TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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Open Letter
"When I was little I thought
that a
mother was born a mother, that a teacher had always been a teachers, or
that a soldier could never be anything other than a soldier. And
a star stays a star. And I've always had the impression that they
were differnt beings than I."
~Ai Yazawa author of the
comic Nana
Dear
Future Semester at Sea Students and Other World
Travelers,
The
world is an awesome place and there are many things about it I’d
like to share with you. But we're only allowed 2
points in here so I’ll stick with
lessons I’ve learned and things that I think cannot be missed as you
travel around
the world. I’ll begin with the things I’ve
learned:
Every culture is different; different does not necessarily mean
bad or wrong. Don’t set out to change
the world;
sometimes things don’t need changing. You’ll
receive much unwanted attention in
many countries if you don’t try to blend in as well as you can (i.e.
cover your
shoulders and knees constantly, out of respect make sure your elbows and ankles
are covered in Muslim countries, especially if you plan to visit a
mosque, etc.);
especially women. A smile means
the same
thing all across the world; but our American head motions for yes and
no do
not. In Japan
don’t point or blow your nose in public.
Look both directions when crossing the road; it’s easy to
get confused
as to which side of the street people drive on (in some places it’s
both). Personal space does not exist; you will be touched by people. You
should take the time to have a
conversation with someone you’ve met on the street; more often than not
they’re
not out to get you. Do not get
dehydrated (malaria medication and sea-sickness patches both cause it);
kidney stones are not fun and may cause impromptu changes
in your
itinerary and dents in your wallet. Remember,
when you step off of your ship, out of your airplane or off of a train
that you’re
a visitor in another country, treat it the way you’d treat a
friend’s home.
With
that said, there are many things you shouldn’t miss as
you travel around the world:
Eat sushi and visit the Peace
Memorial Museum
at Hiroshima in Japan,
also try and find America
town in Osaka. In Hong Kong take the
Peak Tram and look down on the city, take a double-decker bus to
another island
and spend a day discovering the rural side of the city.
Get up the courage to cross the street in Ho
Chi Minh City (after that you’ll feel  invincible),
drink coconut milk from a street vendor or spend a day on the Mekong
Delta in Vietnam. Spend you’re money wisely in Burma, avoid
purchasing jewels, alcohol and teak to keep the money in the hands on
the
people rather than in the hands of the military; visit an orphanage and
a
golden pagoda. Eat with your hands in India,
take a ride in a auto-rickshaw, walk the streets of Chennai
and observe what
you can of the people along them. In Egypt
see the pyramids and  mosques in Cairo,
go to the Alexandria
library, have
a glass of fresh juice along the water, eat falafel in pita from a
fast-food restaurant
and spend some time just walking around. In
Istanbul
see a group of Whirling
Dervishes perform, visit the grand bazaar and spice market, take a
Turkish bath,
visit a museum and make a friend. Visit Croatia
in winter when it’s not as crowded with tourists; spend a few days in
the Old
City of Dubrovnik and walk the walls, visit Lokrum
Island and take a trip
to a
mountain town. In Cadiz
walk along the wall of the city, visit the small shops and have a
tortilla (omelet)
and potatoes sandwich. Walk
whenever you can, you miss less on
foot. Smile whenever possible. Leave a piece of your heart everywhere,
so you have a reason to come back.
Enjoy
the world and good luck in your travels,
Becka
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