Today is a milestone day for me. I truly have mixed feelings about it. In many ways, I am very happy. In other ways, it makes me sad. I have come to the end of an era in my life.
What am I talking about?
In August 2007, I met Bebe Metillo for the first time. I was introduced to Bebe by Shannon, who is a reader of this site. For those who don’t know who Bebe is, she has been my Cebuano/Bisaya teacher since August 2007. Basically, in the 4+ years since that time, I have taken a Cebuano lesson once, and sometimes twice, each week. There have been times when I have missed a week due to illness, a conflicting appointment or some other reason. But, for the most part, I have had around 52 lessons each year.
Today, it all comes to an end.
Why?
Well, today, I am taking the final part of my Cebuano Final Exam. Bebe’s Cebuano course consists of 60 lessons, teaching grammar and vocabulary, as well as Philippine Culture. Lesson 60 is the final exam for the course. Over the past 4 or 5 weeks, I have been taking different sections of the final exam, and today I will complete that.
Over the years, Bebe has become a very close friend, actually I consider her to be family. I have written before that I consider Bebe to be like a sister, and that is very true. I can honestly say that Bebe is my number 1 friend and confidante that I have made since moving to the Philippines. I truly love Bebe.
Learning Cebuano has been one of the biggest highlights of my life since living in the Philippines. At the time that I began studying the language, I never envisioned this day, but I am so happy that I stuck with it until the end. Bebe told me that only a small percentage of students stick with it all the way through the end, and I am so happy to be one of that small group.
I really enjoy being able to go around town, to the public market and such, and interact with the people there. It makes me really feel part of the community in which I live, and it makes my life in the Philippines even more enjoyable than it already is.
Even though I am finished with my formal learning of Cebuano, that doesn’t mean I won’t be learning any longer. I mean, language is a living and growing thing. Language always develops. Also, although I finished the formal course, that doesn’t mean that I’m an expert, or that I have no more to learn.
What it means, though, is that I am proficient enough now that my continued learning will be through using the language, talking with people, listening to the way others use the language, etc. And, that is what I will do. Just as I learn new words and ideas about the English language, I will also continue to learn more and more Cebuano too. It will just be through a different method than sitting down for an hour and a half each week with a teacher.
I won’t need to be missing my teacher, Bebe, though. I have decided recently that I will now start learning Tagalog. Learning language is already a well established part of my life now, and I’m not ready to give up that part of my life at this time. I can see benefits to knowing how to speak Tagalog, so… I’m ready to let that journey begin.
Bisaya na sa akong kasing-kasing, pero magtuon na ko ug Tagalog. Andam na ko.
Good on you Bob. That’s great and you should really be proud. You are truly Filipino and represent the best of expats that settle here. BRAVO!!! I have a young daughter and I am embarking on a mission to see that she speaks English; Spanish and Chinese fluently. These are probably the most important languages for the future and any child that wants to have a competitive edge out there I think must know English, Spanish and Chinese (mandarin). She speaks Visayan and a little English already.
Thank you for your kind words, Paul. I agree with you on the Chinese and English for your daughter. Not sure I agree on the Spanish, though. With Brazil becoming a leading world economy (moving in that direction), perhaps I’d put Portuguese ahead of Spanish. I don’t see any Spanish speaking countries out there in a very good economic position these days. What do you think?
Bob, The spanish demographic at least in the states is huge a with 65% of whites being of hispanic origin and many English speaking parents are scambling to have their children learn the language. Aside from Spain of course there is the huge continent of spanish South America. Objectively, regardless of the economic growth of Brazil, I would say Portugese will never have a chance in the equation. So if someone want sto have a much more successful business in the USA down the road, Spanish will be a vital necessity and of course Chinese speaks for itself as one day ruling the World LOL
Ah, OK, I was thinking in terms of global economics, not US economics. On a worldwide basis, I would consider Spanish almost insignificant in terms of economic power. Spain is in trouble as deep as the US is, and in South America, the only economic powerhouse is a non-Spanish speaking country.
