I just uploaded my pictures from Leg 4 and 5 (so far) on my facebook. www.facebook.com So, if you get a chance, please check them out and take a look. I tried to get most of them up, not all of them, but most of the ones that I figured you would be interested in seeing. I hope you enjoy them. I will try to transfer them onto my blog, when I have more time (it took several hours to get all my pictures on my facebook)! By the way, we are still in Okinawa, so maybe I`ll get another chance to put more pictures up, possibly tomorrow, if we end up staying another day due to bad weather, which is very likely! So, enjoy the pictures! I`m off to the bath house, once again!
Love always, Sailor Katie :)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Yes, we`re still in Okinawa!
Well, after staying an extra day because we had to wait for a part to arrive for the boat, we have decided to stay an extra few days because of the terrible weather in the East China Sea! Skipper has been checking the weather several times a day, constantly, and it may be getting better by tomorrow (Saturday, February 9th), so as of now we are planning to leave then. But the 30-ft seas and gale-force winds are very unappealing, so we will leave only when it`s safe to do so, for everyone! That`s just fine by me, and by everyone else, too! We are just trying to keep ourselves busy and occupied with different forms of entertainment to pass the time. We play cards, lots of games, singing, internet, going out to eat, and lots of "last-minute" trips to the bath house! It`s my new favourite place to go and thing to do! Canada should really get bath houses! I even got a nice salt scrub and back massage from a nice, sweet old lady in one of the saunas! I have had some sushi, too, while we have been here, although Okinawa does not have traditional Japanese cuisine. They have their own, traditional Okinawan foods, with a large Chinese influence (noodle, rice, meat dishes). So it is actually difficult to find sushi anywhere, but we found a few places. I am looking forward to getting to mainland Japan and having all the sushi places immaginable available! But first, we have to get to China! I am still really excited to be going to Shanghai, but I don`t want to have to go through that nasty weather that`s just to the west of us. I am having a great time, still, and enjoying all there is to enjoy on this island.
I hope everyone is doing well back home. I miss all of you so much, and I am thinking of you all constantly! I do love you all, and I am continuing to pray for you in all your different areas of life! Thank you all so much for all your letters, messages, thoughts, support, and prayers!
Love always, Sailor Katie :)
P.S. Matt, I love you. I KNOW you know I love you! Enjoy your fourth and final year of your Carpentry Apprenticeship, and I will see you not long after you are done (only 2 months, approximately)! I love you, Matthew Wayne MacDonald, and I am always thinking of you! ;)
I hope everyone is doing well back home. I miss all of you so much, and I am thinking of you all constantly! I do love you all, and I am continuing to pray for you in all your different areas of life! Thank you all so much for all your letters, messages, thoughts, support, and prayers!
Love always, Sailor Katie :)
P.S. Matt, I love you. I KNOW you know I love you! Enjoy your fourth and final year of your Carpentry Apprenticeship, and I will see you not long after you are done (only 2 months, approximately)! I love you, Matthew Wayne MacDonald, and I am always thinking of you! ;)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Address for our Port in Japan!
Just to let anyone know - if any of you are interested - I now have the address to our port agent in Osaka, Japan, for the end of Leg 5! If you Fedex from Victoria/Vancouver, it will arrive within 3-5 business days. Otherwise, if it`s "snail mail" it will take approximately 4 weeks. No big deal, since we will be in Osaka until March 20th! So, here it is:
Katie Neale, Pacific Grace
c/o Waldron Norton Lilly Intl Osaka (Branch)
Heisei Shopping Agencies Ltd.
Wakasugi Grand Bldg 3F
5-25 Tenjinbanshi 2-Chome
There you go! I apologize for keeping this post short, but I have to get back to my laundry and finish that before I head over the the Japanese Bath House, again, for the second time while I`m here in Okinawa! It`s fantastic! I love it! I will have to make another visit when we get to mainland Japan next month! They are so wonderful! I think North America should get some!
Everything is going well. I went to the World`s largest aquarium up the island today, and saw amazing fish - including the world`s largest fish: 3 whale sharks! SO COOL! We are planning on leaving tomorrow, but no promises. We may stay an extra day due to weather and waiting on supplies for the boat.
I hope everyone is doing well! Thank you all for your comments, thoughts, and prayers! I miss you all and I am thinking of all of you! Can`t wait to see everyone in June!
Love always, Sailor Katie ;)
Katie Neale, Pacific Grace
c/o Waldron Norton Lilly Intl Osaka (Branch)
Heisei Shopping Agencies Ltd.
Wakasugi Grand Bldg 3F
5-25 Tenjinbanshi 2-Chome
There you go! I apologize for keeping this post short, but I have to get back to my laundry and finish that before I head over the the Japanese Bath House, again, for the second time while I`m here in Okinawa! It`s fantastic! I love it! I will have to make another visit when we get to mainland Japan next month! They are so wonderful! I think North America should get some!
Everything is going well. I went to the World`s largest aquarium up the island today, and saw amazing fish - including the world`s largest fish: 3 whale sharks! SO COOL! We are planning on leaving tomorrow, but no promises. We may stay an extra day due to weather and waiting on supplies for the boat.
I hope everyone is doing well! Thank you all for your comments, thoughts, and prayers! I miss you all and I am thinking of all of you! Can`t wait to see everyone in June!
Love always, Sailor Katie ;)
Friday, February 1, 2008
Konichiwa from Japan!
