Tag: ilokano

English

I’ve always thought that if you have good command of the English language, it will be enough to make you “global”. Hence, I did everything within my mighty power to learn English even though I abhor the intricacies of its “technical” aspect.

A lot of people say I speak and write English well… Hmm.… I might have succeeded in a certain way but I know in my heart that I still have a long way to go.

My accent turned topsy-turvy after communicating with people having various mother tongue such as:

  • Filipino (Ilokano, Tagalog, Bisaya, Ilonggo, etc)
  • Dutch
  • German
  • French
  • Singaporean Mandarin
  • Chinese Mandarin
  • Cantonese
  • Hokien
  • Bhurmese
  • Bhutanese
  • Nepalese
  • Indonesian
  • Malay
  • Arabic
  • Ethiopian Language
  • Hindi
  • Tamil

I usually adapt the most prominent accent but my tongue seemed be confused on what accent to follow. Strange huh? Even so, I did manage to improve my accent  slowly and it got better when I worked at HSBC. We were dealing with American clients, so, we were taught to neutralize our accent to minimize communication barrier. After a few months, I can already speak English with that American twang.

However, when I went to work in Singapore, I needed to unlearn that American twang and speak English the “local” way inorder to get the message across and minimize receiving blank stares. (See related article -> Singlish).

Now, I need to unlearn the Singlish and bring back the North American way of speaking English. It’s a work in progress and it’s a bit difficult because I’ve also adapted the unresponsive nature of Singaporeans. It’s a total struggle!

Looking at the brighter side of things, I know things will work well in the next couple of months. The naturally bubbly, giggly. and chatty me will soon surface.

How to think English is also added in my to do list. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not removing Ilokano and Tagalog in my system. I’m a Filipino and will always be. I just want to improve myself and make my Mama proud (wherever she is now).   (Note: Writing is given. :p)

Thus, my mantra now is:
“I must speak English and think English.”

Why don’t we do this together? Aja! 🙂

o.f.w. journey (part 1 of 2)

I was planning to work in Qatar but it looks like it’s not part of God’s itinerary for me. I felt that he was whispering to me, “My child, stay in Singapore for the moment”.  And so I did.

And the story begins…

I chance upon my fellow GI (genuine ilokano) and “dabarkads” (a.k.a. friend), James Lee, when I went to do my clearance in my previous work. He mentioned that his sister is working somewhere in Singapore and pointed out that maybe I can try my luck there. He was kind enough to refer me to stay and share the rent in his sister’s place while looking for a job.

I quickly grabbed the opportunity without weighing the pros and cons. All I wanted at that time was to  bounce back from the terrible and chaotic event that transpired. Moreover, I did not ask for money from my family because I knew that they also have their own financial obligations to settle. My little savings back then was not enough but I was not even worried.

As I think about it now, God sent an angel to help me with regards to money matters. No wonder I was not worried!  God is indeed very good!  Hence, I booked my flight and went to that part of Singapore with just few clothes in my luggage and no laptop at all.  It’s like going to a battlefield without firearms. Ha!

Furthermore, I haven’t seen Joan (James Lee’s sister) in person and in photo. So I had no clue at all on how she looked like. After a three and a half hour flight, I took a taxi from the airport to Joan’s place. I was a bit apprehensive because I felt like we were traveling in the forest with the trees looming at me. I had goosebumps but I tried to maintain a relax facade.

I relaxed a bit when the taxi finally dropped me off at the entrance of a building. A couple were sitting at the entrance. The girl looked like James Lee’s female version so I presumed that she’s Joan… and I was right.   

After sharing the sumptuous meal that they have prepared, I unpacked my stuff and then Joan and Jessie (Joan’s boyfriend) showed me around and taught me how to get to one place to the other. It was a long weekend when I got there, thus, most shops were closed including the money changers.

FYI: Joyce lent me her laptop (isn’t she an angel?  ) and told me to send my resume to at least 1000 employers. According to her the trend there is to apply online and only shortlisted applicants will be called for an interview.

Within two months, I must find a job and as well as get my work pass approved within that span of time. A real big challenge ey?

To be continued in a jiffy…  :p