Sentidokomon

Salvador Respeto, Jr., (Proud to be a Filipino!)

Dear Salvador,

By Salvador Respeto, Jr.

I am a young merchant marine officer with an immaculate family background, finest academy education, and with natural ambitions in life. My profession has taken me to many corners of the world. I am quite well- versed with the geography of old and modern buildings, whether European-made or Asian. The flights, taxi rides, brief stay in airport hotels and walks downtown in different port of calls can give a good idea of the world in general, if you stay awake and interested. Fortunately, I took the advice of our Norwegian ship owner, never to leave a port without sampling a touch of the country — its music, language, nature or people. And it has been fulfilling. After almost five years of sailing, it gives the feeling of having an idea of what the world is all about. I must thank our Great Creator for the ocean. Without these vast stretches of water, I would not have a job to do. A job which almost every Filipino doesn’t appreciate. They think that we are just ordinary seamen floating in the middle of nowhere and earning a few dollars to send home. But there is more to it than that. The sea is the bridge between people. This is where the world trade has turned into reality. This is where you find the key to global co-existence. Since childhood, I have this notion that it is lifeless on the surface of the sea. All the magnificent life I know is below, a hidden world. Nevertheless, the reward for the watchful eye of a sailor is great. It is somewhere in the Caribbean which I saw a stretch of sea life on the surface. The whole sea all of a sudden came to life that I think would be difficult to repeat anywhere, anytime. Hundreds of dolphins dance a ballet in front of our ship and on the waves. Their whole world is a playground around us. Nature is truly full of gifts. It is a strange world, isn’t it? In the big cities it is so crowded and polluted that it can affect both health and mind, but here in the midst of breathtaking beauty, nature is virtually undisturbed. This is where I developed my reverence and respect for the ocean. It is our companion if we treat it with understanding and humility. The world has become smaller – this is a common saying these days. You can bridge the continents in a matter of hours. You can reach every inch of the globe through satellites in seconds. But to me my profession is a revelation. The world is big after all. One of the world’s largest shipowning companies employs me. We run services on the worldwide coasts. And in these coasts, I learned quite a number of things which considerably helped in filling the ignorant part of my being. I must admit however that our ship doesn’t stay long in port but I have this luxury of seeing the world for free. My overseas experiences were not always of a calm sea — sometimes it’s a raging sea but generally it is well and steady. Hurricanes and storms have eventually developed my immunity to seasickness. I enjoyed Rio’s Feb festival, met a Mexican woman with her blue Spanish eyes, strolled the beautiful British Columbia, felt the winter breeze of Sweden, witnessed the midnight sun of Norway, left a part of my heart in various ports and lot of experiences for a young sailor. And yes, great things happened in Disney. Likewise, I had the pleasure to work with Englishmen, Canadians, Australians, Germans and Croatians. Indeed, it takes all sorts of people to make a world. In other situations I find myself wandering. We all know that the Pope is in Italy but porno movies are aired on national television at night. Topless models are common in ordinary advertisements. Ironic, isn’t it? I also had a chance to be in a communist land where food was rationed to every citizen. I wish the Nice People Around (NPA) in our country would have the chance to experience the communist way of living. For sure, they will not like the system. “In every port, report; in every place, replace,” is a common saying among sailors. But because of devastating STDs, modern seafarers like myself are now careful, and I am thankful because it breaks the bad habit of traditional seamen — being a one-day millionaire. And it means more savings and a good future. On the other hand, we need inspiration, too — wife, kids, girlfriend, or else we will be infected with a new kind of AIDS, “”Acquired Insanity Due to Sailing.” In this profession, there are bad times and good times. Crossing the Pacific or Atlantic for weeks breeds independence and self-reliance. Sailing, I believe, is living a little more. It gives meaning to this sometimes confusing yet exciting world of ours. The only disadvantage is being away from my family. Though I feel I already have plenty of salt water in my veins, my sea experience is not yet enough. There are still a lot of shores to conquer. Thankfully, the world is indeed big. As always, I dedicate this piece to my sweet Mary Ann and my cutie daughter Sofia Amihan, my inspiration, my strength. I am now working here in Limassol as a land based worker but still involved in shipping as my job is to take care of few ships. I guess salt water will stay in my blood forever. At present, my family is applying for Cyprus visa, I am praying so hard that we will be together soon. And it will be another story.