For the dearest granddaughter まご娘のために

お正月に実家に遊びに来た姪のために、父が作ったおもちゃです。父は小さい子供が大好きで、子供と遊ぶ天才と言ってもいいくらい。近所の小さい子にも人気です。姪っ子（父にとっては初孫）に会えるのは、盆と正月くらいなので、姪と何をして遊ぶかということを常に考えて何ヶ月も過ごしているのでしょう。「お正月に遊びにきた時に使えるから」と、父はカレンダーの写真を、人の形に毎月切り抜いて取っておいたんだとか。うーん、さすが、私だったらそんなこと思いつかずに捨てちゃうけどなぁ。案の定、姪は大喜びでその写真に割り箸を貼り付けて、庭に作ったかまくらのデコレーションに使ったそうです。今年の大雪で、実家の庭には大人が４人ほど入れる巨大なかまくらが作ってありました。中には座る場所も神棚もあって、人形が飾ってあったり、蝋燭をともす場所が作ってあったり、かなりの力作でした。たった１人の小学生を喜ばせるために、大人が３人がかりで（私の父と兄達で）作ったそうです。少子高齢化は私の家にも訪れているのでした。
These are my niece's paper dolls, made by my father. He really loves kids and becomes very good friends with kids. He is popular among little kids in his neighborhood. My dad always wants to see his granddaughter, Mizuki, thinking what he would do with her. So does Mizuki, she is always looking forward to play with her grandfather. Mizuki visits my parents only on obon and a new year, so these are the only chance he can play with her. I have no idea how much my dad looks forward to it. For some month, he had been cutting pictures of women out of old calender paper to give her for the new-year visit, because little girls love pictures of beautiful ladies and he thought Mizuki would be happy to play with them. ( And he was right.) She was so glad to get them, put chopsticks on the other side of the paper and stubbed them in kamakura―an igloo like snow hut. In Nagano they had heavy snow this winter. My father and my brothers made a big kamakura in the garden, in which 4 adults fit, and it had some alters and ledges to put some candles. I suppose it took some hours to make it. Three adults did it just to please one kid. My family is a microcosm of Japanese society, aging with few children.

「シンプル」

先週野沢温泉の火祭に行った。大きな社殿に、たいまつで火をつけようとする人と、その社殿を守ろうとする厄年の男達が、火のついたたいまつでたたき合ったり、取っ組み合ったりの激しいお祭り。その前の年に村内で生まれた長男の名前が、大きい布に書かれていて、他に書初めなども一緒に燃やされる。今回、村で生まれた長男はたった３人だったみたいだ。書初めの半紙には、「〇〇君、〇〇君、〇〇君、元気に育て」とかいう文があったり、とにかくこのお祭りで各家庭の長男達は村中から祝ってもらえる。たくさんの半紙の中に、ちょっと不思議な書初めがあった。カタカナで「シンプル」と書いてあった。思わず写真を撮ったけど、うまく写っていませんね。小学生なのに、なんてシュールなセンス。将来大物になるでしょう。
We went to Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival last week. This is a wild and violent festival because many men fight with the lit torches. They build a big shrine( ? ) and the men at the age of 25, 42 are to protect it from being burned. Other men had torches to light the shrine. It was really a big & dangerous fighting. They also make big banners with the names of the newborn first sons ( why not daughters? ) of each family and burn it at the end of the festival to wish them healthy lives. There seemed only 3 first sons last year, for we saw only 3 banners. With those banners, they also burn Kakizome―a children's calligraphy at the beginning of the year. Usually they write some wish for the new year or something joyful or auspicious―like "spring sunshine", "happy days", "the sunrise", etc. In this festival, there were many calligraphy wishing the new 3 babies good luck or health. But, I found really weird one among them. It said, "SIMPLE" in katakana. "Simple" in English may have various meaning, but in Japanese, it means just "plain." Well, it didn't seem to be any wish, it was unlikely the Kakizome word. Wondered who's idea was that, and wanted to know what that child was like. I thought he/she had a unique sense, and would be an interesting person in the future.

お買い物

オアハカで出会った、日本人好みの繊細な模様の陶器。ちょっとアラブっぽくもある。他の店では全く見かけない種類なので、どこの物か聞くと、クエルナバカだという。私達は、このシリーズを買うためにクエルナバカへ足を伸ばそうか、と少し迷った。でも、どのガイドブックを見ても、クエルナバカにこんな素敵な物があるとは書いていなかった。首都の市場で再びこの陶器に出会い、どこの物か聞くと今度はケレタロの物だと言う。ケレタロに行こうかとも考えたけど、ガイドにはやはりこの陶器については載っていない。聞くと、この種類を作っている人はとても少なくて３つの工房しかないんだとか。
その後私達はその市場で、これとは全く違うテイストの、素朴なかわいい陶器に出会ってしまい、私はそちらで散財したのでこのシリーズは一点も買わなかった。でも、そのシリーズもその店１軒だけで、他では全く見かけなかった。買い物って出会いだな、とつくづく思います。ちなみに、プエブラのタラベラ焼きは、私としてはあまり好きになれずに興味も持てなかったなぁ。
These are ceramics we found in a shop in Oaxaca. We couldn't find this type of ceramics at any other shop. They said these were from Cuernavaca, so we thought about visiting Cuernavaca. We ended up not going there, because none of the guidebooks had information about those ceramics, so we were not sure if we could find them there. Again we found this type in one shop in a market in Mexico city, and now they said those were from Queretaro. According to their informations,there are only 3 studios that makes those kind of ceramics. Later in this market, we found other ceramics in very different style with more simple design, which I really liked and bought some, so I didn't buy any of the first ones. Shopping is difficult―whether or not to buy them, when to buy them, you don't know if you can find better things or not. If I hadn't found the other ones, I would definitely have bought these. By the way, in Puebla, there are really famous ceramic style called "Taravera", which I didn't like and was not interested in.

お父さんの言葉 My Dad's vocabulary

週末に帰省して、父の使う言葉がとても「昔っぽい」ことに気付いた。新しい言葉が入ってくる前の言い方。椅子は「こしかけ」、ハンガーは「えもんかけ」、そのくらいじゃ驚かなかったけど、今回父が日常的に使っている二つの言葉を再発見。カメラのことを「写真機」、そしてバスタオルのことを「つゆとり」と言っていた。お風呂あがりに「お母さん、つゆとり取って」と普通に言っている父。びっくり。年齢を感じます。
On the weekend, went home to see my parents. I was surprised to know my Dad's old vocabulary. "Koshikake" for chairs, "Emonkake"for hangers, these are not so surprising, but "Shashin-ki" for a camera and one more word; "Tsuyu-tori" for bath-towels!! I hadn't noticed about this before! I realized he is that old.

ケシータショウコ Quesita Shoko

メキシコでの出来事を細々とアップします。この旅で「ケシータ」と命名されたケソ（スペイン語でチーズ）好きなちょーちゃんの、ケソショットを載せてみましょう。（と思ったのになぜかうまくいかない。）オアハカはチーズとチョコレートの産地です。特にゴムのように伸びるチーズは有名。これを、毛糸玉のようにくるくる丸めて、ボールのようにして売っています。小さいのから大きいのまであって、お料理に、おやつに、幅広く愛されているみたい。市場では必要なグラムを言って量り売りしてもらうようになっていました。味としてはモツァレラチーズに似ているらしいです。「ソフトさきいか」っぽい味かな、と私は思いました。私は生のチーズは苦手で普段食べないので、モツァレラチーズの味がわからないんだけど。このチーズは食べられました。日本にあったら売れると思う。

Here is the picture of “Quesita” Shoko. She loves “queso”, which means “cheese” in Spanish. Oaxaca is famous for cheese and chocolate. The cheese is soft and stretches like rubber. They roll that soft cheese like a ball and sell by weight at the market. The small cheese ball is good for snacks, the big ones are for cooking (maybe). It tasted like mozzarella, Shoko said, though I don’t know the taste of mozzarella because I usually don’t like cheese and don’t eat any. But I did like this cheese. For me it tasted like soft “saki-ika”―dried squid snack. I think it would sell well in Japan.

