For the last 16 days we have had 14 sea days and only 2 days at a port. I know many of you are wondering just what we do on “Sea Days”? Well, that depends on a few things and here is a list of the criteria. What body of water are we on? Are the seas rough or smooth? What is the weather like? What activities have the cruise staff dreamt up for us to do today? From whose perspective do you want to hear from? What calorie consumption can we justify based on the amount of activity we have undertaken?
Let’s see (no pun intended). Why is it important to ask what body of water we are on (Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Tasman Sea, or the Bass Strait)? Well, there are definite differences from colour, from being rough or calm, to type of weather, to temperature, to one’s ability to see birds, fish, whales, or dolphins, to affecting the way you feel, to what kinds of activities you can partake in.
Some days we just eat, sleep, read, eat, sleep, do some school work with the kids, then eat, sleep read again. I know, this sounds like a really rough life. But one thing I didn’t know was that the salt water can make you very sleepy. The water can also make you very sick. There have been a few days where you can do very little because the water can be very rough as it was the first few days on the ship when we were getting our “sea legs”. When we were on the Tasman Sea, near New Zealand, the water was so rough at times one thought the ship might break in two. The waves splashed high over our balcony and we are on the sixth floor!
There are many other days where there are so many fun activities on board that you have scheduling conflicts. There are activities to do and people to see. On most days, Brad and I can only see Erin by booking an appointment on her “schedule”! Ping pong championships, ceramic classes, lectures to attend, bridge for Adam and Brad, movies, and library work for Erin (no, she isn’t reading in the library, she is working by helping the staff librarian – they have even given Erin her own cruise staff name badge and uniform!).
Land ahoy! Tomorrow we hit Australia with a visit to Burnie on the island of Tasmania. Then one more day at sea before we hit the mainland for 5 days in Sydney, Alice Springs and Cairns.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Auckland, New Zealand by Erin Boyle
(February 18, 2009) New Zealand was discovered by a Dutch explorer named Abel Tasman and he came up with the Dutch name New Zealand. New Zealand is next door to Australia, which is in the southern hemisphere, as well as the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean.
In Auckland I went to a sheep farm. I saw a typical New Zealander’s house, how the people there sheer a sheep, how they round up the sheep, and how they make a living. When I was in the house I thought that the people of New Zealand had a very nice house and it would be lovely to live there. The farmer sheers the sheep and they try their very best not to hurt the sheep. In New Zealand they have a sheep dog to round up the sheep, the dogs are trained to run around the sheep, going in the motion of the owners command. Most people that run a farm in New Zealand make their money off of their lamb, by selling the lamb for its wool and meat.
In Auckland I went to a sheep farm. I saw a typical New Zealander’s house, how the people there sheer a sheep, how they round up the sheep, and how they make a living. When I was in the house I thought that the people of New Zealand had a very nice house and it would be lovely to live there. The farmer sheers the sheep and they try their very best not to hurt the sheep. In New Zealand they have a sheep dog to round up the sheep, the dogs are trained to run around the sheep, going in the motion of the owners command. Most people that run a farm in New Zealand make their money off of their lamb, by selling the lamb for its wool and meat.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Day That Never Was by Brad Boyle
One of my favourite songs growing up was the song “I Don’t Like Mondays” (10 bonus points for those that can name the “family” band that made this song famous). This past week our family decided to skip Monday, February 16! How did we do this? Simple. We crossed the International Date Line! Now this is not a phone number for a dating service. It is an imaginary line that runs around the earth from the North Pole to the South Pole and through the Pacific Ocean. It is opposite the Greenwich Meridian Line and is used to separate time zones. The International Date Line is where every day starts and ends. So for example, let’s say it is 12:01 a.m. Tuesday at the start of the International Date Line. Each of the 24 time zones adds one hour as you go around the earth from east to west until you get back to the International Date Line. Therefore, when it is 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday at the International Date Line, it is 5:01 a.m. on Monday in Calgary. As you keep going west from Calgary and come back to the International Date Line it is 12:01 a.m. on Monday, the previous day. As you step across the International Date Line, you go from 12:01 a.m. on Monday to 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. This is how you skip a whole day!
