Saturday february 10 2007

Right now I’m currently watching the cartoon version of Tarzan on TV. They play quite an array of movies each night.

Today was the first day of B classes. I only have one class on B days besides for Global Studies. Conservation Biology ~ should be a good class, I hope. I woke up with a really bad headache that didn’t seem to want to go away, so after reading for awhile out on the deck, I went back to my room and slept for 2 hours. It was a much needed nap.

They seemed to have changed the alcohol policy. No ones really certain if they will be serving alcohol every night but it seems that way. We now get a card that is good for 18 drinks total. Beginning tomorrow, 2 drinks are allowed at dinner, and then 4 drinks from 2100-2300. I do believe that quite a few people will be getting drunk, quite a bit. Drinks work out to be $2.50 each, although its only beer and wine. Apparently UVA wants to make this college trip more “normal” by allowing drinking to occur more often. As you all know this doesn’t really affect me at all since I’m not really a drinker, especially of beer and wine. But I’m sure once this gets out to past voyagers, they will be a bit surprised/upset.

Tomorrow’s laundry day, but I’ve decided to pass this time around. I just did my laundry in the sink because I wasn’t about to pay $5 for a bag of laundry that wasn’t even filled completely. I don’t think I’m the only one. I was helping a couple of the guys down the hall try to decide how to rig up a clothes line around the room.

Also tomorrow, the field program sheets need to be turned into for the trips we want to do in the next couple of countries. I signed up for 4 things in South Africa – although one of them is free. I’m going to Cape Peninsula and Cape Point, Cycling in the Winelands, Cape Flats Nature Project, and a Performance by Township Choir. I think that I will find out for sure if I actually got into all of the trips I signed up for on February 13. In Mauritius, I only signed up for the Adventure Park & Beach ~ this one will probably end up being a lottery because a LOT of people I’ve talked to want to do this. It’s a high ropes course in the rainforest there with zip lines and obstacle courses high up in the trees. I’ve got my fingers crossed that I get in. then I also signed up for Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, which is a 3day/2night trip. Then in China I signed up for Beijing: Peking University which is another multi-day overnight trip. I’ll get to see the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City.

In the mean time, I’m going to Boipeba Island in Brazil which is 4days/3nights and involves lots and lots of walking and being outside ~ ideal for me. Also I’m doing the Erode homestay in India. I’m keeping in mind the warning of the cockroaches on the sleeper trains.

Tonight was also the activities fair. We got there about 10 minutes early and I’m so glad we did because the dining room filled up quickly and there was quite a line waiting to get in. I only signed up for the Adopt-a-Family and a club my RD started called lifesaver. I’m also doing Vicarious Voyage, so I’m sure I will be busy enough with all the ridiculous amounts of reading I have to do plus those 3 clubs, and I might try to get motivated and join some sort of fitness club, though I’m not sure if I’ll want to do yoga or pilates. Perhaps there will be other type of cardio work that I’ll be able to join. Though I’m sure the amount of walking I do in each port will be enough exercise. Okay time for bed. I feel drained already and its only a week into the voyage so far.

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” ~ Samuel Jackson