思い出の写真 その２

こういうふざけた態度がいけなかったのかなぁ

思い出の写真

配給されたトイレットペーパーと石鹸
＆
切られて没収された紐類

私を連行した警官二人（収容所にて）

書いたなあ。

I didn't think my story would be that long. Now I kind of feel guilty to make other people tired. Hope to write some other stories in Mexico, too. Well, my life here is quiet, as usual.
この話がこんなに長くなるとは思いませんでした。読んでて疲れた人、ごめんなさい。メキシコでの楽しい思い出についても、そのうち書こうかな。ここでは、わたしの日々の暮らしは、平穏に過ぎていきます。

その後 Afterwards

そろそろこの話も終わりにしなければ。読むほうも疲れるでしょう。

lunch time
高畑さんが帰り、調書作成を再開した。気の遠くなるほどの時間をかけて、やっと私の調書が出来上がった。プリンターで印刷したA4２枚の書類にサインをしろと言われるが、意味もわからない書類ににサインはできないでしょ、やっぱ。私はかなり疑い深くなっていた。通訳のお姉さんに最初から最後まで内容を英訳してもらって、私達はたくさんの訂正箇所を見つけた。例えば私の出身地とか、親の名前とか、あとはスペイン語の単語のスペルミスは彼女が見つけてくれた。まぁ、こんな書類に誰かが後で目を通すとも思えないけど、一応念のため。やっと中庭に戻ると、皆が「ずーっと帰ってこないから、もう解放されたかと思った！」と口々に言った。大使館の人が来たりしたことを話すと、私は羨望の的。彼女達の話だと、大使館が収容所まで出向いてくれる国なんて他にないよ、日本大使館ってなんて親切なの？！と。金仁淑は暇をもてあまし、日本語のヒラガナとカタカナの５０音を紙に書いて、それを陳河瑛に教えてあげていた。その後も彼らは私の持っていたガイドブックを見て、漢字を見ながら日本語のお勉強に熱心だ。私は、昨日買った葉書がたまたまバッグに入っていたので、ちょーちゃんに葉書を書いたりした。あぁ、ちょーちゃんに会って話したい！と思った。
１３時、”A Comer! “の呼び声がかかり、 昼食の時間だ。さて今回のメニューもまた、なかなかのもの。パン、リンゴ１個、揚げた魚に野菜たっぷりの赤っぽいサルサがかかったお皿に、ピラフみたいなものとサラダがついて（もちろん魚にかけるライムも添えて）、飲み物はレモネード。レストランとまではいかないが、コメドール程度の水準はクリアーしている。屋台よりも上かもしれない。ここで暮らすと太るというのは納得だ。食事の様子も様々で、今回隣に座ったエリトリア（アフリカ）の女の子達は、食べ始める前に長い祈りを捧げていた。食卓では醤油みたいなのが人気で、皆がそれをご飯にかけていた。
Mr.Takahata went away and again I was interviewed. After a long, long, long interview ( actually I wasn’t really interviewed very carefully, but I was waiting for my documents to be done ), the officer completed some documents. He told me to sign them, but I was suspicious about all Mexicans and didn’t want to sign any documents which I didn’t understand well. I had the interpreter put every sentences into English, and we found several mistakes. She found some misspelled words in Spanish, and I found misspelled names of my parents, etc. Maybe nobody would read it, but to make sure, I asked him to correct all the mistakes.
When I went back to the courtyard, my friends got surprised. They thought I had been released because I hadn’t returned for a long time. Told them that the Japanese Embassy sent somebody for me, then everybody envied me very much. No other Embassies will kindly send somebody to the detention center, they said. Until lunch time, Kim was teaching Hayoung Japanese ―Hiragana and Katakana, and they also wanted to learn more Japanese using my guidebook. While, I wrote a postcard to Shoko. I really wanted to see her.
At 13:00 the guard shouted again; “A Comer!!” , time for lunch. Well, the lunch was good. We had; bread, an apple, a plate with fish with salsa which contains a lot of vegetables, fried rice, salad, and lemonade. Maybe it was not as good as meals at some restaurants, but better than those in diners. I was impressed by the African women from Eritoria who was praying for a long time before eating. There was a bottle of soy-sauce on the table and everybody liked to have their rice with it.

陳河瑛の物語　　Hayoung’s story
午後また私達は芝生に寝そべり、おしゃべりを始める。収容所にもう１ヶ月も暮らしている河瑛の気の毒ないきさつについて、私は書かずにいられない。彼女はアメリカ在住の韓国人だ。家族全員でサンディエゴに住んでおり、彼女はそこで仕事も持っていた。１２月の初め、彼女は休暇をもらいティフアナに行った。ティフアナはアメリカの国境に近いメキシコの町で、サンディエゴから目と鼻の先だ。彼女はパスポートを持たずにいるところを、私同様に警察に捕まった。そこから先は悪夢だ。彼女はパトカーでなんと丸３日かけて、何百キロも離れたメキシコシティの収容所へ連行された。彼女はスペイン語が話せないので（警官達に英語ができることを期待してはいけない）弁明もできず、自分に何が起こっているのか、丸３日の後に連れてこられた場所がどこなのか、全くわからなかったという。誘拐されたのではないかとも思ったらしい。ティフアナで突然消息をたった彼女の荷物やパスポートは、もはやどこにいってしまったかわからない。彼女の家族は、彼女が殺されたかと思ったそうだ。そんなわけで、捕まってから３日の空白は、彼女から自分の身元を証明する術を奪ってしまった。収容所から韓国大使館に連絡が入り、諸手続きが始まった。悲惨なことに、彼女は韓国籍なのでアメリカから入国したとしても、アメリカに帰国をすることは許されない。メキシコの入国管理局は彼女を韓国に送還しなければならないのだ。家族の元に帰りたければ、一度韓国に帰ってそれから渡米しろという。おそらく正規料金だろうと思うが、その飛行機代はかなりの額だ。そんな大金を持ち合わせていないので、アメリカの家族が、メキシコに送金することになる。収容所からは電話１本かけることすら大変なのだから、このような複雑なことを一つ一つクリアーするのは、どれほど時間がかかるだろうか。アメリカに国際電話をかけるのは結構高くつくが、彼女はお金がもうほとんどない。大使館からお金を多少借りてはいるはずだが、充分ではないだろう。アメリカから収容所にかけてもらえればいいけれど、彼女の家族はスペイン語ができないので、看守に電話を切られてしまい、つないでもらえない。更に、彼女は非常に目が悪く使い捨てコンタクトレンズを使っているのだが、捕まった時メガネを持っていなかった（普通持ってないでしょ）。コンタクトを使い続けることも出来ず、ほとんど周りが見えない状態でずっと収容所生活を送っている。言葉がわからない非常時に相手の顔もよく見えないのはどれほどストレスがたまるだろうか。―私も旅の間は１日使い捨てのコンタクトを使っていたが、テオティワカンに行く日は、砂埃がひどいことを予想してメガネで出かけた日だった。皮肉な偶然だがこれはとても助かった…。さて、収容所に入って１ヶ月、彼女はまだ出所できる目処が立たずにいた。仕事も、間違いなくクビだろう。サンディエゴにいるボーイフレンドも、こんな信じられない状況を果たして理解してくれるだろうか、嘘をついていると思われて振られてしまうのではないか、と心配もしていた。彼女はあまりにもたくさんの犠牲を払ったが、メキシコの警察や入管がそれを保障などしてくれるわけもない。あぁ、かわいそうな河瑛、早くアメリカに戻れますように。
In the afternoon, we again lay on the grass in the courtyard and talked and talked. I cannot help writing about my best friend there, Hayoung, who was staying there for 1 month. Her story was terrible. She was Korean, living with her family in San Diego, California. She had job there. At the beginning of December, she took some days off and came to one city in Mexico; Tihuana, the city near the border between Mexico and the USA, not very far away from San Diego. Just like me, she was caught there for the ‘CRIME’ not having her passport with her. Then she was put in the police car and THREE-DAYS- DRIVE took her to that detention center in Mexico City, which is hundreds of kilometers away from Tihuana. She didn’t speak Spanish, and none of the policemen understood English, so she couldn’t understand what had happened to her. She even didn’t know that she was brought to Mexico city until some kind girls in the dormitory told her. She thought she had been kidnapped, her family in America thought she might have died, because she suddenly disappeared and her family hadn’t heard from her for a long time. 3-days-drive caused her big problems― no communication with anybody, missing of her all luggage and passport. Finally, the Korean Embassy was informed from that center about her and started some procedure to help her out. Her passport was going to be re-issued, but it wasn’t done yet. To make the matter worse, she was not allowed to go back to the USA, because her nationality was Korean. Mexican immigration has to send her back to Korea. So, she has to buy an air ticket to fly back to Korea first, where no family lives. Then she should fly to the USA. What a waste! She had almost no money, so the family had to send a lot of money to buy that ticket at the regular price, because they had to ask the Korean Embassy for the air-ticketing. As I wrote, just making phone calls is not very easy thing to do there. She wanted to call home, but international calls were expensive and she couldn’t afford it. Her parents don’t speak Spanish so even if they called to the detention center, the guards hang up the phone. Besides, Poor Hayoung had really bad eyesight. She was wearing disposable contact lenses and of course didn’t have her glasses with her when caught. Who knows you get caught and have to stay somewhere else for a month? She couldn’t wear her contact lenses anymore and can’t see almost anything without glasses. Not knowing the language, not being able to see anything well, she must have been having a hard time. Me, I was wearing disposable contact lenses during my trip too, luckily I wore glasses only on the day I got caught. Because I went to Teotihuacan where clouds of dust blow very strong in the dry land and I thought glasses were more comfortable. Just lucky. Well, Hayoung had stayed there for 1 month, spent her Christmas and new year there, but still didn’t know when she would be free. You know, under those unlucky conditions, it would take ages to be released. She knew she would lose her job. She was worried about being dumped by her boyfriend after her long absence. She said her strict boyfriend didn’t seem to believe what had happened to her because it was so crazy. Yeah, he may think she has found somebody else and ran away from him, if he doesn’t hear from her for 1 month. She had lost many things but it was clear nobody would compensate for them. Mexican police? Mexican Immigration? Nobody! Oh, poor Hayoung, I really hope you would be out soon.

