Food Column
A juice shop in Manaus, Brazil sells different kinds of fruit juice.
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A juice shop in Manaus, Brazil sells different kinds of fruit juice.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Welcome Week is about reunions. We fill in friends on life’s latest ordeals, file into our favorite B-town restaurants to cure cravings conjured during the summer and share snacks with company. For me, there is no better way to start a meal or share an ordeal than with a plate of fries. Let’s be real — potatoes are the celebrities of food, and the best way to enjoy them is fried and dipped in all sorts of spectacular sauces. Before traveling abroad, I constantly craved sweet potato fries. While traveling, I found in the same way we have excess potatoes, other countries use and abuse the foods most easily accessible to them and come up with an overwhelming number of variations to reel in every tasty possibility.Since traveling to Dominica and Ghana, I have yet to find a dish as delicious as fried plantains. Riper than bananas, plantains are easily prepared in West Africa and in South America, where they grow to a perfect texture. The riper the better, and, unfortunately, a banana with too much mush just won’t do. This delicious delicacy seems easy-peasy to prepare — the plantains are sliced, fried with oil for a few minutes and seasoned with salt. The method highlights the sweetness and makes for a crunchy and soft snack you can’t get enough of. The best part is experimenting with different dipping sauces, another great food category in which cultures like to show off their unique specialties.After a week in Ghana, I asked for a plate of fried plantains whenever I had the chance and still wasn’t sick of it. I miss my favorite African treat terribly, but I have experimented with making them right at home. Unfortunately, the exact texture can’t be as easily replicated in Bloomington, but the idea is brilliant. Making fried chips out of different vegetables and fruits has proven successful in most cases. Banana chips are spiced and seasoned in several ways everywhere from Ecuador in South America to Dominica in the Caribbean. Carrots, squash, beets and apples are all delicious variations of our favorite starter and might save some extra calories. Try baking these fruits and veggies after slicing and dicing them into short strips for another tasty variation.The seasoning can be the most exciting part. As I found in Ghana, some locals loved to load their plantains with spicy peppers to add an extra kick and an exciting combination with the sweet and salty side.My friends and I jokingly call ourselves the condiment crew because there are never enough ways to add flavor to a staple snack food. Sample different salad dressings, spices and sauces to see what will be the next best American food. With some time during Welcome Week, surprise your friends by finding a few new potential chip staple ingredients and double dipping sauces. Make a fun, bold statement to your friends as you catch up with a new colorful and cultural snack. — espitzer@indiana.edu
Sweet fried plantains are a popular dish in West Africa, the Caribbean and South America.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In Korea, there is a tradition called Obangsaek, the secret to celebrating life by honoring the traditional five colors of harmony. Each color represents one of Earth’s five natural elements: red represents fire, black represents water, yellow represents earth, white represents metal and green/blue represents wood. The colors also represent tastes: bitter, salty, sweet, spicy and sour. If we include a bit of each color and component with every dish, we can promote color and taste while cultivating a creative, beautiful meal that balances all the important elements in our lives. We live in a delicious world. After visiting more than 12 countries in the last seven months, I am more confident in making that claim now than ever before. Sure, I’ve always been a foodie. From dining along Kirkwood Avenue to revving up ramen — for those of us on a budget — I’ve always been fond of full flavor.But it was my travel that really intrigued my taste buds. Those unique and exceptionally crafted dishes I dared to dig into while visiting tea houses in China, home stays in South Africa, diners in Japan, festivals in India and even traveling to special stops just past the Sample Gates. I have learned there is a lot more to food than a pinch of pepper and sprinkle of salt. It’s not that we are what we eat, nor is it that indulging in cravings can fill the cracks of the heart.Food is meant to be celebrated. Chewing on my experiences eating among different cultures, I found one thing we all have in common: Whether dining among the wealthiest or stopping for street food, a community uses the selective crops it has available and cultivates a taste the people can call their own.In Brazil, it was all about coffee. In Ghana, I am still left dreaming about the fried plantains and foufou bread. In India, my favorite of them all, I could never get enough curry. Each region spices up its