Swear like a (Filipino) Sailor

So I turned in my passport and got onto the boat today, and traversed the labyrinth that was the MV Explorer. I really expected to be seeing only white people, with few exceptions to the rule, both among the students and the staff of the boat (I'm completely right about the students though, let's be real). But as you walk around the halls, I notice a lot of people with skin colors between. Then I hear their accent. And then I hear their Tagalog. Awesome.

There seems to be a whole lot of Filipino people on the ship. Just downstairs from the library where I'm writing are some Filipino women manning a desk. As people moved in, stewards were given directions and telling jokes to one another in Tagalog. In one room, two Filipinos were fixing some leak. And in the cafeterias, Filipinos are the busboys and managers.

I am absolutely confused as to how so many of them got on this particular boat. Is this sheer coincidence? Was there some major recruitment from the Philippines a couple years ago? I also am curious of Filipinos at sea- is sailing something a lot of Filipinos do? (aside from you know, teaching, nursing, doctoring (that's a verb, right?), programming, leading our troops in Persian Gulf Wars, etc.)

Either way, I'm already enjoying their company- about a fourth of all my conversations today have been with them. I met Crispen (awesome name! Who read Noli?) and Jess, who are our stewards, as well as some others. There's also Ismael who works in the cafeteria. Some of them recognized our common heritage (mostly because I was like "Kumusta po?" and "Nasaan ang restroom?"), but kid around with me at my lackluster Tagalog skills.

I did learn one word from them today. I'm not going to tell you what it is, hence the title. But hopefully by the end of all this I'll be able to hold a conversation back home. That or say naughty words.