I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...Dashing through the snow...Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Some of the classics that make the holidays special and add tradition to the season. Sadly, this Christmas was definitely lacking tradition but it was special. The Africa Mercy celebrated it's first Christmas and it was a new experience even for the veterans of Mercy Ships.
Let's start with people or the lack there of. During the outreach the ship had approximately 370 people on board. When it ended about 70 people left while we were in Liberia. So we sailed with 300 souls (sailing lingo) and upon arrival to Gran Canaria another 100 crew members left for vacation and about 50 people left to go home. So we celebrated Christmas with 150 crew members, which in a community of almost 400 people is a big difference.
Onto decorations: one of the highlights of the holiday season for me is Christmas decorations. I love seeing the lights and how detailed people will get. But living on a ship creates a small problem when it comes to decorations because you have to adhere to safety regulations. So we could not have lights up in most of the ship, minus the cafe area and inside cabins. And we could only decorate the door of offices and cabins, but not the walls or areas around the door. But the worst part was that most of the decorations from the old Anastasis ship were sent to India with the ship because there was not storage space for them on board the new ship. So we had not Christmas trees, no garland, no nativity scenes, absolutely nothing to decorate the ship with. The funny part is that this really affected the "feel" of the holiday season. It was the day before Christmas Eve when we decorated the Christmas tree and set up the nativity scene - definitely not traditional for anyone.
But this entire experience during the very nontraditional holiday season forced everyone to appreciate each other more and get creative. We decorated with construction paper and played holiday music whenever possible. And we spent more time together - we were each others family since we were all living on a ship, hundreds of miles away from home, and really in need of something familiar.
*see Christmas album for pictures
Sunday, January 27, 2008
A Look Back
Yesterday I uploaded a ridiculous amount of pictures off of my camera and onto my computer. And as I organized them I realized that there were a lot of pictures and events that I never shared with you all back home. So the next few entries on my blog will be a belated update. Mainly I want you to be able to see how I spent holidays, like Christmas, New Years and my birthday, and to see some of the random moments that make life interesting. And since we will be sailing back to Liberia on Wednesday now is a good a time as any! So I hope you enjoy the late update.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Old Wounds Begin to Heal
Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission held its first public hearings Tuesday, 8 January 2008, in an attempt to shed light on crimes committed during 14 years of brutal civil war which ended in 2003. The commission, sitting in the capital Monrovia, is based on the South African blueprint which catalogued crimes committed during the apartheid era.
Opening the public hearing, Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appealed to all her compatriots called before the TRC to appear, and to give "honest" accounts of their actions. The public hearings are expected to last until the end of July, a spokesman for the commission said. Statements from victims are heard first, before the accounts of the accused, ahead of final meetings between the two sides. Under the terms of its remit, the commission will then submit a detailed report to the government which will then decide whether to pursue any official charges.
The commission was created after the peace accord of 2003 with the idea of compiling an account of all human rights abuses during the successive civil wars which plagued the English-speaking West African country between 1989 and 2003. It is also charged with looking at the years 1979-89, from the bloody coup d'etat which brought Samuel Doe to power in 1980 and the subsequent crimes which marked his regime until it was overthrown in a Christmas 1989 rebellion by Charles Taylor. Separately in the Netherlands Tuesday, Taylor, a former warlord and ex-president of Liberia, went before a war crimes tribunal in the Hague, accused of crimes against humanity in neighbouring Sierra Leone.
The Inquirer: http://allafrica.com/stories/200801070852.html
Opening the public hearing, Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appealed to all her compatriots called before the TRC to appear, and to give "honest" accounts of their actions. The public hearings are expected to last until the end of July, a spokesman for the commission said. Statements from victims are heard first, before the accounts of the accused, ahead of final meetings between the two sides. Under the terms of its remit, the commission will then submit a detailed report to the government which will then decide whether to pursue any official charges.
The commission was created after the peace accord of 2003 with the idea of compiling an account of all human rights abuses during the successive civil wars which plagued the English-speaking West African country between 1989 and 2003. It is also charged with looking at the years 1979-89, from the bloody coup d'etat which brought Samuel Doe to power in 1980 and the subsequent crimes which marked his regime until it was overthrown in a Christmas 1989 rebellion by Charles Taylor. Separately in the Netherlands Tuesday, Taylor, a former warlord and ex-president of Liberia, went before a war crimes tribunal in the Hague, accused of crimes against humanity in neighbouring Sierra Leone.
The Inquirer: http://allafrica.com/stories/200801070852.html
Friday, January 11, 2008
Freedom is...
Freedom is riding a bike around town! That's right - I said riding a bike. Now that it is a new year the Bike Club held orientation for crew members to join. So I joined the Mercy Ships Bike Club and am now a member. I chose the "platinum" membership packet: for a one time fee of $15US I have a 6-month membership. I can sign out a bicycle anytime I want, for as long as I want. We are responsible for maintaining the bikes or reporting problems we can not fix. A lock is included and as members we can check out two bikes to let a guest go riding too.
Now this may not sound like much to most of you. I am sure you have bike and/or a car of your own. But for me this was equal in freedom to the first time I drove my car by myself at 16. Being in Africa and being a woman really sucks sometimes. As crew we are not encouraged to go out alone and as women we are not suppose to go out alone. So everything you do has to be in a group or within an eye's view of the ship. Which doesn't allow for much privacy or alone time. Add to this the fact that you have cabin mates and the ship's crew is always a couple hundred people and you begin to understand my love of bicycle provided freedom.
So yesterday, for the first time in almost 6 months, I went somewhere by myself. I rode down our 2-mile dock, exited the port, and went down the boardwalk and back...it was great! I was able to see the city at night and just be by myself. And while riding alone at night will not become a habit and I definitely won't ride alone in Liberia I really enjoyed myself and will probably do it again.
My next shopping expense will be a bike helmet (safety first). But, to be honest, I can't wait to ride through the Liberian market place - that will definitely be an adventure!
Now this may not sound like much to most of you. I am sure you have bike and/or a car of your own. But for me this was equal in freedom to the first time I drove my car by myself at 16. Being in Africa and being a woman really sucks sometimes. As crew we are not encouraged to go out alone and as women we are not suppose to go out alone. So everything you do has to be in a group or within an eye's view of the ship. Which doesn't allow for much privacy or alone time. Add to this the fact that you have cabin mates and the ship's crew is always a couple hundred people and you begin to understand my love of bicycle provided freedom.
So yesterday, for the first time in almost 6 months, I went somewhere by myself. I rode down our 2-mile dock, exited the port, and went down the boardwalk and back...it was great! I was able to see the city at night and just be by myself. And while riding alone at night will not become a habit and I definitely won't ride alone in Liberia I really enjoyed myself and will probably do it again.
My next shopping expense will be a bike helmet (safety first). But, to be honest, I can't wait to ride through the Liberian market place - that will definitely be an adventure!
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