Kish? I dont want to go back there

Today, I heard about the 'not so good' situation of my two colleagues who exit from the UAE to a nearby country, while waiting for their work visas. Myself also experienced the same 2 years ago so somehow I understand their anxiety and fear. I wrote this then....

<sea side....no swimming allowed for girls unless you are fully covered>

19May2011, Kish Island, Iran

I am back here again in the island of loneliness: Kish Island!

<there are 3hotels you can choose from here in Kish, we stayed here...>

Perhaps you may also realize that this is indeed the saddest island in the world if you experience staying here for a month. During my two visits here, I have a lot of time observing the people (there is very less choices of activity you know). And here is the one place where I have seen the most number of sad Filipinos ever. You see, We Filipinos are naturally happy people- we love to be happy, we laugh at almost anything, anywhere, anytime. But here in Kish Island, it is a different story. The island have the strange power to trigger the sad thoughts and problems of one's life- past -present -future.

<always empty streets - very few local people live here or maybe they are not going out>

Why? What is so mysterious in this Island....

"Here it is like Alcatraz!” my new found friend, René exclaimed while we are standing in the breakfast queue. Everyday from 9-10am we need to fall in line in the hotel's kitchen counter to collect our free breakfast. The Iranian hotel staff serving is thin and small and he looked like he just woke-up. He put on clean gloves before handing our food, I saw his finger nails looks dirty. 

<we fall in line here infront of the counter>

Our breakfast is one small cold bread and cold boiled egg, small butter and carrot jam, that is all, no coffee. I heard from others that the food is not hot anymore because these are leftovers from the day before. I don't know, I am hungry. Only few collect their free breakfast, I guess 80 percent of the hotel occupants (all Filipinos waiting for visa) are still sleeping.

Back in our room, I counted the beds...six all in all. In each bed, 2 people share it. The boys unit is separate from the girls but the same like ours, 10 to 12 people stay in one room. We sleep without blankets on the first night. You own your time here its free to use it as you wish, most prefer to sleep the whole day. Some mornings there is no water in the toilets. By the way, one day stay in hotel costs Dhs. 40.

<like hospital beds...its clean at least...>

Day time is very silent. But night time is completely opposite. Our room mate girls spend the whole evening talking out loud, drinking, eating and smoking. The radio is playing full volume and smoke is floating all over the room.

One dark morning, I was surprised from René when she shout “Aaaay tignan mo oh!” (Hey, look!) she is pointing to the corridor. First I thought she saw a ghost but when I turned I saw there are many mice happily running after each other. It is the first time I saw happy creatures in this island.

<hotel corridors looks eerily sad>

Around mid-noon, walking around the hotel, you will pass by many Filipinos smoking in the corners of the corridor and behind the columns and in front of their room doors and beside the windows. They are all alone, silently smoking and thinking.

<calls cost 1Dh per minute and internet cost 5 Dhs per hour>

 There is a small internet shop (with weak signals) in the 3^rd floor. I like to sit in the computer nearest the pay phone. Almost always when someone use the payphone, they cry while calling their lovedones. Sometimes I cry too while listening.

<hotel lobby>

It is very hot outside so many prefer to sit in the hotel's airconditioned lobby.

I guess, its like that. Sometimes we have to accept the sadness, maybe here, maybe there, so that the next time, the next place, we will feel the happiness and really embrace it, because we already conquered the sadness.

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“To live greatly, 

we must develop the capacity

 to face trouble with courage, 

disappointment with cheerfulness,

and triumph with humility.” 

―by Thomas S. Monson

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