Burma is coming up qucik

Last night we had a memorial service for a professor who passed away while we were in China. His wife went home to be with her family but came back to sail with us in Singapore. So last night  Archbishop Desmond Tutu lead the service with prayers and scripture readings, students and staff provided memories and students played the piano in remembrance. It was all done very well and we were all reminded how much of a shipboard family we truly are. I really do feel close to people on the ship even if I have only had a few conversations with them. Were all in on this crazy adventure together. We are all making memories together, experiencing things together. So last night Arch talked a lot about how Wade (The Prof) considered the MV Explorer his home and reminded us that as a community we are all in some way connected by this journey we are taking. After the memorial, we quietly all preceded to the back of the ship, walked down 2 flights of stairs on the back of the ship to the 4^th deck to be handed a flower we could throw off of the back. The flower was to represent all of those we have lost in the shipboard community in the past and those who we have lost in our life that have had a major impact on who we are. It was a really emotional experience to see over 500 people on the back of the ship, on every level, looking down on the lower deck where the flower throwing was occurring. I said a small prayer and threw my flower as in the background someone played a violin. I have so much respect for his wife (Jane) who came back to the ship and stayed strong during the whole service. Once about half of the people had thrown their roses, the ship began to make an infinity loop.

 

I am all caught up on school! My first mid-term was today (blah).. But I can now actually take time tonight to catch up on my blogging and mentally prepare for Burma which is going to be a very emotional country and a large culture shock. Because of tides we are arriving in Burma around 2pm tomorrow and we are being asked to leave the port 2 hours earlier than we were supposed to. So overall were losing about 8-10 hours in Burma which is a bummer but I am still glad to be going because were the first SAS voyage to be going there since 2005 because of the issues with the government and treatment of the people.

 

Hope all is well! I love emails J hehe

 

Love,

Casey