We made it to Okinawa! After an 8-day sail we arrived in the city of Naha on the morning of January 31st. It took the most part of the day to get checked in, so none of us were able to get off the boat until dinner-time, but then we ate dinner and I went to bed shortly after then. I made the mistake of play-fighting with Jose in the Aft Cabin right before dinner, and I was practicing my kick-boxing moves on him. But he just picked me up and flipped me upside down. So I kicked him in the face (by accident, since my feet were closer to his head). Then he put me down, and Skipper suggested I hit him hard - I need to be tougher! So, I did the natural thing. No, I didn`t turn the other cheek; I wound up and gave him the hardest right hook I could muster! (As the youngest child of 4, and having an older brother who would constantly play-fight with me, toughen me up, and teach me new moves, I have a hard time not fighting back). Anyway, I must have done something wrong, because everyone heard the crack, of my fist against his shoulder, and it`s been hurting ever since! Suffice to say, I went to bed early that first night in Japan, after taking a few ibuprofin, icing my wrist, and trying to get comfortable and fall asleep. But it was still painful in the morning! So, after struggling through making breakfast and lunch - Karen helped - Sarah took me to the hospital to get an x-ray. This was my first experience of Japan! What a wonderful country! Everyone is so nice and kind, and very helpful and understanding, particularly to us foreigners! It`s great being in Japan, but there is still an American influence here, due to the fact that they still have a big Navy base here on the island, and we saw a U.S. chopper, battleship, jet, and another boat as we were coming into the harbour! But it is definitely a big culture change from the South Pacific! It`s wonderful! I really am enjoying this country! Of course, they do have the signature McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, and some other American establishments, but they have so many different stores I have never seen before, which made it all worthwhile! Japan is a wonderful country, full of efficient and effective ways of running things (smaller, less-polluting cars, automatic escalators that turn on right before you step on, and off when you get off), and no garbage anywhere! Japan is just so far ahead of the rest of the world in technology, ideas of how to prevent pollution and garbage, and so much more! And they are so clean! Everywhere we go is so tidy and neat, and I think they have the upper-hand on health and eating right, too, with all the fish they eat and less fast food restaurants (I have yet to see an overweight Japanese person). Anyway, after getting some Yen out of the ATM (the local currency here; 100Yen is equal to about $1 Canadian), Sarah and I got dropped off at the Hospital. We talked to a lovely woman who spoke English (they found someone who could translate for us - how sweet!), but the orthopedic area didn`t have an opening until 2pm - which was too late for me as I had to be back on the boat to start dinner. So, she directed us to a clinic where we walked to and I got the x-ray. It`s not broken! YAY! I just have to wear a splint and keep it wrapped up for 2 weeks! That is really unfortunate! I can`t lift things, or write very well, and it`s just a pain in the butt! I find it really debilitating and annoying - a real nuisance! But I`ll be fine. It will just take a while to get better, but I can be patient and deal with it. But other than that, I have really enjoyed Japan! It`s a wonderful country, and I am getting really excited to be going to Hiroshima and Osaka next month! But first Shanghai! We will be here until about February 5th, and then we will leave for China, which will be a 2-3 day passage. But the East China Sea has been very rough weather as of late, so it will be a bit of a challenging trip, or so I think. But this is what makes the experience so grande and amazing! It really is an exciting and amazing trip, and I am so incredibly blessed and fortunate in so many ways! I am doing well, and enjoying myself, and I am really looking forward to all the things and places ahead that we will see and explore! Japan is my new favourite country! But still, there`s no place like home! Oh, Canada! I love you!
Take care, everyone! Thank you everyone for all your messages, emails, prayers, support, and best wishes! I love you all so much, and I do miss you terribly! I can`t wait to see you all again!
I love you and miss you so much, Matt! Take care of yourself, keep busy, and enjoy the rest of the season! It will be spring soon, and I will be home before you know it! The end of this Spring! It`s coming up! I`m so exciting!
Love always, Sailor Katie ;)
Take care, everyone! Thank you everyone for all your messages, emails, prayers, support, and best wishes! I love you all so much, and I do miss you terribly! I can`t wait to see you all again!
I love you and miss you so much, Matt! Take care of yourself, keep busy, and enjoy the rest of the season! It will be spring soon, and I will be home before you know it! The end of this Spring! It`s coming up! I`m so exciting!
Love always, Sailor Katie ;)
Monday, January 21, 2008
Guam, God Bless America!
Well, here we are, halfway around the world, and in the United States of America! Yes, that's right, Guam is owned by the U.S.A. and it certainly shows! After nearly 7 full months of sailing around the South Pacific, and seeing small, remote villages, people living in huts, under thatched roofs, and not seeing a commercial city or town for a very long time, Guam seems like "the land of promise" for all of us onboard the Pacific Grace. It took us almost a week to travel to Guam from Chuuk, Micronesia (our first stop after leaving Madang, PNG in the beginning of January), and although it's only about 1200nm from Chuuk, Guam is so drastically different, that we may as well be on mainland North America, or rather Hawaii (as the two are more similar than the States itself). But I have certainly enjoyed Guam, since Gillian and I have been able to find everything and anything we could ever want or need here, in terms of groceries for the boat! It's incredible! Fresh fruit and vegetables that are so big and bright and juicy looking, huge cans, cheese, eggs, meat, EVERYTHING! They even have a Cost-U-Less here, which is like a Costco, as well as many other supermarkets and grocery stores, and of course the typical shopping centers, movie theatres, and main Hotel strip right by the water. It's very touristy in this city, and mainly populated by U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, Japanese tourists, and then the people that live in Guam (many have come from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China). So, we are definitely a very small minority here, as white people, which isn't that out-of-the-ordinary from our previous 7 months of travel, but it is weird being in America, and barely seeing any Americans.
