ASEAN Integration: Meeting in between cultural diversity amidst its possible hurdles and challenges

Every organization, may it be small or large, has its own hurdles and challenges in order to maintain unity and equality among its members. Since every member has its own socio-cultural background, we have to understand one’s own upbringing or how one’s enculturation was.

Let’s talk about ASEAN. To give you a brief backgrounder, below are the facts about ASEAN according to their website.

Association of the South East Asian Nations The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam then joined on 7 January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.

The Aims and Purpose of ASEAN are as follows:

• To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations;
• To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter;
• To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields;
• To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities in the educational, professional, technical and administrative spheres;
• To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilization of their agriculture and industries, the expansion of their trade, including the study of the problems of international commodity trade, the improvement of their transportation and communications facilities and the raising of the living standards of their peoples
• To promote Southeast Asian studies; and
• To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes, and explore all avenues for even closer cooperation among themselves.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

In their relations with one another, the ASEAN Member States have adopted the following fundamental principles, as contained in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) of 1976:

    1. Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and                 national identity of all nations;

    2. The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference,                subversion or coercion;

    3. Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;

    4. Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner; 

    5. Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and

    6. Effective cooperation among themselves.

Those are the basic facts about ASEAN.

Since ASEAN is a group, we have to understand and analyze one’s cultural practices and background before we could conclude and declare to the whole world that we are of one mind and heart. Now let’s take a closer look on each of the member countries according to the following aspects.  Below is the summary of the member countries’ culture:

1. Values – their set of beliefs; what they think is good or wrong (Sarbaugh, 1987)

Social Structure – The interdependent network of roles and the hierarchy of statuses which define the reciprocal expectations and the power arrangement of the members of the social 

system guided by norms

World View - Deals with a culture’s most fundamental beliefs about its place in the cosmos, beliefs about God, and beliefs about the purpose of life, nature of humanity and nature (Sarbaugh, 1987) 

Ideology - determinants of communication patterns and behavior

The Possible Hurdles, Challenges and Similarities

After analyzing the said datas from the articles that I have found over internet. Here are some of the things that I think is common to all ASEAN countries:

1. Family is the main group of the society. It is the most important sector of the society.

    Family ties not only talks about the regular nuclear family but also the extended members 

    of family or the relatives are precious to them as well.

2. The concept of 'face' or personal dignity is given a higher importance in society. This 

     means that every ASEAN leader or member will show respect and preserve dignity of the        other leader or member at all times. This is a good trait among ASEAN member has 

     because at lease misunderstandings will be avoided and hopefully peace and harmony 

     will reign among them whenever they held meetings. 

3. Punctuality is not that important.  For ASEAN countries, time is always flexible. But I 

     think if the meetings are important and at the same time they are all politicians, I guess 

     all of them will come in time. :) Also, the concept of time flexibility, I think, only applies 

     to the general public and not to the leaders.

4. Religion is the main factor that influences ASEAN's culture. Their values, social 

     structure and world views are all based on their beliefs. ASEAN countries also uses their 

     religion as their guide in their everyday lives.

5. All ASEAN countries, however you call it, have this kind of caste system where in the 

    following aspects should be present in order for one to be considered elite in the society:

                              (1) social status or rank in the society or government

                              (2) wealth

                              (3) educational attainment. 

                              (4) authority

     If a person or a family does not have the following, one is not considered part of the elite 

     class.

6. The ASEAN ideology in terms of the freedom of the press are partly free. As of 

     2014, the website freedomhouse.org shows that not all ASEAN countries have a free press      because of the type of government they have.

Out of the things I have listed above, the ideas that will help promote ASEAN identity and culture, may it be positive or negative, are the following:

1. The family values

2. The concept of protecting ones personal dignity (the concept of face)

3. The religion

I find these three the greatest or the main influence that has shaped each countries cultural orientation. As you can see, their world views are not that different. Although most of the member countries are under Islam and Buddhism, I guess the important factor here is that it is expected that peace, harmony and respect will be present among its leaders and members . I hope that misunderstandings will be avoided and unity will be implemented for their country's as well as for the ASEAN's sake since the group is not formed not just for the economic and political concerns but also to create an identity that is truly ASEAN.

