3. The International Class


A Prologue to Learning

The One Ear Man enters this particular class on the morning of their first day. Looking around the room, he sees the anticipation on the faces of the College-age Students. As usually is the case, many seem to be from places other than Canada. This is obvious by what they were wearing.

Good morning class. I am known as the One Ear Man because that is what I have, one ear. For the next six days, we will be engaged in the Level 1 curriculum for computers. This is a mandatory course for your healthcare certificate, that takes you almost 9 months to earn.

Before we get started, I want to tell you a little about what happened to me in June of last year. ‘Why do I only have one ear?’ you may be thinking. I'd instead tell you up front than sitting there wondering and not thinking about the computer lesson. I had head and neck cancer and had extensive surgery and radiation treatment to become cancer free. Yes, I got rid of cancer. But I lost my right ear. With that, the One Ear Man turned to show the class the right side of his head. No ear.

A pregnant pause. Silence.

Looking around the classroom, he noted many people from different countries. One of the things the One Ear Man likes to do at the beginning of every new class is to guess the student’s country of origin. He has a very reason for going through this exercise. The process instills in each student a sense of unity of learning with others from around the world.

”Please, look around your class,” the One Ear Man said. ”Whom do you see?” People began to look around. ”I see people from India, Africa, China, Canada including an Assiniboine. We have a multinational class! Perhaps it is only in Canada this could happen. When was the last time that you spoke with someone from Zimbabwe? Have you ever? How about someone from Nepal? We don’t get many from Nepal, but if they experience an earthquake, we get a few. Why? They merely want to escape to a country that doesn’t experience quakes, like Canada. Again, have you ever met someone from Nepal? How about a native Canadian from the Assiniboine tribe? How about someone from Nanjing? How many of you know Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines? Well, these people are sitting amongst you right now and perhaps beside you. They are your classmates. What a beautiful thing that this is happening. You will have almost 9 months to learn from people from many parts of the world. You will begin to understand their good days and those days that are not so good. You will appreciate their strengths and weaknesses. You will start to understand their backgrounds. What an education each and every one of us is about to have. Each of us registered and are paying dearly for a certificate in Health Care. But, I suggest, not one of us had any idea that there is a bonus. You will appreciate that people from all over the planet are just like you and me. I suggest that nowhere else except in Canada does such events happen. Oh, if the whole world would take note and follow this Canadian example. Perhaps the result would be less strife on the planet. Thank you, Canada.

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