This sounded like a good idea to Adam and Erin since they got to skip a Monday, a school day. Except this particular Monday was Family Day in Alberta and there was no school on that day anyway. Bummer! For Brad and Maggie, it was just another example of how quickly we are getting older. Double bummer!
This sounded like a good idea to Adam and Erin since they got to skip a Monday, a school day. Except this particular Monday was Family Day in Alberta and there was no school on that day anyway. Bummer! For Brad and Maggie, it was just another example of how quickly we are getting older. Double bummer!
The South Pacific by Margaret Rhijnsburger
Years ago I read the book “South Pacific” by James Mitchner and always dreamt that one day I would experience its allure. We are now in the heart of the infamous South Pacific and it is every bit as picturesque as you see it in the movies. Imagine high waterfalls, lush tropical vegetation, rugged interior, white and black sandy beaches, and the surf. Think Hawaii. The islands that make up French Polynesia are like the Hawaiian Islands but much more primitive, smaller, rugged, and very hot.
We did a tour of the town of Papeete on Tahiti Nui or Big Tahiti (the larger of the two islands that make up Tahiti) which is quite commercialized. A hot item to purchase, if you are interested, is of course the Tahitian black pearl. Lucky for Brad, I wasn’t interested is buying a strand but I still dragged him around to the Pearl Museum which I thoroughly enjoyed. On our tour of the island, we visited a 700 foot waterfall, a “blow hole”, and Venus Point where Captain James Cook watched the solar eclipse of Venus in 1769. At Point Venus, there stands a 140 year old lighthouse to overlook this site.
After another day at sea we reached Rarotonga, Cook Islands. This island is the capital of the Cook Islands. It is smaller that Tahiti, also mountainous and covered in jungle. There are white sandy beaches and our destination was Muri Beach to do some swimming and snorkelling over the coral reef. Well, the ship did anchor and the tender boats went on shore to set up. Then came heavy rains, high winds, and rough seas. Our mission was aborted and we set sail for New Zealand. We expect to arrive there in five days.
We did a tour of the town of Papeete on Tahiti Nui or Big Tahiti (the larger of the two islands that make up Tahiti) which is quite commercialized. A hot item to purchase, if you are interested, is of course the Tahitian black pearl. Lucky for Brad, I wasn’t interested is buying a strand but I still dragged him around to the Pearl Museum which I thoroughly enjoyed. On our tour of the island, we visited a 700 foot waterfall, a “blow hole”, and Venus Point where Captain James Cook watched the solar eclipse of Venus in 1769. At Point Venus, there stands a 140 year old lighthouse to overlook this site.
After another day at sea we reached Rarotonga, Cook Islands. This island is the capital of the Cook Islands. It is smaller that Tahiti, also mountainous and covered in jungle. There are white sandy beaches and our destination was Muri Beach to do some swimming and snorkelling over the coral reef. Well, the ship did anchor and the tender boats went on shore to set up. Then came heavy rains, high winds, and rough seas. Our mission was aborted and we set sail for New Zealand. We expect to arrive there in five days.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Easter Island and Pitcairn Island by Adam Boyle
Easter Island
Easter Island is one of the most mysterious places ever. What makes it so mysterious is that huge stone carved statues called monoliths surround the Island. They are called monoliths because they are carved out in one piece. On Easter Island these monoliths are called Moai (pronounced moe-eye), and nobody really knows for sure what the island statues are there for, what they represent, why the people made them, or when they got there.
The most widely-accepted theory is that the first people who arrived on the island were Polynesian colonizers. The statues were said to have been first carved by these colonizers of the island sometime around 1000-1100 A.D. with the first people arriving around 400-700 A.D. These statues may have represented deceased ancestors, and also may represent powerful living chiefs that once reigned the island.
Another theory is that the inhabitants of this island came from Bolivia in South America. These people were trying to escape the collapse of their pre-Inca Tihuanaco civilization and fled to Easter Island. These people were sun-worshipers and had stone masonry skills.