１５：００
中庭では、私達に向かって「そのジーンズ売って？それか、私のと交換しない？」とか「じゃぁ靴を交換しよ？」とかそんな声がかかる。きっと皆、今着ている服に飽きているのだ。女の子だからね。
イタリア人母娘の怒りは頂点に達していた。彼らも大使館が動いてくれてはいるものの、フライトの時間は６時、もうカウントダウンだ。お母さんは、イタリアに無事帰ったら今回のことを新聞や雑誌に報道してもらう、と力が入る。河瑛も、私だって解放されたら新聞社にこのことを報告するわ！と同調。会話の中には、「No more Mexico」という言葉が頻繁に登場した。イタリア人のお母さんは、弁護士を雇って慰謝料を払ってもらうよう進める、とも話していた。あとで日本大使館の方に聞いたが、この日イタリア大使館の人達は本当にものすごい執念でメキシコの入管と交渉をしていたらしい。どのような特別な手続きが進んだのかしらないが（気合勝ち？）イタリア人一家はついに解放された。たぶん、大使館の人たちがかなりがんばったに違いない。大急ぎで出て行く彼らと私は、別れ際に熱く抱擁をし、なんだか私はじんわりきてしまった。思えば昨日のテオティワカンからずっと、この人達とは一緒だったのだ。ひとしおの感慨がありました、まじで。
　　さて、私はというと、まだ進展はなかった。でもイタリア人達も出してもらえたのだから私もいけそうじゃん？って急に楽観的になることができた。そしたら、ここにいる時間を少しでも楽しまなくちゃ損だという気がしてきて、私は更におしゃべりに興じた。収容所内でも明るく楽しく、人なつこい笑顔が素敵な人達―それはもちろん、私の大好きな国、ブラジルの人たちだ。河瑛は彼らを “Happy People”と呼んでいたが、１０人弱のブラジル人がそこにはいたと思う。彼らは皆で歌を歌ったり、なんていうか楽しみ方がとても上手なのだ。私が少しポルトガル語がわかったので、むこうも親しげに私に話し掛けてきてくれた。小さな息子を連れたある女性は、私がブラジルに３度も行っていることなど話したら、自分が習っているカポエイラを少しだけ披露してくれた。彼女は泣いて悔しがるイタリア人のことも、上手になぐさめていたっけ。私、次はやっぱりまたブラジルにしよぉっと、もうメキシコなんて二度と来ないしー、って次の旅行を心に思い描きながら彼女と話した。
“Can you sell me your jeans? If not, how about exchange it with mine?” “Why don’t we exchange our shoes?” Some people were talking to me like that. They have no other means to get different clothes other than buying from someone or exchanging. Girls always pay attention to what they wear.
It was 3 in the afternoon and the Italian family was very much irritated. Their flight was at 6. Although the Italian embassy was trying to help them, they weren’t sure when they would be out. The mother was saying, “I will tell the newspaper and magazine company about this terrible experience!” Hayoung agrees saying that she would do the same. In their conversation, I heard them saying “No more Mexico” many times. The Italian mother even said that she would hire a lawyer to demand some money as compensation for her detention. Good idea. Later I heard from Mr.Takahata that the Italian embassy was working really hard to help them out. Finally, their names were called and they could go home! When leaving in a hurry, we hugged each other tightly and wished good luck for each other. I cannot express well what I felt then. We were like comrades, since we got caught after visiting Teotihuacan.
Seeing they were free, now I took it easier than before. I was sure I could go home. Then suddenly felt that I had to enjoy my time there, the time with the people I could never meet again. That afternoon, I talked a lot with Brazilians. There were about 10 Brazilians there. Brazil is my most favorite country, and I love friendly Brazilian people. They are good at living happily, and even in that center, they were trying to have fun singing together or talking about some interesting topics. Hayoung called them “Happy People.” I got friends with one Brazilian woman when she had come to cheer up the crying Italian family. When she knew I love Brazil, ( actually I have been there three times ) and I told her that I love Salvador very much, she got excited and showed me how to do capoera. I was thinking I would visit Brazil again, not to Mexico, ever. In Brazil, I would have much more fun. It’s obvious.

１６：３０
　看守が私の名前を呼んだ。出所だ、と言う。やった！間に合った！私と河瑛は抱き合って喜んだ。出口で出所簿に名前を書き、皆と熱い抱擁でお別れ。ところがここから先が、思いのほか時間がかかった。写真撮影、指紋、もうこれで何回目？という感じ。入所時に没収された靴紐やベルト、服の紐を受け取るにも、それがどこにあるのか探すのに延々と待たされ、何人もたらいまわしにされ、３人目の看守でやっと受領。何枚もの書類にサインをさせられる。日本語でサインをしたら、エスパニョールでサインしろと書き直し。解放されたことを大使館に連絡するために、公衆電話の使用許可をたのんだ。看守に連れられてまた電話の前に行き、使用簿にサインして、待たされているところを別の看守に咎められ、私は出所を許可されたのだと説明しても聞いてもらえずに房に戻される。さっきの看守を探してまた外へ出て、もう一度電話の手続き。電話をしている間にその看守がいなくなり、また別の看守に詰問されて、本当に部屋から出していいのかどうかを彼女が確認に行く。やっと房を出て事務所に入ったらまた別の人に「毛布を返せ」と言われる。毛布はさっきもう別の看守に返したと話しても信じてもらえない。こっちも返したことを証明するために部屋まで戻って毛布がない自分のベッドを見せなければならない。ではその返した毛布は今どこにあるんだ、と聞かれてもそんなこと知らないよ。さっき私から毛布を受け取った看守はもうそこにはいないし、なんでこんな下らないことでモメるの？とうんざり。その看守が現れるのをずっと待って、廊下を通りかかったところを追いかけて捕まえて、やっと信じてもらえる。とにかく一事が万事、そんな感じ。単純なことが何一つスムーズにいかず、目の前の担当者が消えると全てが振り出しに戻る。私がいつまでも女子房を出入りするので、さっき抱き合ってお別れをした皆と何度も再会することになり、間抜けだ。カメラに至っては、担当官が私の書類を持っては部屋を出て行って帰ってくる、というのをなんと６回も繰り返し、それでも返してもらえず。
　そして、ついに大使館の高畑さんが私を迎えに到着した。彼は所長の部屋に行き、お礼を言ってくれたようだ。高畑さんも、すぐに私を引き取れると思ったらしいが、下らないことで私がたらいまわしにあっていてなかなか帰れないのでだいぶ待たされた。所長と２人で「書類は全て整っているのに、あとは何が足りないんだろう？」と話していたと後で聞かされた。 こっちが聞きたいよ、ほんとに。
I heard my name called by the officer. I was released! I would be in time for my flight! I and Hayoung hugged each other. I signed the notebook of the list of people being released, said good bye to everyone, many hugging, and left the dormitory. But it took a long time to be free. I had to sign many documents, had my picture taken again ( how many pictures did they need??), they took my fingerprints again ( Oh,again??), and had to wait for SOMETHING ( you would never know what it was ). Wanted to call the embassy to inform I was free, I asked one guard for the permission to use the public phone. She took me to the place where phones were, I signed the notebook, she told me to wait there, and she disappeared. Then another guard appeared and demanded an explanation why I was there. Then she tried to take me back to the dormitory, even if I told her that I was released. I had to find the first guard and came back to the phones. While calling, she again disappeared and I had to be demanded another explanation to another guard. After that, I was finally in the office. Then one guard came to ask me to return the blanket I had used in the dormitory. I had already returned them to one guard but she was not around there. The new guard didn’t believe me so I had to take her to my bed to show her I had no blankets there. She still kept asking where those blankets were then, which I had no idea, and I had to wait for that first guard to appear again. Finally I met her and she proved I was not a liar. Everything was like that. If you want to do something, you have to keep that first officer/guard always stay with you. Otherwise, you will be questioned by the other officer /guard and very simple matters become more difficult. It was nothing but waste of time. I felt embarrassed to be taken back to the dormitory two times after I had said good-bye to everyone there. About my camera was crazy. The officer went out to bring my camera with my receipt 6 times, but came back without it. I didn’t understand what she was doing or why she couldn’t bring it to me.
Anyhow, while doing those stupid things, Mr. Takahata from the Embassy arrived to drive me back to the hostel. He went to the chief officer’s room to thank him, but he had to wait for me for some time. He and the chief officer were wondering “Why is she so late? All documents are fine and she is free. But what’s lacking??”

