For the longest time, I've had this dilemma of writing down my compositions in STRAIGHT Filipino. Not that I'm a fluent English speaker or writer (because really, I'm not). I'm just your average next-door writer-wannabe who still advocates the use of reference tools such as thesauri and dictionaries whenever I attempt at coming up with an – quote-unquote – "article" (yes, even my thoughts in this blog!) for correct word usage and/or subject-verb agreements...But the thing is, when it comes to penning my thoughts down, I really come to grips for terminologies in Filipino. And it's not even Tagalog at that.
Lesson #1: See, Read and Listen Filipino.
Simultaneously, I also started reading selected literary pieces written by Filipino authors. Harry Potter 6 may have been an irresistible must-read, but no, I've put my foot down and didn't trade my Filipino thrillers (those being sold for 80 pesos at Powerbooks) for that. I'm almost done reading this thick book on Philippine short stories anthology. Next in my readings list are those local novels, which were once my college texts, but from now on, will be treated as if they've never been required readings in school once upon a time.
I’ve been likewise tuning into original Pilipino music (OPM) a lot lately. My MP3 player carries a mixture of Filipino songs – orchestral, ballads, alternative, pop jazz and dance music. Cool. Music has this enchanting way of touching the heart of the Filipino.
Lesson #2: Speak, and Write Filipino.
When my Latin American friends and I met for the first time, they thought that I could speak Spanish articulately. Apparently, they had this conclusion that since the Philippines had been under Spanish rule for 333 years, Filipinos still speak Spanish to this day. I corrected them and said that learning Spanish is not anymore compulsory among universities in the country (unless of course one's a student of Linguistics and/or European languages). When one of them asked me why it is so, I believe my answer was, "It's about time we identify ourselves as Filipinos by having a language of our own."
At first, I had one second of hesitation after telling them that, thinking how Filipinos nowadays (myself included) couldn't even express their thoughts in one, straight Filipino sentence. But looking back now, I know I gave them the right answer. All I need to do now, at least at my own right, is to stand by what I said. Identify myself as Filipino by using the Filipino language.
I was burning with patriotism on my coming home from a foreign land almost a year ago. With just three hours away from home, I was excited to speak my language after being inevitably constrained from doing so for almost three months. At that time, Filipino passengers predominantly inhabited my last connecting flight (Bangkok-Manila) and so somehow, that provided me with that motherland feel...or so I thought it was. I ended up feeling dismayed and bothered, hearing Filipinos speaking English (some trying hard with all their guts) left and right, front and back. It was as if these people came from America, when in fact, they were just alighting from a neighboring Asian country!
From these personal experiences, I cornered and trained myself to speak and write in straight Filipino to the best that I can. I kicked off by writing my thesis correspondences in Filipino. It proved to be backbreaking, having to translate English thoughts into Tagalog (I discovered that I've been thinking in English most of the time, more than in Filipino. Imagine that! It's the other way around. Baliktad na utak 'ko). I found that even more difficult than translating Filipino words/phrases into English.
Yesterday, I drafted an official communication I was meaning to send out to government offices around town, and I wrote it in Filipino. It took me an hour to finish that concise, 3-paragraph letter and was not even confident at that, so I had my boss proofread/edit it for me. That one letter costed me a pail of perspiration, but it's okay. I'll get used to it in time.
Lesson #1: See, Read and Listen Filipino.
When one of them asked me why it is so, I believe my answer was, "It's about time we identify ourselves as Filipinos by having a language of our own."
I began to feel the urgency to re-instate my mother tongue at the beginning of the year. I figured that the best probable way to make this all happen was to immerse myself into Philippine culture through film, literature and music. And so apart from going to the gym (though short-lived, yes, I still managed to accomplish this) and finishing my masters program (still working on it) all throughout the new year, reading and watching anything and everything Filipino became my goal. Whereas before, I find watching Tagalog movies sleazy, nowadays I'd make it a point to catch at least one film per week on cable TV, no matter what genre, NO EXCEPTIONS whatsoever. I'd force myself to digest those belonging to the elite ranks of classic masterpieces down to the distasteful, "concept less", what-a-waste-of-time-and-electricity, and-they-call-it-a-work-of-art movies; if only to face the realities of Philippine culture and society. I lost count as to how many Claudine Barretto (a local actress) films I've seen just last month alone.Simultaneously, I also started reading selected literary pieces written by Filipino authors. Harry Potter 6 may have been an irresistible must-read, but no, I've put my foot down and didn't trade my Filipino thrillers (those being sold for 80 pesos at Powerbooks) for that. I'm almost done reading this thick book on Philippine short stories anthology. Next in my readings list are those local novels, which were once my college texts, but from now on, will be treated as if they've never been required readings in school once upon a time.
