It all started when I got to watch Marco Polo The Musical and read somewhere that the actress playing the lady love of Marco Polo (played by David Bianco) will be debuting on Philippine theater through Marco Polo The Musical. The press releases said that she was once known as Kim of Miss Saigon (Germany leg) and was once Tuptim of The King and I. Other than those details, I know nothing about her. And then I eventually got to watch her play Princess Kogajin in Marco Polo The Musical and I realized that I am in love. Her name is Stephanie Reese. If you've been following my blog long enough to know how one blog entry is not enough for me to express how I enjoyed the musical, I found Reese's performance worth a blog entry of its own. Please excuse me while I go fangirling. It doesn't happen all the time that I get to watch a musical in the flesh (Marco Polo The Musical is my first ever live musical experience) and I even get to witness really, really, really amazing performances. It helped a lot that I sat on the front row of the theater enough for me to see her up close. On the other hand, had i been sitting elsewhere, I still could have spotted her onstage despite the petite frame. She's a firecracker onstage, a performance that matched the feisty character that Princess Kogajin exuded. This was when China was under the Mongols hence the relatively advanced intellect and fair treatment of women in society. While Princess Toragana (played by Nicky Trevino) was tall and regal with the way she exercised her royal duties. Princess Kogajin was headstrong to lead her own army her gender notwithstanding. The kind of performance that Stephanie Reese exuded in the musical makes you really root for Princess Kogajin - the kind that might even blow the Disney princesses out of the water. If Marco Polo The Musical is rooting for the European opera market, it helped their cause that someone of Stephanie Reese's caliber was given the role of Princess Kogajin in order to capture the market that longed for opera music. Every time I hear Reese sing, the last thing that comes to mind is pop music. This is so not pop music and I meant that in the best way possible. I partly admit that music today has a tendency to get me jaded (too many recording artists reliant on AutoTune) so hearing Reese sing is one of the reasons that made me believe in music again. (I prefer to discuss the other reasons in a different blog post hopefully). Will I ever see her again? I hope so. I felt bad that I didn't get the opportunity to have a photo-op with her after watching Marco Polo The Musical. (I hate my inferiority complex whenever it strikes the hardest). But I sure would be looking forward to the next performances here at Marco Polo The Musical hoping that she'd get to grace the role once more with her spark, feistyness and sheer vocal talent. Thank you, ma'am. It's an honor to have finally watched you on your Philippine debut. Don't forget to visit the official website of Marco Polo The Musical to keep updated with the next playdate. Thanks for reading.
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Prior to watching Marco Polo The Musical, I have a slight idea as to who Marco Polo is - a Venetian merchant that became a historical figure due to his daring attempt to navigate the seas and find better routes towards better international trade. Since Rustigielo's version of Marco Polo's biography has become the subject of controversy among historians, opportunities to speculate on what could have happened came about. This must have been the reason behind the concept behind Marco Polo The Musical - that young Marco Polo might have been motivated with intense inspiration to improve his status in life due to an affair that sparked up between him and one of Kublai Khan's daughters that remained nameless in historical accounts. News Flash: History is ALWAYS subject to getting questioned and doubted.This explained best why some Korean period dramas end up looking more interesting and intriguing than "historical accounts". This is also why fan fiction proliferated online - some writers knew that there must have been a better version to any story narrated whether on the silver screen or at the boob tube. You may not totally grasp what really is it about the story that doesn't seem right but you knew there must have been a juicier, meatier account to the things that just transpired. And going back to Marco Polo, could there be really a reason why some of Kublai Khan's relatives or family members remained nameless throughout history? If you're nerdy enough to bother about Asian history, you know real well that the Mongolians' hold on China didn't last very long. Chinese dynasties returned and tried rewriting history ... well at least they tried. Another pointer worth mentioning whenever writers exercise their creative freedom in writing historical fiction is the conundrum once raised among critics that didn't like the historical deviations that occurred in the film "Elizabeth". Were the Elizabeth movies historically accurate to begin with? No. Does that make the performance of Cate Blanchett bad? Of course not. This is the same observation I noticed about Marco Polo The Musical. The fictional characters may have outnumbered the actual historical figures portrayed in the musical but it never turned out to be a bad thing for the musical as a coherent whole. From Marco Polo to Princess Kogajin to Lord Tegan, you know that beneath the glossy veneer is a courtroom intrigue that just waited to explode until that climactic scene where the Mongolian princess eventually had to decide between following her heart and keeping the peace by balancing the powers-that-be. between the territories. It's tough but some sacrifices had to be made. Don't worry. I won't post spoilers here knowing that there is still subsequent performances worth looking forward to. No news as of yet as to when the next stop be after the world premier held last February 8, 2014 at the Meralco Theater, Ortigas, Pasig City, Philippines. I had fun watching the play and chances are you would enjoy watching it too. To keep yourself posted with the latest updates about Marco Polo The Musical, might as well check out their official website here. Thanks for reading.