１７：３０
大使館の立派な車に乗せられて、私はとうとう収容所をあとにした。カメラは、最後まで不安だったが、最終的には返してもらえた。快適な車の中で、私は高畑さんと色々な話をした。彼らは朝からずっと、ポランコの事務所と、郊外の収容所と、大使館とを何往復もしながら尽力してくれた。今回の私の解放は、朝８時台に私が大使館に電話できたことが勝因だったことを聞かされた。拘束されてから約２４時間強、異例のスピード解放だったらしい。大使館が朝から先回りして動いてくれたから間に合ったが、そうでなければ彼らは収容所から調書のファックスが来るまでそのことを知らなかったはずだ、という。つまりその調書は午前中のあの長ったらしい調書だったわけで、あんな物を待っていたらそれだけで昼になっていた。そこで半日ずれたら、間違いなく私の解放は月曜にずれこんでいただろう。たまたまテレカを持っていたこと、たまたま大使館の電話番号が載っているガイドブックを携帯していたこと、たまたま優しい看守がこっそり朝の電話を許してくれたこと、どれが欠けても私の解放は間に合わなかった。私は本当についていたのだ。彼らは私の体調や食事のこと、色々心配してくれていた。彼は大使館で働き始めて何年も経つが、日本人女性がこのように拘束されたのは初めてのようだ。女子房はベッドなどもそれほどひどくなかったが、男子房はマットもなくてコンクリートの上に寝るような施設なのだと聞いた。彼は以前ブラジルで働いていたこともあるが、メキシコの警察はブラジルの警察より悪い、と言っていた。私もそう思う。
In the comfortable embassy’s car, I left the WONDERFUL detention center. I really worried about my camera, but at last it returned to me. Mr. Takahata and I talked about many things. It was 26 hours after I got caught. They went back and forth between the immigration office in the downtown, the detention center, the embassy all day. Thanks to their all efforts, my release was remarkably fast. According to him, I wouldn’t have been released that day if I couldn’t have called them early in the morning. They would know I had been in the center only after they got the fax documents from the officers. Those documents were what they had been making all morning. So, if I hadn’t called them around 8:30, they would have been informed about me around noon, and after that they would have started everything. It was possible I had to stay there till Monday. I thought I was really lucky. I had a telephone card by chance, I had a guide book with the telephone number of Japanese Embassy by chance, there was a kind guard by chance when I asked her to call. Mr. Takahata told that he had been worried about my condition, the food, everything. He had been working for the Embassy for some years but this was the first case that a Japanese woman got caught for such a stupid reason. He also told me that in a men’s dormitory, there was no mats and they had to sleep on the concrete floor. In the women’s dormitory, the beds were not bad, I taught him. He had worked in Brazil before, and said that Mexican police was worse than that in Brazil. Yeah, I agree.

PM ７：３０
渋滞の中、２時間ほどかかって車は私の宿に到着した。握手をして高畑さんにお礼を言って、赤ちょうちんのドアから私は帰宅した。アドリアナさんも喜んで迎えてくれた。彼女も９年間日本人宿をやっているが、こんなことは初めてだと言う。以前に同様に捕まった人もいたが、警官が宿まできてくれてパスポートを確認したり、または連れの誰かがパスポートを取りに宿に戻ったりということで拘束までは行かなかったそうだ。その夜は外出する気分にはなれず、宿でお湯をわかしてカップラーメンの夕食にした。収容所で河瑛が私にくれた、「辛」という韓国のカップラーメンを、私は彼女を思いながらいただいた。
Driving in terrible traffic jam, it took us 2 hours to arrive my hostel. Shaking hands with Mr. Takahata, I thanked him and opened the gate to the hostel, which had a red Japanese lantern sign. Adriana, the owner, welcomed me happily. She had been running that hostel for 9 years, but hadn’t had any of the guests being caught before. There were some who were caught, but the police came over to the hostel to check their passports, or his/her friend came back there to pick his/her passport to show them. Maybe I had this great experience because those policemen were lazy? I don't know.
I was dead tired and didn’t feel like going out that night. For dinner, I ate Korean cup noodle, which sweet Hayoung gave me that day. I was wondering what she was doing then.

