Pacific Odyssey - Leg 5

Our final morning together and the weather has soured; it is windy and rainy, memories of Okinawa.  It was a difficult morning seeing trainees pack up their final things, haul their over-full bags and boxes on deck and saying good-bye. I always prefer to believe that I will see them again at some point; it makes the separation easier.  Many of them are traveling in groups for a few weeks before they will truly be on their own, away from fellow trainees; this also will make the transition from the ship and our community easier. We wish all of them well and will continue to pray for them. We had a great final day yesterday.  After dishes we held our final Sunday service on a Tuesday because there was a better chance that everyone could be there.  We celebrated Palm Sunday and gave a bit of the history surrounding the origin of this day.  Karen, Sarah B., Katie, Antony, and
Gillian all read from various sources.  Everyone was asked to dress up as a bible character; there was a good display of bed sheet ingenuity, as well as some sheep, fishermen and their fish, and even a live palm or two. After service everyone began seriously packing up their things; the ship looked like one massive flea market with remaining trainees and crew being offered clothing and bathroom supplies they could possibly use on the remainder of the voyage.  I never envy departing trainees and their job to make everything fit into their packs again.  I know that I personally have definitely picked up too many things along the way to ever be able to fit it into a backpack.  Crew spent the day preparing for the final dinner. Karen and Sarah were in charge of decorating and turned the foc´sle into the “Fox Hole Lounge,” and the hold into the “Hold-Me-Close Discotheque.”   Clean bed sheets and sarongs hid the upper bunks, and lower bunks were available for ´lounging.´  Lanterns made by gluing red tissue paper around a wooden popsicle stick box, were suspended from the beams and the port lights were covered in red tissue paper creating a very ´loungey´ feeling.  The soundtrack of Amelie played in the foc´sle while Rock´n Roll played in the hold.  Supper started around 1730hrs.  Dress was anywhere from casual- but-clean, to ´Joel,´ who was incredibly smart-looking in a brand-new 3 piece suit with tie and dress shirt.  The menu was as following:  1st course was cold cuts and cheese with roasted tortilla wedges, veggie plate and dip, and foccacia bread (made by Skipper).   2nd course was stuffed mushrooms (made by Sarah B.), mini-quiche (pastry and filling made by Gillian), and sausage rolls (also by Gillian).  3rd course was a wonderfully large amount of assorted types of sushi, and 4th course was dessert with a fruit plate and chocolate cupcakes with whipped cream (baked by Arwen).  There were fancy coffees to end the evening.  Katie did a final big shop mid-afternoon to buy the final food for the evening.  She also chopped all the fruit and vegetables for the fruit and veggie plate with the assistance of Jacob, Noah, and Simon; they were enormously helpful, there was a lot of chopping. Graham, Tiana, Joel and myself worked as dish crew, keeping counters clear and washing all the dirty dishes.  It was a good time.  Jordan and Elske prepared an Award Ceremony with everyone receiving an award that pertained to their personality and what we´ve gotten to know about them during the past 79 days.  The awards were great, very funny.  Trainees and crew know each other well and have lived through many very funny experiences; many of these were relived during the ceremony.   After the awards and dessert Sarah B. presented the slide show.  It was wonderful; it was full of wonderful memories that we have all been a part of.  We sat mesmerized, watching, reliving our time together, laughing, exclaiming, remembering etc.   Yes, it has been another amazing leg, a leg of contrasts.  From 52 degrees Celsius in Madang, to -2 degrees Celsius in Beijing, and from the basic living and infrastructure of Papua New Guinea to the fast moving, concrete cities of Shanghai and Beijing . . . My wish is that as everyone goes their separate ways, we will hold on to what was important to us when we lived in community, and it, in turn will make our lives and those affected by our lives, better.  Yesterday Antony´s parents and Tristan arrived in Osaka.  It is wonderful to see them.  Karen and Katie´s brother Jeff arrived early this morning to the boat; his sisters were overjoyed.   Jeff helped the crew with the cleaning of the ship this morning and is looking forward to visiting the Aquarium this afternoon with Katie and Karen.  The boat will be quiet tonight with just a few crew members sleeping here. Sarah B., Gillian, Katie, Antony, and Skipper all have the next 2 days off.  There are plans to visit Kyoto, Nara, and Himeija, as well as a chance to relax and be without ship-related responsibilities.  I am taking a few days off with Skipper and our 6 children.  There will be no log for the 20th and the 21st; I will resume again on the evening of the 22nd.   For those of you who will soon see your kids, enjoy them and their stories; we sure did.  Until the 22nd, good-bye, Bonice.