A Series Of Unfortunate Events: The Silver Lining Behind My Typhoon-Savaged LET Review In Hongkong
It was a rainy Sunday morning. I could hear the subtle sound of wind outside my hotel room when I woke up. The tiny raindrops that were sluggishly flowing from the glass panel of the window visible only from the small opening of the curtains were first to greet me with the idea that it is already morning and the big day that I have been waiting for has arrived. I know that the streets of Causeway Bay, the shopping center of Hong Kong would be very busy with bustling locals and tourists since its sunday, but I am not worrying that I would be stuck in rush-hour traffic since there is no heavy traffic in Hong Kong.
I was scheduled to lecture about the subjects Teaching Profession and Social Studies in the Kababayan Center in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong and I am already imagining that a lot of our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW’s) wishing to be Licensed Professional Teachers (LPT’s) will be waiting there for me.
I feel so honored that sir Janus, Dr. Carl Balita Review Center’s (CBRC) review Dean recommended me to sir Carl (the Daddy eagle himself) to send me to Hong Kong. Among hundreds of CBRC faculty, I was chosen to be one of the lecturers in one of the reviews organized by CBRC’s partner Filipino teachers’ organization in HK, the National Organization of Professional Teachers (NOPT).
I know that each of the two, CBRC and NOPT had paid a hefty prize for my ticket, hotel and allowance so I should pay it back with the best lecture I could deliver.
THE FIRST LEG OF THE BIZARRE SERIES OF EVENTS
I slowly got off my bed and stretched for a few seconds before I opened my phone only to find out in a text message sent to me by ma’am Gem Lauraya, NOPT Hong Kong’s President that the review was cancelled because HK is in T8-Gale or storm force winds warning. T8 in Hong Kong means mandatory closing of establishments.
I replied in disappointment asking her if in any way, we could do something to push through with the review. “Nakakahiya”, I texted. Our kabayans are waiting for us.” But she replied in a more disappointing message that the kababayan center would never open in T8 because it would be too risky. “We will wait until the Hong Kong Observatory releases another statement. In T3, we could have the review, but the next announcement would be at 2:00 in the afternoon.”
“We’ll review from 2:00–6:00 p.m then”, I replied which she agreed on.
THE 2:00 PM MESSAGE
True to what ma’am Gem told me, the observatory released a statement at 2:00 pm. The entire Hong Kong is in T3. The establishments would be allowed to open and operate now.
Sooner than expected, I received a text message from ma’am Gem informing me that HK is now in T3 and they will be waiting for me outside my hotel shortly. They know that I have a baggage with me. I have two boxes of pre-board materials from CBRC main and they were a little heavy to carry so we have to take cab.
I jumped out of bed eagerly. I hurriedly took a short shower and put on the best Polo and coat I have. Sir Janus informed me before departure that I should be well-dressed in the review in Hong Kong.
At 2:15, I was already in the hotel entrance waiting for them. But it took me a while to remember that the group will be waiting at the main Hotel and I was billeted at the annex. I forgot to inform them that!
So to save time and not to bother them to look for this annex anymore, I decided to walk towards the main hotel which is about 300 meters away from the annex with two heavy boxes in both hands.
While walking, I could see a few people looking at me with odd expressions. I am wearing a coat and a good pair of leather shoes but the two carton boxes in my hands which obviously look heavy seems to not match my OOTD. I just ignored them and I laughed with a thought in mind, Causeway Bay really is a walk of fashion and I am ruining it!
THE SHOUTING SPREE AT THE KABABAYAN CENTER
I was almost there at the main hotel, about a few blocks from 7/11 when my attention was caught by three obviously Filipino ladies waiving at me. “Kami susundo sayo sir!” they were shouting joyously. I was relieved. My hands were swelling already. The boxes were truly heavy!
We took a cab towards the Kababayan Center in Kennedy town and while on the way, I was thinking on how I will be able to congest my topic in the few remaining hours we have.
We arrived at the kababayan center at 2:45 and about 40 or 50 reviewees are already there outside waiting for the gate to open. We were expecting 180 but I guess many will never attend anymore.
It is still raining and I don’t have an umbrella with me but it seems not to be a problem because the still closed Kababayan Center would be our problem eventually.
So we were there, more or less 50 Filipinos, eagerly waiting outside the Kababayan center. I, their lecturer, thinking about the best strategy I could do to cover all the areas of Social Studies and Teaching Profession, while them, the reviewees were already wondering why the kababayan center is not yet opening.
It was after 5 minutes had passed when I started to ask why the gate is still closed. “Maybe the caretaker was asleep sir.” One of the reviewees answered me. “Then let’s wake up the caretaker.” I said. “Can we call him? Of text him perhaps?” I am already bothered. “We need to hurry”, “We barely have a few hours left. It’s almost 3:00 p.m.”
The next 5 minutes was unbearable. Some of the reviewees tried to call and text the caretaker while others were already shouting at the gate to get the attention of the maybe sleeping caretaker. It’s still raining and my shoes were already wet.
“Is it really necessary to shout? “ I asked. “Di kaya tayo makasuhan dito?”
“Hindi yan sir. Ok lang yun.” Some of them answered.
So altogether, half-wet and almost exhausted, we were taking turns in shouting and calling the caretakers’ name, occasionally stopping only whenever a local is passing by.
THE WET-LOOK WALK
It was already 3:00 pm when Maam Gem told us that the Kababayan Center management just informed her that they will not open and we really have to cancel the review.
Murmurs of disappointment were soon heard from the group of reviewees who were already there waiting for about an hour, almost wet from the heavy rain.
