Today was our first day of classes which I very much enjoyed. My first class was at 8am this morning and since we have been having rough seas since yesterday the students during class were dropping like flies many of them pretty green. Thru out the day you would see people quickly leaving rooms. To make it even worse it's been difficult to walk with all of us bouncing around loosing our balance. This afternoon I attended a class on disease and healing and although it was interesting I could barely keep my eyes open. It has been so long since I have sat in class all day. Plus I think the rocking of the boat was just lulling me to sleep.
I am surprised how busy we are during the entire day and evening with little free time. I still haven't worked out yet but tomorrow I HAVE to make time to go to the fitness center.
Ken is taking alot of business classes so he is a happy camper. Then this evening he got to make a special visit and meet some VIP's on the ship. You guessed it--he was invited to the Arch bishops cabin to met him and his wife. Turns out the wife has back pain and Ken being the world renown spine surgeon was consulted. Can you believe that?
Tomorrow we have our second set of classes and the weather isn't expected to get better maybe worse again due to the large hurricanes in the Atlantic. It's been difficult to get on the internet due to the ships capability allows only 50 people on at a time. So I will try to keep in touch every day but if I miss you will know why.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
1st day of classes
Saturday, August 28, 2010
1st days of Semester at Sea-oh my!!
I don't even know where to begin! I am not the best writer but these next few months I will try my best to describe the events of this trip. These first days have already exceeded my expectation! I have been encouraged, stimulated, challenged, and thought about things in a way I haven't since probably my college years. I can feel already that it will be an amazing few months and will be life changing. I have learned so much already. Like this is a ship not a boat (ships carry boats like the life boats), boats don't carry ships. That this is not a cruise but a voyage. We had our first drill before the boat ever left the dock which makes sense and I am not sure why but the academic dean and his wife are on our life boat and came up right next to Ken and I and we had a nice little chat for the 45 minutes we were required to stand still and be quiet-NOT. Then a few people over we discover that the arch bishop Desmund Tutu and his wife are also on our life boat. How crazy is that, out of 1,000 passengers. Early in the day I was in the computer lab trying to figure out how to get on-line, my ship emai,etc. and Desmund comes and sits by me to also receive help from the gurus. We have a short communication and both get excited when we begin to understand some of the new basic concepts. I hope I am still doing this at 78.
The so far has been very good but Steph says after a while it gets pretty old. We have been very busy going to orientation, meetings, talks and learning to know the various area of the ship. Every one from the older "life long learners", the faculty, and the students have been so out going and friendly that its been alot of fun already. Such an interesting group of diverse people.
We left Halifax a few hours ago and the ship is already rocking and rolling and they warn us that its only going to get worse due the hurricanes in the lower Atlantic. They have already placed puke bags all over the ship in anticipation but assure us we will be out of danger but can still have large swells. Steph I hope this isn't starting out like your voyage. Her's had over 30 foot swells their 1st week and alot were sick, couln't attend classes including the profs. and furniture was sliding from one side of the decks to the other. Her videos are wild so I hope this isn't a repeat.
Well all this chatter and I didn't even mention our first day in Halifax. I stepped on my glasses and had to find a shop to repair them, Ken called the hotel reception to see if they sell their pillows since they were so comfy and we were expecting the worst on the ship and low and behold if they did't sell us the pillows and the cases we slept on for Walmart prices, and after we arrived on the boat we were notified that Ken had left his insulin at the hotel. Oh the joys of traveling! It's bound to only get better.
In closing, you can see we are bound for a great adventure that maybe we can return on with some of you. Thinking of each and every one of you and will contnue to stay in touch.
Love,Marty
blog address is martykurica.blogspot.com and e-mail is makurica@semesteratsea.net or you can reach ken at our normal kurica@aol.com and they will be forwarded.gcangelini
The so far has been very good but Steph says after a while it gets pretty old. We have been very busy going to orientation, meetings, talks and learning to know the various area of the ship. Every one from the older "life long learners", the faculty, and the students have been so out going and friendly that its been alot of fun already. Such an interesting group of diverse people.
We left Halifax a few hours ago and the ship is already rocking and rolling and they warn us that its only going to get worse due the hurricanes in the lower Atlantic. They have already placed puke bags all over the ship in anticipation but assure us we will be out of danger but can still have large swells. Steph I hope this isn't starting out like your voyage. Her's had over 30 foot swells their 1st week and alot were sick, couln't attend classes including the profs. and furniture was sliding from one side of the decks to the other. Her videos are wild so I hope this isn't a repeat.
Well all this chatter and I didn't even mention our first day in Halifax. I stepped on my glasses and had to find a shop to repair them, Ken called the hotel reception to see if they sell their pillows since they were so comfy and we were expecting the worst on the ship and low and behold if they did't sell us the pillows and the cases we slept on for Walmart prices, and after we arrived on the boat we were notified that Ken had left his insulin at the hotel. Oh the joys of traveling! It's bound to only get better.
In closing, you can see we are bound for a great adventure that maybe we can return on with some of you. Thinking of each and every one of you and will contnue to stay in touch.
Love,Marty
blog address is martykurica.blogspot.com and e-mail is makurica@semesteratsea.net or you can reach ken at our normal kurica@aol.com and they will be forwarded.gcangelini
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Getting ready for SemesteratSea.
Hello,
This is the first entry onto my blog and I am testing it before we leave to make sure it is working as it should before we leave the states. I really can't believe this is becoming a reality as I thought Ken would back out at some before now. We are both extremely excited and busy doing last minute preparations. It's not so easy to organize and prepare for being away from the United States for almost three months, (especially when we are also planning a wedding for next August). Oh my!! I look forward to being in touch with you all and hope that you will respond either on the blog or by e-mail as I think I might get alittle homesick after the first few weeks. However if I take the auditing of my classes and my continued exercise regime,
(thank you Goef), seriously I will be keeping busy! I am hoping for quiet seas and I would appreciate your prayers in this regard as this is the only thing that makes me nervous. So I will write again when we are on the ship and begining this trek around the world. Till take care and stay tooned.
Marty
This is the first entry onto my blog and I am testing it before we leave to make sure it is working as it should before we leave the states. I really can't believe this is becoming a reality as I thought Ken would back out at some before now. We are both extremely excited and busy doing last minute preparations. It's not so easy to organize and prepare for being away from the United States for almost three months, (especially when we are also planning a wedding for next August). Oh my!! I look forward to being in touch with you all and hope that you will respond either on the blog or by e-mail as I think I might get alittle homesick after the first few weeks. However if I take the auditing of my classes and my continued exercise regime,
(thank you Goef), seriously I will be keeping busy! I am hoping for quiet seas and I would appreciate your prayers in this regard as this is the only thing that makes me nervous. So I will write again when we are on the ship and begining this trek around the world. Till take care and stay tooned.
Marty
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