おしまい　　the end

１月６日 午前 The next day

翌日　　Jan 6th　AM ８：００
収容所の朝は遅い。起床の声がかかるが、ほとんどの人はそれより早く起きていた。そこで暮らす誰もがどこかで突然捕まって連れてこられたので、着替えや生活用品は持っていない。聞くと、出所になる時に皆、他の人が使えそうなものを置いていってくれるようだ。そうして部屋に残されていく服やタオルや下着を皆で共有しながら使いまわして暮らしていて、元の持ち主が誰かは誰も知らない。昨日河瑛が着ていた服を今日は同室のエクアドル人の子が着ており、私は河瑛の使う歯ブラシを借りた。そんなことを気にしてはいられないのだ。昨夜も顔を洗うなら、とタオルを貸してもらったが、洗ったあとにつけるローションもないし、顔は洗わずに寝た。下着も貸してくれるといわれたがシャワーを浴びなかったので断った。
さて、私の手続きについては、用心深い河瑛が的確なアドバイスをくれた。「いくら信用できる相手でも、メキシコ人にパスポートを持っていかせるのは危険。もし紛失でもされたら何ヶ月もここから出られなくなっちゃう。万が一のために大使館に連絡して力になってもらったほうがいいよ。絶対、他人の手にパスポートを持たせてはダメ！まずは大使館よ！」確かにそうだ。電話をかけるにはテレフォンカードを買って公衆電話を使うのだが、電話をかけられる時間は１０時～１２時と決まっている。１０時までなんて待てない、フライトまであと４７時間、事は急を要するのだ。
運良く私はメキシコ入国時に宿に電話するためにテレカを買っていた。５００円以上したのにほとんど使わずに残っていて、もったいないから日本に国際電話でもかけるのに使うかなぁ、と思っていたら、それが役立つ時が思いがけなくやってきた。今朝の看守は愛想もよくちょっと親切そう。大至急電話をかけたいんだけど、とこっそり交渉してみた。彼女は少し困った顔をして「内緒よ」と鉄の扉を開けて公衆電話まで連れて行ってくれた。私はまずアドリアナに電話をかけ、その後大使館に電話した。大使館は９時半からで留守番電話で緊急連絡先の番号が案内されていたのでそれをメモして電話をかけようとした。すると、別の看守が「あなたはもう電話をかけたじゃないの、そんなに何本もかけちゃダメ！」と私を連れ戻そうとする。そこでまたひと悶着あったが、なんとかもう１度電話をかけさせてもらった。電話に出たのは領事の両角さんという方で、久しぶりに聞く日本語に私は安堵した。なにせ前の晩から出来もしないスペイン語で色々な手続きや交渉をするのに疲れ果てていたから。彼は早速対応します、と答えてくれたが、解放が８日のフライトに間に合うかはわからない。
部屋に戻る時に意外な顔と再会した。昨夜のイタリア人のお母さんと娘だ。賄賂作戦がうまく行って帰してもらえたのかと思っていたら、ダメだったのかー。彼らも疲れ果てた顔で昨日の陽気な様子はかけらも見えなかった。それもそのはず、彼らの帰国のフライトはその日の夕方だったのだ。ひえー、なんてこと！かわいそすぎる。
The guards woke us up, though most of us were awake. (Thank you, my hair hadn't turned gray.) I noticed the girl from Ecuador in our room was wearing the sweat shirt which Hayoung had been wearing the night before. She told me that everybody there share their clothes, underwear, towels, slippers, etc. They were caught somewhere and were brought to the center directly, so nobody had a change of clothes or other stuffs. So when someone can go home, she leaves some clothes or stuffs for other people so that they can share. That’s why, they didn’t know whom those clothes had belonged to before. They just share what they need and help each other well. I borrowed Hayong’s toothbrush, I didn’t mind. That’s the way to live there. She even offered me some washed underwear.　 Besides those information about how to live there, Hayoung gave me an appropriate advise: “You’d better not let the hotel owner bring your passport to the office. Don’t let any Mexican people to have your passport! If something happens with your passport, You can never get out from here. Trust only the Japanese embassy. You should immediately call the embassy for all necessary procedure.” Well, that is true.
To make a phone call, you should buy a telephone card and use the public phone. Luckily, I had a telephone card which I had bought on my arrival at the airport. Usually, making a phone call is allowed from 10 to 12. But I had only 47 hours left before my flight departs, and I couldn’t wait for even a minute. Found a guard who seemed nicer than others, and asked her to let me use the phone. She looked embarrassed but secretly let me pass the iron door. The Japanese embassy was still closed but they had the emergency number. Hanging up the phone and tried to dial that number, the other guard stopped me. “You have already made a phone call. That’s enough! Go back to your room.” WHAT?? I had to argue with her. After all I could call one more time and Mr. Morozumi, a consul, answered the phone. I was so relieved to listened to Japanese, because I had to use Spanish since I got caught but my Spanish was too poor in that situation. He understood what had happened and told that he’d do his best to help me out.
Returning to the dormitory, I saw familiar faces―the Italian mother and her daughter. I thought they had succeeded to go home with some bribe, but it didn’t work. They looked so tired, and to my surprise, their flight was going to leave that evening. Poor Italians! Maybe it’s impossible to be released to take the flight??

AM９：００
朝食の時間だ。”A comer!” という看守の声に、何十人もの収容者が嬉々として集まってきて食堂前に１列に並ぶ。南米、アジア、アフリカ、ヨーロッパ、本当にあらゆる人種がいた。若い子も年配も、妊婦さんも赤ちゃんをつれたお母さんもいる。新参者の私を、金仁淑と陳河瑛がしっかりエスコートして列の前の方に入れてくれた。アジアの女の子達はお互いに連帯感を感じるのか、私をとてもいたわってくれる。
どんな食事かと思ったら、予想外に立派な食事が出る。メニューは、パン・バナナ・シリアル＋牛乳、お皿いっぱいのフルーツor卵料理＋フリホーレス（好きな方を選ぶ）、ヨーグルト。えーまじ？豪華ジャン！と思った。もちろんタダ。昨夜皆が私にくれた食べ物は、こういう食事の残りを各自が部屋に持って帰るからなのだ、とわかった。河瑛は早々に食事を切り上げて部屋でシャワーを浴びた。シャワーが使えるのが朝９時～１０時、シャワーとトイレは各部屋にあるがドアはないので、彼女はベッドのマットをついたてにしていた。その後イタリア人母娘が私の部屋に来て、２人で泣いて悔しがった。彼らの場合はフライトまであと１０時間ほどしかない。大使館に頼むしかない、と私は彼らを連れて電話をかけに行ったが、今度の看守は意地悪でドアをあけてはくれなかった。大至急なのだとどんなに頼んでもダメだった。今朝私は本当にラッキーだったのだ。
The officer shouted “A Comer!” and it’s time for breakfast. Dozens of people came out from the dormitory and made a line in front of a dining room. Various people from all over the world! From Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe, the young, the old, the pregnant, the mother and children. I was impressed! Not only Kim and Hayoung, but Asian girls may have sympathy or something with me (?), they’re so nice to me.
And what did I eat there?? The food was good! The breakfast was; bread, a banana, cereal & milk, a plate of fruits or a dish with egg and beans, yogurt. of course for free. I realized that the food they had brought to me the night before was the rest of those meals. After the breakfast, Hayoung took shower, for we can use it only from 9 to 10. There was a bathroom in our room but no door. So she put the mattress of the bed to hide herself. Later, the Italian mother and daughter visited me in the room and they cried a lot. Only 10 hours left before their flight. I thought they also should call the Italian embassy and took them to the phone. But there wasn’t any nice guards there, and no matter how much we asked, they never allowed us to use the phone. Yeah, I was really lucky to be allowed to call secretly.

AM１０：００
冷え込みの厳しい収容所にも暖かい陽があたる時間だ。房の掃除のため、私達は中庭に出される。ここでの生活は、食事以外何一つすることがないのが特徴だ。私達のすることは、ただひたすら、自分の名前が看守から呼ばれるのを待つこと、それだけ。本もなければ外界との接触もないので、日がな一日、皆が中庭の芝に寝そべっておしゃべりをして過ごす。短期間ならそれもいいが、ここの人たちは何週間、何ヶ月もそんな暮らしをしているのだ。私には耐えられない。皆、話してばかりいるので、お互いの境遇をよく知っている。収容所は全員が外国人だから、スペイン語、英語、など相手と共通の言語を駆使してはコミュニケーションを図るのだ。まさにインターナショナルな場所でしょ？１日でこんなに多くの国籍の人たちと出会える場所が他にあるだろうか。河瑛は「ここで毎日時間を無駄に過ごしていると気が変になりそう。何か自分のためになることをしないと。」と言って、金仁淑と２人で語学の自主勉強をしていた。
１０時を過ぎると、公衆電話を使わせてもらえる。電話をかけたい人は鉄の扉の前に並び、看守のチェックを受けて、電話簿みたいなノートに名前、国籍、サインをして許可をもらう。また、この時間は１日に１回の物資配給の時間でもある。整列して１人１巻きずつ、その日に使うトイレットペーパーと小さな石鹸（河瑛によると、手が荒れるから絶対使うな、という石鹸）が配給される。必要な人には、洗濯用の洗剤がプラスチックのコップに入れてわけてもらえたり、子連れのお母さん達にはオムツも配給される。もちろんその都度、受領簿に名前や国籍を記入する。そうこうしているうちに、私は看守に呼ばれ、事務所に通されて取調べを受けることになった。
It was getting warmer as sun went higher in the sky. To clean our dormitory, we had to get out from our room and wait in the courtyard. Happy that we didn’t have to clean it by ourselves.
The people there had NOTHING TO DO except eating meals. All you can do is just kill time lying on the grass and talking to each other. There are no books, any other stuffs, so you just wait for time to pass every day, till your name is called by the officer when you finally get out from that fucking center. If it is for a short term, it would be OK, but I cannot imagine to live like that for more than 1 week! Hayoung was very much frustrated and she didn’t want to waste time. She wanted to do something meaningful, so tried to study other language with Kim, using a book somebody had. All they can do is to talk, so they know about each other’s problem well. They are all from different countries, some speak Spanish, some speak English, or other language, so we find the common language and try to communicate. What an international place to stay. I don’t know any other place with this variety of people staying together.
10 a.m. is happy time for them. They can use the public phone from 10 to 12. Also, we are rationed 1 roll of toilet paper and a tiny soap―which Hayoung hates and she told me not to use it because your hand get chapped with that soap―, we make a line and each person sign the notebooks on receiving them. For the mothers who have little children, diapers are supplied during this period. You can also get some washing powder in a plastic cup for your laundry. Anyway, on receiving those or on making a phone call, you have to make a line, checked by the guards, and write your name, nationality, and sign the notebooks. After a while, my name was called. Again the time for being interviewed!

