Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!! Santa Clause has come and visited our home in Texas. We did our usual big Christmas dinner with all of the fixing and then opened up presents. God has been very good to our family this year with countless blessing and a few rough spots that we were able to overcome in strides. Two of my favorite presents this year were a new 12 gauge shot gun (which I died laughing when I opened it thinking of what all my semester at sea friends would say of their Texans). It will be great for quail hunting and any unwanted visitors who might chose to stop by. Also I got a three part scrap book that my sister and mother have put countless hours putting together documenting my voyage.
But I think the best present of all has been being back home with all of my family and friends for the Holidays!
Most of you are wondering how AJ and I Vegas layover went. We ended up having a really great time originally thinking that we would only be there for one night I think that we hit almost every thing there was to do the first night and slept next to none. But the second day when we went to the airport we were told that the flight had been over booked by ten people and that we would have to take the same flight the next day. So they ended up compensating us with $300 air travel vouchers and a hotel room. That night we ended up getting VIP treatment at the Ghost Bar on top of the Palms Casino which is the best club in Vegas. We got a table and the whole nine yards, suffice it to say that we had a great time and highly recommend that you stop by next time in Vegas.
After Vegas and settling in at home Dad planned on us returning to go deer hunting down in central/southern Texas at a ranch with over 34,000 acres (everything’s bigger in Texas) the deer population was very strong and I got a clean shot at a nice white tail.
Now I am enjoying spending time with family and friends. And we are looking forward to our 12 day cruise out of San Diego to the Mexican Rivera to Acapulco Los Cabos etc. I am planning on later returning to Abilene Christian University in the spring and graduating in May.
I must apologize for the chain email/update but I wanted to tell everyone Merry Christmas and may 2006 be better than 2005 as hard as that may sound! Also I was told by many of you on this list that you wanted the link to my blog which is www.chadgriggs.blogspot.com (which has all of my travel stories as well as I am planning on keeping it active and doing a monthly or sooner update as to what is going on in my life) also my photos from my trips are at http://community.webshots.com/user/chadgriggs


God Bless and Merry Christmas,
Chad

The last day on the ship!!!