As for the hindrances, below are the ideas that I think might create a problem within the group:

1) Political Views - each country has its own political system. There might be some things that is not allowed in their country that might create misunderstandings between them, especially if the country is under communist rule. After reading the economic status of each country, most of the communist ruled countries are poor and the reason for that is a little bit unclear. Some articles that I have read have speculations that corruption is present. Also, every political leader would like to gain control or create laws (maybe) that will be of their country's advantage, I hope that the leaders will have to try to compromise on this part. 

2) Values - everyone should know the do's and don'ts one practices. One small mistake may create a big misunderstanding. Being open minded should be practiced to avoid situations because of the high regard to the concept of personal dignity. One might feel criticized or embarrassed depending on his / her cultural orientation or personal perception so they should be very careful about this part.

3) Language - there should be only one language that will help each ASEAN country communicate with each other. Since English is considered as their 2nd language, one should know how to speak fluently or else it may create misinterpretations. since the ASEAN integration 2015 is just a few months away (although it will be completely implemented on December 31, 2015 as stated on the article published by Manila Bulletin) they should practice and make English as their 2nd language just like in the U.N. (Arabic, French, Chinese, English, Russian, Spanish) and E.U. (Dutch, French, German, and Italian).

4) Press Freedom - ASEAN integration is considered as another government entity and of course journalists will try to pry on the informations that will affect the public interest. I hope the ASEAN leaderswill create laws that will protect journalists or create a boundary line between the leaders and the press so that there will be a win-win relationship between them.

So, those are my views about ASEAN. I think the main thing that will help create peace and harmony with in the group is that they should only think what is best for everyone, not just for their country but the sake of all the ASEAN countries.  Also, they should be ready for any hurdles and challenges that they will face in the future, because as a saying goes, challenges makes one strong. 

Referrences

Post # 3: To adapt or not to adapt.... a nomad's story

The nomad's story:
"I wish I had wings"... those were my American classmate's wish when we were ask what wish will we ask to a genie if we met one. All of us laughed out loud except her. She even defended her answer by saying she missed her life back in America especially her friends. Back then I was wondering what she was talking about until I got a taste of that.

I still remember the day mama told me that we are going to live in Laguna for good. It was the most tearful and saddest day in my life and that was even announced the day of my HS graduation. No one not even my best friends have an idea that I shall be moving away from them and all of our plans of being together will not be put into reality. My family really originated from Manila though my parents are from Batangas. Their source of living in Manila but since mama had bought a house here in Laguna, our set up was rent a small apartment in Mendiola, Manila and go back to Laguna during weekends. Even though we were not allowed to go out of the house, me and my brothers are still happy. Back then I thought life will always be like that but since the cost of living in Manila went up, mama and papa had no choice but to transfer their work here. Mama even assured to me that life in Laguna is no different from Manila aside from the fresh air.

And so was what I thought...

The first time I had a taste of the Laguna culture was on my first year in college. My classmates looked mature than I do. They have make up, they talked like mature people and they seem to talk with intonation... Most of them have the expression 'eh' after their sentences which made me think Laguna is like Batangas. Also I am too shy to talk to them because I wanted to blend in and make them think I am from Laguna also (heheh!). But I guess my strategy did not work because when the teacher asked where we graduated, I have no choice but tell her and my classmates I came from Manila which surprised them. "Ah galing kang main campus" (by the way I studied in San Sebastian Manila and there is a branch here in Calamba) was their remarks which made me look puzzled and asked myself, "What's good in Manila?"

Back then I had a lot of culture shock experiences back then during my first month here: first was the terminologies. They have so many terminologies that were jargon to my ears like katukayo, lilom, awasan and pasusot were some of the things I have just heared from them... plus the funny intonation they have... The first word I heard was "awasan". One of my classmates asked me what time is my "awasan" and I had no idea back then that it means dismissal because in Manila I only know "uwian" or dismissal. When I first heard it I thought she was talking about water because "awas" also means "overflow". So I looked at her puzzled why was she talking about water and she also looked confused. Good thing one of our classmates became my interpreter and told me that she was asking about my dismissal time. Next was the word "katukayo". One of my classmates have the same nickname as I am and she always calls me "katukayo" which made me look upset. But then again my personal interpreter told me that it means "same name"... weird me... -.-"

Next was about the virginity issues. Some of my classmates back then had a very interesting hobby during break time and that is watching phornographic videos. Back then I have no idea what are "scandal videos"... Maybe because I grew up in a family that was too secluded and because my mother is a teacher we are expected to be... good (hehe), intelligent and knows how to discern the bad and the good. I had no idea how they look like until out of curiosity I peeped and disliked it, and of course asked them... "What's so good about it?" They said it was exciting, and that I do not understand. Another thing is that they love to drink beers, wines and go to bars at an early age of 16. Padis Point is like the most common place to hang out and I do not understand what was inside it until one of our classmates suggested we create our documentary of what is inside Padis, and that my top one most disliked place ever.

