Cape Farewell Youth Expedition 2007

Well, I was asked to write an article about my time in the
Arctic for our school newspaper, this is what I wrote…

Well, my name’s Amy Sturgess and I was lucky enough to get to go on a once in a lifetime trip to the
Arctic. Over the past few terms
Moorhead has been involved in a project with
Cape Farewell, an organisation that is trying to raise awareness of climate change. Some of the present Year 10 have been taking part in different activities run both in and outside of school on the subject of climate change. Out of the 30 in our class I was the one who was picked to go to the
Arctic!

Seeing the sun set every day, feeling the breeze, waking up in the mornings to the sound of nothingness, the whole thing was just incredible! The ten days that I spent in the
Arctic along with some amazing people – 6 from
England, 3 from
Canada and 2 from
Germany, was packed with lots of things for us to do.

When in Ny Alesund, a small town in
Svalbard, Norway, we visited a beach and tried to make some kind of sculpture from the blocks of broken of ice. While building a part of one of the other glaciers fell. The sound of it breaking roared over in our direction. It was as if it was sending a message to us, it made me realise just how badly we are damaging our planet.

Even though the project was about looking at the science and the arts of the expedition we all had a little fun along the way. We couldn’t go all that way and not have a swim. You could call it crazy but we called it curiosity. 2.5?C, “Don’t try this at home”. We all made a deal, if we went in we had to get our whole body under the water, including our heads. It was freezing!

I’m sad that this experience had to end, however now I am here to share my experiences with the whole community. I was inspired by so many people during my trip and now I have realised that the world is really changing and so is the climate so if we carry on the way we are we will seriously damage the planet. So let’s make a difference!

I just want to say a massive THANK YOU to you all;
Sub Sub, Colin, Jess-Star, Keithy, Mark-Love, ZALATAN, Dan, BIG Joe & Duncan Darling,
The trip was just incredible, including you guys! Thank you for everything!
AMY LOVE ALWAYS!
XXXXX

Hello all,

Being back in the normal life is a wierd experience, I’ve been feeling a bit land sick if you know what I mean, I’m used to there being a little bit of rocking at least 12 hours a day. I’ve been recognised around school a lot and people I don’t even know have been talking to me!

Anyway, I would like to say that everyone on the boat was great and thanks to Dan, Jess, Mark, Keith etc.. for helping us with our projects and a big thanks to Colin and Suba for making this possible for us all, it was really great and hopefully we’ll all be able to meet up once again.

Tally Pip,

Jethro

Hey everyone!

It’s hard to believe, that this should be the reality. I feel like I dreamed everything about our trip. The amazing things we saw, the fun we had together and you all. Just a dream. Two different worlds and me between them. I’m happy to be back at home, to see my family, tell my friends everything about you and the Arctic, but it hurts to see how uninterested most are in climate change and the future of the Arctic. I can’t understand it. They all do as though erverything is perfect, but it isn’t. I know it and it seems that you are the only ones, who know it, too.

Today in school I told my class everything about the voyage. It’s normal that nearly everybody talks in lessons, but this time everyone listened. I was really surprised, but I think it’s a good sign and maybe (I hope so) they understood what I wanted to say! It’s important that EVERYONE does something against the climate change!

My classteacher allowed Lydia and me to work on the children’s story in Art lessons!

I miss you all soooooo much and every day increasingly!

I hope we’ll see us all soon!

