An early, busy but exiting day

A day filled with many new faces, new ideas, belfies and some hard work on the boat. Today we were woken up at 04:50 in the morning, this is probably how early every other student in Paramaribo wakes up but for me it was a bit to early.

Students here go to school from 7 am to 1 pm because it’s too hot during midday and afternoon. In cases like these I’m very glad I live in Sweden, were the only whether problems that we have is lots of snow.

After breakfast and a short bus ride we arrived at the school, we sat down in the school yard, and it was still dark outside. After a while the sun went up and the students had a lineup, raised the flag and sang. A bit like we do it on Gunilla only without the singing. After that we were divided up in small groups and went to different classes. I had the luck to end up in a history class that was about Suriname’s history. Tho the class was in Dutch I could understand some words and in the end of the class we got to ask some questions to both the students and the teacher. We got great answers to both our history assignment and our religion assignment. It was very fun and interesting to talk to students our own age. We had great conversations and learned a lot about their life and society.

When the class ended, we went and looked at a chemistry classroom and then me and some others interviewed a biology teacher. After more great answers we got a snack talked some more to other students but then me and my watch went back to the boat while the others went to the city.

At the boat we got a bit of a break before we started on the work that needed to be done. First, we cleaned so the boat could be nice and shiny. Then we worked on deck, I cleaned the trash room, which was very warm, but not as gross as many of you might think. After that I varnished the pinrail on the mizzen mast and then we all started cleaning some more before our wach ended.

At dinner time the Swedish consulate, a woman and her son, came and ate dinner with us and we showed them around the boat. Then before they left, we asked them some questions to get information for our assignments. So, this day you can say I did very much studying and working!

Then at last, after many hours of fun and work I got to go to sleep in my newly made bed!

Hanna Börjesson

SAS2124