Hi, KCBS:
Today was the last day on the cruise! The HASSE staff members planned a full day for the kids. To start off, the kids still had breakfast. I could see it in their eyes, but after days of gluttony, indulging in endless supply of food, their better sense of health finally caught up. So, it became easier to drag the kids away from the buffet breakfast. Before, it was like pulling the kids by their legs, having them hanging on horizontally onto their plate of food, now, some of the kids leave the buffet before we even sat down!
The first class we had today was not taught by Dr. Barnhart, but a cruise member. Did we find a cruise member who happens to be an expert in Mayan civilization like Dr. Barnhart? The answer would be no,because the class was towel folding! Yup, the cruise member has been delighting us with a different animal each day made out of their towel. So, we went and learned how to make animals out of a large bath towel with a small face towel. I am proud to say that I now can make an elephant and a dog out of towels! So, whenever I have guests over my house for the holidays, I'll know how to entertain them. Hahaha!
After the stimulating class to start off the day, the kids moved onto to Dr. Barnhart's last lecture on the Mayan hieroglyphics. The ship was rocking a bit heavier due to the weather change, so many kids actually feel a bit seasick. Under the circumstances, they still did their best to listen as Dr. Barnhart talked about the background. In the end, the students were asked to write out their own name using Mayan hieroglyphics. The kids enjoyed that part of the lecture, and it was an excellent way to end the lessons! Now, the kids have something that they can take away with them back home.
In the afternoon, the kids had some free time to use the facilities on the cruise ship and to prepare their group dance for the farewell party. A few students were goofing around, but the majority of the students really took the time and made the effort to improve their dancing. In the middle of that, we also had a class lined up for the kids and the staff members to learn country line dancing! Yes,obviously, I was not part of the meeting in the previous night to decide on the day's agenda. If I were, the towel folding and the country line dancing would NOT be on the agenda. But, since I am such a cooperative person,I participated!
Then, just when I thought I could not have embarrassed myself even more, the HASSE staff members informed me, with trepidation, that they had decided to do a dance routine for the kids. I was like,would somebody please shoot me out of my misery? So, we had about 1 hour to prepare for the party. I was reluctant, but being the professional that I am, I put in my best effort.
The farewell party started late and in a disorganized fashion because the groups all wanted some extra time. Once the party started, everybody had a smile on his or her face the whole time! We started with the dance done by the adult chaperons, then proceeded to the group's dance routine. Dr. Barnhart handed out his certificate to the students for completing the course. My memory became fuzzy after that because I became hungry! But I think there was a part where all of us sat in a circle to share and reflection on this experience. Each kid had a lot to say. Some kids talked about their interesting findings, funny anecdotes, and new friendships. A few students cried, and so did the staff members. My eyes were red, but mostly because I was hungry. I don't cry when I am happy, and I was pretty happy with the experience.
The day did not end with the farewell party; there were still the checking out procedures. The kids were asked to pack and put their luggage outside their cabin. All the kids wanted to stay up later AND go watch the sunrise. I ran in my pajamas around to get money from the kids, to remind the kids to get things done before leaving, it was a mess! Luckily, everybody got his/her large suitcase outside the cabin on time. After that, I went to sleep and had no recollection of what happened afterward. Sorry! But I do remember going to bed feeling happy because the trip has been very successful and I am very glad that everyone is going home feeling satisfied!
Have a good day! We're coming home soon!
Frankie
2011年2月7日 星期一
2011年2月3日 星期四
2/3: Day 11 of the Mayan Trip: 馬雅探索: 墨西哥Cozumel島，馬雅的古老智慧
Hi, KCBS:
Early in the morning today, we docked at the shore of an island along Mexico called Cozumel. The kids didn't have to get up so early because we weren't going to get off the ship as early as yesterday. So, we all had some extra to sleep and to enjoy our breakfast,an entire hour! Woohoo~
The beautiful scenery at the port of Cozumel really took our breaths away! First of all, the water was sparkling blue; one could see crystal clear all the way to the bottom of the ocean abyss! Secondly, the architecture reminds me of Greek architecture for the two styles share the same white walls. Greek architecture's white is accompanied by rich ocean blue, but Cozumel's white is complimented by the warm earthy brown. Thirdly, the stores, the ornate decorations, and the overall warmth of Cozumel port overwhelm the visitors with a genuine sense of welcome!
