English teh!

So I was debating if I should do this blog in English or Tagalog.

After living in Canada for 11 years, I can say that my English communication skills have improved a lot. I remember though in my first year here, people were surprised to learn that I speak the language well and I'd always tell them that I'm from...the PHILIPPINES!!! (exclaiming but not in a beauty pageant contestant way, I swear!) I'd always say that English is one of our official languages so it's taught from grade school to college, and we use it in media, in business, etc., it is widely spoken in my country, believe me! At one point, I remember telling someone, there are more English speakers in the Philippines than in Canada, that is if we consider the country's 90+ million people vs Canada's 30+ million. Not all Filipinos are very fluent in English of course but I think we're good enough to attract foreign investors they set-up their call centres and outsourcing operations in our country.

When I was in grade school, I wasn't very interested in learning the language. It didn't excite me, but to be fair I felt the same with math and sciences, maybe because they were also taught in English. I still got good grades but I guess my interests were elsewhere because I remember the art projects very well, and the school dances and other activities, and luckily I still managed to finish grade school and high school. When I reached college however, I knew I had to take my studies more seriously and it wasn't that easy because there were so many distractions I find it so hard to focus most of the time. In one class, I remember asking someone after a book reading what "chaos" meant --my vocabulary was that limited. One thing that helped me (I think) was music. While most of my friends were reading John Grisham novels or writing poems and love letters in English, I spent my free time listening to Whitney, Madonna and Mariah, and singing made me feel comfortable with the language and it helped me in enunciating some of the words and widened my vocabulary as well but now I realized why I sound like a diva sometimes!

Filipinos are known to be more flexible or adaptable compared to other people especially when learning a new language, particularly the English language. We use the same English alphabet (plus 2 extra letters) so it gives us the edge and also helps us considerably when learning the basics. I remember someone asked me if I "think" in English now presumably after living in Canada for more than a decade it becomes your first or dominant language, and I said I don't know...maybe sometimes. I speak English at work but I speak Tagalog when I'm at home so I guess it's 50/50, or 60/40 because I usually spend more hours at work, but if you count weekends, then it becomes 40/60. After so many years though, I think my English is still not perfect. I still struggle sometimes and there were occasions when I just run out of words while having a casual conversation with my co-workers, or I lose my train of thought while giving a presentation, or I just find it hard to express whatever it is that I would to say, even on the phone, and it makes me realize I'm far from being proficient in this language. I guess I get used to it by speaking with people everyday, and became familiarized with new words, phrases and expressions, but I will not reach a level of eloquence unless I learn to organize my thoughts better, study the structure, expand my vocabulary and eventually mastering the language (ambisyosa diba!)

Now back to the question whether I should do this blog in English or Tagalog, I guess it depends on my comfort level, but most importantly I think I should always stay true to myself. I have to be me, with no pretentions! and besides I don't really have to choose one over the other, I can do both, I can talk in English, at pwede rin akong magsalita ng Tagalog! I am a Filipino, magaling yata ako, di ba teh!