December 7th, 2005

We arrived an hour later in our final port of call San Diego today than originally expected because of the pilot running late. The people waiting on the dock to greet us is a site that I will never forget. I remember looking back at how cool it was when we were onboard the Queen Mary 2 a year and a half ago when we pulled into the NYC port with people coming out to greet the ship. But this was amazing over 800 family, friends, girlfriends, and well wishers lined the dock as well as the upper deck where Semester at Sea had set up table with food and drinks to try and keep everyone warm. Actually when we pulled into port the weather although still cold it was warmer then I originally expected, then by lunch time it was a perfect 70 or so degrees. We even tried to enjoy a lunch (although the food was the worst meal on the ship) out on the deck trying to fight off the hungry seagulls. With that said I can’t wait to get home and have some true Tex Mex because I have learned over the past 100+ days there is no place in the world that can do Tex Mex properly then in Texas.
It was interesting because all the people that lined the dock had huge signs saying welcome home MV Explorer and their friends or family members names on them. In fact one of my favorites was Albertos from Mexico City whose Mom Dad and Girlfriend came up to greet him had a giant Santa clause that said welcome home Alberto in Spanish. There were also different versions of I’m such and suches ride home etc. It seemed forever before they started announcing that the seas were able to get off starting at around 12pm or so.
The problem was the gangway is on the 5th deck which means that everyone was having to walk down several flights of stair before they got to the dock, the reason why it was on this deck instead of the 2nd was because of depending on where the tied is. But so many people were worried about breakable objects that they didn’t want to pack to be tacken off the ship with the rest of the lugauge so they had bags strapped to the front and back of them and on their arms. There were also two girls that knew that I wasn’t going anywhere so they stopped and asked if I would help them carry some of the stuff off for them.
Looking back Ammo and I were talking and we couldn’t believe it was “over” which now seems like such a bad word. How could it possible be over when it seems as if it just started. An interesting question seemingly that has no answer considering that just days ago we were actually in Hawaii and it seems as if we were in Rio last week when truly it was months ago.
It was fun talking to everyone today asking where everyone was going. For some they lived here in San Diego so not far, those were the ones who looked like pack mules with 8 foot giraffes and who knows what else strapped to them. Then there were others like Ammo that was heading to Hong Kong tomorrow to hang out for the night in Len Qui Fonge, and then head on to Delhi to spend the Holidays at home with his family. Or Alberto going to Mexico City, or the rest of the Mexico friends going to Monterry. And the list continues with friends going to Russia, Norway, Switzerland, Peru, Chili, etc. etc. etc. Which makes me think have you ever been on one of those cruises where they always sing the song we are the world when right before the captain brags about the fact that his crew comes from over a 100 countries and not only do they get along but they actually get work done and enjoy living together as a community. Then you think wow that is amazing but how could that happen, well it must be because of it’s their jobs to do so. Well I am here to say that no it is not, that because the past 100 days here on the ship we have done that as students, not to mention the amazing crew from all over the world as well as all of the different people from the countless number of countries and cultures that we have visited. That we were all able to put are differences aside and agree to disagree. Agree that there is more to life than pain and anger, that this world that God has given to us is such an amazing place and that he truly did envision a world of peace. And with that said it does give me a little more comfort for me personally to know that it is possible even though so might disagree.
Last night we had convocation celebrating all the many wonderful things that have happened over the voyage. Most of all those students who have completed their undergraduate careers onboard the MV Explorer what a way to do it, to those students who had a 4.0 onboard, and the list goes on. We had speeches on a variety of topics one from a faculty member, another from an senior passenger who is a retired military as well as school consuelor, and two students. But the most touching or heart felt conclusion was from Yas who is originally a Texas girl who is RD for the sea on the opposite side of the ship from us. She was talking about the subject that is common about how Semester at Sea or more importantly a voyage of discovery around the world is supposed to change you. And she said that you know what for the first half of the trip she would come back on the ship and people would tell her how amazing that port was and how it touched their lives soo much where they were which ended up being a place that she wasn’t. But after a while she realized that every place that she was at was exactly the place that she was supposed to be. Because it was that one on one interaction with that local shop owner or little kid who was so fasinated with a digital camera etc. which was the place in time that she was truly suppose to be. But in the end that yes this voyage undoublty changed everyone for the better and as for me and as I hope for most people that it was for the better. But either way there was not just one mold for the typical way Semester at Sea and this amazing voyage we went on was not suppose to mold you to be the typical Alumni. But what we all are is a group of stories which is the same for those who are at home because it is those daily intereactions that make the difference and make who we are today so different from who we were yesterday.
Well I better go it is 3:45pm and we should be getting off the ship in the next hour or so. Hopefully we will make our way to Vegas on time and have one last amazing night out on the town before this part of my life is behind me and I am back where I belong. Deep in the heart of Texas, I love you guys and I am coming home!!!!!!!!

Chad

Photos for you to look at

The pool at the Hyatt Delhi

Dinner at the Sheraton Ammos favorite restaurant and the first cow in the middle of the road that I saw in New Delhi.

the Indian Parliament as well as the view of Bangalore the main computer meca of India from the air.

Dinner at the amazing restaurant in Chennai with AJ the first night in India. Below is the first Indian lunch in Chennai and then a cobra charmer outside one of the many exspensive tourist stores in the city.

Ok so here is a collection of more select photos from my travels. don't worry there are more coming in the future a lot more, but I was able to get some cheap internet time from a friend onboard so I thought that I would use it so that you could get a sneak peak at some of the photos from my travels.

On our way to San Diego!!!!!

Hey everyone I have now finished all of my finals which all went well! We also had the “Last Chance Dance” dance out by the pool last night that was a lot of fun. Since classes are over and no one has anything to get up for in the morning the party went till late so the ship was rocking till early in the morning. It was around 4am or so when all the people finally left our room for the night. We are steaming straight for San Diego and currently we are middle of no where 1,000 miles to San Diego and the same back to Hawaii. But if something were to happen I say that we should head back to Hawaii!!!! It is interesting because a lot of the people girls especially are getting emotional about having the voyage over with. And everyone is walking around with books trying to get everyone’s vital information like we are going to fall off the face of the planet. It is funny because it is kind of like when people get there year books and everyone wants you to write a personal message to them. And my question how can you sum up what has happened in the voyage or describe the friendships that you have made with them in one or two small lines. Maybe this is why I dislike this idea of writing little notes, at least to me even though it is a personal note it seems so impersonal to me.
The one sad thing that is occurring now though is that the weather is getting cooler. I mean it is really nice outside I walked up to the top deck forward and just sat there by myself thinking how amazing it was. I mean I do it at least once on any cruise. But in a way it was different because after going around the world by sea and experiencing the mighty waves that can instantly knock you off your feet around the world it gives you an even greater respect for the creation God gave us the infinite oceans of the world.
On that note it was kind of funny because of all the records that we have set with the charity auction, the donations to the crew, as well as last night we were able to donate to the alumni association. I was looking at a book that was from like 1970 to when it was published in 2000 with all the alumni which it broke it up by voyage, last name, city, or profession. It was very interesting seeing the four or so people that live in N. Richland Hills, Abilene, and every other surrounding city. In a way it is pretty cool the networking of this close nit community that has happened on the seas and I am sure in the future on land.
I finished packing today which was interesting seeing all the things that I collected, the things that I just knew I needed before I came that I never used, and the things that I am throwing away. Every semester for the past few years weather I am packing up for Christmas or summer vacation it always surprises me how much stuff I am able to collect in a matter of three months. Well I better run not to much longer till dinner. Tomorrow we have convocation for those who are graduating at the end of the voyage as well as those people a pre port discussing arriving in San Diego who would of thought it has been 98 days I have lived on the ship and 100 days since I have been home. Love you all, God bless!!!

