My sisters and I visited MIT in Boston in 1975. I remember walking around the campus and wondering how my father enjoyed his years in this high-profile university. The next year I got accepted in the Sloan School of Management for a degree in operations research. I was never able to pursue this graduate school option – the U.S. Embassy denied my visa application for various reasons. It just wasn’t meant to be.
My father hardly spoke to us about his experiences in Boston. Conditions must have been tough, the U.S. was going through the Great Depression. Still he graduated with degrees in marine engineering and naval architecture (an ode to his Palawan days). And I remember many occasions when MIT asked my father to represent the school in educational events in Manila.
I remember only vaguely 2 stories related to his Boston time. My Dad told me that he had worked part-time in a restaurant as a dish-washer. He also recalled that once he was walking home, feeling very cold. Public transport was available but often he couldn’t afford it. Once, he almost had enough for a ride but was short by 10 cents. So he reminded me often, never underestimate the power of 10 cents.
My Father's Gifts 
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