Hello and Happy Holidays!
We had a lovely stop in Hawai'i yesterday - got to see Bill's sister, Elyse, who moved to Oahu in August to take a teaching position. We arrived around 8am and were cleared to get off the ship by 10am. Throughout the day, we had the opportunity to speak with family and friends in Illinois, Indiana, Virginia and California. I wish I could have called all of you and want everyone to know we were thinking of you!!
Elyse showed up at the pier and we shared tearful hugs and excitment at seeing one another (we last saw her at our wedding in August). She brought us both a beautiful ginger orchid lei - I love that ritual in Hawai'i and it reminded me of my trip in May of 2006 when my sister, Michelle, welcomed me to Kauai in the same manner. The flowers smelled lovely and it was fun to wear the lei all day (it's tradition to greet guests arriving to the islands with these but also to give them for birthdays and other special events). It's also fun when people see you wearing them and exclaim "Oh - you've been lei'd!"(haha). They are now hanging in our room so that we can continue to enjoy the island spirit.
After a great cup of Kona coffee and some catching up with stories of life since August for all of us, we met one of Bill's friends from his time in Vermont - Gabe Scottie and his wife, Michelle. They also live on Oahu and they took the time to stop and say hello on their way to a holiday feast with friends. Bill got to see them last year when we were in Hawai'i for my marathon but Elyse and I hadn't met them so that was fun.
We then drove to Elyse's house but first stopped at the Pali overlook to see a beautiful view of the windward side of the island. We ran into some friends from the ship and they offered us some sushi and fresh mango (they had gone to Whole Foods upon arrival to land) and this proved a delicious snack. From there we drove to Elyse's home which she shares with three other women, none of whom were home so we didn't get to meet them unfortunately. Next time!
We sat down to a Thanksgiving feast that Elyse had prepared the day before (to make life simpler) and the three of us stuffed ourselves silly. It was so wonderful to break bread with Elyse and to share the day with family, as we were both, obviously, far away from our larger clans. I think it was as wonderful for Elyse as it was for us and we greatly appreciated her time and effort in preparing her first turkey dinner! She made the Heinrich usuals, including Grandma Dobbeleare's Cranberry Fluff. We also had fresh pineapple...when in Hawai'i - it was delicious!
To top it off, we shared dessert (chocolate fudge brownies with vanilla frosting, slightly undercooked and moist like Mom H's) on the sand at the local beach just 5 minutes from Elyse's house. Bill jumped in the water and caught a few waves on Elyse's boogie board and he was grinning from ear to ear with delight.
Finally, we drove another scenic route back to the pier and stopped quickly for some indulgent and light reading material (Outside, Newsweek and Oprah magazines) at the grocery store on our way back to the ship. Elyse was kind enough to do some shopping for us before we arrived and we're now stocked to the brim with chips and salsa, chewing gum, candy, healthy cereal and granola bars, beer, hot cocoa, chocolate, coffee and other goodies until we arrive in Miami. I think she was surprised at how happy these few groceries made us! Thanks, Elyse!
I've uploaded some photos from our day in Hawai'i. I've also added some pics to our Shipboard Life album from a fancy Faculty/Staff dinner we all shared last week.
www.heatherbill.shutterfly.com
Thanks for the snail mail: Woody, Nicole P, Laurie, Jeanne, Rebecca,
Ed H and Joe D, my Mom, and Sarah Coy!
Thanks for the drawings: Lynne, Elena and Andrew! They are hanging on our cabin wall.
My phone will be functioning again on Dec 14th.
Much love,
heather ;)
Friday, November 28, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Yokohama and life on the Pacific
We spent two days in Yokohama - a really pretty port city just south of Tokyo. The first day we spent wandering around the streets of Yokohama, admiring the beautiful fall foliage and checking out the baseball stadium (home to the Yokohama Bay Stars), Chinatown (the largest one in Japan) and the Yamashita Park right on the water bordering Osanbashi Pier, where our ship was docked. In the afternoon we walked through the Cosmo World area on the other side of Osanbashi Pier - it's like the Santa Cruz Boardwalk but much bigger.
According to some folks on the ship, Yokohama has really reinvented itself and the harbor front is much nicer than 30 years ago. The city is preparing for next year when they will celebrate 150 years.
The second day we hopped onto the local train with Brooke and Ian and ventured out to the Ramen Museum near Shin-Yokohama station in the 'burbs. It was interesting albeit a bit disappointing. It didn't cost much to get into the museum and the place was set-up as a re-creation of old Japan. If you've been to Las Vegas, picture the painted ceilings and replica buildings inside casinos that make you feel as if you are walking through the streets of another place (in the case, early-1900s Japan). It was fun and we enjoyed the atmosphere. The ramen, on the other hand, was too pricey to taste (there were 8 mini-restaurants each selling samples for 900-1500 yen which is roughly $9-$15). Since we'd already planned to search out a particular restaurant back in Yokohama for lunch, we weren't really interested in spending that much on tastings. We opted to browse the gift shop and the noodle factory, the latter of which was closed unfortunately.
The train back to Yokohama was uneventful but Brooke and Ian were entertaining. We all had lunch at a place run by a woman from Mexico who married a Japanese man. It was our first taste of Mexican food since leaving California and a welcome treat. Afterwards we wandered the shopping district a bit more before returning to the ship to wade through immigration and prepare for sailing.
Life has been quiet at sea, for the most part. It's been nice to re-group and fall into some familiar routines again. The last month was a bit of whirlwind of ports and sights, all wonderful. I've managed to run and/or bike every morning this past week, something I haven't been doing at all for a long time. Have also been helping one of the LLCs with preparations for the Ambassador's Ball on December 10th (I've just been cutting invitations). And yesterday was the Students of Service Auction (silent, raffle and live) for charity. The ship community voted to split the money between three charities that we've come into contact with on our voyage: Operation Hunger (South Africa), Agent Orange Orphanage (Viet Nam) and Victims of Acid Violence (Cambodia). All told, the three auctions raised over $16,000!!! So exciting!
Have to go. Hope everyone is well.
Thanks, Woody, for your letter(s) in Yokohama!!
Really looking forward to seeing you in a few days, Elyse!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Much love,
heather ;)
According to some folks on the ship, Yokohama has really reinvented itself and the harbor front is much nicer than 30 years ago. The city is preparing for next year when they will celebrate 150 years.
