siva, jianli & lance

click the image to download a hi-resolution copy ideal for printing.

Dec 2007 IBM Potluck

Season's Greetings...

Merry Christmas everyone in the Philippines and around the world... our hearts long to be in Iloilo this christmas. We miss you all!

true ilonggo

You know you're a true blue Ilonggo if ...

• Your one peso is pisos
• You take a bath using a tabo which you call Caltex
• Your bathroom has at least one lugod (some has one for every family member)
• Your nanay used to make you drink Mirinda or Royal Tru Orange when you have a fever, which is supposed to make you feel better
• Sinamak is a staple in your dining table (the best Ilonggo invention if you ask me, was even banned on airplanes long before 911)
• Your toyo is patis and your patis is toyo
• You use atsuete for your adobo and pinamalhan (pinaksiw)
• Your daily meal will likely include laswa, kbl (kadyos, baboy, langka), ginat-an nga tambo with tugabang and okra, ginat-an nga munggo, linutik,apan- apan, etc.
• November 1 means eating ibus, suman, suman latik, kalamay-hati, bayi-bayi, valenciana or other native delicacies with glutinous rice and coconut milk
• You call those you love palangga, pangga, langga or ga
• You call your siblings or cousins inday, nonoy or toto...the househelp may call you the same
• You call those who are older than you manang or manong
• You catch the attention of sales attendants by calling them "day" or "to"
• Your childhood games include tumba patis, taksi, panagu-ay, balay-balay, ins, tin-tin baka, etc.
• You used to be (or still are) scared to go out at night lest you meet the aswang, tik-tik, tayhu, kapre, kama-kama, morto, etc.
• You used to listen (or still listens) to Sin-o Ang May Sala, Lain Siya Sa Iban, and Toyang Ermitanya
• Your grandparents read Yuhum magazine
• You call a person, thing, place and event kwan when you forget it (si kwan, ang kwan, sa kwan)
• You used to sleep in an aboy-aboy made of patadyong when you were a baby (probably applies only to us below the poverty line)
• You understand that "Particulars Keep Out" sign means outsiders keep out (believe me, this sign may look and sound English but only us Ilonggos use it)
• You use words such as "ahay" (expression of pity, grief, empathy), "yuga" (expression of disbelief, surprise), "ambot ah" (to say you don't know, expression of impatience)
• You often start your sentence with ti
• You say goodbye by saying "halong"
• Your favorite cusswords are linte (if you're slightly pissed off) and hijo de puta (if you're pissed off big time)...

many me....

my first attempt of what i call the "many me"... hope you'll like it... please drop a comment. thanks!