On this long sea voyage, I became friends with 'boredom'.

From Pontianak on the island of Kalimantan, Indonesia, to Bintan Island, south of Singapore. A long, 50-hour sea voyage began. It seems I am the only foreign traveler on this ship. When I step out onto the deck, the sea breeze gently brushes against my cheeks. As I simply gaze at the sparkling sea, I feel time flowing slowly.

There is nothing to do. I am just, simply, bored.
At first, I was restless, not knowing what to do with my time.

I read books and listen to music, but I soon grow tired of them. How should I spend this long journey? I was thinking things like that, but gradually, I came to accept this 'boredom' and, in fact, began to enjoy it.
I wander aimlessly around the ship. Narrow corridors, the engine room making a deafening noise, and the communal sleeping area where many passengers are packed together. In each place, there was a life of its own.

Children are shouting and laughing, absorbed in card games. Adults are puffing on cigarettes and enjoying conversation.
I peeked into the kitchen at the back of the ship.

Working there were men with rugged faces. When our eyes met, they smiled and beckoned me over.
'Dari mana? (Where are you from?)'

When he asked that, I replied, 'Dari Japan (From Japan).' Then, they looked surprised and cheered, 'Oh, Japan!'

'Ke mana? (Where are you going?)'

He asked again. I answered, a bit shyly, 'Jalan-jalan (traveling around).' At my words, they laughed happily and invited me inside.

What they were making was a simple dish of rice and fish. They were working, dripping with sweat, in front of a huge cauldron meant for hundreds of people.

When it was time to serve that day's dinner, one of the kitchen crew stopped me. Then, he scooped a generous portion of the side dish from his own plate and gave it to me. The savory smell of the fish whetted my appetite. The warmth of it made my chest feel all fuzzy.
The sun sets, and the sky slowly dyes itself in orange.

When I went out to the deck to watch the sunset sinking into the horizon, another kitchen crew member offered me coffee. When I took a sip of that coffee, the sweet and fragrant taste moistened my parched throat.
The 50-hour long journey was not a boring time with nothing to do. It was an irreplaceable time of connecting with strangers and sharing warm feelings.

—Ah, once again, a soliloquy in a strange land.