Be Careful Of What You Say (Part 2)

I had not intended on a second volume to my last post, but there were a few more encounters that are just begging for discussion.  Now let me just clear something up from the beginning: not all communication here is a problem.  For instance, I had the opportunity to introduce the students here at Icthus Christian Academy to a new game.  Well, it's a new game to them -- actually it's been around for centuries.  The game is Nine Men Morris which hails from Medieval history and likely as far back as the Vikings.  I had made up a simple board using some poster board-like material and used some plastic bottle caps as the playing pieces.  I taught it to the faculty a few days earlier but had never gotten around to teaching any of the students.  I had a little time in between lunch and my next appointment and so I brought the game out to where some students were sitting and relaxing. I told them that I would teach them a new game and they all gathered around to see what I had to offer.  Now this is a simple game without too many rules, and most people can figure it out before ever finishing their first try.  These kids learned quick.  I don't think I was into the third or fourth move when they all started giving advice to my opponent.  I was pleased.  I think they were too -- even the security guard came over and started offering advice.  All in all, it was a good spontaneous activity and I think the students will probably continue to play the game long after I leave.

Nine Men Morris

One of the teachers is getting ready to start on her masters thesis.  She asked if I would look over some of her ideas and give my thoughts about what she is planning.  Now it's been a long time since I was in graduate school, so before I sat down with her I looked online to see if I could find any guidelines for graduate writing in the Philippines.  It didn't look much different than what I had done -- perhaps a little less controlling than American graduate school writing regarding format and such, but the requirements for the content seemed roughly the same.  Anyway, I had a very good discussion with her and I think that we understood each other.  I offered to proof read her writing when she gets to that point and she seemed eager to have me do that.  I look forward to reading her project.

So you see, not all communication there has problems.  Oh . . . I went to the barber shop today.  Before I came to the Philippines I had my hair cut fairly short, as I was anticipating hot and humid weather, exactly like what we have been having.  I don't know how the Filipino women do it, as many of them have very long hair -- it must be incredibly hot in the middle of the day.  Anyway -- the haircut was only going to be P40 ($1.00) so I hopped into the chair and described what I wanted done.  A couple of other barbers were listening in and nodded their heads in understanding.  My barber grabbed the appropriate gauge of guides for on his clippers and went to work . . .

The snarky Tony Bourdain getting his hair cut in Cambodia.

So, there's this No Reservations episode on the Travel Channel, where the host, Anthony Bourdain, is in Cambodia.  Somewhere along the line he decides to get a haircut at one of those street-side barber shops.  Well, it didn't take but a few seconds for Tony to realize that the barber had not truly understood  the instructions he had been given.  Too late.  The host was obviously unhappy -- the only thing left to do was to try to make it look neat.  Now we're talking about a television personality, whose looks, whose image, is considered critical to their show's ratings.  They even have it in their contract that they will maintain a certain hair style and so on.

 . . . and within seconds, I knew he had not truly understood the instructions he had been given.  Too late.  And much like my television counterpart, all that was left to do was to try to make it look neat.  Now I do not have a contract about my appearance, but I know when I go into school tomorrow I will have some explaining to do.  There will be laughs and giggles from the teachers.  Nemesio will probably be angry and want to go get my money back (I won't let him).  The students will probably neither notice nor care.  The lesson learned is that even though you think you have reached an understanding, it doesn't mean that you did.

All I can say is, "two out of three ain't bad."