The second day we hopped onto the local train with Brooke and Ian and ventured out to the Ramen Museum near Shin-Yokohama station in the 'burbs. It was interesting albeit a bit disappointing. It didn't cost much to get into the museum and the place was set-up as a re-creation of old Japan. If you've been to Las Vegas, picture the painted ceilings and replica buildings inside casinos that make you feel as if you are walking through the streets of another place (in the case, early-1900s Japan). It was fun and we enjoyed the atmosphere. The ramen, on the other hand, was too pricey to taste (there were 8 mini-restaurants each selling samples for 900-1500 yen which is roughly $9-$15). Since we'd already planned to search out a particular restaurant back in Yokohama for lunch, we weren't really interested in spending that much on tastings. We opted to browse the gift shop and the noodle factory, the latter of which was closed unfortunately.
The train back to Yokohama was uneventful but Brooke and Ian were entertaining. We all had lunch at a place run by a woman from Mexico who married a Japanese man. It was our first taste of Mexican food since leaving California and a welcome treat. Afterwards we wandered the shopping district a bit more before returning to the ship to wade through immigration and prepare for sailing.
Life has been quiet at sea, for the most part. It's been nice to re-group and fall into some familiar routines again. The last month was a bit of whirlwind of ports and sights, all wonderful. I've managed to run and/or bike every morning this past week, something I haven't been doing at all for a long time. Have also been helping one of the LLCs with preparations for the Ambassador's Ball on December 10th (I've just been cutting invitations). And yesterday was the Students of Service Auction (silent, raffle and live) for charity. The ship community voted to split the money between three charities that we've come into contact with on our voyage: Operation Hunger (South Africa), Agent Orange Orphanage (Viet Nam) and Victims of Acid Violence (Cambodia). All told, the three auctions raised over $16,000!!! So exciting!
Have to go. Hope everyone is well.
Thanks, Woody, for your letter(s) in Yokohama!!
Really looking forward to seeing you in a few days, Elyse!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Much love,
heather ;)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Nostalgia and Reflections on the Pacific
Hi everyone. It’s November 19th, the anniversary of Grandpa D’s birth in 1915(?). He passed away last year in April at age 90-ish and on many days I think of him and(and Grandma) and on days like today I miss him. I’m not sure if he would have approved of my traveling and not being so close to family, but travel is an example he and Grandma D. set for me. All the stories I heard from them were of travel to places around the U.S. and (maybe) abroad. The overseas part might be a constructive memory, though.
We’re sailing on the Pacific Ocean now, on the MV explorer, and I’m talking with a student about paying off loans, career choices between teaching and economics, micro finance and non-profit work internationally or domestically. It’s these type of students, who ask tough questions of themselves aloud, that make working here a pleasure. Even if I’m just a sounding board, a place to reflect the questions for students, it seems to be a useful role. I consider this work to be rewarding both personally and professionally. I also struggle with wanting to continue to do this direct work, advising and training students, and wanting to take a leadership role in a university setting, and separating from the direct work with students. I realize through the context of my family and from being apart from them, that my values around the education, in a university setting, of students is a uniquely held one and that same set of values would inform my work as an administrator in any university setting. I guess the question then becomes: Which supervisor wants my leadership values?
This thought comes to me often on this voyage as I consider the leadership demonstrated by my family, my grandfather and parents, my siblings, aunts and uncles and then consider the leadership of the countries and governments that I visited. My perspective feels like a jumble now. I think that’s the point of this voyage. Opening ones eyes to the world in a direct, hands on way really has made me think hard about my leadership and what it means to lead.
The ship moves forward every day, this morning followed by a single albatross. This particular huge bird was very efficient in its use of wave draft and subsequent lift. Did you know that albatross sleep while flying? The part of their brain that makes them fly stays awake (like the part that makes our heart beat when we sleep). This animal seems to have evolved away from land, probably because every time it stopped, someone tried to beat it over the head and eat it. I’d evolve too if that was the case. Students seemed to have gotten the routine of ‘getting on the ship on time’ down by Japan. I’m so glad they can learn, even it took a while. Most of the students are buckling down on papers and reports from their ‘field trips’ in the countries. Some of the students, we’ve learned have hugely outstanding debts from this trip and will likely have their accounts turned over to collection agencies. This seems harsh, but it’s the end of the line for many of these students. Financial aid has been exhausted and they’ve been less-than-responsible for their costs. This includes items like ‘trips to the Taj Mahal.’
Students are getting the point of these travels, for the most part. I’m impressed. Over and over, students get to a place where the relationships they build here matter and the lessons of viewing difference really sink in. The natural comparing and contrasting of cultures, lifestyles, cleanliness, sharing, costs, collective psyche’s, propaganda posters and behaviors is truly an enriching experience. The tension created for some students by all this new information and stimulation comes out in some predictable and some really creative ways, both on the ship and off. The least fun and most predictable is the over use of alcohol as escape/coping/self medication for the stress. More than a few of the students arrive to the ship intoxicated for those and other reasons. But this isn’t the first time we’ve worked with drunk students, so the outcomes are fairly predictable too.
Between the ports, so many very fun things happen on the ship, not the least of are highly competitive circuit of scrabble games, all varieties of strategy games like ‘Risk’ ‘Risk-Star Wars Edition’ ‘Risk-2010’ (which looks way more futuristic than what I’m anticipating for 2010), ‘Stratego’ and various fantasy games. There are monopoly, ping-pong, basketball, volleyball and mini-soccer tournaments. There are study groups and work groups and paper writing support groups and diversity discussion groups and knitting and reading and movie-watching and kids groups. I have great conversations about really esoteric topics with students when they come out of classes. I laugh with and at the stuff people do at talent shows and sing a few songs myself. But I really admire the many students who want to learn and grow and gain important experiences from this voyage. This is a first rate voyage in so many ways.
