Lost in Translation

What words say does not last.  The words last.  Because words are always the same, and what they say is never the same.  ~Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin

Need help in getting around Bacolod City? or need to impress your Bacoleña girlfriend?

Try to learn and understand the dialect, If you're up for the challenge try to learn the accent...

Here are some common Ilonggo word and phrases which you might find useful.

Greetings and Salutations

Mayong Aga - Good Morning

Mayong Hapon - Good Afternoon

Mayong Ugto - Good Noon
(usually used during 12 noon, Don't know if this is common in other countries.)

Mayong Gabi - Good Evening

Kamusta? - How are you?

Tag balay? - Anybody home?

Replies

Huo - Yes

Indi - No

Ambot - I dunno

Wala ko ka balo - I don't know. (more formal response than ambot)

Indi ko ka balo - I don't know how.

Basi - maybe/might be

Salamat - Thank you

Salamat guid - Thank you very much!

Palihog - Please


Questions


Ano? - What?

Ano ni? / na? - What's this? / that?

Diin ang...? - Where is...?

Sino? - Who?

Pila? - How much?

Sano? - When?


Getting Around

Makadto ko sa... - I going to...

Diin ang...? - Where is..?

Bayad, Palihog. - This is used when you pay for your fare in the jeepney. 
                             Literally means -> Bayad = Payment, Palihog = Please
                             Don't forget to say "Salamat" when someone helped you "pass" it the 
                             driver or "pass" your change back to you.

Sa lugar lang - If you want to stop ang get off the jeepney. Means to pull over to the side.

Nag talang ko -  I got lost.

Diin di' ang pina ka lapit na... - Where is the nearest...

Lapit - Near

Layo - Far

Diin pwede ka... - Where can I...

Kaon - Eat

Inom - Drink

Gutom - Hungry

Banyo - Bathroom

Tawag - Call


If your good with Spanish you might understand some of the words. Most people speak basic or good English so you can mix in some English words.

That's it! I guess this is just your basic survival Ilonggo words just in case your not fluent in English and the locals to understand you.

Good luck and have fun!

Enjoy the Island.

Bago's Cinco de Novembre 2011

I was invited to judge, Bago City's Cinco de Novembre street parade 2011. There were two parts of the street parade to be judged, The street performance where-in the performers reenact the scene what happen during November 5 1898, and the look of the "canon". Authenticity was a huge percentage on the score sheets.

The Philippines is known for "People Power" the bloodless revolution that happen in 1986, But a few people know that the first bloodless revolt happen centuries ago. November 5, 1898 to be exact, Technically the first bloodless revolution happen centuries ago, in Negros island...


I'm not really a writer and I'm really lazy to do research and get into details, if you want more info, you might wanna check some of this sites...


Cinco de Novembre - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negros_Revolution

The City of Bago - http://www.bagocity.gov.ph/
 

 

The monument of General Juan A. Araneta

Lots of people came out to watch the street performance

Ummm... Namit!! Bago city's Empanada

The Chapel of Cartwheels

         I had the chance to be a part of a documentary shoot about Negros island's sugar history. One of the locations where we had our documentary shoot was the Gaston Compound at Manapla. (Manapla is about about 30 - 45 mins.drive, going north from Bacolod City proper). I was excited for this was my first time to see the compound and this is where you can also find the Chapel of Cartwheels. I started to wonder, if there is a chapel of cartwheels then there must be a Temple of Tumbling? or a Basilica of Back-dive?

The chapel is made out of old cartwheels.

I didn't count how many cartwheels were used, there was also no guide or a local to ask for info regarding chapel of cartwheels. I tried searching info on the net but got other blogs instead, try and visit this -> http://negros-occ.gov.ph/about-negros-occidental/cities-and-municipalities/municipalities/municipality-of-manapla/ to get more info on Manapla.

A holy water font or stoup made from a mortar used to pound grain...

  

A podium made from stone...

The altar made from stone...

The crucifix inside the chapel...

Even the stained glass windows are made from old cartwheels and recycled glass.

Got pot? Bacolod City and pottery...

       If you travel down south when you are in Bacolod City,(about 10 mins. from downtown area) You'll pass by fields where the carabaos roam and accompanied by cranes...






you'll notice clay pots displayed on both sides of the road...

This is where you score pot...

There another place where you can also get pot, It's in Silay City, it's north of Bacolod and I consider it kinda far from where I live and I'm lazy so I'll just Blog about the pots in Tangub or Florence ville area...

At first It doesn't look like pot...

It's like Dirt, CLAY to be exact...

The potters here believe that the best clay is found in termite mounds...

Then they process it...

then they start to look like this...

Some are dried under the sun...

Sometimes when I drive past them, I feel this urge, a complusion to just drive over them, hear the crunch of clay pot being crushed under the tires and give a evil laugh while doing it.. HARHARHARHAR!!!!!

Today the pots of Tangub...

Tomorrow the Terracotta Army!!!

Then they are covered with dried grass  

manong with a good smile

Then they "FIRE" it!!!

"There should be an OVEN! The air pollution, can a be a bit overwhelming at times.

Sometimes it's really smoky along the hi-way,

And during summer, ashes are just floating every where...

If you suggest to them about using an oven, they'd probably answer:

"Nah! Oven? Hell no, that's expensive and dried grass is much cheaper and how many jars and pots can you cook in a oven? This way we get to cook a lot of jars and pots in a day!"

 

And here are some of the finished products...

We don't have PINK FLAMINGOS, we have WHITE EGRETS...

POT we have... SHROOMS we also have that...

GNOMEO...

...and JULIET!