Sunday, December 30, 2007

Training, Training, and More Training



It has been 3 days, and we have not had a minute to think... The Scholar Ship staff has prepared such an extensive training program for us that my eyes are glazing over (on top of still being jet legged:(

Certain aspects of the training are just fascinating, as we start learning about this unique opportunity that we got to build a community for 4 months that has its own intention and moral compass with a strong value system supporting multi-culturalism. We are slowly grasping the responsibility of not just having to teach our students, but also shape their grasp of a more compassionate and cooperative attitutde towards the world...

The IRC's (who seem to be much younger than most of us, the teachers), are bringing in a much needed infusion of high energy while we start fading a bit from the building pressure of knowing that our students will be here in a few days and we have got to prepare fantastic lesson plans for them to be able to incorporate theorty with group interactions coupled with experiential learning and topped with strong ties into the facts about the countires we will be visiting!

The staff had an evening yesterday where we started slowly sharing some of our personal background and motivations leading to our work on the ship. Most of the people talked about being "global nomads" who always walked the fine line of living among multiple cultures and trying to fit in, while not really wanting to be tied down to one cultural self-definition.

We have people here that have lived on sailboats, survived revolutions, explored the rain forest, and served in hidden corners of the world in the Peace Corps. All the colors of the world are represented, and togehter with the international crew memebrs (mostly greek but also many Asians), this is going to be one hell of a floating global village:)))

Friday, December 28, 2007

Our Ship (Previously Known as The Mona Lisa...)



This ship is an “old lady” born in 1966. It is full of spaces that used at one time to look grand, yet in a way make you want to chuckle. We had an introduction yesterday by one of the key people from Royal Caribbean as to why they chose this ship. It is better suited for transatlantic long term travel and can carry enough supplies for a whole month at sea. And – it was affordable! With only 150 students come on board for this voyage, the income level for this trip is way below what was expected. I talked to some people briefly about how they should further the student recruitment, but deep inside I am so pleased to know I will have to teach small classes and really get to know my students! I am going to be teaching an undergraduate course in international management and a graduate course in international business strategy. We are supposed to spend the next 4 days cramming to get our syllabi ready having gotten our books only yesterday. This is going to being a real test of our teaching abilities! We have a mixed faculty from countries like Italy, Germany, Australia, Morocco, U.A.E., and the US. Seems that most of them are in their last fifties to sixties (clearly those than can afford to leave home for so long). We have one young professor on board, though, that brought his wife and 2 kids who will be home schooled during the trip. It feels good to see those kids running around the ship. It somehow makes the place look less of an educational laboratory with serious looking professors discussing important subjects at all times…
We are going to be teaching in converted classroom with windows looking to the ocean. A couple of professors who are here for the 2nd time talk to us at dinner about the various distractions the ship represents and how those will grow exponentially as the students spend more and more time cooped up in a small space away from home and, sometimes, away from shore for long periods of time… I am taking all of this in since I am trying to figure out a way to keep them excited for the duration of my courses without losing them mid way… Make me almost want to go play hide and seek with them around the various parts of this ship that are still very much unknown to meJ

Paradox at Sea

The whole world was shaken by the news of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination yesterday in Pakistan. And here we are, getting ready to embark on a breakthrough educational experiment in teaching students about international relations and we had to learn about this important news as part of a casual discussion during dinner time! So lesson #1 was: being on this ship, we have entered a bubble where isolation from everyday news and world events is going to enable us to focus closely on helping our students hone their abilities to be culturally evolved and sensitive while attuned to the needs of international business and community. BUT we will spend a lot of time in that bubble, away from any breaking news…
As a person who had devoted her professional career in the last 10 years to promote the Internet with its “web of inclusion”, I find my position here ironic somewhat. Immersion in a four months journey while mostly disconnected from this lifeline of knowledge and news, I am experiencing a great level of discomfort… As I rush to one of the only two computers on board with Internet connection to read more about the impact of Bhutto’s death, I keep telling myself, “my students will need to understand that; especially as we head towards India!” yet I know that part of what we are here to learn and to teach is how NOT to be swept by the lore of constant connectivity so we can turn and look into each other’s ‘true being’ and what it is that will allow us to use our human commonalities to communicate effectively with no external tools at our disposal…
But did George Bush’s look into Putin’s eyes help us all understand better Time Magazine’s Man of the Year, Tsar Putin? Or are we obligated, in this world of ever accelerating global change to be as knowledgeable as we can about the developing geopolitical conditions at all times in order to become better leaders, business people and members of the global community? What shall I teach my students? How shall I teach them while potentially being disconnected from the world at sea? Do we all need to disconnect at times in order to learn how to better connect???

