Ian and I have been living in the Philippines for some time now. Early on in out time here we met a Korean girl who introduced us to a variety of families. I began teaching the girl and her siblings who became dubbed the "bad Koreans" after a slew of award and disorganized situations. They also introduced me to another family who I begun to teach regularly and consistently had very positive interactions with. The "bad Koreans" mother introduced Ian to a third family who he has been teaching daily for the past 4 months and has created a very strong relationship with.
Around November the bad Koreans asked if Ian and I would teach intensively for two months to a group of Korean students who would come to the Philippines for an intensive english study program over the Korean winter break. We both agreed. The experience has been a jumble of good and bad events ultimately leading to the week I have explained below.
The initial agreement was that Ian and I would each teach 6 hours a day at a rate of
1 child p200/hr
2 child p300/hr
3 child p450/hr
4 child p550/hr
a whole slew of thing happened leading to one day towards the end of December when I got a message at 830am asking if I would come teach at 10am, I responded that it was too short notice and asked if Ian would be teaching at there house. The reply was asking if we could teach daily for 6hrs at p200(4USD) an hour no matter how many kids. At this point it became a question of money, power and personal time value. We decided that it would fulfill out needs if our rate was p50(1USD) higher and we received money for our transportation
After a intense and lengthy conversation an agreement was reached and we agreed to begin our classes the upcoming Monday teaching in the sub division of New Capitol Estates. The exact location was undecided and the conversation concluded with they idea that further details in regards to location would be communicated with us before we taught on Monday.
Sunday night arrived and no communication had occurred. We concluded that some change must have happened on their end. Both of us had received requests on Sunday to teach our other students on Monday morning. Near 9pm we both contacted our other students and arrange classes for Monday morning.
At 830 on Monday morning, as Ian was heading out to teach his good Koreans the phone beeped in a message telling us that we should be in front of the main gate of New Capitol Estates at 915. After another lengthy conversation we realized that they had understood that we would just come to that area and wait for information on Monday morning, no need to tell us any details prior to our arrival. We explained that was not our understanding and I agreed to go teach in the afternoon.
After 15 min of standing on the side of commonwealth avenue (one of the busiest roads in the most densly populated city in the world) their driver arrived. He did not bring me into New Capitol Estates but instead drove me 10 mins further away deep into a gated community I had never been before. Arriving there I walked into a house of complete chaos and was introduced to two teenage girls who I would be teaching for the afternoon. I begun my lessons with them and shortly after was interrupted by the mother who wanted to discuss my schedule with me. Partway through our schedule discussion she got up and said we would talk about it more latter.
After 3 hours of teaching I had learned that the girls were paying around 1,000 USD a week to be in the Philippines. I also learned that they had been told they would have a large living space and a beautiful house with fine food and were living 5 children per room, sharing beds with each other in an average house. They were upset that their schedule changed daily and they never knew what was going on.
The other tutors finished around the same time I did and asked me if I wanted to walk with them out of the complex. I declined, expecting the mother to arrive shortly to collect the children and to finalize arrangements with me. After 10 min of waiting I sent a message asking about there arrival and received no response. 10 min latter I could not continue to wait and said good bye to the 9 children who were alone standing in the yard of the empty house we had held class in. I than began to walk through the neighborhood maze, in the heat of a manila afternoon, in search of transportation to take me to my next obligation.
On Tuesday morning Ian and I received a message telling us that we should once again meet at New Capitol Estates (the sub division we were originally told class would be held in). We arrived on time and proceeded to wait 20 min before 2 taxis pulled up and we were told to get in, both taxis had 5 people in them and two other tutors were waiting with us, making it logistically impossible for us to all fit in the cabs. Luckily another taxi was waiting and we got in it. Out driver had no problem following the lead cabs to the gated community, however once inside we lost the cab that knew the way. None of us knew where to go and spent 10 min driving around looking for the other people, we finally got a phone call with the address and arrived at the house. I had to go into the house looking for the mother so she could pay the taxi driver. She sent the 15 year old girl to take care of it. The mothers first question to me was "why did you not get in the first two taxis?" followed by "why did you not follow the first taxi to the house?". Neither of those questions were how I felt the day should start. Perhaps a sorry we were late, or is it ok if we have class in this area now, or even how are you, would have been more appropriate. All of the tutors stood outside while the mother continued her dealings with the Korean housing mob boss, until the 15 year old girl was sent to inform us it was time to start class.
Ian and I went into the living room to talk with the mother about my transportation at the end of class, as well as to give her the current bill for our services so that she would be able to go to the bank and pay us at the end of the day. That did not go well. First she told me that when I was done I should wait at the house till she came to get me. Second she scolded us for trying to talk to her since classes were starting so late today, remember here that they were 20min late meeting us. She than said that she would not pay us today, only at the end of the week. We had arranged during our long dealings that we would be paid daily and she did not remember this. We re-stated that we needed to be paid daily and she said it was not possible and than asked how she would do it. We said that every day when we came to teach she would give us money and that is how paying us daily would work. She made a disgusted face and said we will talk about this around lunch time. I told her I did not have time to talk about it at lunch time since I have other obligations. The mother made another disgusted face and said she would only pay us on Fridays and not today.
At this point Ian told her that he would never teach for her again and I would only teach her children once she had found a way to get the money she owed me to me at my convenience and we walked out of the house.
As we walked up the road I messaged the girl who I originally met to tell her that the falling out I had just had with her mother was no reflection on her. Ian and I than each went to visit the mothers of the other families we teach who we met through this original family to explain our situation and ensure we could continue to teach with them. Our other families were very understanding and ensured us that they wished to keep our services.