Ina xxx

Hey Everyone..
..I said i was going to add a bruise blog to let everyone know how my leg was, so here goes…
…It’s fine! I was really disappointed, like Jess’ eye it went yellow and was  swollen but then a couple of days on it doesn’t hurt or anything. There’s no pictures because it’s faded. I’m quite annoyed that my body decided to heal itself so quickly. Grrrr!
Amy-Love Always…
Amy
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    I was looking forward to returning home and being with my family and sleeping in my own (non moving bed). But now that I am home I feel like i dont belong here. Everything seems strange and I feel so out of place. Waking up and seeing cars, houses and pavement doesnt compare to the glaciers and mountains that we had all come acustomed to seeing. I feel very empty and alone. Going back to school today was the strangest feeling ever. Everyone around was asking me what it was like and i found that i was at a loss of words and it couldnt be descrided. The only other people that truely understand what it was like are the others on the voyage and they are miles away right now. I feel very disconeted with everything. My friends that i was looking forward to seeing seem different and distant to me now. For the last few weeks the only people that I have known is the others on the trip and now that we are no longer together i feel very lonely and lost without them.  Things that seemed to matter no longer do. What i am going to wear or how my hair looks seems pointless and unimportant on the grand scale of things. Seeing how everyone was so dressed up at school and seeing all the efforts that they put into in seems ridculous to me now. All the time they spent on getting ready could be spent on things that really mattered, things that have an effect. To me it seems like, well i just saw pieced of our world come crumbling down, so who cares what t-shirt you are wearing today. Also something that i really miss is the peace and quiet Svalbard had to offer. Here the noises never stop and the people never stop. I find myself dreaming of a quiet, peacful place and escape there forever and never look back. I find myself lost in a crowd of people, I dont know where to go or to look. Being surrounded by people seems odd and it will take some getting used to.

     But i am home and i will have to learn to adjust to ”modern” life. Svalbard has taught me some very valuable lessons that i will never forget. This island have given me a new perpective on life and how to live. I wouldnt trade this experience for the world, i will cope with the horrors of daily life and soon enough i wont be thinking twice about the constant hum of traffic or the smell of fumes or the hustle and bustle through the school halls. But Svalbard will always be on the back on my mind along with all the incredible people that i experienced it with.

I miss you all and wish that you could all be there with me,

lots of love,

Shona x

Hey guys!!!

It’is me, Franzi, and just have to say that I miss you all tons. Seeing my family and friends was great and to be home is also very nice. But I feel like I am at the wrong place: All the traffic, the people, the stressed life…we had nothing of this and it was more than good!!!! I enjoyed the “freedom”, as Amélie would say, there so much. Here is everything so different. So loud. So dirty. So stressed. I had a lot of annoying interviews with german tv, everyone had no time. Up in the arctic we all had relaxed AND succesful days, here it seems like I work for nothing… I miss everyone of you, the songs (speccialy “Wonderwall”), Amy Love, Darling, the Crew and the good food. I still have to say that this trip was one of the best experiences in my howle life. I will never forget it. I share my experiences with everyone here but I know that they do not understand it so much like you all do. We have been a great team.

So I think you all have the same feelings, and I hope we all can stay in touch a long time. WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER and we CAN make a differents. Hope to see you again soon.

A lot of love, xxxxxxx

Franzi

To Cape Farewell: Where is Ina’s and my last video with our sience and art projects???

SAILING THE NIGHTS AWAY

Let me tell you ‘bout a ship

Making that Cape Farewell trip

Where all the kids are super hip

Sailing the nights away

Our Captain is a hunk called Gerd

First mate Barbara’s quite a flirt

Ice Killer Christian went and lost his shirt when we were

Sailing the nights away.

Sailing Sailing

Everybody’s face is green

O sailing,sailing

Sailing the nights away

Renska crews the zodiac

Puts all the big boys in the back

She shouts ‘een twee’ at all the pack

Sailing the nights away

Anna gives us killer soups

Motivating all the troops

She’s the queen of puds and fruits

Saiing the Nights Away

Sailing Sailing

Everybody’s face is green

O sailing, sailing

Sailing the nights away

There’s a girl called Suba here

Wearing all the latest sailing gear

She likes plenty plankton in her beer

Sailing the Nights Away

Mark’s a prof in playboy pants

Who loves to do that arctic dance

He puts those ice bears in a trance when we were

Sailing the nights away

Dan the artist’s working hard and long

Lifting icebergs with a cheery song

He only wears a thermal thong when he’s

Carving that ice away.

