Superficial anatomy or surface anatomy is the study of anatomical landmarks that can be readily seen from the contours or the surface of the body. Ilocano 101: Superficial Anatomy is the study of these parts in its Ilocano term. To complete this list, I have to research for days. Hard, hard task … I just
Ilocano 101: Superficial Anatomy
Category: English, Ilocano, Language Notes, Learn Ilocano, Medium |
Tags: human anatomy, ilocano words, learn ilocano, study ilocano
Multilingualism
“Never make fun of someone who speaks broken English. It means they know another language.” Whenever speaking in English, many times my closest friends would catch me mispronounce a lot of words. They would laugh heartily as they constantly ask me questions leading to answers that would require me to speak the mispronounced word repeatedly.
Category: Language Notes, Learn Ilocano, Selections, Videos |
Tags: bilingualism, Filipino accent, Manny Pacquiao, Mickey Bustos, multingualism, Rex Navarette
The American ‘How are you.’ versus the Pinoy ‘How are you?’
This afternoon I saw a familiar face in the neighborhood and greeted, “How are you.” While saying it I kept on walking and by the time I was done, the guy was no longer in sight. That was the end of it. An initiation that was discontinued. If this was in Philippine context, it would
Ilocano Word for the Day – Balla
Balla (n) (adj)– means crazy or the crazy one. /bal-la/ with the stress on second syllable. Nagbalin nga balla kakapanunot. => Too much thinking made her crazy. => Naging sira ulo sa kakaisip. Ilocano => English => Tagalog Balla => crazy => luko-luko/siraulo
Category: Learn Ilocano, Word for the Day |
Tags: Filipino Ilocano, ilocano, learn ilocano, linguistics, study ilocano
Firth McEchern’s Language Policy, Rights and Diversity Updates
Naimbag a malemyo apo! Magandang hapon po! Good afternoon! Thank you for your interest in and dedication to language revitalization, rights, cultural democracy, diversity, mother tongue education, minority engagement, the Iloko language, other Philippine languages, or all of the above. As an important member of the community, please feel free to print and peruse the
Category: Language, Language Notes |
Ilocano Word for the Day – Bassit
Bassit (adj)– means small in size or quantity. /bas-sit/ with the stress on second syllable. Bassit iti lubong. => The world is small. => Maliit ang mundo. Ilocano => English => Tagalog Bassit => small/less => maliit/kaunti
Category: Learn Ilocano, Word for the Day |
Tags: Filipino Ilocano, ilocano, learn ilocano, study ilocano, tagalog
Ilocano Word for the Day – Bartek
Bartek (adj)– means drunkard. /bar-tek/ with the stress on second syllable. (v) – also means to get drunk Bartek (adj) iti ama na.=> His father is a drunkard. => Lasenggo ang tatay nya. Ilocano => English => Tagalog Bartek => drunkard=> lasenggo
Category: Learn Ilocano, Word for the Day |
Tags: Filipino Ilocano, learn ilocano, study ilocano, tagalog, USA
Rizal in New York
Did you know that when Jose Rizal was in New York in 1888 he stayed at a hotel along 5th Avenue which was considered one of the best in the City at that time?
Where the hotel stood is now present-day Madison Square Park where Fil-Ams in the East Coast celebrate the annual Philippine Independence Day.the Philippine National Hero,
To read more about Rizal in America, click here. This blog contains more links to Rizal’s Anglo-American travels and experience.
It is New York City for Rizal before he headed to London via steamship. Follow Rizal in this interactive travel log by the GMA 7 team.
Mabuhay Pinoy! Carlos P. Romulo
MABUHAY PINOY! contains Filipiniana tidbits and information showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Filipino people. ______________________________________ Read more
Category: English, Medium, Proud Pinoy, Selections, Stories |
Tags: Camiling, Carlos P. Romulo, ilocano, Tarlac, United Nations
My Little Blue Bird
hi, handsome bird.
your eye is filled with meaning that I cannot yet understand. your feathers of blue make me want to look at the sky and the sea more than i should have been through these years.
i very much admire how you proudly stand guard by your nest that you built prodigiously and patiently. i wish i can do the same for my future home …
i wish i can tell you how you make me smile every day i look at you …
and i wish you know how you remind me of how beautiful that mind is of whoever created you.