Anyway, it has been a wonderful 5 days here, but all I have really done is shopping, mostly for groceries, which can get a bit exhuasting after a while, especially after having to stow everything every day. But the car rental is a real bonus! Gillian and I rented an Outlander for 3 days, and that has allowed us to drive all over, pick up groceries, and cart everything back to the boat. Nice and easy! It's awesome! We have also had a bit of time on our own, to go see a few movies (National Treasure 2 and The Bucket List), as well as do some personal shopping and visit the spa! (Waxing, facials, and pedicures!) I really needed those! I feel like a girl again! But everything here is really expensive, and I will be glad to be out on the Ocean again, probably by Wednesday early morning (Jan. 23rd), and then we are sailing to Okinawa, before heading into Shanghai! I am so excited for that! I have been most looking forward to China and Japan, and this Leg has definitely proven to be the best in terms of places we get to visit. It is amazing at how far we've travelled, and all the amazing people we have met and places we've been, and things we've done! Really, it IS the trip of a lifetime, with experiences that I will never forget! And there is still more to come!
Well, I am happy that Guam has late-night high-speed, humongous internet places (open until 3am!), as well as grocery stores open 24/7, and laundromats open until 10pm! (Gillian, Sarah, and I just finished doing our laundry.) It's too bad that I have to be back on the boat by 1am; our curfew time. But that's fine, as I have to be up by 5:30 to start breakfast. It's Noah Anderson's 10th birthday tomorrow, and I am going to make a big meal of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. We have been very lucky with being able to get fresh food for all our meals, and so I have enjoyed being in port because of that. I am really looking forward to the markets in China, and being able to just walk down the street and buy any fresh food item I want! How pleasantly convenient! Oh, the luxuries we so take for granted back home, but that I'm coming to really appreciate out here!
I am doing well, and enjoying the cooler temperatures (very nice to sleep up on deck while we're at dock, except for the loud, noisy generator that the neighbouring fishing boat has on 24hours a day to keep their fish frozen). I guess it will only continue to get colder from here, but it is still as hot as the hottest summer day in Canada, and I am wearing shorts and tank tops all day long, even at night! So, it is still quite warm over here, however breezy and rainy it may get.
I love and miss you all so much, and I think about you very often! I hope you are all doing well, and enjoying a lovely winter back home. (I saw a picture of the snowfall in Vancouver - incredible!) I miss that! Be safe, and have a wonderful time working, going to school, skiing/snowboarding, and just enjoying the rest of winter!
I love you, Matt! But I'm sure you already knew that! I miss you too! That's equally as obvious. I can't wait to see you!!!
Love always,
Sailor Katie :)
Anyway, it has been a wonderful 5 days here, but all I have really done is shopping, mostly for groceries, which can get a bit exhuasting after a while, especially after having to stow everything every day. But the car rental is a real bonus! Gillian and I rented an Outlander for 3 days, and that has allowed us to drive all over, pick up groceries, and cart everything back to the boat. Nice and easy! It's awesome! We have also had a bit of time on our own, to go see a few movies (National Treasure 2 and The Bucket List), as well as do some personal shopping and visit the spa! (Waxing, facials, and pedicures!) I really needed those! I feel like a girl again! But everything here is really expensive, and I will be glad to be out on the Ocean again, probably by Wednesday early morning (Jan. 23rd), and then we are sailing to Okinawa, before heading into Shanghai! I am so excited for that! I have been most looking forward to China and Japan, and this Leg has definitely proven to be the best in terms of places we get to visit. It is amazing at how far we've travelled, and all the amazing people we have met and places we've been, and things we've done! Really, it IS the trip of a lifetime, with experiences that I will never forget! And there is still more to come!
Well, I am happy that Guam has late-night high-speed, humongous internet places (open until 3am!), as well as grocery stores open 24/7, and laundromats open until 10pm! (Gillian, Sarah, and I just finished doing our laundry.) It's too bad that I have to be back on the boat by 1am; our curfew time. But that's fine, as I have to be up by 5:30 to start breakfast. It's Noah Anderson's 10th birthday tomorrow, and I am going to make a big meal of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. We have been very lucky with being able to get fresh food for all our meals, and so I have enjoyed being in port because of that. I am really looking forward to the markets in China, and being able to just walk down the street and buy any fresh food item I want! How pleasantly convenient! Oh, the luxuries we so take for granted back home, but that I'm coming to really appreciate out here!
I am doing well, and enjoying the cooler temperatures (very nice to sleep up on deck while we're at dock, except for the loud, noisy generator that the neighbouring fishing boat has on 24hours a day to keep their fish frozen). I guess it will only continue to get colder from here, but it is still as hot as the hottest summer day in Canada, and I am wearing shorts and tank tops all day long, even at night! So, it is still quite warm over here, however breezy and rainy it may get.
I love and miss you all so much, and I think about you very often! I hope you are all doing well, and enjoying a lovely winter back home. (I saw a picture of the snowfall in Vancouver - incredible!) I miss that! Be safe, and have a wonderful time working, going to school, skiing/snowboarding, and just enjoying the rest of winter!
I love you, Matt! But I'm sure you already knew that! I miss you too! That's equally as obvious. I can't wait to see you!!!
Love always,
Sailor Katie :)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Happy New Year, Welcome to Micronesia!
And Merry Christmas too, everyone! Thank you all so much for your lovely messages on my blog, and for the letters and gifts I received in the mail in Madang! They all mean so much to me, and I love getting to read notes and letters from everyone! That's all I get out here, and it means the world to me! So thank you! (Matt, I didn't get your package, so hopefully when it arrives they will forward it to China, or Japan!)