Japan was a really nice break, being a first rate, first world country, as it is. It’s clean and no one hassles you to ‘buy now’ or ‘how much?’ The transportation is efficient and well loved by the locals, and us, for that matter. My red-ish beard and Heather’s blonde hair caught a few stares on the subways, but mostly from curious 4-6 year old kiddies…the littler ones didn’t know what to do with us. Little kids would stare in awe, as only little children can do: mouth dropped open, eyes wide, ice cream cone forgotten and dripping onto the floor. The only permanent object right then was a large, hairy and odd looking thing (man?). Some were moved to tears and nestled into their caregiver, others responded better when I made silly faces or played peek-a-boo. At times, in certain moments, I would get lost in a book at some little café or stare out at the changing maples and ginko trees, ablaze in yellow, red, orange; leaves swirling in the wind. In these times, I’d look up and literally have to ask myself aloud where I was. “What country are we in?”
Heather answered, “Japan”
“Interesting.”
“Really?”
“Well, not this second, but it seems better than saying ‘terrifying.’”
Back in my book, a turn-for-the worse novel about Tokyo’s organized crime, I find myself longing for the small town congestion of an underdeveloped infrastructure in Santa Cruz and the bustling holiday cheer I get to approach with family in Illinois.
I suppose more good news is on the horizon and I’m looking forward to celebrating Thanskgiving with my sister, Elyse, in Oahu and then Costa Rica for a few days before packing up, squeezing through the Panama Canal and a warm jaunt to Miami. Just 20 more days at sea
Peace!
We’re sailing on the Pacific Ocean now, on the MV explorer, and I’m talking with a student about paying off loans, career choices between teaching and economics, micro finance and non-profit work internationally or domestically. It’s these type of students, who ask tough questions of themselves aloud, that make working here a pleasure. Even if I’m just a sounding board, a place to reflect the questions for students, it seems to be a useful role. I consider this work to be rewarding both personally and professionally. I also struggle with wanting to continue to do this direct work, advising and training students, and wanting to take a leadership role in a university setting, and separating from the direct work with students. I realize through the context of my family and from being apart from them, that my values around the education, in a university setting, of students is a uniquely held one and that same set of values would inform my work as an administrator in any university setting. I guess the question then becomes: Which supervisor wants my leadership values?
This thought comes to me often on this voyage as I consider the leadership demonstrated by my family, my grandfather and parents, my siblings, aunts and uncles and then consider the leadership of the countries and governments that I visited. My perspective feels like a jumble now. I think that’s the point of this voyage. Opening ones eyes to the world in a direct, hands on way really has made me think hard about my leadership and what it means to lead.
The ship moves forward every day, this morning followed by a single albatross. This particular huge bird was very efficient in its use of wave draft and subsequent lift. Did you know that albatross sleep while flying? The part of their brain that makes them fly stays awake (like the part that makes our heart beat when we sleep). This animal seems to have evolved away from land, probably because every time it stopped, someone tried to beat it over the head and eat it. I’d evolve too if that was the case. Students seemed to have gotten the routine of ‘getting on the ship on time’ down by Japan. I’m so glad they can learn, even it took a while. Most of the students are buckling down on papers and reports from their ‘field trips’ in the countries. Some of the students, we’ve learned have hugely outstanding debts from this trip and will likely have their accounts turned over to collection agencies. This seems harsh, but it’s the end of the line for many of these students. Financial aid has been exhausted and they’ve been less-than-responsible for their costs. This includes items like ‘trips to the Taj Mahal.’
Students are getting the point of these travels, for the most part. I’m impressed. Over and over, students get to a place where the relationships they build here matter and the lessons of viewing difference really sink in. The natural comparing and contrasting of cultures, lifestyles, cleanliness, sharing, costs, collective psyche’s, propaganda posters and behaviors is truly an enriching experience. The tension created for some students by all this new information and stimulation comes out in some predictable and some really creative ways, both on the ship and off. The least fun and most predictable is the over use of alcohol as escape/coping/self medication for the stress. More than a few of the students arrive to the ship intoxicated for those and other reasons. But this isn’t the first time we’ve worked with drunk students, so the outcomes are fairly predictable too.
Between the ports, so many very fun things happen on the ship, not the least of are highly competitive circuit of scrabble games, all varieties of strategy games like ‘Risk’ ‘Risk-Star Wars Edition’ ‘Risk-2010’ (which looks way more futuristic than what I’m anticipating for 2010), ‘Stratego’ and various fantasy games. There are monopoly, ping-pong, basketball, volleyball and mini-soccer tournaments. There are study groups and work groups and paper writing support groups and diversity discussion groups and knitting and reading and movie-watching and kids groups. I have great conversations about really esoteric topics with students when they come out of classes. I laugh with and at the stuff people do at talent shows and sing a few songs myself. But I really admire the many students who want to learn and grow and gain important experiences from this voyage. This is a first rate voyage in so many ways.
Japan was a really nice break, being a first rate, first world country, as it is. It’s clean and no one hassles you to ‘buy now’ or ‘how much?’ The transportation is efficient and well loved by the locals, and us, for that matter. My red-ish beard and Heather’s blonde hair caught a few stares on the subways, but mostly from curious 4-6 year old kiddies…the littler ones didn’t know what to do with us. Little kids would stare in awe, as only little children can do: mouth dropped open, eyes wide, ice cream cone forgotten and dripping onto the floor. The only permanent object right then was a large, hairy and odd looking thing (man?). Some were moved to tears and nestled into their caregiver, others responded better when I made silly faces or played peek-a-boo. At times, in certain moments, I would get lost in a book at some little café or stare out at the changing maples and ginko trees, ablaze in yellow, red, orange; leaves swirling in the wind. In these times, I’d look up and literally have to ask myself aloud where I was. “What country are we in?”
Heather answered, “Japan”
“Interesting.”
“Really?”
“Well, not this second, but it seems better than saying ‘terrifying.’”
Back in my book, a turn-for-the worse novel about Tokyo’s organized crime, I find myself longing for the small town congestion of an underdeveloped infrastructure in Santa Cruz and the bustling holiday cheer I get to approach with family in Illinois.
I suppose more good news is on the horizon and I’m looking forward to celebrating Thanskgiving with my sister, Elyse, in Oahu and then Costa Rica for a few days before packing up, squeezing through the Panama Canal and a warm jaunt to Miami. Just 20 more days at sea
Peace!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Photos are up for Japan
Hello!
Photos are up for Kobe, Kyoto and Yokohama.
www.heatherbill.shutterfly.com
Enjoy!