A picture of a blue bird borrowed online. The source is lost, but this blog site is thankful for the one who took the picture of this wonderful creature.
Category: English, Journal, Language, Medium, Photos, Reflections |
Tags: lenten prayer, lenten reflection, little blue bird
Himala
The frightening thought that age is catching up with me worries me every time I fall into the habit of comparing my generation to the youngsters now. It was the same way my Mom or Lola would elevate their times by discrediting ours. They would say:
“Kami noon pandesal lang at mga prutas ang baon okay na. Kayo paresto-restoran pa! Para namang kumikita na kayo ng pera. ”
“ Noong bata kami palaging may chaperone sa sayawan, ngayon kayo ang gagaling tumakas.“
“Sa paaralan namin noon walang calculator pero ang bibilis naming magcompute. Kayo may computer na pero ang bobobo nyo pa rin sa Math!“
I’m starting to sound like my Mom. I would tell my panganay:
“Kami noon walang facetime pero mas masaya kasi face-to-face interaction”.
“Noon malandi ka kung may boyfriend o girlfriend ka sa high school, ngayon kayo naglalambutsingan pa daw sa classroom sabi ng Madam mo.”
“Bastos na mga bata ngayon. Di na nagmamano at di marunong gumalang sa matatanda. Noon kabataan ko tatayo ako sa bus pag may matandang sasakay.”
The whole point is to prove that the past — the subjective past — is much better than the present, an aging ego’s favorite past time.
Tonight what triggered yet another sickening comparison was when I listened to ‘Himala’ by Rivermaya. Why Rivermaya, of all the 90s band? Not that I am a fan. They were just the first thing that crossed my mind because I keep seeing event posters of another contemporary band from the 90s — Side A — on my Facebook newsfeed. The band will have a reunion concert in New York soon. (I am not too fond of Side A Band so I contented myself with a Rivermaya song instead as a representative of that era.)
<Click here to listen to the song Himala by Rivermaya.>
Twenty years back I was singing popular love songs that mentioned conservative and religious notions such as ‘langit’, ‘himala’ (from Himala by Rivermaya), ‘Diyos’ (from Gary Valenciano’s Natutulog Pa ang Diyos) and even the phrase, “O, Dios ko!” (from Eraserhead’s Pare Ko). Eraserheads and Rivermaya are popular alternative rock bands in the 90s that were supposed to be satanic (backmasking scandal) and supposedly rakistas that are substance addicts as were de riguer for most band members then. And yet their songwriting is still deeply influenced by religion. That’s how spiritual we were then that even love songs were peppered with religious elements.
Last year my public schooled binata whom I see as the typical lad of their generation, cluelessly asked me this while pointing at the picture of Virgin Mary with a toddler baby: “Sino yang batang buhat-buhat ni Mama Mary?” Duh! Naloka ako!
Habang itinituro ang larawan ng Our Mother of Perpetual Help, ang tanong ng teenager sa akin, “Sino yang batang buhat-buhat ni Mama Mary?”
This is a true story that I keep on repeating to my contemporaries. At the very end of each kwento, I would blurt out with matching dramatic hand gestures, “Ano na ang nangyayari sa mga bata ngayon?” That said with the air of arrogance based on the biased notion that our generation is better.
In conclusion, given those songs as examples and even before I cared to listen to what the kids in the Philippines are listening to right now, I just feel like my time were much better than theirs.
Parang noong sa nanay ko lang. Tumatanda na talaga. Matigas pa ang ulo.
Les Miserables and Bonifacio
Truth be told, I watched Les Miserables not for its Hollywood trappings, but in memory of the heroism of the great Andres Bonifacio and the Katipuneros of 1896. Victor Hugo’s novel from which the musical, and subsequently the film, was based from was among the books that inspired Bonifacio to launch the Philippine revolution.