I know it's been a long time since I last updated (way too long - I'm sorry), but now I have so much to tell you! Papua New Guinea (PNG) was fantastic, although the internet availability there was just as poor as I imagined it to be, which is why I haven't been able to check my emails and post a blog in over two months! But here I am now, sitting comfortably in a private room at the "Truk Stop Hotel" in Chuuk (pronounced "Truk"), which is a group of Islands in Micronesia.
Rewind a few months: We left the Solomons in mid-November, and arrived safely in PNG, where we enjoyed a month and a half motoring around the islands, and ending in Madang on December 14th, where we spend a week shopping, working, preparing for Christmas, and then left the dock to anchor at a quiet little bay to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas, and Boxing Day, away from the "city". It was a lovely Christmas - by far the hottest one yet (it was up to 52 degrees Celsius!), but we all enjoyed swimming, snorkeling, and water sports during those days out on the water. It was very busy and tiring - all you Mothers can imagine cooking for 37 people, and such big meals for the holidays! But it was all worth it, and we had a great time, as a family on board the Pacific Grace for Christmas. There were times when some of us missed home and our families and friends, but as long as we realized where we were, and that we're all there together, we were able to encourage each other and lift eachother up. I am, however, very glad the holidays are over, and we have started a new year! We arrived back in Madang in time for Leg 4 trainees to disembark, had two wonderfully relaxing days off at the Madang Resort Hotel (in our air-conditioned room!) and then were back on the boat by December 31st to welcome on new Leg 5 trainees, and begin a new leg and a new, completely different, phase of Offshore, in the New Year 2008!
It was a great start to a new leg, with the first night being New Year's Eve, and we tried to make it as festive as we could; I made pizza for dinner, and then had snacks for everyone for a little "midnight party" (chips, pop, popcorn, nuts, and cookies). Karen and Sarah made New Year's crowns for everyone - blue, pink, and green - and each of us got noise makers, so we rang in the New Year as best as we could. We saw a little bit of "fireworks" from the other boats (they all lit off their flares), and we sounded our boat horn as a party boat motored by us. It was fun to know that we were one of the first time zones in the world to ring in the New Year, marking the end of my shortest year ever (we lost a day crossing the Date Line), and the start of my longest year to come (2008 is a leap year, plus we gain a whole day when we cross the Date Line again, on Leg 6).
We just spent a week on the open ocean, sailing to Micronesia from PNG (yes, that's right, we have actually been able to sail for the first time in over 2 months! We hadn't had any wind since Vanuatu!) It was lovely sailing weather, and although many people got seasick on the first night out on the water, everyone got over it pretty quickly, and got their "sea legs". Hopefully it won't be too much worse on our long passage to China (from Guam, through Okinawa, and then to Shanghai). I have heard that will be the worst sailing weather that we will go through, in terms of weather, so I will be relieved once we get through that. But I am mostly excited to get to China and Japan. I have been most looking forward to those two places ever since I found out about this Offshore trip, and now we are finally coming up to them! It is so amazing! Forget about digging holes - I'm sailing on a boat to China! It will be so different after 7-8 months in the South Pacific Islands, in such small communities, to be arriving on mainland China, where the culture there is so rich in comparison, and such a big city, on the biggest continent, such different people, lifestyles, etc...! I am really excited for it all, and I am reading "Red China Blues", by Jan Wong, just to get accquainted with a bit of Chinese History before we arrive. I am also hoping to learn a bit of the Chinese language from Gillian (as she was in China in the summer of 2006) and Japanese from Jordan (who lived in Japan for nearly a year on a student exchange in his grade 10 year). It is an added bonus to have their Asian knowledge and expertise on board, and I hope it will help me when I go to the markets to buy food, and shop and look around the cities! We are also planning two 1-week trips to Beijing by train, to stay in China's capital, and to climb the Great Wall! I hope that all works out. We are hoping to do it in two different groups, so half the crew and trainees can stay on the boat for one week (I will cook straight for one week), and then we switch for the second week. We are hoping to arrive in Shanghai in time for Chinese New Year (February 7th), but as our schedule is so prone to change, and our arrival depends on weather, we will just have to wait and see. We may be there for 2-3 weeks if everything goes according to plan.
As of now, we will be in Micronesia probably only for 1 or 2 more days, perhaps leave sometime on the weekend and head up North to Guam, which is a few more days' sail away. We have all been looking forward to Guam for quite some time now, as it is American, so we can use U.S. currency (which is what Micronesia deals in as well!), and we can actually find recognizable items, such as yogurt (possibly?!), normal meats, good cheese, produces, apples, oranges, etc...! Already in Chuuk, we have seen brand names such as DeGiorno (a few of the guys bought a pizza yesterday), Doritoes, Minute Maid, Cheerios, and cans bigger than 425ml!!!!! Oh, man! The things we miss when we're away from home! Maybe Gillian and I will finaly be able to open only 1 or 2 3-kg cans for dinner, instead of 15-20 miniature-sized ones! It's a tough life out here...sometimes.
So, that is all exciting, to see some things we recognize from home, but I shouldn't get used to it. After all, we are heading to China and Japan, where I won't even be able to read labels. Oh well, that's all part of the experience, and I am really looking forward to it! Apparently, according to Gillian, the food markets in China are incredible, and I have only seen the most amazing pictures of Shanghai at nighttime, so I am really looking forward to actually being there and experiencing it! So much history in that city! AND, that's where Mission: Impossible III was filmed! Alright!
