One thing I enjoy most is conversing in Nihongo. Not only is it fun but it brings back a lot of good memories from my six-year stay in the Land of the Rising Sun. But now that I am in PNG, it’s very seldom that I get to do that. Oh well there was that one forgettable time when we were treated to dinner by an oyaji (middle-aged Japanese man) who was the shachou (big boss) at a local cement company. However the pleasant dinner turned out to be a nightmare when alcohol took over and transformed him into a sukebe oyaji (a dirty old man!). The old lech even had the nerve to introduce me as his next wife!, eeewww!! in his dreams maybe. Off with his head!!! As this wasn’t the first time I was pestered by one, oyajis especially in this part of the world seem to have the impression that all Filipino working overseas must have families wallowing in poverty back home so that they are forced to seek better lives abroad and are therefore easily lured by offers of money and the possibility of a better life. C’mon….
Anyway back to my topic…This weekend I had the chance to chat with a bunch of young Japanese missionaries who are with the M/v Doulos. A Christian missionary ship that sails all over the world selling books and spreading the Word of God. There are over three hundred of them representing fifty nations on board. Doulos has come to the shores of Lae for a three-week stopover sending the whole city into a flurry of excitement. There’s not much entertainment going around here obviously.
Anyway here are some pictures of my encounter with some of my Japanese wantoks (compatriots) during a dinner hosted by the local Filipino community.
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