I didn’t sob as the blonde in front of me did neither did I feel sorry for the tragedy of Eponine’s unrequited love. I was focused more on the poverty of the times, and how social injustice can turn innocence into scum. I cringe at how women were punished more for indecency while men were condoned. I saw how children were unlikely victims of the abhorrent crimes, legal and social injustices. While reading the original french novel, Bonifacio probably drew similarities between the 18th century France and the 19th century Philippines that strenghtened (or inspired) his conviction to lay his life for the cause of the country.
After the movie, the song of the young rebels continues on in my head. I can just imagine the song coming out of Bonifacio’s mouth.
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!
On top of joining the movie audience’s collective sorrow for the death of the rebels, I felt pangs of guilt knowing that if I lived during Bonifacio’s time or had lived anytime when a revolution is raging, I would have been like those characters in the movie who chose to keep their doors shut behind any radical movement.
I’m an immigrant who chose to leave its country in turmoil, what would you expect?
The Supreme Leader of the Philippine Revolution Against Western Imperialism
Firth McEchern’s Language Policy, Rights and Diversity Updates
Naimbag a malemyo apo!
Magandang hapon po!
Good afternoon!
Thank you for your interest in and dedication to language
revitalization, rights, cultural democracy, diversity, mother tongue
education, minority engagement, the Iloko language, other Philippine
languages, or all of the above.
As an important member of the community, please feel free to print and
peruse the following Provincial Progress Reports (attached) about
language in education and other sectors at your leisure. If you are
checking this email on behalf of your superior, please pass the
attached Reports on to the owner of the email account as they arrive
each month.
As you may know, the Provincial Government of La Union, along with
partners from the education, religious, commercial, NGO, and media
sectors, has recently begun taking steps to improve its language
services, protect the Province’s Ilokano and IP linguistic and
cultural heritage, communicate more effectively with rural/poor
populations, help the Department of Education implement its new
nationwide policy “mother tongue-based multilingual education” in La
Union primary schools, and cultivate greater respect and
non-discrimination for the vernacular in various sectors. One recent
accomplishment on the legislative front, meanwhile, is the Local
Language (Iloko) Code of La Union.
If you want to find out more, have any questions, notice mistakes, or
have any suggestions regarding the Progress Report, please don’t
hesitate to contact me. We would also welcome any ideas as to how the
Provincial Government of La Union can improve its language, education,
and cultural advocacies, and how it can continue to involve more
groups around the Province and beyond.
Dios unay ti agngina (maraming salamat),
Firth McEachern
Consultant, Office of the Governor
Provincial Government of La Union
The Philippines
Email: firth.mce@gmail.com
Mobile: 0917-811-3221
Tel: (072)-700-3844
P.S. If you would like to distribute, borrow or adapt the material
(whether text or photographs) of these Reports, please ask first,
thank you!)
Category: Language, Language Notes |
Happy New Year!
Everything could have ended this year, but it didn’t. So this year I’m most thankful for having survived the Armageddon 2012. I expect more death defying struggles to come but with a powerful Ally up high, I feel secured knowing there’s an evacuation site behind those icy clouds. Even if Life decides to breakup with Humanity again — for real, at least I am well-rehearsed. Happy New Year, Pilipinas and New York! (Surely, morbid thinking is the highlight of 2012.)
Caring for the Elderly
While the rest of the world were partying for the new year, these daughters happily fulfilled their filial obligations. ‘Nanay’ is sick so like any true-blooded Pinoy anak, they were by her bedside. In the entire rehab of 8 floors, they were the only ones. I so admire Pinoy values especially when these are practiced outside the Philippines. Mabuhay ang Pinoy!
