Yoga & deep breathing exercises with Ale (one of the educators):

Here I AM! BACK IN THE BLOG! =) I didn’t write for 2 days so I’m gonna catch up  today!

Day 3:  2 days ago we arrived in Elba Island at 1 o’clock. It is just like a dream, being on a 61 meter long sailing boot, the sun is shining and we are allowed to jump from the railing into the sea!  After 3 days on board it was time to swim. I really enjoyed having fun with the whole group.

Later on we started the discussion about the theme of “discrimination” . The first impression was really great. We began with women’s rights. The discussion started by one teenager saying that the problem is, women’s rights can’t be released in lands where it is anchored in the cultural background that women don’t have rights. Many of the others didn’t share this opinion. But we knew that outstanding governments can’t be involved in changing the situations. IT MUST COME FROM THE INSIDE. Outstanding organizations can help then.

The evening:  Continue of the dream! All of us were lying on the back of the ship and we were playing games from different countries, dancing and just having a great time!

In the evening we made a roll play about the Summit “ International Climate Change Conference” , which takes place in Copenhagen this year. We were split into groups like the EU, G77, USA, BRIC and so on and represented our facts. It was very interesting to see how hard it is to make a compromise with that everyone can live with.

Day 4:  I jumped off the highest point of the Bow which is 9 meter! IT WAS SO AWESOME!

Day 5:  In the morning we had to clean, like every day the ship, but afterwards we went Free Diving! I wasn’t able to get farther down than 4 meter but it was very beautiful. Florent and I saw something on the ground (9 meters under sea level) and he just took a deep breath and dived down there. It was just paper but it was cool to see that! Later on we took the small boat to get to the coast of Elba Island. There we went swimming and finished our conversation about the environmental. I noticed that at all our votes we had more than 80% agreement. We wanted that the EU, the USA and the BRIC make a binding contract for reduction of the emissions. At night we got an introduction about economic but we all were very tired so we went pretty early to bed.

Niklas helping exhausted Clara down the mountain.

Just a note to all our blog readers: I have posted (retroactively) a number of pictures from the activities described in the first few days on board. Even if you have kept up with our blog from the first, you might want to check back on the first entries to see the added photos. And here is a photo of today's free diving session... Thank you Carlo and thank you www.katabasis.it ! Cheers... Jennifer

Hello again, my name is Rachel. Yesterday the YG8 held a role-play summit. We all played different parts representing different groups of countries. We decided all the groups would not deny climate change (Global Warming). We realised that although solar patterns can define global warming, there are still other factors to influence it. For example CO2 and other green house gases. We discussed how humans can prevent the damage we are currently causing, by carbon taxes, carbon trading and renewable energy. Each person makes a impact big or small to Global warming and everyone needs to take action.

Hello! My name is Anna, I am 16 years old and I live in Perm (Russia). So this is the first time I am writing in a blog, but still it seems to be very interesting. Yesterday was really a great and delightful day, because yesterday we had a discussion on the topic of environmental problems (global warming, greenhouse effect). We were divided in 7 groups. I, Niklas and Clara represented European Union. Before the conference we had some time to prepare for the presentation of our opinions, so we searched the Internet for some information. You know, the most funny thing was that we started searching in English, so that we all 3 can understand. But eventually we came to a decision to find information in German and Russian. And, to tell the truth, that was more effective, cause we found more tables, graphics and facts. All in all we prepared very well and I think our presentation was great. I liked the discussion really very much. Firstly, we all are interested in environmental problems. And secondly, that was really very exciting to play a role of the diplomats and to represent the opinion of EU. I hope in next days we are also going to have such conferences and debates.

Hi everyone, my name is Rossella and I was chosen for the Nave Italia because I have Chromosome 22. Other of the group were chosen for other reasons. I would like to begin by explaining what we are doing from when we get up in the morning. We have breakfast at 7:30, (and don’t arrive late or you will have an extra chore added to your daily ship duties, like washing the dishes even if it isn’t your turn!) At 8:30 we clean the ship. Every day during the day we have various group activities. These activities include, for example, games which help us develop trust with the other team members. In the evening we talk for a while or we dance and watch the stars. This experience is very beautiful because it is the first time I've gotten to know people from other countries. Most of the team members aren’t Italian - therefore we must speak English. For example, I am sharing a room with a girl from Germany. I’m not an ace in English but I am beginning to understand the others and I am speaking a bit better myself. The games we play are to develop more trust, as I said before. When we play these games, we must be calm and patient. Now I can’t tell you about all the games we've played, but I can say that they were each very beautiful. One of these exercises challenged all of us to go through a web made of ropes -- without touching the cord. This was very fun because in the beginning, we didn’t have a strategy but then we understood that without a strategy we would not go anywhere. Some of my friends were scared to be lifted up, so we had to convince them to trust us to carry/push them through. Today there was an apnea diving instructor who taught everyone to dive under water. I didn’t join this activity, because the day before I had tried to go underwater but as soon as I saw everything dark, I became so scared that I returned to the surface faster than I went down! If I can return next year, I would be very happy... even if I know that it isn’t possible. Now I go to watch my friends swim. Greetings and kisses, Rossella P.S. We have to be very patient because there might be other people with problems.

Hello I am Jacob and I am from Canada. Yesterday we got to the beach on Alba Island. We were transported by a rubber dingy, four at a time. I was on the last trip over. The group had found us a nice spot under a tree to sit. As soon as I got there I went for a swim in the water. The beach was quite rocky. I saw my first baby octopus by the dock where we were dropped off. We swam for a bit and then the educators took use for an ice cream. Then we had a discussion about global warming in a shaded area up from the beach. Then we went for a dip in the sea to cool down. After that we did an activity. It was a learning experience for all of us. After that it was time to go back to the ship to prepare for dinner. It was a fun day on the beach.

Hello, my name is Clara and I am 16 years old. I come from Kiel, which is in Germany. Today in the evening we had our discussion about global warming and climate change. We were parted into groups which had to represent the EU, the USA, the AOSIS, the Business Alliance, the NGOs and the BRIC. The whole day was thought to prepare for the discussion and to get information about the opinion of the group you are representing. This was very interesting, but sometimes difficult, because you could not always identify with the opinion you had to take in the discussion. Nevertheless it was a good experience to do that. In my opinion the conference was very formal, so that you had the feeling that it was real. Because everybody was very concentrated, we came to good results. I liked the atmosphere and how we were speaking to each other. It was respectful and not shouting through the room or interrupting the others. We all were trying to find a solution, which is acceptable for everyone and which is to save our world. All agreed that we cannot look away, while we are destroying the earth more and more. I think it was a good experience for all of us to see the opinions of the different parts of the world and presenting them. On the whole I enjoy being here and speaking to other young people, hear their opinion and trying to find a solution together. I think our group is very nice and we all working together well. That’s very important for our results and the resolution. I hope that we are doing this with the other topics, which are still to be discussed, too. Pictured: Clara (left) with Niklas & Anna at the NI Environmental Summit

Ahhh - a quick dip in the sea followed by Nostromo's step aerobics class filled to capacity with the crew and the teens.

This afternoon Carlo Boscia from the Katabasis Apnea Academy arrived from Elba via rubber dingy. He gave us an introductory lesson on apnea diving (free diving). Tomorrow, if the weather allows, everyone will have the chance to try it!