We literally had to rope all the kids together because all the stores were calling out to them,luring them into spending! After we blinded all the kids with threats and run them off to the meeting place, we were greeted by Remundo and his family with two vans. There are no buses allowed on the island of Cozumel, how interesting! When we piled the kids up into the vans, we found out that the first van couldn't start. That gave the kids about 15 minutes of free time. The kids exhibited their potential as Asian shoppers,picking up random stuff. The counselors were on task and got everybody water! Once we were on our, the second van died, twice! I, unfortunately, was in the second van. The first it died on me, I managed to perform my miracle of the day and brought it back to life,hahaha! But when it died again for the second time, even I couldn't bring it back to life. So, we waited on the side of road for the first van to come back to pick us up. When we saw the first van, we screamed in disbelief because everybody was still on the bus! What good was that? I just burst out laughing! Dr. Barnhart instructed the bus driver to drop off the people and come back for us because there was no way we were doing the human pancakes,no matter how close we have become as a group! That took another 20 minutes before we finally all made it to the site. We quickly entered the ruin site and tried to make up for the lost time.
The second ruin site was different than the first site in two different ways. First, the site is situated in a midst of a jungle instead of an opened area. Second, the site's architectural style was different, including the texture of the limestone used. Dr. Barnhart continued to dazzle us with his detailed explanations and anecdotal stories. While checking out the different buildings, I discovered that there was a whole clan of iguanas! Once I pointed it out, I think that was the end of it! Everybody exclaimed and left Dr. Barnhart,nearly trampled over the two of us! I think Dr. Barnhart wanted to throw one in my face! Just kidding! He and I just laughed it off and explained to the kids that we were actually intruding in their territory and we need to show respect.
Dr. Barnhart told us a cool folklore about respecting nature. He explained that there is a spirit in the jungle that reads our mind. It will appear in the form of a person we love the most and try to envelope us through hugging or giving us kisses. Once we adhere to its request, then it will show its true hideous form and take our spirit! The only ways to prevent this from happening are to examine its feet because they are always in its original form and to remember that it is impossible to have your mother or significant other suddenly appear in the middle of a Mayan jungle,Dr. Barnhart obviously doesn't know the power of my mother or all mothers! Hahaha! The kids didn't really get the point, so one of the counselors had to have a "heart to heart" with the kids. I simply resorted to ignoring them because I enjoy the walk through the jungle myself.
When we got to a set of old Mayan structures, Dr. Barnhart let each group of students help him do the measurements and record them on a data sheet. The kids were exhausted and hot by then, but when it was their group's turn, the kids were relatively cooperative and efficient. Dr. Barnhart and I used our iPhones to confirm the mathematical proportion of these structures, and amazingly, the ancient Mayans were very accurate considering the fact that they just had sticks and rope for measurement.
When we finished the tour, there were three functioning vans waiting for us to make up for the morning! Dr. Barnhart drove the third bus, and off we returned to the port. Once we got there, the kids were given about an hour for shopping. I bought some American snacks that I have been craving, and the kids went on a souvenir hunt! Everybody made it back to the meeting point on time and we boarded the ship again!
The kids had earned their free time that afternoon, so some went to the pool, some walked around, and others were into games. I had a leisure lunch with Dr. Barnhart, and then I joined the kids at the ping pong table for a friendly tournament. It was a beautiful sunny and breezy afternoon, and our game area had the perfect view of the sunset. So, there were three teachers and about ten students on the tournament, and slowly the number went down. In the end, a student from KCBS named William stayed in the round the longest,beating everybody. Just fort the record?Kthe teachers all let him win! Heehee~
That's pretty much it...the Carnival Ecstasy sailed off at around 4pm, heading back to Galveston, Texas. We are scheduled to dock on the morning of February 5th. Yeah,we are finally going to go home!
Frankie
Early in the morning today, we docked at the shore of an island along Mexico called Cozumel. The kids didn't have to get up so early because we weren't going to get off the ship as early as yesterday. So, we all had some extra to sleep and to enjoy our breakfast,an entire hour! Woohoo~
The beautiful scenery at the port of Cozumel really took our breaths away! First of all, the water was sparkling blue; one could see crystal clear all the way to the bottom of the ocean abyss! Secondly, the architecture reminds me of Greek architecture for the two styles share the same white walls. Greek architecture's white is accompanied by rich ocean blue, but Cozumel's white is complimented by the warm earthy brown. Thirdly, the stores, the ornate decorations, and the overall warmth of Cozumel port overwhelm the visitors with a genuine sense of welcome!