At the moment that I was prepping up to watch my first ever theater play, it dawned on me how some countries like South Korea and Thailand have turned to the arts and entertainment for products to export and ail the economy since DVD copies of their films and TV drama series are tangible products worth exporting too. Some local television networks have taken advantage of this business strategy too and it only came naturally for me to see Philippine theater following suit. Here's the thing - it's still a different matter altogether whenever it's a locally-penned musical that gets exported with the Filipino cast along with it as compared to importing Broadway or West End musicals aired on local theaters with Filipinos included in the cast.. You know what I'm saying? The Filipino performer is naturally talented, gifted even. Our talents are not limited to providing the manpower needed to bring a musical to vibrant and vivacious life. We can write our own material as proven with the recent musicals released like Zsa Zsa Zaturnah Ze Muzikal and Rak of Aegis. Both musical plays may have been in Tagalog but that only shows the ingenuity of Filipino writers. Philippine theater has the capability to go global and it seems as if everyone is just waiting for somebody to step up to the plate. Artists Theater Company accepted the challenge and put their best foot forward in order to come up with a Philippine-produced musical that would be launched in the Philippines and followed with an Asian tour - a move I highly laud knowing that the Filipino can do better as long as the guts to accomplish it exists I think that's the appropriate term to use when doing something daring: guts. No guts, no glory indeed. I was discussing this over with a friend online about the opportunity for Filipinos to go global with the help of originally-produced theater productions. Although I agree with her about having some Filipino-based stories for the sake of showcasing the beauty of our culture and how certain misconceptions still persist in being Filipino, Marco Polo The Musical is still a commendable first step worth taking in order to prove to the world that the Filipino artistry is not in supplying the manpower alone when it comes to musicals. Like what I wrote above, we can write our own material. Going global with the help of going local gives a new positive spin on going back to your roots in order to rediscover your own history. I think it also helped that such opportunities spark up the nationalist in me. Why not take the world by storm one Philippine production at a time? For inquiries, please visit the official website of Marco Polo The Musical for details.
A topic that can't be helped but be discussed in Asian culture is marriage. In my review of Marco Polo The Musical, I liked the way how the concept of getting married is discussed and that includes politics. But what if you're a woman and you're relatively accomplished in a way that is at par with men (if not better)? Princess Kogajin (played by Stephanie Reese in the musical) is welcome to the idea until she met Marco Polo. Marco Polo The Musical is itself based on a "what if" conundrum regarding how close he got to Princess Kogajin. This brings us to another "what if" - What if Kogajin insisted on staying single? Would subjects of the empire dare classify her among the "leftover women"? I am reminded of the constant questions thrown in my way every time the folks that I get to talk to learn that I am 30 years old and still single. I do understand the "Kawawa ka naman" looks they give me every time it becomes a conversation starter. In Asia where 30 is might as well be the new 50 when it comes to marrying age, The older you get, the lower the chances of getting married get. You end up getting classified among the "leftover women". Believe it or not, the option of NOT getting married exists but mostly for free people like us not imposed with the pressures of politics and filial duties if they also exist in your family. But in the case of imperial children like Toragana (played by Nicky Trevino) and Kogajin, either they embrace their fate or just go full metal rebel and fight for the right to choose whomever you wanted to marry (or choose NOT to marry either). That's also when almost everything dawned on me - when you say gender equality, it may also mean giving women the option to say "no" to marriage. At this point, some of you may be calling me a "matandang dalaga" now (yeah, at 30, bring it on). It may be because no man is good enough (not always true because you have a lot of men that you can date, just don't expect nice turnover ratio). It may be because the joys of dating have been exhausted so far and you still end up dating dickheads. And in the case of Kogajin, majority of the men in her area are scumbags that are more concerned about banging every princess available and collecting concubines. But does that mean we should start generalizing the single women into bitter bitches with too much content between their ears and no lovelife to speak of? No. Neither is it acceptable to brand women as too broken-hearted and jaded in love to even think of getting married again. I know of some women that got jaded with the concept of falling in love but got married anyway just for the sake of bearing children. At least they have companions to carry them to old age. Women get married but not always for the right reasons. That's why the possibility of growing old alone - separated, annulled, divorced, widowed - has become an option too. What more for women that never got married in the first place? Women get into a relationship but don't get married right off the bat. You only have yourself to