story through the palate, and we all find pride in our food — we take what we have and make it our own. Whether it is a special holiday dish, a dinner party, a birthday cake or the way you mix your sauces for midnight Pizza X, food is meant to satiate cravings and produce happiness. While traveling the globe, I collected recipes and chefs’ secrets, observed homemakers and chatted up vendors to find out what made their dishes so delectable.As the cliche goes, college is the place to experiment. There is no better place to craft creativity, celebrate culture and learn from trial and error than in the kitchen surrounded by college friends.Here’s my plan — I hope to take a few heaping cups of my passion for traveling, stir in some of cooking’s comfort, sprinkle in some tips from foreign friends and craft some cultural cuisine that can be enjoyed right here in our Hoosier homeland. Your taste buds will celebrate it like everyday is a tailgate day.It’s college, it’s my senior year and it’s time to get creative, experimenting with colors and culture and making every day a little bit yummier. Who’s with me?— espitzer@indiana.edu
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I have spent the last 103 days on a voyage around the world, starting in the Bahamas and sailing by ship to 10 different countries. In two days, I will port my final stop in San Diego, ending my experience abroad. When I arrived on the ship, our dean of students said, “The things you do here, in class and in port, won’t hit you till it’s over, so, every day, do everything you can to make sure it hits you hard.” With two days left, it’s starting to hit me hard as I linger in the last leg of my journey.My journey started with a hiccup — news that I might not be able to attend due to a missing international visa. What seemed like the end of the world at the time is nothing more than a memory, a challenge I conquered. My journey has been a fluster of emotions, from the most exciting to the most frightening, intriguing to intimidating, familiar to foreign, peaceful to overwhelming and pleasing to painful. It is the combination of the differing dynamics that leave me where I am now, reflecting on the most magnificent written chapters of my personal storybook.From familiarizing myself with this floating campus to first docking in Dominica, I was already exposed to novel cultures, cuisines, conversations and creations that left me hungry for more. Luckily for me, there were plenty more servings to satiate that starvation.I am left with more than eight different currencies in my wallet, a pocketbook full of contacts I met across the countries and milestone memories that have filled every corner of my too-cluttered journal.So, what exactly have I done in these wonder weeks? I have stood at the top of the Taj Mahal, and I have hiked the steps of the Great Wall. I have played “Duck, Duck, Goose” with orphans in Ghana and “Ring Around the Rosie” with schoolchildren in Vietnam. I have been ripped off in marketplaces by vendors and received the generosity of a complete stranger. I have danced in the Amazonian rain and jumped off cliffs in Ha Long Bay. I was invited to dance in a Brazilian samba celebration and drummed in a Ghanaian prayer circle. I have been completely lost while looking for lodging in Shanghai and taking trains in Japan. I have seen the poorest of people in poverty and been mesmerized by the riches of royalty. I have ordered food, said thank you and called for a cab in a number of new languages, and I have been guided with nothing but a translated piece of paper. The dreams I drew into expectations for my adventure have been exceptionally exceeded.Somewhere along the crossing of the Atlantic, there has been a change in my perspective, guided by what I have seen and effecting whatever comes my way in the future. I have gained a new gratitude for the life I live, the people I play with and the fortune I face. I replaced a fear of foreign features with a new confidence in facing unknown challenges. I’ve been graced with a taste of what lies outside Bloomington’s Sample Gates. It might have been a whirlwind at the time, but the lingering, life-changing reflections leave me at a new starting point.What now? How do I take what I have found and bring it all back? It seems as though the greatest challenge of my traveling has yet to present itself. I have learned to view value in an entirely different light, so I must not forget this redefined term when I get back into my comfort zone. I have been exposed to poverty and destruction in a way that couldn’t be ignored, so I must not cover my eyes from the similar sources of disparity that take place right outside my front door. I have felt stuck in sticky situations in which an “all-time low” magically reshaped itself into becoming one of my favorite accomplishments. I have experienced cultural differences that distinguish me from every other diversity, but more importantly, I have seen the universal similarities shared in the sweetness of a smile. It’s not the travel, the pictures or the purchases that made my journey so celebratory — it’s these lessons learned that can’t be worn out, used up or left behind.For those of you who have followed my columns and become a part of my crew, I thank you for being an essential part of my journey. I feel fortunate to have had the support of my Hoosiers as I experienced the unknown. With the semester coming to a close, it’s time to let the experiences of the last few months hit us hard. I propose a challenge — whether we are fighting through finals, heading back to our comfort zones at home, starting new summer jobs, taking trips to new places or fitting robes for graduation, may we have the power to apply the lessons we have learned and may the stories of this past semester stick with us as we write the title of a new chapter. — espitzer@indiana.edu
