I don’t want to start this blogging year with an emo entry but I really have got something emo to say. And I’ve got to say this now. Even before I hit puberty, my friends have been emigrating — to Canada, to the US. That’s why back then, I developed some sort of hatred towards these two countries. I felt like, “North America is stealing my friends.” Years passed, and I noticed that I’d been losing friends not just to Canada or the US but also to Australia, to the UK, to the Middle East. It’s as if all the…
From Travel
Places that I have visited / will visit and all the fun along the way.
Hada and Other Confusions: Batangan Tagalog
“Hahada laang.” This was what I told my new housemates in UP Diliman when they asked me where I was going. They laughed their guts out. I didn’t know why. But I laughed with them. Pretended I was getting the joke I didn’t even realize I cracked. I added, “Bakit? Gusto nyo sumama?” And they…
Whatever Happened to Queue Courtesy?
I may be gay but I consider myself a gentleman. When another person and I happen to enter a building or a store at the same time, I give way and hold the door for that person. I do this because I believe I am a good person. And of course, whenever I practice such act and as common courtesy suggests, I expect a simple “Thank you.” If the person fails to thank me, I usually just shrug it off. Yes, I expect a tiny display of gratitude but I don’t really give a damn if their parents did a…
Bababa Ba? Bababa.
I just received this anecdote from a friend, who had read this somewhere. And it made me realize how fun Tagalog really is as a language. I was in the elevator with an American. We were going down to the ground floor, but before reaching it, we stopped at the 4th floor. It opened to a Filipino. She asked me, “Bababa ba?” I replied, “Bababa.” In she went. Upon closing of the door, the American asked curiously, “I’m sorry. Did you guys just have a conversation?“ A’right. To all my non-Filipino readers, I’m gonna explain this to you. “Bababa” is…