We literally had to rope all the kids together because all the stores were calling out to them,luring them into spending! After we blinded all the kids with threats and run them off to the meeting place, we were greeted by Remundo and his family with two vans. There are no buses allowed on the island of Cozumel, how interesting! When we piled the kids up into the vans, we found out that the first van couldn't start. That gave the kids about 15 minutes of free time. The kids exhibited their potential as Asian shoppers,picking up random stuff. The counselors were on task and got everybody water! Once we were on our, the second van died, twice! I, unfortunately, was in the second van. The first it died on me, I managed to perform my miracle of the day and brought it back to life,hahaha! But when it died again for the second time, even I couldn't bring it back to life. So, we waited on the side of road for the first van to come back to pick us up. When we saw the first van, we screamed in disbelief because everybody was still on the bus! What good was that? I just burst out laughing! Dr. Barnhart instructed the bus driver to drop off the people and come back for us because there was no way we were doing the human pancakes,no matter how close we have become as a group! That took another 20 minutes before we finally all made it to the site. We quickly entered the ruin site and tried to make up for the lost time.
The second ruin site was different than the first site in two different ways. First, the site is situated in a midst of a jungle instead of an opened area. Second, the site's architectural style was different, including the texture of the limestone used. Dr. Barnhart continued to dazzle us with his detailed explanations and anecdotal stories. While checking out the different buildings, I discovered that there was a whole clan of iguanas! Once I pointed it out, I think that was the end of it! Everybody exclaimed and left Dr. Barnhart,nearly trampled over the two of us! I think Dr. Barnhart wanted to throw one in my face! Just kidding! He and I just laughed it off and explained to the kids that we were actually intruding in their territory and we need to show respect.
Dr. Barnhart told us a cool folklore about respecting nature. He explained that there is a spirit in the jungle that reads our mind. It will appear in the form of a person we love the most and try to envelope us through hugging or giving us kisses. Once we adhere to its request, then it will show its true hideous form and take our spirit! The only ways to prevent this from happening are to examine its feet because they are always in its original form and to remember that it is impossible to have your mother or significant other suddenly appear in the middle of a Mayan jungle,Dr. Barnhart obviously doesn't know the power of my mother or all mothers! Hahaha! The kids didn't really get the point, so one of the counselors had to have a "heart to heart" with the kids. I simply resorted to ignoring them because I enjoy the walk through the jungle myself.
When we got to a set of old Mayan structures, Dr. Barnhart let each group of students help him do the measurements and record them on a data sheet. The kids were exhausted and hot by then, but when it was their group's turn, the kids were relatively cooperative and efficient. Dr. Barnhart and I used our iPhones to confirm the mathematical proportion of these structures, and amazingly, the ancient Mayans were very accurate considering the fact that they just had sticks and rope for measurement.
When we finished the tour, there were three functioning vans waiting for us to make up for the morning! Dr. Barnhart drove the third bus, and off we returned to the port. Once we got there, the kids were given about an hour for shopping. I bought some American snacks that I have been craving, and the kids went on a souvenir hunt! Everybody made it back to the meeting point on time and we boarded the ship again!
The kids had earned their free time that afternoon, so some went to the pool, some walked around, and others were into games. I had a leisure lunch with Dr. Barnhart, and then I joined the kids at the ping pong table for a friendly tournament. It was a beautiful sunny and breezy afternoon, and our game area had the perfect view of the sunset. So, there were three teachers and about ten students on the tournament, and slowly the number went down. In the end, a student from KCBS named William stayed in the round the longest,beating everybody. Just fort the record?Kthe teachers all let him win! Heehee~
That's pretty much it...the Carnival Ecstasy sailed off at around 4pm, heading back to Galveston, Texas. We are scheduled to dock on the morning of February 5th. Yeah,we are finally going to go home!
Frankie
2011年2月2日 星期三
2/2: Day 10 of the Mayan Trip:馬雅探索: 登陸古文明遺址的神祕國度
Hi, KCBS:
We had a long and exciting day of learning! Everybody had to be up having breakfast by 6:30am because we had to disembark the ship by 7:45am. We asked the kids to eat a lot because they had a full day ahead of them.
After being swaying back and forth for a day and a half, we finally step onto land. However, we kept swaying for the entire day, even when we were climbing the ruins. Dangerous! Hahaha! We were greeted by Dr. Barnhart's bus with a bus driver ready to drive us to the ruin we were visiting.
