German version: see below<\/p>\n
Fortaleza, May 29th 2014, Dragao do Mar It is still quiet in the exhibition room. A school class of 13 to 14 year olds is taking a tour. They come from a small fishing village to the north of Fortaleza and made a trip to the capital of the state Ceara today, in order to visit our exhibition and learn more about the ocean. Mariana and Rodrigo guide the class through the exhibition as if they had never done anything else. That was really nice to see.<\/p>\n At 12:00 we go to our hotel to check-out and then back to Dragao do Mar and there we can already see our surprise. We watch as Mariella, Rodrigo and Leopoldo conduct a \u201cCordel Literature Workshop\u201d. The preparations let us guess that this type of knowledge transfer has hardly any similarity with how we do this in Germany. Mariella and Leopoldo span cords from module to module and attach small, colorful booklets with pegs, these are all individually made, one more beautiful than the other. A colorful blanket is spread on the ground, on it ribbon, cord, paper, pens, glue and much more. The pupils who visited the exhibition in the morning all take a seat and then let their minds wander using a particular method. They are asked to make rhymes about the sea, to write them down and, with their self\u2011made front page, make their own booklet. If they like, they can read their rhyme to the group at the end. Everyone does. The rhymes are about overfishing and how the environment that they live in can be improved. At the end the pupils proudly hang their booklets on the cord next to the others.<\/p>\n In the early afternoon there is a small interruption. A fisherman from the village that accompanied the pupils initiates a musical interlude. Soon a large circle is made and everyone joins in with clapping, dancing, singing \u2013 without reserve or worry about what the other visitors might think. We join them. Full of new impressions, the school class leaves and thanks us for the great experience. So do we.<\/p>\n There is only little time left until we have to leave for the airport. Will we see each other again? Rebecca has plans to return to Germany. (She studied in Kiel for a few months and is now applying for a scholarship in Bremen.) Leopoldo has his head full of plans and ideas that could also take him to Europe. Mariella and Rebecca would like to take part in the summer school that Karl Stattegger and other German and Brazilian scientists are conducting in Natal, as well as continue supervising the exhibition there. It will open on September 8th<\/sup> right in the middle of the University. The suspense remains. We cross our fingers for Leo and the rest.<\/p>\n Filled with new impressions, we fly back
\n<\/strong>On our way home, sadly! Our Brazilian team with Rebecca, Mariana, Mariella, Rodrigo and Leopoldo has become dear to us. It was great fun building the exhibition with them and learning, apart from their life stories, about the day to day life of Brazilian marine scientific training. They are all very committed and reliable so that we could not have left with a better feeling. But there is one more thing before we go. They have promised a surprise for us today.<\/p>\n
\nFriederike, Gerd and Emanuel<\/p>\n\n\n\t