www.empowernepalgirls.org

Knowing there is something unjust happening out in the world and you haven’t done anything about it is a horrible feeling. Sometimes one can suppress these horrid feelings for some time but when it is brought to your attention so abruptly it really resonates inside. I know I will soon learn about what I am going to tell you first hand but even learning about it in our global studies was hard enough.
In my global studies class ( the biggest class i have ever had -- 300 students and 40 Life Long Learners) one of the professors came in to talk to us. He had the hardest story I have ever heard. It literally brought me and so many others to tears. The story we heard of is how this man was in Nepal. He went to explore the country and try and learn why the mortality rate in women was so much lower than men. Well he never knew it would turn into a lifelong mission. He went to a school to see the children and girls and how they were treated. When he was at this school he was talking to the principle and the principle said see that girl, and pointing to a girl of only 12, he said that is Enu and she will disappear next. This man, professor Kottler, asked what do you mean? The principle replied her dad is a drunk and left her family with nothing. She has 4 other brothers and sisters and their family cannot afford to send them all to school. Enu will be sold after this year. This 12 year old little girl will be sold into sex slavery. She will be sold to a brothel where she will be raped 15-20 times .......the first DAY! She is only 12, 12 years old!!!! So Professor Kottler said what can we do, we need to help her. The principle said it’s too much money. And Klottler said how much? The principle replied roughly 2500 rupees. Do you know how much money that is? Roughly 50 dollars! 50 dollars to save a child’s life!!!! Only 50 dollars a year and she will remain in school she will remain safe! Well Kottler reached into his pocket and did what any decent human being would do, he counted out 2500 rupees and handed it over to the principle. The principle took the money and said Enu stays in school!! The principle put the money in his pocket and Kottler walked away sobbing! The medical assistant on Kottlers team them told him that the principle had NO!!! ZERO!!!! Intention on keeping Enu in school, he would take the money and keep it for himself. This happens every day it’s normal to them! So now Kottler must tell the principle that he will be back to check on her in a year and then the next year and then the next and next continuing until she graduates. Now let me tell you it took him a week to travel to this village and now he has to do this every single year for the rest of his life. That was the beginning. Enu now has a full scholarship to the best University in Thai land. Now Kottler has formed an organization that is supporting 145 girls. He makes absolutely NO money from this and he has no office and he runs this company off of his dining room table with his wife and takes some students with him each year. He does this all out of the kindness and generosity of his heart.

After this class every one either left in silence or ran to professor Kottler to grab anything they could so they could know more about all this. Steph and I went and got the email address went back to our room. We both looked at each other and knew what the other was thinking. We both said we need to do something, we need to be a change in this world. We can make a difference! Sometime we all feel helpless but we must overcome that because we are all in the world together!!

I couldn’t help to think i could save child’s life on less than I spend on a pair of running shoes. I know no one deserves that. There has to be something out there that I can do to help! Something that we can all do to help! Well this all brought me to tears and i have trouble writing it to you all right now. If you want to know more about this please go to www.empowernepalgirls.org . this website explains what I cant please take a moment out of your day and take a look!

Shart Infested Waters!

We just got back from our first day in port. Me and steph went and lived on a river boat for the last 2 days and 1 night it was cool sleeping in a hammock idk if you would exactly like it but it was funny and interesting to say the least.

I caught a Parana i was one of 3 students who did how exciting is that!!!! mine was a red belly one the most vicious kind!!!! and i held a camen!!!! so exciting i was the first to hold it and then let it go into the water after a few others held it.
It felt sooo nice to take a shower today after not for a while and after swimming in the shark infested waters

i love you mommy i will talk to you after Rio. We leave on a red eye tonight!!! im super excited!!!

Domenica!

