Semester at Sea Update

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For those of you who are new to my blog, my son Matthew (age 20) is currently on a travel abroad program called Semester at Sea. He has been to the following places highlighted in blue.

• San Diego, CA USA *
• Hilo / Honolulu, Hawaii USA
• Yokohama / Kobe, Japan
• Shanghai / Hong Kong, China
• Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
• Chennai / Cochin, India
• Port Louis, Mauritius
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Tema (Accra), Ghana
• Salvador, Brazil
• Fort Lauderdale, FL USA

He’s on the ship right now, heading for Mauritius. He doesn’t stay in touch as often as we’d like, but we understand how busy he is with traveling and keeping up with his studies, and he has a part time job on the ship. Matthew hasn’t posted anything on his blog for 2 weeks. So when I read his new blog post this morning, I thought I’d share part of it with you. This is from Matthew’s blog:

I wanted to add some random stories here for mostly me, but I hope you enjoy them too. These are all the big stories, the main points, the deeper thoughts that I’ve heard from other people on the boat that have affected me and stories I don’t want to forget. These are the stories I’m afraid I’ll forget because they didn’t happen to me. These are probably not 100% accurate. I’m trying to re-tell these stories off memory.

Where: Japan Post-Port

Who: Male student on board

This kid went into a Japanese bar with a few friends and they’re just chilling out, having a little food, and maybe a few beers. He goes up to the bar and sits next to this Japanese man. He is an older man, maybe in his 60s, dressed in a black suit like any other Japanese businessman walking around Japan. The kid looks at the man, smiles, respectfully says konichiwa and gives him a nod. The man doesn’t speak any English, but sees the group of young kids he is with, smiles, respectfully says konichiwa back, and offers them some of the sushi that he is eating. They pleasantly sit there eating sushi together and it feels like a lot is being said without words. The kid sits there appreciating the stranger’s kindness, and looks down and realizes the man is using a pair of earrings as cufflinks and keeps rubbing them between his fingers with his opposite hand from time to time. After a little while the man respectfully gets up, says bye, and leaves the bar. The bartender walks up to the kid. He tells the kid that he wanted to let him know that he knows that man, and that the man had just come from his wife’s funeral. The earrings were his wife’s.

Where: My cabin on the ship, leaving Vietnam

Who: Patrick (Matthew’s roomate)

Patrick’s blog is probably a better place to look for this story but I’m going to do my best to retell it.

We were sitting there in the room, catching each other up on our experiences in Vietnam, and Patrick is telling my about his trip to Cambodia. He was having a hard time describing his time in Cambodia, because there is a lot of poverty and violent history that can only be experienced to understand.

He begins to start catching me up and explain the Cambodian genocide by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970’s. He tells me about the coupe, the killing fields, why it happened, and about how Tuol Sleng turned into a prison and place for torture and killings.

Tuol Sleng is now a museum, but was once a high school turned prison also known as S-21. The details of what happened I won’t get into but to briefly explain: the high school was converted into a prison that could hold up to 1500 people at once. Throughout the Khmer Rouge reign it is estimated that around 20,000 people were coerced into admitting they were traitors of the government, most weren’t but admitted they were just to end their torture, and after their confession were brought en mass to the killing fields to be killed brutally. Only 12 people survived that camp, 5 died within months of being rescued, 4 have died of old age since, and 3 remain to this day.

Patrick took a tour of the whole facility, most of which hasn’t been touched since the fall of the regime. The tour ended and he was free to walk around independently. The tour guide came up to Patrick and said “Hey, see that man over there? He is one of the only survivors. He is known to come around here from time to time over the last few years.” Patrick asks if he ever talks to anyone and the guide says “Usually no. Especially not to foreigners, because he doesn’t speak English.” Patrick walks away and up to the man sitting on the bench. His name is Chum Mey. Patrick, without saying anything, respectfully goes up and bows to show his respect. Chum gets up and begins to walk away and then looks over his shoulder and signals Patrick to follow. Chum Mey gave Patrick a personal tour of the facility by himself. The whole time he was just walking around talking in Khmer, the Cambodian language, and pointing at things. Patrick had no idea what he was saying except when Chum is trying to convey things without words. He shows Patrick his cell, no bigger than my bathroom on the ship, his chains on the wall, and his blood still on the floor. He points out things most people don’t notice like the blood on the ceiling. He brings Patrick in the part of the museum with every prisoner’s picture on the walls. The prison documented everyone who entered its doors and the museum has walls of their photos. Chum shows Patrick the photo of him on the wall. He then begins to show Patrick his friends. He would point at the picture of his friends, or maybe even family, then point at his neck in a slashing motion. Considering how he’s one of 3 survivors left, I imagine he did that motion a lot. Patrick’s personal tour came to an end as his group had to leave S-21. Patrick took a photo with him and thanked him for his hospitality.

Where: Global Studies today (a class on board)

Who: Jenny, an LLC

Jenny is an LLC on the ship, sorta like an RA, and she too was on a trip that went to Cambodia. Jenny’s story more than others I feel like I’m going to have a hard time doing it justice because it really needs to come from a mother’s mouth. Jenny’s whole family is on the boat, her husband and 2 little kids. She was telling us about her experience at the orphanage in Cambodia. There were kids of all ages there and one girl in particular, who is 18, came up to Jenny and gave her a big hug. It wasn’t like a normal hug when u embrace and see who is going to let go first. She genuinely gave her a hug and wouldn’t let go. She looked up into Jenny’s eyes and said “Will you be my mommy?” Jenny was speechless. She knows she couldn’t but how can she say no to a girl who is 18 and still so desperate for a mother figure. She said she couldn’t, but still walked around holding her. She began to feel guilty. She started to think “Should I play with the other kids?” “Is it fair to them just to be with her?” She decided against that, and she decided she could be a mother for this girl for the short period of time she had with her. They spent what little time she had with her, and it was really hard to say good bye. Before she left, the girl asked her to wait one second and she will be back fast. She bolted off and returned with a vase she had made herself. She told her that she didn’t have enough for everyone but she wanted Jenny to have it.

Jenny had a hard time leaving and getting her out of her head. To her amazement when she got back to the ship after the Cambodia trip she had an email. It was from the girl, it was addressed “Dear Mommy,” she was thanking Jenny for coming and hoping that her family was doing well, whom she remembered all their names. It was signed “Your Daughter,” and then her name. Since then Jenny has kept in contact with her via email and from time to time will wonder what she is doing and check up on her.

Oh my goodness! This made me cry! As a mother, I can imagine how hard it must have been for Jenny! I would want to take each and every orphaned child home with me.

I am so thankful that Matthew is on this life-changing voyage. His appreciation of the world and it’s unique people and cultures are priceless! I’m so proud of him for wanting to take part in this program.

I found this recent You Tube video of some lucky Semester at Sea parents who traveled to Cambodia and Vietnam to spend some time with their son or daughter. As much as my husband and I would have liked to visit Matthew, we just couldn’t afford to do it. What an awesome experience this would be!

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