Yeah, it blew my mind. People were spending unbelievable amounts of money for concert tickets, getting to raise the flag when we get to San Diego, rented out vacation homes, girl scout cookies, and getting off the ship first. Two girls were bidding against each other to get off the ship first. One of them shouted out $1600 to get off first, and the other said she would match it if she could get off second. So that is $3200 just to get off the ship first and second.
I guess I kind of have mixed feelings about it. It is great that people are giving to Semester at Sea, and this has definitely been the experience of a lifetime for me, but we just saw thousands of people homeless in India. We just saw people in South Africa still living in their run down shacks from the apartheid area. We just traveled the world and saw horrible living conditions that I had never even imagined and we are giong to spend $3200 to get off a ship? I am not sure because it is charity too, and maybe I am being frugal but DANG! Alright, I guess that is it for now, more soon about Vietnam (Oy! I am so far behind!).