Words do not do justice to describe the ruin site,the architecture, the intricate detail, the profound meaning, and the sheet grandeur,amazingly breath-taking! For the first time on this trip, I allowed myself to be completely immersed in the history as it echoes and calls out to modern humanity, trying to make a connection! Being uncontrollably moved, I realized that indeed I have chosen the right academic discipline ~ art history! Dr. Barnhart's personal friend and tour guide for the day was Philippe. He is a night guard for the ruin who has been investigating how the Temple of the Seven Dolls is actually an ancient Mayan observatory through meticulous observation and recording. The entire tour was done in Spanish, then translated into English by Dr. Barnhart, and then translated into Chinese. We went from a temple near the entrance, to a Spanish church in the middle, to a pool area, up around to a long administrative structure, then through a path to the Temple of the Seven Dolls. Inside the temple, we saw the original roof and the genius of the ancient Mayan's architectural calculation to help them with astronomical observation. I listened to the information given by Philippe in awe because it showed that the Mayans were indeed very advanced in their knowledge in astronomy! Some kids thought the weather was hot and got tired of walking, but I enjoyed the walk and didn't mind the heat. I wanted to spend the entire day at the ruins, admiring all of what it has to offer!
Unfortunately, we needed to get back on the ship by 2:30pm. If not, we would have to swim to our next destination! We were back on the ship by 1:30pm, just enough time to have lunch and to get ready for a long afternoon of lessons. We were supposed to have class with Dr. Barnhart from 3-5 and then again from 6-8. The kids were very tired by then, and many of them could not help themselves but to fall asleep. Both lectures were interesting; one was on Mayan astronomy and the other was on Mayan geometry.
After today, I am looking forward to tomorrow's ruin where we will be able to apply today's lecture on geometry by measuring the structures tomorrow. I may even skip dinner to get a good night's rest which is significant since I never voluntarily skip any meal for no reason! Hahaha~
Frankie
We had a long and exciting day of learning! Everybody had to be up having breakfast by 6:30am because we had to disembark the ship by 7:45am. We asked the kids to eat a lot because they had a full day ahead of them.
After being swaying back and forth for a day and a half, we finally step onto land. However, we kept swaying for the entire day, even when we were climbing the ruins. Dangerous! Hahaha! We were greeted by Dr. Barnhart's bus with a bus driver ready to drive us to the ruin we were visiting.
Words do not do justice to describe the ruin site,the architecture, the intricate detail, the profound meaning, and the sheet grandeur,amazingly breath-taking! For the first time on this trip, I allowed myself to be completely immersed in the history as it echoes and calls out to modern humanity, trying to make a connection! Being uncontrollably moved, I realized that indeed I have chosen the right academic discipline ~ art history! Dr. Barnhart's personal friend and tour guide for the day was Philippe. He is a night guard for the ruin who has been investigating how the Temple of the Seven Dolls is actually an ancient Mayan observatory through meticulous observation and recording. The entire tour was done in Spanish, then translated into English by Dr. Barnhart, and then translated into Chinese. We went from a temple near the entrance, to a Spanish church in the middle, to a pool area, up around to a long administrative structure, then through a path to the Temple of the Seven Dolls. Inside the temple, we saw the original roof and the genius of the ancient Mayan's architectural calculation to help them with astronomical observation. I listened to the information given by Philippe in awe because it showed that the Mayans were indeed very advanced in their knowledge in astronomy! Some kids thought the weather was hot and got tired of walking, but I enjoyed the walk and didn't mind the heat. I wanted to spend the entire day at the ruins, admiring all of what it has to offer!
Unfortunately, we needed to get back on the ship by 2:30pm. If not, we would have to swim to our next destination! We were back on the ship by 1:30pm, just enough time to have lunch and to get ready for a long afternoon of lessons. We were supposed to have class with Dr. Barnhart from 3-5 and then again from 6-8. The kids were very tired by then, and many of them could not help themselves but to fall asleep. Both lectures were interesting; one was on Mayan astronomy and the other was on Mayan geometry.
After today, I am looking forward to tomorrow's ruin where we will be able to apply today's lecture on geometry by measuring the structures tomorrow. I may even skip dinner to get a good night's rest which is significant since I never voluntarily skip any meal for no reason! Hahaha~
Frankie
2011年2月1日 星期二
2/1: Day 9 of the Mayan Trip 馬雅探索: 巴赫德博士-馬雅考古專家
Hi, KCBS
I kind of understand why there must be a lot of activities on a cruise ship,because if there aren't, people would go crazy and start to jump overboard! Hahaha!
The kids spent the entire day on the cruise ship, and we had to keep them busy. Fortunately, figuring things out became our theme for the day! Breakfast was the first thing. We figured out that it would be difficult for us to meet as a group and then eat together. So, we ate separately. After breakfast, we had some free time before meeting in the China Town room. We found out that the venue was not suitable for Dr. Barnhart to give a lecture due to the lack of a projector. So, we had to figure out a way to"entertain" the kids.
