On my last blog post that actually had substance, I left off right before I started talking about Isaac. So I will pick up right where I left off! And bear with me, a lot has happened since then so one of two things will happen: this post will be very long, or Ill get tired and break it up into multiple. Here we go!
So Isaac was down at the pools of the Sheraton just hanging out while we were in the Jacuzzi. A few minutes after the four of us girls got down there and had our toes in it, he came over and got right in. At first, we all felt a little weird and werent sure if we wanted to stay or talk to him, or really how to react. We soon realized that this came from fear of the unknown- just because he was different than us, we didnt feel completely comfortable around him and didnt know how to act. We werent sure if he spoke English, if he wanted to talk, or what! Finally after a couple minutes, we struck up conversation with him and that was the end of the uneasy feeling. We soon learned quite a bit about him and gained an appreciation from his perspective on life- very sincere and honest.
To be honest, Im not sure how much of what he told us is true and how much he was playing us. Youll see what I mean! Isaac is a 15-year-old who just finished tenth grade. When he first told us his age, I didnt believe him one bit. He was pretty small, and I would have guessed he was about 8 or 9. I asked if he lives on the island or if he was visiting, and he said he lives here and always has. He has been to New York City and Miami, and REALLY wants to go to NYU for college- thats his current plan! He wants to go into management and business, particularly in the cruise business. He finished at the top of his class and got very good grades, so as a reward his mom was letting him stay at the Wynham (the hotel over, also very nice) for two or three weeks by himself, and he could have friends over if he wanted. Thats the part we werent very sure about, because it is so expensive! Then we saw him pull out his nice blackberry and starting texting his girlfriend (as he told us). He was definitely from the Bahamas, based on how he talked and what he knew about the island, so we knew he was telling the truth about that. He said his mother was a cop, and he was an only child. I asked about crime, and he said the crime rate is already at 60 so far- I wasnt exactly sure what the number signified but he said it was very high compared to normal.
Then we started asking more about the island and culture. He said most people speak both English and Bohemian, but primarily Bohemian when not around tourists. We asked about taxis and rates and prices of things, and said that almost every tourist here is ripped off, and particularly the older and younger ones (elderly ages and our age). He told us we needed to turn people down for the prices they offered and simply walk away- if there were enough of us, they would really want to get business from us since it would bring in at least a little profit. We told him we had gone to Senor Frogs, and he told us to be careful down there- thats not nearly the worst part of the city of Nassau, but for girls like us we needed to stay in groups.
We eventually started to ask Isaac some personal questions- just to find more about who he is as a person. At one point, he said something about our God and Creator, so I asked if he was a Christian. The sincerity of his answer really struck me. No, not at all. Right now, Im the farthest thing from a Christian. I do things that are bad and I keep doing them and living that life. I cannot call myself a Christian and a follower of God if I am like this. If I call myself that, I know I am lying. I know I want to be, but in order to be I need to change how I live. You cant say you believe one thing but act completely opposite; thats just lying. I believe in God, but I still need to become different to call myself a Christian. It was really interesting to me how he was honest and straight with his answer- he wasnt going to try to say he was. He knew the life he was living, he knew the life he wanted to be living, and he didnt try to make excuses. It was crazy to me that at 15 someone could be so honest about that, because I grew up surrounded by people saying one thing and acting like another, and constantly making excuses. It was really refreshing to hear an honest answer. In fact, I do remember what he was talking about originally. He said there are people who do Voodoo and there are Witch Doctors but he really doesnt like that because it is not in honor of our God. I think it was also refreshing to hear his response because at 15, and even at 20 now, people in America get very defensive when talking about religion and the idea of God, and many people simply refuse to talk about it or think about it or acknowledge it at all. I dont think I realized how sick I was of people just shutting it out and having off-limits topics of conversation. I liked his openness. We continued asking him about many things- family, culture, the schools in Nassau, and many other things we wanted to know.
In the middle of talking, a group of girls started screaming closeby on the beach. He immediately jumped out of the Jacuzzi and ran over, only to return with a huge sand crab in his hands! It was about 5 inches from claw to claw. Eventually he threw it back over into the sand, and we continued talking.
At one point, another group of college students came into the Jacuzzi with us. There was a hose going into the Jacuzzi, and Isaac was playing with it and pretending to squirt us with it (actually doing it later). The new people saw this and seemed to be uncomfortable with the fact that he was in the Jacuzzi too; they too quickly commented that the beach is probably better and how they should go there. As they left, they had faces that looked annoyed and almost superior; this really bugged me. I could kind of relate to how they felt, since I felt a tad bit uncomfortable at first too. However, after striking up conversation I realized how neat it was to talk to someone with a life so completely different than my own. I was a little upset by the fact that these students judged Isaac SO quickly and immediately put him on a level below them. Yes, he was different that what we were used to, but then again we were in THEIR country, and we were about to go on Semester at Sea to gain a greater understanding of the world. Also, there were 4 other girls at the Jacuzzi too- clearly he couldnt be too scary! He definitely saw what happened and seemed to be a little hurt, but at the same time he was used to it. Later on, he really did start squirting us with the hose after wed been talking for about an hour, and instead of throwing a fit and getting mad, I realized that it really is JUST water, he was lonely and was just trying to make friends and laugh with us, and that the experience of meeting him was a very good one.