blame anyway if you ended up marrying the wrong guy and getting stuck in a loveless marriage just for the sake of "duties". You always have the option; you just don't stick to it long enough perhaps. Unlike Kogajin, I have the choice to stay single or get married. I'm not a royal. The last time I checked there aren't any many native royals in the Philippines anymore. I am not a politician's daughter although I am constantly reminded to dress a certain way "befitting my stature in society" (whatever that means). I still get obscure looks from friends and acquaintances regarding my status as a single person for my age. I would be lying if I say it hasn't gotten into me to a certain extent but well, what's a provinciana got to do but shrug it off, right? Marriage has become a calculated risk in itself, sorry for sounding jaded. If you marry for love, good for you. Maintaining the love for the next decade would be a major challenge to hurdle though. "I love you" uttered today will not always mean "I love you" tomorrow or 4-5 years from now. But if you stay single for an age older than mine and it's your choice (and you're happy) who am I to judge you? Love is not always a good reason to get married. So is fear of growing old alone and lonely. Don't forget to visit the official website of Marco Polo The Musical. Thanks for reading.
Knowing how talented most Filipinos are in terms of musical theater plays, it should not be surprising to find so many of them in international productions, enough to be put in a Filipino-produced musical play of itself. Have you ever wondered if an initiative to export any of the Filipino-produced musicals came up as an idea? I know the nationalist in me would flare up once again in a good way knowing that while it almost became a trend to import Broadway musicals, Artists Theater Company took the initiative to start exporting a musical in order to bring in the total package - we need to start writing and producing our own musicals, not just the talents. We often took pride in the fact that Filipinos often bag major roles in international musicals. Can't we write our own destiny? To rephrase a line from Marco Polo The Musical itself, "We do not write our own destiny" but with the way things turned out for most of the characters after watching this production, it's like the characters themselves found a way around it. I agreed to watch the musical with an open mind and lax reference to history. The beauty about watching productions with the theme historical fiction is that you get to play around the speculations that rose to the surface at the time that historical events occurred. Besides, history is often written in the point of view of the victors so that alone should give you reason to question more. What if Marco Polo (played by David Bianco) indeed fell in love with Kublai Khan's daughter, Kogajin (played by Stephanie Resse)? Will it matter? Does it change anything? It's easy to understand the intriguing premise that this musical offers since much of what is written about Marco Polo's life is based on how he narrated his life to Rustigielo of Pisa (played in this musical by Chinggoy Alonzo). Once some historical accounts get so much contention in terms of historical accuracy, you've got some stories written on your head. Turn it into a script, add in music and hire some actors and you've got a musical rough draft. (It's just a speculation on my head on how a musical is conceptualized. I've never written a musical myself and never got past fan fiction so please don't take my word for it) The story is something not many may find new but often times, blokes like me are just looking if ever some tricks are applied on the story in order to make it more palatable to modern times. And halfway through the story (or should I say on Act 1), I realized that this is a Disney-flavored unauthorized period-version of Mano Po*. After watching the whole show, I told to myself "This is what Mano Po could possibly look like if they took the period drama look instead of deteriorating into a series on Chinese-themed movies". Yes, Marco Polo is relatively honest about how they treat marriage - a political affair instead of it being a romantic one. When the engagement of Princess Toragana (played by Nicky Trevino) was discussed by the characters, they viewed it more as a pragmatic solution to the balance of powers among the Mongol elite. Being a woman can really be at a disadvantage since you often just end up as pawns for politics through marriage. The princess sung about being loved and respected as a wife and as queen consort for the kingdom she will be relocated after the wedding. That's the expectation. But since she doesn't feel so bad about it, you can readily tell how she immediately captured the concept of politics through marriage. Princess Kogajin, on the other hand, was steadfast in saying that she doesn't plan to marry any of the Mongol warlords just for the sake of balancing the powers. And I see myself agreeing with the disgust on using marriage as the ultimate tool for peace talks. (Marriage is not often the solution to wars. Sometimes it is the cause) What is it exactly about her disgust with the Mongol warlords (apart from them being presumed as dicks based on her visible disdain of them)? She can't see herself as a concubine for Baron Tegan (played by Kuya Manzano), already married to a Persian royal but is dying according to his fellow noble, Baron Togachar (played by John Alaras). She also found the pesky baron too old for her. She used the term "twice her age", another claim that's very much open to presumption. Where does Marco Polo sit in the middle of all of these intrigue going on once he