After one Wednesday class, I went to the library to read the newspaper. I found 2 Filipina chatting. One of them is in my class and she greeted me as I entered the room. The other lady is pregnant and, referring to me, she said, "ah, Pilipina din siya?" (oh, she's also a FIlipina?) After an exchange of hi`s and hello`s, she begun to interrogate me:
"Are you a student?" "No". "Are you working then?" "No". "Are you married to a Japanese?" "No".
So I told her about my tourist visa status. She was delighted and promptly and excitedly recommended me to work in the pub where she used to work. I told her that although, I`d love to, my 'guardian' might not allow me. She tried to convince me by saying that the pay is good and the work is easy. "You will earn a lot because you are young. The women who are working there are like in their 5o`s and 60`s and, here, look at me, even if I am big and pregnant like this the men like me because at least I`m younger", she said with a giggle. "In your case they`ll swarm to you like bees!" Then I told her that I cannot work because I don`t have a working visa. She said: "the management won`t even care whether you have a passport!" Then, with a concerned air, she went on, " if you don`t work, who will pay for your expenses? who will pay your air ticket? how can you send money to the Phils?" etc, etc....
Are there other jobs? I asked. She told me of a factory job and strongly encouraged me to apply.
It is my first time to really talk with a Japayuki close - up. I felt that she was genuinely concerned about my welfare and that`s why she was so eager to tell me about the vacancies she knows about.
I guess, this is the way they do it here? The way they try to `help` their kababayan? (country people). Or the way they recruit?
The other day, in the same Wednesday class there was a total of 6 Filipinas who attended this time, including me as the newcomer. When they learned that I`m Filipino and not a student, they automatically thought I`m a "talent". Gingerly, I said in a joking way, "no, I`m not a talent because I don`t really have any talent". That didn't help, from that day on, they considered me as outsider in their group.
I have nothing against the `talent` occupation. For me, it`s just another kind of work, I hold no judgments whatsoever... I'm just afraid it is a little dreadful that even Filipinos/Filipinas themselves assume that all Filipinas in Japan are `talents` or that sort of thing. No wonder other nationalities have that stereotype about us.
That talk with that pregnant lady made me think more about it on my way home: Perhaps it depends on the club or pub and the people who go to the pub but I have been to a pub owned and managed by a Filipina before. The Filipina owner happened to be the ninang (godmother) of a Filipino exchange student friend of mine and they haven`t met since after he was baptized and so when she learned that her godchild is inJapan, she invited him to visit her. My friend, uncomfortable of meeting someone he doesn't remember at all, coaxed me to accompany him.
Her pub was really small and cozy and there was an easy atmosphere of cordiality and familiarity among the customers, the staff and owner. There were just 3 women (4 if including the owner) working there, all Filipina. 2 younger ones, aged early 20's, and one older, 55 yrs old. All they did every night was to sit together in groups in 3 or 4 different tables, drink, talk, gossip about the day`s events, and sing karaoke.... no more than that, really...
...But maybe, just maybe, this one is a different, decent establishment. Perhaps because the owner is Filipina and an Igorot and the 2 younger ladies are her own nieces. The 2 young women served like young muses, while the elder plump woman, who by now is very good in Nihongo, because she is married to a Japanese man, was more like a nurturing mother figure with whom these work-tired Japanese men find some kind of feminine peace and motherly comfort.
I also read of a well-known Filipina magazine columnist who applied for a pub work (sitting around a table talking and drinking with 3 or 4 men) in Amsterdam.She did this just for the experience when she was travelling around the world. She was given a 3 nights trial by the management but she reported to work twice only, leaving the place after she felt that the conversations are a little shallow for her intelligence.
~~~
As I said, I have nothing
against this kind of work nor the people who do this work.. So when I got home, I relayed my conversation with the pregnant woman to my boyfriend. I told him that I would like to try for even just one night for the sake of experience, hihi. I reasoned out that if ever I`m gonna be a writer someday I should be
well-rounded enough.. His response was like, "eeehh?!?! dame! (what?!? no!)
hahaha!!...
Someday, perhaps someday before my visa stay ends, I get to convince the Boyfriend... though, I`m actually a little scared of the prospects of doing it :)
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