As I fell asleep that night, I couldnt stop thinking about Isaac. Im so glad people have been telling me to get out and meet the locals and hear what they have to say. Rather than staying in my own little bubble where I could have made it a vacation consisting of only things I was comfortable with, I was really impressed by Isaac and now realize that it really is important to talk to people in the places I will be visiting. Since then, Ive made it a point to strike up conversation with taxi drivers, waitresses, and others in the Bahamas. Of course, I know I need to be safe and only approach people in appropriate settings and situations, but I also realize that if I had not had this experience with Isaac, I probably would have stayed in my little bubble of comfort and not realized the importance of talking and listening to what others have to say.
I feel like I learned so much in just one conversation about life and culture in the Bahamas. I am beyond excited to have many more conversations like these with people in the 9 countries I visit, and I cant wait to gain that much more perspective from different people in different cultures across the world from me!
As I travel the world, I will be keeping a blog of all my adventures and experiences! If you'd like to receive e-mails when I update my blog, type your email below and follow the steps!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Isaac
Friday, June 17, 2011
Quick Update: New Email!
Hey everyone! Today I boarded the MV Explorer and am currently somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Since the waves are huge out here and the ship is smaller than an average cruise ship, the boats-a-rockin! Luckily, I havent gotten sea sick yet (fingers crossed!). On another medical update, I have a crazy bug bite-gone-infected thing going on. Ill give some more details in the next blog, but its bedtime for me! I have to wake up early to go down to the medical clinic in the morning, then I have orientation from 900-1730 (see how cool I am using military time??). :)
Anyway, I just wanted to do a quick blog update and let you know that I got my new email and its all set up! The one I posted earlier is actually wrong- no middle initial. But since I have no internet (Im posting this through free email) I cant edit that. SOO I will say it here!
***** E-mail: jtaft@semesteratsea.net *****
*note: I CANNOT receive pictures, unless they are less than 4 kB. This means the picture would have to be smaller than the size of a postage stamp
I know it sounds pathetic, but all of us are going through connection-to-the-world withdrawals here with no Facebook or internet! We all very much appreciate the emails we get (hint, hint!). :)
Its really cool being unplugged from technology, and meeting and communicating with people on the ship purely through face-to-face interactions. Were stereotyped as the generation of technology, and as people who are unable to make real connections and have face-to-face relationships. Were currently proving whoever said that wrong! Its neat to meet and talk to people completely different than me that I normally wouldnt hang out with. Also, my roomie is so nice and sweet! We are getting along great so far. :) Hopefully we only get closer!
Email is our only means of communication with the rest of the world, and it is really slow so if I dont respond right away please forgive me!
(And Mom: I know the huge waves line is stressing you out
but please dont let it!!)
:) Check back for more later!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
A Day of Relaxing and Learning
We got to the market and walked inside to find that we were in what looked like a typical grocery store- just what we were hoping for! There were a bunch of aisles stocked with American brands and some brands we didn't recognize. All of the price tags were in cents- so rather than $5.89, something would be 589 cents. We thought that was interesting! Since all the American food was imported, it was extremely overpriced. I almost bought a tiny box of Crystal Light for $8.00 until I realized that it was definitely not worth it. On the other hand, non-American products were extremely cheap! A bag of chips that were probably made in the Bahamas or somewhere close was 33 cents! We all bought sandwiches, fruit, and some breakfast bars and made our way out to the bus stop again. This time, we kind of knew what we were doing so it went more smoothly.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Arrival to the Beautiful Bahamas!

My awesome parents got passes (after listening to the airport kiosk worker’s life story…and son’s life story) to go through security and see me off at the gate in San Diego! I had to get patted down and go through the body scanner machine for extra security measures, but I think I may have done that to myself. I’m pretty sure I walked over there thinking it was the normal line. Oh well! After the scan, they checked my watch and….drumroll please….it was not a weapon. Then I sat at the gate, ate my CPK pizza (thanks Mom!), and hurried to finish my University of Virginia moral code test. I blame Dad for the last-minute tendencies I sometimes exhibit. :) On the flight, I was sitting next to 2 other college aged girls who took up only one seat each and did not smell-- 2 of my airplane pet peeves avoided, whew! Take-off and landing were a bit unnerving considering the size of my carry-on backpack, its inability to even begin to fit under the seat in front of me (let alone below my feet), and the requirement that “all carry-on bags must be stowed in an overhead bin or be completely under the seat in front of you.” For the 15 minutes before take-off and landing, I pretty much had my hands glued to my backpack because I was “getting something out” but yes, I would push it under the seat when I was finished. Thank goodness I was sneaky enough to get away with it!
