All Aboard the Peace Boat
NEWS FLASH: On September 22nd I’m leaving Japan aboard the Peace Boat.
‘On the what…?’ I hear you splurt from your office desk over your morning Nescafe. ‘Some kind of Hippy Tug boat?’
The Peace Boat, my friends, is a Japanese NGO with a goal to spread a global message of peace, cooperation and to take concrete steps to build a better world. After a competitive application process I am lucky enough to be chosen as a volunteer for the 59th voyage. I’ll be teaching Global English on board, which means English with a focus on global issues. I’m currently training in Tokyo with a great bunch of people with whom I’ll be cruising around the world for 110 days. Needless to say, Tanoshii mi! Friends in NZ note that I’ll be pulling in just before Christmas so there’s every chance of meeting up and sharing a slice of Christmas cheer together. I’ll be blogging it all, so check back for updates.
This little adventure has meant I have had to move out of my Gifu apartment and give away my life’s possessions - Futon, clothes rack and plastic drawers. Life after Peace Boat is a dilemma right now, but it meant a lot to me that so many great friends in Gifu want me to come back. I’m thinking… and maybe I’ll find the answer in the stars one night over the Pacific.
One thing’s for sure, I’ve changed my tune about Gifu since I wrote this post 18 months ago. The soul of Gifu is its amazing community which I would never have found in Tokyo, and it’s river and mountains are only a bike ride away.
So, I had a farewell party last Saturday afternoon. We gathered down at ‘the beach’ on Nagara river. We swam, had a few beers, set off some fireworks and played a little guitar. That was all followed up by a send off at Bierhall and Ululu. Goodbye to you all, but it’s only a goodbye for now!
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