So now let’s get to Dominica!!!! This little island is amazing and because we only had two days there we fit in as much as we possibly could; although I must come back to see more because this island holds so much incredible things and the people here are amazing. The first day we were here Steph and I along with a few other friends explore the capital, Roseau. We immediately went up King George the 5th street in search of the botanical gardens. It was somewhat hard to get up this street at first because so many people were trying to get us to take their cab while we just wanted to walk. We made it up the road eventually and into the botanical gardens. There were so many different plants trees and things to see. There were a few locals in there and they started yelling towards us. At first we tried to ignore them because we could not totally understand what they were saying . However, upon listening harder I hear “The island name is not Dominica it is Waiti-Kubuli, it is the name your Christopher Columbus gave to us when he saw our island. I means sweet you know juicy like fruit or your boyfriend,” As he held his hand toward his face in a kissing motion. After we heard this we were saying it all day laughing saying “like fruit or your boyfriend.” But the real magic started when we see 3 people emerge out of the forest. They were 3 SAS kids and told us that there was an awesome path right through the brush. Well of course we took that path and where did this steep and narrow path lead but to the top of a mountain were you could look out over the whole city, you could see everything even the explorer.
After that we went down the longer way on the streets and experienced the more so local side of this part of the island. We went around every bending street where cars fly around honking their horn to let other cars on the other side of this turn know they are coming. I mean why bother to slow down?!! As I was walking I noticed how nice it was just to walk these roads instead of taking taxis like so many others did. Walking gave you more of a feel of the city. You could see the locals out on their porches, different shrines they had for religious purposes, the different architecture of the city and the beautiful nature that was everywhere. Dominica is called the nature island because of its amazing rain forests and agriculture which is the islands biggest money maker. By walking instead of driving we had time to converse with locals talking to them about their interests and what they like to do around the island. After exploring the town and having people run off their porches to give us tours of their island we went back to the boat where we met up with another friend and went to Champaign reef. This reef is remarkable. The gases from the island bubble up through the coral and let steams of bubbles up and through the water to release at the top. It was really awesome to see it when we finally figured out you had to go a little further out to see them. I was also able to see 2 different kinds of eels, Puffer fish noodle fish, rainbow fish and a few others . We even swam out to see the drop off (yes just like in Finding Nemo haha). I even exchanged emails with one of the diving instructors for a group that was there after she was so kind to give me her mask so Steph and I could see a little more. I really hope that Diane and I keep in touch. After we got out we went up and got one of the local delicacies, not frog possum or rodent, but some rum punch which took the salty tastes in our mouth right away.
Later on everyone on the ship went to a little bar called JR’s and had a immense time drinking and dancing in the rain that came through the open roof on the dance floor. No one seemed to care about how “It might mess up their hair or ruin their outfit” we were all to worried about having the time of our lives. I think it might have had something to do with the drink everyone was drinking called “Slap my ass, and take me home.” And let me tell you it did just that.
The next day we were up bright and early again and went to the new market where all the fruit and vegetation were on sale. It was quite the sight to see! We did a little more adventuring through the town and working on bargaining skills at the different shops and market places. We then rushed back to the boat after discovering the little things that we want to collect from each country.
In the afternoon we went on a SAS sponsored trip to “The wonders of Waiti-Kabuli- emerald pool.” We took a bus to a spot in the in the rainforest and walked the paths learning along the way when we got to emerald pool we were about to jump in the crystal clean water that reflected green from all the forestation. After that we went to the longest river on the island and went “white water tubing” This was a very intense experience, which I strayed off the course more than a few times getting rescued by the staff who knew me by name by the end of the trip. After we got down the river we were given fresh oranges grapefruits and coconuts. This was all amazing! I learned that it is easy to do these trips on your own however, you might not get all the informational fact your get on a tour but you do get more of the local perspective.
Slap my ass and take me home = rum punch

THE MV EXPLORER

I’m about to attempt to describe the indescribable so please bear with me. I will start off by telling you if you think you own or have been on an amazing ship (aka boat) you have nothing on the MV EXPLORER. This ship is amazing it is the only floating college in the world and is the 5th ship of its kind. Before this ship there was the MS SEVEN SEAS, the SS RYNDAM, SS UNIVERSE, SS UNIVERSE EXLORER, and now the current MV EXPLORER. In the past this experience has been run by other universities but currently the University of Virginia owns and runs this program. Now it really hit me the other day that this is my home and college when I walked out of class and to the 7th deck to lay out on a boat that’s in the middle of the ocean. I live on the 3rd deck in room 3064 with my cousin Stephanie and we love our room. Some of our family members have seen our rooms and warned us how small our room would be and I laugh at that now. When we first walked in we were baffled about how we could possibly fit all of our stuff but then we unpacked and there is more than enough space for anything our room is literally the perfect size and we have our own bathroom. It really makes me think why I need so much space in the states and that maybe I have a little too much stuff. But any way to continue on we wake up each morning to the sun shining in our room and we look out and there is nothing but ocean the most beautiful blue you will ever see! To all you who haven’t been I highly suggest traveling by this boat at one point in life! You can be a student, teacher, staff, crew, or Lifelong learner and you will love every minute of it. The lifelong learners are amazing people some of them have been doing this since they were students on the ship and have never been able to separate themselves for too long since. They just want to continue learning and want to help you learn and grow as a person. The weirdest places on the ship are the stair cases, not because of the cool sayings on the walls, the placks that hang or that these are some awesome grand staircases but they are weird because it is the one spot on the ship where it is absolutely impossible to approach. Now you are possibly thinking what is she talking about, well while you are walking up your body goes through a series of feelings. There are some points where you feel like you’re flying while at other points it is very hard to pick your feet up depending on how the explorer is swaying. Then the rest of the time you’re literally just getting thrown side to side. Well that’s enough about the indescribable so keep checking for the countries!

GET EXCITED!!!!

I just finished packing and now have to try and get a winks sleep. However, i am way too excited and don't know if that's going to happen! Oh well so worth it! And were off the world awaits us this is going to be THE TIME OF OUR LIVES!

PACKING!

Packing for this trip is single-handedly one of the most daunting tasks ever created. There is nothing more i want than to be on the boat packed and ready to go. The anticipation is killing me and i have to focus on all the little things. You try packing up your life to go away for 3 and a half months to 11 different countries(i know it's AWESOME). The climate is going to be nothing like what it is here and i don't exactly know what to expect. So i have to pack in order to get on a plane with all my stuff(and half my family)and then get into a line to get on the MV EXPLORER!!!! So now i am thinking OH NO I HAVE TO CARRY ALL THIS BY MY SELF!!!!! However, all this undesirable stuff will be so worth it the moment i step foot on to that ship.

I'M SOOOOOO EXCITED!! (its almost here!)

JUST THE BEGINING

So it all started first semester freshman year when my brother went on this amazing trip. The second he got back my cousin Steph and I knew that we were next we had to go, this trip was meant for us. But even more so we were meant to do this together. So now we are both going into the spring semester of junior year and packing up our lives in New Jersey to go around the world with Semester at Sea. We are going to the Bahamas Dominica, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, Viet Nam, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Hawaii and return to San Diego, C.



BEAT THAT!