First Day in SALVADOR, BRAZIL

Hello everyone. My apologizes for the slow update this week. It has been a long, busy week. Classes got into full swing and I'll tell you, being on a boat for a week strait in just bananas. I'm not sure where to begin. My learning is accelerated here on the boat. I have a lot of reading and not a lot of other students are taking 5 classes like me. I am taking African-American Lit, Poetry from Around the World, Theater: Memory and Vision (Script Writing), Global Studies and Masculinity and Femininity. I'm exhausted right now but I wanted to let everyone know everything is great. Life is beautiful on the boat. It's so great to be around people who desire to better themselves through education. People who are anxious to help others (my roommate brought an entire suitcase of toys for children), and people who are just interested in enjoying life altogether.

Salvador-Bahia is beautiful. Carnaval is in full swing. Today on the street was crazy and incredible. Theres no doubt I am where I am-- Brazil. The colors are wild here, bright oranges and green and blues. My senses are on overload. The streets are packed. Even the children are in costume during the day. It is certainly everything you'd imagine it to be, plus more for the fact that I am actually here. The Portuguese is actually not so hard to deal with because it is similar to Spanish. We didn't go out tonight, it is pretty dangerous (but, tomorrow, when we learn out way around a little more, get a little more energy, we definitely will). Rio is a plane ride away, many students are going there, is even worse. However, you just be smart make good decisions and you are alright, like anything right? No lie, standing right next to me is a girl in tears because she just got mugged. I am sure this isn't what you want to hear but it is what it is. Life is different in different places. They say travel makes a man wiser but it doesn't bring happiness. Though, shit, I'm pretty happy right now. Being a Woman here is also much different then in the United States. I definitely look forward to walking down the street alone again.

It feels like I have been gone a long time, though, hard to believe it has only been a week and half. The Ship had a little shin dig for Valentines Day which was fun. Everyone here on the boat is awesome. People are really cool and from all over the country. East coast people are the coolest though (haha). There is always much to do and plenty of conversations to be had. Time is of no essence on the ship. I am just going. Time is measured in space. Meaning, this much space till we go to Brazil, this much time till we leave. Wish I could keep in touch more, speak to you guys, but I'm far from being homesick. Far.

Eric, Brenna and I are reppin CHS, no lie. From CHS TO SAS, that's that Philly edu-ma-ca-tion taking us around the world. Public Education works.

Today I served as a student Ambassador for the Consular working in Salvador. It was no governor but she was nice, her name is Heather Marques. You can try to goggle her, but I found nothing. I got to sit next to Archbishop Tutu and the Dean introduced me in front of the entire "shipboard community" as an Ambassador this morning during the Diplomatic Briefing. It was a nice experience. I am trying to get involved as much as possible.

Ok well I am off to sleep. Good night amigos y amantes.

Puerto Rico continued..

These Photos are from yesterday and today, some are from the small city Ponce (la parte caribe de la isla Puerto Rico) and the Indian Memorial, others are self-explainatory more or less. I am happy to share some of the great images I have had the pleasure to be a part of so far.

Boricua and the "Ship"

Hello everyone. This morning I had the pleasure of hearing Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá of Puerto Rico speak to us. His speech was amazing as he shared his thoughts on America’s relationship with Puerto Rico (a commonwealth of the U.S for those that do not know), and his desire to maintain P.R. traditions despite past U.S. “assimilation” attempts. I recorded the speech and I will probably want to share it with you when I return (at least the first 10 of you, after that I’m done, first come first serve). Archbishop Tutu was there as well as a large amount of press. Afterwards I was talking a walk before we were allowed off of the boat and into our first stop-- PUERTOOOO RICOOO. I bumped into The Governor’s Spanish speech to the press. I was about 1 of 2 students there (I was what you say “fazed,” or in my own little Governor world), listening to him speak about the connection he feels with this program and how happy he is to be a part of it even if it was just for 11 and a half minutes (but who’s counting?). Afterwards I shook his hand and thanked him. He shook hard and looked me in the eyes. I think he expected me to say something and I could’ve said anything, English, Spanish, immigration, ESL, anything. Of course though, I was “fazed.”

