I Know I'm Not In America...
...when I'm walking down the street and see a tricycle (small motorcycle with a sidecar) with a PIG in the sidecar!!!
Use your imagination. I formally started my language training yesterday as I stated last time. Ilokano is one of the most difficult languages spoken in the Philippines. Here are a few phrases I've learned: Naimbag nga biget mo. (Good morning to you) Kumusta ka? (How are you?) Mayet. (Fine) Papanam? (Where are you going?) Idiay laeng (Somewhere) That's all I can remember for now. It's very interesting and my language facilitator is HILARIOUS.
Today we were working on a learning activity and she was observing. I was standing next to her and she asked me if she could ask me a personal question. Now a personal question to a Filipino is completely different than what an American would consider one to be. She asked me how tall I was! I chuckled and told her that was not a personal question at all. I told her I was close to 6'2" and she was excited to learn that I played volleyball and basketball. My language instructor's head comes to a couple inches above my elbow so I joked with her that she could be my arm rest. She's really a fun person.
Now, I have to explain what a normal question to a Filipino is. They have no problem asking you how old you are, what your religion is and why you're not married. As we all know, this would be taken the wrong way in the US if those were the first questions asked by someone you just met.
I also wrote that I will be heading to my host family tomorrow! How exciting...I learned a little bit more about my family today. I will be living with a woman and her two children. Her husband is working in another country so it will be just a few of us in the house. I can't wait to meet her and her children. I do admit that I'm a bit nervous about living with a host family since I never done this before. Just another new experience to add to the ever growing list!
Just a note to everyone who has written me! I may be having to change my email address since I haven't been able to find an internet cafe that lets Hotmail work properly on their computers. I'll post the change if there is one!
Use your imagination. I formally started my language training yesterday as I stated last time. Ilokano is one of the most difficult languages spoken in the Philippines. Here are a few phrases I've learned: Naimbag nga biget mo. (Good morning to you) Kumusta ka? (How are you?) Mayet. (Fine) Papanam? (Where are you going?) Idiay laeng (Somewhere) That's all I can remember for now. It's very interesting and my language facilitator is HILARIOUS.
Today we were working on a learning activity and she was observing. I was standing next to her and she asked me if she could ask me a personal question. Now a personal question to a Filipino is completely different than what an American would consider one to be. She asked me how tall I was! I chuckled and told her that was not a personal question at all. I told her I was close to 6'2" and she was excited to learn that I played volleyball and basketball. My language instructor's head comes to a couple inches above my elbow so I joked with her that she could be my arm rest. She's really a fun person.
Now, I have to explain what a normal question to a Filipino is. They have no problem asking you how old you are, what your religion is and why you're not married. As we all know, this would be taken the wrong way in the US if those were the first questions asked by someone you just met.
I also wrote that I will be heading to my host family tomorrow! How exciting...I learned a little bit more about my family today. I will be living with a woman and her two children. Her husband is working in another country so it will be just a few of us in the house. I can't wait to meet her and her children. I do admit that I'm a bit nervous about living with a host family since I never done this before. Just another new experience to add to the ever growing list!
Just a note to everyone who has written me! I may be having to change my email address since I haven't been able to find an internet cafe that lets Hotmail work properly on their computers. I'll post the change if there is one!
posted by Jody at
10:21:00 PM
