Neptune Day!

As of yesterday, September 26, 2009, I am no longer a pollywog but rather I am a shellback. What? In plain English, we crossed the equator! Long-standing naval traditions in the U.S., Britain and elsewhere commemorate one’s first crossing of the equator with a very special ceremony. Semester at Sea’s own version of this line-crossing tradition was no exception. Our Captain, King Neptune was painted all green, wore nothing but a Speedo and a grass skirt, and carried a pitchfork like the one held by Ariel’s father in The Little Mermaid. Those students, faculty and staff who had never crossed the equator were “summoned” to the pool deck to appear before King Neptune, undergo “torture,” and finally be dubbed shellbacks. I partook in the ceremony, including getting imitation fish guts (aka a corn syrup, salt water and food coloring mixture) dumped on my head, jumping into the pool, and kissing a dead fish. Another tradition is to shave one’s head upon crossing the equator, but I opted out of this part for obvious reasons…since my name is already often mistaken for a boy’s, I don’t need a boy’s haircut, too ☺ Despite the silliness of the morning, crossing the equator by ship is something that few people can say they’ve done…I will soon have a certificate as proof that I did! I’ll have to compare it with my Grandpa Ron’s certificate, as he told me that he still has his from many years ago! Rumor has it that not only did we cross the equator, but we crossed at exactly the point where the Prime Meridian and the equator intersect…I have not been able to verify this yet, though. Either way, greetings from the other half of the world!