Simon Brosseau
10/26/95 aboard Concordia
Our First Storm!
Wow! Class Afloat's around the world trip is full of surprises. We have been through one for the last three days: the roughest sea we have had since we have been on the Concordia. Who could have imagined this in the Mediterranean Sea? The 'storm' started at the end of our land program on our last day in Malta. From that moment, the heavy rain began falling and two hours later we left for Crete. The sea we observed for the next three days will stay in our memory for a long time.
Before leaving the dock we had a big water fight with the rain buckets. It was great. The weather conditions continued to get worse until they were at their strongest point on the afternoon of the second day of our trip to Crete. It was really impressive. The wind was blowing between 25 to 30 knots and the waves were around 7 feet high. The bowsprit, which is the long piece of wood at the front of the ship, was sometimes diving in the water. The next morning, I was on watch from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.. The sight of the waves smashing the deck, the continuous motion of the ship, and the background of a beautiful sun rise, was so amazing that I could have stayed there, watching the sea, for hours and hours.
The grumpy sea was not beneficial for everybody, however. Many students were so seasick that they had to miss classes. With the motion of the boat and the noisy anchor continuously hitting the side of the boat, sleep was not easy to come by. Also, not being able to sail due to waves and wind coming from the opposite direction, we were moved a day behind schedule.
The challenging weather conditions were fun at the beginning, but I am looking forward to the seas calming.
Lindy Yeates
10/22/95 aboard Concordia
Malta On My Mind
On a sunny Friday we arrived in the city of Valetta, on the island of Malta. It was nothing like I had expected. We sailed into a complicated harbor which was surrounded on all sides by the yellow brick houses and fortifications of the city. All the buildings, churches, and houses were built of the same square yellow brick. It gave Valetta a real sense of unity.
The country of Malta has quite a history. Over the years it has had many different inhabitants. The British were the last to rule and were the reason Malta became a Republic. The Maltese people still drive on the left like the British do. They have their own currency called the Maltese pound, which is worth around four times the Canadian dollar (about three times the American dollar). So if you have one Canadian dollar, it is worth one-quarter of a Maltese pound.
One day we visited a Maltese school. We were shown around and it looked very similar to my school in Canada. It had the same off-white corridors lined with pictures of former students and their achievements. We then were challenged to games of soccer and basketball. The girls were not allowed to play soccer (their coach would not allow it), so I tested my skills at basketball. Both of our teams lost, but we put up a good fight - especially for a team that had never practiced together before.
That night we all went to a disco. Some of us went to dinner before and then took a taxi to a famous Maltese disco. The disco was called Axis and was enormous. It had two floors and was packed with Maltese students who were all around our age. We danced the night away to the raging beats of tech and then staggered home, tired from a great workout.
Anne Woomer
10/23/95 aboard Concordia
A Teacher’s Perspective
Academics aboard Concordia are very different from regular school, primarily because we have very few teaching days. From the teachers’ perspective, the lack of class time can be very frustrating. It is difficult for all of us, teachers and students alike, to concentrate on the days when we are approaching, entering, or leaving port. The first day out at sea after a departure is usually the hardest. Students are distracted, more tired than usual (which is a feat), and often seasick, so holding a class can be an exercise in patience and understanding.
Class Afloat students do not learn less over a school year, they simply learn differently. Each and every country that we visit becomes our classroom, as we are guided or find our own way through foreign cities, towns, and cultures. As a group we visit historical sites, cultural meccas, and areas that show us the modern life of the country. During their free time, students continue to learn by interacting with local vendors, students, and families. The only time that they stop learning, as far as I can tell, is when they enter the great international void of McDonalds to get their dose of fast food (no matter how hard we try, it happens every time...).
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