Where the Waves Break

Where the Waves Break

As I emerged from the other side of a wave, I fluttered my eyes open and pushed my hair out of eyes to tackle the next one. I swam up to it at the time I usually did; as the swell of water begins to form a wave. But something was off about the timing of this one; by the time I got into position the wave was already massive, a looming threat above me.

Fearing its impending collapse I dove into the wave immediately. When I tried to pop my head above the water, where the other side of the wave should be, I inhaled not sweet, warm Hawaiian air, but a lungful of bitter saltwater.

I’ve always thought that the ocean has a voice. After all, how could those waves come crashing down on the beach minute after minute, day after day, year after year, without any sort of message that is meant to be heard. Or perhaps it isn’t a message that is heard, but rather one that is felt by those that know it best. Living just mere steps from the ocean, I thought I knew the true voice of the sea; I thought I knew everything it was trying to tell me. Little did I know not only how wrong I was, but that I would discover its true message soon enough; and it wasn’t one I was likely to forget anytime soon.

I could feel nothing but the pounding of my feet on the smooth, silky sand and the beating of my heart in my chest. I could see nothing but blue: emerald ocean and aqua sky; and could hear nothing but the sound of the crashing waves coming ever nearer. It was just another typical day for me Wainiha, Kauai. Another day in paradise so to speak.

I had always been a strong swimmer, taking to the water almost like a fish does when I was only a toddler. But then again what else would you expect growing up in Hawaii? Pools, lakes, ponds, you name it, I swam in it. But nothing could ever rival my love for swimming in the ocean. The feel of the salt on my skin, the gentle cradling of the waves as they envelop me and then release me again, and the feeling of accomplishment that came with every minute you were in the water.

People are scared of the ocean. For as long as humans have been on this earth the ocean has been something great and vast, something shrouded in mystery. Every second that I was in the water I felt like I was brave. I was doing something that others were terrified of, flirting with the very thing that seemed impossibly powerful.

I thought I knew better than those people. I thought the ocean was nothing so Machiavellian as the ocean of their fears. I thought that I could handle anything it could throw at me. For years I been proved right in my assumptions. Almost every day of my life I dove into the ocean and every time I did I came back alive. I had no reason to believe that I was wrong. In my mind, I was invincible.

Today there was nothing out of the ordinary on our little stretch of beach. The sand was the same soft, white powder; the wind was gently blowing as if Mother Nature herself was whistling quietly; and the ocean was humming its same, reassuring lullaby.

I hardly felt anything as I transitioned from the warm sand to the cool ocean. I didn’t slow my pace until I was about waist deep in the water. Without any hesitation of heart or of mind, I dove into the water with the perfect form one might expect from an Olympic swimmer. I glided through the water with ease, my arms and legs moving in perfect tandem to propel me forward at rapid speed until I reached the point where the waves break. It was here that I loved swimming most of all.

I stopped just at the base of the wave and watched as it rose, towering like an intimidating figure above me until it seemed that it was defying gravity by not breaking. At this point, is when I plunged headfirst into the churning wave, only to emerge into calm water on the other side. Wave after wave would come through, and I would plunge myself into the heart of each and every one, like an arrow piercing through film.

But now, the wave jerked me back towards the shore, as if I were merely a puppet on strings, and I went flying back into the innermost parts of the wave. I was tossed and turned and shaken about. My body went flying end over end over end until I had absolutely no clue which way was up anymore. At one point my back scraped along the sandy bottom of the ocean floor; and I desperately clawed and scraped at it, trying to find a way to keep myself in a secure position. Trying desperately to save myself. But the ocean only ripped me away and flung me back into its depths.

I was pulled with an irresistible force; stronger than anything I’d ever felt in my life. I was dragged downwards and downwards into deep and churning areas of the sea, where humans were not meant to venture. I screamed and flailed, trying anything that could possibly get me back in control.

But I was denied this. I was helpless. Defenseless. Paralyzed. Powerless. Left to mercy of the impossibly powerful. My fate was in another’s hands.

And then finally, with an undercurrent that was as strong and as sudden as the wave that had taken me, my body was flung upwards, towards the light. And when my head snapped above the water, I gasped in the air.

