REMEMBERING SEMESTER AT SEA

It was a year ago today that I left for my second around the world voyage on Semester at Sea. It has been an eventful, yet trying year. Since that departure I've lived in both New Zealand and China, and have visited eleven other countries. I got married! I've been at peace, and I've been stressed beyond the limits of my mind. Above are a few of my favorite images from the trip.

THE SAGA OF THE SAKE BOTTLE

Originally when I posted this picture over a month ago I intended to write a long entry about how frustrating it was and how long it took to ship this sake bottle from Japan to our apartment in China. I don't really feel like writing about it now, so I'll just say that the experience made me appreciate UPS, FEDEX, and even the USPS in the US. Getting mail is something that I've taken for granted, but through my experiences living in both China and Jordan, won't take for granted again. The sake bottle was a birthday gift from myself, or perhaps from my wife (finances get kind of confusing once you get married).  

DEFACING MY INCENTIVE MONEY

I use these bills in class as part of an incentive program. I called them Brian Bucks and students get them for working hard or for going above and beyond. The other day while I was teaching I noticed that someone had defaced a Brian Buck, and I found myself laughing at the graffiti. Big mistake! Now everyone is doing it trying to get a laugh from me. Here are my favorites.

NEW YEAR'S IN VIETNAM

One advantage to living in China is its close proximity to other cool places, like Vietnam. Vietnam is a fascinating country with friendly people, chaotic scooter filled streets, and cheap beer. We spent most of our time in Hanoi, but did venture east to Ha Long Bay (shown in the top two photos). There we slept on a big wooden ship called a junk. You definitely feel like you're in another world when you sit on the bow of the junk and are approached by ladies in small canoes that paddle around the bay selling beer and candy for a living. Then you go back to China and reality painfully pulls you back inside.    

CHRISTMAS IN CHINA

These photos are from the Christmas Day celebration at my school. The commercial aspects of Christmas are widely celebrated all across China. Religious zealots in the US might be envious of this apparent lack of division between church and state, though the celebration of Christmas here has absolutely no religious significance (much like in the US). The kids dressed up in Santa hats and sung Christmas carols, all just because it seemed like fun. Teachers dressed in full Santa gear went around throwing candy at the kids. Only four children were injured in the ensuing riots.