More on Life at Sea

I started writing this entry when I was sitting on the starboard side of the sixth dock. The ocean was unusually calm – I’m even tempted to describe it as water-skiable “glass”. We hadn’t seen land for over 24 hours, and I had no far away exactly the horizon was. I’m sure that it will only be a few more days before I’m sick of staring at how one shade of blue seamlessly transforms into another – but for now, it was still amazingly picturesque. Too picturesque to work actually. So I sat and stared. Literally for a good hour.

Around midnight last night I probably started regretting that hour inefficiently spent as I struggled through my first econ problem set of the term. But this is exactly how school goes – it would all be so easy if we had only cases to worry about, but really we have commitments and distractions and social activities. And then, on this ship, add in the extra complications of sunsets and dolphins (!) and dinners that can drag on for hours, and the required schoolwork seems damned near impossible to complete.

The only thing saving me is that the internet connection is so slow that I have no blitz with which to distract myself. My dad and I actually determined last night that it seems emails are only sent out in “packets” about once an hour. So it’s impossible to have a blitz-AIM-like conversation with somebody not on the ship. A necessary break that I think would do us all well to take. But I’m still getting used to it, and it’s still a little terrifying, and I do not deny hitting the refresh button for five minutes straight before just giving up on email for the night.

Beyond the beautifully distracting views, however, life on the ship has offered a new distraction: board game night. It’s a productivity killer. I’m pretty sure actually that board game night sucks productivity right out of me, leaving me with negative progress on any assignment. (Crazy that I’m already talking about assignments – crazy I only had a week long break!) I made the (very) smart choice right before I came to stop by Target and pick up two board games. I also somehow managed to stuff these somewhere into my carry on. As I’ve said…my packing skills should seriously, seriously impress you.

Last night my roommate and I bought a tray full of homemade cookies from the dining room to share with our floor – a party that quickly devolved into a game of charades [memorable actions being the Vagina Monologues, batman (only because I did the COMPLETELY wrong action for it, but my roommate still guessed it properly), break dancer, and Monica Lewinsky]. Tonight, however, I had the opportunity to introduce Taboo to a group during game night.

For your own good, I hope everybody reading this blog has played Taboo. Some more memorable moments from tonight’s game that I’ll share with you:

Clue: He’s kind of like Mini-me except he’s was a leader of an army!

Girl who shall remain nameless: Napolean!

Clue: Yes! But his last name to!

Same Girl: Dynamite! Napolean Dynamite!

Clue: Umm…no.

Clue: It’s something bad that happened in the country we’re going to after Namibia!

Eli: Apartheid!

Girl next to Eli: What’s apartheid?

*Eli debates whether or not to hit girl’s head or own head on table.

Eli’s Clue: It’s where Columbia is!

*Silence*

Eli: Ef wrong group for that.

Lest the last two examples seem a bit harsh on my classmates…I will take credit as the “Girl who shall remain nameless” in the first. So…I guess I cannot judge too severely. (You, however, are free to your own opinions.)

And finally…I come to my third new distraction. Writing this blog. I love you all, but I’m just not used to having to summarize my day, or even writing for that matter. Add on that I try to be witty for all y’all’s (and yes I’m aware that my only audience is my mother) entertainment…and I become very happy that I chose four classes instead of five.