Toleration to Desperation: The Ongoing Problem of Somali Piracy

Lauren Limbach

World Lit Honors

Ms. Tomkins

March 13, 2015

Toleration to Desperation: The Ongoing Problem of Somali Piracy

You are the captain of a major commercial ship, in charge of safely transporting tons of oil across the Indian Ocean. Partway through your voyage, you notice skiffs beginning to pull up alongside your ship and men beginning to board the vessel. Unfortunately for you, these men do not have a hook for a hand, and there is no flying young boy that is going to come and rescue you. For you are not in the world of Peter Pan, but rather the terrifying world of Somali piracy.

Piracy off the Somali coast has been an issue that has commanded the world’s attention since the late 20th century. With the collapse of the Somali government in 1991, it left in its wake a country with no form of central government whatsoever. Neighboring countries took advantage of this and began to fish in Somalia’s unregulated waters. The Somalis felt that this was extremely unjust, so they took to the water and began policing it themselves. It was these actions that devolved into the hijack-for-ransom piracy that is seen off the coast of Somalia today (World).

In Somalia, the main type of piracy practiced is that in which passing boats are hijacked and then held for ransom. Although in recent years the amount of successful hijackings has decreased, the overall number of attempted hijackings has risen from 145 to 183 per year (GCaptain). As the protection that is currently in place fails, and numerous ships and innocent people are taken in and held for ransom, the international community is desperately trying to find a solution to this ever-growing problem. The Somali government’s apathy for the Somali people and willingness to tolerate criminal activities within the country ultimately leads to a favorable environment for the pirates of Somalia.

First, Somali government officials uphold piracy in the country through their acceptance of bribes and other forms of extortion in return for their turning a blind eye to the actions of the pirates. Many government officials are the recipients of bribes, doled out by the pirates in return for letting them dock their hijacked boats along the Somali coast for long periods of time. (World). The fact that members of the Somali government are so blatantly accepting of the pirates’ bribes demonstrates how the greediness of the politicians themselves plays a major role in keeping the piracy industry alive. The process of keeping the political leaders in check does not come cheap for the pirates either. A large amount of the money made off of a hijacked ship, sometimes up to $300,000, will be given to politicians for the purpose of keeping them out of the way (World). This large amount of money highlights the intricate system of bribery and corruption that has been woven throughout the world of the Somali government and the Somali pirates.

Additionally, because the Somali government is doing little to reduce poverty in the country, the result is a population of people who are complacent to, and even supportive of piracy. In an article by Jay Bahadur, he points out that the poverty-level in Somalia is very conducive to the thriving piracy taking place off the Somali coast. He states, “Given the extreme poverty in Somalia, it is understandable that many young men are lured by the wealth that can be made through piracy” (Interview). With a high level of poverty, comes a high level of desperation. This desperation pushes the Somali people to take drastic actions, such as piracy. The average yearly salary for a Somali worker is $600. Given that pirates can make over $10,000 off of one boat alone, it is not surprising that much of the Somali population finds piracy to be an attractive lifestyle choice (Interveiw). If the Somali government was able to tackle poverty in a more efficient way, then the people would ultimately be less desperate, and in turn, less willing to support the piracy industry. This fact highlights yet another way that the inactions of the Somali government are resulting in the piracy for which their country is so famous.

The piracy industry in Somalia shows no sign of receding anytime soon. The strength of the pirates remains as intact as ever due to the inefficacy of the Somali government to address the problems surrounding them. Their inability to act in a strong, decisive way has far-reaching consequences that can be detrimental to not only the Somali people, but the international community as well.

Works Sited

GCaptain. "The World Is No Closer to Solving the Piracy Problem." Piracy on the High Seas. Ed. Debra A. Miller. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. At Issue. Rpt. from "Protecting Ships From Somali Pirates—The Navy vs. Private Security." 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.

"Interview with a Somali Pirate." Pirates Through the Ages Reference Library. Vol. 1. Detroit: U*X*L, 2011. 179-190. Global Issues In Context. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.

The World Bank. "Ending Somali Piracy: Go After the System, Not Just the Pirates." 2013. Rpt. in Piracy on the High Seas. Ed. Debra A. Miller. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.