A129 meter waterfall stands and the highest on the island Akaka Falls state park in Hawaii.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Arriving in Hilo, Hawaii, I was greeted on the big island with a “Welcome home” from immigration, a lei of flowers and a warm “Aloha.” In the midst of the shield volcanoes, black sand beaches and Akaka falls situated around the Hamakua coast, a rich culture flourishes. Respect for one another and the environment makes Hawaii a distinguished diamond of diversity that cannot be found on the mainland of the United States.Even if it has a place in the lyrics of “Fifty Nifty United States,” the history of Hawaii that predates its adoption into the U.S., along with its intriguing and exceptional culture, had me at aloha.The Hawaiian language, comprised of only 13 letters — five vowels and eight consonants — was a Polynesian language used to write the constitution in 1839. A difficult language to master, there are many hidden meanings and messages within the majority of the words, including the famous expression “aloha.”More than just hello and goodbye, aloha connotes an imperative principle of Hawaiian culture. As a greeting and blessing, aloha expresses love, compassion, affection for another and, most importantly, respect. The Hawaiian culture depends on the core values that emphasize practicing humbleness, honesty and protecting peace in daily life. Whether in relation to the surrounding ocean that acts as Hawaii’s playground or to the society that composes the island’s ohana, meaning family, being pleasant and considerate is of utmost importance in maintaining the island’s spirit.I was curious as to where the connotations came from, and my newest friend, J.R., explained that aloha could be literally translated as “breath’s presence”: alo- meaning presence and -ha being the breath. Using aloha is the way to spread the importance of breath to everyone around you. “It’s just the way of a lovely life,” he said. A word I initially thought was just a greeting not only symbolizes the most significant core values Hawaiians preserve, but is even found in the state law. The Aloha Spirit State Law practiced by the people signifies their promise to act with harmony, tenderness, pleasantness, modesty and perseverance.I took my time in Hawaii as the chance to live with aloha, taking in the best of the breath and absorbing the positive energy. I felt aloha in the ukulele music, the legendary stories and even the fragrance of the flowers. From the spewing lava formed at the highest point on Mauna Kea to the surfers paddling in the sea, aloha resonates across the island, giving an authentic aura that can’t be found anywhere else. Queen Lili’uokalani has been noted for saying “Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.”Like the word aloha itself, there is only so much about Hawaii that can be understood from the surface, for the vital value lies within its essence.— espitzer@indiana.edu
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Backpacking across Japan took me from admiring the infamous cherry blossoms along the peaceful Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto all the way to the innovative, exhilarating and vibrant streets of Tokyo, always bursting with energy. With too little time to fully explore Tokyo, I used the city’s energy along with excess amounts of sushi as fuel and experienced a day of business in Tokyo.After frolicking in the streets of Harajuku (famous for its futuristic fashion trends), observing the crowded intersections in Shibuya, visiting Tokyo tower to get a glimpse of the skyline and experiencing nightlife in the Roppongi district, I took a local’s advice to catch a break at an Internet café. This “café” was a whole different swig of sake. Upon entering, huge shelves stacked with manga and anime comic books loomed above me, making the small aisle to the main counter barely visible.Trudging to the front, I paid about $10 for a three-hour stay, which included a cot mattress, a computer, free fountain drinks and access to the cluttered copies of comics. In each small pod around me, locals were partaking in their own “matters of business.” Some were passed out in their own pods, others watched stacks of anime films and still others completed school assignments while sipping green tea. I felt as though I had entered an anime version of the Herman B Wells Library during finals week. In this