CAPE TALLIN REPORT

"Filipino Sailors are an interesting kind of people, an interesting mix. Capable of the best of dreams and the worst and most horrible of nightmares "

"Unnamed Filipino Sailor" saying the words to an acquaintance after completing the contract onboard Cape Tallin.

DRAMATIS PERSONA CAPE TALLIN

Igors Slabada (latvian, Captain of Cape Tallin, Returns back on Jan 14 2014)

Gocha Tetrashvili (Georgian National, Chief Officer )

Renan Oveda Olis (Filipino, 2nd officer)

German Jr. Tan Corales (Filipino, 3rd Officer)

Sergey Il'yantsev (Russian, Chief Engineer, Returns back on January 14, 2014)

Ards Jekabsons (Latvian, 2nd Engineer, went back again on November 2013)
Cranz Magistrado (Filipino, 3rd Engineer)

Henerson Patino Gonzales (Filipino, 4th Engineer)

Koba Tsiskaradze (Georgian National, Electrician, went back again on November 2013)

Zacarias Amican (Filipino, BOSUN)

Nilo Pastrana (Filipino, Pump man)
Ronald Hiteroza Caldona (Filipino, Able Bodied Seaman)

Patrick Borres Dondonilla (Filipino, Able Bodied Seaman)

Homer Mallorca (Able Bodied Seaman)

Xerxes Balagso Hall (Ordinary Seaman)

Myself (Ordinary Seaman)

Gil Dalisay Aguro (Fitter)

Gian Silverio Ampong Escote (Oiler)

Donald Reyes Roger (Oiler)

Robert Cervantes Peneranda (Cook)

Ferdinand Penera (Messman)

Valeriy Krasikov (Ukraine national, Captain and successor to Captain Slabada)

Sergey Nagornyy (Russian, Chief mate and successor to Chief Mate Gocha Tetrashivili)

Igor Voytenko (Ukrainian, Chief engineer and Successor to Chief engineer II'yantsev)

Lev Vakhrushev (Russian, 2nd engineer and Successor to 2nd engineer Ards)

Nino R. Lamasen (Filipino, 4th engineer and Successor to 4th engineer Gonzales)

Andriy Obertynskyy (Ukraine, electrical engineer and Successor to Koba tsiskaradze)

Teodolfo S. Liscano (Filipino, Pump man and Successor to P/M Pastrana)

Bryan Y. Monteroyo (Filipino, A.B. Seaman and Succesor to A.B. Ronald Hiteroza)

Richard F. Sano (Filipino, Fitter and Successor to Fitter Gil Dalisay)

Mark S. Aquino (Filipino, Oiler and Successor to Oiler Escote)

Oleksii Voitenko (Ukrainian, 19 yrs old Deck Cadet his dad is Chief engineer Voytenko)

Byron Peter Fourie ( South African, white, 3rd Mate and Successor to 3rd mate Corales)

Jay Rivera Briones (Filipino, Able bodied Seaman, Successor to A.B. Patrick Dondonilla)

Jermonick Maris Del Monte (Filipino, Ordinary Seaman, Successor to O.S. Xerxes Hall)

Jonathan Lubi Olan (Filipino, Chief Cook, Successor to Chief Cook Peneranda)

Evgeny Bezruchko (Russian, Chief Mater, Successor to Chief Mate Nagornyy)

Alexey Shkrygaylo (Russian, 3rd Mate, Successor to 3rd Mate Byron Fourie)

As what have I been writing about since the very start of my journey here, I already have described as much as I can the full details of life being a sailor. That despite the glamorous pictures shown like barbecue parties and such, there is always a "Hidden" story of everything. I have given face on what life of a sailor does, the challenges, the hardship, what a person should need to know, how life is "Inside" in a ship. I have already proven and recorded on this journal how Filipino's treat one another onboard, could be either the best and the worst a person has to offer. I had already shown and recorded how Filipino's here will intentionally and deliberately discriminate one another. That this so called "Filipino Seaman" and "life onboard a ship" reflects a very different society and do not in any way share the same values and moral beliefs we have here at land.

Filipino Sailors are an interesting kind of people, an interesting mix. Capable of the best of dreams and the worst and most horrible of nightmares. They feel so alone, So cut off from the outside world but they're not.

The crux of my journal ends with me becoming a "full fledge sailor" out of the so many student sailors there in the Philippines, my exile and my return, But the revelation is not one of " I am here now at the top " but its implications, Asking myself. What does it mean to be a sailor ? I'm standing at the top among the rest. Was it worth it ? Is this all life is worth? What have i really done ?

FOOTNOTE

I would like to make a space here to say my apologies on AB jay briones and O.S. Del Monte , Earlier on my entries here i was suspicious about them and didn't trust them probably because i thought both of them to be bad guys (given with my distasteful experience with O.S. Hall and A.B. Caldona, their predecessors) , but as it turns out after a two months of investigation they are the good guys .

My sincerest apologies to both of them .... Please accept this as a formal apology if i ever doubted you both guys