Both Spanish and Portuguese are Romance languages, as are Italian and French. Thus, if you know one Romance language, learning another would not be difficult as they basically share the same Latin roots. Anyway, congratulations, Bob, for completing the course. Have fun on the upcoming Tagalog lessons. Btw, I find that my “street” Tagalog is fast becoming embarassingly outdated given the new slang words that have crept in into the language.
Thank you Ricardo.
Pardon me, Bob, for using LiP to get an urgent message out to Neal in Rhode Island. Neal, if you are not already watching “The Ed Show” tonight on MSNBC, 10pm EST edition, there is a segment on the USPS that I know you would be interested in watching. If you missed watching the 10pm edition of “The Ed Show”, it will come back on again later after Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Chris Matthews.
Hi Ricardo – I am not trying to be mean or rude, but it is very important to me to keep the comments on topic. I have a suggestion to you. Why don’t you go sign up for the LiP Forum. When you sign up there, you can send Neal a direct message. Not only will that help keep the comments on topic, but Neal will even get an e-mail letting him know that you have sent him a private message, so he will get notification. A comment does not give him any kind of notification.
Sorry again, Bob, I knew I was treading on a very thin line there, but went ahead anyway. No excuses.
Hi Ricardo – This is the kind of thing that caused me to create the forum. I just want to let you know that it is not because of any personal animosity or anything. Having comments that are not kept on-topic is something that can cause a site to really go downhill, and has even put big sites out of existence.
Tagalog slangs evolve just too fast. What was trendy last month, isn’t trendy next month anymore.
I don’t know what kind of Tagalog would Bob want to learn, but I would really suggest the ever evolving spoken Tagalog, not the “book Tagalog”. That can come next. Spoken Tagalog and the book Tagalog are almost worlds apart, I am afraid.
Hi Katrina – I believe that in learning a language (any language) it is important to learn the fundamentals of the grammar most importantly. Grammar doesn’t change. I’m not interested in memorizing a bunch of phrases, “book” or “slang” – that is not an effective way to learn a language.
strictly speaking it does not change. However, I’d really like to emphasize that there is a big difference in written and spoken Tagalog.
Spoken Tagalog (not necessarily slangs) will be very awkward and unprofessional in writing, however, written Tagalog, when used as spoken Tagalog doesn’t sound right either. It’s like you’re making things complicated
In written Tagalog, it is more practical to use the “passive voice”, in spoken Tagalog, it is more practical to use the “active voice”
The bastardization of the Tagalog language –
Classical Tagalog as may have been spoken in the days of Francisco Baltazar: “Quinapopootan quita yrog co!” (I hate you, my love)
Street Tagalog as spoken today:
“Imbs ako sayo halmits ko!” Same as above, 300 years later.
Ricardo: That is not very different than the changes in English over the years (One just needs to read Shakespeare to see that, or the King James Bible for that matter. Listen to someone speak English from Chaucer’s day, and it is nearly unintelligible to the modern ear.) Language evolves and constantly changes. That is not bastardization.
I agree with John here. It’s more of evolution of Tagalog. Besides, even without the “bastardization”, spoken Tagalog and written Tagalog are quite different. It’s the structure, that is different
Besides, “classic Tagalog” itself is bastardized — so many sanskrit, Chinese, and Arab words were mixed even before the arrival of the Europeans
Susi? Araw? Alak? Not “native” Tagalog words.
I am not denying that languages do not evolve over time, Bob. I am just saying that the reshaping of some Tagalog words constitutes bastardization or corruption of the word – in reply to John M’s comment that it is NOT “bastardization.”
Sorry, I just saw this: “Besides, “classic Tagalog” itself is bastardized — so many sanskrit, Chinese, and Arab words were mixed even before the arrival of the European
Susi? Araw? Alak? Not “native” Tagalog words.”
LOL Those are “loan” words you’re talking about. They do not come under the definition of “bastardization”, and I am not talking about structure differences in written and spoken Tagalog either. I’m talking about bastardization of some Tagalog words, like the example I have provided earlier, “imbs” for imbierna
and “halmits” for mahal. As for loan words, you will find them in every major language, not just in Tagalog.
