Mai posted a blurb about John and I and I couldn't help but laugh. Mas lalo pa ko natawa when I read one of the comments to it. But it's true that a lot of people generalize about Brentonians. I mean, sure, we have our share of brats and snobs, but not naman everyone is like that. When I went to U.P., I carried that "image" with me. My first semester was perhaps the greatest challenge (who am I kidding...di lang the first sem! EVERY sem! hahaha). Everyday, I got teased for being conyo...even when I wasn't (REALLY, I wasn't!). Perhaps that's one of the things that drove me to seriously work on my Filipino. I mean, I had A LOT of bloopers (here pa..read the comments) , but somehow I survived. And I'm proud to say that! [Actually, a lot of people in U.P. were shocked to find out that I could speak Ilokano. My Filipino may have been baluktot, but my Ilokano was pretty good! hahahaha]
True enough, though, even in Baguio, the image that Brent has isn't the best. And that's sad...coz I think we're just as down-to-earth as other people. Sometimes others pa nga are more mayabang, conyotic (or feeling conyotic), etc, etc. Like there have been times when I meet people and everything is all fine and dandy--we're getting along, we're laughing, having fun...tapos they ask me where I went to school and the minute I say Brent...wala na. Parang nag-morph ako and all of a sudden, the atmosphere changes. Strange. But I've learned to live with that. Eh, ganyan talaga eh.
Good na lang I've made real friends who know better. They know me enough that being a kid from Brent is inconsequential. And I thank those people for seeing more to me than my alma mater. Coz really, there is so much more that's ME regardless of whether I went to Brent or not!
Pahabol: I googled "conyo" and found this "discussion" site. Just in case people who are not familiar with the term want to "get acquainted."
2 comments:
You know what are worse than conyos in the Philippines? Filipinos who come to the US and "forget" to speak our language. I know someone who was 18 when she came to the US. Now she claims that she has forgotten Filipino! Doesn't make sense to me.
yeah i know what you mean. actually, weird nga kasi for me, i use filipino more here. kasi kakapagod to use english 24/7. basta i have the chance to speak filipino, i do it. nakakamiss din kasi. i mean, sure, in brent, english din naman. but then when i went home, it was a mish mash of ilokano, filipino, and english. eh here, it's english forever and ever! hehehe. i'm the only pinoy in my department. hay...
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