Settlers of Catan: The Extravaganza Version

Ever since two of my roommates from Calgary got into German board games I have been fascinated with the German game of the Year Award, The Spiel des Jahres. It is the world's most prestigious game award. Each year, a jury of game critics and journalists chooses the winner based on four criteria: Idea: Originality, Playability and Educational Value Design of Rules: Organisation, Clarity and Understandability Layout: Packing, Layout of the Gameboard and the Game Rules Design: Functionality and overall Quality of Game Materials included One such game that I have become addicted to over the years is the 1995 winner, Settlers of Catan. It has spawned at least 7 spinoffs and extentions, a few of which I have also played. Above is a picture of Tom Kenknight on the Mercy Ship in Liberia who has the complex mind of...well, a computer. He has built a Settlers of Catan extravaganza by adding several extentions. He then pinpointed the weak areas within the whole set up and added his own invented bits. The result is a mind boggling 4 hour game that is hard to get your mind around if you have never played the basic version. It takes Tom 45 minutes just to set up the game board and a lot longer to recruit new players. Here are a bunch of the "brains" who have been recruited for an evening to play (a couple of Germans in there, I notice).

Mercy Ship: Interior

I have had requests to see what the inside of the ship looked liked that we lived on in Liberia. It is an old converted rail ferry from Europe. It has 8 decks, two of which are underwater. We lived on the 3rd deck, the same level as the hospital. We had a hairdresser on board for all the long-term crew Laundry facilities were on a sign up basis. Everyone had one hour a week. Of course, the hospital was the main point of the ship, as you can see one of 6 operating rooms above. In the midship's lounge there was a Starbucks coffee bar, fully kitted out with Starbucks machines and drinks. They were donated along with the training on the machines. Beside Starbucks was the snackbar with slurpees, popcorn, pop, and junk food. Above is a shot of the cafe seating area. It had wireless internet and was a great place to chat at break time. Above the coffee bar was the lounge with chairs and televisions. There was a computer area. The international lounge was for large meetings or lectures for everyone on the ship. The library (one of my favourite places to hide away in). On the top deck was a pool donated by a family on board. It was a strange sensation to swim in it while looking down at the ocean. An outdoor area for kids to play in. The community kitchen where anyone could cook their own food. The midships lounge again. The dining room where all the meals were served canteen style. The buffet in the dining room. Our couples cabin. The boutique downstairs where people left unwanted things and everything was free to take. WOW! The excercise room. The Ship Shop where you could buy most of your basic needs. Inside the Ship Shop. There were all sorts of other things too...a bank, a post-office, a school, etc...

Sudden Surge in Media Coverage

We, or shall I say mostly Nigel, has had a sudden surge in news coverage from our Liberia experience. He was contacted by Mercy Ships and asked if he was interested in taking part in publicity. He said yes, a written document was sent to him to check over and suddenly there are articles quoting him mysteriously saying very distinct Mercy Ship marketing lines. C'est la vie et c'est les médias! We did have an interview with one reporter directly, The Yorkshire Post's Martin Slack entitled, "Honeymooning Couple's African Mercy Mission". The very next day The Sun came out with an almost word for word article and the same picture (above) entitled, "Couple Spend Honeymoon Helping Others" and suddenly we were now in Africa on our honeymoon instead of our first year of marriage. Other stories about Nigel's medical experiences: "Couple Spend Honeymoon Helping Others" (The Sheffield Telegraph) "Hope on the Horizon" (Mercy Ships) "Hospital Volunteer Recognized for Work" (ISSUU) "Hospital Ship Celebrate Success in Liberia on International Volunteer Day" (IMPA) "Mercy Ships celebrates success in Liberia" (Christian Today) And Nigel's worm episode in surgery that he had published as a letter in Anaesthesia News: "More Than Just Secretions"

Liberia: Guess the Department

While I was on the ship I had wanted to do a blog called Mercy Feet. I would photograph every department's feet only and then it would be a guessing game as to which feet belonged to which department. I only got two departments along before I left Liberia, but you can see the glitzy feet that gave me the idea while I was sitting in one of my department meetings. The other shot is of Nigel's department.

BBC Radio South Yorkshire

If any of you happen to be in Sheffield you might have caught us on BBC Radio this last Saturday evening with Paulette Edwards talking about our time in Liberia. There is a recording of her show on the BBC website until this next Saturday when it is replaced by the next show. To listen click on the following link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/radio_sheffield/ Click on LISTEN AGAIN on the right hand panel. Then click on PAULETTE EDWARDS under Most Popular Shows. If you hear the Celebration song you know you are in the right show. We are interviewed at about 1 hour and 14 minutes into the show between two sets of songs (FASTFORWARD to 1:13:00 and it will start at 1:14:30).

