the one with the beginning of the end...

Today we got our first memo about disembarkation procedures! I cant believe that I will be back in the states so soon. It has been a long summer, amazing and fun filled, but I am ready to go home.
I miss cooking and sleeping in my own bed. I miss no time changes. I miss texting, and talking on the phone.
Okay back to drawing class.
Cris

the one with me needing an email adress...

Kelly Pace?! If you are her or have her email please email it to me at cmcoven@semesteratsea.net
I want to talk to my big! Thanks :]

the one with morocco...

Moroccan Life…

Well I don’t want to say anything to offend any one but I didn’t really like Morocco. It was dirty, busy, and has a interesting (by that I mean bad) government system.
The mosque in Casablanca was really pretty, but built recently for tourists, so that put a damper on it for me. We did see a beautiful catholic church with gourgous stained glass windows inside. It was comforting to be back in a church.

Marrakech was much of the same. I think I would have liked it more except for the 2 hour camel ride. That was not a good idea for me or my spine. The food was great though. So was the shopping, I bought bunches of cute stuff including good shoes for recruitment and a leather purse/bag.

Oh yes, the first night in Morocco Sabre and I went on a “Sabre Crista Dinner” but we also invited Sam. We had a great time at ….. Rick’s Café! For those of you oblivious to life, Rick’s Café is one of the main settings in Casablanca the movie. This one was only built about 6 years ago by an ex-american forign service worker, but it looks very similer to the movie set that it was filmed in back in Hollywood.  We had a wonderful bottle of wine and some great food.

I don’t really have a whole lot else to say about morocco. It was just a short stopover before heading stateside.

Today I bought myself a sweatshirt in the store that I thought was on sale, it turned out not to be… o well I wanted to get one so I did, the sale was very poorly marked though.

Today is also a no class day and the shipboard auction is today. I  wanted to get the two books that Gerry Bowler wrote, he is our global studies professor and a Christmas Expert. I think they are getting to be a bit too expensive though, so I problebly will just get them on amazon.

Tomorrow we are back to the grind of classes for 4 days, until exams start. Fun fun fun.

Sorry this is not a longer more detailed entry, I am just not much in the writing mood.

See you all soon! I will be in VA on the 21st!!!!

Loves,
Cris

the one with the potential of flying toiletrys and snacks....

According to "the voice" we are going to hit very rough seas tonight, so rough that we were advised to put our rooms on "lockdown" and put practically everything we own on the floor. Sabre and I just completed this and our room looks quite bare and sad.

The only condolence we have to this is that we are once again gaining an hour tonight!!!! Whats even better is that we are gaining another hour tomorrow night why we are in port!!! I am going to be one well rested traveler.

Tomorrow we arrive in Morocco, and I am going on a traditional SAS city orientation. The following day I am going on a two night "Camel Trek and Merrakech" trip. Aside from the potential of me fainting when I see my first snake charmer I am quite excited.

14 days until Virginia!

See you all soon, I am off to drug myself so I do not spend the whole night puking.

Loves,
Cris

the one with a life changing moment....

Sabre Died.... Just Kidding
She is all better, for the most part, she still has a bit of a man voice.

The life changing moment happened after a faculty- caribbian sea party in the faculty lounge. Sabre and I ventured on to the deck to look at the land we are passing. Which we determined was Africa. But we could not figure out which country it was ... we settled with the knowing it was a country in Northern Africa, in between Egypt and Morocco hahaha. -- Back to the story, we were standing there when out of no where came a bright light! A shooting star!!!!! Some of you might wonder why I chose to put 5 exclamation marks after that, the fact is it is the FIRST shooting star I have ever really seen! I have seen like the very end of one before but not one in all its glory. It was epic, and yes a life changing moment. Sabre was very excited she was there for this point in my life :]

Oh Sabre, we have gotten to the point that everyone we meet assumes that we have known each other for years, and are besties back home. Its great.

Bed time for me, 16 days to Virginia! It is starting to be bitter sweet. Once I see all of you though I think I will be very happy to be home.

