Pinoy wats: it is not wrong grammar, it is propaganda

WATS OUT!!!

There is now a proliferation of Pinoy english word mishaps and I’d be lying if I tell people I don’t laugh my ass off reading them.

To whom do we give the blame? Most of the times, especially for people of the upper socio-economic strata, the blame must be impuned upon illiteracy. Blame it on high income inequality and high poverty rate.

Yes, Philippines is not known for its IQ (we are infamous for our untraceable diaspora). But no matter how funny or depressing reading words written in black, yellow or any bright colored spray paints available that says do not urinate in the wall, talk and teks etcetera, there is that cliche that everyone is free to fill in with there personal favorites (there’s ____ behind the clouds)

And as I see it, when i read ‘Pls. wats your step’ in a wall post at Tagaytay, I thought about its subliminal message: propaganda. Maybe on hindsight, these “mis” takes are made to show that we as Pinoys living in an neocolonial era of the United States have our own way of rebelling.

So maybe the real question that is posed for us to answer is: to whom do we give the credit? Thank you Melanie Marquez, you of all people seem to be the heroine.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT CORRECT GRAMMAR FOR THE SAKE OF THE UNITED STATES, WE ACCEPT IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO.

Although this article is written in English, pardon me I have a hard time writing in Filipino while thinking about words that would be most fitting to send my message across easiest, its purpose is to tell Filipinos that we are not illiterate in the context of the English language. If we wanted to be English literate, we’d cross boarders, ride boats and climb mountains but if we don’t, we write and say the bits and pieces that are left for us to know through media and WOM (word of mouth).

WATS YOUR STEP does not make Pinoys look any level lower than any other people. If in any case, it makes us a level above them because we reject what is not ours. If there is one thing we could reject it is their language. Since we already accepted the imported canned goods, Michael Jackson (Bless his soul) and Grey’s Anatomy, we must at the least accept the fact that we do not need to master the ‘universal’ language in such a way that made it look that our existence depended on it.

Wrong grammar, pronunciation or not; it does not define the person who delivers it. And this is my closest attempt to patriotism as I’m not an avid Pinor Pocketbook collector nor Lito Lapid movies fanatic. So next time you see funny killer pinoy doodles, feel free to laugh, just know who you’re supposed to dedicate those hahaha’s to.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaknownbaykneekon/3668776558/in/set-72157620704798956/

household burn-out

It is hard to become a mom, to everyone everyday. Sometimes you realize your only haven is the place you least expect to find happiness, the four walls (or let me say the many corners) of the university. I suddenly love having tedious work for my course, doing interviews, writing features and even being rejected as you do so.

At least after everything I know I’ve learned something. I get to experience something new, something challenging and something that will get my head out of thinking of going home. It’s not such a good idea, and I do start being smug.

It’s difficult for me to find fulfillment in my job as the caretaker of a pack of werewolves; (courtesy of twilight series i might add what i mean is I find it hard to go home very tired; find the house awry, cook dinner, teach my brother, wash the dishes and be bombarded with questions of what I’d be preparing for tomorrow’s menu. I sleep at around 1am rushing my papers, drinking coffee, monitoring the late news and preparing Josh’s uniform/

I wake up at 4.50 in the morning, drag myself out of bed, cook breakfast, cook Josh’s lunch and simultaneously dress myself up, print the paper I’ve done overnight and the worst part of it all is that if I’m not lucky enough its either one. my dad won’t be able to drive me down to MRT and it’s another 2km hike two. Chief Guya (I’m not sure) is late for work and I go do the hiking thing and three. not one good soul sees me walking numbly on the street and gives me a mercy-ride and do that hiking thing I’ve said twice before.