There's not much else I can tell you, other than I'm doing well, I'm feeling good, I have a new focus and a fresh outlook for this year and the remainder of Offshore, I am feeling more challenged in my role as cook, and I feel even more encouraged in my job onboard the boat as a crew member and facilitator of the SALTS program, to serve others as Christ serves us, and to challenge them in their lives. I had a fabulous conversation with Skipper, just to recap the first half of Offshore, and it really renewed my vision and my purpose for why I'm out here, doing what I am doing. I feel better prepared and I have more energy and purpose for doing a great job and being there for others. Ever since that conversation, I have had the most amazing interactions with some of the trainees on board, and I am really looking forward to the remainder of this Leg - the longest Leg of Offshore, at 79 days! Also, I am counting down the days until we get to Osaka, Japan (our final destination of Leg 5), as that is where Jeff, my brother, is coming to meet us! (Karen ends her contract with SALTS then, and so Jeff is flying out to meet her there and they're going to travel around Asia together). I am so excited to see him and I am counting down the days until I get to see him! Only 68 days left! But I don't want those days to go by too quickly, because they are the last days with Karen, and it will be a sad day when she leaves. But then I get to say Hello to Jeff and some new trainees, and that is always new and exciting! Everything in it's own time...
So, until then, I will continue to enjoy myself and be challenged in my role on board. I remember why I'm here (it's not for me, this is a service for others, and I am here for them), and I feel much for confident and comfortable with that in mind! It is a great opportunity, and I feel very blessed and fortunate to be a part of such a wonderful and amazing program! Guam, Okinawa, Shanghai, Beijing, Osaka, here we come! That's it! Then it's all smooth sailing home - through Hawaii, where we've already been! Wow! A full circle of the Pacific! That's almost hard to believe! But we've done it. Well, we're doing it! And it's great. I am continuing to learn something every day, and I am always being challenged and having something added to my life in a beneficial and most enriching way! This trip is definately teaching me patience, perseverance, self-sacrifice, and time management, even more so than before! God is good, and I owe him all the credit! The people are amazing, and I honestly can say that I would not be able to do this trip without them, nor without such an amazing crew!
Thank you, everyone, for all your love, support, prayers, and thoughts! I am feeling your love out here, and I can't wait until we are all united again! Only 5 more months - less than halfway! I am so excited! I love you all soo much, and I miss you more than you know (Matt, you the most!)
Love and kisses to everyone back home! See you in June!
Love always, Sailor Katie :)
I know it's been a long time since I last updated (way too long - I'm sorry), but now I have so much to tell you! Papua New Guinea (PNG) was fantastic, although the internet availability there was just as poor as I imagined it to be, which is why I haven't been able to check my emails and post a blog in over two months! But here I am now, sitting comfortably in a private room at the "Truk Stop Hotel" in Chuuk (pronounced "Truk"), which is a group of Islands in Micronesia.
Rewind a few months: We left the Solomons in mid-November, and arrived safely in PNG, where we enjoyed a month and a half motoring around the islands, and ending in Madang on December 14th, where we spend a week shopping, working, preparing for Christmas, and then left the dock to anchor at a quiet little bay to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas, and Boxing Day, away from the "city". It was a lovely Christmas - by far the hottest one yet (it was up to 52 degrees Celsius!), but we all enjoyed swimming, snorkeling, and water sports during those days out on the water. It was very busy and tiring - all you Mothers can imagine cooking for 37 people, and such big meals for the holidays! But it was all worth it, and we had a great time, as a family on board the Pacific Grace for Christmas. There were times when some of us missed home and our families and friends, but as long as we realized where we were, and that we're all there together, we were able to encourage each other and lift eachother up. I am, however, very glad the holidays are over, and we have started a new year! We arrived back in Madang in time for Leg 4 trainees to disembark, had two wonderfully relaxing days off at the Madang Resort Hotel (in our air-conditioned room!) and then were back on the boat by December 31st to welcome on new Leg 5 trainees, and begin a new leg and a new, completely different, phase of Offshore, in the New Year 2008!
It was a great start to a new leg, with the first night being New Year's Eve, and we tried to make it as festive as we could; I made pizza for dinner, and then had snacks for everyone for a little "midnight party" (chips, pop, popcorn, nuts, and cookies). Karen and Sarah made New Year's crowns for everyone - blue, pink, and green - and each of us got noise makers, so we rang in the New Year as best as we could. We saw a little bit of "fireworks" from the other boats (they all lit off their flares), and we sounded our boat horn as a party boat motored by us. It was fun to know that we were one of the first time zones in the world to ring in the New Year, marking the end of my shortest year ever (we lost a day crossing the Date Line), and the start of my longest year to come (2008 is a leap year, plus we gain a whole day when we cross the Date Line again, on Leg 6).
