I have been learning tagalog for some time..but only find myself an intermediate level. I understand a lot more than I can express. I think most of this comes from watching The Filipino Channel (TFC). I currently watch the dramas (Only You and Tayong Dalawa), as well as WOWOWEE and Game Ka Na Ba. I also look forward to MMK on Saturday.
I have taken formal Tagalog classes in college (levels A, B, and C). I have most improved when I began using Rosetta Stone. I really like Rosetta Stone because it associates the word with a picture instead of an english translation.
Since we bought a home in the Philippines (Antipolo), I really want to improve my Tagalog.
I try to get my partner and my partner's family to speak to me in Tagalog but for some reason they still chose to speak to me in english. Even when I ask over and over again.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
No Paul, not Fifteen, Pippen!
If any of you know anything about the filipino accent, you will know that there really is no F sound in Tagalog. All of their FFFFFFF sounds like PPPPPP.
About 1 year into my relationship with my filipino partner. We had brought out his two brothers from the Philippines. One was 18 and the other was 8. His mom was already living with us at the time. We decided to take the 8 year old shopping and his mom and two brothers and a cousin went with us. The little 8 year old was looking for a basketball jersey. Thinking I know what they were looking for, I said, "I found it, here it is". I held up a jersey that said "15". My partner said, "No Paul, not Pipteen, it's Pippen" Then he spelled the name of the basket ball player "P I P P E N".
So when I heard them say Pippen, It sounded like this "Pipeeeen". Which I translated to Fifteen. Then I heard them chuckle and say something in tagalog.
My partner asked me, "do you know how many times I can say your name in one sentence?"..I said no, how many?
"Pool (paul), don't paul(fall), you might paul(fall) in de swimming Paul(pool)"
About 1 year into my relationship with my filipino partner. We had brought out his two brothers from the Philippines. One was 18 and the other was 8. His mom was already living with us at the time. We decided to take the 8 year old shopping and his mom and two brothers and a cousin went with us. The little 8 year old was looking for a basketball jersey. Thinking I know what they were looking for, I said, "I found it, here it is". I held up a jersey that said "15". My partner said, "No Paul, not Pipteen, it's Pippen" Then he spelled the name of the basket ball player "P I P P E N".
So when I heard them say Pippen, It sounded like this "Pipeeeen". Which I translated to Fifteen. Then I heard them chuckle and say something in tagalog.
My partner asked me, "do you know how many times I can say your name in one sentence?"..I said no, how many?
"Pool (paul), don't paul(fall), you might paul(fall) in de swimming Paul(pool)"
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Day I Met My Filipino Partner
It was October 1993. I had seen him around the same bars I frequented. He had approached me on a few occassions asking me to dance. I didn't accept his offer. Reflecting back, it was not because I was not attracted to him, it was just because at those very instances, I did not feel like dancing, or I was chatting with a friend.
Halloween night, I see him again, he approached me while I was at the pool table and asked me again, if I would like to dance. I said, "sorry, but I"m almost up to play pool, maybe some other time?" He said OK and turned and walked away sort of dejected. Almost immediately I turned around and saw a friend approaching that I hadn't seen in about 5 years. I was sooo excited to see him. We hugged and he said come one let's go dance and catch up. So I said ok. We ran out to the dance floor and began dancing and chatting and laughing. I turned around and saw that same asian guy standing on the side of the dance floor looking at me in a way not very different than if you saw your pet hit by a car. I stopped dancing immediately and told my friend, "I have to go fix something". I went to him and introduced myself, he called himself Ed. I told him why he found me dancing and I told him I flet so badly. We began talking and within one hour we were showing affection.
Our first date was the very next evening. Ever since that, we were together and getting ready to celebrate our 16th year together.
To be completely honest, I was not at all familiar with Filipino people or their culture. As a matter of fact, at the time, I could not distinquish filipinos from spanish or mexican.
Of course now after so many years submerged in the culture and also being an intermediate level tagalog speaker...that is NOT the case any more.
Halloween night, I see him again, he approached me while I was at the pool table and asked me again, if I would like to dance. I said, "sorry, but I"m almost up to play pool, maybe some other time?" He said OK and turned and walked away sort of dejected. Almost immediately I turned around and saw a friend approaching that I hadn't seen in about 5 years. I was sooo excited to see him. We hugged and he said come one let's go dance and catch up. So I said ok. We ran out to the dance floor and began dancing and chatting and laughing. I turned around and saw that same asian guy standing on the side of the dance floor looking at me in a way not very different than if you saw your pet hit by a car. I stopped dancing immediately and told my friend, "I have to go fix something". I went to him and introduced myself, he called himself Ed. I told him why he found me dancing and I told him I flet so badly. We began talking and within one hour we were showing affection.
Our first date was the very next evening. Ever since that, we were together and getting ready to celebrate our 16th year together.
To be completely honest, I was not at all familiar with Filipino people or their culture. As a matter of fact, at the time, I could not distinquish filipinos from spanish or mexican.
Of course now after so many years submerged in the culture and also being an intermediate level tagalog speaker...that is NOT the case any more.
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