I’ve broken down a lot of times, so much so that my experience as a mom no longer became an opportunity but a responsibility, the kind that I’m very reluctant to have and very willing to pass over to the next man who would be very good and willing at the job. I miss my mom so much, I wish she’d just pass the bar and go down to Manila. I don’t get to talk to her a lot these days, because when I do I end up wanting the conversation to end my stress overcomes the many experiences I was preempting to share and ending up lost inside my head somewhere between the daily schedule and my stress boiling point. I miss my independence, my privacy, my drinking sprees, my smoke, my friends. I know I’m unreasonable but then who says I had to grow up overnight? I’m so used to thinking only about myself so it really is hard to give those all up. It’s hard to be more mature than your dad, than your bigger brother and be patient with your little brother who needs a 24/7 TLC. I hope the months go by I graduate and I have a life. It’s harsh but I just want to let myself accept the fact that I’m ungrateful, unhappy, now-discontented person. I am the kind of person I swore I won’t be, it’s sad and I guess I’ll learn to live through it all.I’m having a very hard time, I’ve forgotten to smile; when I do its because I’m out of the house trying to be happy once in a while. After a brief chance to freedom, I find myself going home and yes I end up smirking and the good thing is I now could pass for an actress, I sweat the small stuffs and cry a lot. It’s unhealthy and I know it God give me strength to go on, it’s a very long road i might say but once it ends I don’t want to have regrets maybe I just need to unwind and free my mind into the happy abyss i once was in.

“In life you can never be too kind or too fair; everyone you meet is carrying a heavy load. When you go through your day expressing kindness and courtesy to all you meet, you leave behind a feeling of warmth and good cheer, and you help alleviate the burdens everyone is struggling with.” — Brian Tracy

the belayer and the belayed

Note to self: Never believe everything your instructor tells you (especially maybe if your ages are almost read:almost of the same era(argh!))  And yes, thank your lucky stars that you are by far the second eldest in your group and you get your well deserved respect (haha!)

If any of these stuff annoy you well this was what happened, I woke up at 10 am knowing that my dad promised he’d do the laundry today (tendendenden!) well yeah, he did promise but under very obvious circumstances he left to pump gas and me do the laundry (why? why?).

Yes, it is alright and I do manage, but once I start doing chores, i tend to overdo it and to my brother’s, Joshua’s, disappointment; our regular (or their) swimming time was once again postponed (sorry).

We cleaned way too much that I forgot I had a 3pm make-up class but thank daddy for being my driver (we went vrooom!120kph with a horse power better than THE HORSE himself!*exaggerated for emphasis)

And yes, as expected; no quiz, no practicals, sheer practice and here a practice-command shouting or briefing, whatever

(THINK: I could’ve slowed down a bit and managed to thank dad for driving me to school but no, i was in a spur of panic attack for having no knowledge in the “said” exam and the stunt jumping itself (how i wish I’ve finished this subject a long time ago))

belayer: System up!

P (pulls rope up): rope down!

P (one meter from rope) : one meter backward!one step forward!get rope! Attach system!

P: Tension backward!break! Tension forward!break! Exit

P: Throw right! Break!Slanted L possion

P: One step down and practice jumping

SJ: Skip first panel!

P (does the jump and hopes she does the right fade-away stunts)

There!Now this is where I look when I need a codigo for that “expected” exam

Thank you intelligent blog system =)

It was fun, and now I’ve stopped screaming my brains-out and cursing all the mighty who-knows-who out there.

Someday, actually hopefully next Wednesday, I could run as fast as the lightning from Tomas Morato back to Commonwealth and do my practicals with confidence in my head  and precision at hand and do the jumps flawlessly or if that is too much to ask at least possibly pass (hehe.

“Practice makes perfect and perfect may never be achieved but then still practice anyway (haha)”

The journalists’ pen and paper

I have finally joined the bandwagon of my fellow journalists who have created their blogs in this site. And from now on I’d have a virtual room for excess emotional, academic and social baggage. Give me time and I’d categorize my blogs from current events, monitored news, ramblings etcetera but for now let the keyboard do the talking eh?