There are many things that one can write about. I have chosen to write about things that bother me. I usually write about things that I do not understand or things that contradict what I value and believe in. I do not claim to be a person of puritanical background or a person so well informed about everything – and I do not want to be considered as one. In fact, compared to the rest of the world, I know very little and rely on others to fill in the gaps. Sometimes, the information I get is distorted or twisted and I am driven into further obscurity – where I waddle, think, and hope that I get a chance to put my thoughts in writing.
In a sense, I write because I feel it is the best way that I keep my thoughts in order; and at the same, writing allows me to converse with myself and to criticize anything and everything that I think infringes on human dignity. I really think that above all else human beings must be treated with sincere respect and that everyone must work diligently to eliminate all forms of human alienation and suffering.
Having said that, I am now obliged to say a little about one of the activities of the Independence Day celebration – the boat races. I think it has gone over board. It has become an activity for those who have more than enough and many have been left in the sidelines deducing what the price money would be spent on. The spirit that used to drive ordinary fishermen and boat owners to register into the boat races have drifted away.
I distinctly remember the unmodified boats – which reeked with remnants of overnight fishing excursions – that registered for the races a few years back. The boat operators then represented most of Palau and it was difficult to distinguish them from the spectators. Their mechanics were jacks-of-all-trade who could have easily juggled 12 mm and 10 mm sockets and worn out screw drivers as they hopped from boat to boat to ensure that all of the engines were in good running order. The rules were simple and winning was solely dependent on luck. The spirit of the races was running at 5000 rpm then.
Last Friday, the spirits simply could not keep up with the modified boats and the ordinary people could not have fished enough to even qualify for registration. The few who raced passed by so fast – I only caught a glimpse of the rooster tails. It was not fun.
I think, for next year, Palau should have a war canoe race instead. I am positive that the war canoes, which have been sitting idle since the 9th Pacific Festival of Arts, could be used to muster the people to participate in the boat races. Further, it would not be as risky as the past races and would be environmentally friendly. Moreover, the people will be sponsoring the races and each and everyone would get a chance to be in the race. If you can row, you would qualify to be in the races next year. What do you think?