noisy, crowded chaos, I somehow caught a few hours of sleep at this new favorite and highly recommended travelers’ “hostel.”At about 3 a.m., just as those returning from the club scene finished their night out, I checked out of my café accommodations and made my way to the Tsukiji fish market, the largest wholesale fish market in the world, where 4 a.m. means time for business.With fish transported globally, auctioneers prepare frozen tuna to be presented to wholesale bidders at the open market beginning sharply at 5 a.m. In the pitch black, wholesalers and buyers bustle around the market in organized chaos, hacking at the huge tuna fish and inspecting it for its possible value and price. With a snap of their fingers, customers bid on a tuna fish and, if approved, have it wrapped and shipped to the final destination, anywhere from a corner sushi stand to a five-star Japanese restaurant. Within an hour, hundreds of buyers inspect the daily source of tuna before banking on their best bet, finishing the busiest hours of business before the clock strikes 8 a.m. Either smiling at a successful slice and snapping for a bid or frowning with disappointment, the buyers moved from one seemingly identical tuna to the next, finishing their business and grabbing a bite of morning sushi before the majority of Tokyo townies had opened their eyes to greet a new day.My travels taught me one thing: Tokyo is always open for business. From the crowded rooms of the 24/7 Internet café to the tuna fishermen selling their catches of the day to the thriving market streets where business men are packed like sardines, the clocks in Tokyo are always ticking. — espitzer@indiana.edu
A rainy day in Tokyo taken at the famous busy intersection right outside of Shibuya station in Tokyo where the film Lost in Translation was filmed.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For me, China was a land of contrast. I found myself surprised by everything, including the local delicacies of bagged chicken feet, the friendly locals who treated me to a ceremonial tea reception, the history of Shanghai’s skyscrapers, the landmarks in Beijing, the words of mumbled Mandarin, success in bustling bargaining markets and the communist government’s influences on the lifestyles of the people. I found a surprise bursting with irony at the peak point in Beijing, the Great Wall of China.Riding up in a cable car, the snake–like, slithering line of bricks came into better focus, depicting the detailed construction that came toward me. From up close, I witnessed the way the concrete met the dirt to make up this massive monument, stretching 5,500 miles in its entirety. Imagining the labor left leaking from the reminiscent bricks and the stories of warfare lingering around the tiny piece of this barrier wall that I was visiting, I hiked up to the tallest point in the Mutianyu region. Huffing and puffing my way to the top, I couldn’t help but feel so miniscule next to the monument. Smelling the cold, crisp air, witnessing the magnificent mountains that spiked through the area and following the small, squiggly line that represented the continuation of the structure in the distance, all of my senses grasped on to the greatness. This viciously vast boarder, gaining length through the years as different dynasties built onto it, was continually used as a protection barrier for the Chinese empire. Regulating everything from trade to military forces to foreign influences, the wall was continually funded to stretch from the east to the west to protect the precious borders. Starting with the early walls connected in the Qin dynasty, later reinforced and revived by the Ming dynasty, the wall served as the ruling method of resistance to allowing anyone or anything into China. The Emperors knew they wanted to keep the influences outside and push the limits of their powers within the wall.The irony overwhelmed me as I took my time taking in the cosmic continuation from a distance. All around me, multiple languages were being spoken by the influx of foreigners who had traveled great distances to see, breathe, smell and feel the Great Wall of China. A structure initially built to keep all things foreign far away was now a number one tourist attraction, a world heritage site, flowing with masses of visitors each day. I made the same observation while walking through the Forbidden City, an intricate, elaborate, vast palace initially meant for Ming royalty alone but now complete with the commotion of commoners anxious to feel the pompous privilege of being allowed inside.From reaching the highest point on the Great Wall to wandering in the stirring streets in Shanghai, I could feel the watchful presence of the Chinese government through the guidelines and guards that protect the modern palace through their stringent procedures. The communist government in China might try to protect its walls from futuristic, foreign visions, but like these monumental barriers that are filled with foreigners today, it might be impossible to keep the people quiet forever. — espitzer@indiana.edu
A view from above of the Forbidden City Palace. The palace once housed Ming royalty.
