Things Filipinos Say

[Tigger82d]

Yesterday me, the wife, and baby were driving to town to pick up a few items and she caught me by surprise when she looked in the mirror and said "What happened to my eyes, they look like my butt". I just gave her a strange look, told her I wasn't sure if I even wanted to ask what she meant, then I said, "Yes Dear". She just started laughing. Moral of this story, Some things are best accepted for what they are, I think. LOL

[red]

That's funny.

[Edwin]

Yes, Tigger, it might not even be safe to ask her what she meant by that! Language is funny! We say different things, and different sayings have different meanings to different people. Americans have some sayings that can't be taken at face value, but they mean something completely different than their literal meanings. There are some people use so many of them that it is very hard for other people to understand, even if they know the language, unless they understand the meanings behind all those little sayings.

[Tigger82d]

It took me a while to learn her ways of saying things and I have fun with it now. Such as when we watch a movie we sit on the coach, not the couch. I have a mustache and she used to call it a mustard but now she calls it a mustang, I kinda like that one, lol.

[Edwin]

My friend who is married to a filipina actually makes fun of the way they talk and the things they say! He is not mean about it, and his filipina wife laughs and sometimes slugs him. It is all in fun. He does a pretty good job of it too. She did caution him once while I was with them, telling him something he was saying in Tagolog was not really that complimentary to people from the Philippines. He was innocent, thinking he was saying something nice, but there was something that was offensive about it, and his filipina didn't want people to dislike him because in ignorance he was saying something that could be taken wrong.

[crisipicada]

It is hard to talk in english since it is not our language. When a foreigner come over here, let us say, from america or england, we must speak in english to them since they do not know our language as filipino. But when a filipino visit their place, we still talk in their vernacular. Why not learn also our language so that we can understand each other? Or why not talk in filipino when you are in the PHilippines. And also, we will talk english when we are in your place? Is that good idea? Hmmmm I am thinking about that since I was small, it is quite unfair. Hehe

[Smiley]

I agree Crissi,The biggest drawback is the number of dialects in the Philippines. If I end up staying very long I will work to learn at least one of them. I think for anyone to spend a long time in another land and make no effort to assimilate is very self-centered and ignorant.I don`t like it when I see immigrants in my country that refuse to blend in,I would never act that way myself.
You are right to feel the way you do.

[fenmoor]

crissi,

Although I agree with you, in principle, it is not as easy as you make it sound.

First of all, there are several dialects in the Philippines. I learned some Tagalog when i was there 20 years ago, but i am trying to learn Bisayan now. It can be very confusing. Another advantage that you have over me ... You were actually taught English at school at a young age. I had no such advantage. So all things being equal I agree with you, but things are not so equal...

After saying that, I MUST say, however, that I do not respect someone that does not at least TRY to learn SOME of the language of the one they supposedly love... what kind of love is that?

God Bless!

Bill

[crisipicada]

I agree Crissi,The biggest drawback is the number of dialects in the Philippines. If I end up staying very long I will work to learn at least one of them. I think for anyone to spend a long time in another land and make no effort to assimilate is very self-centered and ignorant.I don`t like it when I see immigrants in my country that refuse to blend in,I would never act that way myself.
You are right to feel the way you do.

Do not be confused. Learn to speak our national language, which is Tagalog. This is how filipino speak in general. Sometimes, it is so unfair that we must learn to speak english. I for sure now fluent in enlish but I can still talk.

[Smiley]

Yeah, I picked up some tagalog a long time ago,it is almost gone now. I know that it will come back and that I will become better as I go because I am the kind of guy that makes a real effort. Little by little a lot can be accomplished.