In the end, the HASSE staff members played group games and did a lesson on the 7 habits of an effective teenager. The kids had more fun playing simple things than they had expected; there was more participation than I had anticipated, and the kids laughed a lot! After lunch, we had to figure out how to keep the kids busy until their 4pm class. So, we brought the kids to a hairy chest contest,not to participate, but to watch and have some fun! Following that, we went to a hip-hop dance lesson. Most of the kids watched; only William, Arielle, and Brenda participated on stage with many others. Watching hip-hop can be tiring, so there was a rest time from the time the lesson was over until 4pm.
We had the conference room from 4pm to 6pm, and we began our first lecture on the Mayan Civilization. The kids tried hard to battle against fatigue while Dr. Barnhart gave us the background on the ancient Mayans. There was a lot of information and Dr. Barnhart has been gracious enough to share his power points. Yay~
What the kids were really looking forward to was the formal dinner party! The kids were asked to bring a formal outfit, and that was the highlight of the day. After the class ended around 6pm, the kids were given time to change into their formal attire. When I went back to my room, I thought I had entered a variation of the body ritual from Nacirema! I quickly changed and left! Dr. Barnhart wanted to show us the stars in the sky before dinner, so we met up at the upper deck at 7:30pm. Dr. Barnhart showed us Jupiter and other constellations that the ancient Mayans might have been able to observe with their naked eyes. That was interesting!
Somehow, having dinner in formal attire makes the atmosphere and the food different! The waiters also brightened our dinner time by serenading to us the famous Italian song named L'amour. (I am uncertain of its origin and spelling) After dinner, the group posed for group photos just as the entire ship was transformed into a prom setting with different photography moments. The kids had some free time to walk around in their nice clothes before curfew time.
The girls in my room came back to the room on time because I have reminded them that they needed a good night's sleep. The ship is going to land at Progreso and we would disembark and head over to our first Mayan destination tomorrow! I wanted to save my energy, so I fell asleep in the midst of the girls' chattering. Mayan ruins,here we come!
Frankie
I kind of understand why there must be a lot of activities on a cruise ship,because if there aren't, people would go crazy and start to jump overboard! Hahaha!
The kids spent the entire day on the cruise ship, and we had to keep them busy. Fortunately, figuring things out became our theme for the day! Breakfast was the first thing. We figured out that it would be difficult for us to meet as a group and then eat together. So, we ate separately. After breakfast, we had some free time before meeting in the China Town room. We found out that the venue was not suitable for Dr. Barnhart to give a lecture due to the lack of a projector. So, we had to figure out a way to"entertain" the kids.
In the end, the HASSE staff members played group games and did a lesson on the 7 habits of an effective teenager. The kids had more fun playing simple things than they had expected; there was more participation than I had anticipated, and the kids laughed a lot! After lunch, we had to figure out how to keep the kids busy until their 4pm class. So, we brought the kids to a hairy chest contest,not to participate, but to watch and have some fun! Following that, we went to a hip-hop dance lesson. Most of the kids watched; only William, Arielle, and Brenda participated on stage with many others. Watching hip-hop can be tiring, so there was a rest time from the time the lesson was over until 4pm.
We had the conference room from 4pm to 6pm, and we began our first lecture on the Mayan Civilization. The kids tried hard to battle against fatigue while Dr. Barnhart gave us the background on the ancient Mayans. There was a lot of information and Dr. Barnhart has been gracious enough to share his power points. Yay~
What the kids were really looking forward to was the formal dinner party! The kids were asked to bring a formal outfit, and that was the highlight of the day. After the class ended around 6pm, the kids were given time to change into their formal attire. When I went back to my room, I thought I had entered a variation of the body ritual from Nacirema! I quickly changed and left! Dr. Barnhart wanted to show us the stars in the sky before dinner, so we met up at the upper deck at 7:30pm. Dr. Barnhart showed us Jupiter and other constellations that the ancient Mayans might have been able to observe with their naked eyes. That was interesting!
Somehow, having dinner in formal attire makes the atmosphere and the food different! The waiters also brightened our dinner time by serenading to us the famous Italian song named L'amour. (I am uncertain of its origin and spelling) After dinner, the group posed for group photos just as the entire ship was transformed into a prom setting with different photography moments. The kids had some free time to walk around in their nice clothes before curfew time.
The girls in my room came back to the room on time because I have reminded them that they needed a good night's sleep. The ship is going to land at Progreso and we would disembark and head over to our first Mayan destination tomorrow! I wanted to save my energy, so I fell asleep in the midst of the girls' chattering. Mayan ruins,here we come!
Frankie
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