We just spent a week on the open ocean, sailing to Micronesia from PNG (yes, that's right, we have actually been able to sail for the first time in over 2 months! We hadn't had any wind since Vanuatu!) It was lovely sailing weather, and although many people got seasick on the first night out on the water, everyone got over it pretty quickly, and got their "sea legs". Hopefully it won't be too much worse on our long passage to China (from Guam, through Okinawa, and then to Shanghai). I have heard that will be the worst sailing weather that we will go through, in terms of weather, so I will be relieved once we get through that. But I am mostly excited to get to China and Japan. I have been most looking forward to those two places ever since I found out about this Offshore trip, and now we are finally coming up to them! It is so amazing! Forget about digging holes - I'm sailing on a boat to China! It will be so different after 7-8 months in the South Pacific Islands, in such small communities, to be arriving on mainland China, where the culture there is so rich in comparison, and such a big city, on the biggest continent, such different people, lifestyles, etc...! I am really excited for it all, and I am reading "Red China Blues", by Jan Wong, just to get accquainted with a bit of Chinese History before we arrive. I am also hoping to learn a bit of the Chinese language from Gillian (as she was in China in the summer of 2006) and Japanese from Jordan (who lived in Japan for nearly a year on a student exchange in his grade 10 year). It is an added bonus to have their Asian knowledge and expertise on board, and I hope it will help me when I go to the markets to buy food, and shop and look around the cities! We are also planning two 1-week trips to Beijing by train, to stay in China's capital, and to climb the Great Wall! I hope that all works out. We are hoping to do it in two different groups, so half the crew and trainees can stay on the boat for one week (I will cook straight for one week), and then we switch for the second week. We are hoping to arrive in Shanghai in time for Chinese New Year (February 7th), but as our schedule is so prone to change, and our arrival depends on weather, we will just have to wait and see. We may be there for 2-3 weeks if everything goes according to plan.
As of now, we will be in Micronesia probably only for 1 or 2 more days, perhaps leave sometime on the weekend and head up North to Guam, which is a few more days' sail away. We have all been looking forward to Guam for quite some time now, as it is American, so we can use U.S. currency (which is what Micronesia deals in as well!), and we can actually find recognizable items, such as yogurt (possibly?!), normal meats, good cheese, produces, apples, oranges, etc...! Already in Chuuk, we have seen brand names such as DeGiorno (a few of the guys bought a pizza yesterday), Doritoes, Minute Maid, Cheerios, and cans bigger than 425ml!!!!! Oh, man! The things we miss when we're away from home! Maybe Gillian and I will finaly be able to open only 1 or 2 3-kg cans for dinner, instead of 15-20 miniature-sized ones! It's a tough life out here...sometimes.
So, that is all exciting, to see some things we recognize from home, but I shouldn't get used to it. After all, we are heading to China and Japan, where I won't even be able to read labels. Oh well, that's all part of the experience, and I am really looking forward to it! Apparently, according to Gillian, the food markets in China are incredible, and I have only seen the most amazing pictures of Shanghai at nighttime, so I am really looking forward to actually being there and experiencing it! So much history in that city! AND, that's where Mission: Impossible III was filmed! Alright!
There's not much else I can tell you, other than I'm doing well, I'm feeling good, I have a new focus and a fresh outlook for this year and the remainder of Offshore, I am feeling more challenged in my role as cook, and I feel even more encouraged in my job onboard the boat as a crew member and facilitator of the SALTS program, to serve others as Christ serves us, and to challenge them in their lives. I had a fabulous conversation with Skipper, just to recap the first half of Offshore, and it really renewed my vision and my purpose for why I'm out here, doing what I am doing. I feel better prepared and I have more energy and purpose for doing a great job and being there for others. Ever since that conversation, I have had the most amazing interactions with some of the trainees on board, and I am really looking forward to the remainder of this Leg - the longest Leg of Offshore, at 79 days! Also, I am counting down the days until we get to Osaka, Japan (our final destination of Leg 5), as that is where Jeff, my brother, is coming to meet us! (Karen ends her contract with SALTS then, and so Jeff is flying out to meet her there and they're going to travel around Asia together). I am so excited to see him and I am counting down the days until I get to see him! Only 68 days left! But I don't want those days to go by too quickly, because they are the last days with Karen, and it will be a sad day when she leaves. But then I get to say Hello to Jeff and some new trainees, and that is always new and exciting! Everything in it's own time...
So, until then, I will continue to enjoy myself and be challenged in my role on board. I remember why I'm here (it's not for me, this is a service for others, and I am here for them), and I feel much for confident and comfortable with that in mind! It is a great opportunity, and I feel very blessed and fortunate to be a part of such a wonderful and amazing program! Guam, Okinawa, Shanghai, Beijing, Osaka, here we come! That's it! Then it's all smooth sailing home - through Hawaii, where we've already been! Wow! A full circle of the Pacific! That's almost hard to believe! But we've done it. Well, we're doing it! And it's great. I am continuing to learn something every day, and I am always being challenged and having something added to my life in a beneficial and most enriching way! This trip is definately teaching me patience, perseverance, self-sacrifice, and time management, even more so than before! God is good, and I owe him all the credit! The people are amazing, and I honestly can say that I would not be able to do this trip without them, nor without such an amazing crew!
Thank you, everyone, for all your love, support, prayers, and thoughts! I am feeling your love out here, and I can't wait until we are all united again! Only 5 more months - less than halfway! I am so excited! I love you all soo much, and I miss you more than you know (Matt, you the most!)
Love and kisses to everyone back home! See you in June!
Love always, Sailor Katie :)
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Vanuatu to the Solomon Islands
WOW! Almost a whole month has gone by since my last blog! My, how time flies - well, out here anyway, sometimes. Since leaving Fiji (which I miss so dearly and would love to return to one day), we spent a little over a week in the Islands of Vanuatu (lovely people, with very beautiful features, dark skin, and the most incredibly white and straight teeth I have ever seen - and no braces or dental care either)! The most memorable day in Vanuatu would have to be on the Island of Ambrym, where we saw a traditional Rom dance in the small village of Fanla, the boys went on a pig hunt with the locals (and got 3 pigs - one of which Karen killed by wacking it with a spear. I couldn't watch), and we had a wonderful beach dinner, complete with a real pig roast right there on the shore in front of where our boat was anchored with some of the village people (I know that sounds weird, but lets not think of Men dancing around singing YMCA just now). I met some of the young girls who were preparing our dinner and helped them set up by cutting up the vegetables and laying them all out on banana leaves on palm fronds on the sand. We feasted on taro, sweet potato, cucumbers, sweet bananas (the mini ones), coconuts, and - of course - pig, although I declined eating any of it. But I learned my lesson, and that is to stay away from the cocount cream that they put on some of the vegetables, and to not have too much coconut milk or meat (although it is really tasty)!