On the course of my stay in Laguna they learned that some Manileño (people from Manila) are not the same. The day they found out I came from Manila, they thought I was rich since they think people who live there have big incomes. But as I try to tell them that I came from a very modest family, they have a changed of heart about it. Also, since our school is non sectarian meaning they also accept non catholics. Our non catholics and catholics students get to understand each others' tradition and belifes by sharing what they know.

After graduation I thought culture won't shock me again until I was employed as an office staff at a multi national company. I thought that life as part of the working force will not be a big adjustment for me because I have assessed myself that I am good in adapting to "people who have different multi-cultural background" which was written in my resume, but again, I guess I am not.

My first company was run by Koreans. Back then Koreans are like Dei Jang Geum from the Koreanovela "Jewel in the Palace" and Jessy from the "Full House". I thought that all Koreans are cute (hehe) and they are not bad tempered people but no! I think they are cute physically (some of them really looked like the KPOP idols in S. Korea) but work wise, they are too serious! They even throw cellphones at their subordinates and smell like walking kimchees. They are even bad tempered especially when you gave them a very wrong answer. I had a taste of that but I think I am still the lucky ones back then who was not humiliated in front of many.

My second and last was run by Danish people. I thought people from Europe are nice, considerate and kind unlike my former bosses but again, I was wrong. Since Danish people are know to be one of the happiest people in the world, they do not get angry that easily but they are too sarcastic. Physically they look okay but inside, they're scary. If they demand of course we know that we have to deliver our best but sometimes they want the impossible be possible! Plus the fact that some Filipinos who were sent abroad to be trained change and act like them. Very weird indeed.

Signs everywhere!
I love signs especially the advertisements and editorial cartoons! This might sound a bit weird but when I was a child, I never sleep during trips because I looking at the colors and the symbols used in tarpaulins and in newspapers, I only looked at the editorial cartoons because of the caricature. For me they all look cute (hehe). Whenever my mom would ask me to go somewhere, she would give me some landmarks to remember for me to know that I am on the right patch. I thought all signs are the same but ever since I studied here in the university, my personal view towards signs were changed. I thought if you try to get a jeepney driver's attention by just raising you hand means something! The day when I was going to have my medical clearance was the most funniest experience ever. I have no idea how to go to the university hospital and so I asked the police help desk (located in front of the gate) how to get there and told me to ride a jeep going to forestry. I thank them and waited and until I felt like standing at the side of the road forever. Out of desperation, I ask jeepney driver who just stopped in front of Landmark Bank how to know if the jeep is going to forestry. The kind driver told me to point my finger up. I looked confused but still followed his advice. I raised my finger up and magically a jeepney stopped in front of me! I was so happy, I went inside, paid my fare and forgot to tell the driver to drop me at the hospital. SWEET! Since I did not tell the driver, I was wondering why I have I passed the "Museum of Natural History" and thought that maybe the hospital is still far, but I noticed the trees are getting denser and denser and decided to alight at a nearby building. I asked the security where the hospital is and told me it was near the GS building. -.-"

Post #2: Culture as Communication - How JPOP has changed me

Defining communication as culture is easier but saying that culture communicates, I think it is a little bit harder than I thought.

But come to think of it, experience tells you how culture communicates, may they be of different cultures or of the same culture but of different beliefs. I think the best example of how culture communicates is how Filipino’s get fond of watching Korean Dramas or in my case, Japanese dramas.

When I was still on my first year in college, my dream job was to be a Japanese translator. I asked one of my professors in school how to study Japanese even if I have limited study materials and can’t afford to study at a language school. She said that in order to learn one’s language, one should watch and listen to their dramas and songs, and so I did. I immersed myself on studying Nihonggo and maybe, just like KPOP fans, I got ‘hooked’ with the JPOP (Japanese Pop) and ever since then it already became part of my life. Some of the shows I watch are similar or contradicts our real life experiences.

