Phew! What a day!

I can’t quite believe it’s already 4:32.  I’m finally done responding to all the feedback received and I’m so happy that’s behind me.  I guess in a sense I did my daily ranting in the replies so it actually helped me accomplish two things: deal with my feedback backlog (redundancy unintended) and post my daily dose here.  It was a chilly morning but it looks like it’s tamed down a bit since we’re in the mid-40s.  Still cold but not deathly cold.  (Can’t help but give out a sigh thinking about warm Manila.)

I’m almost done reading HARRY POTTER & THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE, and I’m thinking I’ll be able to start reading Bill Clinton’s MY LIFE by the weekend.  (That’s IF I can get some reading done considering Alan is arriving from Paris Saturday evening!) 

I feel I accomplished a lot more by repairing my favorite LET’S COOK WITH NORA cookbook which had gotten all tattered and scraggly due to the fact that it’s been used ever so often, since it has my favorite spaghetti sauce and my ever reliable Sukiyaki recipe.  My JOY OF COOKING tome is also falling apart but that’s too thick a book for me to bind like I did this one.  I had requested Mom to send me a copy during my second year here in the US, and even if I got a supposedly IMPROVED EDITION (according to the cover, that is), I still prefer her original copy which has better paper and picture quality.

 

Although this is all battered, it’s one of my most precious cookbooks, at par with the signed first edition cookbook of reknowned UK Chef Jamie Oliver (a.k.a. THE NAKED CHEF). 

Okay, I’m all blogged out — and I want to get out of here early so I can see how Angel’s doing back home.  Again, thanks to all who stopped by and visited.  It’s nice to have this one-off conversations with our kababayans out there.

 

Feedback on the Photo Essay on the Grand Central Market

Here’s a post from Mrs. Ging:

Hey! I am a Filipina but grew up in Manila Phil. And I am now living and get married to an AMERICAN from St.Louis ILLINOIS. Now where living there. I have my own blog too (website) just like yours. And my comment to your blog (website) Is awsome (cool) I like your photo’s. And the way you write your personalize articles about your photo’s. I just like it. I think it’s great and so ilaburated…I just thought maybe you could speak also tagalog even thou you are in NEW YORK for so long maybe???Am I right???? Okay write to you soon againnn………………

Mrs. Ging, thank you so much for visiting my corner of the blogsphere.  Oo naman, marunong akong magtagalog.  In fact, I have a specific category on this page where I wrote a complete piece in Tagalog. (Please click on the category “Sa Wikang Sariling Atin” on the sidebar.)  Masyadong malalim nga lang kung pipilitin kong magsulat sa Tagalog, kaya ginagawa ko lang yon kapag medyo maselan ang sinusulat ko dahil ayokong matira ng kaliwa’t kanan ng mga hindi sasang-ayon.  (It would get too profound if I forced myself to write in Tagalog, that is why I do it only when the topic I’m writing about is very sensitive because I don’t want to get hit right and left by those who won’t agree with my point of view.)  Not for anything else, I am just more comfortable writing in English.  So pagpasensyahan mo na.  There are those of us who write ever so fluently and comfortably in Tagalog, and in conversational Tagalog at that, successfully injecting humor and wisdom like my friend Lani. 

In the first place, I’ve been in the US for only over five years now and like you, I was born and raised in Manila.  I am married to a Filipino, though, and have been in New York eversince.  Hindi naman ako laki dito sa Amerika.  In fact, I’m trying to teach my almost two-year-old son to speak in Tagalog, and so far, it seems I am succeeding, although I would consider it the greatest reward to actually hear him speak in Tagalog when he starts talking. 

More pictures to come!  And again, thanks for visiting, Mrs. Ging!

 

Feedback on Pagmamahal sa Sariling Bayan

Here’s is a comment from Raf who read my post on Pagmamahal sa Sariling Bayan (Love of Country):

i have friends here in california and those who have succesfully taught their children to speak tagalog have done one thing, simply speak 100% tagalog inside the house. And start this rule from the minute they’re born, by the time they’re five they’ll be tagalog speakers already. The early years are the best to learn because it is effortless and the young child’s brain will just soak new informations up.

My friends thought that the children can easily learn english from tv and the outside environment. One parent speaking english and the other speaking tagalog to the child is not enough for the child to learn tagalog, all my friends and acquaintances who have tried that failed. Imagine, how many times do parents talk to their children. That is halved if only one parent does it. on the other hand the time the children is exposed to tv, house guests, strangers, outside environment is a LOT. So the time the child is exposed to tagalog if only one parent does it is miniscule compared to his exposure to english. Thus this method is almost always doomed to failure.

Raf, thanks for your thoughts on this.. Both Alan and I talk to Angel in Tagalog, but I try not to speak to him in English as best I can, while Alan can’t help but talk to him in Tagalog himself, so I think it’s a good balance, plus there’s Lola (my Mom) who speaks Tagalog only.  So that’s Tagalog x3.  I do agree with you, though, that it might be beneficial to the child to speak only Tagalog, although I’m a little wary of that considering once outside the house, he’ll be forced to speak in English.  Of course I can always count on Barney, Elmo and company to do that part for me.

It’s really a challenge but I think we’re succeeding because while he isn’t talking yet, he understands both Tagalog and English very well.  And I would like to continue to encourage him to sing and speak Tagalog as the years go by.  I think when he starts speaking, it would be important to stick to Tagalog at home — because while I know of a lot of people who grew up here who can understand but not speak Tagalog, I’d like my son to be able to converse and maybe in time, read it as well.  (Now that’s a different thing altogether.)  Thanks, again!

