The Pound Kills

Ooooo London, I won't be back anytime soon! (Lol)

London has to be my least favorite port so far; I know, who would've thought! 

London is a wonderful and beautiful city but it is the most expensive city I have ever been in. The pound (which is the currency in London) is probably two or three times the amount of the U.S. dollar, so if you are considering traveling to London anytime soon, I would definitely suggest saving as much as possible. I tried to exchange about $90 U.S. over to pounds and the woman at the currency station could only give me 40 pounds. I laughed, because I couldn't believe it and told her no thank you. It's not just the currency difference that I disliked about London. I also found out, once walking into a public bathroom somewhere in London, that public bathrooms have fees. Usually the fee ranges from 30 to 50 pence (which is a range of 50 to 70 cents in U.S. conversions). I thought this was just crazy! This topic made headlines in my book; I couldn't believe this and told everyone I could from home when I had the chance. But, I found out the positive to London having bathroom fees. It not only allows the pound to stay strong because the extra money coming into the economy, but it also provides a cleaner bathroom for the public. So I guess paying a few pence for a cleaner toilet isn't so bad.

This is not a part of Hyde Park (just want to be clear) lol

On a better note, London reminds me a lot of Manhattan: the streets, parks and people (lol). Hyde Park in London looks very similar to Central Park and the people, to me, can be rude just like New Yorkers. But honestly, I think that they have New Yorkers beat. I did meet a few nice British people, but to me, a lot of them acted stuck-up and didn't have any manners. So if you can tolerate or deal with New Yorkers, you can probably make it in London without being offended. London also had a similar train system to D.C. (with the different colored lines) called the Tube; I really thought this was cool. I could make a lot of comparisons between certain states and London. 

The attractions in the U.K. are beautiful; I had a chance to see the Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. 

Although I didn't have a chance to go in because it wasn't open at the time, the palace really was a great attraction to see. 

It's surrounded by tall gold and black iron gates and is secured by the British guards...kind of like the white house and the secret service (lol). 

Big Ben was an attraction that I always imagined seeing one day, which actually looked the same as it does in the movies. Although, a few of my friends thought it looked much smaller in person.  

Unfortunately, I did not spend a lot of time in London, so I cannot talk much about my adventure. I spent two days in Southampton and my last day in London. 






I actually had a chance to meet up with one of my Bennett sisters (Alyxandra) while in London.                                        

                                    

We had a quick dinner at McDonald's because it was late and I had to get back to my friends. McDonald's in other countries are actually not the same as the ones in the U.S.; they fit the culture of the country. An example of this would be in Korea; they usually had kimchi on some of their burgers (not all but a few). At the McDonald's in Ireland, you had the choice of having regular McDonald’s fries or curly fries which were better (lol). I don't eat at McDonald's all the time, but saying this, you still gain an international food experience and it comes with good WiFi.

The McDonald's in Southampton has a walk-up window

In Southampton, I stayed in port to work on my blog and catch up on my readings and sleep. Keeping a blog while on ship can be a difficult task, so when in country, I really have to take some hours to work on it. I don't recommend anyone who wants to travel with Semester At Sea to have a blog as an independent study. I'm not saying it can't be done, just saying it will take up time from doing something or seeing something else. I do recommend keeping a journal for any abroad program and transforming it into a blog at the end of your program. It will give you a way to share all your stories, experiences, and adventures with others.

SAS - The Land of the Irish

Who would have thought Ireland would be my favorite country thus far? You would probably think because it was my first port or because it was my first time seeing land within 8 days it would be my favorite. Even though I was super excited to plant my feet on land and could have almost kissed the ground, these were not the reasons why Ireland has been my favorite thus far. The Irish people are like no other kind! They are people who know how to show you a good time; they are very helpful, generous and outgoing. Even though the weather seemed to be gloomy and misty, which is the case all the time, the people of Ireland don't allow this to affect the way they feel about life.

The people of Ireland, Guinness Beer, hostels, pubs and Irish coffee are something all new to me.  I know this may sound silly, but when I first got to Galway I was just exited to even see people driving on the opposite side of the road (lol). Two other students (Jasmine and Tatianna) and I walked around to experience the city.

