I’ve decided to empty my pockets to take some sailing certification courses after graduation. I’ve also decided I wanna do this some place sweet - I am kind of settling on the Florida Keys / Caribbean at the moment. Anyway, there is a lot of murk to wade through when deciding what certification, school, etc. Here is what I know so far: (stop reading here if you aren’t thinking about learning to sail)
The sport of sailing itself is governed by The International Sailing Federation, the ISAF. Individual countries become members of the ISAF through one of their own sailing organizations, which is then called a “Member National Authority”. In the United States, our sailing governing body and Member National Authority of the ISAF is the United States Sailing Association, or US Sailing for short, which offers certification courses. However, that is of course not our only sailing organization. Another giant one, and probably the first you’ll come across when researching this, is the http://www.american-sailing.com/, the ASA, a sailing promotional organization which offers many types of sailing certifications at varying levels of difficulty, through its member schools. There are also numerous other sailing schools and organizations offering courses not affiliated with US Sailing OR the ASA.
So, where to get certified? Why get certified?
Well, when chartering a sailboat, the owner will want some assurance of your experience. They want to know you know how to sail. Naturally the ASA and US Sailing carry some weight here and in common US tourist destinations because they are large organizations. The US Sailing, as a member of an international body, carries more weight abroad, but the ASA also offers an international certificate which is equivalent. And what about unaffiliated schools? Well, with the ASA, US Sailing, or otherwise, it is a good idea to keep a log of your sailing time, à la a journal or captains log - almost sounds fun! Anyway, just keep a list of dates you sailed, time on the water, and if it was coursework or training of some kind, what you did. A log and any certificate ought to be enough documentary evidence of your experience.
Half of a Yellow Sun is set during the birthing pains of a nation. The year is 1960 and country had just received its independence from the United Kingdom. It is in this atmosphere, both electric and fresh, and filled with a hope distilled by nearly a century of British control, that the lives three very distinct characters come together. They are Ugwu, a houseboy from a rural background, Olanna, the daughter of a wealthy new-money family, and Richard, an English expatriate, writer, and lover of Nigerian art.
Their story is woven together skillfully by Chimamanda Adichie. Ugwu’s claim in life changes dramatically when he becomes employed the boyfriend of Olanna, Odenigbo, a revolutionary minded academic at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka. Soon after adjusting to his new station, Olanna moves in with her partner Odenigbo - Ugwu’s fragile world seems to be ever changing. Richard begins a relationship with Olanna’s sister Kainene around this time and shortly after moves to Nsukka to persue his writing. On Kainene’s request, Olanna invites him into her social circles and he befriends the couple, Ugwu left as the passive observer to the life of his master Odenigbo.
But it is not meant to last. Shadows loom from the colonial past and sieze the infant nation, dragging it into the Nigerian Civil War when the state of Biafra secedes. Ugwu and Olanna are caught in the struggle when Nsukka is one of the first towns to fall, while Robert as an expat is left witnessing atrocities of a war that treats him as invisible. The hopeful atmosphere now blows to fan the flames of a propaganda campeign which drags a short war out into a long one, carrying with it the lives of these three characters. Drama comes to a head during the eventual collapse of Biafra and Ugwu’s fragile existence.
In Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shows an uncommon talent as a story teller. Her characters are vivid, human, and very dynamic. Their scenery, both beautiful and horrifying. I was gripped by this book and would recommend it highly to anyone looking for an excellent story about the more human side of war.
Persepolis is a graphic novel telling the story of the childhood of its author, Marjane Satrapi. Iran was transformed by its revolution of 1979 from a constitutional monarchy to an Islamic republic, enforcing a new culture as well as a new state. Born in 1969, the first volume follows Marjane’s experiences during the Iranian Revolution and the following war with Iran of 1980 through 1988. She captures gracefully the unique perspective of a child struggling to understand the global events unfolding around her.
At the age of 14 after the bombing of an apartment building across the street from her home, she is sent from Iran to study in Vienna, Austria. The second volume picks up here, tracing her education during her time in Vienna. Much of this is spent dealing with the frustrations of finding balance between fitting in as a cultural outsider and retaining her own heritage and identity. Ultimately, she returns home to a country transformed to find out just how much she has changed herself. Persepolis is at times very funny and at times very sad, but remains genuine throughout.