AM１１：００
昨日から同じ事を一体何回答えただろうか。名前、生年月日、入国した日、帰国する日、泊まっている場所などを聞かれて調書を取られたり、写真撮影をしたり。そういうのってさー、１度きいたらそれを元に複数の書類が作れるんじゃないのー？もっと要領よくやろうよ。とどんなに私が思っても、ここはメキシコ、そうはいかない。毎回別の役人相手に、毎回ゼロからの取調べ。思うに、各担当者間の連携というのが全く取れていない。警察と入国管理局の連絡も、管理局内の各担当官の連絡も、更には看守と看守の間の連絡も。全体の流れが見えている人が誰もいないので、同じようなことが重複して繰り返されて、たらいまわしが続く。
さて、今回の取調べは昨日までとはちょっと違った。なんと、英語の通訳がついたのだ。画期的！昨日からの一連の出来事で、警察にも管理局にも、英語がわかる人は１人もいなかった。収容所内には何人もいたけどね。通訳のお姉さんは、X-JAPANのファン、あとサッカーの中田英寿が大好きだと言う日本びいきの人で、日本人に合えたのが嬉しそうだった。この調書作成は予想以上に時間がかかった。何に時間がかかるかというと、担当官がパソコンで書類を作文するのに、気が遠くなるほどの時間がかかるのだ。私が質問に答えている時間はほんのわずか。彼が画面を見ながら眉間に皺を寄せて真剣にキーボードを打っている時間が大半だった。ねー、さっきからずっと何やってんのー？と覗きこみたくなるほど遅い。通訳のお姉さんにメキシコシティの地図を見せて、私は自分が今いる場所がどこか、やっと教えてもらった。ここからはどうやって街の中心部にもどればいいの？と聞いている時、救いの神が現れた。日本大使館の高畑さんという方が収容所に到着したのだ！！
　もう、その時の心境をなんと表せばいいでしょう、後光がさして見えるとは、まさにこういうことだ、と思いましたね。さすが大使館、スーツをぴしっと着ていかにも要人という雰囲気。私は調書作成を中断して、高畑さんに伴われて管理局の所長の部屋へ通された。しばらくそこで今回の経緯やら、いろいろを話した後、この件はぜひともよろしくお取り計らいを、みたいな握手が高畑さんと所長の間で交わされた。高畑さん曰く「日曜のフライトで帰るには、今日中に解放してもらわなければ。土日は管理局は動きませんから、今日出られないと来週の月曜まで待たなければなりません。とすると、あと数時間しかありませんから微妙です。全力でやりますけど、場合によってはダメな可能性もあります。」と。所長は「もし今夜解放できたとしても、この辺りは治安がとても悪いので、夜帰るのは危険だよ。ここにもう１泊して、明日の朝帰ったほうがいいのでは」と。あのさー、無実の外国人捕まえるよりも、治安の悪い地域を取り締まる方に力入れたほうがいいんじゃない？と思いながらも、私は解放の可能性が少し見えてきてとても嬉しかった。
How many times did I answer the same question? I had told them my name, nationality, birthday, passport number, job, the date of arrival, where I was staying, many times. Every time the officer changes and I had to do it from the beginning. Well, they should share the information and make things more rational. They are making different documents from the same data, but it is a waste! Why didn’t they just share my basic information and do it by themselves? Why do I have to be brought to their room again and again and have to answer the same question?? That’s their way. They don’t report each other about what they know. Between the police and immigration office, between the officers, between the guards, they never exchange the necessary information. That’s why things go very slowly and we are sent to one officer to another. No officer seems to mind what’s going on and they just do it mechanically. OK, It is Mexico.
But this time, my interview was a bit different. I had an English interpreter! How nice! Until then, in the immigration office, there was not a single person who speaks English. I got tired of talking in poor Spanish. The interpreter was a young lady, who was a fan of X-JAPAN and Hidetoshi Nakata. She looked happy to meet a Japanese. The officer’s action and his making documents was unbelievably slow. I didn’t know what he was doing, but when I answered his question, he nodded and looked into the computer screen with a serious expression, typing something. I had to wait for a long time for the next question to be asked. Sometimes I thought, ‘Do you know how to use the computer?? Let me type it! What are you doing? I have been asked only 5 questions so far! Hurry!!' So I killed time talking with the interpreter. By asking her, I finally knew where I was. She also taught me how to go back to my hostel from there. While talking with her, THE SAVIOR APPEARED!
He was Mr.Takahata from the Japanese Embassy. I cannot express how I was glad to see him. He was in a suit and looked like an important man. They stopped interviewing me, and I was led to the room of the chief officer of that center accompanied by Mr.Takahata. They talked for a while about me, then Mr.Takahata and the chief officer shook their hands promising to let me out as soon as possible. Mr.Takahata said, “Well, to take your flight on Jan 8th, you have to be released within today. Otherwise you have to wait till next Monday because the immigration office will close for the weekend. We will do our best but it is almost noon and their documentation is really slow. there’s no guarantee. Anyway, please be patient.” Then the chief said that even if I got released that evening at earliest, it was very dangerous to go out from that center in the evening, because the crime rate was high in that area, so I should stay one more night there to wait for the next morning for my safety. What??? OK, YOU HAD BETTER PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE SECURITY SITUATION IN YOUR CITY THAN ARRESTING INNOCENT FOREIGNERS!! I was totally dumbfounded how stupid they were. Well, I was happy to see Mr.Takahata, I was not hopeless.

つづく　　to be continued

les miserables ― ああ無情 メキシコの物語

メキシコでの最大の出来事、それは身柄拘束だ。海外旅行にはもう飽きるほど行っているけど、逮捕されたのは初めて。理由は「パスポート不携帯」。他に楽しいことは色々あったけど、この強烈な経験で他の全てが吹っ飛んでしまった。
１月５日、ちょーちゃんが帰るのを見送った後、一つくらい遺跡でも見ようかと午後テオティワカンに行き、その帰りに地下鉄に乗ろうとしていた時に悪夢は始まった。
The most impressive memory in Mexico was this; I was caught by the police and sent to the detention center. I have traveled abroad many times, but this was my very first experience. Having been in custody, all my good memories in Mexico disappeared!
On Janurary 5th, after I saw Shoko off, I became alone and went to Teotihuacan in the afternoon. On my way back, when I was going to take metro, this story began.

PM５：００
「Hola, senorita! Habla Espanol?」となれなれしく声をかけてくる笑顔の男。見ると彼は警官ではありませんか。「Poco.」と答えると、どこから来た？パスポートは？と。メキシコは強盗やスリが多いので、パスポートは宿に置いてあったけど、迂闊なことに私はコピーを所持していなかった。ここにはないが宿にある、と答えると「ここでは全ての外国人は身分証明書の携帯が義務付けられているから、身分を証明できない者は来てもらう」と始まった。最初は渋ったものの、逆らうのもマズイと思って彼について行くと、イタリア人４人、グアテマラ人の男性１人が私と同様に捕まっていた。イタリア人一家は明らかに観光客。グアテマラ人は不法就労らしき雰囲気。イタリア人達も私と同じバスでテオティワカン遺跡に行った帰りで、盗難防止に宿にパスポートを置いてきていた。
やましい事は何もないし、すぐ帰してもらえるだろうとは思ったけど、帰りが遅くなるのが心配だった。メキシコの夜は物騒ですからね。イタリア人達は全く心配はしておらず、陽気に警官と世間話をしては笑ったりしていて、ただ１人グアテマラ人は暗い表情で肩を落としていた。
"Hola senorita! Habla Espanol?" cheerful guy talked to me. He was a policeman. When I answered,"Poco", he asked me where I was from and told me to show him my passport. As you know, there are many robbers in Mexico city, so I had kept my passport in the hostel and didn't have it with me. Of course it was my fault that I didn't even have a copy of it. He explained that every foreigner was always expected to have a passport, and told that I had to go to be examined unless I could identify myself. Well, I followed him though I didn't want to. There I found other people being caught like me. One guy from Guatemala, who seemed apparently illegal worker there, and an Italian family ( there were 4 members) who were tourists and had left their passport at the hotel not to be robbed. The Italian family was also on their way back from Teotihuacan like me. I was confident we were innocent ( except that guy from Guatemala ) and thought we would be free soon.