really pushed for that trip to Cathay (modern day China) with his father, Niccolo (played by Brent Metken) and his uncle, Maffeo (played by Miguel Faustmann) Arrangements were done with the prelates that unfortunately can't provide much in terms of manpower but had the "decency" to give Marco Polo mentors to train him how to preach to a civilization halfway across the Pacific. If ever you sensed something that wasn't so right, then it might be story-wise. Last minute shipping changes pushed Marco Polo to convince his guardian, Enzo (um, I can't find the name of the actor playing him, help please), to literally change course and take advantage of the fact that Niccolo and Maffeo are too busy to notice them missing. It was risky and Marco Polo was very much aware of that fact but he's really out to prove to navigators at that time that another route could be used en route to Cathay. If you're really set out to be a sea-based explorer, nothing can really faze you. Chances are you might even discover your destiny and it turned out to be in the person of Kogajin. When the friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship, while Kublai Khan (played by George Yang) and his wife, Empress Wu (played by Pinky Marquez) are pragmatic about it, they never took it seriously knowing that Kogajin could still be married off to someone else like Baron Tegan. The way the story is written, sometimes it comes across that Kogajin is planned on being married off to Baron Tegan so he would stop throwing his weight around the territories. Ugh, warlords ... The moment Baron Tegan used the race card in order to oppose Kogajin's relationship to Marco Polo, you realize how some folks enjoyed being evil. Now I need to stop myself from posting spoilers knowing that the production behind Marco Polo still has an Asian tour to handle and if I post a little too much, teasers might not work anymore. It's an issue I have about some trailers anyway (the uncontrollable urge to post too much information, leaving not much to the imagination). So let's tackle on the artistic merits of Marco Polo The Musical. Most of the actors/actresses sing and act good. It's one thing to be a good singer and another to be good at musicals. There are some folks that can sing well when given the chance. But the true talented folks know how to infuse the emotions into the song as required in the scene or the story. I admit that I was off-put by some of the song numbers in Marco Polo The Musical because I can hear some awkward notes. Not bad notes. I don't want to call them flats; I don't even know how to describe what a flat is. I don't sing good myself. Watching Chinggoy Alonzo at Marco Polo The Musical made me a fan and realized how the theater suited him well and how most roles he played on primetime soaps barely scratched the surface on the kind of talent he can exude in theater (News Flash: Most theater professionals get criminally underused in primetime soaps in favor of "homegrown talents"). Playing the narrator, Rustigielo of Piza, has its perks including the opportunity to portray multiple roles as a guarantee of Rustigielo's promise in the prologue that he will be with the audience "every step of the way". And he can change his voice and accent depending on the role assumed at the time all in the same night. If that hasn't impressed you, go rewatch it. Kuya Manzano is playing the villain ... again. Not that I am sick of it but it must have been because of his strong facial features and sinister smize (a term coined from America's Next Top Model meaning "smile with your eyes") that often get him placed in roles like these. And yes, he can flash that kind of smile that gives you the initial impression that this man is the spawn of the Devil and is never apologetic for it. But the twist in the performance is that every performance is distinguishable from each other. His villain role here at Marco Polo The Musical is the politically strategic kind of evil compared to Supremo (he's the cartoony kind of villain there) and Katipunan (restrained, conflicted and broken). Here's to hoping that he keeps the role of Baron Tegan for the rest of the Asian run. While almost every actor wanted to be the star, when the need for someone to play the bad guy arises, Kuya Manzano rises to the occasion. Pinky Marquez made me like Empress Wu as one of my fave characters in Marco Polo The Musical. As a mother, she doesn't smother to think that the character is the direct descendant (or so the story told) of the Chinese royals. It's a refreshing take on the Chinese motherly image instead of the conventional character seen in the Mano Po franchise or soaps that portrayed Chinese mothers as ridiculously strict on their children. (Media has its not-so-subtle way of presenting stereotypes) Empress Wu is the kind of mother that will not stop you from following your heart but in the subliminal tradition of mothers playing a guilt-trip on their children, she used her own aborted love life as a reminder to them that more often than not, we don't write our own destiny. Apart from her being still an amazing theater actress, the little things that she did make her look very motherly in a touching way. I feel stupid that I only knew about Stephanie Reese through Marco Polo The Musical. I was imploding inside every time I see her onstage and switch from a feminist princess commander to a lovestruck princess. My fave scene was when Kogajin was talking to Marco Polo only to remove her helmet later and let her long hair flow down. If you know how to read body language, it's basically "I'm a girl. Don't let the armor intimidate you." You know about how some women smile and they end up having this ridiculously