Many of the Moai have been placed near the coastline. They usually are made up of compressed volcanic ash (95% of the 887 Moai known to date) and are as tall as 13 feet high and can weigh up to 14 tons. These statues were carved right out of the volcanic stone and were then transported to where they were to be located. We saw many of these monoliths along the coast line as we explored the island. Some of them have been displaced and some broken when a tsunami hit the island many years ago. With the help of the Japanese and other archaeologists, they were restored and put back together in this location. Only 394 statues remain visible here, out of the 887 known to have been built.
This island was a great place to visit and explore. It is called Easter Island because it was discovered by the Dutch seaman named Roggeven on Easter Sunday in 1722.
Pitcairn Island
Pitcairn Island is in the South Pacific about halfway between South America and Australia. It is literally in the middle of no where and only 48 people live on this island. Pitcairn Island is a territory of the United Kingdom and was made famous as the place where the mutiny on the HMS Bounty took place. The Bounty was the ship that had Captain Bligh get killed by his crew including first mate Fletcher Christian. This story has been told in books and movies.
Since the island is so small we didn’t actually dock at the island nor have tenders land there, so the people from the island took a small boat of their own and boarded our ship. They brought with them their artistic creations and only a handful of people were left on the island (a person in jail, the person’s guard and a couple elderly ladies).
Easter Island is one of the most mysterious places ever. What makes it so mysterious is that huge stone carved statues called monoliths surround the Island. They are called monoliths because they are carved out in one piece. On Easter Island these monoliths are called Moai (pronounced moe-eye), and nobody really knows for sure what the island statues are there for, what they represent, why the people made them, or when they got there.
The most widely-accepted theory is that the first people who arrived on the island were Polynesian colonizers. The statues were said to have been first carved by these colonizers of the island sometime around 1000-1100 A.D. with the first people arriving around 400-700 A.D. These statues may have represented deceased ancestors, and also may represent powerful living chiefs that once reigned the island.
Another theory is that the inhabitants of this island came from Bolivia in South America. These people were trying to escape the collapse of their pre-Inca Tihuanaco civilization and fled to Easter Island. These people were sun-worshipers and had stone masonry skills.
Many of the Moai have been placed near the coastline. They usually are made up of compressed volcanic ash (95% of the 887 Moai known to date) and are as tall as 13 feet high and can weigh up to 14 tons. These statues were carved right out of the volcanic stone and were then transported to where they were to be located. We saw many of these monoliths along the coast line as we explored the island. Some of them have been displaced and some broken when a tsunami hit the island many years ago. With the help of the Japanese and other archaeologists, they were restored and put back together in this location. Only 394 statues remain visible here, out of the 887 known to have been built.
This island was a great place to visit and explore. It is called Easter Island because it was discovered by the Dutch seaman named Roggeven on Easter Sunday in 1722.
Pitcairn Island
Pitcairn Island is in the South Pacific about halfway between South America and Australia. It is literally in the middle of no where and only 48 people live on this island. Pitcairn Island is a territory of the United Kingdom and was made famous as the place where the mutiny on the HMS Bounty took place. The Bounty was the ship that had Captain Bligh get killed by his crew including first mate Fletcher Christian. This story has been told in books and movies.
Since the island is so small we didn’t actually dock at the island nor have tenders land there, so the people from the island took a small boat of their own and boarded our ship. They brought with them their artistic creations and only a handful of people were left on the island (a person in jail, the person’s guard and a couple elderly ladies).
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Math Quiz #2: Are You Ready for Some Football by Brad Boyle
Warning: This is a somewhat complex analysis of probabilities and statistical calculations. Enter at your own risk!
