Recently, I've had some interesting conversations with Filipino seafarers. One was with the chief engineer from the 'MV IKAN KADEWAS'. ( Ikan is the Indonesian word for fish). I had met this particular seafarer several times on previous visits to Roberts Bank. On this occasion he asked me if he could join me as I was going to Vancouver. He told me that he had to get off the ship to get some fresh air and see some different faces! While driving he begged me to help him immigrate to Canada. He and his wife have 5 children and he sees very little future for them in the Philippines.
I hear this is a request many times from seafarers who live in Third World countries, so it was no surprise to hear this again. What struck me was the comment he made about his life at sea and how for many years he hasn't been able to watch his children grow up. Always going back to sea, making sure there is enough money for living expenses and money to educate the children and at the end of the day he only sees them about two months out of the year. His lament that morning was that when he retires his children will have finished their education and will most likely move to another country for better employment! "When I finally come home, the children will be gone and I still won't see them", he said. As a father I can feel his pain, but I've never experienced what many sea going fathers have to experience!
I also had a conversation with the cook of the 'OOCL NEW YORK'. His fiancee is a domestic worker in Hong Kong, where she has to work very hard; from 7 AM till 11 PM, six days a week for $700.00 per month! We didn't discuss issues such as homesickness and loneliness, but he did mention abuses in the workplace. Apparently she has no other options because there is little or no work at home.
How blessed and, yes, how spoiled we are to be living in this part of the world!
