KEEPING UP WITH ANN – EPISODE V
January 7, 2003

First things first… I’ve put this email off for a long time, drafting this before Christmas, adding to it before the New Year... even until now. MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU! I feel I’ve lived almost another lifetime since the last installment of KUWA. (For those of you new to KUWA which means "Keeping Up With Ann", these are installments that I write about my life and forcibly distribute to all my friends and acquaintances – this is the alternative to the cable-access show my friends suggested I start so they can keep track of me. :) For me, I feel I’ve undergone a major change and experienced so many life-altering uplifting moments that almost can be viewed as universally, spiritual... and this can be owed to my participation in the 15th Ship for World Program (SWY) that commenced on Oct. 18, 2002 and ended on Dec. 4, 2002… for the few people I’ve spoken to or seen since my return, you’ve heard me wax poetic about the experience, been forced to look through my two bulging photo albums and to watch the "last party" video... thank you for trying to see the true magic of this experience with me (besides, it’s your obligation as my friends!). For the rest of you, please read on (get a cup of coffee, this is a long one!)...
Gosh, where do I even start? I just returned almost 5 weeks ago from the Ship for World Program that took me across the Pacific Ocean and back (visiting Tokyo and Kitakyushu in Japan, a short drive literally through Singapore, sailing through Indonesia to Cairns, Australia, then to Honolulu, Hawaii to Vancouver, Canada and back to Honolulu). I hasten now to put my experiences to coherent and hopefully eloquent words in order to truly express what happened during the very rigorous 45 days of the program (35 days of it at sea), lest I begin to forget about the richness of each and every moment... Can I easily say it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life... with our "playground" being a luxury cruise liner with 8 levels, DVD players in each room, a multi-media theater, a large meeting/dance hall, cordless microphones throughout the ship, a pool with saltwater from the ocean and a retractable roof, laundry rooms at our disposal – no quarters necessary!, his and hers onsen (2-15 person hot tubs and saunas per sex), bars with cheap Japanese beer (the price was cheap, not the beer), curry Cup ‘O Noodle (we don’t have that flavor in the states!) and enough room on the ship to stretch our legs while rarely feeling claustrophobic. And the experience itself... Can I tell you that the 11-12 participants from each country (Fiji, Tonga, Spain, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Cameroon, Sri Lanka, the US, and of course, the 120 participants from Japan) had so much to teach all of us – from learning about the end of the 20-year conflict between the Tamil and Singalese in Sri Lanka; learning that in Australia that women have turned Gender Equality on its head and reached often greater positions of power than men in that country "down under"; learning about the haka (war) dance from New Zealand and watching the intensity of the primal power of this Maori indigenous tradition; and innumerable other experiences both intangible and unforgettable? Can I tell you I will always have an undying respect for the Cabinet Office of Japan that continually supports such a purely diplomatic mission to promote cultural understand and peace among its own young people and the young people of the world? Can I tell you we had wonderful food – an unlimited supply of sashimi, fish and seaweed for breakfast, steaks and tacos, hot miso soups, mini hotdogs, fresh flowers on the tables, even an ice sculpture at one reception, and delicious desserts and fruit (and you know how important food is to me) EVERYDAY? (And of course I must mention they had such oddities of the gastronomic world as sweet corn and yam ice cream!) Can I say that there were such talented and smart and generous, beautiful "youth" on the boat –- at least two lawyers, a doctor, several college lecturers, two that work at the Red Cross, and many, many participants that valiantly give of their lives professionally to youth programs around the world –- in which to spend all my waking hours? An emphatic YES to each and every statement.
I believe SWY was an important life-transforming experience to all of us that participated, and for many us who let it live on, we will never touch the ground from this experience. For me SWY was a spirit that I've felt few times in my life, where I received the opportunity to be in an environment where you do believe that the world can be changed on a global scale (besides the small world that was created on the glorious Nippon Maru). That we can all try to be friends. That we can try to LEARN from each other every day. That we can try to LISTEN to each other every day. That we could show such an open display of affection and LOVE every day. That we could decide not to judge but to openly share and share and share - of ourselves, our thoughts, our cultures... our lives with one another. There really was such great sincere and affectionate love. The Ship for World Youth – this one and the 14 that came before it - is an extraordinarily unique experience and that I am now in the fellowship of approximately 3700 others on this big planet, makes it so much more so.