The Hong Kong skyline lights up the night sky.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>fter sailing up the Saigon River, I was hesitant and had fluttered feelings about going past the flora-filled coast into Vietnam. How was it that I was entering Vietnam with such ease? The country is constantly associated with communism, a tragic war history and the “American mistake” that started a revolution.What I found in the people’s friendship, the city’s development and the strong national identity left me pleasantly surprised, but some of the aftereffects of war left me horrified. Visiting Vietnam forced me to hear the story from the other side of the river and challenged me to refocus my war binoculars.I spent my first day traveling to the Cu Chi tunnels outside Ho Chi Minh City. The Viet Cong fought American forces from this underground community and built routes and weapons, created living arrangements and even founded health clinics. The entrances to the tunnels are camouflaged, making them barely noticeable on the ground. Sitting in the first exhibit, listening to the introductory video, I watched a noticeably large flag wave next to a large photo of Ho Chi Minh, the father of communism in Vietnam. The introductory video began to roll clips from American attacks on guerilla soldiers in the tunnels and the narrator said, “The terrible Americans hurt the poor Vietnamese as they tried to fight for their freedom.” Hearing the words “terrible Americans” caught me off guard. Sitting in the tunnels, trying to put myself on the other side, I was challenged to accept that the democratic government Americans portray as the only way is not necessarily other people’s ticket to freedom.My guide, Phang, showed me around the tunnels, explaining the different traps the guerilla soldiers used on Americans, including underground traps. Seeing the sharp spears sticking out of the ground, listening to the historical accounts from the other side and hearing about Phang’s father, who fought in the war, I felt like I saw a part of the war that I never learned about in my American classrooms. We finished our tour by crawling through three levels of the underground tunnels to get a feel for the claustrophobia experienced by the soldiers. Five minutes underground, in tunnels that had already been widened for tourists, was more than enough — I was sweating, squeezed in tiny parameters and hysterically searching for the light at the end of the tunnel.Visiting the Cu Chi tunnels was a chance to read the underground story, one that our generation can easily stray from. As I spent time with friendly local university students who showed me the flourishing streets back in Ho Chi Minh City, the society’s progress put me in my place. It’s challenging but necessary to accept that what we have been told to believe is right or wrong isn’t necessarily universal. — espitzer@indiana.edu
Boats float on the Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam. The bay consists of over 3,000 limestone islands full of dense vegetation, making the area a popular tourist destination.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>My senses were shocked as I walked out of what seemed like a Malaysian rainforest and into the streets of a city that resembled New York City 20 years into the future.Between the advanced architecture, scenic skyline and the lack of litter, the clean air in such a developed city was the first of many surprises I found in Singapore.It seems the reason Singapore has such a fine reputation is due to fines themselves. When Singapore gained independence from the British in 1965, they implemented a government that mirrored the English common law with legislation, judicial precedents and customs. The criminal legislation and the fines are what allow Singapore to be singled out for cleanliness and safety.If you think staying out of legal trouble at an IU tailgate is hard, think again. Numerous activities that we would consider day-to-day realities are banned in Singapore. Forgetting to flush a public toilet? That’s a $1,000 fine. Smoking is illegal in the majority of public places unless there is a designated stop. Littering and jaywalking are illegal, and eating and drinking on the Mass Rapid Transit subway system is met with a $500 fine.Even chewing gum is banned from being sold to the public for hygienic purposes. My personal favorite? A well-known local fruit called Durian is so smelly that it is illegal to carry one on the subway or on buses, and it is also often banned from many hotels. Also, urinating in an elevator has been singled out as worthy of a $500 fine. Pirated CDs and DVDs you might innocently call “sharing” would leave you $1,000 poorer per disk.So, again, IU tailgates? The litter left from a big game would make the streets of Singapore look like the gates of heaven.Singapore is certainly a fine city. It boasts great natural conservation programs and one of the lowest crime rates in the entire world.When I was first exposed to the road rules I would face, I was almost too afraid to leave the comfort of my cabin on the ship. However, when I made my way up to the infinity pool at Marine Bay Sands Hotel, a 150-meter pool on the highest projecting platform in the world, I understood the stringency. Standing on the tallest of tall skyscrapers, enjoying the clean air and feeling content with the street food I would usually avoid at all costs, I wondered how much Mother Nature would appreciate us if we all lived by the same laws and reaped those same benefits. I’m not sure we are ready to say goodbye to chewing gum and subject all street vendors to stringent preparation laws, but adopting some of the same respect for our own city might assure a much more promising future — one I had the chance to try out in Singapore.— espitzer@indiana.edu
