my mother's tongue
Manila, 14 October—My mother and her siblings were born and raised around the Visayas, jumping from island to island between my grandfather's hometown of Bohol, my grandmother's hometown of Leyte, and the main urban hub of Cebu, where my mother finished college. I fondly remember spending some summers in these three provinces, visiting relatives and cousins, and attending both my maternal grandparents' wakes when I was younger. I thought the province was a quiet place, and very far from school.
My mother, her two sisters and two brothers all lived in the same house once upon a time, and when I was a kid I was raised by a mix of tongues. It wasn't apparent to me then, but growing up I realized just how fortunate I actually was to have been exposed to a wealth of languages, which I unknowingly absorbed, because the people around me kept conversing in them. Depending on who was coming to visit, my parents spoke a mix of Cebuano and Waray, and I, the ever curious eavesdropper, listened in and tried to piece together the stories the adults couldn't be bothered to explain to me.
I remember this because I was in Cebu this past week for work, and I was able to listen to a lot of fantastic Cebuano singers and their songs, and for the first time, I believe they spoke to me. I find my mother in the weirdest of places; or perhaps my mother finds the weirdest means to reach me. This time, it's through a bunch of Cebuano love songs, which C patiently translates for me. It's a swell partnership.
Speaking of partnership: C entered her first Komiket with friends this weekend! I'm writing this during Komiket downtime, and apparently it's crazy fun. I wish I knew about these things when I was younger. I would have been deadass broke and unable to buy things, but I would have enjoyed this outstanding queer maker space, nevertheless.
Music reco
Kurt Fick's version of "Hahahahasula" appealed to me like a Thyro and Yumi song. Give it a listen here. Watch the video to get a feel of what the song means.
Jacky Chang's "Pero Atik Ra" translates to "Joke lang" and well, I think you could fill in the blanks from there. At the event, I overheard my Cebuano boss explaining a line to a Tagalog executive beside her: "That line means Kung bolpen nga nawawala, feelings pa kaya?"
But the clear winner for us is Bok Love. Ask your favorite Cebuano friend because it's funnier explained in person.