Well we have just finished our Superbowl contest won by yours truly (hold the applause please:)) with my prediction of a Pittsburgh Steelers victory and 45 total points scored in the game. I had based my total point guess on a final score of 31-14 and Pittsburgh actually won 27-23 resulting in 50 total points scored. However, with less than a minute to go in the game, Arizona was leading 23-20 and if they could stop Pittsburgh’s final offensive drive from scoring that would likely be the final score. I found this interesting because Maggie had predicated the Superbowl result would be 23-20 for Arizona! Wow. That led me to wonder, what are the odds that someone would correctly pick the winning team and exact score of Superbowl game? What do you think? I will give you a few guesses:
a) 1 in 100
b) 1 in 200
c) 1 in 1,000
d) 1 in 5,000
e) 1 in 10,000
f) 1 in 100,000
As a comparison, think how much easier it would be to predict the winning team and exact score of a soccer game. Then compare this to the chances of a perfect prediction for a hockey game or basketball game. How did you calculate the relative probabilities? Here are my thoughts.
While there is a huge number of technically feasible football game score results (such as 2-0, 3-0, 4-2, 98-2, etc.), the likelihood of some scores is obviously much higher than other scores. The best way to start to get an accurate probability estimate would be a statistical plot of all Superbowl results. Ideally if you are predicting the exact Superbowl score, you would like your statistical data to come from only Superbowl games where by definition you have two roughly similar talented football teams who have made the playoffs, won 2 or 3 playoff games and are under similar pressures. However, as there have only been 43 Superbowl games, you may wish to get additional statistical data to improve your analysis by including all NFL playoff games. You could increase your data set by including regular season games, but that introduces another variable where one team may be vastly superior to another team, producing scores that would not be statistically consistent with Superbowl scores.
Without having all this statistical data on hand though, I believe that the approximate odds of a perfect Superbowl prediction are about 1 in 1,000. I arrive at this conclusion with the following analysis:
I estimate that the highly probable range of total points scored by both teams in a Superbowl game is 25 – 55 points. That generates 30 roughly equal outcomes. For each of these total point outcomes there are roughly 40 ways that the total score can be achieved. For example, with a total score of 25 the game score could be 25-0, 23-2, 22-3, 21-4, 20-5, etc. There are 24 ways for this total to be achieved with each team having 12 winning scores. With a point total of 55, there are 54 ways for this total score to be achieved. On average, there are 39 ways for the 30 total point outcomes to be achieved{ (24+54)/2}. Therefore, the probability of correctly predicting the exact Superbowl score and winning team is about 1 in (39*30) or 1 in 1,170. This assumes that each of the ways of scoring the total points number are equally likely which we know is not true (this goes back to the point that a 55-0 or 53-2 score is less probable than a 28-27 final score) However, we have also excluded some low probability total scores which somewhat mitigates this methodological error term. I have rounded this down to 1 in 1,000 as my adjustment for this factor.
Based on this analysis, I estimate that Maggie was less than a minute away from a 1 in 1,000 Superbowl prediction. For anyone still reading this article, any thoughts or comments?
Well we have just finished our Superbowl contest won by yours truly (hold the applause please:)) with my prediction of a Pittsburgh Steelers victory and 45 total points scored in the game. I had based my total point guess on a final score of 31-14 and Pittsburgh actually won 27-23 resulting in 50 total points scored. However, with less than a minute to go in the game, Arizona was leading 23-20 and if they could stop Pittsburgh’s final offensive drive from scoring that would likely be the final score. I found this interesting because Maggie had predicated the Superbowl result would be 23-20 for Arizona! Wow. That led me to wonder, what are the odds that someone would correctly pick the winning team and exact score of Superbowl game? What do you think? I will give you a few guesses:
a) 1 in 100
b) 1 in 200
c) 1 in 1,000
d) 1 in 5,000
e) 1 in 10,000
f) 1 in 100,000
As a comparison, think how much easier it would be to predict the winning team and exact score of a soccer game. Then compare this to the chances of a perfect prediction for a hockey game or basketball game. How did you calculate the relative probabilities? Here are my thoughts.
While there is a huge number of technically feasible football game score results (such as 2-0, 3-0, 4-2, 98-2, etc.), the likelihood of some scores is obviously much higher than other scores. The best way to start to get an accurate probability estimate would be a statistical plot of all Superbowl results. Ideally if you are predicting the exact Superbowl score, you would like your statistical data to come from only Superbowl games where by definition you have two roughly similar talented football teams who have made the playoffs, won 2 or 3 playoff games and are under similar pressures. However, as there have only been 43 Superbowl games, you may wish to get additional statistical data to improve your analysis by including all NFL playoff games. You could increase your data set by including regular season games, but that introduces another variable where one team may be vastly superior to another team, producing scores that would not be statistically consistent with Superbowl scores.
