Norway-bound

Date: June 19, 2008
Location: Middle of the North Atlantic
Lat: 52° 5.27N Long: 034° 15.60W

The sea sure is big. We keep steaming towards Norway and I sure hope we’re getting closer. As best I can reckon we’re almost at the half-way point. Things are becoming routine now, but everything’s going well.

I think my classes might be harder than I thought, but they are still totally manageable. I really wish I had more to say, but I don’t. I think there might be a talent show in a few days, which may be fun to watch. I’m real tired, and we’re losing another hour tonight, so I’m going to call it a night early, but at least each time I wake up we’re that much closer to Norway.

Date: June 21, 2008
Location: The North Atlantic, Near Ireland
Lat: 57° 16.43 N Long: 018° 5.32W

I have to make up for two days. Things got a bit busy last night with pub night and then going into a high-stakes Texas Hold-Em Tournament, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Yesterday went pretty well. Pretty standard fare for the most part, there was a lot of reading and stuff, plus classes take some time away. I’m not sure about the global studies class, the professor is clearly animated, yet I think he spends a bit too much time talking about what he believes as opposed to what happened. I suppose it’s to be expected in a "Plato-to-NATO" style class; all the same, it’s frustrating. At least with my history background I have a pretty good time picking out what’s important and what’s just fluff. The class is structured around essays anyway, so given my acuity with them; it shouldn’t be a big challenge.

However, after the standard daily stuff, like getting a quick workout in and playing some basketball, the night got much more fun. They opened up the bar, and you are only allowed four drinks, probably a good idea. Given how drunk some people are, clearly some liquor got sneaked on board.

The kids that do tend to be the ones that are probably going to spend all their time getting drunk in foreign bars instead of actually getting something out of the program, I think they term for them is "spring-breakers." They are basically people who are treating Semester at Sea as spring break and not as actual school. I guess I can’t blame most of them, if their schools only take transfer credit on a pass/fail basis and an A is worth as much as a C, motivating oneself is a bit more difficult. Thankfully the good folks at the Purdue Study Abroad department did not give me that option with direct credit transfer.

I had my four beers, a first since I have been here. We did not have class today, so there was not much to lose, outside of $3.50 per beer. I got up there right when the taps opened so I was able to make it through the line, there must have been 400 people crammed up on the 7th deck aft. If you don’t get there early, you won’t have a chance at getting the four allowed drinks.

As I was socializing, one of my friends told me he was getting a poker tournament together with a $10 buy-in. I decided to join in and have some fun. I don’t know much about poker, but I was tearing it up. I almost won, but ended up getting third place out of six and not getting my money back, but I made a good run, but the people who actually knew the rules better than I ended up winning in the end. I guess my total lack of strategy was beneficial given how well I did.

The game ended around 0145 so I decided to head off to bed. I was tired so it was a good idea. There were no classes today so I woke up around 1230, which was a lot better than 0745, which is even better than 0545. I played some basketball and some cards with people, no one really felt like doing much work today given the off day.

I just got back from a talent show on the ship that was pretty good. A lot of singing and piano playing, but it was definitely a good time. I’m heading back to reading, but at least I’m staying busy.