In the end analysis, the environment was often criticized or judged as an artificial one. Though this is true, artificial means "created by man" – with this in mind, I have hope. For me, it means that we as human beings have the ability to create such an environment anywhere around us, if we are mindful, respectful, open, honest and generous with our thoughts, ideas and affection. To live like we were all meant to be friends. To live like we were all chosen to create the next generation and that we have ownership of the future. To feel that the concept of peace is not just a concept, but that PEACE IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. To know that we can be and must be the architects of this peace. This was the Ship for World Youth for me.
As with all my KUWAs, I would like to end with my list of Highlights from the Ship... (Please know that there were just simply countless beautiful and crazy moments that were experienced when you sleep literally only 3 hours every night for weeks on end):
Learning numerous ice-breaker games to get to know one another and especially my wonderful friend Pepe (from Saltillo, Mexico) who taught all of us Shu Shu Wa (a song from the Latin Boys and Girl Scouts) – "hands to the front, two thumbs up, elbows back, tiny head, rabbit face, penguin feet, duck tail, dwarf height, flying chicken, crazy hen...." Thank you Professor, from Shu Shu Wa University...
The drama of the Cameroon-Canada VISA situation (the delegates from Cameroon were denied entry into Canada) and questioning my own beliefs about international immigration policies, its inherent racisms and the justifications by which countries choose who and why people are allowed into their borders [please know I am leaving out many details that would give a full picture to this situation]
Seeing Vancouver, after dozens of trips there, for the first time with such awe and admiration of what a truly beautiful city it is – wishing Stanley Park were in my back yard and cherishing the fact that I rollerbladed (sleeveless) and biked through it with Jenni (USA), Miguel, Alex, Esther (Spain), and Julio (Mexico) on a cold but sunny northwest afternoon; and wondering if dancing disco at the Commodore could last all night in the cage with Jenni and Garth (ex-NL of Canada), driving and honking down the drive-way to Canada Place in Garth’s car, hoping to make curfew, with a $.98CN piece of pizza in our hands...
Wondering what in the world this old disco "Linda Linda" song is from the Japanese, that just brought them into a crazy frenzy of excitement and physical emotion on to the dance floor – like bees swarming madly to honey, or a Blue Light Special at Kmart...
With the Spanish Delegation and many others, throwing Miguel, the Spanish National Leader, an incredible birthday party, MC’d by David (NL of Canada) with his silver, over-sized bowtie, complete with lion dancers, Eriko (Japan) and friends singing the Japanese version of "Happy Birthday" ("very special, very special") and finally, the beautiful Amal (Spain) – my wonderful half-Spanish/half-UAE friend – who belly-danced her way across the dining hall, followed by Ryutaro (Japan), Sanjeewa (Sri Lanka), Gerry (Canada), dressed also as belly dancers – (thank you gentleman), cajoled and caressed Miguel blindfolded... and the showstopper being Chris (USA) imitating Marilyn Monroe’s famous and sultry JFK "Happy Birthday, Mr. President"... also in full-blonde and full-breasted drag... and planting a "wet one" right on Miguel’s lips...
Being swept away by the Japanese song Sukiyaki, and so happy when Pete, the USA National Leader, requested them to sing it one more time for us... and meeting so many Japanese that had studied or participated in numerous homestays in the US, and having their faces light up with recognition every single time I would say, "I’m from Seattle... Ichiro!"
Being part of Jean-Marc Coicaud’s Seminar on International Organizations, Power and Justice; (he is a Senior Academic Programme Officer from the United Nations University in Tokyo, formerly taught at Harvard, and was a speech writer for Boutrous Boutrous Ghali); I once almost entirely skipped morning assembly in order to speak to him about my career options – and getting him to say the magic words... ‘if you want an internship at the UN, contact me..."
Sleeping on the 8th floor on the last night on the Ship as we entered into Honolulu, surrounded by friends that had partied until 5:30AM, brought their duvets to the top deck and joined in the communal quest of catching the "last sunrise together"... and having people continuing to hold their beers in one hand at 7AM and wiping away tears from their eyes with the other...
Every experience so wonderfully infused with music, laughter, friendship and a sense of "Do you know that we’re in the middle of the ocean right now?"... in many ways, it was a dream...
If anyone is interested in hearing more about the Ship for World Youth Program, please contact me. There are various websites, but the one for the US is www.swyamerica.net. The application process ends around the middle of July – it is without saying that I encourage anyone who believes in peace and cultural understanding to apply – and I am saying "yes, skip that quarter of school!" and "yes, take a leave of absence from your job." This experience will change your life. It really will. (The program is fully paid for by the Japanese government and the people of Japan, with the cost of $0 to each non-Japanese participating youth and has an estimated value of $25,000US per participant.) I am attaching at the bottom of this installment a paper written by the USA National Leader, Pete Anderson, to the Cabinet Office of Japan as his final report about the program – please do read it... it is a work of art... peace to you all.
With all my love,
Ann