Actually, the main reason why I love watching Japanese dramas or Jdorama, as some JPOP enthusiast calls it, is that the story line was so interesting. Some drama genres are not that quite popular here in the Philippines like detective dramas. Most of the Filipino media consumers love to watch love stories but I for one am not a fan of those stuff, especially if you are a Mass Communications graduate who has already mastered the skill of ‘guessing’ what would be the ending of the story. In short, I want a story that has so many twist and you will never know or cannot guess the what-would-be the ending of the story. I kind of understood why some of their love stories are very erotic, why their horror movies are really horrifying and why their detective movies are very gruesome, and it was because of their culture. Some Japanese people do not believe in ghost, some are still single and some love extremes. But I think, on my opinion, the best drama genre are the human interest stories, and the best storyline that ever catch my attention even though I am not a fan of love stories (hehe) is the drama ‘Smile’.

(c) http://3.bp.blogspot.com

Vito Hayakawa has a Filipino father, and a Japanese mother. Since he is not a full blooded Japanese citizen, he is referred to as a low class citizen. His father left him in Japan while his mother ran away with her boyfriend. Vito was employed by a good old man who owns a factory that produces rice cakes. His life was almost perfect when suddenly all was turned upside down when he was accused of being a drug dealer at his part time. He was found not guilty with the help of a Korean-Japanese lawyer but was again accused of killing someone just because he wanted to protect his girlfriend. He was nearly sentenced to death when his lawyer saw a good evidence to prove that he is not guilty.

The story was very interesting and at the same time it puzzles me why he was regarded as a ‘low class’ citizen wherein fact he was born in Japan. All along I know that being a lady makes one a second class citizen but the low class... very weird... According to my Japanese students, Filipinas are known in Japan as entertainers and most of them works as hostesses. Japanese think that being a hostess is the most ‘dirtiest’ job ever, and they (Japanese) view Filipinos that they are all dirty. I did ask some of them about how they were treated in Japan, and they all have the same response:  “Our classmates do not like us and they think we are stupid…” That reality just saddens me.

Also, Anime or Japanese Cartoons are also popular among children and young adults alike and who have never watch the Detective Conan anime series:

 (c) http://www.anime-planet.com/

Conan Kitagawa or Shinichi Kudo is a little detective wherein he was forced to drink a drug which makes an adult shrink into a small child. The cartoon depicts the young detective, with the help of an adult detective and his friends solve mysteries and the use of some highly technological gadgets that help him even solve the hard cases.

The cartoon has made everyone fascinated on how skilled and critical thinker Conan is, which makes its viewers think critically by trying to solve cases while the show is going or some recreational activities derived from detective shows. Some of my friends who watch this show sometimes compare PNP on how they solve crimes. They think that, if some countries can solve a crime within a day, why can't the Philippines do that? 

Aside from watching Jdoramas, I also love to listen to JPOP. I find it inspiring because according to my own point of view I guess most of the Filipino popular music now a days are inclined to love songs (it’s not that I don’t like love songs… but I just find it too cheesy…) and what I like about JPOP songs are that all of their songs are not about relationships. Some are very inspiring about how to reach your dreams and such. Some of the songs that I have listen to lightens up my mood. Also, most of the bands that I listen to are very close to each other that makes me want to value the people around me even more, just like my favorite Japanese band ‘Arashi’.

(c) http://nipponheavenjp.files.wordpress.com

This band was formed by Johnny’s Entertainment just to cheer their national team that is competing for a volleyball match overseas. Just like every other band, it is very hard to keep up their popularity status especially if KPOP is on the verged of making its way to the Japanese Music Industry, but still they kept producing songs that will still attract their fans all over the world. Recently, the band has held their 15^th anniversary in Hawaii and has boost the local economy in the state. (aramatheydidnt.com)

Another thing that fascinates me about this boy band is how they  produce their concerts. They have so many colorful lights and even a rotating stage! I thought that if such big productions will be made here in the Philippines it will be totally awesome!

Some people find me unique because of my interest while some find me weird, even my parents who have a little experience of how hard the Japanese occupation saga was, but still what entice me to like JPOP was their culture J How Japanese people treat each other with respect even though the antagonist and the protagonist in some dramas are very much irritated with each other. Also, how conservative they are in terms of being in a relationships, may they be in high school or part of the working force. But sometimes I find their culture a bit creepy because some of the detective dramas that I have watched are more into domestic violence (DV). Some of the people who can “understand” my interest are of course, are of the same boat as I do. 