One more thing, for those of you meeting me in VA, I have decided that my first meal in the states will be red robin (Hint hint, find one near by). A fatty burger with bacon, strawberry milkshake, onion ring tower, and a salad with ranch. Yes I will explode, but I miss real american food. && I am dieting on the way home, so I will be skinny enough to handle it. :]

LOVES,
Cris

the one with sabre in a near death state.... (not really)

Well the past two days have been pretty boring hence the lack of blog posts. Sabre and I are both sick, although her near death state is nothing compared to my sore throught and headache. Not really but she is pretty sick. I have two midterms this week and one paper due on Friday (which I already have done!!). I am also trying to choose a drawing for the gallery our class is putting together to show the shipboard community. Right now we are watching the talent show going on in the union on our closed circuit TV. Its pretty … interesting hahaha. Some people are good, and some just haven’t been told that they are not that good. Ha
Loves, Cris

OH and tonight we are going back an hour for the first time!!! (that means we are on our way west!)

the one with the worst bagel ever and GREAT news!!

Today = Sea Olympics
Donut on a string contest= Bagel on a string contest
Crista in bagel contest= better then the girl in front of me from my sea, but not as good as the bagel machine in line behind me (Richard)
Caribbean Sea in Bagel eating contest= Epic Fail
Caribbean Sea= WINNERS OF THE SEA OLYMPICS!
Me in Virginia= Getting off the ship first (with the rest of my sea)!!!!!!!

That made my week, and I will see you all in four weeks. Except my parents, Justin and Grandma... I will see you early on the 21st, Rather then waiting all day to get off the ship!

LOVES
Cris

the one with the worst bagel ever and GREAT news!!

Today = Sea Olympics
Donut on a string contest= Bagel on a string contest
Crista in bagel contest= better then the girl in front of me from my sea, but not as good as the bagel machine in line behind me (Richard)
Caribbean Sea in Bagel eating contest= Epic Fail
Caribbean Sea= WINNERS OF THE SEA OLYMPICS!
Me in Virginia= Getting off the ship first (with the rest of my sea)!!!!!!!

That made my week, and I will see you all in four weeks. Except my parents, Justin and Grandma... I will see you early on the 21st, Rather then waiting all day to get off the ship!

LOVES
Cris

the one with the epic quote of the day...

Today’s Quote
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning, but taking part”.
--Pierre de Coubertin

“Spoken like a true Frenchman.”
--The Voice

The one with ancient writing, giant statues, and of course Ramses II?

The past 5 days have been ridiculously busy to say the least. I don’t think I have the time to go threw and describe everything I did. So I will just hit the highlights.

Pyramids: just what you would expect, HUGE, sandy, with lots of camels and tourists. At the pyramids I rode a camel. It was a very weird experience, they were so much taller then I expected. The ride was also a bit bumpy; I took a priceless picture of Sam on her camel. It is HILARIOUS! Hahaha

Valley of the Kings: SO much more then anyone would expect, the Hieroglyphics were so incredible. I loved every moment even though it was over 110 degrees. The Tombs were so detailed and beautiful, with most of the color still intact it looked newer then the Roman Forum and the Acropolis but was actually a few thousand years older.

Karnak Temple: The one you see on the history channel all the time with all the columns. It was beautiful and huge. I thought it was interesting because of the way it was added on to by each pharaoh, and the Greeks over hundreds of years.

Abu Simbel Temples: WOW, it was incredibly hot, but the gigantic temples were well worth the heat. One of them is the one with the 4 colossal statues of Rameses II out front. The inside was just as incredible. The carvings inside were images that I have seen in my history books for years. I was in aw as I walked silently through the little chambers inside.

Cairo Museum: King Tuts gold and items found in his tomb were beautiful and fascinating to hear about, but the museum itself is a disgrace to the treasures inside. No air conditioning and bad layout. Luckily they are building a new one in Giza.

Overall, this trip was well worth the cost. I had an amazing time, and saw almost everything there is to see in Egypt as far as ancient stuff goes.

Today is the day of the 102nd semester at sea Olympics. Everyone cross their fingers, if the Caribbean Sea wins, we get to disembark first in Virginia! YAY! I am competing in the Donut- on- the –string competition! Yes, I volunteered to speed eat a donut off a string in front of all my peers on the 6th deck aft I will let you know how it goes, I have a friend video taping it so everyone can relish in my embarrassment.

Our 6 day journey to Morocco has begun… four days after making pot there we are off the states, a bitter sweet 10 days.

Loves, Cris