Reports by the National Leaders

USA by National Leader Peter Anderson
In the United States, men simply don’t bathe together. Yet here I was, sitting in the Grand Bath on the Nippon Maru, genially discussing the day’s events with half a dozen other men from as many countries. We unselfconsciously spent time together soaking in the large baths, sitting in the sauna, and washing away the tension of the day with soap and water. It was always a relaxing and social time, and I looked forward to it every evening. When one of my Japanese friends asked me "Do you like the Grand Bath?" I said loudly, "I am Japanese." He and I laughed, but it wasn’t completely a joke. I am and always will be an American, but I had wholeheartedly adopted an element of Japanese culture. I wasn’t the only one; the Bath was frequented by people from all thirteen countries. We had all become just a little Japanese.

Or perhaps it isn’t that simple. Here was a Sri Lankan greeting a friend in Spanish. There was a Chilean practicing a dance from Fiji. Over there a Japanese girl was having her picture taken in a Mexican dress. Canadians doing the Salsa, Cameroonians practicing Karate, New Zealanders drinking sangria, and Tongans eating with chopsticks. As an Australian friend remarked to me at lunch as she greedily devoured a dish of raw tuna, "If my friends at home could see me now, they wouldn’t recognize me." We had all become a little more international, a little more intercultural, and a lot more appreciative of other ways of life.

There are plenty of international programs out there, all of which have value, but what we were experiencing was unique. We were trapped on a ship together with people from thirteen different countries. Daily, we were confronted by our different attitudes toward food, religion, government, clothing, language, and the appropriateness of eating fish for breakfast. If it got to be too much, if we had a conflict with someone, or if we missed home, we couldn’t escape…we were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We had to adapt to one another, discuss and resolve our differences, and learn to appreciate and enjoy the excitement of an intercultural environment.
For the American delegation, the experience was profound. We came to the program excited but also somewhat apprehensive. Recent political events had once again thrust our nation into the global spotlight, and we were worried about what stereotypes we might have to fight and what questions we might have to answer. For twelve young people to represent an entire nation borders on the impossible, but the American delegates discussed politics, shared their cultures, and demonstrated that America is a diverse and complex place, with people of differing opinions and perspectives. And as we shared our culture, we learned about ourselves and about our own country by learning to look at the United States through the eyes of another.
As we returned to the U.S., the American delegation made the same promises as everyone else: to keep in touch, to write, to call, to visit…with each other and with our new friends from around the world. I have no doubt that the friendships we made will be lifelong, and I look forward to the trips we will make to visit our shipmates as well as the trips they will make to visit us.
For these friendships, for the experience, and for a new perspective on the world, we owe a great thanks to the Japanese government. All governments are good at spending money on warships, on weapons, on waste. The Japanese government has shown that it is willing to spend on its youth and on the youth of the world. The expenditure for the Ship for World Youth is money invested in the future, and it is money well spent. We thank the Japanese for having the foresight to keep investing year after year in such a noble pursuit.
Toward the end of the cruise, I was in a conversation with a group of the participating youth about the value of the program. One of the delegates commented that the ship was not the "real world" and didn’t reflect the actual relations between our nations. At this, another delegate leaned forward and said gently but forcefully, "The point of the program is not to make the ship like the world, but to make the world like the ship." Perhaps someday, mankind will realize that we are all on the same small ship, and that lasting peace can be achieved by patiently and persistently resolving our conflicts through dialogue, through mutual understanding, and through friendship.

Maybe then we will have a Grand Bath in America. I hope so.