Class in the Islands

When I arrived in Hawaii, my aunt still had work to do so she did what any multi-tasking teacher does - she brought me to class.

It was their last day before the intercession break. The last time I was in the islands (back when I was ten) she brought me to class then too. All her students then were so much older than me. Now I’m so much older than they are (yet this didn’t stop some of her seniors from asking me what my exact age was - and then cringing, LOL.)

My aunt teaches ESL (English as a Secondary Language). Since Hawaii was a choice spot for Filipino immigrants, she had a lot of Philippine-born students. It was cute how one of them called me ‘ate’ (term of respect for an older sister). I used to disdain those terms of respect but now I kind of like them.

Being among those Filipino students made me realize once again how different I look from a typical Filipino. And even though they were in the States, they still had that colonial mentality where they envied white skin over brown. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with looking tan, do you? I’d like to get a little darker myself. I can be so blindingly white when I’m splashing about the ocean.

Overall, my aunt had nice kids. The nicest batch she’s ever had, in fact. They loved her as well, despite the fact that she’s one of their terror teachers. I know teachers complain about getting no respect, but to me, that’s real respect. Students are a tough crowd to please. Getting their affections must be a real feat.