The day started bright and sunny. It was a new day for us with a very exciting program, which included a visit to the Ålands Peace Institute and the first rehearsal of the Fashion Show !
The very first morning time accomplishment was the group picture. It features all the volunteers, workcamp responsibles at Emmaüs, and light-haired Walter wearing F.C. Barcelona shirt.
We were chatting for a while before dispatching the day's tasks when, incidentally, Carina told us about a couple unusual facts of Ålands. One odd thing is that some of the elderly crows in the world reside here. The oldest denizen crow of Ålands is 30 years old. It is healthy with feather still shinny black all over. Some of you might wonder how one could find out the age of the bird. The answer comes out very simply as ravens are well known to be watchful and inventive. Therefore, our crow had learned enough elements of our language to tell his age.
Then, tasks were assigned to us. Most tasks were the continuation of previous days, like mounting shelves for the cirkeln, painting the sign for the Peace Park, renovating sunk floating candles and making more new for next year's Hiroshima commemoration. Anna, who is specializing on painting, started a new job consisting in repainting parking places. Of course we continued Emmaüs perpetual sorting and baling movement everyone knows so well.
About this endless work everyone knows so well, it reminds me of that ancient story, Jonas and the Great Bale. It tells how Jonas, who dared disobey God commandment, is thrown overboard during a huge storm to calm the seas. Jonas is miraculously sballobed by a large fish, who many believe is a Great Bale. The ageless Bale and his playmate Jonas live by the seas for years, but eventually Jonas grows up and loses interest in adventures. One day Jonas prays to God and asks forgiveness and thanks God for being so forgiving, and, as a result, God commands the Bale to vomit Jonas out. Jonas alands in Ålands. The Great Bale is left alone and depressed. People tell that henceforth the Bale workaholically attempted to drown his sorrow by starting the endless work everyone knows so well now.
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