Tori

For the first time ever in my life, I've paid useing three differnt curreancys in one day. Before it was only two. But, since I worked on cleaning my room up today (loads more work to do on that front...) I've handled something around 8 today :)

Bought my shirt.woot! shirt - United States Dollar
Paid martoufmarty for some DVDs and a book she sent me (thanks again! You rock!) - Canadian Dollar
Sponsered Eddie Izzard on his run 'round the UK - British Pounds Sterling

Let's see if I can recall the nationalities of what's in my room off the top of my (without getting up and looking, for then I will get distracted and waste a few hours). All are coins (bills are annoying to keep track of for souvenirs), but I'm giving the term for the "whole" amounts (dollars, not cents) even if I don't a "whole unit" coin: United States dollar, Canadian dollar, Colombian peso, Mexican peso, German euro, British pound sterling, and Israeli shekel. There's more, but I can't recall them. Dad's bringing some more home too, which will be wicked :)

Speaking of dad: Apparently he got a job offer while he was in Sierra Leone, and he got to meet the Vice President of Sierra Leone. Cool stuff!

Not only that, but with the aid of the US Coast Guard ship, Sierra Leone was able to get their FIRST case for breaking fishing laws! Other countries (mostly SE Asia) have been fishing illegally in their waters for years, but they had no training to deal with. That, my friends, is why the ship went over there!

With the help of the USCG crew, they boarded around 20 ships. Most were clean and law abiding (but still good practice for how to search.) One ship was caught red-handed. They had been illegally poaching tuna - to the tune of 150-160 tons! That's a LOT of fish, and a LOT of money! The Sierra Leone government confiscated the boat and is planning on fining the other government (where the boat was from). They're keeping the boat too. HUGE win for Sierra Leone!

Oh, and he visited a chimp sanctuary while he was there. Apparently, they threw rocks (lots of 'em) at him (big ones, the size of grapefruit). He described them to me as "brats" :P

Fives days 'til MHC! Woot!

So, my dad has informed me: some of the crew on the boat my dad is on right now were on Barque Eagle two summers ago when we were both on her and they remembered me.

I asked him if that was a good thing, or did they remember me for being annoying or something.

He said they remembered me for being: a hard worker, considerate, always asking where and how I could help, standing duty even though there was no reason for me to, and for being smart. They really enjoyed having me on board.

*blushes and grin* Talk about ego boost :)

He said that they asked how I was, what I was up to, etc. He told them how I started college and got into Mount Holyoke, and they said they "weren't surprised"!

One person said they wished I had been able to come on with my dad this time (though, obviously, I couldn't.)

So, I guess I made a good impression on Eagle :) See, and here I've been thinking that the Captain and crew had just been being polite when they said they hoped I could come on board again, and that I was invited back!

I'm in a good mood now :)

So we now know where Dad's going!

He's going to Lisbon, Portugal, then on he goes to Morocco and Gabon in Africa! He's under instruction to bring Amelia and I "cool fabric" and I think he should score in Morocco at least!

It's nice to know where it is he's being deployed to, even if it's after he's been deployed! (He sent us an email from the ship.)