HJ Dream House: No Simple Living but Sharing Lives

By Kim Min Kyung

 

        

            Many Korean students studying in the Philippines live or have experienced staying in a boarding house until they settle down in the country. Mostly the boarding houses which Koreans take as residents are run by Korean owners who serve as guardian also together with few Filipinos.

 

            HJ Dream House is one of the boarding house that takes in Korean students during their stay in the country. Located between Silang and Tagaytay City, the boarding house overlooks small barangay and vast Pineapple field. This house provides unique scenery that is not common in Korea especially where the students are used to tall buildings and highly urbanized cities. The cool breeze and fresh air everyday gives peaceful vibe and its cool climate makes the Koreans settle more easily compared to other hot cities in the Philippines. This HJ House gives a healing and relaxing environment to the residents of the boarding house. 

 

             HJ Dream House was founded by Hye Ja, Jo, a Korean woman who first began taking care of her daughters, nieces and nephews while they studied here and began to take other student and formally began the business in 2009. Together with Mrs. Jo is Mr. John Ralph who has been working with HJ Dream House for 10 years already. Mr. John manages the tutoring of some students who are boarding there especially when they are new in the country and also does some management works with Mrs. Jo. The friendship and loyalty between them began simply from tutor to employer. After long years, Mrs. Jo sponsored Mr. John to attend the Olivarez College in Tagaytay city and study nursing for she pitied that he could not finish his medical studies in the past. She trusted him and found him to be promising. Mr. John has graduated from Olivarez College now and is now getting ready to take the exam.

 

            During the years where Mrs. Jo and Mr. John and others managed the boarding house, several students whether for long term stay or short term stay during their vacation back in Korea, have stayed in the house. These students don’t simply sleep, eat and study there. They mingle with their roommates and housemates. As the motto of Mrs. Jo, everyone living under the roof is a family member to be treated equally, the boarding house residents call themselves, “Our family” when talking about them to others. This shows how close they are sharing their stories at dinner table, appreciating the difficulties and advising based on their learnings. Mrs. Jo actively participates in the conversation to keep close with the students as if they are her own children. There are quarrels also. Of course, when you live with someone from completely different environment, conflicts can rise. But through those conflicts, they get to know more of others, learn how to understand and cope with each other’s differences. Mrs. Jo always emphasizes to them that the most important thing is to be a human, a person with values.

 

            Now, HJ Dream House may be a business boarding house with Koreans to others. But to the residents, Mr. John and Mrs. Jo, it is a home found far away from their homes.