do miss my large screen tv and endless supply of chips at home as part of the tradition, but I didn’t really have a decided favorite in this lineup.  Lots of kids were sporting football jerseys for their teams—most of whom were not playing.  Today is “Asia Day” on ship, so there are no classes.  More on that tomorrow.

Going backward yesterday, there was a coffee house in the Union last night.  The shipboard community showcased its talent.  We were treated to musicians, poets, and comedy, and all I can say is ‘Damn, there sure is a lot of talent on this ship’.  Who knew there were so many guitars on this ship? And a bagpipe? Mandolins and fiddles?  The poetry was original, and was delivered with passion, as was most of the music. There are some serious pianists among us as well and voices that mesmerize you.  Nancy and I had gone to the 7th deck where we bought pizza before the coffeehouse.  This was a real date and quite fun.

The coffeehouse was a good antidote for the first Global Studies exam which happened at 7:30 last night.  The exam was given in the dining halls and the Union and was multiple choice.  It was not proctored, giving most of the students a real taste of the UVa honor system at work. One observation from the students was that the many of the questions came from faculty lectures, and they are going to start to give those more attention in the future.  Most people took about 30 min to complete the exam after a day of cramming.  It was interesting to watch them studying together all day.  The discussions that were taking place should have been happening everyday, and I think the students saw the positive effect of the engagement that came from those discussions.

One of the notes on the Dean’s memo everyday is the list of birthdays for the day. Vanessa and Michelle (above) each had a birthday yesterday.  One feature of birthdays is that friends often get together and buy a cake during dinner for the birthday boy or girl.  I like to be nearby when the cake comes out because it’s so large that it gets shared with nearby tables.

We did have a rocky day with waves crashing over the front of the ship. As a consequence, Captain Roman slowed the ship to 9 knots, so we were told that our arrival in Yokohama would be later than scheduled.  I slept great last night, and the seas are noticeably calmer this morning. Speed has increased to 14 knots, so we might not be as late as expected. The air on the back deck was cooler, so we sat inside for breakfast this morning. 

Location as of 8 AM, ship time was lat 29 deg 28.8 min
Long; 144 deg
Speed 14.7 knots
Course 322 degrees