Post #1: Communication as Culture

"The key to cross-cultural success is to develop an understanding of, and a deep respect for, cultural differences...." These were the words that have caught my eyes in the slide sent by my professor. Ever since I started working I never thought that I would meet so many people who have their own beliefs, ideas, language or in short, CULTURE.... I never thought that being hooked up in JPOP ever since in high school would gave me a glimpse of what cultural differences would be in terms of building partnerships with your suppliers, co-workers, bosses and... students... I also never imagined that age gap really existed! I always thought that the inter cultural world is only about foreign nationals (maybe because of the word "international" is synonymous with "foreigners" according to my own definition of words... -.-" ), but it also is about the culture of other Filipinos coming from different walks of life, personal experiences, municipalities, provinces and regions. Well, thanks to these experiences, I got a closer look on how misunderstandings start just because of... language and the intonation of voice.

I have two foreign students named Sasaki Aika (Japanese) and Zhuang Ming Cheng (Chinese).

Let's start with Zhunag Ming Cheng first. Here in the Philippines, he introduced himself  to school as "Dennis" because his cousin, who have already lived here in the country for almost a year, have observed that Filipinos are not good in pronouncing Chinese names. He told me on one of my class that his cousin had a bad experience in being called incorrectly that is why he was randomly named as Dennis. Dennis was a very cheerful and smart boy. When I first met him, he never smiled. He never laughs and never shares stories to anybody. Since I am his Values formation teacher and my goal (as given by our school principal) was to create a bond between these students for them to be close with each other. My first hurdle was so obvious, how can I to talk to Dennis without accidentally insulting him? Since I have a little background on how to speak his language which is Mandarin, I took a risk in greeting him on the hallway on our first meeting. "Nin hao ma?", I said smiling at him. Surprised, he looked at me and answered "Wo hao", but then he continued to talk with me in Mandarin that I apologetically said that I only know a few Chinese words. He laughed and said he thought I was Chinese. Ever since that day on, I get to know more about Dennis and learned a few Chinese words. I get to ask him about some Chinese traditions they practice and I noticed that the Filipino culture and Chinese culture have some similarities like the use of Am Pao, wearing red clothes on special occasions, eating siopao and siomai, and such but, what I have noticed was, since he came from the province of Fukien, most of the Chinese words we know as of today came from that place which lighten up my interest. Because of those similarities, we became friends. As of now, he knows how to say some jokes and make silly wordings out of Filipino words. Yesterday, he entered the library and approached me, asking me to translate something into English. He showed me a piece of paper and saw the words "Ewan" on it. "What is this teacher?", he said. I told him that the  word means I do not know in English. He even asked me to give some examples, and so I did. "Example you asked me about something but I was not paying attention and you kept asking me again and again but I became angry. That is when I will say "Ewan". He was amazed and repeated the word Ewan but mispronouncing the word as Iwan. I corrected him and said the right pronunciation until he got it correctly. Since we are already friends, he was so pesky in learning more Filipino words. I jokingly told him that I will kill him if he continues but he laughed and said "You can't kill me or else you will be put to jail." We laughed and then I asked him, "Dennis, what is the Chinese of I will kill you?" He said it was Wo Shā Ni. Then I repeated the word but out of no where he laughed aloud. I looked at him puzzled but he continued to laugh. He looked at me and said, "Teacher did you say "I miss you?" I asked what went wrong and he said that I have mispronounced the word Shā as Shāng. According to him this means 'miss'. I have no choice but to laugh and told him why he did not told me I was wrong, but all he answered me was "Ewan"... 

There was also a time were I asked him about his relatives and family in China. I ask if he has an uncle and he said he has. He told me that his mother has a little brother. Without thinking I ask him again "do you have a brother or sister?" He confusingly looked at me and said "I do not have one because in China we have this One child policy." I surprisingly looked at him but a short flash back came to the back of mind, recalling my history class in HS about China. Then I looked at him, a little bit embarrassed and told him that I do know, that I forgot he was a a pure blooded Chinese.

I guess, I am lucky to have met such a very bright student like him. I learned thru experince that researching in advance about ones culture should be done first before making your way in communication to other people, especially to foreigner. If it were not Dennis, we would have created a short misunderstanding that might sound insulting to him. I guess he already prepared himself to be open minded to accept someone's culture or else, I do not know what will happen next. (n.n)

Now to Sasaki Aika: Aika is a very timid girl. Unlike Dennis who loves to learn more things, Aika is the TOTAL opposite: she hates school.