Feedback from a Fellow Blogger

Here’s a new “visitor”, Tintin:

hi pinay new yorker! i’ve just started blogging (thanks to friendster!) and while looking for some nice blogs, i stumbled on yours. i must say, i’ve been enjoying your blogs. like you, i’m a mom, too, and working at the same time. i have two kids, a boy (2 and a half years old) and a girl (3 months old). i really enjoy your posts on motherhood. i’m glad i chanced upon your blog. If you’re not too busy, maybe you can visit my friendster blog. 🙂 Here’s the link…

Tintin – thanks for visiting and I have paid your site a visit and will be reading, too.  It’s always refreshing to hear from fellow Mom’s like me and I hope you’ll visit my other blog, Motherhood, Etc. from time to time for some Mommytalk.

Never too busy to visit other blogs — hope to see you on Friendster, too..

Feedback on Bikoy.net

If you haven’t visited yet, do click on Bikoy.net and read this young man’s rants and raves on the web.

From Victor (a.k.a. Bikoy):

hi Ms. Pinay New Yorker! I’m greatly flattered with your recognition. maraming salamat! 🙂 I hope you don’t mind if I link you back..

Victor, walang anuman.  I don’t normally make such a passionate endorsement, but I like your blog, so if I win the lotto, you’re getting that Digital SLR.  (Do we make it a digital Rebel?  I’ll get you one after I buy one for myself. LOL)  As I said, keep writing.. it helps keep the creative juices flowing.  I also like the fact that you’re linked to what seems to be a good pool of sensible blogs, so I’m bloghopping and let’s see who else get’s a mention here.  And it might be the academic bias.. went to Ateneo School of Law (so that’s the Ateneo part of me), and went to the College of Arts and Sciences in Manila before that — but that was all in a previous life.  Just to give you an idea, the student number is 83-xxxxx.  (Yes, I’m THAT old.)

From Jher:

Hey Ms. Pinay New Yorker, thank you for introducing Bikoy.net to us. Refreshing indeed. Hiya naman tuloy ako sa grammar ng blog ko. Hahahahah. And thank you for linking my blog to yours. Can’t wait for your new posts!

Jher, you should be thankful you’re 10,000 miles away because I’d have given you a good beating for saying hiya ka sa grammar ng blog mo.  What are you talking about??!!  In the first place, I wouldn’t have bothered mentioning your blog the first time I did if I didn’t find it worth reading.  I just got carried away with Bikoy’s blog because it’s sooooo hard to find a sensible blog from someone so young.  With us oldies, it’s expected that our blogs be coherent — so stop it!

 

 

(Finally) Feedback on Snapping Away

Here goes my nth try at posting this Feedback trail on my photojournalistic attempts.. one more time!

 

From Jher (blog: Calm before the storm):

Hi Ms. Pinay NewYorker,

I wish I can do that here, just lugging the camera around snapping pics of the city. Well siguro I can do that to the ‘safer’ areas in the metro, the thing is that pretty interesting stuff can be found in the uncanniest of places. Sigh. Hey thanks again for mentioning my blog. I moved to a new url, just in case you are interested.

Jher — first of all, I’ve already edited the URL to your blog which is now part of my blogroll as you can see, and finally, it looks like my server is allowing me to cut and paste feedback so I am devoting this whole day to just responding to them.

As I had written, it’s not everyday that I get to bring the camera (it’s rather bulky) and I don’t always have the time to spare.  Since it’s winter here in New York, the sun has set by the time I leave the office at 5:30, and I rarely step out for lunch.  My weekends revolve around family time, so I don’t have the luxury to do that then, either.  I guess it would be a good thing to actually plan on doing this once a month, and maybe I’ll get a portfolio done — not for any professional gain but more for my personal use.  (Plus, I have some entrepreneurial slant on this particular assignment, but that’s top secret for now.)

There are so many things you can shoot in “safer” places back home.. one thing I intend to do when I come home end April is to do a photoproject on Jeepneys — in motion, wheezing down Ayala Avenue, at the stops in Crossing, San Juan and Cubao, in Quiapo, etc.  I want to take pictures of the various churches as well — and it’s for this reason that I’m seriously contemplating on bringing my laptop with me so I can download the pictures from my camera and burn it into a CD.

I would have wanted to shoot something in Divisoria, but I don’t want to risk life and limb for a few snapshots.  I don’t want to have the camera snatched from me, and neither do I want to risk being held up at knife point for this fancy accessory.  Maybe at Baywalk?  (I have promised Mom we will go to Baclaran our first Wednesday back and see the Baywalk we’ve seen in so many movies for ourselves and have barbecue there like the other folks.) 

 

 And from Jayred:

Snap away, Dinna! You sound happy and excited to have a photojournalistic assignment of sorts. 🙂 I’ll wait for your photos. (I’m loaded with lots of schoolwork right now. Can’t bloghop as much as I want to.)

 Jayred — I just paid your blog a visit and nagutom ako sa tinapay na kinunan mo.  Boy, talk about mouthwatering bread.. and to think I have adobo for lunch today.  (And it’s my Mom’s adobo so that’s a double yum!)  I was so excited indeed and as I told Jher in the reply above, I think I’ll do this once a month, and then go totally crazy snapping away in Manila.  It’s just one of those “me” things I want to do for myself.  I almost took the camera again but I didn’t have any plans of stepping out today.  Maybe tomorrow or sometime next week.  Besides, it’s awfully cold in New York today — people were scraping away frost from their windshields this morning.. brrrrrr… I just find it fulfilling to actually come up with something refreshing for the eyes — even if it’s only my eye.. LOL