Photos are up for Kobe, Kyoto and Yokohama.
www.heatherbill.shutterfly.com
Enjoy!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Fall in Kobe, Japan
Our ship was greeted by a brass band early Thursday morning as we pulled into Kobe harbor. The group of local students played John Phillip Souza as we pulled alongside and, with the fall weather in the air, we all felt like we were headed to a college football game not a Japanese port. A Taiko drumming group played next - totally great. I love Taiko drumming and it reminded me of a wonderful drumming performance I was able to see a few years ago at the Mondavi Center in Davis, California.
After a very involved immigration process, we had a few mishaps to start off our short stop in Kobe (our homestay was unexpectedly cancelled amidst other ship stresses) but we rallied and had a really nice two days. Friday afternoon we spent wandering the Kitano-cho (a neighborhood in central Kobe) and enjoyed just walking the narrow streets and taking in our surroundings. We came across some European-influenced architecture in a region that was predominately non-Japanese through the mid-1900s. What is left are examples of ex-pat homes from England, Holland, France, etc and a more recent Japanese obsession with Western bridal couture.
After a pre-dinner soft-serve ice cream cone (it's so rare, you don't pass it up!), we wandered into what became a highlight of our time in Kobe: a restaurant called Kutjari no Andy (Andy the Whale) owned by a very sweet, funny and friendly couple - Hitomi and Tomonari. We bellied up to the bar for an early evening beer and were soon engaged in conversation that keep us laughing and trying out our very limited Japanese. I might note that Hitomi and Tomonari speak much better English than our Japanese - enough that we were able to converse without any problems and any troublesome translations were created mostly on our end.
We were having such a great time exchanging stories and small gifts (stickers, postcards, origami, business cards), that we decided to stay for dinner. We had pasta, ironically, with homemade meat sauce (just like Grandma Hollister's!) and freshly sauteed shittake mushrooms with cream sauce. Heavenly! Can you tell we're jonesing for homecooked and familiar food? Actually, it was the freshness that won us over - I didn't care what they cooked! We also had nicely toasted rye bread and a Japanese-style salad (cabbage, cucumber, radish all thinly sliced and sprinkled with vinegar and pepper). The best part of all this was watching the two of them chop and slice our food just a few feet from the large wooden bar overlooking the small kitchen. Again, this is when I realized how much I miss cooking with Bill or friends at home, talking as we prepare a savory meal together. Hitomi and Tomonari's little restaurant essentially replicated that feeling for me in its physical space and emotional appeal.
As the meal progressed, some friends of theirs that live in the neighborhood joined us and as we enjoyed our food and they drank a few beers, Tomonari began making a homemade bread batter (simply good bread, processed and spiced) for the kakiage (tempura made from bread crumbs not flour) they were soon frying on the stove. If only we'd known - we might have ordered this (the menu we saw was all Western-style food)! They were breading and frying fresh cuts of fish, shrimp, asparagus wrapped with prosciutto....yum. But, no complaints as everything they made was truly delicious and we actually were treated to samples of some of the other Japanese dishes they began preparing. Had a little seaweed salad with salted fish as well as pickled greens with fried tofu.
Anyway, needless to say we were very impressed with our chefs and new friends. As we reluctantly left, everyone bid us goodbye and sent well wishes for the rest of our journey. My favorite memory of the evening was Hitomi and Tomonari walking us outside to the little walkway separating the rows of businesses and homes and waving us off with big smiles. As we walked down the alley, I looked back to see them still waving and wishing us a good evening - so cute!!
Kyoto:
Spent our second day in Kyoto, the capital of Japan for over 11 centuries before Tokyo. We took the train from Kobe - Japanese trains are incredible! Expensive but very clean, easy to use and efficient. It took us just under an hour by the local JR commuter train. Kyoto is very pretty, especially with the fall weather and changing leaves. Bill and I were both enjoying these elements as we strolled along the busy streets, crammed with tourists from all over Japan with a few foreigners mixed into the crowds.
Our first stop was Higashi Honganji temple - a beautiful, functioning Buddhist temple that is under-going some renovation. The process of restoring and protecting these gorgeous wooden structures seems endless and very thorough. Actually, much of Kyoto's historic architecture has had to be rebuilt over the years due to fire. This particular facility was very simple and elegant - the tongue and groove building structure is incredible...a carpenter's heaven. The floor mats were my favorite - called tatami in Japanese. And the paper screens nestled in grooves behind the huge wooden outer doors are beautiful.
We wandered through town and walked along a canal for a bit, observing the thoughtfully designed pathways that serve as flood dikes as well as recreational spaces. Many folks were strolling along in the nice weather and we enjoyed watching a man in thigh-high waders as he fished the small stream.
I really liked the Gion neighborhood that we walked through after crossing the canal. This is a very pretty neighborhood, complete with narrow streets and old-style homes. So fun! Lots of tourists, however, and it was challenging to take in the sights and avoid running into other pedestrians. I was on the look-out for geisha, though I read that they are normally not seen until early evening as they dart through the streets on their way to appointments. I think I might read Memoirs of a Geisha again - it was just as the author described with doorways in all directions and secret passageways that only the locals can navigate easily.
We hopped on a bus and headed to the Ginkajuri-ji temple area in the northwest corner of central Kyoto. We shared a nice lunch - a bento box of rice, sashimi (raw tuna), salad, greens and miso soup and an order of soba noodles with two cokes. Yum! We then walked the Philosophers Path, an old walkway along another much smaller canal through neighborhoods. It was so beautiful and peaceful. It was reminiscent of strolling along a quiet, tree-lined street in New England for me. Dad, I grabbed a few red Maple and Gingko leaves for you that I'll mail in my next note.
We hopped the bus back to Kyoto station and headed back to Kobe on the train crammed with commuters and school children. We got back on the ship and waved goodbye to the high school band that came back to play some jazz and send us off to Yokohama. We are to arrive tomorrow morning and will have another two days to explore what we can. I will certainly be back to Japan - it's lovely!
I am posting photos right now so check out our photo site:
www.heatherbill.shutterfly.com
Much love,
heather ;)
After a very involved immigration process, we had a few mishaps to start off our short stop in Kobe (our homestay was unexpectedly cancelled amidst other ship stresses) but we rallied and had a really nice two days. Friday afternoon we spent wandering the Kitano-cho (a neighborhood in central Kobe) and enjoyed just walking the narrow streets and taking in our surroundings. We came across some European-influenced architecture in a region that was predominately non-Japanese through the mid-1900s. What is left are examples of ex-pat homes from England, Holland, France, etc and a more recent Japanese obsession with Western bridal couture.