It sure is a bastardization, John. It is one thing for the spelling to evolve, for example, the modern Tagalog alphabet no longer has the letters, “q”, “c”, “j”, “f”, and “x”, as it has in the past. Borrowing words from various languages, be they indigeneous or foreign, (ie, “dorobo” from the Japanese, meaning trouble maker), slangs and idiomatic expressions – these are all part of the evolutionary process and it is inevitable. But it is one thing to reshape a pre-existing Tagalog word by spelling it backwards, shortening it, or switching the syllables, ie, “imbs” (imbierna), “halmits” (mahal) as above post. That is not only bastardization but balkanization as well. Do you know of any English word treated the same way?
Jejemonization, Bekimonization? I like to call them fad than bastardization.
All languages grow and change as time goes by. Even within your own comment, Ricardo, the English is not “standard” English,but you use words differently than they should technically be used. That’s just how languages work.
Ricardo:
Lots of English words. English itself is nearly entirely derived from “foreign” words, starting from the Norman conquest or technically even dating back to the Roman occupation of the Brirtish Isles. Otherwise, we would be speaking Anglo-Saxon or Latin.
Additionally, slang goes in and out of vogue. In the case of English, most words regarded as profanities (or low use) were originally Saxon words… The Norman French words were the polite terms. Example: “Sweat” is vulgar, “perspire” is polite. Same meaning describing the same function. Another example: “F**k” versus “fornicate”.
As I stated, the language has simply evolved over time. Words become obsolete and are no longer used, or their meanings change over time.
I agree with everything you said, John. One more time, I am not disputing the evolution of languages, nor the effects of foreign words (loan words) have towards the evolution of a language. I am also aware that in many languages, there are both “high” and “low” forms of usage depending on to whom it is addressed, and the meaning of words changes over time, or words becoming obsolete altogether. These are not being disputed. This discussion started with our respective interpretation of “evolution” as opposed to “bastardization” with respect to the reshaping of pre-existing Tagalog words for fun.
BTW, getting a visa from an Embassy or Consulate abroad is one of the methods that the Philippines offers, making it very easy here. Nothing is stopping you from doing it that way.
When I learned the alphabet in elementary school in the early ’60’s, there were no letters c,f,j,q,v,x,and z.
An example of corruption (for lack of a better description) of the words is when they would switch the syllables around. I remember when the word “pogi” was first coined in the ’60’s. It came from “guapo” and reversing the syllables and became pogi (handsome).
Definition of “bastardization” from the verb, “bastardize”, by Merriam Webster:
1: to reduce from a higher to a lower state or condition : debase
2: to declare or prove to be a bastard
3: to modify especially by introducing discordant or disparate elements
Of course it’s a fad, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the reshaping of Tagalog words for fun constitutes bastardization. I just want to be clear, though, that I have nothing against slang or the corruption of Tagalog words, not only because they are the inevitable consequences of a changing world, but they are also a mirror and a perfect study of the Filipino culture at a given time.
My mistake 36% of whites are latin not 65%. Still a huge number and growing
OMG !! SINCE 2007??? Bob…I’m banging my head on the desk !! I just started lessons 2 months ago and thought I’d be done done in 12 months !!!! 5 Years?????
oooohhhhhhhhhh nnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooo
Hi brian – I think it can be done in a year. It took me 4 years (not 5). I purposely took it slow, and didn’t push myself too much. Generally I had one lesson per week, just 1.5 hours per week. If you chose to have more lessons per week and pushed yourself. I think you can make it in a year. Good luck to you!
hi brian,
your day-to-day life in cebu interacting with locals actually puts you ahead, especially if you include early morning AM radio talk shows in your diet ” )
that might not make you a full-blown bisdak in 2 years, but chances are, you’ll be ahead of the other expats in cebu!
cheers,
Congratulations, Bob! That is, to me at least, a remarkable accomplishment.
I hope that one day I can join you in that small percentage, but I honestly don’t think it will happen until I move there.
You should be quite proud, and I can say with assurance that Bebe certainly is.
Thank you very much, Randy. I am quite happy with what I accomplished through Bebe, and I am very happy that I got started 4 years ago.
Don’t give up, Randy. You can do it. I never envisioned myself completing the course, but I never had a thought about giving up either. I am certain that you can complete the course, just don’t let yourself give up.
