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| Dancing onboard |
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| International student Rishi and interpreter Rina step out onto the floor |
As the cruise continues, the daily schedule gradually fills with activities diversifying to reflect our current location and, recently, those onboard have been coming out of the woodwork to share their love of music and dance. To the sounds of cha-cha-cha, waltz, jitterbug and tango played by the Ukranian band, every weekday the stage is filled with couples of all ages and abilities attempting or refining their social dance skills. Another group on the ship sways to Hula music under the tutelage of passenger Takako Kaiya, who has been learning for six years in Hokkaido, far from the warm sands of Hawaii. Elsewhere, Neptune Deck echoes to the stamps and cries of an African gumboot dance taught by Chuson, director of the GET Musical. These energetic movements, originating with miners who created rhythms reflecting their musical legacy, ring out under the blue skies as we approach the next continent. Performed on African Night, the gumboot dancers were followed by a demonstration of belly dance by Alice Tallents, the homepage coordinator. Having studied for a short time in Japan, Alice wanted to share her experience with passengers and has been joined by a mixed crowd (including a few men!) in the Mirror Bar. As they practise together, awkward poses gradually soften into more sensuous movements and participants look forward to buying hip scarves, music and finger cymbals in the bazaars of Egypt and Istanbul. |
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| Cafe Clandestino |
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| Spanish interpreters Ichiro and Ayako lead a group in renditions of Spanish songs
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The second week of the cruise saw the beginning of an underground movement amidst the Spanish-speaking wannabes onboard. This group ritually meets on deck, armed with nothing but a whiteboard for lyrics and a guitar, and spends an hour singing Spanish songs together. Spanish interpreter Ichiro from Mexico, and his Japanese colleague Ayako, who has lived in Guatemala, both had a strong desire to share Latin culture with the other Peace Boat participants. Ichiro happened to have brought his guitar onboard so we decided to teach Spanish language and culture through song,・says Ayako. Although the number of participants on any given day varies due to the ship's often crazy schedule, there are usually 15-20 people present. So far, the group has learned seven different songs, from the waltz Cielito Lindo to popular songs like Chan Chan, a well-known track from The Buena Vista Social Club. Impressively, the group is now able to sing even very fast-paced songs like La Bamba without word sheets! The group will give its first performance at the upcoming Music Festival. (Contributed by Robin Beattie) |
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| GET Program - Language Olympics |
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| Interpreter Kyoko and passenger Masako get ready for the balloon relay |
In lieu of the regular open and intensive classes,
GET teachers hosted the 39th Voyage's Language Olympics. Even as other
passengers slept in, saving their strength for arrival in Las Palmas
the following day, around seventy language enthusiasts raced around
the ship competing to unravel clues and solve various puzzles. Masterminded
by the GET staff, this event allowed participants to get to know members
of the other language classes and use together what they had learned
to date. The opening ceremony, complete with torch-bearing interpreters
and parading teams, was followed by an explanation of the rules of
the games by MCs Susan and Ichiro before the games commenced. Featuring
English, Spanish and, for bonus points, any other language the competitors
cared to include, the event was a riot of relays, balloon-popping,
letter hunts and word scrambles. After the points were tallied, the
top three teams accepted their medals and marched triumphantly around
the deck. Sweat glistening on their brows, the winning team accepted
a gift certificate for Namihei, the ship's late-night food stall,
and was later spotted enjoying their prize and refreshing themselves
for a day in the Canaries. |
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| Peace Boat's
39th Voyage index |
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PEACE BOAT is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. |
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