vahine farani 

Tahiti 's beach  

Tahiti Beach N°VI

I stayed in bed for 3 days unable to move but felt good on the fourth,so I started to look for another job just
after paying a visit to my ex-boss,He proposed for me to work on the outside but I knew he was doing that out of sheer friendliness since most of the job was to be done inside so I refused,he said he was sorry I was leaving
his fab 'cause I was getting along so well with his workers(some bosses really like their employees).
I didn't find anything to do for 15 days when Domi asked me if I tried to call Renato since he seemed eager to get extra workers in his company.
Renato and his partner Rocco di Vitis received me in their office and Rocco lead the interview,he took on his meanest look to ask me what I could do,I told him I was good in wood work;carpenter."Is it true or are you going to make me lose money" I answered that mean looking Italian boss laughing out "Look you two, I'm a
free man,if I say I can do it I mean it.If you don't need a carpenter then don't hire me,that's all I'm good at.
Rocco _How did you know we needed a carpenter?
I_ I idn't know,I met Renato on the plane here.
Rocco_ That won't help if you're no good
I_ What's your problem,if you think I'm not good enough,you fire me.
Rocco_ Even if you're good we might not need you for a long time because the rain season is coming and then we don't have much work.You understand that I can't fire my old workers if that happens.
I_ I understand french perfect,Rocco and I still say I'll be happy to work with you.
Rocco_ Ahh OK we do need a carpenter but don't get me wrong I want work and respect out of you,be here tomorow morning at 7 on the dot.

I left with Domi who was waiting for me outside,she heard the conversation by the window,she said
"Why did you accept the job? That guy is real mean" and that made me laugh,she was so young.
"Baby, that guy's so nice and so scared to be abused by people that he puts on the mean act every time he meets employees about a job".
"Doesn't sound like it to me,how do you figure it?"
"He likes his men so much he's telling me he won't fire any of them and that --even if I'm good--don't you understand--He's A1 I tell you"
"Well, if you say so but I'm not convinced Gerard".
That guy became our best friend for our whole stay in Tahiti and kept helping us even though I had to look for another job during the bad season. (Next post about TBWA. will be part 7)

In the plane 

My vahine 

Tahiti's Beachcomber(5)

Dominique was eager to show me all the places and the people she met before.We roamed through Tahiti seeing everything there was to see,as much as we could,and the first month we lived on my stash of doe(about 10 000$),we tried all the restaurants we could afford and invited all the friends she had in restaurants and bought all kinds of tourist junk and my treasury went down real fast until it got so low that I started to look for a job.
First job I jumped in was in a polyester boat construction company held by a very friendly and very active frenchman,I stayed in 'Pacific Polyester' and made friends with the tahitian workers
in a short week,they really are a great lot,they are a bunch of happy go lucky, smart and straightforward people,I really enjoyed my stay there.The girls came to talk to me one day
(they were taking care of all the molding work) as I was bending down on the aft of a speedboat
unstalling the chair for an outboard engine a smooth voice with maori accent made me look up.
There they were; about 15 of them>>----> all the factory's female crew,impressive sight.
_Heyyyy Gerard?
_Hi beauties,searching for lost jewelry?
_No Gerarrrd,we all would like to know something.
_Well...sure,why not....
_Ahhhh Gerarrrrd,we'd like to know;How fast goes that machine down there???100K/hour?
Their wicked smiles and the direction they were looking at,didn't leave much mistery of what they were talking about,so I straightened up and making as if calculating this to the coma-----
_Well no, it usually speeds up to 76 ks on level grounds,but on a down going slope it can reach 95
to 96 kms/hour but then everything shakes and rattles and there's a risk of loosing some parts.
They all screamed and hollered with laughter and went back to their job,usual factory pranks it was, like in all factories around the world I suppose.
After the whole crowd adopted me,fifteen days later I woke up with 1 ooo ooo red buttons on my body,I called the boss and told him I had to go see a Doc,which I did and he gave me all kinds of medecine but the worst was when he told me I was allergic to polyester.
I had to quit that job and I still regret it,the guys were a cool tribe,I like them a lot.
Maoris are great.(next post>>--------> next job).

Beach......(part3)

Flight from L.A. to Papeete took 10 hours and we had time to kill so we started talking to and meeting a few of the passengers next to us,one of them was in a good mood and yakitiyaked with us for a while,his name was Renato and he was returning from a business trip back to Papeete where he and another italian ran a building
company.The hostesse proposed some champagne to us and since Domi and I didn't feel like drinking champagne we gave it all to Renato and he got in a better mood than before (higher still).
Pretty soon Renato took a little nap and Domi did the same I watched a movie but I can't remember what it was,I fell asleep too but you can't sleep very long in jets,don't know why.
It seemed like an endless flight but we finally reached Tahiti's airport ,Faa. We left France in winter and when we stepped out it was like getting in a furnace,it was so hot we choked for a split second,I felt like going back in the plane.We got down directly on the runway and walked toward the small airport building while dancing vahines passed fresh flowers necklace over our heads around our necks,boy!! the colours , bright,so green and so blue it seemed lined with purple auras,Gauguin didn't exagerate it's like his paintings but it's alive and it sings.
As we got ready to leave the airport with Domi's parents who came to pick us up Renato caught up with us
to whish us a good stay and he gave us his address in case I was looking for a job,I thanked him, and we got in
Papa Viala's Citroen. (See you next post dear readers).

Beachcomber's (Part Two)

There is nothing much about the plane ride to Paris,it took 1 hour and we landed.We were to board the flight to LA. a few hours later,since there was a limit weight for each ticket we went to shower,we changed clothes and threw away our morning ware,'twas cheaper than carrying it along. So we managed to carry 20 K's of free luggage each by throwing away extra stuff.
After checking in UTA's flight(luggage and all) we sipped on good expresso coffee and just killed time in Charles de Gaulle's bird cage,we had a ten hours ride to LA. over North Pole and Canada.
While looking down on the endless Canadian forest dressed in white for the winter, I was imagining packs of wolfes running and hollering behind some meshcart "traineau" while I flew comfortably over them(to each his fate kind of feeling).
It just stopped being comfy when we landed in LA.we were parked in a small area of their bird cage and we were told it was forbidden to go out of the transit area;no air conditioned, no water fountain, we could buy a glass of ice tea or a bottle of coke for 5 $ (thanks).That was some 15 years ago,I heard it did change later.
While in Los Angeles' bird cage I passed near a door in front of which was posted a sentry.
gun in the ready, the guy looked real mad at us, as I passed him aiming for the toilettes, the sentry told me not to try to get out of transit area,since I spent a few years in New Orleans
I couln't resist to drawl out "Calm down,boy" just in a way that would strain his nerves as tight as a piano chord(I'm not proud of this but I was really mad at the whole LA's Airport's staff).
Anyway I'm a free man and I endorse all responsibility for bad behavior I did have,and since
I refused to be taken in hostage to pay 5$ for LA's fuckin coke bottle,so I didn't drink for four hours and waited to be on the flight to Tahiti to drink plain water. (à suivre... damn it)