For the first hour, I wrote in my journal a bit, gazed out the window into the dark night sky speckled with bright stars, and enjoyed just SITTING with nothing to do—I can’t even remember the last time I was able to do that! I’ve been so busy with planning and paperwork and studying for finals and moving out and packing that this was the first time I could finally catch my breath! I was thinking about starting my required reading (to be completed before I board the ship in 3 days…that currently remains untouched) on the flight, but that plan didn’t work out very well. Before I knew it, I had conked out and was waking up to the sight of THE most GORGEOUS sunrise!! It was JUST what I needed as a little encouragement. :) At that point, the flight only had about 30 minutes left. Needless to say, The Triumph of the City didn’t get touched. Actually I take that back- I did use it as a writing surface under my journal if that counts as anything! As expected, I pulled out my camera and started snapping away. The beauty of the sunrise couldn’t even be captured; the colors were so deep, it was almost surreal!
So as the plane was starting to descend, I realized I needed to turn off my iPod that somehow ended up underneath me. Well, I pulled it out only to find that it was covered in my favorite thing- chocolate. Melted. ALL over. And since it was all over the iPod…which was underneath me…that only meant one thing- chocolate ALL over my pants. Julia gets the smooth award for the week! I completely forgot I had eaten some of the chocolate that my amazing roomie Syd gave me (thank you!!), and must have put it in my lap to save for later. Anyway, thank goodness for the free Continental blankets (with water) that served as napkins. After some awkward looks while I was cleaning, it all came out!
Now my layover in Newark is almost over and we’re boarding the plane soon. I thought I’d be sleeping, but instead I’ve been eating and talking on the phone (shout out to Patrick who was up from 3 to 4 am to talk to me!!). My body is so thrown off and confused as to what time it is and if it should be eating or sleeping or what! (Boarding again, I’ll finish later!)
I’m finally in my hotel room, laying on the bed, SOOO relieved that I made it with all my luggage! Since I didn’t get my required reading done on the first flight, I was planning on doing it on the second flight. And some blogging. And writing in my journal. And listening to music. Well, I was on page 8 of the book and before I knew it I was waking up to the “prepare-for-landing” announcements. I shouldn’t have even bothered making plans for productivity during the flight. We had to fill out paperwork on the plane since we were entering a new country, so I rushed to do that and got off the plane. SO HUMID. Within a matter of seconds, I had gone from chilly with goosebumps to absolutely sweating. And the 5-ton backpack, big camera bag, and 3 blankets I had acquired…along with the sweater I was wearing…didn’t make me feel much better.
After walking ten miles to the immigration room and waiting in lines for 20 hours, I was able to go to the baggage claim. THANKFULLY both my bags had arrived! Now came the scary part- taking a taxi to the hotel! I was lucky to be traveling with Kristie, so we could do things together. It was both of our first times traveling this far (and internationally) alone! We walked out with our giants suitcases, wandered around for about 10 minutes until we couldn’t drag our bags any longer, then decided to stop being “men” and just ask for help. ;) We were lucky to get a nice taxi driver, but we felt so bad watching him try to fit our luggage into the trunk! It literally took over 20 minutes (no exaggeration this time!). Finally, he ended up putting a bag in the front seat and we were off. The paper hanging from his mirror said the rate was $50…so we were just going to suck it up and split it. But when we got there he told us it was $18 for the ride, and $4 per bag. Much better than we expected! Check-in also took awhile but we were just glad to be at the hotel. We got into our room and realized we were in paradise! The hotel is SO nice. We have a view of both the hotel resort and pools, along with the beach just beyond it. I am SO lucky to be here! For the rest of today, we’re probably just going to relax and get our bodies adjusted after traveling for so long and the time change. The next 2 days will consist of recovering from finals and traveling by RELAXING and having fun! This hotel (the Sheraton) is the one discounted by Semester at Sea, so hopefully I’ll get to meet some other SASers before I board the ship! :)
I’ll have internet at the hotel until Thursday night, so feel free to email me at my gmail address- jtaft22@gmail.com. I also might be able to use this email while in port if I find wifi. However, on the ship I will NOT have internet access at all and will have only an email provided by Semester at Sea. I haven’t received it yet (I will on Friday, and I’ll post it here), but it will MOST likely be jltaft@semesteratsea.net. That’s all for now- it’s time for Julia to shower and nap and enjoy the beautiful Bahamas! I miss you all already!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Semester at Sea
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Home for the summer! MV Explorer |
- EMBARK: Nassau, Bahamas (6/17)
- Barcelona, Spain (6/27-6/30)
- Naples/Civitavecchia, Italy (7/2-7/8)
- Dubrovnik Croatia (7/11-7/14)
- Piraeus (Athens), Greece (7/17-7/21)
- Varna, Bulgaria (7/24-7/27)
- Istanbul, Turkey (7/29-8/2)
- Casablanca, Morocco (8/8-8/12)
- DEBARK: Boston, MA USA (8/20)
Originally, Alexandria, Egypt was the last and longest stop on the voyage. Unfortunately due to political unrest, Semester at Sea decided it would be best for the voyagers to scrap this destination and add Bulgaria. Although I was really looking forward to Egypt, I understand why the decision was made and am ready to make the most of the new port!
I made this Trip Itinerary - just click the link and it will take you on a quick video journey of the places I'll be visiting! :)
http://www.tripline.net/trip/Semester_at_Sea-4143125275671003981B881492E025C1