Connector

Oleh            : Mochamad Fadli Fauzie

The Spirit of the Sea

Six "vaka moana" canoes arrived in San Francisco this morning after¹ sailing across the Pacific from New Zealand to the Hawaiian Islands and² to mainland U.S. In spite of³ the 15,00 mile ocean journey, the canoes arrived safely.

They are participating in the voyage "Te Mana o Te Moana" which translates to "The Spirit of the Sea".This voyage was made because⁴ they wanted to raise awareness about the state of the ocean and to share the wisdom of the Polynesian ancestors who loved and respected the sea. "We are all in one canoe," they said. 

The canoes, each about 70 feet long, carry a crew of 16 sailors from not only Tonga but also⁵ the Cook Islands, Kiribati and Vanuatu.  More than 150 crew members are participating in the voyage, which began in April in Auckland, New Zealand.

Though⁶ the canoes were built as the traditional vaka moana canoes used by the Pacific Islander ancestors, these have some modern changes. While⁷ the hulls (canoe bottoms) used to be made of wood, these are made of fiberglass. Moreover⁸, they have solar panels to power equipment onboard.

Whereas⁹ the ancient Polynesians navigated by the stars, these modern sailors have Internet, Facebook and Twitter as well.  They even have a website on which you can track their progress.

The six-canoe flotilla came in through the Golden Gate a week ago and were surprised because of¹⁰ the stiff winds and fog in the bay.  Fortunately, the fog lifted and the winds calmed down so that¹¹ the sailors could hold an open house and give rides to visitors.

"The Pacific is our home, our breath, our future. We can only survive if we come together as cultures, as crew-mates, to preserve the health of our ocean planet – Our Blue Canoe."

The flotilla will continue to Monterey, Los Angeles, and San Diego. In January of  2012, the journey will continue to the Galapagos Islands, Marquesas and Tahiti.

No.	Connectors	Meaning	Example
1	after	To show a period of time / To clarify chronological order	We watch a movie after he arrives. We will come after we complete the work.
2	and	To Add Another Idea (Coordinating Conjunction)	Ryan and Fadly play hockey. She loved that novel. It was      exciting, and her favorite author wrote it.
3	In spite of	To Show the Opposite of  What You Might Expect	pharmacies remained open in spite of the day of the week. In spite of the stressful nature of high level positions, professionals can learn to manage their stress levels.
4	because	To Show a Cause or Reason	He didn't go to work because he was sick. Iqbal wore his winter pants because  it was snowing.
5	not only...but also	To Show Addition (Correlative conjunctions)	I like not only read but also write.  Not only is she dilligent but also smart.
6	though	To Show a difference (Contrast)	Andaf wore a winter jacket though it was warm outside. Even though Andaf works hard, she still isn't getting good grades.
7	While	To Show a difference (Contrast)	I like sugar in my coffee, while Iqbal likes black coffee. She was reading a book while I slept.
8	moreover	To Add Another Idea	I think Washil is the best choice as class president. He has acted fairly, moreover, he had many friends on campus.                                            I left the party because I was bored, moreover it was quite late.