Below is the picture of my student and her beloved tutor:

picture 1: Sasaki Aika and her tutor Junesse Carteciano

She is a half Japanese, half Filipino, who was sent by her Pinay mother to study here in the Philippines because her mother knows that Filipino teachers are very patient in teaching students. Aika-chan came from a typical family in Japan. She has a Japanese father, who works as a kabuki actor (theater actort), a Filipina mother, a mechanical engineer in a famous electronics giant, and a 12 year old brother, a soccer player. She is a good singer and loves music. She’s a good drummer. She could create a simple yet bubbly drum beats within a minute by arranging the arm chairs, hitting those using her drum stick and whistle. She has one of the nicest smiles in school and her beloved tutor was the reason why she has this smile. Before, when I saw Aika-chan last summer, she doesn’t smile. Her face was always hard and she never was cheerful girl in class. If you try to talk to her, she just answers you with a nod, and if you’re lucky, she will answer you with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. As the school year approaches, all her teachers had a hard time communicating with her since she only know basic English and Filipino. She doesn’t want to speak for fear she might say the words incorrectly. Her past behavior gave a short distance to her classmates and made her feel more lonelier than ever. Her grades were low and she always have her cellphone as her beloved companion for the first 2 weeks in school. I still remember my first conversation before: while I was waiting for my next class, I decided to drop by at the library to borrow some books when I saw her and her Chinese classmate. I approached them and smiled. Since I have a little knowledge in speaking Mandarin and Nihonggo, I greeted them “Ni Hao Ma” and “Konnichiwa” respectively. Both were surprised (but the one who was most surprised was me though… XD) Then they asked me how I know how to speak their language, I told them that I my mother told me to study another language aside from English. Then I looked at AIka-chan and and said, “Boku wa JPOP wa daisuki, anata?” (I love JPOP, and you?) I do know that I gathered up all my courage to talk to her even though I am not good but what I told her was made her chinky eyes widen. “You speak Japanese?” she asked. I nodded and said “Sukoshi”meaning little.

She smiled. Whenever recall back my broken Japanese accent, I could feel that I gave her a little hope that someone can understand her a little. From that day, whenever I go to her class and teach values formation, I always tell her to ask me questions if she cannot understand, but since she is afraid to speak up, I notice that she has low scores in my quizzes until I asked her what was wrong.

"Aika, what’s wrong? Diba I told you to tell me if you can’t understand?

She looked at me worriedly and said “Teacher, I do not want the class to stop just because of me…”

A week after our last conversation, our guidance councilor, Ms. Junesse Carteciano, a good friend of mine, went up to me and told me that she will be Aika’s tutor. She asked me to help her study Japanese. I told her to download some free materials in the internet or visit the NHK website because they have a good study material. 

Ms. Junesse is already in this field for 3 years already and has experience in teaching college students. She said it was her first time to handle such student and she has no idea how to teach her. As reference on how to handle Aika, she has a half Korean cousin and inquired on how were they taught in school. Using the free study materials, a little knowledge about how Koreans are being taught in a Filipino school and her wide experience in handling kids (since she’s a Psychologist after all :) ) , she began to teach Aika.

At first, they spend almost 3 straight hours after school to tackle all her student’s assignments. Since her cousin said that they learn easily through pictures, Ms. Junesse put all her might in drawing the sperm cells to the map of the Philippines just to make Aika understand all her lessons. As the days passed by, she noticed some positive results from her student, and tried a different intervention to help her understand Aika’s attitude. 

Her next intervention was to talk to her without discussing academics. They talk about Japanese and Filipino customs, their friends, etc. I was lucky enough to be invited on those 30 mins walks from the school going to Walter Mart Sta. Rosa and I call this kind of intervention as a “life changing field trip” ( I got the term from the Avatar animation series XD ) Her new teaching technique not only helped Aika express herself both in English and Filipino but also, boost her self confidence. 

As of today, I can say that Aika, who before was a timid girl, became one of the most flexible and cheerful students in her class. She already build good friendships with her classmates and her classmates to her. She even taught she classmates how to speak in Nihonggo and her classmates taught her how to speak Filipino. In short, because of that sharing of ideas, the cyclical communication method, paved way to face her fears and help develop her critical thinking.

Same thing, but, I believe that one has to adjust so that one could understand how to grasps one's culture. In this case, Ms. Junesse did everything just to understand Aika.

I think, because of this experiences I can define culture as: Culture can be bridged by love, understanding and a LOAD of patience from two different people who belong to 2 different beliefs, ideas, language, gesture, etc.