Class Day "A22" at sea

Today is class meeting day "A22."

On the agenda for me is the following:

• Teach "Mass Media Systems Around the World" (Time:  0800 - 0915)
• Sit in on the Global Studies core course that the entire ship "shuts down for" daily - it is held in the Student Union area of the ship with the lecture being broadcast on the closed-circuit TV system of the ship to the various satellite classrooms on the ship for those students who can't fit in the Union (Time:  0920 - 1040)
• Teach "Intercultural Communication" (Time:  1045 - 1200)
• Surprise 35th birthday party for Mark in the "Dalit Village" (Time: 1920)
• Sea Social #9 (Time: 2100 - 2230)

Update:

Apparently those who organized the surprise birthday party for Mark learned last night around midnight (when it was officially his birthday) that he doesn't like to celebrate his birthday.  He doesn't like to be sung to and he really didn't want to make a big deal out of it.  With this knowledge today, people were unsure what to do I think.  Joanna (with Global Nomads Group) and Emily (the nurse) had been the main organizers behind it, putting notes on people's doors a few days ago inviting them to show up at 7:20 pm for this surprise.  When I saw Emily at dinner at around 7:10 pm or so, I asked her "So who is distracting Mark to get him to show up at 7:30?"   She said she didn't know what was going on and that Mark was in his room downstairs anyway so it wouldn't be much of a surprise.  Regardless, we all gathered in Joanna's room on the opposite side of the ship and then walked over to stand outside Mark's door where a cake was placed that was ordered from the ship's kitchen.  A number of faculty that Mark is friendly with were invited (some of whom had never been to this Dalit Village area of the ship).  

getting ready to surprise Mark in the hallway outside his cabin

When someone knocked on Mark's door to come out, he eventually answered, but went to go close the door again upon seeing about 20 people out there with a cake.  

Global Nomads Group director Mark opening his cabin door

When everyone said "Happy Birthday" I was watching 10-month-old Ryder and he basically had a really upset look on his face from all the noise.  Once things quieted down, cake was passed around and I got a chance to play some more with Ryder.  

Global Nomads Group director Mark cutting and passing out his cake to other faculty/staff members

nurse Emily and resident director Lesley having some birthday cake
IT coordinator Matt having some birthday cake

me with Ryder (the son of one of the other professors on the ship)

After about a half an hour everyone dispersed and went back to doing work or going back to sleep.  Everyone seems beat today.  I popped into the Sea Social that was going on in the Faculty/Staff lounge and hardly anyone I'm friends with was up there.  Everyone is basically laying low today since there was the party last night.