After a pre-dinner soft-serve ice cream cone (it's so rare, you don't pass it up!), we wandered into what became a highlight of our time in Kobe: a restaurant called Kutjari no Andy (Andy the Whale) owned by a very sweet, funny and friendly couple - Hitomi and Tomonari. We bellied up to the bar for an early evening beer and were soon engaged in conversation that keep us laughing and trying out our very limited Japanese. I might note that Hitomi and Tomonari speak much better English than our Japanese - enough that we were able to converse without any problems and any troublesome translations were created mostly on our end.
We were having such a great time exchanging stories and small gifts (stickers, postcards, origami, business cards), that we decided to stay for dinner. We had pasta, ironically, with homemade meat sauce (just like Grandma Hollister's!) and freshly sauteed shittake mushrooms with cream sauce. Heavenly! Can you tell we're jonesing for homecooked and familiar food? Actually, it was the freshness that won us over - I didn't care what they cooked! We also had nicely toasted rye bread and a Japanese-style salad (cabbage, cucumber, radish all thinly sliced and sprinkled with vinegar and pepper). The best part of all this was watching the two of them chop and slice our food just a few feet from the large wooden bar overlooking the small kitchen. Again, this is when I realized how much I miss cooking with Bill or friends at home, talking as we prepare a savory meal together. Hitomi and Tomonari's little restaurant essentially replicated that feeling for me in its physical space and emotional appeal.
As the meal progressed, some friends of theirs that live in the neighborhood joined us and as we enjoyed our food and they drank a few beers, Tomonari began making a homemade bread batter (simply good bread, processed and spiced) for the kakiage (tempura made from bread crumbs not flour) they were soon frying on the stove. If only we'd known - we might have ordered this (the menu we saw was all Western-style food)! They were breading and frying fresh cuts of fish, shrimp, asparagus wrapped with prosciutto....yum. But, no complaints as everything they made was truly delicious and we actually were treated to samples of some of the other Japanese dishes they began preparing. Had a little seaweed salad with salted fish as well as pickled greens with fried tofu.
Anyway, needless to say we were very impressed with our chefs and new friends. As we reluctantly left, everyone bid us goodbye and sent well wishes for the rest of our journey. My favorite memory of the evening was Hitomi and Tomonari walking us outside to the little walkway separating the rows of businesses and homes and waving us off with big smiles. As we walked down the alley, I looked back to see them still waving and wishing us a good evening - so cute!!
Kyoto:
Spent our second day in Kyoto, the capital of Japan for over 11 centuries before Tokyo. We took the train from Kobe - Japanese trains are incredible! Expensive but very clean, easy to use and efficient. It took us just under an hour by the local JR commuter train. Kyoto is very pretty, especially with the fall weather and changing leaves. Bill and I were both enjoying these elements as we strolled along the busy streets, crammed with tourists from all over Japan with a few foreigners mixed into the crowds.
Our first stop was Higashi Honganji temple - a beautiful, functioning Buddhist temple that is under-going some renovation. The process of restoring and protecting these gorgeous wooden structures seems endless and very thorough. Actually, much of Kyoto's historic architecture has had to be rebuilt over the years due to fire. This particular facility was very simple and elegant - the tongue and groove building structure is incredible...a carpenter's heaven. The floor mats were my favorite - called tatami in Japanese. And the paper screens nestled in grooves behind the huge wooden outer doors are beautiful.
We wandered through town and walked along a canal for a bit, observing the thoughtfully designed pathways that serve as flood dikes as well as recreational spaces. Many folks were strolling along in the nice weather and we enjoyed watching a man in thigh-high waders as he fished the small stream.
I really liked the Gion neighborhood that we walked through after crossing the canal. This is a very pretty neighborhood, complete with narrow streets and old-style homes. So fun! Lots of tourists, however, and it was challenging to take in the sights and avoid running into other pedestrians. I was on the look-out for geisha, though I read that they are normally not seen until early evening as they dart through the streets on their way to appointments. I think I might read Memoirs of a Geisha again - it was just as the author described with doorways in all directions and secret passageways that only the locals can navigate easily.
We hopped on a bus and headed to the Ginkajuri-ji temple area in the northwest corner of central Kyoto. We shared a nice lunch - a bento box of rice, sashimi (raw tuna), salad, greens and miso soup and an order of soba noodles with two cokes. Yum! We then walked the Philosophers Path, an old walkway along another much smaller canal through neighborhoods. It was so beautiful and peaceful. It was reminiscent of strolling along a quiet, tree-lined street in New England for me. Dad, I grabbed a few red Maple and Gingko leaves for you that I'll mail in my next note.
We hopped the bus back to Kyoto station and headed back to Kobe on the train crammed with commuters and school children. We got back on the ship and waved goodbye to the high school band that came back to play some jazz and send us off to Yokohama. We are to arrive tomorrow morning and will have another two days to explore what we can. I will certainly be back to Japan - it's lovely!
I am posting photos right now so check out our photo site:
www.heatherbill.shutterfly.com
Much love,
heather ;)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Shanghai
Hello from near the Yellow Sea (I think we are technically south of it). We left Shanghai late last night and are sailing toward Kobe, Japan. I'm looking forward to our short stop in Japan and our homestay with students and their families from Kansai University in Osaka.
Our time in Shanghai was very brief, totally just about 24 hours ashore. Between our weather delay in arriving and the involved immigration process, we did not set foot on land until 3pm on the 10th and did not pull away until almost 11pm the following day. A quick, surreal stop to say the least.
The good news is that we connected with my cousin, David Ricks, and his family. They have just moved to Shanghai this past summer and are settling into life in the PRC. We were lucky enough to have their driver, Mr. Wu, at our disposal and we were grateful to have the luxury, especially with only a day to explore this city of almost 20 million.
Mr. Wu was waiting for us at the port and took us to the French Concession. We walked for an hour and then were whisked off to Dave's home. There we met Joseph (10), Katherine (7) and Michael (3). It was great to see Chris, Dave's wife, whom I hadn't seen since I lived in Bloomington, Indiana. They were all gracious guests and we had a lovely time catching up and learning about one another. Had dinner with an American flavor (that we were craving) and thoroughly enjoyed the large, comfy bed and freshly-made coffee in the morning - the little things you miss so much at times.