We finished our tour of the Vanuatu Islands by the end of October, and celebrated Halloween onboard with a fun dress up party, complete with trick-or-treating, prizes, and best costume laughs (there are many pictures, hopefully Jose will post those). We entered into the Solomons by the beginning of November, and checked into customs in Honiara, Guadalcanal, which is the capital of the Solomons. It was by far the dirtiest and "sketchiest" place we have ever been, and after being there for a couple of days, to pick up some supplies, food, and get fresh water showers, we were out of there as quickly as possible, on to more remote islands, and quiet, paradise bays! We motored onto Gizo, where I am now, and on the way stopped at a tiny Island where we went snorkeling, swimming, walked around the small Island, played volleyball, frisbee, football, and some of the guys went spear fishing. The weather continues to get hotter every day, and - if you can imagine - I think the stove is too! I must be losing weight, purely by all the sweating I'm doing! But I drink tons of water too, so I probably just gain the water weight back! I haven't seen any sharks yet, but after snorkeling today in the murkiest water, full of "floaties" and small undetected jellies (I got lots of small stings on my arms and legs, that have since disappeared) I am quite glad I didn't come across any jaws-like characters! Swimming in water that is dark and where I can't see below me or even know what is underneath me is scary enough! I still have to have someone jump in the water with me whenever I take a shower or go swimming. I need to get over that fear! But if there's any chance that someone else will get attacked before me, then I'll take it. Ha ha ha. Just kidding, Mom! It's totally safe! I'm fine, besides, I only have to swim faster than just one person, right? I also try to wear bright colours and my red mask and snorkel to make myself look most unlike any type of sea prey.
The Solomons have been wonderful so far, by the people are nowhere near as friendly as Fijians, or the people of Vanuatu, especially in the villages! They all chew this awful Betelnut stuff, which rots and stains their teeth red, and you see red splotches all over the ground from where they spit it out. Smoking and chewing are very bad habits down here, but I guess every place has it's "thing". I enjoy the swimming, snorkeling, hanging out on the boat, swinging off the ropeswing, and the occaissional venture to land, that is a quiet tiny Island where there are no people, and I can walk around the Island and dig my feet into the soft, white sand! It's heavenly! I never imagined the Solomons to be like this!
I am learning so much about their cultures down here; we visited "Skull Island", where they used to bring the heads of their dead chiefs and worship them there in the altar/grave they created for them. There were literally hundreds of skulls, but I didn't take any pictures (I felt it was a sacred place and it is a tomb, and very special to the people their). But I will never forget it. I was particularly interested in how old they were (over 100 years or more), and I enjoyed looking at the bone structures and analyzing the biology and how intact or severely broken many of the skulls were. It was really neat to see my memory of University Bio classes coming back into play at such a far away place in the world (Frontal lob, occipital lobe, etc...)! I miss that so much!
This morning we snorkeled/swam to Kennedy Island, which is aptly named after the late J.F.K., who swam to this tiny Island back in the 40s (or 50s?) when his famous U.S. boat (P.T. 109) was hit broadside by a Japanese war ship, by fluke. It was very cool to be on that Island, so small, knowing that 60 years ago JFK himself was here, and to read about and learn of WWII and how that affected the people here, what was going on, how the Japanese, Australians, Solomon Islanders, Americans, and South Pacific Islands were all involved! It's so great to learn about that time in our world's history, and to see and read about the places first hand! This experience is just so much more grander than I ever thought possible! The reading material is never short, either, on the boat!
Well, my time is almost done here, and tonight we are all invited to a live music and dance party at the yacht club, where food and drinks are cheaper for us (as honorary members) as well as laundry and showers! YAY! I already dropped my laundry off, and I will be taking a shower before dinner! VERY exciting! They have ice cold, bottled water, which is fantastic, and I am just happy to have some fresh vegetables again! Gillian and I did a bit of shopping today in "town" (Gizo) and the market, but we couldn't find eggs anywhere! It's a rare commodity here, and apparently when then come, they are sold very quickly! Oh dear, I guess it will be fruit salad and porridge tomorrow morning...which is fine with me, I love that!
Unfortunately, they don't have Skype here, or the headsets to use it anyway, so I apologize for not being able to call anyone (Matt, Mom and Dad, Amy, Jeff, EM, Jamie and Judy), but I hope you can all read this and know that I am doing well, having a good time, and enjoying myself. I am safe, tanned, and happy - when I'm not terribly homesick (I cried last night). But I am loving all that we get to do and see, and the interactions we have with others and with trainees are irreplaceable! I don't regret a single thing!
Time is going by quickly, and I am trying to make the best of each moment! I think of all of you back home very often, and I am thinking of you and praying for you, especially during this time as the Fall semester comes close to the end and exams begin, the holidays are fast approaching, the weather is no doubt getting colder, and the end of another year is ending. I hope that you are all doing well, and enjoying life, wherever you may be! I love you all, and miss you very much!