I’ve been likewise tuning into original Pilipino music (OPM) a lot lately. My MP3 player carries a mixture of Filipino songs – orchestral, ballads, alternative, pop jazz and dance music. Cool. Music has this enchanting way of touching the heart of the Filipino.
Lesson #2: Speak, and Write Filipino.
When my Latin American friends and I met for the first time, they thought that I could speak Spanish articulately. Apparently, they had this conclusion that since the Philippines had been under Spanish rule for 333 years, Filipinos still speak Spanish to this day. I corrected them and said that learning Spanish is not anymore compulsory among universities in the country (unless of course one's a student of Linguistics and/or European languages). When one of them asked me why it is so, I believe my answer was, "It's about time we identify ourselves as Filipinos by having a language of our own."
At first, I had one second of hesitation after telling them that, thinking how Filipinos nowadays (myself included) couldn't even express their thoughts in one, straight Filipino sentence. But looking back now, I know I gave them the right answer. All I need to do now, at least at my own right, is to stand by what I said. Identify myself as Filipino by using the Filipino language.
I was burning with patriotism on my coming home from a foreign land almost a year ago. With just three hours away from home, I was excited to speak my language after being inevitably constrained from doing so for almost three months. At that time, Filipino passengers predominantly inhabited my last connecting flight (Bangkok-Manila) and so somehow, that provided me with that motherland feel...or so I thought it was. I ended up feeling dismayed and bothered, hearing Filipinos speaking English (some trying hard with all their guts) left and right, front and back. It was as if these people came from America, when in fact, they were just alighting from a neighboring Asian country!
From these personal experiences, I cornered and trained myself to speak and write in straight Filipino to the best that I can.
I fondly remember this classmate I had in one of my anthropology classes (I took anthro electives in college and graduate school) three semesters ago. He was a Philippine studies major (and a college professor at the same time) who speaks excellent Filipino. I was just awestricken, as he would recite in pure Filipino and even translate his reports for class discussions (his was on Ruth Benedict, a proponent in cultural anthropology) from the original English texts into Filipino! Astig! It was like music to my ears every time he speaks in class. I became his avid fan from afar. I secretly wished that he would leak out even a puny drop of his Filipino prowess and infect me with it.From these personal experiences, I cornered and trained myself to speak and write in straight Filipino to the best that I can. I kicked off by writing my thesis correspondences in Filipino. It proved to be backbreaking, having to translate English thoughts into Tagalog (I discovered that I've been thinking in English most of the time, more than in Filipino. Imagine that! It's the other way around. Baliktad na utak 'ko). I found that even more difficult than translating Filipino words/phrases into English.
Yesterday, I drafted an official communication I was meaning to send out to government offices around town, and I wrote it in Filipino. It took me an hour to finish that concise, 3-paragraph letter and was not even confident at that, so I had my boss proofread/edit it for me. That one letter costed me a pail of perspiration, but it's okay. I'll get used to it in time.
I may be re-learning my Filipino, but don't you put me to the emotional extremes. That's when I speak (spoken, not written) fluent English the most ;)
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Note: Most of my posts (including this one, though my subject is about
Filipino, et al.) were written in English to foster wider readership, as I
assume there are non-Filipino readers of this blog.
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Filipino, et al.) were written in English to foster wider readership, as I
assume there are non-Filipino readers of this blog.
2 comments:
Usually edit and write in english. Only when I started editing articles in filipino did I realize that I suck at filipino. O_o;; Speaking it and writing it are a different, I find writing it stricter (and harder). I had to review my "ng" and "nang". And those "pag-", "nag-" and other stuff. Gave me headaches for weeks. O_o;;
Headaches? True. Siguro ganun talaga. People who learn another (foreign) language besides their own usually speak better than the natives of that country. I figured Filipinos speak better, if not excellent, English than true-blooded English speakers, as we adhere to grammar rules. A friend once shared that Peruvians speak first-rate Español than the Spanish of Spain :-)
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