HOMBREBUENO sisters at their mother’s bedside on New Year’s eve
Category: Journal, Reflections |
Crucified Man Amongst Us
Brother Michael Lamantia’s Golden Jubilee
The Brazilian, Italian and Filipino faithfuls of Our Lady of Pompei Church came together to honor Bro. Michael Lamantia on his 50th anniversary as a religious brother under the Scalabrini Fathers. Commendable is Bro. Michael’s devotion to Pompei and Catholic faith that remain steadfast over the years. He renewed his vows of chastity, poverty and obedience on October 20, 2012. A walking ‘crucified man’ (someone who is ready to suffer as Christ did on the Cross) among us is indeed rare . Happy Anniversary, Bro. Michael! May more clergy serve as selflessly as you do to both Church and His community.
How Pinoys Conquer the Heat
Summer really made its presence felt right on its first day. June 20th recorded 95 degree Fahrenheit that felt more like 105, and today is much the same if not worse. Thanks for the airconditioner!
Back home in the Philippines, super malls are the greatest relief for Pinoys. As a college student back in the 90s, I remember hanging out in SM City Edsa to beat the heat. Aside from the centralized AC, the said mall has many attractions – movie theaters, bowling alley, bingo, salons, spa, gyms, art corners, seating/waiting area, concert venue, fast food, restaurants, bakeries, groceries, pharmacies, car park, and practically all sorts of stores, stalls and offices! Even doctors, dentists, and dermatologists! It’s truly living up to its tagline, ‘We have it all for you.”
The incinerating heat usually between the months of May to August was probably a major reason for the proliferation and continuing success of the record size malls in Manila that are so huge no American shopping malls can beat their size. The biggest mall in Northeast America, West Edmonton Mall in Canada, is merely 3.77 million sq ft with 800+ stores compared to the Philippines’ largest, SM City North Edsa ,5.2 million sq ft with 1100+ stores . New York City, a major contender for the title ‘the shopping capital of US’, doesn’t even have malls larger than SM City’s multi-level car park alone.
Wikipedia lists 6 Philippine supermalls among the top 25 in the entire world which is the largest number of any country. These malls are:
- SM City – Quezon City (3rd)
- SM Mall of Asia – Pasay (4th)
- SM Megamall – Mandaluyong(14th)
- SM City -Cebu (19th)
- Limketkai Mall – Cagayan de Oro (tie on 22nd )
- Greenbelt-Makati (tie on 22nd)
Wiki further writes:
The largest mall ever is South China Mall in Dongguan, China with a gross floor area of 892,000 m2 (9,600,000 sq ft). The world’s second-largest shopping mall is the Golden Resources Mall in Beijing, China with a gross floor area of 680,000 m2 (7,300,000 sq ft). The SM City North EDSA in thePhilippines, which opened in November 1985, is the world’s third-largest at 460,000 m2 (5,000,000 sq ft) of gross floor area, and SM Mall of Asia in thePhilippines, opened in May 2006, is the world’s fourth largest at 386,000 m2 (4,150,000 sq ft) of gross floor area.
One of the world’s largest shopping complexes in one location is the two-mall agglomeration of the Plaza at King of Prussia and the Court at King of Prussia in the Philadelphia suburb of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, United States. The King of Prussia mall has the most shopping per square foot in the U.S.
The most visited shopping mall in the world and largest mall in the United States is the Mall of America, located near the Twin Cities in Bloomington, Minnesota. However, several Asian malls are advertised as having more visitors, including Mal Taman Anggrek, Kelapa Gading Mall and Pluit Village, all in Jakarta, Indonesia, Berjaya Times Square in Malaysia, SM North EDSA in Quezon City, Philippines, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay, Philippines, and SM Megamall in Metro Manila, Philippines. The largest mall in South Asia is Mantri Square in Bangalore, India. The largest mall in Southeast is the SM City North EDSA, located in Quezon City, Philippines.
In conclusion, when it comes to mall sizes and free air conditioning while being entertained, it’s definitely more fun in the Philippines!
SOURCE: The List of The World’s Largest Malls
Category: English, Journal, largest malls in the world, Medium |
Tags: largest malls in the world, SM City Malls, Summer heat
