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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
July 19, 2005
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| September 9, 2004 |
In Pictures – Photo Tour 6 of Life Onboard |
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| The United States tour's "Peace Bus" |
In advance of landing in New York City, US GET (Global English / Espanol) teachers and Japanese staff
with experience living in the US got together to take participants on a special tour around the United
States. The audience of 200 crammed into the "tour bus" room to tour the different sides
of the US from the eyes of natives. Starting in New York City, Chinese-American Cat Poon presented
the Big Apple as not a melting pot, but as a mixed salad bowl of cultures tossed together. The loaded
bus than took off for Miami, Florida where Korean-American Catherine Chung talked about growing up
speaking Spanish and celebrating religious holidays in her Jewish neighborhood. Next, the audience
stopped in web reporter JT Boehm's home state of Nebraska to debunk stereotypes about rural folks.
Japanese-American Kane Niwa, Italian-American Anna Wojtalewicz and Media School Without Borders director
Morgan Paar explored the huge sweep of land called California, comparing and contrasting the atmosphere
of LA with that of San Francisco. Chuck Johnson spoke about the violent stereotypes and car-building
heritage of Michigan. Web reporter Tim Wagner rounded out the trip with a visit to French-Canadian
influenced Vermont, the second whitest state in the US, and the eclectic home of Ben&Jerry's Ice
Cream and Burton snowboards. |
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| Participants in the fashion show parade their traditional Vietnamese aoi dais |
"The Topaz Collection 46" Fashion Show stirred up the ship as it attracted a large number
of participants, with about 120 models and 20 designers, stylists, hair and make up artists. The models'
excitement was visible in their presentation of different styles of clothing from ports Peace Boat
has visited, along with Japanese fashion, prompting a barrage of photo flashes from the captivated
audience. The show was divided into four sections: "Wa," Hair and Make-up, the World and
Creation. Each piece of work demonstrated the power of youth and creativity onboard Peace Boat. The
first part "Wa," which means harmony in Japanese, displayed a mixture of traditional Japanese
and modern expressions. With a diversity of influences, the creators tried to communicate a new way
of creating harmony in a multicultural world. The participants and audience enjoyed sharing the variety
and positive power of cross-cultural communication they have experienced around the world at different
ports and on board. |
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| Annie Sinclair singing blues accompanied by Noriko Kamo on piano |
Jazz singer Annie Inez Sinclair and Jazz pianist Noriko Kamo, professional musicians from New York
City, travelled with Peace Boat for about a week to work up participants with a taste of the US's
musical range. Both Sinclair and Kamo mainly play in New York and have often collaborated with each
other. Sinclair, who came onboard the 41st voyage, has enjoyed singing all kinds of music since she
was a child. In their first concert the pair focused on the genres of Jazz, Blues and Gospel, the
last of which was especially popular among participants. The two later held music workshops on gospel
singing, teaching such songs as "Oh Peace" and "Amazing Grace." For many participants,
who had never learned singing without using music sheets, it was an ear-opening experience. After
developing their harmony skills and getting into a song's rhythm, Sinclair and Noriko held another
successful concert, this time joined by the voices of their workshop participants. |
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| A group of young girls singing an original song a cappella |
On September 5th, a music festival of musical instruments and powerful voices was held in Windjammer,
one of Peace Boat's performance spaces. The event, which featured both group and solo performances,
kicked off with Tomomi Kusakabe's violin rendition of "Beautiful Romance" by composer Chrysler,
accompanied by a clarinet and piano. Later, Sano Horie, an 80-year old participant, performed on the
classical guitar. Horie, who used to play as a professional during World War II, presented a traditional
Japanese song. In addition to the guitar and despite her age, she is studying the electronic organ.
Some young gospel music enthusiasts sang "Amazing Grace" and "I Will Follow Him," which
they stayed up late many nights practicing and perfecting their English. Lastly, a group performed "Uewomuite
Aruko", a famous Japanese song (known in English as "The Sukiyaki Song"), in sign language
with ukuleles. This event was a chance for the musicians and singers involved to sharpen their specialties,
aiming at a bigger show to be held later in the voyage. |
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| Hirata Takanori teaching Shinbukai Karate |
Jeet-Kun-Do, a martial art movement first started by Jun Fun (also known as Bruce Lee), is considered
a way of living by its followers, rather than just a school or a martial art. Fun's martial arts,
practiced everyday on the ship's sports deck, is taught by Peace Boat volunteer staff member Hirata
Takanori. Although started by Lee, Jeet-Kun-Do's philosophy teaches that it is created by each person
who practices it. A group of eight dedicated people, with ages ranging from 20 to 50-years old, participate
in the lessons. The 29-year old Hirata was approached several times about holding a training program.
Wanting to practice himself, he took on the students, focusing on having fun. But after training,
he holds a special class where he trains earnestly with several of the participants in more painful
exercises. Besides Jeet-Kun-Do, Hirata also organizes Shinbukai Karate training and hopes to hold
a martial arts day later on in the voyage. In addition to Jee-Kun-Do and Karate, Twae-kwon do (Korean)
and Aikido (Japanese) are also taught and practiced by other participants. |
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Media Team Contributors:
- Hiroyuki Katsuma
- Aya Hiromura
- Tim Wagner
- Tamiko Hirata
- Tomomi Kusakabe
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