Thanks again, Randy.
Congrats on completion of the course Bob ! Seems like it was only a few months ago you got started in learning a new language. Makes you wonder where did all the time go.
Thank you Bob. You know, they say time flies when you’re having fun, and I certainly had fun learning to speak Cebuano. Now, on to Tagalog!
Yeah, on to Tagalog! Now, you’re talking my language (lol). Congrats Bob and goodluck to your new endeavour. 🙂
I don’t know how much I will actually use Tagalog, Jonathan, but I figure it will be good to know it. 🙂
congrats sa imong achievement, bob!
gamit kaayo nimo ang binisaya sa imong pagpuyo diha sa davao, pero kung gaka-balaka ka kung asa nimo magamit ang tagalog, diha ra guihapon! hehe ” )
kay sa tinood lang, tanan akong mga na meet diri sa manila nga taga-davao, grabe ka trying-hard nga dili sila ma-ilhan nga bisaya! kay diha kuno sa davao, mas gagamiton kuno ang tagalog kaysa sa bisaya ” )
kabalo man ta nga bisaya gyud diha, pero sakyan na lang nako ilang pagka-seryoso nga tagalog gyud kuno sila ” )
cheers,
Tinuod, Biz Doc, halo-halo ang lingwahe diri sa Dabaw. Pero, kong magestoriya ka sa masa, bisaya sila 80%. OK lang kong magbisaya lang ka diri, pero dili maayo kong tagalog lang. ha ha…
in any case bob, tagalog will be useful when you watch local tv shows & tagalog movies hehe ” )
Godspeed on your tagalog studies!
cheers,
Hi Biz Doc – About the only thing I would use Tagalog for, as far as TV goes, is to watch the local news. I do enjoy watching the Davao news in Bisaya as often as I can. Now, I will soon be able to watch the news from Manila too. I really have no interest in movies or entertainment type shows. 😉
in fact they’re all in taglish– you won’t miss a thing by not watching hehe ” )
cheers,
Ha ha… I fully agree on that!
Hi Honey – I am really proud of you. It’s really a big accomplishment for you to learned the language and the culture. I’m pretty sure Bebe is so proud of you. Job well done to you and Bebe.
Ha ha ha… Sometimes I have to double check my bisaya, because you used the sentences better than we do. 🙂
I’m really happy that you want to learn the Tagalog too. I know you can do it.
Lipay kaayo ko nga nakahuman naka sa imong lekyon sa bisaya!
Salamat kaayo. Ikaw ang akong kadasig.
Gihigugma ta ka. 😉
Wow deep na na nga bisaya ba Hon ang kadasig… I am impressed jud. I love you so much. I know our kids loves you too, and they are proud of your accomplishment.
Ha ha… no, you forgot. Remember… Aaron was upset when I first started learning Bisaya because he said that he wanted to be able to say stuff and me not know what he was talking about? ha ha… he is going to be super mad now when he finds out that Tagalog is on my menu! 😉
Bob,
Congratulations Bob! You stuck it out and completed it. You really should be proud of yourself. 4 years is a long time. You give me the motivaton to learn Tagalog when i make my move there. It’s really the least i could do for given the opportunity to live in the Philippines. Take care and good luck on your next adventure.
Thanks Papa Duck – I appreciate it. You know, I believe that learning the language is the right thing to do if you intend to live here. It’s sort of like how Americans always want Mexicans to learn to speak English. 😉
bob, unsay buot pasabot sa ‘kadasig’ ?
grabe, mas lalom pa imong bisaya kaysa sa ako hehe ” )
cheers,
Ha ha… mao ba, Biz Doc, dili ka kasabot? “Kadasig” is “Inspiration”.