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Hong Kong






Well, if I wanted a good lesson in intercultural relations, I could not have chosen a better day than yesterday! As I arrived to the Hong Kong airport with my 2 very heavy suitcases, I realized I needed help finding my way to a taxi to take me to the port. A nice short Chinese man approached me right out of customs and asked if I needed a cab. Being so tired I said yes, even though somewhere in the back of my mind I was wondering whether I was doing the right thing talking to a stanger... The guy proceeded to caryy my laguage (barely making it:) and took me to the curb outside the terminal where he stoped and used his cell phone. There was no cab in sight... He turn to me and said, "I just go get the van. You stay here." I decided right there and then that I was not going to dash back to the terminal and look for a "real taxi", but rather trust this guy... Minutes later, a van with a Pakistani guy (in Hong Kong?) screeched to a halt in front of us. I got in together with the short Chinese guy and off we went...



As the van was speeding through the highways, the 2 guys were busy talking on their cell phones and I was left to wonder what the hell did I get myself into. Yet somhow, the Chinese man's smile seemed so genuine, that through the fog of my great fatigue, I let my fears go and watched the skyline of Hong Kong passing by through the windows...



When we arrived to the port, the Pakistani man took off with the van and I was left on the sidewalk with the Chinese man who kept asking me "Where do you need to go? Where is your ship?" Of course the answer to that was "I have no idea. My instructions only tell me to go to the public pier and wait for some tendering vessel to take me to the ship..." The man smiled an amused smile (probably thinking I am total nut case) and told me "Let's go!". He took my biggest suitcase and started rolling it toward the pier and I followed him with the other suitcase and my backpack, barely able to move, feeling dizzy all of a sudden with the incredible city lights surrounding me and the uneasy sense that I have no idea where the heck I am and where he is taking me...



We wondered aimlessly up and down the pier as my Chinese friend (by now I decided he must be friendly if he went through the trouble of helping me carry my stuff looking for my ship) kept asking everyone where we can find a tendering vessel that goes out to the large cruise ship...



After 20 minutes or so, I was starting to feel very bad for the man and sorry for myslef. My jet leg did not help much either, since I realized I no longer felt in control of the situation. Then the man stopped and said "I call the police!" Well, little did I know that this is the BEST thing that could happened to me! After a few minutes, 2 policemen appeared and started questioning me about where I thought I was going. Trying not to become irritated, I told them again and again. They stayed very polite but seemed to have a look on their faces that said "This lady is a bit flaky..." Then they asked to take my passport... Not something I relished doing as I stood there with my Chinese man and my lauguage and they dissapeared...



Another 25 minutes went by, and I became aware that I truly felt like a fool! Just off on my "big journey" and already lost???? Yet, the 2 policemen came back with a police inspector; a good looking man in civilian cloths who used his cell phone to find the docking Scholar Ship, get their coordinator on the phone and be given insturctions on where I should wait to be picked up!



As I said my goodbyes to the Chinese man (by now I saw his little daughter's and wife's pictures and heard his life story), the police inspector took me to his little office to put my luggage there and from there to... Starbucks! Sipped coffee, he told me about graduating 30 years ago from Pace University in New York City, retiring from the Corrections Office and taking this current job after a 7 months vacation around the world when he realized he will go crazy if he did find a new job and ended up joining the pier's police department...



When he heard what I was going to teach, he started a series of questions about the China-US global economic relations and ths I ended up giving my first lesson at a Starbucks in Hong Kong to a policeman!



The kind policeman (or Allan, as he wanted me to call him) ended up escorting me back to the pier and making sure I got on the right vessel to take me to the ship. Before he left, he asked fo my business card and promised to email me so we can continue our discussion on the economic future of China and the US... Unbelievable!!!!



I am now awake and just finished exploring my new "home". The ship is an "old lady", and I feel like I have gone back in time 20-30 years just looking at the old fixtures and the amount of reall wood everywhere... But I will leave the description that for next time... Now I am off to my orientation and drug test (I guess it is a requirement)...

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas and Packing

This morning I got up to a silent world surrounding me... Everyone seems to be celebrating Christmas (probably opening their gifts by now)... Being a Jew in America always made me feel a bit jealous and out of place on a day like today... Very fitting feeling for packing up my books and study materials on global diversity, isn't it? Something to share with my students when I see them next week!

Tomorrow I am catching the flight to Hong Kong to reach The Scholar Ship. Here it is! Isn't she a beauty???

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Why Macedondoc?

I spent 2004 to 2005 in Macedonia as a Fulbright Scholar. I chose Macedonia because it is the birth place of my parents. Re-connecting to my roots proved to be an amazing experience...

Who I Am Going To Miss the Most


Itinerary

The itinerary for the January 2008 Voyage of The Scholar Ship is as follows:
Port Arrive Depart
Hong Kong

02 January 2008
Shanghai, China
10 January 2008
16 January 2008
Bangkok, Thailand (Laem Chabang)
23 January 2008
29 January 2008
Chennai, India
05 February 2008
11 February 2008
Port Victoria, Seychelles
17 February 2008
18 February 2008
Cape Town, South Africa
27 February 2008
04 March 2008
Saint Vincent Island, Cape Verde Islands
15 March 2008
15 March 2008
Barcelona, Spain
21 March 2008
27 March 2008
Istanbul, Turkey
01 April 2008
07 April 2008
Lisbon, Portugal
15 April 2008
15 April 2008
Amsterdam, Netherlands
19 April 2008