Ma’am Gem then told me that I could go back to the hotel now. I was about to say goodbye to the group when suddenly one suggested that we could look for another venue for the review. She said she knows a place.
Amazed with the suggestion, I replied happily that we could go and I will push trough with a lecture.
We walked for about 5 minutes, with all our shoes soaked in the raindrops and in the wet pavements of the walking area in Kennedy town until we were able to reach the venue they are telling me.
To my surprise, it isn’t the venue I have been eyeing in mind. We are in the middle of an almost deserted park with a few Cambodians, Malaysians or Indonesians I guess seated in some covered benches, which maybe were in their day-off also since it’s sunday.
THE LECTURE AT THE PARK
“This was never the place I was imagining.”, I said. “How can you learn from a place like this?”, “This is not a conducive place for learning.” I tactfully told them. I was in shock. “Sir Carl would never approve that I conduct a lecture in this kind of place.”, I added.
I really want to teach them, but I guess the place isn’t truly right for a review. We are teachers and I know that this place is not right for a class.
Maybe with the facial expression I am showing them, and with my sudden Indecision to have the lecture conducted there, the group started to plea.
They were asking me to lecture there even for a few hours because if ever, mine would be the second to be cancelled due to bad weather.
“Last week sir, hindi na po kami nakapag lecture kasi T8. Ngayon sir na T3 na, sige na po please.” (In T3, people are allowed to go out in Hong Kong, but just with an alert warning) They were pleading endlessly. Everybody started to convince me that I hold the review there, in the park, in the open field, under a small area covered by a small roof, where all of them are congested, with umbrellas open to protect them from the sudden surge of raindrops being flown away by the winds of Typhoon Pakhar.
THE UNCOMMON REVIEW
Time check: 3:30
The wind is still howling above us. The rain continues to fall endlessly as if it was wanted, but truth is, it isn’t at the moment. We really want the rain to stop so the students can take off their umbrellas but it won’t, however, there really is nothing to stop us now. Even if in shock over the sudden turn of events, I have to continue with the lecture outside I guess. They paid my trip coming here, I have to pay them back.
I started to lecture the unconventional way; no powerpoint presentation, no repeated voicing out of mnemonics for mastery, no interaction, just pure dictation and a sudden controlled burst of laughter from time to time- yes, there are funny moments during the lecture still, but we really cannot create any noise at all. The park is just next to residential buildings in Kennedy town and we are avoiding attention. The only signal I get for me to confirm that they understand what I am teaching were their occasional nodding, in agreement on the information I am feeding them.
I was standing on one of the benches in the park beside a table where my materials were spread, soaking wet from rain and sweat while my students were writing and taking notes eagerly as if they never get tired in the long walk we had and the long moments they were standing there.
THE SURPRISE VISIT
For hours, I was at the bench, lecturing the most salient points in Social Studies and the Teaching Profession while my students were standing around me, unmindful of whatever nature is doing to ever hinder their learning when suddenly an event that almost took my breath away happened.
A man in white uniform suddenly approached us, asked us if what are we doing and what the commotion is all about. Unfortunately, it is the guard in the park and our meeting might have caught his attention. Good thing, the guard quite understands. After a few explanations from ma’am Gem and her team, he was convinced. He assured us that we can continue with what we are doing as long as we do not cause any trouble and too much noise for the residents.
THE REALIZATIONS
In the last remaining hours of our very uncommon review, I discussed everything that I could cover. I tried to teach all of the most important parts which I guess will be truly of help for our reviewees when they take the board exam.
We were able to finish near twilight, when the rain had almost stopped. The sky is painted in crimson and grey as few linings were able to penetrate the thick clouds over Kennedy Town.
We were exhausted. Yes, exhausted from the chain of unexpected events which occurred in that rainy afternoon, but I could feel the students’ satisfaction. That even in few moments, they learned something which they could use in hurdling the September 2017 Licensure Exam for teachers (LET).
We left the park which became our classroom for a few hours with almost endless goodbyes and thanks. They maybe learned facts from me, but it is I who learned so much from them.
In a few hours, I was able to realize the real score behind the word determination. That no matter what happens, if we truly are holding to our dreams, we can find ways to achieve it.
My students are Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), working in the noblest way that they can, in the foreign soils of Hong Kong, one of China’s special administrative Region, while I, a striving LET lecturer from the Philippines, young from experiences, would forever treasure the opportunity that I was given. I would call that moment perhaps, one of the best educational experiences I had as a young educator.
I left Hong Kong the following morning, fresh with learning, fresh with new ideas I could share to my students back home.
It is no coincidence maybe that I was chosen by sir Janus to be sent to Hong Kong and be NOPT’s and CBRC’s lecturer there. Though I rarely believe in destiny, maybe I could have this one as an exception.
The LET is yet to come, and my students in Hong Kong is yet to prove that they deserve the most coveted title of a Licensed Professional Teacher (LPT), but I will pray that they succeed in taking it. I have seen firsthand the grit they have towards making it into the profession.
They came to Hong Kong leaving their families in the Philippines with hopes that their salary would help them meet their ends but their dreams do not just end where their needs were satisfied.
I am praying that they would happily return to the Philippines as professionals and with their licenses stored in the display pocket of their wallets. They are CBRC’s eagles in the first place anyway. There is no stopping with the dreams of an eagle to soar higher.
And true indeed to CBRC’s promise of providing the best learning experience and advantage, I am happy that again, I became a tool in bridging ways to make the dream and the dreamer become one.
