Hi everyone!
I am currently sitting on the lifejacket bench outside the galley, facing Granada
I have just come off watch. I was really lucky today, I got to go out in the MOB boat (“Zodiac”) with Sune (Chief Mate, Danish). We went out and did a round of the outside of the ship noting what work has to be done. (FYI there are some serious fender scuff marks, three cracked portholes and lots of rust streaks… this means acid washing!) Then we went closer to shore and measured depths for about an hour. We have no records on board of the depths close to shore around the bay that we are anchored in. The measuring device was a rope with a massive shackle at the end of it. There were tape markings on it for 5 and 10 meters and each mater in between. It was actually pretty cool. Dad – I had some serious Nadia-and-Dad-in-the-Zodiac flashbacks. Boating in the Caribbean is a little bit cooler though! It was actually quite a lot of work. I must have hauled ten feet of line with the shackle 40 times! When we were coming back I saw a baby sea turtle. It was pretty cool. And everyone who had to stay on deck was quite jealous…
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Before we anchored we had to take in all sail and I was aloft for about half-an hour stowing the main. I really enjoyed it because I was up long enough to get comfortable. Then I got the chance to helm while going into anchor (this is something I’ve always wanted to do). Not gonna lie, I’m pretty bad at helming, but I got lucky getting picked today and I think I’m getting better. We had chilli for lunch today. Very meaty and hot. It was pretty good. 
Now that I’ve told you about my day, here is the story of the worst night watch ever…
It all began at 2000 (I was thirty seconds late to watch… I have never been late before!) I spent my deck time hanging out with Johannes and Paul playing “Would you rather”. Okay … that was fun. Next thing I know, I’m on fire watch and on my round I see one of the boys who had just gotten out of the shower (he was fully clothed, don’t worry). What was on the counter behind him, do you ask? That’s right. THIS BOY has been using my towel FOR THE PAST FOUR MONTHS!! I was so upset. I yelled at him last night and confronted him again today. He makes me so angry sometimes! What was he thinking??? I always wonder why my towel is wet EVERY time I go to take a shower. So after my round I go and tell Johannes, Paul and Captain Halvor about this new discovery – they laugh and sympathize. Thanks! Then it’s my turn to take the helm (which was going ALL over the place and it was really hard to steer) and I slip and face plant on the aft deck. I landed on my wrist and then had to get an ice pack. It’s totally fine, but I was really embarrassed to fall in front of an AB, a mate and the Captain! (Not to mention all of watch six and Ms. McNaughton …) I laughed about it after though. It didn’t hurt, my wrist was only a little sore but I thought an ice pack would be a good idea. Finally it was time to go to bed. But, oh no, not even that can be perfect. On my way to the heads a wave fills my shoes with water. Hmph.
As much as I complain about that evening’s events, it was actually pretty funny. I will never forget that night …
As for my classes, they’re going pretty well. I’m on to unit three in French and I’m reading a play. In anthro, we are dissecting the movie Tarzan and looking at Disney’s cultural power. I’m writing an essay about the character Jane and how Disney represents women (more specifically young heroines). Chem is good too except I’ve made several small stupid mistakes in tests and assignments, but other than that I understand everything. It’s actually quite fun and it makes sense!
OH MY GOSH. I have to tell you about the craziest week ever. Let’s call it the Zombie Apocalypse Sorlandet-style. It all started when Curtis puked on standby. We though it was seasickness because the seas were rough but apparently not … The next day (IT WAS RAINING SO HARD YOU GOT SOAKED IN 2.5 SECONDS) I was on fire watch and George (First Mate, Australia/lives in New Zealand Erin volunteers to take the lookout and Allison and I being left to clean up the mess. Next thing I know, Erin is puking over the funnels. SO I find Will to take over lookout and Allison and Erin finish cleaning the mess. It was CRAZY. But, that is not all. In the next couple of days no less than 26 students and teachers were all puking into buckets, had nill energy, felt constantly nauseous and experienced bad back pain all the while. I was one of the only survivors in the plague. Everyone who wasn’t sick had to do crazy amounts of work and run the ship. It was NUTS. We did a two hour clean/sanitizing of the banjer on the first day everyone was sick. Then, we had people doing ‘sanitizing rounds’ every half hour sanitizing all the taps, railing, door handles etc on the ship. Every morning after colours all of the invalids would report to Shawn and he assigned them sleeping areas. The nest, both chat shacks and the z-zone were FULL of sick people. Every morning we re-evaluated the situation, cleaned and sanitized all of the sick areas and reassigned people depending on how bad they were feeling. The sick people were like zombies and they dropped like flies. In a bad way, it was really funny. But most of all it was just strange to sail a ship full of nearly dead people. The ones still standing joked about when they would be ‘taken by the plague’. I was SO lucky not to sick. Knock on wood! Anyways, it was all in all a crazy sail.
FYI – we brought crickets on board in the Amazon and it is SO LOUD on deck at night. We are not quite sure what to do about it.
That’s pretty much it for my life right now… I’m having a great time and living the good life. AHHHH!!!! Carribbean J It is beautiful and I can’t wait to go to shore in Granada
Love,
Nadia
Nadia