Eshley visited the Marina Bay Sands Infinity Pool during her stop in Singapore. The pool sits on top of a 55-story platform and overlooks the city, which is kept clean because of the fines imposed on its citizens.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Arriving in India meant using all of my senses.The act of absorbing the many different tastes, smells, sights, sounds, spirituality and intensity overpowered me. The best way to illustrate a taste of India is through its cuisine.The food is rich, rigorous and revitalizing, each bite an extraordinarily composed experience that can never be precisely predicted. Like the culture, people and geography, Indian food has a full helping of history, and each region has a unique take on its recipes.As I traveled in Agra — home of the Taj Mahal — Jaipur, New Delhi and Cochin, I could sense both the similarities and potent differences that made each area unique.In an Indian meal, the banana leaf is often laid out and covered with rice, the staple ingredient, which is smothered in spicy, sweet and sensational sauces, vegetables, curries. The entire course is seasoned with a specific dose of spices to make the traditional taste. The banana leaf has all of the far-out flavors that, like India, both beautifully blend and powerfully contrast, all merged into one munch. I found that combination in the sweet yet spicy mix in the samosas, curries and stews I tried, all within the streets of India. I saw part of the combination in the richest of the rich.It was woven into shimmering sarees worn by the women. It was engraved in the elaborately designed temples decorated with the Hindu deities. It could be smelled near the spice factories that released incense of ginger, masala, cumin and vanilla into the air. But I also tried the second slice of the combination.The intensely impoverished slums with shacks made of worn-out tires, emaciated beggars and trash tucked into every square inch of space created a different type of pungency. Although the two juxtaposed intensities differed so immensely, they somehow moved together like bangle bracelets, all joined into this banana leaf-like container, India.The Indian meal oozes with flavors that require particular ingredients to fill the plentiful portions put on the leaf. I noticed in my favorite dish, a coconut and cabbage curry, that certain flavors stood out, enhancing others. My experiences in India were similar. Like the sweet coconut milk, some experiences left a honeyed aftertaste. Those experiences included watching the sunset while meditating with a yogi, visiting the Taj Mahal and dining and dancing with locals. Like the spicy chilies, certain experiences completely caught me off guard.The dozens of cows squeezed onto the streets, a child seeking shelter in a box and the maze-like Bazaar left me searching for security. Blending the two flavors was taking a rickshaw tuk-tuk taxi ride. All traffic laws fly out the window as you zigzag across the lane lines, creating your own street. The honking horns fill every inch with sound.It was as if they were blaring “Ready or not, here I am.”Reflecting about my experience in India, I am tremendously satisfied but left craving much more.I overindulged in the sensations and overate the unique cuisine.I stepped onto the rickshaw-filled roads of India, where I was swallowed whole, presented to the diverse menu, requiring a longer time to digest.— espitzer@indiana.edu
The Taj Mahal, often considered one of the eight wonders of the world, is located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife.
A child at the S.O.S. Children's Village for orphans located in Avula. The bindi decoration on her forehead symbolizes strength and empowerment and is worn by many Hindus.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>No matter where you might be on the map, there is no break quite like spring break — especially when you’re surrounded by about 500 students who almost have their day escape canceled.Our ship was scheduled to pull into Port Louis, Mauritius March 6, and we would have a full day to explore. On March 4, the crew announced that due to cyclones on the Indian Ocean, the captain reduced the speed of the ship, which would delay our arrival. To get to India, our next destination, on time, the crew canceled the Mauritius visit — only stopping on the island briefly to refuel.Although we have all learned through that travel never goes as expected, everyone was pretty disappointed. I could not control the weather or the speed of the ship, and, of course, I had just bought a shirt with our itinerary on it. I felt like I would need to Sharpie out the destination.Just when the port door was closed, a window opened. Not only was the day we were supposed to spend in Mauritius turned into a day-long barbecue on the seventh deck, but the next day, the crew was able to pull some nautical strings and get us four hours of port time.I felt like I was living the lyrics of Justin Timberlake’s popular song “Motherlover” — “I’m on an island / and all I got is four hours.” Surrounded by world renowned beaches, forested mountains and a Creole culture combining people of Dutch, French, Indian and Chinese descent, pressure was on to make the best of the short time. Learning how to use time wisely has become one of the greatest challenges for me this semester. I have found that just being in a different country, listening to the local language and stories and spending a-day-in-the-life always makes for an interesting experience.With four hours, 500 students and a total of 2,040 square kilometers of lusciousness, we spent our time in Mauritius soaking up the sun, and having our own Semester at Sea version of spring break. When you put that many students who have been bound in very close quarters on a rocking ship for a long time, four hours is the perfect amount of time for a quick, adventurous fix of freedom in a foreign country. Only imagination can illustrate what the beach scene looked like during our hours of independence.Even though a college student will always be a college student, no matter how far he or she is from campus, it was such a relief to see that a good spring break celebration did not mean we had to sacrifice learning about the place we were located. Just being on the Mauritius beaches, overlooking the gorgeous geography and listening to the locals talk about the growing economy, local rum and sugar cane agriculture, and the history that created the unique, African Creole community, all while enjoying our adventure together in a small slot of time, made the trip one of the more memorable spring break experiences that a college student could have.— espitzer@indiana.edu