水曜日, 4月 06, 2005
Days Of Our Lives
I hang around the JP embassy for like almost 4 hours waiting in line for my visa. In this 4 hours, life unfolds before my very eyes.
One of the earliest birds that girl in tight red pants was squared to receive her visa. As her number was called, she jumped off her seat and rushed to the releasing window with eyes sparkling with anticipation. "You're visa was denied. You try again after 6 months, mam." The morning hush, the crowd buzzling was deafed by the echoing sound of the microphone.
Worried faces. Prayerful souls. Ahh~~ the Filipino people ~ clinging dearly to Our Father in dire times. Amen! But I wonder, what about the other times???
And then there's this teenager accompanied by his mother. I've eavesdropped that she has successfully arranged her son to work in a restaurant to wash dishes. Pity the child! Screw the mother, I thought! Poverty is not an excuse to pass on to your child what is your responsibility in life. And then the moment came, their number was called. He got it! The mother was dancing merrily, pulling her son out of the embassy, perhaps for fear that her dreams will be taken away from her.
The chubby, cute toddler who I think is gonna be bratty someday turned out to be half-Japanese. He kept of screaming, and whining, and running around, poor Yaya for the extra 'pasanin' and a heavy one at that.
My designated window has been sooo slow...And it seems I had enough of these side-shows until a lady was called to the last window. "I received reports from the Japan immigration...you overstayed in Japan." This fat lady said, "yes because my husband got sick." And then she gave all sorts of excuses.
"Where do you plan to stay in Japan and what is your purpose of visiting to Japan". She didn't know what to say.
Then she said, "I have a daughter, she still has no documents but she is already married to a Japanese", and she went on to say disconnected, unrelated stories.
Then the embassy staff finally said, "whatever you say, I will check against immigration records and if I found out that you're not telling the truth, you will never enter Japan again."
The fat lady's companion, a young girl which I assume is also a daughter wanted to say anything but her mother kept on kicking her, as if telling her, 'I'll handle this. zipzip!'.
When I look at these people who all wants to get a glimpse and perhaps a taste of Asia's Big Apple, I can't help but wonder, am I just really lucky these opportunities land at my lap without sweat. Sometimes I feel so ashamed of what they do, or how they behave. But I don't know their lives, I don't know their aspirations, all I know is that perhaps, they wanna go out and see how the world is.
And whenever I visit the embassy and see those girls who married Japanese guys and how lowly some people think of them, I can't help but be sad and really think about it...Do I wanna be categorized as one of them? Oh well, that's another story....
# posted by Unknown : 7:21 午後
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