My friends,Bondhu, Machaa, Bhai and Mahathiyaa

In our little country we have got many friends from neighbouring countries. I always used to think about them and I used to encounter with them when I go for my frequent coffee or tea or breakfast at the various cafes, kadas and hotaas and restaurents. Most of the time I come across with them in hotaas.

Thinking about why there is such an influx of legal and illegal immigrant workers and reasons for them to come to Maldives is not a suprise. In a place where discrimination towards certain types of manual labourers such as rubbish collectors, waiters and construction workers and a young aged population with no interest in such work is one reason perhaps. But also the greedy buisness people who could save their penny easily by getting cheap labour could be another cause.

No matter whether they are illegal or legal or from which ever natioanality they are happy people. They do donkey days of work and get only one hoilday in the week which of course is evident when we walk around Male' on a friday evening. When ever I enter a hotaa they usually come and ask what do I need. Sometimes when I tell them cool water in dhivehi they bring normal water and viceversa. I am not sure whether it is because they dont understand the dhivehi language or because they have a motive of getting satisfaction by being irritative and assertive. Some customers talk to them in a raised voice, with threatening vulgar dhivehi words, and treats them in a more unethical manner which some may say as animal like treatment. No wonder why many of us Maldivians find it irritating to be polite and thankful to people who serve us.May be Maldivians have become such arrogant and unpolite people because they may feel disgusting to thank a dirty manual labourer. Some even avoid these friends in consideration with hygiene. Well it is of no suprise when such tough men work like donkeys without any breaks to refresh they would of course smell like goats. Moreover being not well enough to spare a deodorant or a good quality soap with theier earnings is another reason or perhaps not being provided with enough freshwater to cleanse their body in their traditional bathing style in rivers as their bosses dont like to see a fat water bill.

Hmm strangely no body bothers about whatt goes in the kitchen, except when an occasional hair in a bajiyaa or a piece of boakibaa is evident while savouring the hot an spicy delicacies. Many such kitchens are also infested by roaches and rodent aliens as well and our friends never bother to kill or chase them. May be they feel empathy towards such aliens in their surroundings and want to show others it is inhumane to victimise gods creations.Well its of no suprise as the hotaa is both a bed room cum bathroom cum hotaa. In the night our firends who are not given places to sleep put tables in the hotaa together and spread a sheet on them and sleep over these tables. Sometimes their washed clothes including their undies may be seen hanging on a rope near the corner of kitchen. Well still they are happy and they continue to enjoy the day heat and ocasional rain and the tropical climate, Maldives which of course is the paradise to a person who only enjoys the physical environment.

My dear bondhus and bhais and machaas and mahathiyaas, with your ways and your life and your labour, how could we ever live without you????