saccharine sweet smile every time they are with the person that they love? That's basically what Kogajin's smile ended up looking like. It's the passive aggressive kind of flirting. If ever there is one performer here at Marco Polo The Musical that exuded the aspect of physical acting best here, it's Stephanie Reese. You stare at her not because you're interested to hear what she wanted to say but you want to read the body movements that betray the things that she is saying. It's amazing how she can be so transparent without playing the "pakipot"* card in courtship. And of course, the title role, Marco Polo himself. Not familiar as well with David Bianco and he exuded the youthful vibe of Marco Polo, a trait that usually comes with optimists whatever the age they may be. His singing voice reminded me of Disney princes. It helped a lot that he can sing well and knew the kind of emotions to infuse into the songs based on the scene that requires it. So far it's just the world premiere that I just watched, a decision that turned out to be a really good one. I see this production becoming big and a good start to exporting Filipino-produced musicals - a much needed shot in the arm for the Philippine theater community facing formidable competition from imported musicals and also a big proof that talent still trumps over looks. This is the first time I ever watched a musical in the flesh, a welcome respite from the days that I could only watch musicals through YouTube or the DVD player (introvert problems). I recommend it to everyone that believes that Filipinos can produce a quality musical worth exporting worldwide. Say hello to globalization and Filipino musical theater is more than ready (years ago, really) to take on the stage. "What's there beyond the Silk Road Story?" - a question that might as well be applicable to Filipino ingenuity and artistry, just change "Silk Road Story" to "worldwide". If the Polo Caravan had the guts to navigate the world with the help of sheer talent and confidence, what more for Filipinos craving for serious global recognition in the musical theater scene? The harvest is ready. For more inquiries, visit the official website of Marco Polo The Musical. * Mano Po - a series of annual Metro Manila Film Festival entries that often featured lives of modern day Filipino-Chinese community, mostly about conflicts that arise whenever a Chinese offspring gets into a relationship with someone outside of their race
* pakipot - Filipino term for "hard-to-get", a ploy some girls/women use even today just to test how serious a prospective lover is in pursuing them I grew up knowing certain dishes' names as a kid not knowing that some of these are Spanish-inspired dishes, taking the Spanish dish's name with it. As I get older, some of these dishes became obvious to me as native to the Philippines, dish name included. Something tells me it's the kind of dishes that get the Philippines featured on Fear Factor ... ... kidding! It's just "balut" that got featured on Fear Factor so far. I eat balut whenever I feel like it and never get paid for it yet their contestants compete to eat "balut" for a prize money worth $50,000.00. Whatever happened to social justice. Well, before we explore further the popularity or infamy (depending which side are you on) of "balut", let's also discuss the other native foods found here in our beloved country. "Kinilaw" according to the website KinilawMix.com, is "the art of staying fresh". This dish is usually cooked not over fire like an earthen stove or even the modern cooking appliances that we have now but with the help of vinegar. If ever there is one dish that explained best about the potent acidity levels of vinegar, it's "kinilaw". You find the courage to eat raw fish or other seafood with the help of the kinilaw recipe (and it doesn't taste THAT raw either, thanks to vinegar) "Dinuguan" is loosely translated into "pork blood stew" because that is whatit really is - meat cooked in pork's blood. It's one of the Filipino dishes today that caused some restaurants to allegedly sell pigs' parts that they usually throw away. Filipinos like to eat and waste food away. So it doesn't surprise locals like me to find pig's blood, knuckles and intestines cooked for daily consumption too. In "dinuguan", pork's intestines often serve as ingredient extenders too. Speaking of knuckles, this brings us to another fave of mine, the crispy pata. "Pata" in Tagalog means "pig knuckles. "Pata" is also what some of my friends called my thighs because I am fat. Even Filipino food enthusiasts often call this dish as "sinful" knowing that most of the fat can be found in this particular part. This is why whenever cooked into crispy pata, it ends up becoming the tastiest pork dish ever in my opinion. It's perfect for Red Horse drinking sessions with friends. Click here to view crispy pata recipe. Some of the best dishes in the Philippines are brought about by ingenuity and practicality. It's easy to understand the popularity of balut as a delicacy. Apart from being a tasty snack, duck meat is at its nutritious when still in its unborn or un-hatched phase. It's also known as "pampatigas ng tuhod" (makes the knees durable) which might also caused the rumor that "balut" is an aphrodisiac. What else would you need those durable knees for? I plan to cover this topic more in the succeeding blog posts knowing that there are still a lot of Filipino food worth tackling. I just need to come up eventually with better photos (photos that don't contain copyright watermarks hopefully). To keep yourself updated with the latest blog entries about learning Tagalog, just subscribe to my newsletter. Thanks for reading.
