Sea Through My Eyes

I married a sailor to put an end to my spinsterhood, but it was not an ordinary marital knot. On marrying him came along isolation, distance, pain, sacrifices and unconditional love. I bid him a safe voyage every time and waited days and months for his safe homecomings. Juggling with dual responsibilities of the family, maintaining the symbolic status of being a sailor’s wife, I take pride in the applets on his shoulder. I take pride to be his queen, and like me, there are millions of queens around the globe who wear a silent crown of compassion, courage and optimism. This memoir is my journey to the unknown world of unsung heroes working at sea, experiencing the terror which I came across while sailing: from a harrowing passage of Somalia to accidents that happened on board when the ship sailed in ferocious storms and deserted ports of call, the gruelling daily routine and dedication for work at the mercy of nature which changed my perspective and refute the myths about sailors. It is my journey to the floating world. A world that runs the major trades with no expectations or recognition. These sailors work in silence and retire in silence. Yes, it is the life of The Merchant Navy.

Little Sophia sometimes struggles with dizzying thoughts that make her uncomfortable. One day she finds some magical flippers on the beach that allow her to enter an underwater world. There, she meets adorable new friends that understand her anxiety and help her feel comfortable. Sophia learns that focusing on her senses can calm her. Magically now, she can visit her special underwater world anytime she wants to, just by closing her eyes.

This book begins with the story of a young boy, Rem Vandenberg, who was born in 1937 in the Netherlands just before the onslaught of the Second World War. His youth was a struggle to exist under the German occupation and in combating the depravation of poverty. Added to these hardships was the ongoing personal battle he fought daily in accepting the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church which were heavily imposed on him by the uncompromising adult belief of the time. His authoritarian father loaded with the responsibility of caring for the large family was staunch in upholding his strong principles and instilling them into his children. Of a less serious nature and with a strong desire to be free of the bonds restricting him from freedom of expression and thought Rem was often on the punitive end of the disciple rod, both at school and home. Opposing this oppression was the endless love and compassion of his mother, who through the strength of her faith, was able to engulf the whole family under her mantle of love and bind them together into a caring family unit. At a young age Rem had to begin work to help support the family. What he was expected to do for a few cents per week was beyond the capability of this small undernourished lad. His father insisted on strength of character and allowed him to be pushed to the limit of his endurance. Held by the love of his family but tormented with the urge to be free of restrictions Rem finally took his life in his own hands. At the age of sixteen driven by the spirit of adventure he left home and joined the merchant navy. His first voyage was on a whaling ship to the South Pole which was followed by voyages throughout the world for the next few years. On sailing into his first Australian port his desire to stay in Australia took over. He jumped ship and went inland where he took a job on the railway. After six months as gang worker he was finally picked up by the law and experienced a short jail sentence before being deported back to Holland. His love for Australia was strong and within two years he returned as a legal migrant and still lives in his beloved land today.

As I travel across north America, operating a tractor and trailer, hauling consumer goods, I come across many events of the human spirit and so I write about what I see, hoping that it may, make you cry, make you laugh, make you think about life and how precious it is.

An incredibly moving book detailing the life of a medium and giving insight into life after death. Gordon Smith, the UK's most highly respected medium, is well known for giving powerful messages from loved ones on the other side to bring healing to people who are devastated and immobilized by grief. In this powerful and inspirational book, Gordon opens a window into his life to describe how the world looks through his eyes. He walks the reader through his spirit-filled world and answers questions about death that haunt the bereaved. Many of the people that Gordon has brought healing and comfort to are happy for him to tell their story in this book in the hope that it will help others who are experiencing intense grief. Gordon hopes that this intimate and candid book will offer great wisdom, comfort and practical advice to his thousands of readers.

This book looks to expand the definition of translation in line with Susan Bassnett and David Johnston’s notion of the “outward turn”, applying this perspective to contemporary art to broaden the scope of how we understand translation in today’s global multisemiotic world. The book takes as its point of departure the idea that texts are comprised of not only words but other semiotic systems and therefore expanding our notions of both language and translation can better equip us to translate stories told via non-traditional means in novel ways. While the “outward turn” has been analyzed in literature, Vidal directs this spotlight to contemporary art, a field which has already engaged in disciplinary connections with Translation Studies. The volume highlights how the unpacking of such connections between disciplines encourages engagement with contemporary social issues, around identity, power, migration, and globalization, and in turn, new ways of thinking and bringing about wider cultural change. This innovative book will be of interest to scholars in translation studies and contemporary art.

Reproduction of the original.