This past week has been a hard one. One of those I'm feeling very unappreciated kind of weeks. The ones that get you down. There were a few positive moments in there, I can see that but most of it I was feeling as gloomy as the weather looked.
Basically it looks like the new casual daycare job I got is a flop. I am now up to the 3rd roster that I haven't been put on, which I received on Friday. Friday was also when I was told I wasn't needed for the extra hours I'd been asked to do on Saturday. Friday was not good.
I really feel I could vent so many of my frustrations from last week on here, but I'm not going to. What is the point of that really, well other than getting them out there.
Oh well. It'll be right.
The sun will come out tomorrow and all of that.
Actually the sun did try to come out on Saturday, in between showers.
One of the highlights of the week happened on Saturday too. I got to get up close and personal with something I hadn't been that close to before. Actually something I hadn't seen before in real life either, that I recall.
When I was down on the Esplanade on Anzac Day I spotted something a little different over at the marina. Unfortunately when I went and investigated the gates were shut onto that arm so I couldn't get close. However on Saturday morning they opened it all up so we could get really close. So close in fact that we were allowed on it.
A tall ship.
How cool is that!
This is the Sorlandet.
Launched in 1927 she is the oldest full rigged ship still in operation in the world.
That made it even cooler.
Not only was it my first up close a personal with a tall ship, it was the oldest working one sailing the seas.
The Sorlandet was built in Norway and originally used as a training ship.
When you look her up, it seems she has had a varied and interesting life from sailing to the World Fair in Chicago in 1933 to being an accommodation vessel for German submariners during WWII. During WWII she was damaged but was restored by 1948 and 10 years later she received her first engine. Over the years since then she had had various restorations to keep her in good working order.
So why was this beauty in Cairns?
Well she is currently being used for a school called
A+ World Academy and on board were mariners, teachers and students who are currently over 8 months in to their up to 2 year trip around the world visiting 44 cities in 22 counties.
Now that is a school!
Believe it or not this is the first time this ship will have circumnavigated the world.
When I first saw the the ship all I wanted to do was get some photos of the outside.
However getting to have a look around on board as well as chat to the teachers and students was a definite plus.
The students were happy to chat about the ship, what they were doing, where they had been, where they were from and anything else people asked.
The students live, eat, work and play together in a fairly confined area. You can't get much more confined than a boat in the middle of the ocean.
I had a chat with one of the teachers about what is like teaching the teens and how it all goes with everyone having to live in each others pockets.
She said the schooling side at sea means they have very limited resources and also commented that she does lots of downloading when she reaches port. It sounds very much like distance education that I know and have worked with. She also said that mostly the students get along well but they have their moments and that it is good preparation for the real world and workplace. So true that.
They are all certainly having the experience of a lifetime and you can tell that the students are grateful for that and know how amazing this experience is for them.
I can't imagine the teenage me doing this but then maybe I would have jumped at the chance.
One of the American students told me this was her favourite port so far. That some countries are as accepting of Americans and she felt welcome here and had loved seeing the area.
Do you think you would be able to do this, or have done this as your teenage self?
I loved looking at all the lines and details of the ship, it really is living history.
In regards to the sailing side of things the students all seemed to have the same opinion on the actual sailing side, it is hard work but worth it. They were proud of their skills.
And so they should be.
They were sailing out at 4pm on Saturday afternoon.
I hope they enjoy the rest of their adventures and learning.
So now you can see why it was such a highlight of my week and it is always good to get out and about.
I also got to crunch through some leaves that made it look more Autumnal than what it is.