At first we walked to my hostel so I could check in, but we couldn't find any street signs so it took longer than we thought. We asked a few local people how to get there and a lot of what we heard was, "You go up this street and make a left, then walk about 5 minutes down and make the first right at the second stop light." There were a lot of these directions given in Galway, but luckily for us it was a small and easy city to get around. There were many times in Ireland that when I asked for directions, there were never any street names in the description. Finally when we made it to the hostel, it wasn't ready at the time so I walked with Jasmine and Tatianna to theirs. It was my first time staying in a hostel and was unsure of what to expect. I was really iffy about staying in a hostel because one of my friends on the ship had a bad experience at a hostel in Halifax, Canada. However, one thing I did and I suggest anyone doing before staying in a hostel is check for the ratings and review of the place, as if it were a hotel.  

The place Jasmine and Tatianna were staying in had about 6 bunk beds and 4 twin beds, which was about 16 people in one room. Besides this cramped room, the people who accommodated the girls and other people who were staying at the hostels had to be some of the nicest people I have ever met. At the girls' hostel, I met a man from Poland by the name of Sebastian. He insisted on getting me a cup of coffee and telling me his life story while I was waiting on the girls. He had such a love for the country of Argentina, which he had never been to so I couldn't understand why he cared for this country so much. It wasn't until Sebastian went on with his life's story that he told me he had never met his father or even knew his name; he always felt he was an Argentinean man because of the love he had for the country. Sebastian was one of the many locals I had the pleasure of meeting and getting story time from.

When the girls were finally ready to go, we headed to my hostel which turned out to be a more spacious place than theirs. I shared a space which was a one bedroom apartment with one of the girls from the ship for about 35 euros each. Our place had a queen-sized bed, small-size living room and a tiny, tiny kitchen and bathroom. The upside of that experience was it was my first time experiencing a hostel which turned out to be really nice, clean and quiet.

After dropping my bags at the hostel, the girls and I went to get some food and did some sightseeing. We got a taste of the scenery, the food and the live music on the streets. One thing I noticed in Galway is there are not many restaurants, all you see are Irish pubs and this is where they sell most of their dining food. We went to a pub where I had this great big sandwich that made my mouth water (lol).

After we left, we did some more sightseeing, got lost and ended up at this giant cathedral which was really beautiful inside.

Later that day, once everyone was settled, we all met up for a night on the town.  I had the experience of being hit-on by many Irish men that night and for most of the time in Ireland, which I came to realize they really have a thing for Black women. There wasn't a day that I went out in Ireland and wasn't hit-on by an Irish man (lol).

That night really ended up being great! It gave everyone a chance to bond and to get to know each other outside of class on a social level.

The next morning, we left Galway for Dublin, the big city of Ireland. It was cool getting a feel for both cities of Ireland and to see the differences of what the cities had to offer. Galway was a smaller but more personable city than Dublin. I came to  find out many people on the ship liked or preferred to be in Galway. You wouldn't normally expect a lot of people (let alone students) to favor a rural area vs. an urban one.

Nonetheless, we all had a good time in both cities. I felt the ship got to Ireland at the prefect time because there was a big U.S. football game going on that weekend between Norte Dame University and the U.S. Navy. There were so many people from all over the world in town to see this game, about 35,000 people filled the seats of the stadium. I didn't get to go to the game because it was sold out once I found out about it. 


However, I did have many interactions with the people flooding the streets of Dublin all night long. Literally, all night! I had my first experience being homeless in Dublin (lol). The group of friends I was with wanted to have an experience of knowing what it feels like to be homeless for a night. It's not as dramatic as it sounds, but I can say I won't want to do it again (lol). We basically stayed out all night until everything was closed and all the people went back to their homes. Since it was so cold outside we had to make a decision to either sleep in Mickey Dee's or find someone from the ship with a hostel room and crash on their floor. We ended up sleeping on the hostel floor of some of the girls from the ship. There were 12 people in this tiny, tiny room. Three people slept on the bed, which were the ones who paid for the room, and the remaining nine took the floor. I had the pleasure of sleeping underneath an open window and if you know me at all you know I can't stand being cold (lol). I couldn't sleep the five hours we had to spare before returning to the ship that morning. That morning was so miserable! Not only did we have a bad night of sleep, we also walked about two hours back to the ship in the mist and cold. When I first saw the ship, I think I was happier than when I first saw the ship in Halifax (lol).

Ireland was a great first-port experience. I would recommend anyone to travel to Ireland and stay either in a hostel or B&B (bed & breakfast) because the people in Ireland are great with housing others and love Americans.