Chad

PS – If I can I am going to try and get at least one photo uploaded, some of my favorites with no explanation necessary. I know that it has been too long and one of favorite things to do when reading others blogs is seeing photos so don't worry as soon as I get home I will post more photos then you will want to see.

Hawaii!!!!!!

November 30th, 2005

What a great day, at least after I got all my school work done. I had a Strategic Management group presentation, a global studies final, and a Biology quiz all before noon. After I got all of those done we went to lunch where we were just starting to be in view of our first Hawaiian island I believe that it was Kona. So about that time a huge four engine US air force plane circled us four times tipping its wing greeting us back into the states. We spent much of the rest of the afternoon out on the pool deck enjoying the first bit of warm weather in a long time. Although Oahu came into sight not too long after because this day was considered a school day the ship couldn’t arrive into port before 5pm according to the University of Pittsburgh. We started making our way into the harbor around 4:15pm or so and the view of the island was much different from what I originally remembered 10 years ago. Although the Waikiki beach area was still there with its enormous hotels lining the beach. It was the Aloha Clock tower area that the cruise I had taken 10 years before from that had changed so much. With enormous hotels and office buildings almost interconnecting the area between downtown Honolulu and the Waikiki beach area. We were alongside around 5pm and then they started the process of having US immigration come onboard and do the face to face with our passports and us. It was very interesting because we were joking to some of our friends who live in other countries around the world for them to get ready for the US immigration about how tough they were. Well we went in the union got our passports from the RDs walked over to the immigration officials and handed them our passports they barely even looked at them and we walked off. I found it to be very surprising then again there are over 800 Americans onboard.
We got an announcement not too much later saying that the crew was having trouble getting the gangway into place and that there would be a delay. We ended up having a great dinner outside on deck looking out at the sunset and enjoying the skyline because Captain Jeremy had backed the ship into the terminal so the back of the ship looked out at the island instead of the ocean this time.
We were finally able to get off the ship around 8 or so. We didn’t ever end up exploring the giant shopping area right there on the peer, we just made our way a view blocks down the road to the bus stop to go into the Waikiki beach area. On the bus I ended up talking to a girl who was going to the University of Hawaii that was from California who gave us a few recommendations. We thought that we would just go straight to one of the hotels and watch a luau at the hotel. But it ended up that they no longer have them at the hotels and that most of them you have to take a bus to the other side of the island. So it was funny because a lot of my friends had told me that they had booked rooms at the Sheraton Princess hotel right there in Waikiki, which I thought that the name sounded really familiar to me. When we got off the bus and finally got to the hotel it was funny because it ended up being the same hotel that we had stayed at ten years ago. I ended up talking to the lady at the front desk and I was telling her the story and told her that I can remember the first day there I walked across the street to the burger king and she said that it was still there and in fact often times that is where she takes her breaks.
The hotel was beautiful as all of them are there in Waikiki all decorated for Christmas with giant trees and trains going around not to mention the Polynesian torches that light up the night sky. Well we originally had all planned on going to the club that was at the Sheraton Princess, but it turned out that there wasn’t one there and so when different people got there and found this out all the different groups got separated. So we all just walked up and down the main strip. We stopped in to visit some friends that were eating at the Cheesecake factory and I had some of their amazing bread. We had a problem though that occurred for the rest of the night, which was the fact that we were back in the US and there were people in our group that were under the age of 21 and couldn’t get into any of the places. So we ended up going from place to place and stopped off at the beach for a little while. We ended up all going in pretty early considering the time we went in on most ports knowing that we wanted to get an early start in the morning.