I think the biggest advantage I have found in using my blog as a free language tutorial resource online is that I find the freedom to express my thoughts and use it as basis for the lesson I plan to draft for the day. Let's face it - at school our teachers try to put up a front that everything is okay and that they need to be professional. But sometimes, it cannot be helped that pent up frustration and stress at home gets carried over at work. And because of that, I would admit that something is bothering me now - an ex is bugging me for another meet-up. My friends knew about him and I sensed certain alarms within the relationship that I deliberately ignored because I loved him too much then. The final straw was when a Twitter word war ensued and he defended the girl that attacked me (the girl who introduced herself as the legal girlfriend). Whatever.
Let's focus on the lines that hit me the hardest. Kung magkikita tayong muli - "Kung" means "If" or "If ever"; "magkikita" means "will meet"; add "-ng" to the Tagalog pronoun "tayo" to connect it to the direct object "muli" since this pertains to the possibility of meeting again Hayaan mo - Technically, "Hayaan mo" means "Let it be" but in this song, since it is used as an assurance that the girl will not cause trouble after an accidental meeting made awkward, it is translated to "Don't worry". It made sense since whenever you "let it be", the practical reaction is that you "don't worry". Di kita ibubuko - "Di" is short for "hindi" which means "no" or "not" depending on the sentence which it is used. "Ibubuko" is the future tense of the root verb "buko" (stress applied on the second syllable) which means to get somebody busted or squeal on them. Since there is an assurance of the girl not squealing on the boy, the Tagalog object pronoun "kita" gets used in this sentence. "Kita" gets used when in a subject-verb-agreement, 2 points of view are involved = the first person as doer of the action or non-action stated in the sentence and the second person as the receiver of the action or non-action stated in the sentence Sino mang kasama mo - "Sino" means "who". The suffix "-man" is occasionally added to the end of the word in the same way that the English word "ever" is added to the word "who". Since Tagalog grammar sometimes shortens some words to form new words, the Tagalog word that comes out of this alchemy is "sinuman". "Kasama" means companion although in this case, it can also mean date since some couples that can't describe their Facebook status yet at the moment don't call certain appointments as "dates" so the safe word often used is "kasama". The Tagalog object pronoun "mo" is written after "kasama" to come up with the translation "your companion". "Sino mang kasama mo" or "Sinumang kasama mo" are both applicable terms to use for this song. Minahal mo 'ko noon - "Minahal" is the past tense (ouch) of the word "mahal" which means "love". Add an apostrophe to "ko" to indicate that it's an abbreviation of the Tagalog pronoun "ako". "Noon" (pronounced as /no-on/) means "then" or "in the past" (ouch again) May pangakong kailanman - "May"means "There". "Pangako" means "promise". If the noun is ahead of the adjective or adverb in a Tagalog sentence, just add the suffix "-ng" to the noun if it ends in a vowel to connect it to the next word. Since there is no direct translation for the irregular verb "is", sentence construction becomes "May pangakong kailanman" that means "There is a promise of forever". At minahal din kita noon - "At" means "And" in Tagalog. In this song, this is obviously mentioned in connection to how love used to exist between the lovers before (ouch). "Din" is loosely translated as "too" in Tagalog, a word often added when something agreeable is mentioned. Earlier stanza said "Minahal mo 'ko noon" and the girl in the song "At minahal din kita noon" to imply that the feeling is mutual Ngunit iyong napabayaan - "Ngunit" is the native Tagalog version of "but" although conversational Tagalog would often use the Spanish derivative word "Pero". "Napabayaan" is from the word "pabaya" which means "negligent" so "napabayaan" is often translated as "got neglected".Since this stanza is connected with the previous one, these 2 stanzas can be treated as one sentence "At minahal din kita noon ngunit iyong napabayaan" meaning "And I loved you too then but you got me neglected". At ngayon "Tapos na tayo" ang iyong sinasabi - Technically, "Tapos na tayo" can mean "We are done doing something" or "We are finished". In breakup scenarios, "Tapos na tayo" means 'We are through". The breakup expressions "It's over between us", "We're breaking up", "Let's break up" and "It's over" get used too. When some intimate conversations start with "Tapos na