SAS - First Night At Dinner

The day of August 23, 2012 (6:09 PM)

As I sit at dinner I can't help to question myself, "Am I really going to be on ship for four months with people I know nothing about?” It hasn't really hit me yet but I guess I am, because the boat moving/shaking and there is no turning back now...

As great as this experience may seem, I know this has to be the most courageous thing I have ever done. Going to Korea wasn't something that frightened me, until I got there and knew I wasn't in America anymore. But this is something completely different. When the boat sailed off, I knew the next time I would see land was in 8 days.

Coming into this new community puts you in an awkward position, and as an SAS student you have no choice but to interact with others. It's a part of what, we as students are here for. Getting away from the social networking part of life and interacting with one another on a day-to-day basis. No Facebook, no Twitter, no Instragram. Most people in today's society would say this is impossible for our youth to even think about. Then there are those who believe our youth just need this kind of challenge. Whatever the case may be, I'm taking on the challenge. The most significant thing I learned today was that 6% of people in the world today have college degrees. SIX PERCENT!

Just to think that I will be a part of that percentage one day and have a semester visiting four continents is just phenomenal to me.

This could also be phenomenal for you, too!

The world is a huge book & those who don't travel to see it only stay on one page.

-St. Augustine

Overall Wrap Up of 2012 YWLP

Before going to Korea I was so excited! It was my first time out of the country, and I was unsure what to expect. Once on the flight to Korea, I was unsure if we were ever going to land! A 14-hour flight was the longest flight I had ever been on, and it felt never ending. As I looked at the satellite map on my TV screen, I remembered just praying to God that he would get me there safe and sound.

Once he did that, I knew I would be able to handle the rest of the venture in Korea, but boy was I wrong. There are tons of challenges I faced once I was there, and I can say that it was not easy. Getting used to the Korean culture was the hardest part and really challenged me as a leader. Eating food I didn't normally eat, waking up at 6am and staying wake until 9:30 at night, sitting on the floor, taking off my shoes when I stepped in the room and more. However, that was just the beginning of my summer experience in Korea. 

The first few days of VBS preparation were extremely time consuming and left everyone exhausted. In all honesty, everyone felt as if they were in prison (lol).

We were on a tight schedule! I would say we were up by sunlight and down by moonlight. For bedtime there were about 8-9 people to a room, and we all slept on the floor on palates. However, it was just the Korean culture. The Scranton Center wanted us to experience as much of the culture as possible, which I understood.

We made the best of the room situation by having sleepovers and late night chats. We also didn't have a lot of time for WIFI or talking to anyone from home because of the packed schedule. And because of this, I think we as a group had a closer bond with one another.

I am so glad we had the bond we did, because the Korean-Americans were the best thing that happened to me on this trip. They help all the "American Americans" (which are the African and White Americans) with so much, especially, the most important thing, the FOOD!

The food was the hardest thing for me the entire trip. Learning to adjust to a totally opposite taste than your home taste is just unheard of to me. All Koreans seem to eat is just plain rice (no seasoning) and Kamchi, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Sometimes rice cakes for snack too (with real rice). I must say I am not a fan of Kamchi, and when I came back to America I never wanted to see a plate of rice again (lol). My favorite part of the Korean food was any of the meats they gave us, when they gave us meat, their soups, watermelon, ice cream and their kiwi salad dressing (lol). That kiwi salad dressing was the second best thing that happened to me (a lot of the girls didn't like it but I loved it).

After VBS preparation was over, we went to the Elim House for Vacation Bible School to teach the children, which I felt it would be easier. However, after that first day of dealing with the kids, I realized I was facing bigger challenges. The amount of energy it took left me exhausted again. VBS was the longest three days of my life. Every chance I got to talk to my mom, I would tell her how I wasn't having kids and she would laugh. But the experience was definitely worth it! I felt like every teacher there made some kind of impact on those children's lives. And I honestly know they won't be forgotten, whether it be their skin color, name, niceness or tone of voice.

In addition to my VBS experience, I also had the experience of being a part of the Peace Seminar where I met many friends. Not only did I have my friends from the United States, but I gained relationships with students from Japan, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Korea. The programs and sessions the Scranton Women’s Center provided for everyone allowed us to build endless relationships. There have been times where we have laughed together, cried together and even danced together. I had an opportunity to learn so much about the Korean culture and history. 

