I have found that the longer I am here the more reluctant I am to utter a word of any local dialect. The only time I speak what little I know is when it is required to get what I want and I'm unable to point at a product (a local who doesn't even know what "water" is). Btw, this is not a bash on filipino who do not/cannot speak English. Them not speaking my language really isn't their problem, it's mine. (although if you come begging for money please give me a reason for the handout in some form of broken english) I find it extremely annoying when foreigners use the local dialect when speaking with me or any other foreigner. (the only acceptable time I could see this happening is if two foreigners only shared said dialect as the ONLY mode of communication or didn't want others to understand.) Practice with your girl, not me. The girls aren't really even that impressed you have a 10 word vocabulary in their language. More than likely they are just laughing at your accent. I notice many new tourists do this (I probably did as well when I first got here). The words sige, na, lang, tubig, salamat and musta drive me nuts when coming from a foreigner having a conversation with me. "Kabuangon ka" usually is the first thing I think when someone says these words, and then I get even more upset they just made me think in bisaya. And using them in the wrong context really ticks me off. "sige" and "sige na" are two different things. One means Ok and the other makes you sound like a whiney prosti begging for more money.....not "Ok now". And it's only cute when my gf says "yawa ka", I take it as "f you" when coming from a male foreigner. It was much worse when I lived in Luzon when foreigners would throw the "di ba" on the end of questions. That one even irritated me when coming from locals though. Asking me if I understand at the end of every question is a bit insulting really. Thankfully they don't use that much in the local dialect. Bad day, rant over.
All i know is that its rude to be talking in cebuano with my husband and friends around although it doesnt really bother them, i find it insulting sometimes cause you never know...some will think that we are gasbagging them eventhough we dont. Thats one problem of knowing only one language...no offense but indeed i agree that it doesnt make sense for both foreigners to be speaking filipino dialects unless of course if theyre practicing it but have to be between themselves but for a foreigner to be speaking a filipino dialect to a stranger... Then... He/she is either has lost the plot or just trying to gain some attention :-P. OT: u seem to be having bad days recently wrye83, hope a bottle of beer will fix u up :-)
In my house I insist that English is used ,reasons 1) if they speak their own tongue I am excluded from conversations and guess who is funding the meal? Reason 2) is they have the opportunity to learn more gooder English :p, and as I am not able to speak the local lingo and they were lucky enough to have been taught English since early elementary, even though it is Filipina English they should try. I find it fun to learn new local words and if a foreigner is having fun with it then join in don’t be a stick in the mud.
Amazingly, I used to speak the local dialect quite well, but then I stopped drinking and I seem to have lost the gift.
Last time I lived in the US was '96 and am terrible with other languages. I can get by in Korea but am no where close to fluent even after all the time I lived there. Only a couple dozen words of Japanese and Visayan other than that. The only time I've spoken a local language with another foreigner was if I was trying to teach them a word or phrase. After being either married or dating women from another country I learned many, many years ago to tune them out when they were talking with there friends or family, it may be a gift but I can honestly not hear them unless I pay attention. Not everyone in my better half's family speak good English, so I smile and do my best to understand; when it is really important either she will interpret or one of her sisters. We've also have a number of workers that are shy to speak to me, but tend to open up a bit when we have a BBQ and some drinks. Once I retire I would like to learn the local language, not so much because it is easier to get around, English works mostly; but it would be interesting to have a conversation with some of the older folks in the village.
Trust me, sometimes ignorance is bliss. Understanding enough tagolog and a bit of bisaya, it is disturbing what some of these girls are talking about. Which foreigner has more money, whose gf gets a bigger allowance, which has a bigger thing, who is better in bed. Truly disgusting how some talk about foreigners. My gf calls them "feelers" and translates what they are saying, which hasn't won her any popularity contests. Btw, if you hear a girl saying "koan" (the thing, similar to "um"), even when speaking to other locals, in every sentence you should return it the next day. The girl has some brain cells misfiring. These are usually the girls talking such nonsense.
I don't care what language locals speak when around me. Doesn't bother me a bit if you're talking about me or not, I could truly care less. Obviously, if you want something from me it is best to communicate in a language I understand, else you get a blank stare. This was more about foreigners using bisaya/filipino when speaking to me. I find it very annoying and in "fresh off the boat" form. Yeah, been a bad month. I'm still recovering from managing a bar and dealing with drunks......now it's my turn to be the drunk ahole customer. Lol
Yeah, I have some new words for them to learn. And I like my mud, I'm going to roll in it for a few more days. My annual pms month.
Exactly. Not understanding any more than I do makes nearby Pinoy conversations just 'noise', and in the end you do miss being too deeply mentally involved in a a lot of unbelievably ridiculous chatter When I do speak Bisaya at a Filipino and expats are at the same table I will repeat in English