Cry Character Analysis: Msimangu

Through Msimangu, the author Paton exemplifies optimism found during hard times. Msimangu is one of the few bright spots in Johannesburg for Kumalo who finds himself living through hard times when he is thrust into the unknown and confusing world of the big city.

"I shall do it gladly. My brother, I have of course my own work to do, but so long as you are here, my hands are yours" (24).

"Something in the humble voice must have touched Msimangu, for he said, 'I am not kind. I am a selfish and sinful man, but God put his hands on me, that is all'" (25).

"... I have one great fear in my heart, that one day when they are turned to loving, they will find we are turned to hating" (40).



The humble devotion and and optimism that Msimangu gives to Kumalo demonstrates how Msimangu is a bright spot in an otherwise dark place for Kumalo. This image of sun coming through dark clouds represents that optimistic presence Msimangu has in Kumalo's life.

Concealed

The Suitcase

“We crept up to the suitcase.  It was tied with a thick rope of plaited straw, knotted crosswise.  We removed the rope and raised the lid in silence.  Inside, piles of books shone in the light of our torch: a company of great Western writers welcomed us with open arms.  On top was our old friend Balzac, with five or six novels, then came Victor Hugo, Stendahl, Dumas, Flaubert, Baudelaire, Romain Rolland, Rousseau, Tolstoy, Gogol, Dostoevsky, and some English writers, too: Dickens, Kipling, Emily Brontë…” (99).    

“The magic of translation! The ponderousness of the two syllables as wells the belligerent, somewhat old fashioned ring of the name were quite gone, now that the four characters- very elegant, each composed of just a few strokes-banded together to create and unusual beauty, redolent with exotic fragrance as sensual as the perfume wreathing a wine stored for centuries in a cellar,”(58).

The author uses the suitcase to emphasize freedom. These forbidden Western novels refer back to Old China, where Western ideas thrived and independence penetrated through Chinese society. The books inside the suitcase capture their mind into a non-revolutionary roller coaster where they can be free to think whatever they wish.

Coming of age is about learning and expanding your mindset to different ideas and concepts. it is being able to choose what you believe in based on different ideas you gather. The Cultural Revolution is pounding certain limited ideas into the minds of the people, and they are forced to believe in these ideas or they will be punished. The books offer more though, it offers new ideas and emotions that interest Luo and the narrator. The boys are being exposed to different things, a new world. Each book they read broadens their knowledge and gives them the option to chose, to chose what they believe in and what they want to learn.

The Movies

“We welcomed the challenge, and to be on the safe side we sat through two screenings in succession. The basketball court of the town’s high school had been converted into a makeshift open-air cinema.  The local girls were gorgeous, but we forced ourselves to concentrate on the screen, paying close attention to the dialogue, to the actor’s costumes and gestures, to the setting of every scene, even to the music,”(19).

“Phoenix mountain was so remote from civilization that most of the inhabitants had never had the opportunity of seeing a film, let alone visit a cinema. [...] By the time we, or rather he, reached the end of the story, in the allotted time, our audience was ecstatic,” (19-20).

Since the start of Luo and the narrator’s re-education, the two boys have led very serious lives. Being forced into such laborious work at such a young age while they are so far from home takes a toll on the spirits of the boys at times. Going to the movies represents an escape. An escape from the hard work they are forced to do, an escape from their troubles and an escape from their new lives they are forced to lead.

The movies connect to coming of age because every day of Luo and the narrator’s lives in re-education they are forced to grow up and mature in some way. Whether it be learning how to navigate without anyone looking out for them, or hard work that forces them to take on new responsibilities Luo and the narrator mature and come of age every day. The movies offer an escape from this forced coming of age and help the boys relax and just for a little while shirk their responsibilities. In a way, however, it also gives the boys even more responsibilities whether or not they realize it. By being given the duty of reporting back the movie to everyone in the village and giving them all an enjoyable experience, the boys are in a way being burdened with even more responsibility and further accelerating their coming of age when they don’t even realize it.  

Balanced Eternity

Balanced Eternity

Lights and darks

inside us all

Embrace the strong

embrace the weak

Embrace the joy

embrace the sorrow

Love the snow

and love the sun

Run with passion

walk with purpose

Inside of us

is everything

we are complicated

we are unique

we are balanced

An Inaccurate Stroll Down Memory Lane