Approaching Cape Town...

Trip Start Feb 07, 2007

Trip End May 15, 2007

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Flag of South Africa Cape Town, South Africa
Thursday, March 1, 2007

Desmond spoke to our Global studies class again today, but this time was a question and answer session with inquiries the staff had gathered from us students. It was like watching an interview with him on CNN or something, except the podium behind him said Semester at Sea and he wore his Semester at Sea baseball cap. It was the SAS television network and the anchors were our professors. Why did you choose to come to SAS, he was asked. "For a bit of downtime!" he exclaimed. So his PA when taking calls could say "he's unavailable, he's at sea," with a hearty laugh. He has the fullest, high-pitched laugh that only comes out of a man who is truly excited and delighted with himself. He wants to be with young people who want to change the world. As he says this he claps his hands and swinging his arms over his head like he is holding a club. Is there something the United States is ignoring today like they did South Africa for so long? The best way to care about your own self-interest is to be interested in others over there. Enjoy your wealth but make sure that people over there are able to live. We are all connected. A person is a person to another person. The only way he can be all he can be is for us to be all we can be. When you dehumanize another, you dehumanize yourself. The only way we can be human is together. The only way we can be free is together. The only way we can ever be secure is together. He really knows how to hit it home. Class today just couldn't measure up to him. After Oceanography I wanted to go and lay out because the water was so beautiful, but I checked the Pilates schedule and got Lauren to agree to go out there with me again, but the instructor had cancelled because she wasn't feeling well. Instead, Victor came over and Brad did too, and we all watched After the Sunset before eating dinner. We ate and I attempted to write revisions before my shark diving meeting and Global Nomads meeting. I realize that I get really stressed out when I'm visiting a country I really want to be in. When I was in Puerto Rico, like I said I was sadly indifferent before I realized the beauty and charm of it, but I couldn't be disappointed that I couldn't fit it all in because I didn't have plans. In South Africa, there is so much I want to do so I'm running around like crazy trying to figure out how to make it all work. It's a good thing I'm not doing a safari. But I gave up Robben Island because that's easy to do when I come back, but I have a couple township tours, I want to do some shopping and go to Table Mountain, nightlife, a jazz safari, a culture and medicine tour, and hopefully a day in the wine lands. Plus some time to do internet stuff and grocery shopping and just visit with people. I really would like to have gone skydiving here as well, but we're going to research it for Mauritius, which will also be beautiful. I have free time to do it there, so that will be great. I want to go cage diving, but I think I'll have to sacrifice that one. The good thing is that I didn't come here knowing I wanted to do it, so I don't feel like it's a huge deal to miss out on it. After all of my meetings we went up to the seventh deck and had snacks before gathering in Victor's room to watch The Sandlot. I have to say, though, that the best part of the entire day was hearing Desmond sing. Before every port, Dr. Matt and company perform a safety song. And this time, Desmond joined in. Everyone laughed with delight as he shuffled up to the front to sing, but I swear every last person applauded and cheered when he took the microphone and started to sing "Here's a little song I wrote", the opening words to Bob Marley's "Be Happy". But even better, after this first line, he burst into his high-pitched laugh of delight. He was just as tickled as we were that he was up there singing for us. Matt pointed out the fact that Desmond Tutu, the man who brought together blacks and whites in Africa, was now singing about condoms to us. It was a defining moment on this voyage, the Archbishop singing and dancing for us and each one of us on board this ship came together to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience. And now, it's off to bed to wake up in two and a half hours to watch us pull into the most beautiful port in the world. I can't believe I'm going to be in Africa tomorrow!!!