Without having all this statistical data on hand though, I believe that the approximate odds of a perfect Superbowl prediction are about 1 in 1,000. I arrive at this conclusion with the following analysis:
I estimate that the highly probable range of total points scored by both teams in a Superbowl game is 25 – 55 points. That generates 30 roughly equal outcomes. For each of these total point outcomes there are roughly 40 ways that the total score can be achieved. For example, with a total score of 25 the game score could be 25-0, 23-2, 22-3, 21-4, 20-5, etc. There are 24 ways for this total to be achieved with each team having 12 winning scores. With a point total of 55, there are 54 ways for this total score to be achieved. On average, there are 39 ways for the 30 total point outcomes to be achieved{ (24+54)/2}. Therefore, the probability of correctly predicting the exact Superbowl score and winning team is about 1 in (39*30) or 1 in 1,170. This assumes that each of the ways of scoring the total points number are equally likely which we know is not true (this goes back to the point that a 55-0 or 53-2 score is less probable than a 28-27 final score) However, we have also excluded some low probability total scores which somewhat mitigates this methodological error term. I have rounded this down to 1 in 1,000 as my adjustment for this factor.
Based on this analysis, I estimate that Maggie was less than a minute away from a 1 in 1,000 Superbowl prediction. For anyone still reading this article, any thoughts or comments?
The Galapagos Islands by Margaret Rhijnsburger
Ever hear of the Galapagos Islands? Do you know what makes these islands so special? Do you know where the Galapagos Islands are? I didn’t know until a short while ago. Where do I begin? The side trip we took there was amazing! You really must go there sometime and go for at least a week as our 2 ½ day visit was too short, although we were limited by the cruise ship schedule. (As a free advertising plug, we direct you to Debbie Hughes of Marlin Travel at (403) 255-6707 in Calgary who did a great job in booking our Galapagos adventure – Thanks Debbie!)
The Galapagos Islands are made up of 13 large islands, six minor ones, and more than 40 uninhabited outcroppings, all from volcanic eruptions. Some of the younger islands still have active volcanoes. These islands have mammals, birds, flora, and fauna different from any others found elsewhere in the world. This makes these islands so special. You can find sea lions, dolphins, whales, multitudinous colourful fishes, different species of giant tortoises, and iguanas. Galapagos is home to a variety of birds such as: blue footed, red footed and masked boobies, flamingos, frigate birds, albatrosses, unique small penguins, non-flying cormorants, and different types of finches.
We were the only passengers from the ship to venture off to these remote islands which are located 1000 km. west off the coast of Ecuador. We left the ship at Manta, Ecuador and drove with our guide and a driver to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s economic hub. This 200 km. road trip took over four hours, over a very rough and bumpy road.
The next day a new guide met us to take us to the airport. There is only one flight daily to the Galapagos Islands and this flight took us to the Island of Baltra. This island only serves as an airport site and was originally built for US military defence of the Panama Canal during World War II. A short 10 minute drive took us to the Itabaca canal and a ferry ride took us across the canal over to the Island of Santa Cruz. A 45 minute van ride with a full police escort took us to the town of Puerto Ayora and made us feel like royalty (ok, we were the 4th van in a parade of about 20 vans and buses, but it was our first police escort!). In Puerto Ayora we stayed at the beautiful Red Mangrove Inn and it would be our home for the next few days.
Puerto Ayora is a quaint small town with shops, art galleries, restaurants, a harbour, and the Charles Darwin Foundation headquarters. This was our first stop to explore where our guide showed us the giant tortoises breeding center, as well as a small land iguana breeding center. We learned of their conservation efforts for these endangered species and their varieties. There we also saw the Opuntia Cacti which is endemic of the Galapagos and 14 different types of finches that would wake us up in the morning with their song.
