My long absence in the blogging community is due to our summer vacation in Iloilo. We took time out to spend every waking moment with family and to immerse my daughter in the Ilonggo culture.
While other parents converse with their children in English, I do the reverse, we talk in our native dialect which is Ilonggo. And then leave it to my daughter to make some observation.
Kiara: Mom, kids my age here barely talk Ilonggo.
Janiz: Huh? I barely heard them talk that's for sure.
Kiara: There was this girl who hasn't spoken a single Ilonggo the whole time.
Janiz: Oh, so you're friends with this girl?
Kiara: Not really, but then again you can't really call it eavesdropping 'coz she was next to me talking to someone.
Janiz: At least there's someone you can talk English with. Good to know.
Kiara: Yeah, but what happened to: "Speak straight Ilonggo when you're in Iloilo."
Janiz: Oh, that's OUR rule. Theirs probably is the opposite.
Kiara: That's the thing! I was close to being irritated since she keeps blabbing in English and looks at me as if I don't know how to talk back. It's because of that little rule of ours.
Janiz: I don't see a problem. Let's re-phrase our rule book. "Speak straight Ilonggo when you're in Iloilo. But if the person you're talking to insists in speaking in English. Then you can unleash the English you've been keeping locked in." What do you think I'm trying to teach you here?
Kiara: Ummm...Let me think hard. Ilonggo, duh!
Janiz: It's the little thing called humility. AND trying to adjust to people, to culture, etc.
Kiara: Good Lord, that's it? Then we should have done the re-phrasing before I got myself into that situation. Imagine me, not talking?! I was close to dying!
Janiz: *LOL*
Kiara: What are you laughing at? Talk to me, I had my precious minutes wasted in silence.
Janiz: *More LOL*