tayo", expect a barrage of questions to follow. Kaya't wag kang mangangamba - "Kaya't" is an abbreviated term for "Kaya at" but it's not often used (perhaps depending on the person speaking this). "Kaya" means "so". "Wag" is abbreviated term for "huwag" meaning "do not" or don't". "Mangangamba"is from the word "pangamba" which means "worry" so "mangangamba" means "will worry". Put these terms together in a sentence and the thought becomes "So don't worry" Di na 'ko aasa magkita man tayong muli "Di na" is short for "hindi na" which means "not anymore". When applied on a verb like "aasa", the sentence pattern or syntax becomes ["Di na"] [insert Tagalog object pronoun here] [insert Tagalog verb here] I would like to apologize if I ever dampened your spirits for the Valentine season. I just need to get this out of my chest knowing that as much as I would like to move on, it's better to address my feelings than pretend that I am okay and I am not affected with what my ex has been doing a few days ago. I hope I got to use whatever emotional pain I am going through at the moment to channel it into my lessons without having to suffer the same predicament that some of my teachers then went through. If ever you would like more of these type of lessons, don't hesitate to subscribe to my newsletter to keep yourself updated with my latest blog entries. Maraming salamat po.
Just in case my Learn Tagalog section here at Weebly looked a little wobbly, my apologize. I try to make up from that mistake by trying to get some entries organized in my newsletter. Also, in the middle of writing some lessons here, I realized that I haven't taught the unique aspect of "we" and "us". In Tagalog grammar, it's not simply "we" and "us". The tribal nature of Filipinos tend to show with the choice of words used like "kami" as opposed to "tayo", "amin" as opposed to "atin" and "namin" as opposed to "natin". "Kami" and "Tayo" are more like subject pronouns when applied in sentence construction. "Namin" and "Natin" are either object pronouns or possessive pronouns depending on the usage granted that you get to hear these words and understand the manner with which they are used. Unlike in English, you can't immediately tell if "We" includes "You". If you've had your share of teen drama flicks, you would find this concept very similar to clique-y environments where some alpha males and alpha females are fond of excluding individuals from their circle of friends. (They have reasons I prefer not to delve) In Tagalog, the lines are drawn with using "kami" as in "kami lang" (just us) when the person talking found pleasure in rubbing the point to your face (Burn!) Now the moment the pronoun "Tayo" is used, that signals it best that you are welcome to the circle of friends. You are welcome to the tribe. Chances are you might even be welcome to the family. "Tayo" is often used in situations where everyone's effort and contribution is encouraged. This is also used when you don't want everyone else to be left out in the cold to fend for themselves. As much as Filipino culture has clique-y tendencies, everyone is welcome as much as possible.
The concept of "we" and "us" flows over to the pronouns "atin/amin" and "namin/natin". When translated in English, both mean "our" and "ours". Let's differentiate these 2 possessive pronouns common used as subjects in a Tagalog sentence.
When trying to expand the use of either "amin" or "atin" as part of the subject in a Tagalog sentence, just add the suffix "-g" at the end of both words and connect it to the noun or item pertained to as the property.
And now we shift to the pronouns commonly used as objects in a sentence that usually expresses ownership or possession of things.
Notice how the English translations are not even any different from one another. These pointers usually highlight the tribal and possessive aspects of being Filipino in appropriate situations. At first it may seem like we like to keep to ourselves as a community but this is also where our ability to be polite and know where to place ourselves in certain situations are put to the test. As much as Filipinos have a concept of camaraderie, being polite (but not to a fault) still makes the difference. If you are new in town, you don't just insert yourself in situations without knowing first if you are welcome or not., right? Filipinos usually live in a tightly knit community hence the term "pakikisama" (camaraderie). You are welcome to join in the fun without having the inconvenience of being "too close". No need to butt in where you shouldn't be. That's being rude. I hope this lesson was of help to you. Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to keep yourself updated with the latest Tagalog lessons online. Thanks for reading.