ventaje kaayo ka bob, kay naa ka man dictionary hehe ” )
despite my age i’m still learning new (old) stuff in visayan. there are even plenty of old-school words you’ll hear in visayan AM radio news & talkshows that you’ll never hear in day-to-day binisaya, moreso in CDO since the local binisaya is heavily influenced by spanish. you’ll surely notice it if you hang out in ‘ketkai mall for a day hehe ” )
cheers,
cheers,
Hi Biz Doc – Ha ha.. dili nako gigamit ang diksonaryo! Kabalo ko ug “kadasig,” dili ko kinahanglan ug diksonaryo para nianang pulong. ha ha
You are right, language is a living thing that is always growing. We learn more of any language we speak as the years go by. Unfortunately, we probably forget a lot too.. or at least I do! 😉
Great jo b Bob, congrats to you! Was there 1 defining reason you chose Cebuano to learn first? I have always been trying to educate myself in Tagalog figuring that was the one I would need. With the asawa being from Gensan, and her family speaking Illongo, now I am totally confussed. lol
Hi Keith – Yep…. well, actually there were two reasons.
1. The area where I live is primarily a Bisaya area. If you go to the market or along the streets, people speak Bisaya. I want to interact with the people where I live. Down on the streets there is not that much tagalog, so I had no interest in learning a language that would primarily be for nothing but watching TV shows (I never go up to Manila).
2. My wife’s family (they are also from GenSan) speaks Bisaya. I wanted to be part of the family. We’ve been married 21 years, and there were some people in my wife’s family who cannot speak English and I had honestly never spoken with. Once I knew enough Bisaya, I was really accepted into the family. Great feeling.
If I were you, and your inlaws speaking Ilonggo, that’s probably what I’d learn. However, not that much Ilonggo spoken in Davao, though.
Hi Keith – A lot of the original settlers in Gen San were from Iloilo hence the reason for your wifes family speaking Ilonggo. My wife also has relatives in Gen San and the older members of the family still prefer to speak Ilonggo when together.
Regards.
Jim.
Thats great Bob! As you know I live in Bicol but i spent 3 years in Laguna learning to speak Tagalog. It really wasn’t that difficult to learn but sometimes when I speak Spanish I sometimes throw a Tagalog word in there and my friends from Puerto Rico kind of stop and have this puzzled sound in their voices until I realised I started mixing languages. I think it’s very useful to learn Tagalog because I think almost every part of the Philippines either knows or understands Tagalog regardless of the local dialect. I often get asked here in Naga City. Why dont you learn to speak Bicol? and i tell them. Tagalog seems to be working just fine. 😀
Hi Alan, thanks. As for Tagalog.. yes, you could use it here and be able to communicate. You can do it with English too. But, if you want to understand the things that you hare around you, you need to learn Cebuano/Bisaay. I don’t know in Naga, but I would guess that a large percentage of the communication is in Bicol. Good luck.
Congrats Bob. Good luck with the final exam. I’m sure you’ll pick up Tagalog without formally studying it. Just watch the noon time game shows. You’re right about learning the language to really feel that you are part of the community.
Alex
Thanks Alex! Actually, you may have misunderstood me. I am not going to try to learn Tagalog without formal study. Bebe will be teaching me Tagalog starting in a couple of months, she is developing her course in Tagalog right now.
Thanks again!
Hi Bob – Well done at least you have made the effort unlike a lot of the expats living in the Bisaya speaking areas.
We here in CDO have a little group which has been taking Bisaya lessons since around May this year on a Saturday from 10.30am till 12 noon. The idea being to learn conversational Bisaya then eventually expand it to reading and writing.
I will definately not say its easy but the light is beginning to show at the end of the tunnel and if we keep it up I’m sure by the end of year four we will be pretty efficient.
I just wish I’d made the effort 30 years ago as I cannot blame anyone else but myself for now being a beginner.
Just maybe you will inspire others to make the effort and learn Bisaya so that they can more fully enjoy the life and culture of the people in Mindanao.
Regards.
Jim.
Thank you Jim! Hey, that’s great about your study group. Do you have a teacher? BTW, I know that you are friends with AmericanLola. Luanne is one of the people that lit my fire and got me to start learning. It might be nice if you could get Luanne to come by and offer some wisdom and interaction with the others there. If I am ever in CdO on a Saturday morning, I’d be happy to come to the class! It sounds fun.
Thanks again, Jim.
Hi Bob – When we started initially we had a teacher from CDO but due to obtaining sufficient regular students she gave up as it was cost based.
Marilou decided that rather than we give up she would take over the class until the numbers had built up to enable the former teacher to take over again.
