CALIFORNIA DREAMING

The bitterness and sweetness of education
Benito ‘Jong’ Molintas Jr.

SAN FRANCISCO, California -- “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet” is an adage from Aristotle which I tried my best and likewise a relative to clobber into the mind of my cousin Philip for him to be cognizant that education is relevant in everyday undertakings.

Indeed, he was finally prodded to make up his mind and study. The ESL subject is his stepping stone to a higher ladder of education which will surely let him explore and enjoy the essence of life, more so that he is here in United States.

What is the bitterness in studying and what is the sweet part of it? Bitterness is when you are taken away from your daily activity. You are responsible to read a lot so you can cope up with the discussions, home works, projects and all. But, the good part of it; when you are a professional, you can live better and enjoying life.

I accompanied him to his classroom and asked the instructor if I could sit in. Good my request was granted. I was so impressed with this accommodating and energetic ESL instructor, Fred Morales, who is from Puerto Rico.

I was contemplating that my cousin’s instructor would be a white one, but it turned out to be our brother -- a Hispanic influenced race, teaching English. I was so impressed with the determination of the 10 students who were mostly Mexicans.

I was talking to one student, Felipe and asked him in front of his friends why he was going to school. They said that he was so lucky because his father didn’t want him to work but to concentrate instead on his studies.

Certainly, with reason, Puerto Ricans and other non-white people residing in the US want to get rid of discrimination or oppression because of their tongue or race. Apparently, discrimination is still everywhere. If you are a Filipino, you are considered a house helper or a caregiver.

A Mexican is usually stereotyped as a carpenter, construction worker or other jobs that are belittled. But, with the strong-willed personality of the students I met, someday they would be able to stand taller than those discriminatory Americans. They can prove to their selves that they deserve better. It is because of this that they sacrifice to attend classes so they can become respected people someday.

This reminds me of our Philippine representative, who went to London for a speaking competition. She became a winner by beating contestants from English- speaking countries. This showed we could beat the “native” English speakers in their own game and we Filipinos should be proud of that.

She said we are the builders, the architects, doctors and educators building the future of other nationalities and races in different parts of the world. The young particularly, should study hard so they would be guided to the right path – a destiny made not through luck but hard work and sacrifice.

Participating in the class discussion was an unforgettable privilege. The instructor asked me some questions which I blissfully answered. I was eager to answer because I missed something which I was used to do – teaching English.

Sharing my experiences with these students during their break – courtesy of Mr. Morales, was not hard as they could communicate in English as compared to those times when I was teaching in Korea International School in China.

It was really difficult. It was just fine for the high school level because most of the students studied in London or other parts of the world. During the seat in, I was asked to awaken their past lessons in reading and grammar. It was really an experience particularly when the instructor said, “even if they are English speakers, they commit a lot of grammatical errors like the superlative good, which they say is “bestest.” But then, even if we are English teachers, we also commit blunders. I say, it is just a matter of practice.
***
In the Philippine setting, we are known to be the top English speaking country in Asia. But, can we prove it? I appreciate those folks especially in the countryside who were educated by the Americans during their regime -- they are able to work in the offices and educators in the schools, but now?

Even if some have master’s degrees, few could gland good jobs because they couldn’t speak English well. I challenge the youth to study hard and someday you can go to other countries and be a promising professional, if we can’t apply our better profession and education in our country.

Let us be determined to set our minds to the harsh realities so they we can face life squarely. Indeed, education, as Aristotle said, “is sweet.”