Lives of Support

"Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs. "
--Scott Adams

The Coastal Passage

Sunday, April 20, 2008 8:26 AM

From: mail@thecoastalpassage.com

To:"Bill and Diane Pool SY Pilar"

Greetings

TCP has been paying for contribution of late and has given authors the option of

a charitable donation in their name as a substitute.

I thought perhaps your 1 candle school could be a suggested option.

We are talking just a few hundred $$ at a time but perhaps useful to you.

Please consider and let us know how best to proceed.

BTW.. your school and the Lucas's are featured the #30 edition.

Cheers

Bob Norson

(April 20, 2008 10:35 AM, From:"TCP" )

Diane..
well thank you for the warmth that radiated from my 'puter just now..

Happy to help. And TCP is just the facilitator...

it's the contributors that make this work.

Australian sailors are such a good mob...

as sailors are everywhere. It's rarely a matter of if they can help

but mere direction to where the help

is most needed and...appreciated.

Bob Norson, along with his wife, Kay, is the founder and editor of Australia's foremost boating-friendly magazine, The Coastal Passage. He is pictured above, between Bill & Sandy Brosnan of M/Y Foreign Affair, who are contributors to his magazine--and now also to One Candle Schoolhouse. Several posts ago I said I would be featuring Bob and his magazine community of contributors, citing them as examples of Tracy Kidder's observation, "Lives of Service need Lives of Support."

Bob is a fearless champion of the need for Greater Good Sense in the face of Mindless Bureaucracy. His Don Quixote editorials are humorously harrowing assaults that can make your hair stand up on end, your legs jump up to run, and your mouth open up to shout, "HALLELUJAH, BROTHER, WHERE DO I SIGN UP?!" Reading his words, one can see he is that rare breed, a forthright good man who, believing that "...words ought to be a little wild for they are the assault of thoughts on the unthinking," * inspires others to share his vision of a less-uptight, truly community-based world.

"...most of us are doing this for the fun and satisfaction...if (people) have something from the heart (they) want to share, we’ll do the grunt work to get it published...TCP will never become too shiny but for those that do want to do the work, it is only fair to reward them if the paper is making a buck."

But there are some who prefer to simply write for the joy of contributing to the magazine's community, and thus, ask Bob to donate their earnings elsewhere. As a result, there have been FOUR (!) to the One Candle Schoolhouse, which have greatly assisted Allan Lajot's first year of college at Foundation University, in Dumaguete.

A selection of Allan's writings were were sent with each Thank You email to those donors, along with a request for pictures of them so I could insert the photos in this posting. However, it's a busy world and sometimes connections are hard to make, so today I say again to Allen and Barbara Southwood, THANK YOU SO MUCH! for your generosity to us, donating the proceeds from your lovely reminiscence of rescuing an old boat (issue #31, pg. 24) that was so evocative.

Bill and Sandy Brosnan are regular contributors to TCP, writing warm, informative cruising tales of the Good Life aboard their motor vessel, Foreign Affair. Twice now, Bob has sent us their donation--and though no photo of either them or even Bob has yet to come through the mail, I managed to download the one at the top from TCP's website.

(I warned you, Bob, that you'd be sorry if I had to resort to my own devices--the quality is truly rotten but probably better than the devilish caricature I was tempted to draw myself!)

Wendy and Ed's contribution (s/y Absolutely) to the neighborliness of Coastal Passage's back pages are the lively photos and interviews with boaters from just about everywhere. I greatly admire the professional quality of their work, but was Wendy's personal observation about donating that particularly touched me:

Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 10:59 AM
"Like most boaties, money seems to always be an issue, but Eddie and I like to keep things in perspective...I have never 'donated' to so called good causes, because I believe that a large % of money doesn't go to where the donater thinks it does - how refreshing to know that what little we can send goes straight to the spot... So pleased to know that our small gesture will make such a difference to Allan; have read all the attachments (and) all I can say is WOW! thank goodness he is getting a chance to make the most of his style & intellect."

Good Evening, ma'am
Saturday, May 10, 2008 8:39 PM
From: Allan Lajot
Hello!