PM６：００
いつまで続くの？と思うような無意味な雑談の後、私達はパトカーに乗せられた。前の座席は二人の警官、後部座席にグアテマラ人とイタリア人の大人計４人がぎゅうぎゅう詰めに乗り、イタリア人の娘（１２歳くらい）は前の座席の中央の箱みたいな物の上に後ろ向きに腰掛けた。体の小さい私はイタリア人の膝の上に座らされて、過積載のパトカーでのドライブが始まった。どこまで行くのかと聞くと、イミグレーションオフィスだと言う。私を捕まえた軟派な感じの警官が運転をし、もう１人の感じの良い誠実そうな警官が助手席からずっと後を向いて話をしてくれた。彼はベラクルス出身で、どのカフェが有名だとか、この料理が美味しいとか、カーニバルの時期はすごいぞとか、そんなお国自慢をしきりに話した。私はベラクルスに行ったから、そこは行ったとかそれは食べてないとか、イタリア人一家はまだ行ったことがないから是非行きたいとか、皆がガイドブックを広げて車内はなかなかの盛り上がり。途中パトカーは私の宿のすぐ側を通ったので、止めてくれればパスポートを見せると言ったが、聞いてもらえなかった。車内で簡単な調書を取られ、名前、出身地、旅行期間や仕事などを聞かれたが、グアテマラ人は名前以外の質問には一言も答えずに警官も手を焼いていた。その警官は、途中車を止めて路上のお菓子を買って「これはメキシコ人が皆食べるスナックだよ」なんて言って私達にふるまってくれたり、とても親切だった。道は夕方の大渋滞で、私達が郊外の入国管理局に着いたのは８時をまわった頃だった。
After talking for a while there― most of the conversation was between that Italian family and the policemen about trivial matters―, we started for the immigration office in a jam-packed patrol car. You will never imagine how we were sitting in that small space. 6 people were stuffed in the backseat. I had to sit on the Italian man's knee! One policeman drove and the other was talking to us all the way. He was from Veracruz, and gave us a lot of tourist's information on Veracruz. About a famous cafe, good meals there, carnival, etc. The Italians got excited and we opened our guidebooks to check those informations. It was not like in a police car at all. The atmosphere was like we were going on a vacation. Only the Guatemalan guy kept quiet and he looked depressed. The policeman even bought us some Mexican snacks from a vender in the streets. None of us thought we were in the serious situation. When the car passed by the streets where my hostel was located, I asked them to stop so that I could show them my passport, but they didn't listen to me. Were they really nice? I couldn't understand them. Two hours' drive took us to the immigration office- which was a detention center in the suburbs.

PM８：００
高い塀と警備員に囲まれた管理局は物々しい感じ。大変なことになってきたぞ、という感じはした。建物に入る前に最初の顔写真の撮影があった。この時点では私は精神的に余裕もあったので、その様子をカメラで隠し撮りしたり、イタリア人達もピースをしたり脳天気なものだった。ようやく車が中に入り、寒々とした建物に通された。広い倉庫みたいな場所にいくつか机が並んでおり、私達はそこでつっ立ったまま長い間待たされた。先ほどの警官達はどこかに行ってしまい、いつまで経っても何も始まらない。陽気だったイタリア人達もタバコを吸いながらイライラし始めた。奥には、小さな覗き窓のついた鉄の扉があり、そこから私に向かって「チーナ！！チーナ！！」と罵声が飛ぶ。収容されている人たちは新参者に興味津々らしかった。
The immigration office had a high wall and many guards were there. Before entering the gate, we had our first picture taken in front of the police car. I was still enjoying that situation, so I took a picture of the italians being taken photos. The Italians didn't seem serious at all. Entering the gate, they took us into the building. The policemen disappeared and we had to wait for the officers for a while. I couldn't understand why we had to wait so long. IT IS ALWAYS LIKE THAT THERE. You never know what is happening, but you have to wait. All we could do was to wait―so you have to be very patient. The Italians seemed irritated and started smoking. There were thick iron doors with a small window, and some men peeped out and yelled at me, "China! China! ",which means Chinese woman. Later I found that was the entrance of the men's dormitory. Maybe they were bored and wanted to see who had come to join them.

PM９：００
待ちくたびれた頃、やっと先ほどの警官が戻ってきて、私達の身柄が管理局の役人達に引き渡された。警官はイタリア人達と電話番号の交換をし、カーニバルの時は是非ベラクルスへ！と言って笑顔で帰っていった。この友好的な雰囲気ではイタリア人一家も、自分達がそこに収容されるなんて夢にも思っていなかっただろう。私はその時すでにかなり嫌な予感がしていた。やっと始まった事情聴取で、私は今日のいきさつと自分のパスポートが宿にあることを話すと、役人が言った。「なんでそれを警官に言わなかったんだ？ここに来る必要なんかなかったじゃないか？」ほーらね、やっぱり。私は、言ったけれども聞いてもらえずそこに連行されたこと、他のイタリア人達もみな同じだという事を一生懸命説明した。待っていろ、と言われて彼らはまた席をはずし、しばらくして１人の役人が私を呼びにきた。彼曰く、問題はない、明日パスポートをポランコ（街の中心部の地名）の事務所に持っていけば君は解放される、誰かそれをやってくれる人はいるかい？と。明日？！つまり私は今日帰れないの？！と焦って聞くと、こんな遅い時間に手続きが取れるわけないじゃないか、と言う。こんな遅い時間にしたのは誰？もう捕まってから４時間経ってるんだよ、こんな遠くまで誰が連れてきたんだー、と腹が立つ。色々話した後、宿に電話をかけさせてくれたので、私は宿の経営者のアドリアナさんに事情を説明して私のパスポートを荷物から出してもらい、明日それを届けてもらう約束をして電話を切った。彼女の「朝イチでカナラズ持って行きますカラネ」という言葉がどれほど心強かったことか。日本語が通じる小さな日本人宿に泊まっていて本当によかった、と痛感しましたね、この時は。大きなホテルだったらとても頼めないし、メキシコ人も信用できないし、だいたいスペイン語でこの状況を１から説明なんて無理だもの。
We had waited so long, and finally those policemen appeared again. They handed us over to the immigration officers, and went home. Before going home, he exchanged his phone number with one of the Italian guy and invited him to come to Veracruz during the carnival. The Italians looked happy. Did they know they had to stay overnight there? Maybe no. But I began to take my situation more seriously.
The officer started to interview me. Knowing that my passport was in my hostel, he got surprised and said, "Why didn't you tell the policemen about it? You didn't have to come here!" Yeah, I KNEW IT. But they didn't listen to me and took me there. After a while, another officer told me, "No problem, you'll be out soon. Do you have any friends who can bring your passport to the immigration office in the downtown tomorrow?" Tomorrow? Do I stay here till tomorrow?? I was so mad. He said it was too late ( it was 9 o'clock ) to go through a regular procedure to release us. I couldn't believe it. Why it's 9 ? Was it my fault? We were caught at 5, but the fucking policemen took a long time to bring us here, and we had to wait more than 1 hour doing nothing! Anyway, I had to listen to them to be free. He let me use the phone, so I called Adriana, who is the owner of the hostel and seemed a trust-worthy woman. She speaks good Japanese. I explained to her what had happened and asked her to bring my passport the next day. She felt very sorry for me and promised to do it. I was very relieved. The hostel I was staying was a small hostel for only Japanese people. If I had stayed at a regular hotel, maybe I couldn't make it. I couldn't trust any Mexicans and woudn't have asked any hotel staffs to do that. Also, it must have been difficult for me to explain my situation in Spanish on the phone. I was glad I had been staying there.