Love you and miss you, Matt! Take care, and I hope to talk to you soon! Maybe when we get to PNG, but I don't know what the internet situation will be like there either. I will try my best! I'm thinking of you and praying for you constantly! Have a great time in Edmonton for Dan and Nicholine's wedding! I wish I could be there! Give them my best wishes and please tell them I say congratulations! Say a big hello to all of your family for me too, please!
Love always, Sailor Katie
We finished our tour of the Vanuatu Islands by the end of October, and celebrated Halloween onboard with a fun dress up party, complete with trick-or-treating, prizes, and best costume laughs (there are many pictures, hopefully Jose will post those). We entered into the Solomons by the beginning of November, and checked into customs in Honiara, Guadalcanal, which is the capital of the Solomons. It was by far the dirtiest and "sketchiest" place we have ever been, and after being there for a couple of days, to pick up some supplies, food, and get fresh water showers, we were out of there as quickly as possible, on to more remote islands, and quiet, paradise bays! We motored onto Gizo, where I am now, and on the way stopped at a tiny Island where we went snorkeling, swimming, walked around the small Island, played volleyball, frisbee, football, and some of the guys went spear fishing. The weather continues to get hotter every day, and - if you can imagine - I think the stove is too! I must be losing weight, purely by all the sweating I'm doing! But I drink tons of water too, so I probably just gain the water weight back! I haven't seen any sharks yet, but after snorkeling today in the murkiest water, full of "floaties" and small undetected jellies (I got lots of small stings on my arms and legs, that have since disappeared) I am quite glad I didn't come across any jaws-like characters! Swimming in water that is dark and where I can't see below me or even know what is underneath me is scary enough! I still have to have someone jump in the water with me whenever I take a shower or go swimming. I need to get over that fear! But if there's any chance that someone else will get attacked before me, then I'll take it. Ha ha ha. Just kidding, Mom! It's totally safe! I'm fine, besides, I only have to swim faster than just one person, right? I also try to wear bright colours and my red mask and snorkel to make myself look most unlike any type of sea prey.
The Solomons have been wonderful so far, by the people are nowhere near as friendly as Fijians, or the people of Vanuatu, especially in the villages! They all chew this awful Betelnut stuff, which rots and stains their teeth red, and you see red splotches all over the ground from where they spit it out. Smoking and chewing are very bad habits down here, but I guess every place has it's "thing". I enjoy the swimming, snorkeling, hanging out on the boat, swinging off the ropeswing, and the occaissional venture to land, that is a quiet tiny Island where there are no people, and I can walk around the Island and dig my feet into the soft, white sand! It's heavenly! I never imagined the Solomons to be like this!
I am learning so much about their cultures down here; we visited "Skull Island", where they used to bring the heads of their dead chiefs and worship them there in the altar/grave they created for them. There were literally hundreds of skulls, but I didn't take any pictures (I felt it was a sacred place and it is a tomb, and very special to the people their). But I will never forget it. I was particularly interested in how old they were (over 100 years or more), and I enjoyed looking at the bone structures and analyzing the biology and how intact or severely broken many of the skulls were. It was really neat to see my memory of University Bio classes coming back into play at such a far away place in the world (Frontal lob, occipital lobe, etc...)! I miss that so much!
This morning we snorkeled/swam to Kennedy Island, which is aptly named after the late J.F.K., who swam to this tiny Island back in the 40s (or 50s?) when his famous U.S. boat (P.T. 109) was hit broadside by a Japanese war ship, by fluke. It was very cool to be on that Island, so small, knowing that 60 years ago JFK himself was here, and to read about and learn of WWII and how that affected the people here, what was going on, how the Japanese, Australians, Solomon Islanders, Americans, and South Pacific Islands were all involved! It's so great to learn about that time in our world's history, and to see and read about the places first hand! This experience is just so much more grander than I ever thought possible! The reading material is never short, either, on the boat!
Well, my time is almost done here, and tonight we are all invited to a live music and dance party at the yacht club, where food and drinks are cheaper for us (as honorary members) as well as laundry and showers! YAY! I already dropped my laundry off, and I will be taking a shower before dinner! VERY exciting! They have ice cold, bottled water, which is fantastic, and I am just happy to have some fresh vegetables again! Gillian and I did a bit of shopping today in "town" (Gizo) and the market, but we couldn't find eggs anywhere! It's a rare commodity here, and apparently when then come, they are sold very quickly! Oh dear, I guess it will be fruit salad and porridge tomorrow morning...which is fine with me, I love that!
Unfortunately, they don't have Skype here, or the headsets to use it anyway, so I apologize for not being able to call anyone (Matt, Mom and Dad, Amy, Jeff, EM, Jamie and Judy), but I hope you can all read this and know that I am doing well, having a good time, and enjoying myself. I am safe, tanned, and happy - when I'm not terribly homesick (I cried last night). But I am loving all that we get to do and see, and the interactions we have with others and with trainees are irreplaceable! I don't regret a single thing!
Time is going by quickly, and I am trying to make the best of each moment! I think of all of you back home very often, and I am thinking of you and praying for you, especially during this time as the Fall semester comes close to the end and exams begin, the holidays are fast approaching, the weather is no doubt getting colder, and the end of another year is ending. I hope that you are all doing well, and enjoying life, wherever you may be! I love you all, and miss you very much!
Love you and miss you, Matt! Take care, and I hope to talk to you soon! Maybe when we get to PNG, but I don't know what the internet situation will be like there either. I will try my best! I'm thinking of you and praying for you constantly! Have a great time in Edmonton for Dan and Nicholine's wedding! I wish I could be there! Give them my best wishes and please tell them I say congratulations! Say a big hello to all of your family for me too, please!
Love always, Sailor Katie
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