I just got back from a nice long walk around Old San Juan. I had a great lunch, filete de pollo con plantains y arroz, y que bueno la comida es en Puerto Rico!! The people were beautiful and nice, but, it’s a “port” city, lots of tourists. Tomorrow, I go to Ponce, about 26 minutes on the other side of the country to a place of what I am told is great beauty. It is a spiritual place which holds the “oldest cemetery in Central and South America,” who knew? Friday- La playa (the beach).

The food is great, and it’s in abundance sooo who woulda thought but I am actually “working out.” Ok that’s a lie. But I am doing the elliptical machine now and then. Life is good and beautiful. I feel blessed and it will be crazy to get off of a boat of buffets and into countries where people are starving, not crazy but very real, it will be extremely sad. So far I have had two classes, African American Lit. and a Theater course. It feels great to be around students who are like me, who are eager to learn and study (most of them..).

Naturally I miss Philly. I miss all you guys, my friends, my family, Cleo and Rosa. But, somehow, it’s not nearly enough to make me feel homesick in the least. Everyone is so nice, friends are easy to find. I wish I had some juicy story about how terrible the uhhh whatever was, but the staff is nice, the ship (its not a boat, its not a boat, the captains have been saying again and again) is just spectacular with a pool and a library and it is kept incredibly clean, along with our rooms where our beds are made everyday. So far Ronaldo has made my bed more times this week then I have made mine at home all year.

As far as reflection goes, I haven’t had much time for it, that is why this blog is good. I just hope that I am able to take things day by day, take what I have learned and infuse it in a way that will really make a difference one day. Every speech we have received, the readings we did on the first day of classes (we’ve only had one day so far of class as I said) have all pushed me a tiny step further towards, well, I’m not sure, towards something greater then I am and that is beautiful. Until we meet again adios amigos y amantes de aqui en Puerto Rico (la cuidad de hombres bonitos haha).

PS- For my Uncle Brad I changed the layout of the blog as you can see. Hows baby Sarah??

I am on my way

quick post to let everyone know I made it -- to the Bahahmas at least. Great time, I leave tomorrow for the boat, suitcases in hand (yes, the "airport" "lost" my bags). Hope to update soon with pictures, until then.. adios amores.

butterflies fly pretty high.

When I close my eyes, or even keep them open, and I picture all of the images that have been ingrained into my mind over all the years of my life, I see beautiful things. Tomorrow I leave and though naturally I am nervous and I am not sure how one truly "readies" themself for this, I am ready to see beautiful things.. Today I drove to my sisters and I went all the way up 5th st, from South Philly to North. I thought many things to myself, of which many of you Philly natives have naturally thought too. However, today, knowing it was my last day in the city for awhile, I looked deeper and well, I thought "Goddamn this city is a shithole!" Now now, don't get it twisted. Mt.Airy, Chestnut Hill, Center city, etc., all that is realllll nice, but not everyone lives in all that and we know that. I really want to return with a new appreciation for the city I grew up in and have loved all my life and just like that tourist slogan we all love to hate, it really has loved me back. Today I felt frustration. Frustration at our mayor, at our people, at the crime (how 'bout that homicide rate?), even at myself for somehow being a part of the filth (because face it, if you're not part of the solution you're part of the... thats right). Anyway, the truth is if Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love, isn't it about that time we really love our brothers and each other in this city? I look forward to that day like I do a holiday. Until then I am leaving, but I'll be back, and after this extreme educational workout I want to return with some knowledge on how we can really fix this city. Because the answer does not lie in "moving to NY" or "getting rid of Street," the answer lies within us. Until we meet ago, adios amigos y amantes.