The second day we were sent off by Chris with chocolate croissants (how'd she know these are our favorite?!?). Mr. Wu drove us to Renmin (People's) Square. We attempted to check out the Shanghai Museum but at 9:30am on a Tuesday we found ourselves in line behind what must have been six school groups and without the patience to wait. Instead, we wandered over to the Shanghai Art Museum and enjoyed their Biennial exhibit, complete with some modern reflections on Shanghai's international flare that made your head spin.
We decided to walk to the Bund, an area along the Huangpu River and in the heart of downtown Shanghai. We bought a propaganda poster replica on the street (couldn't resist the farmer on a tractor with his little red book raised!) and met 5 university students visiting Shanghai. They invited us to a tea ceremony and before we knew it we were in a little room with a spread of beautiful teas from around China. We were treated to an explanation of the various medicinal benefits of each variety and bought some Jasmine tea to take with us. Our new friends were very excited to practice their English and to learn more about us and our culture. They were very funny and sweet and we all exchanged email addresses and invitations to visit each other's country. Very fun.
Spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the shopping district, grabbed some lunch and ran into some friends. Found Mr. Wu and got a ride back to the ship.
Shipboard life is in full swing again as everyone is back on board and busy with classes and planning for Japan in addition to grieving the loss of Kurt Leswing. We had a community-wide meeting last night to discuss the details of Kurt's death and to allow people a space to process and grieve. It's been an interesting and touching experience, compounded in ways that are unique to this small yet fast-paced living community. There are a group of individuals preparing a memorial ceremony for Kurt and his parents are aware of these efforts.
I leave you with Kurt's latest favorite quote, spoken by our special guest Desmond Tutu and shared with us by Kurt's parents:
"Take the anger from your hearts.
Wipe the tears from God's eyes.
And live a life of love."
Pictures of Shanghai are up: www.heatherbill.shutterfly.com
Thanks, Woody, for the note and Shanghai suggestions.
Elyse - we received another packet of letters and are attempting to send responses from Yokohama.
With love and appreciation for you all,
heather ;)
Our time in Shanghai was very brief, totally just about 24 hours ashore. Between our weather delay in arriving and the involved immigration process, we did not set foot on land until 3pm on the 10th and did not pull away until almost 11pm the following day. A quick, surreal stop to say the least.
The good news is that we connected with my cousin, David Ricks, and his family. They have just moved to Shanghai this past summer and are settling into life in the PRC. We were lucky enough to have their driver, Mr. Wu, at our disposal and we were grateful to have the luxury, especially with only a day to explore this city of almost 20 million.
Mr. Wu was waiting for us at the port and took us to the French Concession. We walked for an hour and then were whisked off to Dave's home. There we met Joseph (10), Katherine (7) and Michael (3). It was great to see Chris, Dave's wife, whom I hadn't seen since I lived in Bloomington, Indiana. They were all gracious guests and we had a lovely time catching up and learning about one another. Had dinner with an American flavor (that we were craving) and thoroughly enjoyed the large, comfy bed and freshly-made coffee in the morning - the little things you miss so much at times.
The second day we were sent off by Chris with chocolate croissants (how'd she know these are our favorite?!?). Mr. Wu drove us to Renmin (People's) Square. We attempted to check out the Shanghai Museum but at 9:30am on a Tuesday we found ourselves in line behind what must have been six school groups and without the patience to wait. Instead, we wandered over to the Shanghai Art Museum and enjoyed their Biennial exhibit, complete with some modern reflections on Shanghai's international flare that made your head spin.
We decided to walk to the Bund, an area along the Huangpu River and in the heart of downtown Shanghai. We bought a propaganda poster replica on the street (couldn't resist the farmer on a tractor with his little red book raised!) and met 5 university students visiting Shanghai. They invited us to a tea ceremony and before we knew it we were in a little room with a spread of beautiful teas from around China. We were treated to an explanation of the various medicinal benefits of each variety and bought some Jasmine tea to take with us. Our new friends were very excited to practice their English and to learn more about us and our culture. They were very funny and sweet and we all exchanged email addresses and invitations to visit each other's country. Very fun.
Spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the shopping district, grabbed some lunch and ran into some friends. Found Mr. Wu and got a ride back to the ship.
Shipboard life is in full swing again as everyone is back on board and busy with classes and planning for Japan in addition to grieving the loss of Kurt Leswing. We had a community-wide meeting last night to discuss the details of Kurt's death and to allow people a space to process and grieve. It's been an interesting and touching experience, compounded in ways that are unique to this small yet fast-paced living community. There are a group of individuals preparing a memorial ceremony for Kurt and his parents are aware of these efforts.
I leave you with Kurt's latest favorite quote, spoken by our special guest Desmond Tutu and shared with us by Kurt's parents:
"Take the anger from your hearts.
Wipe the tears from God's eyes.
And live a life of love."
Pictures of Shanghai are up: www.heatherbill.shutterfly.com
Thanks, Woody, for the note and Shanghai suggestions.
Elyse - we received another packet of letters and are attempting to send responses from Yokohama.
With love and appreciation for you all,
heather ;)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Hong Kong
We're sailing up the Shanghai, China River as I reflect, now on a brief trip to Hong Kong. Heather and I had a fine time there, seeing the city from it's high points and from the underground subway. We saw it's largest, seated, outdoor bronze Buddha statue and it's mix of ancient, colonial and very cosmopolitan architecture in 'Central' (downtown). We walked, smelled, tasted and viewed what we could in 36 hours.
It was a great pleasure to speak for some time with family in Illinois for a while on the early morning of November 7th, local time. After some sleep and sightseeing on the 7th, Heather and I returned to the ship about 5pm and soon learned of the death of a current student, Kurt Leswing, of Milwaukee and the UW/Madison campus. Kurt was 21. He was struck by a vehicle in Hong Kong and died shortly thereafter on the early morning of Nov. 7th.
The outpouring of sympathy and prayers are much appreciated in this challenging time for Kurt's family, friends and the shipboard community. Thank you all for sending your thoughts and prayers from Illinois and beyond. Information can be found on the Semester at Sea website (www.semesteratsea.org). The staff and faculty on the ship have been working hard to help the community make sense of this tragic event. I'm not yet sure what to say, but it's a sad event.