The next morning we went to the harbour and picked up a boat that would take us on a tour of some of the other islands and eventually the island of Floreana with the black sand. The boat ride like the taxi ride to Guayaquil is not for anyone with a weak stomach. We first went to a small island and saw frigate birds nesting in the rocks. Another island introduced us to blue and red footed boobies. The next stop was a place to go snorkelling with sea lions, large sea tortoises, colourful fish. It was so much fun that even small sharks could not scare Erin out of the water, although they got me back to the boat quickly despite claims from the crew that they were “friendly” sharks. A friendly shark is an oxymoron to me! At Floreana Island there were playful sea lions and very small penguins, iguanas sunning themselves on the rocks, and more sea tortoises. After this island and a few more opportunities to snorkel we went to an island where we saw pink flamingos and cacti that you couldn’t believe could grow there because of the barren lava rock found there. Too soon we were back in the harbour. It was difficult to believe we had been out for more than 8 hours!
That night we explored the tiny gift and craft shops, as well as the art galleries. We also stopped by the fish market where we saw pelicans and sea lions poised to pick up any leftovers from the catch of the fisherman cutting up the tuna.
Too soon we left this oasis of nature. We retraced our steps to Guayaquil and then flew to Lima, Peru to catch the Royal Princess and set sail to Easter Island. This is one place we all want to go back to. Muchas gracios Ecuador!
The Galapagos Islands are made up of 13 large islands, six minor ones, and more than 40 uninhabited outcroppings, all from volcanic eruptions. Some of the younger islands still have active volcanoes. These islands have mammals, birds, flora, and fauna different from any others found elsewhere in the world. This makes these islands so special. You can find sea lions, dolphins, whales, multitudinous colourful fishes, different species of giant tortoises, and iguanas. Galapagos is home to a variety of birds such as: blue footed, red footed and masked boobies, flamingos, frigate birds, albatrosses, unique small penguins, non-flying cormorants, and different types of finches.
We were the only passengers from the ship to venture off to these remote islands which are located 1000 km. west off the coast of Ecuador. We left the ship at Manta, Ecuador and drove with our guide and a driver to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s economic hub. This 200 km. road trip took over four hours, over a very rough and bumpy road.
The next day a new guide met us to take us to the airport. There is only one flight daily to the Galapagos Islands and this flight took us to the Island of Baltra. This island only serves as an airport site and was originally built for US military defence of the Panama Canal during World War II. A short 10 minute drive took us to the Itabaca canal and a ferry ride took us across the canal over to the Island of Santa Cruz. A 45 minute van ride with a full police escort took us to the town of Puerto Ayora and made us feel like royalty (ok, we were the 4th van in a parade of about 20 vans and buses, but it was our first police escort!). In Puerto Ayora we stayed at the beautiful Red Mangrove Inn and it would be our home for the next few days.
Puerto Ayora is a quaint small town with shops, art galleries, restaurants, a harbour, and the Charles Darwin Foundation headquarters. This was our first stop to explore where our guide showed us the giant tortoises breeding center, as well as a small land iguana breeding center. We learned of their conservation efforts for these endangered species and their varieties. There we also saw the Opuntia Cacti which is endemic of the Galapagos and 14 different types of finches that would wake us up in the morning with their song.
The next morning we went to the harbour and picked up a boat that would take us on a tour of some of the other islands and eventually the island of Floreana with the black sand. The boat ride like the taxi ride to Guayaquil is not for anyone with a weak stomach. We first went to a small island and saw frigate birds nesting in the rocks. Another island introduced us to blue and red footed boobies. The next stop was a place to go snorkelling with sea lions, large sea tortoises, colourful fish. It was so much fun that even small sharks could not scare Erin out of the water, although they got me back to the boat quickly despite claims from the crew that they were “friendly” sharks. A friendly shark is an oxymoron to me! At Floreana Island there were playful sea lions and very small penguins, iguanas sunning themselves on the rocks, and more sea tortoises. After this island and a few more opportunities to snorkel we went to an island where we saw pink flamingos and cacti that you couldn’t believe could grow there because of the barren lava rock found there. Too soon we were back in the harbour. It was difficult to believe we had been out for more than 8 hours!
