Author Archives: Shannon
A Eulogy for Claire Ellen (Jourdan) Green
Many of our friends and family know that my mom, Claire, died in February after six years of living with metastatic breast cancer. Her funeral was March 5, 2011, and I wanted to share the eulogy I gave (below) for those who could not be there to grieve with us. You can learn more about […]
131 Days Later
It’s official: we’ve just arrived back in the U.S. of A. In some ways it’s hard to believe that we really have been all the way around the world. It would have been really tough to do this without the support and encouragement of so many of our fabulous friends and family back home, and […]
Posted in Travel
Tagged commencement, F10, Fall 2010, Sam Bloomquist, SaS, Semester at Sea, speech
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Truth, Consequences, and Hope for Peace
Like many of our counterparts from past and present SaS voyages, we were a little apprehensive about visiting Vietnam. We assumed that the Vietnamese people would not take too kindly to us because of the blood that was shed here during the 1960’s and 1970’s. We found the exact opposite to be true. We visited […]
Posted in Travel
Tagged Củ Chi, Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City, pacifism, Saigon, SaS, Semester at Sea, Vietnam, War Remnants Museum
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Family Matters
If there’s one thing Karl Winslow taught the world, it’s that family matters. Never have we agreed with him more than here in Vietnam, where we are very thankful to have had a wonderful visit with Wayne and Libby. They flew to Saigon from Cambodia to see us here on the far side of the […]
Posted in Family, Travel
Tagged Củ Chi tunnels, Cu Chi tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Saigon, SaS, Semester at Sea, Vietnam
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Freedom Fighters
There are a great many Tibetan refugees living in Dharamsala today, quite a few of whom are actually ex-political prisoners from China. Several nonprofits support these individuals as they acclimate to life in India, offering everything from job training to language courses. We attended an English class for ex-political prisoners with Laura, and the attendees […]
It’s Hot…Like a Curry
India is hot…like a curry. It’s mouth-watering and delicious, but every bite burns a little. It’s by far the most exotic and foreign-feeling port of call on our SaS itinerary to date. The subcontinent is a never-ending assault on the senses, and for six days our mouths, noses, eyes, ears, and skin gathered information that […]
Think Twice
After our hiking Table Mountain, we decided to visit the Greenpoint Market, a local goods market available only on Sundays. While there, we spoke with several stall owners, met some really fun folks, and even bought a very cool oil painting on canvas that we can roll up in our suitcase to easily transport home. […]
Posted in Travel
Tagged Africa, Cape Town, music, SaS, Semester at Sea, South Africa
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Dancing on the Table
The port in Capetown is one of the most beautiful that we’ve ever seen. We cruised into the harbor just before sunrise and got to watch the sun come up over the water and shine its splendid rainbow of colors onto the waking city with its picturesque backdrop of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. That […]
Birthday Kicks
When you’re living in a tiny cabin on a ship with the birthday boy, it can be difficult to keep presents a surprise for over a month. In a small space where we share every nook and cranny, where can I keep anything hidden? I can’t! So, I enlisted the help of several people to […]
Happy Birthday, Nam and Sancy!
On September 21, Sam turned 31. He joined the ranks of the lucky-ducks on the ship who get to have a birthday during semester. Celebrating is a big deal on the MV Explorer, so we had not one, but two parties for him on the ship. The first one was with our shipboard family, pictured […]