More later,
Bill
It was a great pleasure to speak for some time with family in Illinois for a while on the early morning of November 7th, local time. After some sleep and sightseeing on the 7th, Heather and I returned to the ship about 5pm and soon learned of the death of a current student, Kurt Leswing, of Milwaukee and the UW/Madison campus. Kurt was 21. He was struck by a vehicle in Hong Kong and died shortly thereafter on the early morning of Nov. 7th.
The outpouring of sympathy and prayers are much appreciated in this challenging time for Kurt's family, friends and the shipboard community. Thank you all for sending your thoughts and prayers from Illinois and beyond. Information can be found on the Semester at Sea website (www.semesteratsea.org). The staff and faculty on the ship have been working hard to help the community make sense of this tragic event. I'm not yet sure what to say, but it's a sad event.
More later,
Bill
*Reminder about change for Costa Rica port address
Hello!
Our snail mailing address for Costa Rica has changed. Please note the change below and thanks in advance for writing! ;)
Port #12
William Heinrich & Heather Ricks
C/O MV Explorer
December 7, 2008
SCAN S.A. / ILG LOGISTICS
Edificio ILG Logistics
200 Mts Norte de Rotonda de Paso Ancho
PO Box 1242-1007
Centro Colon, San Jose, COSTA RICA
Our snail mailing address for Costa Rica has changed. Please note the change below and thanks in advance for writing! ;)
Port #12
William Heinrich & Heather Ricks
C/O MV Explorer
December 7, 2008
SCAN S.A. / ILG LOGISTICS
Edificio ILG Logistics
200 Mts Norte de Rotonda de Paso Ancho
PO Box 1242-1007
Centro Colon, San Jose, COSTA RICA
Friday, November 7, 2008
Photos from Viet Nam & Hong Kong
Forgot to mention - photos are up from Viet Nam & Hong Kong.
www.heatherbill.shutterfly.com
www.heatherbill.shutterfly.com
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Bicycling through Viet Nam
We have just pulled into the port in Hong Kong - it's truly amazing here with all the massive skyscrapers and boats. It looks like Manhattan but on all sides surrounding us.
We have yet to write about our time in Viet Nam - these ports are happening so quickly right now! We had a wonderful time in our short time there. The first two days we spent in Ho Chi Minh City, eating our way through the area and exploring all the nooks and crannies. We spent some time at the War Remnants Museum which was a very powerful reminder of our presence in Southeast Asia some 30 years ago. It forced me to reflect on our current presence in the Middle East with sadness and regret. I understand that the issues and reasons for war are very complex but the physical harm to the people and landscape seems so simplistically horrific when you view the aftermath.
Our three days in the Mekong Delta were amazing. We traveled by car for a few hours before hopping onto a large boat and floating across the river to a small village factory that makes coconut candy. From there we visited a home and had fresh fruit and tea. We paddled small boats through a little outlet and came upon a half dozen men walking the river in search of shrimp. From there we were taken to our bicycles and rode for about 2 hours along a riverside path. We were greeted continuously by hordes of small children and adults who lived in the neighborhoods. So fun!!
We stayed at a guesthouse that night in Ving Thou that sat right over the river edge. The next morning we rode bikes for another 2-3 hours, stopping for tea and to visit a terracotta brick facility. We rode through rice fields and along dikes between villages. It was incredibly beautiful. We finished our ride in a monsoon downpour and, after drying off and changing clothes, stopped for a delicious lunch. That evening we stayed in a hotel in Can Tho and enjoyed the best meal at a restaurant called Nam Bo. Our guide, Hoan, took us to a dancehall where we swung ourselves across the floor for a short time - the music was very loud and we only lasted about 45 minutes.
Our final day included another boat ride through the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta and then to another home to taste snake wine and banana wine and to visit a rice paper-making facility. Our final stop took us to our bicycles and our last ride was about 10K. We drove back to the ship after lunch and ran a few errands before calling it a night.
I found the food to be incredible in Viet Nam and the local people so friendly and gracious. It was at times very stressful to walk the streets as the traffic does not stop!! But, after a few days, we were cruising about with more confidence and following the locals. Fun times!
Post U.S. election sidenote:
I am still flying high from yesterday's election in the US. Wow! We were able to watch the coverage live on the Internet. It was noon our time when the polls closed on the west coast. I have to say that I cried so much with tears of joy and relief that I took an hour and a half nap later in the day! It was a very emotional experience on the ship with many of us crammed into our Student Union to watch and listen to any news we were able to access. We all listened to McCain's concession speech and were able to watch the festivities in Grant Park. Oh I wish I could have been there in Chicago! Watching and listening to Obama's speech, I was moved by his humility, his grace and his love for our country combined with his concern for our role in the world. I am grateful that we may again act as a country that is part of a larger world picture.
Hope you are all well.
Thanks Woody, Rebecca, Jeanne and Joy/Joe for your letters! And to everyone for your emails!!
More from China in a few days.
Much love,
heather ;)
************
From Bill
Vietnam on to Hong Kong
5th November 2008. It is during the play-by play election coverage that I reflect on a visit to Vietnam, once a former site of conflict and turmoil for Americans, now a place of growth and development by its own people, under its own government, for better or worse.
Heather and I were delighted to join a group of fellow shipmates taking a bicycle tour of the Mekong Delta in the south of Vietnam. This area is highly traversed by both natural and man made waterways, so getting around by little boats is a must. Although, there are big boats too, even some shallow barges carrying dredged sand and other natural resources. All the waterways are lined by mud or dirt sidewalks, for many kilometers in all directions. Peoples houses are situated in flood plains and many people are able to grow fruit trees and rice in their own little ‘yards.’ Each yard is partially under water nearly all year. At this time, the monsoon season, the rain fills up the yards. In the rest of the year, diverted canal water fills the rice patties.
We saw the makings of coconut candy, rice noodles, rice wine, banana wine, snake wine, terra cotta brick firing, and a floating fruit market, on a river. Heather aptly noted that a surreal feeling follows when you find yourself literally in a postcard…to be both present and outside of yourself watching at the same time…believing what you see and not seeing what you believe anymore.