I learned about the “comfort women” (Women of Halmonies), which I had never heard of before. The comfort women were about 200,000 women ages 10 and older who were forced to be sex slaves by the Japanese military during WWII. These were women from all over Asia, with a large percentage being from Korea, trapped as sex slaves for about 7-8 years. The Japanese set up stations known as “Comfort Stations” for the military men to have sex with the women after a long day out on the yard. One woman would take about 20+ men a day, back to back. Men who ranked at a higher position in the military were able to receive a longer time with the women, usually up to 8 hours. Even if the women were sick or had a disease, they would still have to perform. This had to be the most gruesome story I had ever heard before. Walking through the museum and seeing the photos made me wonder how I could have not known about this story. 

As of today, the comfort women of South Korea protest every Wednesday in front of the Japanese Embassy for an acknowledgement that this happened in WWII and an apology for it. Until this today, the Japanese military have not acknowledged any of their faults or apologized to the women. The group and I had the pleasure of going to a Wednesday protest to meet the women. Unfortunately, the day we went was too hot for the older women and they were not able to make it, but a few people from my group did get to speak. This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. 

I was also able to go to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) and see the separation of the two countries of North and South Korea. There, I was able to meet South Korean military soldiers and heard the story about the two countries. Hearing that the North Koreans were unable to leave their own country because of government was unreal to me. I immediately wanted to do something. The group and I heard stories of people traveling through the mountains just to get to South Korea for freedom. However, as of today the North Korean people are no longer able to do so; they will either die or be put in jail if they try.

It was such a humbling experiencing seeing the soldiers there, because I knew they were not going home anytime soon. All the soldiers want is to end the separation between the two countries and to have peace. I really didn't know how serious war was until I was actually at the DMZ and saw the separation between the two countries. The group and I were not even able to take photos facing North Korea. I just hope the war between the two countries gets better and the people of North Korea will be free soon. 

I would like to thank the Scranton Women’s Center for opening my eyes to the culture of Mary Scranton, EWHA, the history of the Korean War, the Women of Halmonies, the DMZ and more. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in Korea.

Chungdong's 2012 VBS

Chungdong's Vacation Bible School was a fun and challenging time. I learned so much about the children and myself. I knew it was Gods calling for me to be there at that place and time. It wasn't until I went to the Elim House that I realized I was being challenged as a leader. I never knew how much energy it took to entertain kids and keep them busy.  Every two seconds the kids were pulling on me, trying to sit in between my legs and playing in my hair.  It’s funny because, most of the students in the camp had never saw braids before and had come up to me many times just to touch them. I felt I was some unusual creature or Lady Gaga. In addition to never seeing braids before, some of my students had never seen a person with black skin before. The first day I met them they said “Teacher you’re so brown" or tried to wipe off my skin. But I told them my skin was permanent and they would not be able to wipe off the brown (lol). They even flipped my hands back and forth because they were confused that one side was black and the other was white. It was something I had never experienced before, but I was not rubbed by it and it didn't make me love them less. I figured that it was just out of the ordinary for them, and they may have never seen someone my complexion before.

During the camp, the staff had tons of activities for the kids but the three biggest ones were the water games, the talent show and the festival. 

Water games and the talent show had to be my favorite as well as the kids. 

Water games were a fun time for everyone to let out some aggression. 

For teachers to get back the kids that didn't cooperate so much and for kids to get back teachers who gave them too much work. 

The talent show was a big night for my kids (lol) and the other groups (lol). Me and the other teacher (Monica) for our class thought the kids how to do the Cha Cha Slide as their performance. It was so cute! A lot of the kids were embarrassed to shake their butts to the crowd, so they shake in one spot the whole time (lol).

The proudest moment for me being with my kids was to see how much they wanted to learn English. Seeing how determined they were to get the bible verses right lightened my day. One day, one of my girls named (Choo-Young) was really upset and threw a tantrum at the end of class. But no one knew what was wrong with her at the time. Later that day, she told someone she was upset because the class didn't get to finish our day lesson. That everyone didn't get to learn the whole memory verse and learn together. When I heard that it brought so much joy to my heart. To see someone so young wanting to learn is just incredible.

The hardest part of my trip was understanding the Koreans and having them understand me. Having someone speaking another language to you can sound like a bunch of mess. It can get you really upset; you must have patience when dealing with someone who doesn't speak your language. You feel as if you’re on a total different plant and your language means nothing. Sometimes you might just blank whatever they might be saying out because you don't understand and it's challenging (especially, Asian languages).