November 31st, 2005

Today we got up around 9 am or so and by the time we got ready and back over to the beach area we decided that we were hungry and got an early lunch at the McDonalds. It was great getting some more American food although I wished I had eaten more Hawaiian food. Lunch was nice but AJ ended up finding a nice surprise in his. We were sitting there and we thought AJ was flossing his teeth but it ended up being a hair that looked to be like a foot and a half long.
After lunch we ended up making our way across the street to the beach where we walked all the way to the end towards the ship where a lot of our friends were. It was nice almost like a public park with volley ball and lots of grass before the sand started. And it started to hit me a lot of my friends were staying in touch with their cell phones finding out where everyone was on the beach and stuff, and I realized after more than three months without a cell phone that it was a love hate relationship.
After sitting on the beach for a while we decided that we wanted to go back and find one of the catamaran guys that we had talked to earlier. They line the beach and take you on an hour ride out in the ocean for like $15 pretty reasonable considering it was in Hawaii. We ended up getting distracted because AJ wanted to look into going to a Luau that night. It was fun though because we got to explore all of the different stores that line the street that runs right next to the beach. There was every kind of designer store there you wanted but there was also the market that we had gone to the time before. It had all kinds of Hawaiian junk but we did end up finding a lady that was selling the real fresh flower leis.
She ended up making some for our group we got some drinks to take back to the beach with us. And by this time the catamarans had already gone back out for the next hour sailing trip. So we ended up going down to the other Sheraton that is actually on the beach that ended up having live music in the pool/courtyard area. We went up and watched for a little while it was some African American guy that was really good singing Christmas songs. It was interesting because there was no one really there watching him but there were tons of sound equipment and tons of professional video guys. It looked like he was doing some sort of music video and who knows in Waikiki it could have been some big celebrity singing but we didn’t recognize him. It wasn’t too much longer after being there that a ton more SAS students heard the music and made there way to the beach area around us to enjoy the music and the great beach. It was really fun sitting there and looking out into the ocean with the catamarans sailing, tons of people out in the surf trying to surf but the waves weren’t as big as I remember and I am wondering if that has to do with us being there this time in the winter and last time in middle of the summer. They also had the old school Polynesian canoes that you could pay to go and have a guide teach you how to do it in the ocean.
We spent the rest of the afternoon there and enjoyed a great sunset. After it was good and dark we decided that we were hungry and I had a craving for the jack in the box tacos that were down the street. After dinner we got some more drinks and made our way down the beach back to where we were sitting before in front of the Sheraton. It was cool because they had different people performing such as a comedian, a band, and a boy’s choir at the very end that came up and sang more Christmas songs by now the place was really packed though.
Overall Hawaii was amazing we had a great time and it is worth getting the expensive plane tickets once in a lifetime to experience this very unique part of the heritage that makes up our nation.
Although I did have a little trouble at the very end when we were heading back into the ship. Just as we had been warned at that happens on most occasions there is port security or depending on what country we are in their nations own military or police that check ids and bags to enter the port terminal before you eventually board the ship. We had been warned before we got off the ship that we weren’t aloud to bring anything off the ship because we hadn’t done through US customs just immigration and that they would be watching and checking bags as necessary. Well it ends up that we get in line and show them our cruise card and drivers license. I put my bag in the x-ray machine and before I realize what is happening the customs official starts to open my bag and while doing so she asks if there was any alcohol in it. I say yes and she grabs the bottle holds it up and sits it on the ground in behind the X ray machine out of my reach next to two other bottles of alcohol. Then the next conduct officer from the ship comes up and puts his not pad on the thing where your bags are shot out holding up the whole line. He asks for my Id which I still had in my hand and gave to him. I am still in shock as to what is happening and am very polite. When I realize that he is taking notes on this he asks me if that was my bottle of Bacardi sitting there that was full. I had known it is the other bottle sitting next to it that probably had two ounces in it. I then politely said do you honestly think that I was going to try and sneak on that little of alcohol in the bottle it came in, in my bag. (Considering the people that do try and some accomplish bringing it on the ship they tape it to there body in different places which is irrelevant all together). Anyways he didn’t really respond and after his was done writing down my info. He hands me back my ID and I go.