Carving Carving

Chips and Splinters flying out

He’s carving, carving

Carving that ice away

Capt Akash, Liam and Joe

Nonie darling and Jethro

I think Amy merely dipped her toe

When we were swimming the night away

Franzi, Ina, Hayley jumped right in

Amelie soaked Shona to the skin

Doriana was blogging and just couldn’t swim when we’re

Sailing the nights away

Sailing Sailing

Everybody’s face is green

O sailing,sailing

Sailing the nights away

Keith’s in love with Anna’s food

He’s hard as nails and very rude

He almost did his night watch in the nude when we were

Sailing the nights away

Art is what Jess likes to teach

She made a sculpture on the beach

And she kept the glacier water out of reach

Sailing the nights away

Becky’s got a great big lens

She’s had to snatch her sleep in here and thens

Watch out all you funky mens when she’s

Sailing the night away

Our editor’s a man called Dunc

He’s sleeping on the topmost bunk

We all think he’s such a hunk

Sailing the nights away

Lastly let’s remember Joe

He’s just a plain hero

He’s almost always on the go

Sailing the nights away

Sailing Sailing

Everybody’s face is green

O sailing, sailking

Sailing the nights away

We wish that it would snow and snow

Sadly we all have to go

We’ll not forget the things we know about

Sailing the nights away

Sailing Sailing

We’re all going to be green

O sailing,sailing

Sailing the nights away

Thanks again Cape Farewell. Reflecting back on what I have done, what I have seen and the people I have met, is absolutely amazing. People back at home are mesmerised at the whole experience.

It all starts here in terms of climate change, but I’m sure everyone will change the attitude and actions not only in primary schools but in there community.

It’s great to be home to see the gorgeous shine of the Northern Lights, well the street lights anyway. It’s ace to be home to see all my family and friends but I can’t help but feel empty. There’s no rocking me to sleep, there’s no Amy Love at night, there’s no tiny room to stay. It’s just all gone! The “Hello Darling” and “Dude” jokes don’t make sense, the sound of the glacier crying out, the fact that ice is slippy and photography is dangerous. These things can’t be shared with the guys back home as they could with you lot! It’s just not the same! I now have a different perspective of life than my friends, i’m going to have to share my thoughts and memories with them in detail. It will be all okay, I’ll spread the word because..Together we really can make that difference!
Amy-Love is always in the hearts, Keep smiling!
Amy
x

As we have all made our safe journeys back to each of our homes and then to our schools it has been a very sad time as we may never get to see what we saw again. Now we are all back home our schools have been wanting to know what it was like whilst we were up in the Arctic and boy that has taken some time as person after person ask you the same thing. Now we need to get back to our daily routines and remember what we have experinced was amazing and we may never get to see the same thing again.

Lets just hope that Cape Farewell hold a reunion to see how we have been getting on.

See you later

Akash

Hier endet nun also meine Reise. ich sitzte hier in der wunderschoenen Schule von Longyearbyen und schreibe meinen lezten Blogeintrag aus der Arktis. Diese Reise war einfach fantastisch und ich habe jede Minute genossen. Ich habe so viele neue Landschaften, Sichtweisen, Fakten und ganz viele tolle Menschen kennen gelernt. Neben harter Forschungsarbeit und næchtigen Wachtschichten hatten wir alle super viel Spass zusammen. Adressen wurden schon ausgetauscht und alle hoffen auf ein Wiedersehen…:P

Man sagt ja immer wenn es am schoensten ist soll man aufhoeren, das passt hier genau. Der letzte Abend war super lustig und total nett (Vielen Dank nochmal an die Crew fuer das “Candlelightdinner” :D) Wir alle haben uns in diesen Ort hier verliebt und wollen irgendwann noch einmal wieder her kommen. Bei dem von Colin umgeschriebenen Song “Sailing the Night away” kamen und allen die Traenen. Und auch der Haertste hatte bei dem letzten gemeinsamen “Wonderwall” (Cape Farewell Song….) feuchte Augen.

Doch das Projekt ist mit dem Abflug aus Longyearbyen fuer keinen von uns beendet. Wir wollen jetzt noch mehr Menschen auf den Klimawandel aufmekrsam machen und unserer Schule und Gemeinde unsere Erfahrungen berichten.

Der Bus zum Flughafen steht vor der Tuer,gleich geht es los. Ich moechte an dieser Stelle noch einmal allen danken die mir diese Reise ermoeglicht haben.Ohne euch waere ich jetzt nciht hier!!! DANKE!!!

Auch wenn es mir schwer faellt hier weg zu fahren freue ich mich schon auf Hamburg, die schoenste Stadt der Welt^^

Also, bis bald, hab euch lieb xxx

Franzi