How would you feel when you can travel around the world and study as you travel? Sounds amazing, isn’t it? This is how I felt when I first heard about semesteratsea, a program which is offered to students across the globe, sponsored by Virginia University. This year about 731 students from 40 different states of the US and 12 different countries enrolled for semesteratsea. This is a unique program where students go on ship, travel around the world and take up the courses they want. I got a permission to enter the ship when they docked at Chennai after their voyage from Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Mauritius. I was welcomed with a warm smile from the crew of the ship. When I strolled around the ship with the assistant dean of the university, I was wondering whether I was in ship or some 5 stars hotel. I crossed through various corridors, to see swimming pool, indoor and outdoor gym, spa and beauty parlor, piano lounge and what not! All in the ship MV explorer. I was really amazed! As I strolled around further, I saw library stacked up with books, the internet cafe, restaurants and of course the classrooms! The classroom looked splendid. Imagine listening to lectures sitting in a ship, watching the sea! It was all like a dream to me! I went ahead to speak to some students at the piano lounge. I was really touched the way they spoke about India. People had many myths about India but when they came here, they realised people are happy doing what they are and who is anyone to talk about how poor India is. When I heard this, I was even more surprised. People talked about culture shock-eating with hands, traveling in autos and what not! Nevertheless, what touched me the most is the thought that they regard Indian people as polite and courteous and that is truly the hall mark of Indian culture. As I spoke further, I got to know how this program bridged the gap between different countries. In the past because of this program, there have been lots of changes that have been brought about. Forgotten faces of AIDS was a photography project which was started by Donna Guenther, who is a photographer, physician and an AIDs activist. After taking the program at semesteratsea, she started this venture to educate people about HIV awareness, raising funds for people in India. Also, shineone is another NGO which was started by Tracy Sherman, a voyager of semesteratsea, who changed the lives of 150 families in South Africa by providing scholarships to students who have lost their parents in the AIDS epidemic. It is such a wonderful thing that people shun their myths about the country and see how they can help other people using their skills and resources. The world is the best teacher- Can anyone deny that?