Day 12--Approaching Cadiz

4 September, 37° 8”N, 11° 53” W, course= 114°, speed = 16 knots

We’re now within 150 nautical miles (NM) or so from the nearest land, and a little over 300NM from Cadiz, Spain, where we’re scheduled to dock at 0800 tomorrow. We lost another hour last night. The drip torture of one hour per day rather than the 5-hour-plus change experienced in a flight from the U.S. to Europe hasn’t been making the change any easier for students or faculty, it seems. For the students, the difficulty may be because the “beverage time” from 9pm-11pm (2100-2300) keeps many of them up past midnight. Eight-o’clock classes are painful enough without the body’s telling you it’s really earlier than that. Add the lost hours and the temptation to stay up late, and, for some, the pain is very evident.

The drinking age onboard is 18, so 99% of the students may purchase alcohol at the 7th-deck pool bar from 2100-2300. They’re limited to 4 drinks per day—2 before or during dinner, and 2 more from 9-11. And students have only beer and wine available. According to SAS, drinking onboard ship hasn’t been a problem since the 4-max policy went into effect several years ago (probably about the time the Univ. of Virginia took over academics). And students aren’t allowed to bring any alcohol on board during port visits. Of course, these policies don’t affect what happens in port, and there have been instances, of course, of students’ over-drinking in port on past voyages. We’ll see what happens with this class.

The faculty is no less affected by the loss of sleeping time. But, for us, the pain has less to do with late hours, partying, or alcohol, and much more to do with aging bodies. Yesterday seemed a particularly challenging day for many of us. I was dragging most of the day after my 8-o’clock class ended, and I fell fast asleep last night after watching “Casablanca” on the ship’s TV network, waking up 7 hours later when my alarm clock went off. I don’t recall a thing between “Louis, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship” and the annoying buzz of my alarm.

My classes are becoming more interesting, interactive, and fun as the students get used to each other and to me. On the first day, asking a question was like talking to a photograph. Even the ones that should elicit fast responses (e.g., “What makes communicating in business different than communicating with your friends or family?”) were greeted with stony silence, as if I were asking it in some lost language. What’s happening, of course, is peer-induced anxiety: “I don’t want to risk giving a wrong answer and making an idiot of myself.” But they’re getting over the fear quickly, and we’ve had some good discussions in the intercultural comm. and business comm. classes Wednesday and today.

The students in my public speaking class—I’m up to 7 “regular” students now plus the HS sophomore and lifelong learner—broke the ice yesterday with their first assignment: a 2- to 3-minute introduction of a classmate. They all were obviously prepared and most seemed to have practiced. Several were very nervous, of course, but the advantage of having a small class is that we can take time to workshop each presentation. As we worked on one person’s vocal range, another’s movement (or lack of it), yet another’s eye contact and energy, I could feel all of them relaxing a little. It will be tough to stand up and be evaluated—in front of peers, yet!—throughout the semester. If it’s not, I’m not doing my job. But I think I’m going to enjoy the luxury of having a small class.

The 15-year-old HS sophomore is amazingly poised. And what’s equally impressive is how the others, ranging from 3 to more than 7 years older than she is, have accepted her as a peer. In many ways, she is.

Now I need to start doing some serious thinking and planning for Spain and Morocco. In Cadiz, I’m going on an overnight bus trip to Sevilla and Cordoba, two Andalucian cities noted for their beauty and Islamic history. In Morocco, I’m going with friends to Marrakech for two nights, where the bazaar is famous and the desert sands blow. Beyond the mosques, bazaars, and deserts, though, I’ve studied very little. So a little enculturation will be on the menu tonight. I expect the pre-port lecture this evening will help.

Oh, and I’m playing golf on the last days in Cadiz and Casablanca. That’s something I think I’m prepared for.