MAKIKIGAYA NA RIN: MY TAKE ON JAMES SORIANO'S CONTROVERSIAL ESSAY

Discussions over this essay by James Soriano entitled Language, learning, identity, privilege are ongoing on Facebook and other sites. At bilang tutulog-tulog sa pansitan, siyempre ako ay huli sa balita. Gayunpaman, naisip kong it was just another "talk of the town" at malamang lilipas din agad, kaya naman nakuntento na lamang akong i-click ang 'Like' sa isang stat re this, tulad ng madalas kong gawin kapag wala talaga akong masabi. Ni hindi rin ako naglaan ng oras para basahin ang sanaysay na 'yon noon, kahit na puro links niya at mga status ng FB friends ko about dito ang nakabalandra sa wall ko. Pero sa paglipas ng mga araw, lalo pang dumami ang links at lalo ring naging participative ang mga FB friend ko. Malamang seryoso, napag-isip-isip ko, dapat ko nang mabasa ang isang 'to kung ganun. Aba eh, seryoso nga! Kaya naman pala "nag-init" ang ulo ng ilan.

Medyo napataas din naman ang kilay ko, biruin mo eh hindi ko nga kayang gawin yun . May punto naman siya kung tutuusin, and we can't deny that. Malaki naman talaga ang papel ng ingles sa pagkatuto natin. Hindi man siguro lahat, pero karamihan sa atin eh nauna pang namulat sa "abcd" kaysa sa "abakada" noong nagsisimula na tayong "matuto." Pero hindi sapat ang mga dahilang tulad niyan, at walang sasapat kahit kailan, para tawaging "Filipino is not the language of the learned... Filipino was a chore, like washing the dishes; it was not the language of learning."

Kakatawang isipin na ang Filipino raw ay "language of the world outside... required to survive in the outside world." Hindi ba lahat naman tayo ay kumikilos sa outside world? Kakatakot isiping may sariling mundo pala ang ilan. Gayunpaman, bumalik din sa normal niyang ayos ang kilay ko nang aminin niyang isa marahil siyang "rotten fish." Alam din naman pala niya.

Napag-isip-isip ko tuloy, eh bakit ako rin naman eh halos mamilipit na ang utak kaka-ingles sa blog na 'to? Malansa na rin ba akong isda? Malamang. Ang lenggwaheng naging dahilan ng mangilan-ngilang mga papuri sa akin nung high school eh hindi siyang gamit ko rito. But I'm not in high school anymore. Ang totoo nang tumuntong ako ng kolehiyo, naging isang challenge sa akin ang pagsusulat sa ingles, higit lalo na ang maging articulate dito. Though I eventually got the hang of it, ika ba eh "learned the ropes." Well, hindi pa rin talaga siguro. Dahil second-language learner lang naman ako ng ingles. Hindi natural ang dating niya sa akin. Ito ang rason kung ba't ako may blog na nasa English.

Hindi ko 'to sinasabi bilang pagdepensa, nguni't bilang pagpapaalala sa sarili ko na kaya ako natutong mag-ingles ay dahil na rin sa pagiging bihasa ko sa Filipino. At maging magaling man ako sa ingles o hindi, matuto man akong mag-pranses o chinese o german man, alam kong babalik at babalik ako sa'king "dila." Ganun ka rin naman eh, Mr. Soriano.

BEING YOUNG @ HEART AND LOVIN' IT

Click and hold the arrow up. Okay, you're doing good. Then stop! Now turn a little bit to the right. A little bit. That's fine. Then go. Slow, take it slow. Okay, now stop. Make your tires parallel to each other and move back a little bit. Then move forward, slower this time. Be sure not to collide with those cars at the top! Go. Go. Stop. Check your tires. Continue. Go. Go. Move back. Okay, you're doing great. Be careful, be careful. Okay, you're gonna make it just in time. Don't be excited yet! Now check your tires. Move forward. A little bit more. Stop! Okay, now go for it. Slow. Take it slow. And....whoa! Yes!!! The result:


I actually thought I won't be able to win this Parking Perfection 2 flash game (my car's that purple one); it was not easy, mind you. It took a great deal of patience and perseverance on my part, having tried to have it done a loooot of times. I even remember jumping for joy upon seeing the message "Parked Perfectly" flashing on the computer screen, and even deemed it a Kodak-worthy achievement. What an awesome feeling, I thought, to be able to experience the joys of being a kid again at my age. I'm 24, but simplest successes like this one make my heart smile, even for a moment. And I'm glad that I don't need to look for big and really noteworthy things just to be happy.

What about you? What brings out the kid in you?

EVERY NEW BEGINNING COMES FROM SOME OTHER BEGINNING'S END

Today officially marks the second week that I've been in between jobs. Yeah, it has been two weeks since I said goodbye to my almost three-year stint with my first job and to being a part of the workforce, the HR pool of my erstwhile employer I mean.

It actually took me months mulling if I should still stay or not and when I finally decided to leave, it was as if the battle raging inside of me was likewise over.

I know this is not the best decision but I'm taking accountable for it. This choice nonetheless has afforded me a lot of time to assess things and to simply have a break; though I also know that I've got my family to thank for this, for letting me be.

I'm looking forward to a better me after this "hibernation" and to that "new horizon" prepared just for me. (ow there I go being sappy again!). Indeed, thank you for the three productive years… BWorld!