There is a regular quorum of around 5 but there are signs of more people wishing to join us.
I must confess its the first time I’ve slept with my teacher.
Regards.
Jim.
Bad boy, Jim. Of course, if sleeping with the teacher leads to better grades… well… 😉
hi jim,
i recall you mentioning that you live in talakag— how long is the drive to CDO?
cheers,
Hi Biz Doc – From CDO city centre to Talakag is 33KMs thats about 40minutes drive on a very good road. I have done Talakag to Lumbia in 20 minutes at a push.
Regards.
Jim.
wow jim, 20 minutes to talakag from lumbia!
i grew up with the impression that bukidnon was a long way off, as my mom used to tell us stories about surviving WWII. whenever jap forces would hunt for them (her pop was an officer in the guerilla forces), they’d take deep cover in talakag. i haven’t been there yet, hopefully i get the chance to take a look sometime.
cheers,
Hi Biz Doc – I went to Talakag in 2006 or so, as I recall. It’s certainly a good place to have taken deep cover. It’s a charming little place. Bukidnon is, in my opinion, the second most beautiful Province in Mindanao. First in my book is Tawi Tawi. I do love Bukidnon, though.
Hi Biz Doc – Bukidnon is kind of split in two because of the fact it’s a mountainous province. Between Talakag and Malaybalay the provincial capital lies a canyon a mountain range of which Mt Kitanglad is part and several rivers. Once past Talakag if you continue on a not so good road towards Miarayon you would eventually reach Valencia at this point you’ve already left the mountains proper and reached the beginning of the valley leading towards Don Carlos. If the road I mentioned was ever completed it would give two options of getting to CDO from the extreme south of the province.
Regards.
Jim.
Hi Bob
Well done for sticking with the Bisaya. you will find Tagalog easier to learn now you already know some Bisaya, some of it is similar, some of it is totally different and sometimes the same word in Bisaya has a completely different meaning in Tagalog. We are coming out to Davao in January so maybe we can meet up again.
All the best
Malcolm
Thanks, Malcolm. Give me a shout when you are in Davao.
Hi Bob- I’m back! Well, my internet that is. Grr! Typhoon Pedring! He he. Anyway, congrats again! You know, 4 years of learning is like enrolling in 4 year course.. that’s quite long. You’re probably fluent now! 🙂
Hi Sugar- Welcome back to civilization! I hope you stayed dry. Thanks for your kind words. I’m not perfect, but I can handle myself in most any conversation! 😉
Hi Bob,
Congratulations! gikan sa imong maestra. Nalipay gyud ko ug daku nga nahuman na nimo ang imong pagtuon sa Bisaya, ug maayo sab ka kaayo nga estudyante. Padayon sa pakig-estorya ug pagpaminaw sa mga tawo nga naggamit niini nga sinultihan. (Congratulations! from your teacher. I’m so happy that you finished your Bisaya language study, you are also a very good learner. Continue in learning and listening to the people who are using this dialect.) Salamat kaayo
Salamat kaayo, Bebe. Ikaw sa pinakamaayong maestra sa bisaya! Salamat sa imong tabang sa miaging upat ka tuig!
Hi, Bob!
Greetings from Japan!
Congratulations for completing your Bisaya lessons! Wow, your efforts are obviously paying off! Good luck to your endeavors in learning Tagalog! I’m sure you’ll learn it pretty fast as Tagalog and Bisaya are closely related. (And which makes me consider learning Bisaya!)
We Filipinos are really thrilled when our foreign guests try to at least speak a few words of our native languages! But you accomplished even more than that! Mabuhay ka, Bob!
Thank you so much, JR.
Hi bob!
I’m a french expat in Cebu and desperate to learn Cebuano as well…i’ve been looking for days on the internet and can’t find any language school for cebuano… is Bebe in Cebu or Mindanao? and if she is in Cebu would you be kind enough to send me her number? (i’m sorry i was too lazy to read all the 74 posts!! hehehe). Anyway congratulation, you’ve achieved something that many foreign people dream of doing!!
Hi Astrid – I am sorry, but Bebe is in Davao. I would think it would be rather easy to find a cebuano teacher in Cebu, though.