Earlier in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), we visited the War Remnants Museum. This museum chronicled, from a decidedly ‘unified Vietnamese’ perspective, the “acts and crimes” of war perpetuated by French and American occupiers. Present were actual tanks, artillery guns, fighter and recon planes, all arrays of machine guns, grenade launchers, bazookas, mines, bombs and bomblets, agent orange and pieces of aB-52 bomber shot down. Accompanying the display were text in Vietnamese, French and English about the intended design and actual use and outcome of each weapon. This experience made me feel badly for a number of reasons, but upon further reflection, I feel a deep sympathy for the men and women who served in the war in Vietnam. For those who gave their lives and those whose lives were changed by their fathers and mothers experiences. I thank you for fighting hard. I now know other fights were happening, within people’s consciences and within the U.S.
This reminds me of the reason for elections and voting and knowing why. I don’t think I know all the answers, but I’m glad we’re talking about it.
It is now the 6th of November in Hong Kong and a new president elect has made U.S. history and a story in the world. Hope arises quickly as news travels fast. An unpopular and needlessly continuing war has an end in sight. The vertical landscape of Hong Kong awaits the pitter patter of U.S. feet and the shuffle of U.S. dollars as the shipboard community anxiously prepares to disembark.
We have yet to write about our time in Viet Nam - these ports are happening so quickly right now! We had a wonderful time in our short time there. The first two days we spent in Ho Chi Minh City, eating our way through the area and exploring all the nooks and crannies. We spent some time at the War Remnants Museum which was a very powerful reminder of our presence in Southeast Asia some 30 years ago. It forced me to reflect on our current presence in the Middle East with sadness and regret. I understand that the issues and reasons for war are very complex but the physical harm to the people and landscape seems so simplistically horrific when you view the aftermath.
Our three days in the Mekong Delta were amazing. We traveled by car for a few hours before hopping onto a large boat and floating across the river to a small village factory that makes coconut candy. From there we visited a home and had fresh fruit and tea. We paddled small boats through a little outlet and came upon a half dozen men walking the river in search of shrimp. From there we were taken to our bicycles and rode for about 2 hours along a riverside path. We were greeted continuously by hordes of small children and adults who lived in the neighborhoods. So fun!!
We stayed at a guesthouse that night in Ving Thou that sat right over the river edge. The next morning we rode bikes for another 2-3 hours, stopping for tea and to visit a terracotta brick facility. We rode through rice fields and along dikes between villages. It was incredibly beautiful. We finished our ride in a monsoon downpour and, after drying off and changing clothes, stopped for a delicious lunch. That evening we stayed in a hotel in Can Tho and enjoyed the best meal at a restaurant called Nam Bo. Our guide, Hoan, took us to a dancehall where we swung ourselves across the floor for a short time - the music was very loud and we only lasted about 45 minutes.
Our final day included another boat ride through the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta and then to another home to taste snake wine and banana wine and to visit a rice paper-making facility. Our final stop took us to our bicycles and our last ride was about 10K. We drove back to the ship after lunch and ran a few errands before calling it a night.
I found the food to be incredible in Viet Nam and the local people so friendly and gracious. It was at times very stressful to walk the streets as the traffic does not stop!! But, after a few days, we were cruising about with more confidence and following the locals. Fun times!
Post U.S. election sidenote:
I am still flying high from yesterday's election in the US. Wow! We were able to watch the coverage live on the Internet. It was noon our time when the polls closed on the west coast. I have to say that I cried so much with tears of joy and relief that I took an hour and a half nap later in the day! It was a very emotional experience on the ship with many of us crammed into our Student Union to watch and listen to any news we were able to access. We all listened to McCain's concession speech and were able to watch the festivities in Grant Park. Oh I wish I could have been there in Chicago! Watching and listening to Obama's speech, I was moved by his humility, his grace and his love for our country combined with his concern for our role in the world. I am grateful that we may again act as a country that is part of a larger world picture.
Hope you are all well.
Thanks Woody, Rebecca, Jeanne and Joy/Joe for your letters! And to everyone for your emails!!
More from China in a few days.
Much love,
heather ;)
************
From Bill
Vietnam on to Hong Kong
5th November 2008. It is during the play-by play election coverage that I reflect on a visit to Vietnam, once a former site of conflict and turmoil for Americans, now a place of growth and development by its own people, under its own government, for better or worse.
Heather and I were delighted to join a group of fellow shipmates taking a bicycle tour of the Mekong Delta in the south of Vietnam. This area is highly traversed by both natural and man made waterways, so getting around by little boats is a must. Although, there are big boats too, even some shallow barges carrying dredged sand and other natural resources. All the waterways are lined by mud or dirt sidewalks, for many kilometers in all directions. Peoples houses are situated in flood plains and many people are able to grow fruit trees and rice in their own little ‘yards.’ Each yard is partially under water nearly all year. At this time, the monsoon season, the rain fills up the yards. In the rest of the year, diverted canal water fills the rice patties.
We saw the makings of coconut candy, rice noodles, rice wine, banana wine, snake wine, terra cotta brick firing, and a floating fruit market, on a river. Heather aptly noted that a surreal feeling follows when you find yourself literally in a postcard…to be both present and outside of yourself watching at the same time…believing what you see and not seeing what you believe anymore.
Earlier in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), we visited the War Remnants Museum. This museum chronicled, from a decidedly ‘unified Vietnamese’ perspective, the “acts and crimes” of war perpetuated by French and American occupiers. Present were actual tanks, artillery guns, fighter and recon planes, all arrays of machine guns, grenade launchers, bazookas, mines, bombs and bomblets, agent orange and pieces of aB-52 bomber shot down. Accompanying the display were text in Vietnamese, French and English about the intended design and actual use and outcome of each weapon. This experience made me feel badly for a number of reasons, but upon further reflection, I feel a deep sympathy for the men and women who served in the war in Vietnam. For those who gave their lives and those whose lives were changed by their fathers and mothers experiences. I thank you for fighting hard. I now know other fights were happening, within people’s consciences and within the U.S.
This reminds me of the reason for elections and voting and knowing why. I don’t think I know all the answers, but I’m glad we’re talking about it.
It is now the 6th of November in Hong Kong and a new president elect has made U.S. history and a story in the world. Hope arises quickly as news travels fast. An unpopular and needlessly continuing war has an end in sight. The vertical landscape of Hong Kong awaits the pitter patter of U.S. feet and the shuffle of U.S. dollars as the shipboard community anxiously prepares to disembark.
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