“No doubt”, I told myself after completing my first trip to circumnavigate the world, that the Japanese stevedores are the best in the world.
Working with these nationals during cargo operation is a breath of fresh air for us vessel crew.
Funny thing is that because of them, I learn how to master the art of sign and sketch language. They hardly speak or understand English but it does not deter our communication with each other. Message is conveyed through sign, samples of what they needed and sketch of the things they want from our side.
Working with them every time we call for Japan makes me appreciate them more and more. I am just standing there watching these small built people working the job more satisfactorily compare to those twice or thrice their size in the other parts of the world.
I don’t see anyone of them complaining or arguing to their superiors when the latter corrected the way they work with cargoes, lashing, stowing, loading or discharging.
If something obstructs the smooth cargo operation like scattered chains, dunnages rubbers in the cargo hold, the first stevedore to notice it will clear it.
They keep themselves busy always, no hand on waist or prolong standing in one location while others already sweating profusely working their ass off like in other countries.
And most especially what I admired to them is their high regard for safety. Their uniform includes a hard hat, an over-all, high intensity vest, working gloves and safety shoes some even managed to wear knee and elbow protectors.
In ideal place of a cargo hold, signaling lights were posted to emphasize the presence of an obstruction aside from the cones provided by the ship. Traffic enforcers distributed in every ramp deck to organize the loading and unloading operation to further prevent untoward accident.
These and that could not be seen in other ports of the world we called for.
An offline message on facebook from a friend drove my curiosity to surf the net for the latest news. There in bold and all block letters headline the 8.9 magnitude earthquake followed by tsunami devastated Japan.
My heart pounded heavily seeing in youtube the buildings shattering. Coastal Island swept away, cars riding in waters without drivers, warehouses swimming, slave of the mighty current, no direction or precise destination.
Then a 2012 movie revealed in the screen but this time it’s not a CGI and actors playing, instead a real nature’s wrath and unaccounted victims exposed before my eyes.
On a dinner talk with colleague later that afternoon we bumped into this topic, expressing our opinions and feelings to the recent catastrophe. It did come to a point where I asked why these humble and industrious people have to suffer this calamity.
In the light of this unfortunate incident, again Japanese continue to shine in the world with their way of dealing the crisis at hand.
In of their local news as shared in the net forum, there’s an elderly man in an almost empty grocery store took the remaining 10 pieces of bottled water. As he gets near to the counter he returned the other bottles thinking that there are others who needed it also. No panic buying, they are still thinking of their comrades.
Even in the coldness of winter March, their discipline prevails in queuing for food ration. No incident of someone stealing the line of others. No drama of distressed family complaining about the limited supply of ration to their government. All patiently waited in the queue.
Another remarkable attitude of Japanese is their resilience. Damaged has been done and now moving on is the next step. The clearing of debris on streets started right after the incident. Acceptance of their fate, dwelling on what they can do to help their government and not what their government can do to them.