With this said I have two main problems. First say the same thing happened in an airport but this time it is a woman and it is a pair of her panties. The customs agent asks the same question do you have panties in your bag, opens it up grabs them in the air and puts them on the ground where you can’t get to them without asking you if it is ok. Next lets look at proper procedure here I mean this is the US customs agents that we are talking about who should be following proper procedure. OK I will give them this in a group of students some being of legal drinking age some not. But if there was a question weather or not it was ok for this to be in my possession it would be the customs agent to take me aside just as if they would do in an airport and ask me if they could see proper identification of my age. In that case I would show them that I was 22 years old and they would hand me back my bottle which I was not trying to consume in public I had it console in my bag not disturbing or hurting anyone. For this I am amazed at the lack of respect and the audacity of the US customs agents to break my rights as a citizen of the United States for doing what they did.
Second following proper procedure just as in an airport I am sure that there are regulations in the US Customs handbook saying that after a person has cleared customs they must then proceed forward a given distance and not aloud to return or stand in the “red zone” but instead must be behind a given line just like in an airport or any other customs situation. Knowing that the conduct officer had obviously been cleared through customs probably at least 30 minutes before he should not of been that close to the customs area and should of definitely had no right to be as close to be touching the x ray machine where I and other were trying to present our bags to the customs agents.
With this said I know probably that the conduct officer was “just doing his job” and that Semester at Sea had instructed him and the customs agents to also be looking for alcohol to confiscate.
But the bottom line was I was clearing customs to enter a terminal not trying to board a ship with alcohol concealed in my bag which would of then broken the Student Handbook. As in every other port terminal that we have docked in there have been trash cans to throw away trash and or anything that you are not wanting to bring aboard the ship.
With that said when I did leave the terminal and go up the gangway there was such a cluster of bags on the bag check table from people who were trying to go through the ship security and to slide the card to check back on the ship. Which the ship security at the time that I was trying to board the ship was just standing there trying to help people slide there cards not paying any attention to the bags that were pilling up or even trying to do there job and check to see if anything against there rules were in there. In fact it was so much of a cluster that the executive dean was standing at the usual onboard security check point asking people to try and hurry up and move forward.
Now that the hole story has been told, I have not at this time heard anything from my RD or anyone from the staff of the ship as to if they are going to try and give me any punishment or repercussion to the notes that were taken by the conduct officer. In most cases that this would happen during the voyage you would have a meeting with the assistant director of student life and she normally would give you your first warning and tell you that you are not aloud to go to the next three pub nights as this has happened to friends. But in this case there are no more pub nights. And in pre port they said if anyone tries that they were going to be the last ones off the ship. Also during that same pre port I found out that our sea would be the fifth group to get off the ship out of ten. Thus if I do end up being one of the last ones off the ship in San Diego then there is a possibility that I may miss my flight to Vegas that night. As I said at this time I haven’t heard anything but then again there it is still only 6:45pm on the first day at sea with four more to come.
As you can imagine by now you can tell that I feel as if I have done nothing wrong and to my knowledge I haven’t broken any rule in the student handbook because I was not trying to board the ship, I was simply trying to gain access to the ships terminal. And it was not to anyone’s knowledge that was entering the ships terminal that the crew of the ship as well as the Semester at Sea program that they had decided to not use there own security rather relie on the US customs agents check. Not to mention what if someone had already placed a dangerous device in the terminal before the US customs check point was manned. Which is scary to think what may of happened or what someone might of possibly been able to bring onto this ship at the present time. With this said I will keep you posted if I hear anything from student life about this matter which I hope that I do not.

With that said there were a few other interesting things that happened as you can imagine that seemingly always do in every port that we visit. Remember the professor that made such a commotion on the ship the night of the Ambassadors ball and the days to come afterwards. Apparently according to the students in her class said that she told them in class that the deans had given her two options because of her actions: that she could either remain in her room for the rest of the voyage with food being brought to her room, or she could depart the ship once we arrive in Hawaii. Well apparently she chose the later of the two. The other one was a kid that lived down the hall from me, who was in a relationship with a girl that was in my business class project group. Anyways they got into a fight and he packed all of his stuff and stayed in Hawaii. I mean I can’t believe it this close to being back home five days and now he will not be able to get any credit for any of the classes that he has taken.
As you can see the events of the MV Explorer just keep on keepen on.
As for Hawaii I had an amazing time and can’t wait to go back. We are looking forward to enjoying the last of our days onboard the ship as well as the night in Vegas. And most of all being home getting to enjoy spending time with those of you I love my family, and friends. I love you all, and miss you deeply. Look forward to more about everything related to us getting off the ship and heading to Vegas Baby!!!

Chad