Wantoks, wandog, etc.

The pidgin word wantok means countrymen in English. If you would look closely, the word is actually a combination of two words, one, and talk. And if you try to put two and two together, the word would actually mean people who speak the same language as yours, or one talk. Funny but it makes sense doesn’t it?

Well, I have finally met some wantoks last Sunday at the 30th anniversary of the Lae Filipino Association. Almost a hundred showed up at the venue. Tito Napoleon took the effort of introducing me to every soul he saw but the wantoks I met were a bit cold and indifferent although there were quite a number of sincere ones who were thrilled to have me around. The atmosphere was like a miniature version of the Philippines where each kept to his own comfort zone or barrio. The afternoon was forgetful and the only thing I enjoyed, aside from the lechon I brought home for dinner, was the company of my newly adopted lolo and lola, Tito Nap and Tita Bel who took good very good care of me the whole day. Sometimes it’s better to keep just a few wantoks around so there'd be lestok (hehehe). And keep the nicer ones.

Save for the disappointments during the Filipino gathering, there were a few good happenings too. I got invited to a dinner over at the Director General’s residence last Friday in honor of the new recruits; me, and an Irish scientist who moved his whole household from Ireland to the highlands of PNG where NARI has another station. Food consisted of authentic Indian delicacies prepared by the DG’s wife and like a typical Indian the DG had a million stories to tell. He talked and talked endlessly. Needless to say, I went home with an acid reflux while the DG’s thick accent reverberated inside my head. I also got to meet a few good wantoks working as consultants at the FAO office downtown. The office is on the 4th floor of a five-storey building which happens to be the tallest structure in Lae and where the only elevator could be found. But it is advisable that you take the stairs instead. It’s healthier for the heart, and for the nose.

Speaking of wantoks, another member of the Taiwanese team who has just arrived, dropped by my office earlier. In the middle of our conversation, he suggested that I should get a “wantok.” For the life of me I thought what he was saying was I needed to have another wantok or a Filipino around the house to keep me company. I thought, this %^&@@# old guy is so fresh! How dare he joke about me getting a wantok when we’ve just met? But many explanations later, I realized all he was saying was that I should get one dog (wan dok, got it?) to keep me company!!! Arrff!! As soon as they have left I laughed so hard until my sides ached. There goes another one for the books.

Maybe I should seriously think about getting a “dok” to keep me company or a cat, a rocking chair, and some balls of yarn, hahaha!!

P.s. Here’s another pidgin phrase for you.
English: I will come see you tonight.
Pidgin translation: Mikam lukim yu long nyt.