That night we explored the tiny gift and craft shops, as well as the art galleries. We also stopped by the fish market where we saw pelicans and sea lions poised to pick up any leftovers from the catch of the fisherman cutting up the tuna.
Too soon we left this oasis of nature. We retraced our steps to Guayaquil and then flew to Lima, Peru to catch the Royal Princess and set sail to Easter Island. This is one place we all want to go back to. Muchas gracios Ecuador!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
I AM NOT A POLLYWOG ANYMORE! by Erin Boyle
A Pollywog is someone who has never have been across the equator before. The equator is an imaginary line on the earth’s surface. It divides the earth into either the northern or southern hemisphere. The latitude of the equator is zero degrees. The equator’s length is around 40,075 km and is one of the five main circles of latitude lines that goes around the earth.
On January 25th, I was a Pollywog but after I crossed the equator and took part in a traditional seafaring ceremony conducted by King Neptune himself (a.k.a. the cruise staff), I became a Trusty Shellback. The ceremony begins by being accused of a crime that you have committed. My crime was missing school and taking puzzle pieces from a puzzle in the library. Other people were accused of other things like overeating. I was seated on a chair in front of King Neptune and asked if I was “guilty or not guilty”. The crowd yelled “guilty” and I was punished. My punishment was being drenched in cranberry juice, raw eggs, jello, flour, yogurt, whipping cream, ice-cream, and chocolate cake. Yuch!
On January 25th, I was a Pollywog but after I crossed the equator and took part in a traditional seafaring ceremony conducted by King Neptune himself (a.k.a. the cruise staff), I became a Trusty Shellback. The ceremony begins by being accused of a crime that you have committed. My crime was missing school and taking puzzle pieces from a puzzle in the library. Other people were accused of other things like overeating. I was seated on a chair in front of King Neptune and asked if I was “guilty or not guilty”. The crowd yelled “guilty” and I was punished. My punishment was being drenched in cranberry juice, raw eggs, jello, flour, yogurt, whipping cream, ice-cream, and chocolate cake. Yuch!
CONTEST UPDATES
So far we have four guesses at the total distance travelled:
Brad guessed 51,714 km.
Marjolyn & Pleun guessed 58,524 km.
Adam guessed 51,706 km. (this was totally independent from Brad!) and then updated his guess to 52,605 after seeing Brad's guess
Erin guessed 51,614 km.
Our Superbowl contest has drawn more entries as follows:
Adam - Arizona wins with 43 total points (26-17 Cardinals)
8A (Mr. Angus' Grade 8 class) - Minnesota Vikings win wth 35 total points (35-0)*
Ralph - Arizona wins with 35 total points (25-10)
Marjolyn & Pleum - Arizona wins with 35 total points
Erin - Arizona wins with 36 total points
Maggie - Arizona wins with 43 total points (23-20)
Brad - Pittsburgh wins with 45 total points (31-14)
* Drug tests are currently being undertaken for this entrant and 2 men in white jackets have been sent to assist with psychological testing
GOOD LUCK ALL!!
Brad guessed 51,714 km.
Marjolyn & Pleun guessed 58,524 km.
Adam guessed 51,706 km. (this was totally independent from Brad!) and then updated his guess to 52,605 after seeing Brad's guess
Erin guessed 51,614 km.
Our Superbowl contest has drawn more entries as follows:
Adam - Arizona wins with 43 total points (26-17 Cardinals)
8A (Mr. Angus' Grade 8 class) - Minnesota Vikings win wth 35 total points (35-0)*
Ralph - Arizona wins with 35 total points (25-10)
Marjolyn & Pleum - Arizona wins with 35 total points
Erin - Arizona wins with 36 total points
Maggie - Arizona wins with 43 total points (23-20)
Brad - Pittsburgh wins with 45 total points (31-14)
* Drug tests are currently being undertaken for this entrant and 2 men in white jackets have been sent to assist with psychological testing
GOOD LUCK ALL!!
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