everything is upstairs

I've been getting up early each morning- although this becomes less impressive when you realize we gain an hour of sleep about every other day. The sunrise this morning was equally unimpressive, but I'll keep trying.

Last night on the ship was a rocky one. Drawers in your cabin slide open and close with the roller coaster of the waves, so I woke up about every two hours or so. Also, if anything light isn't secured down it goes sliding away. Fortunately Abby and I are the 2nd Deck (I don't think I've mentioned that yet), so we get a significant less amount of tossing. One of my professors (student and faculty are on the higher decks) told the class how he was completely thrown out of bed. We do have a window in our room though (I'll post a photo soon), and you can watch the deep blue water get closer and then farther rhythmically. 

I don't think I've eaten a single meal with the same group of people. Even if I don't have any plans to eat with someone, I will just go and sit down at someone's table. Although this is very much the culture of the voyage, I'm quite proud of myself every time I have a rewarding first interaction with someone.

This morning I had class 0800 through until 1205. Early morning Astronomy, with the lovely Ian Campbell, an older British professor whose bright sense of humour is only matched by the colour of the sweatbands he wears on his head. I haven't touched math since high school, so I'm slightly wary, but his magnetic personality, and being able to come home and show off how many constellations I know will be my motivation. 

After, I attended Intro to Theatre, the class I'm auditing. I learned that Professor Kahn (or Drew), like many of my home Drama professors, reuses jokes. It was an introduction-type lecture, a lot that didn't pertain to me as I'm not actually in the class, but I'm excited for discussions on foreign forms of theatre as we near Asia.

Finally, I had my last class, Global Shakespeare. I had met Professor Kinney earlier, and I had figured he would be the kind of lecturer you just have to be awake for. He has a dry sense of humour if you are listening closely, and I got approval for a random answer I knew to a piece of Shakespeare trivia. We are reading The Tempest first, which has a shipwreck in the first scene. 

I attended two seminars this evening, at 1900 and 2000. These are offered every day, Global Cafe and Insight Lecture. A professor or guest speaks about an interesting topic related to their field, our upcoming destination, or whatever. This evening the spokesperson from TOMS on our boat spoke (we all got a free book), and the Cultural Anthropology prof spoke about having successful conversations with strangers (she's a lovely lady and the topic was great but she's not the greatest speaker). I think that if things like this were hosted on my home campus I would entertain the thought of going, but would never leave the house. Here, I literally walk up a couple flights of stairs. My accessibility to fascinating mental stimulation has never been open.

It's 2316. Past my bedtime if I'm getting up to see the sunrise again. I'll write about my other classes tomorrow, as I have them again (this two day cycles is a killer). The waves are significant now, enough that I can see sprays of white in our porthole.