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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
December 24, 2007
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In Pictures – Photo Tour III of Life Onboard |
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Racing to the finish line: as Peace Boat sailed from the Canary Islands, across the Atlantic Ocean to Cuba, a Sports Festival was held onboard with over 800 people young and old participating. The festival is an annual tradition in Japan for students from elementary school to high school. A range of events such as tug of war, three-legged race and an obstacle course were part of the day’s festivities. Another highlight was the cheering performances undertaken by each team. More important than winning and losing was the new friends made through undertaking a challenge as part of a team. |
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Ernesto Arminian Linares puts volunteer GET teachers through their paces. Hailing from Cuba, Mr Linares is a veteran dancer, director and choreographer who has been on the receiving end of many accolades, both from Cuba and abroad, and has dedicated his life to keeping the unique Cuban style of salsa alive. He joined Peace Boat for the first time from the Canary Islands to Cuba to heat things up by teaching beginner through to advanced Cuban dance in order to prepare participants for a large salsa fiesta when Peace Boat moored in Cuba. |
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Kokontei Kikuchiyo was the first woman in Japan to be promoted as a master of traditional Japanese storytelling or rakugo. She joined Peace Boat’s 59th voyage from Spain to Venezuela in order to both entertain and train participants in her centuries-old art in which an individual, dressed in traditional Japanese dress, kneels on a cushion and tells a far-fetched yet hilarious story. Her performances incorporated traditional, creative, and nonverbal means, and she also performed in Korean. Participants were thrilled at the chance to learn this revered tradition from Ms Kokontei which culminated in a performance by 12 of her most promising students. |
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Global University students gave a presentation about their in port program which involved staying in the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan, Camp Baqa’a. In undertaking a home-stay program with Palestinian families, they were able to experience first hand the effects of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. By personifying countries, such as England and the Arab states, as seen here, they presented the background to the ongoing conflict before presenting their experiences to the audience. One student concluded by saying that ‘I didn’t meet special people who are called “refugees.” Rather, I met human beings who are longing for a secure and peaceful life.’ |
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The eve of Peace Boat’s visit to Cuba was marked by an event to highlight the plight of the innocent people imprisoned in the American military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. After a lecture about the human rights violations experienced by the “suspected terrorists” held captive there, participants signed letters to be sent to the US Ambassador in Tokyo requesting their release. They put on black eye covers supplied by Amnesty International stating “Close It Now” as a form of protest. Organizer of the event, volunteer GET teacher and former Amnesty International employee Sam Fitzgerald said ‘I felt obliged to let people know about what is happening there because it’s not highly publicized in the Japanese and global media. I wanted to highlight an important issue at a timely stage in the voyage. Through my work at Amnesty International, I learnt how important it is to encourage people to take action about human rights abuses.’ |
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For eight-string classical guitar legend Kobayashi Ryuhei, following his dream meant leaving Japan after high school to study this instrument in Spain. After studying under the great guitar master J. Tomas, he went on to take first place in the Santiago de Composte International Guitar Competition in Spain. At the invitation of the Spanish government, he relocated to Ecuador where he introduced the classical guitar to the country and has been nurturing talent there for the past thirty years. While onboard Peace Boat from Spain to Cuba, he gave two concerts and spoke of both Ecuador and the conservatory where he teaches which some participants will visit when Peace Boat stops off in Ecuador. Of his experience as a teacher in Ecuador, he said ‘The seeds I planted thirty years ago have grown into a big tree.’ |
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