Losing Mercy 10

As crazy as it sounds it was hard NOT to gain weight in Liberia. Despite living in a country where food was scarce and unaffordable for the majority of the population, we were well fed on the ship. I suppose the thinking is if you are sick then you can't take care of the sick. On the Mercy Ship we had 3 buffets a day. It was good food and there were always endless options for picky eaters, vegetarians, children, and the taste-bud challenged. After losing 30 pounds 6 years ago, I managed as a single person to pinpoint my weaknesses. I come from a family of snackers and if the food is there, I eat it. My coping mechanism became not having the food there at all. If I craved something I would only get enough for that one moment. So with all the food served on board, plus a snack bar (chips, chocolate, drinks, etc), a ship shop (with all your baking needs, cookies, and ice cream), and a coffee bar (aka Starbucks), I was in serious trouble. I ran like a banshee in the mornings or evenings. But for anyone who has calculated caloric burn, running doesn't burn that much. A half hour of sweating doesn't even burn off your Mars Bar. I did gain 10 pounds although, being tall, it was well hidden. In the end I banned myself from any junk and drinks and I only ate a salad sandwich for lunch, keeping to the minimum of the Canada Food Guide. As Canadians, I realize we are lucky to have the Canada Food Guide (pictured above), taught in schools and available to the public at large. Now that I am back in the UK, back cooking my own food and analyzing the British way of eating, I see instant meals take up a huge portion of the grocery stores. Other than the National Health Service's "5 a day"adverts (5 fruits and veg daily), how are people supposed to know what is best to eat? How best to stay healthy? The other shock for people is portion size. Four tablespoons of peanut butter is all the protein you need for a whole day (plus a whole load of fat and sugar). Three cups of pasta is all the bread/grain product for a whole day. I remember talking to a thin friend of mine who said she hates the feeling of being full. Well, I love the feeling of being full. It is comforting and homey. One of my favourite things is to curl up with a good book under a blanket with a snack. Bliss! When I lost all the weight 6 years back, I had lost my love for food and eating, so it wasn't too difficult. But when I gained that love back, it was a battle. Until Nigel came along and introduced me to a whole new way of eating. Most people think Nigel has great metabolism and can eat anything and stay skinny. Since living with him, I don't think that is the case. I call it the Nigel Diet and it is a lifestyle. He points out to me that I am an "all or nothing" personality. Previously, if I ate too much junk I would start again the next day and live it up for the rest of the current day. I would try to run every day. I would try to eat junk food only one day a week. The Nigel diet is just eating healthy, moderately, and consistently. Yes, I now have dessert every night. No it isn't fruit! I eat a simple breakfast (Wheatabix or porridge with banana, skim milk, and raisins); lunch (for me) is a salad (no sauces) with beans and a fruit; and dinner is a any new vegetarian meal from one of our many cookbooks (sometimes with a side vegetable if the dish doesn't provide enough). We try not to eat a huge second helping. Following dinner we eat a dessert every night...but not big. Half a cup of ice cream with sauce or Onken yogurt and usually several squares of chocolate. Nigel explained that particularly for diabetics, but also the rest of us, sweet desserts are okay in moderation if tagged on at the end of a meal so your blood sugar doesn't shoot up. There is no snacking in between meals (okay, very occasionally). I remember picking up a pamphlet on losing weight by a nurse at a street booth in the UK. It listed the top 10 ways to lose weight. I knew them all except one. That one surprised me and was opposite to what most North Americans are taught. EAT 3 MEALS AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY. Nigel confirmed medically that your body is best when you eat at the same time every day. I had always read that eating 5 small meals a day was best and nothing about timing. It isn't as drastic a plan as I was used to. I might not have eaten for a day if I had had a bad day previously. But I was surprised to find that even without exercise I consistently lost weight eating like Nigel. In fact, it is a lot easier than my old method. I even get a really nice non-diet meal every evening.

Liberia: Little Details

Little details on a ship.

Liberia: Transformation

I thought I would post some of the stories I have done as a writer/photographer/graphic designer in the past several months. This is the finished product used as a marketing tool for Mercy Ships.

This story is about Alimou, a patient that Nigel anaesthetised. Click on each image to get a bigger view.

Liberia: Food for Life

The Food for Life program is in the Tenegar region of Liberia. Click on the story above for the full details.Marcel, an agriculturalist runs the program.The plaintain plantation.

The experimental farm.

Sprouting plants.
A lot of new product are tested in the Liberian climate and soil on the farm.
The watering jugs.
Seed beds.
Cucumber sprouts.
I loved these planters/composters. The compost gets put in the middle and watered. The plants are grown in the planters on either side and feed off the compost nutrients.