I just realized how there are a lot of words in Tagalog that are spelled the same but are differently pronounced. There isn't much to fuss about since it just usually boils down to syllable stress. The concept of syllable stress in teaching languages is an underrated aspect when it comes to learners constantly on the hunt for learning a new language to explore. Thankfully, it's relatively easy for Tagalog as long as you have a concept of pronunciation in Tagalog. For example, the word "kaya". There are 2 ways to pronounce this word. The trick just lies as to which syllable should you emphasize:
Let's use KAYA in several sentences then for a better simulation of the word usage:
Now let's use KAYA in several phrases for the second definition:
In the middle of writing this lesson, I realized the pointers that I haven't taught in this blog yet - the concept of "we excluding you" and the concept of "we including you" - a unique feature of Tagalog grammar worth exploring on the next lesson. Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to keep in tab of the latest Tagalog lessons from me and you'd get a nice idea of what made Tagalog pronouns unique from other languages. Thanks for reading
What made most Asian languages unique to Western languages is the use of polite articles. This is simply not about the formal and informal variations of a language. We are talking about the respect accorded to elders and persons in authority. This is why in almost all of the Filipino language instructional modules, the lessons involving the appropriate use of the words "po" and "opo" are included in the lessons. "Opo" is the respectful version of "Oo" which means "yes" in English while "po" doesn't have an English equivalent. If ever I encountered an equivalent in other languages that I reviewed, it's in Korean and that word is "yo" a polite article added usually at the end of the sentence when talking to the elderly or persons in authority. In Nihonggo (the official language of Japan), compared to Tagalog it is a lot more complicated knowing the levels of hierarchy to consider when picking a grammatical variation. So we can go ahead and start switching some expressions into polite versions. Since "opo" is the self-explanatory part, we'd go forward with the "po" variations. "Pasintabi po" is the more generic expression compared to "Makikiraan po" which can be translated as "May I pass?" "Makikiraan po" is more often heard in flea markets like Divisoria where crowds are pressed against one another and you really need to speak a little louder just so the crowd would be informed that you will pass. "Pasintabi po" on the other hand is an expression you usually hear on the bus, on the jeep or vehicles used for public transportation where you run the risk of getting cramped like sardines. "Kumusta" can also be written or spoken as "Kumusta ka?" when referring to a single person who's a close friend or of the same age. When referring to someone who's older or someone of higher authority, you say "Kumusta po?" instead of "Kumusta ka?" Another variation would be "Kumusta po kayo?" when addressing a single elderly or person of authority or more than one person. "Kumusta po?" or "Kumusta po kayo?" are interchangeable depending where you find it comfortable. "Mabuti naman po" can also be written or spoken as "Mabuti po" when asked with "Kumusta po?" The root word of "mabuti" is "buti" which means "good/fine". It really happens in conversations that you are polite and the person you are talking to ends up being polite too. "Naman" is sometimes a filler and sometimes a word used to emphasize that you are fine. Another variation to "Mabuti po" is "Maayos po" since the root word of "maayos" is "ayos" which means "okay".. "Salamat po" is the polite version of "Salamat" which in English means "Thanks". Another variation would be "Maraming salamat po" which means "Thank you very much". Individuals that are overflowing with gratitude usually say "Maraming-maraming salamat po" that gets them repeating the word "Marami" and adding the suffix "-ng" at the end of the first word since "Marami" ends with a vowel, making the sentence overflowing with thanksgiving. Just add "po" at the end of the expression and it's good to go. Now that we covered the polite variations of Tagalog pleasantries, we can have these expressions assembled into a mini-conversation:
Just a little favor before we finish our lesson for today - subscribe to my newsletter that I just updated for the sake of individuals interested with learning Tagalog. Rest assured that only Tagalog lessons reach your inbox. Otherwise follow me on Twitter @jingdalagan to keep yourself updated with my latest blog posts helping you learn Tagalog. Thanks.
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Jing DalaganI've been blogging for as long as I could remember. But I made it a career as of late as a home-based writer. It is something I find comfort in doing. Archives
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