Sunday, September 7, 2008

"Hear thee, hear thee- We have just crossed the equator!" 9/5



My initial plan was to be a silent observer of the festivities of Neptune Day, but the ritualistic energy got the better of me.

“Dun Duh Do Dun Duh Do Heyyy Hooo.”

This was no alarm. It was six deck staff marching up and down the hallways in tin foil hats and white capes, beating drums.
By 7:45 am they had looped the boat three times and 90% of the students were up on the 7th deck by the outdoor pool.
The dean and teachers were dressed in white robes and red hats as they called the names of those who were brave enough to shave their heads in honor of Neptune.
For those not so adventurous were three garbage cans, filled with orange and blue juice that had been added to an unfortunately fragrant fish oil.
Although I wasn’t ready to give up my hair like the 40 who were (including ten girls), I had the ceremonial “fish guts” poured over my head. After jumping in the now uninviting pool I kissed a fish on the lips and bent on one knee to be knighted by the mighty King Neptune (my dean of students).
The rituals were complete by ten. The pool deck was scattered with hair that didn’t make it into the “Locks for Love” box. And the air reeked of decaying animal.
It was quite the morning.

This sure isn’t Jersey because… a student turned the staff’s soapy, post- ritual cleanup into a mass slip-and-slide.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like fun. Did you get a certificate from Neptune so you don't have to go thru the initiatiation again. Of course if you like kissing fishes....
Tried your SAS email address and got it back. Not set up yet?
Have fun!! N&S

Anonymous said...

WOW! WHAT A DIVINE AROMA FOR ALL INVOLVED! SO GLAD YOU STILL HAVE HAIR ON YOUR HEAD.....SMILE

HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING YOUR BLOGS, LOVE THEM....AND WE ARE ENJOYING YOUR TRIP! ALSO LEARNING TOO!
D AND A......