Nice to hear about the OCS. So, what are
your new projects at school?
I miss all the fun there as I face
the new life of a college student here.
Nice news about my family!!! I know they will work hard for me.
The work here is just fine. I can do the work. I keep filling up the expenses list so I can show you anytime I am free. Maybe this Wednesday I cannot entertain you because it is our PRELIM Test. 596p is the payment.
Maybe I will go home tomorrow so that I can talk to my parents
and so that I can get more clothes and more stuffs.

Our work here is a work mostly for men, so I am not a boy right now, I’m learning to become a man. I have headache sometimes and muscle pain also. But thanks for the medicines!!!
Lovingly yours, ALLAN

Hello ma'am
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 9:46 PM
Good evening, I have attached a story. Hope you like it.

Math Wizards

By: Allan Lajot

It was in the morning when a working student who is assigned in the Office of Engineering told me that the Dean, Mr. Tanilon, wants to see me. I was thinking of what might be the reason. Maybe I did something wrong? I went up to the second floor of the said building, where I can find the office. While walking in the lobby, I saw a list.

Three names were there. My name is in the 2^nd number. I get nervous because maybe I have a problem in some of my subjects.

I went inside the office and ask a girl if Mr. Tanilon is around. She asks me why and then I told her, “I was asked to see the Dean.”

She let me get inside and Mr. Tanilon was there, sitting and did something in his computer. The girl told the Dean that I looking for him. I set in the chair near the Dean’s table. He stood up and said, “Congratulations, you are qualified to be a Math Wizard contestant for freshmen this year,” while we shakes our hands.

I was amazed. I feel so confused why I am one of them? Out of 1500 or more freshmen students, only forty-one were picked and I am one of them.

"Sir, how did they know about me that I know something about math?” I asked.

“The qualification is based on the entrance exam. Did you pass the test?”

“Yes sir.” I replied.

“Well, that’s your talent. Just keep on doing your best. Once again, congratulation!”

I thank him for the good news. But I forgot something; I forgot to ask about the schedule of the exam. He gave me a copy of a paper where schedules of the exams were found and the list of 41 students. There are only three engineering students who are involved in it.

I was so happy. I want to tell ma’am Diane the news that day but I have no load. I went to the Barracks and told my co-workers about it. They are proud in me. And I’m also proud to myself. I am a math wizard!

(To be continued)

Texting Messages from Allan:

18-Aug-2008 (1851 hrs) -- “Gud evening, ths Wednesday s our final round in FU Math Wizard Contest. Out of 41 picked freshmens students, thr r 12 left who wil take the final test; I’m one of them :-). I was now reading books in Math. But still have to clean my area.”

(1903hrs) -- “I’m the only working student ho s qualified in the contest. I’m so happy :-) thr wil be 3 out of 12 with highest scores who b qualified as FRESHMAN MATH WIZARDS. I am hoping I am one of the 3. I will do my vry best to show that OCSH and working studnts r VERY GOOD and Smarts.”

good evening

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 9:42 PM

Hello ma'am Diane,

We have our Final Test contest today. I really get nervous during the exam. HOOOOOH, I was thinking how hard the questions are. 20 items to answer just within 15 minutes. But still, I try my best. I answered 19 questions. There is one I haven't answered because its difficult to understand. I still try to solve it but I did not know if the answer is right. When the test has ended I was looking around me and some of them said, "Hooh! I only answered half!", and some says, "The questions was really hard!" And then a boy ask me, "How many items have you answered?" and I was proud to say, "Nineteen." Then I show him some of my solutions in my scratch paper.

Sad to say, I was not included in the top 3. I am in 7th placer. I will send you the continuation of my story this Sunday. That's just all for now!!!!

Lovingly yours, ALLAN

Just a reminder to note that out of an initial forty-seven students (from an enrollment of fifteen hundred freshmen) Allan was the ONLY Working Student (which means, in addition to his class load, he works five hours every day to compensate a reduced percentage of his tuition), and yet he still placed seventh in the finals.

I will also add that Filipino High School students graduate when they have completed the equivalent of tenth grade, which means that these rural youth are sixteen years old when they leave their families and small communities to attend college in Dumaguete (the "Big City"), more than an hour's journey away.

It has been a source of serendipitous pride to discover that the One Candle Schoolhouse scholarship students have, by virtue of their experience planning, budgeting and preparing our Saturday lunches, been better equipped for a smooth transition into adult responsibilities.

*quote by J.M Keynes