Happy Neptune Day!

                Ok, so today is a reading day on the ship. A reading day is when we don’t have class and get to have a day to relax and catch up of all the reading we have for our classes. Except, today was not a regular reading day.

                At 7:30 this morning the whole ship was awoken by faculty and staff members banging on drums, tambourines, and bells on every floor.  Not long after the noise started our Assistant Executive Dean came over the P.A. and told us all to get up, put on a swim suit or old clothes, and come up to the 7^th deck. So with a groan my roommate Hannah and I roll out of bed, put on our suits, and head up to the deck.

                Once we arrived there were tons of other students and lifelong learners there. It was almost as if we were having a party; with loud music, people dancing, and taking tons of pictures. We all gathered around the pool while the staff on the ship slowly brought up 4 trash barrels full of “fish guts”. We had to come up to the 7^th deck because King Neptune of the sea found out that we had crossed the Equator without permission. Therefore, we had to ask for forgiveness and permission to continue to cross. We started this journey as pollywogs and then turned into Shellbacks once we crossed the Equator. So this ceremony is to symbolize a sailor’s first crossing of the Equator. Before you cross it you are a pollywog, and after you cross the equator you are a shellback symbolizing that you (well I am) are an experienced sailor. This is practiced in many areas but is a Semester at Sea tradition.    

 The fish guts were really salt water, corn starch, and food coloring (I think).  One by one we each had these fish guts dumped on top of us and then we had to jump into the pool. Once we got out we had to kiss a dead fish, King Neptune and his wife’s rings.  Then we officially were Shellbacks! So I am an experienced sailor! YEAH :)

Another part of the tradition is to have your head shaved. Needless to say I did not shave my head but many students on the ship did. So now we have all of these bald experienced sailors on the ship. It was quite a morning.

Now it is time for reading day. I feel a nap in my near future, but also a day of homework. Oh and then tonight I am celebrating Hannah’s birthday with her! It is going to be a great day! :-)