Ship life and more

Shabbat Shalom!

We recently just finished our first Shabbat dinner on the ship. It was so much fun! It was like attending Hillel all over again, accept I was not the first one to show up and I was not the youngest one either. I ended up walking in late coming straight from class and there was a good 40 people or so crowded in a small classroom. It was so nice! There was definitely a mix of Jews and people who wanted to just check it out. One of the professors and his family helped lead the prayers and sang songs to welcome Shabbat. We have grape juice, lite candles (but only for a short time because of ship fire safety...wouldn't want the Jews to catch the ship on fire), and even gasp...CHALLAH!! The kitchen staff made a great effort and it wasn't half bad. It was fun to see some friends I had already met and also make some new ones.
I have never celebrated Shabbat in the middle of the ocean before and I doubt this will be my last time. It was nice to just sit back for a moment, to realize where I was what I was doing. It was starting to see a new community within a much larger one develop and start to assemble on this great experience all of us would enjoy.
It was really wonderful to realize something like that. I could not wait to get back to my room and update what had happened. Everyone is getting more and more excited for Spain. I am finally excited because tonight is the first night we won't have to forward our clocks ahead an hour so I can get more sleep. Between all the events on the ship from The Dark Night showing, swing dancing, Shabbat dinner, sunbathing (though everyone is reading for classes while soaking up the sun), and attempting to study, I've been so busy I'm finding it harder to concentrate on studying. But, there's so much to do on ship and everyone is great. It's nice to walk around and say hello to everyone I pass by now (not that didn't happen at Colorado of course). I think I'm about used to the rocking now of the ship most of the time I forget we are even moving and then remember...it's a weird feeling. I'm going to miss being rocked to sleep when I return, that's for sure.
Thank you for the few responses by e-mail from family and friends! But, I do have to ask one favor I keep getting e-mails from facebook...which I can't really check because it'll take up all my bandwidth because of the images...so if you just not message or invite to things (that I can't attend), that would be helpful!
Goodbye facebook...hello world.
Okay, I'm off to study and read, I already have a quiz in two days!

P.S. Guess what?? My professor I have for Diplomacy, the Arms Trade, and Human Security is from South Africa and his wife has been the assistant to Nobel Peace prize winner Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu for the last 22 years! I haven't met her yet, but he's by far the coolest teacher I've ever had. He's currently sueing the President of South Africa for being involved in the Arms Trade and accepted brides. Sweeeeet