Dino Cruises from Panama to Ecuador

Dino was gone last week to check on a semester-at-sea program called the Scholar Ship. College students spend 90 days on the ship traveling throughout the world. They have ports of call in many cities where meet with local universities, non-profits, gov't agencies, and multinational corporations. There are about 250 students from 50 different countries, so it's a very cross-cultural experience brining them together, plus all the experiences they have while on board.

Dino joined the a leg of trip from Panama to Ecuador. When they crossed the equator there is a big festival on the lido deck where there is a King Neptune and his wife. Students pass through a series of crazy challenges and ceremonies and in the end are blessed by King Neptune where he puts an "S" on their foreheads. The "S" symbolizes a change from pollywogs to shellbacks.

On the trip they visited a very poor community in Panama that had been displaced by the gov't. In Ecuador, they went to an iguana park and anthropological museum where they saw shrunken heads from the Amazon.

Neighborhood Crime Stopper

So the other night I couldn't sleep because there was all this noise outside. Usually the neighborhood is really quiet, so I got up to see what was happening. There was a white van with no windows outside my window with its motor running. I could hear all this talking and laughing inside. When the motor turned off, nobody exited. Soon this guy got out with a flashlight and started looking in the cars on the street. That's when I decided to call the police. I gave the license plate number and soon five cop cars showed up.

It turns out the van was stolen and full of stolen items. Two of the three guys were arrested and the one looking in the cars seems to have gotten away. Anyway, I had to give a statement and the police were in the house until 3 a.m. I asked if I could have a get-out-of-jail-free card, but they said no. Too bad!

Birthday Weekend in Chicago

For my birthday weekend, Dino surprised me with a trip to Chicago. We have friends there who were also celebrating a birthday, so we did a combined party complete with lots of homemade Polish and Philipino food. Chicago is such a fun city, especially when it's not snowing. We spent one afternoon downtown visiting Dino's friends from when he lived there. I know a lot of them, so it was fun to see them.

Birthday Fun on the High-Ropes Course

What a great way to celebrate a birthday. The high-ropes course is a series of mental and physical challenges approximately 30-40 feet above ground. Most of the elements involve wires between trees and you need to cross. There are harnesses to keep us safe in case someone falls. My favorite thing was the zip line!

Dino did a great job planning such a fun event, but he couldn't do the course because he had hurt his back.