PM１０：００
入所の手続きが始まった。まずカメラ没収。貴重品ということで書類を書いて預けるのだが、おいおいそんな引き出しに入れておいて本当に大丈夫？って心配になる。書類にサインをしながら、私はここがどこなのか、明日はどうやって帰ればいいのか、警察は送ってくれるのか、とその役人に聞いた。だって車で２時間もかけて連れてこられて自分の居場所もわからないし、自力で帰れるのか気になっていたから。すると突然彼は怒り出した。「君をここまで連れてきたのは警察だ、俺じゃない。せっかく親切にしてやってるのに、なぜ俺を責めるんだ？さっきは電話までかけさせてやったじゃないか。普通は電話なんて使わせてやらないんだぞ（後でそれは本当だとわかった）」と。私は必死で謝ったが彼はなかなか機嫌を直してくれなかった。その後、女子房の看守らしき人に私は引き渡された。女子房へ行く途中、先ほどのイタリア人一家が役人達と激しく口論しているのが見えた。ここに泊まるなんて絶対嫌だ！私達はただの旅行者だ！パスポートならホテルにある！今日はメキシコ最後の夜なんだ、最後の夜をこんな刑務所で過ごせというのか！！というような今にもつかみ合いが始まりそうな勢いだった。彼らは財布からお金を出し、それを掴ませて解放を交渉していた。そんな方法もあったんだなぁ、と横目で見たけど、私にはもうそんな元気は残っていない。
女子房の入り口で身体検査を受け、他人に危害を加えるのに使えるものは全て没収された。缶ジュース（金属厳禁）ベルト、靴紐、あらゆる紐類（首締めが心配らしい）―ジャンパーの裾を絞る紐も、ジャンバーのフードの紐も、切って抜かれてしまった。許せん、弁償しなさい！
Then started the preparation to enter the dormitory. First, I had my camera confiscated. They put my camera in the drawer of the desk, but I was worried it would be stolen. Signing the documents, I asked the officer where I was and how to go back to downtown. Then he suddenly got very mad. "You see, THE POLICE brought you here! Not me! It's not my fault, but why do you blame me? I am trying to help you and have already let you use our phone. No other officer will do it. But you still blame me? I don't help you if you complain! " Well, I had just wanted to know where I had been brought to because I had no idea. I should go back to my hostel by myself when I get free. Could the police drive me back to where I'd got caught? They wouldn't. Why did my question make the officer so angry? Nonsence!! I pretended to apologize though I didn't feel sorry at all. After some fucking conversation with him, he handed me over to the guard of the women's dormitory. Walking to the entrance of the women's dormitory with her, I saw that Italian family arguing with the officers. They were almost shouting, "We are just tourists, not illegal workers! We have our passports in the hotel! This is the last night in Mexico, but do you dare to put us in jails?? We never agree! The last night of our vacation in JAIL?? " Now they tried to give them some money to negotiate. Yeah, that was one of the way to be free, I remembered, but too tired to think about it. I just wanted to take a rest.
Before entering the dormitory, they took any possible weapon from me. Canned juice― metal is prohibited, my belt―not to squeeze others' neck, the laces of my sneaker, the string in the hood of my windbreaker and they even cut the string in the hem of my windbreaker. No!!Pay me back for it!

PM１１：００
やっと今夜寝る部屋に案内される。捕まってから6時間、疲れはピークだ。中国人と同室がいいか？と聞かれて、どこでもいいと答えた。すると日本人と中国人は仲が悪いのか？と言うので、そうではなくどの部屋でもかまわないと答えた。房に入ると私は注目の的で、大勢の中国人が集まってきて私を取り囲んだ。芸能人というのはこんな気分だろうか。皆中国語で話し掛けてくる。出身を聞かれ、日本と言ったら房の中は大騒ぎになった。日本人が収容所に来るのは初めてらしく、何人もが興奮してそこら中へ知らせに走り、私は一躍有名人だ。女子房は大きなドミで、色んなサイズの部屋があったが私は4人部屋に落ち着いた。くたくたに疲れていたし早く寝たかったけれど、いろんな人が次々に私のところにやってきては質問攻めなので、それどころではない。お腹が空いていると話したら、皆がパンや果物やお菓子を次々に持ってきてくれた。看守は感じが悪いが収容されている人たちは親切そうだ。金仁淑という日本語ぺらぺらの中国人と、陳河瑛という英語が堪能な韓国人と仲良くなり、彼女達にはその後も大変世話になることになる。
陳河瑛がその収容所での暮らしについて、入所している人たちについて、自分の境遇について、英語で熱く語りだしたのはもう11時半を過ぎた頃だった。まず、パスポート等がきちんと確認できる人でも出所するには2，3日かかること。彼女はもう1ヶ月もそこで暮らしていること。それぞれ状況は違うが長い人は何ヶ月もそこから出られずにいること、などなど。私はにわかに不安になった。私はいつ解放されるのだろうか、入所したのが5日の深夜じゃ8日の早朝のフライトに間に合わないかも、と考え始めたら、熟睡できなかかった。昔マンガで読んだシーンで、マリーアントワネットが投獄されて一晩で白髪になってしまった、というのを何故か思い出して、白髪の心配などしたりしながら眠った。
Six hours had passed since I had got caught. I wanted to go to sleep as soon as possible. The women officer asked me if I'd like to stay in the same room with the Chinese. I told her any room was fine, then she asked if there's any trouble with the Japanese and the Chinese. I answered I didn't mean that but I didn't mind staying with anybody. When she opened the door to the hallway, many Chinese girls ran up to me. They talked to me in Chinese first but knowing I was Japanese, everybody got so excited and ran away to inform every room that the first Japanese had arrived there. Felt like I was a movie star or some rare animals in a zoo. My room was with four beds, but many visitors came in and went out to talk to me or just to see me. When they knew I was very hungry, a lot of foods were brought from somewhere; bread, fruits, cookies and so on. Gradually I realized they were really nice and only the officers and guards were not kind. There I became friends with Kim―a Chinese girl who speaks good Japanese, and Hayoung―a Korean girl who’s English was really fluent. Those two girls helped me a lot during my stay in this center.
It was half past eleven when Hayoung started to talk in English about the life there, about general information, rules, food, shower, laundry, etc. She had been there for more than 1 month and seemed so frustrated with her life, but was a good adviser for me. Everybody there had different problems about passports or visa, so some had to stay there for several months, some for weeks, but if you had your passport in the hotel and to be identified soon, you’d be out within 2-3 days. WHAT?? 2-3 DAYS? My return flight was on January 8th, early in the morning. To take that flight, I had to be free on 7th at latest. Today is 5th, already midnight. Became very anxious and I couldn’t go to sleep soon. I was thinking about an episode of Marie Antoinette I had read in my comic books before, whose hair turned gray after staying in a jail for only one night. I hoped my hair wouldn’t turn gray.

つづく to be continued

My story

メキシコでの出来事は、最も印象的な事をまず書くつもり。原稿を書き始めたら、あまりに長い物語で、自分が小説家みたいな気分になってきた。ノンフィクションなんだけどね。記憶が鮮明すぎて、つい長くなってしまう。あんまり昔話になる前にとりあえず近況報告を。この異常な寒さのお陰で、私の家でも、ついにトイレが凍結して使えなくなってしまった。隣の家にその度に駆け込むのは不便きわまりないです。
I want to write about the most impressive memory in Mexico. Today I started writing about it, but my script is unbelievably long, and I feel like I am a novelist. Yeah, it is a REAL story, not a fiction. Well,for the moment, I write about my life here. My toilet drainage has finally frozen because of the cold weather and I cannot use it. I run into my neighbor when I need to. Inconvenient!!!!

謹賀新年 A Happy New Year

この1年が私にとっても皆様にとってもよい年になりますよう、心から願っています。長いメキシコの旅から、冷え込みの厳しい富士見に戻り、ほっとしたような気がひきしまるような、静かな朝を迎えました。メキシコの話は、またゆっくり書きます、たぶん。諏訪湖では昨日御神渡りがあったみたい。今年の寒さは本物だ。
I wish everybody a happy new year! Now I am back from Mexico. It's so cold here, but I felt relaxed to be here, back to the freezing morning in Fujimi. I'll write about my trip soon. There was "omiwatari"― when the whole surface of the lake freezes, the ice breaks and lifts up― in Suwako yesterday. It happens only in cold winter, usually around February. It is really really cold this winter.

Feliz Ano Nuevo

新年のご挨拶をメキシコからお届けします。あけましておめでとうございます。今年もよい年にしましょう。