edz.conde's recent posts

Michelle.Batan wrote:

TemitopeAkinyede wrote:

edz.conde wrote:

I just created a personal blog a couple of days ago and I'm on the process of developing my page. I decided to post at least one blog a day, do you think it's enough to get my blog working? Or do you have any tip for a first-time blogger like me?

Hi, how's your blog going? Would love a link to view.

agree! share it to us

Haven't updated it now... huhu... been sooo very busy with work and the kids.. but here's the link, which you may check.  

edzky-01.simplesite.com

It's nothing much really and it's not a learning language log but rather a personal blog.

Some writings there I think I had posted it here as essay. 

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

edz.conde wrote:

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

I have just been very busy this year teaching and gigging

I'm curious what gig do you have? Is it related to music?

Yes I did a few charity fundraiser s this month

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157049939650818&id=716685817 we raised €1280

So sad I cannot open the link again. But I assume you have been blessed with a golden voice. Congrats and God bless in your future charity fundraising events!

Rose.Angelie wrote:

Did a quick search and found this example- referring to my point above about the buffalo..

Though not entirely the same, but similar when it comes to using the same "word" (or syllable) in the entire sentence.

"Baba?" Baba.

"Bababa ba?" Bababa.

Now, we're all like minions talking.

Can you cite where the stress is in the 2nd bababa?...I'm wondering what it means, despite me being a Filipino. Hehe

Got some new info about the English language here and a little amazed of the Buffalo thing. Haha.

https://ahtaitay.blogspot.com/2017/10/weird-facts-about-english-language.html?fbclid=IwAR1Jf4tKcmWxCKCTyBG0pU8xZV4Adn89uKo_LntF9W9zbIFguLz3qaiatDk

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

Era el cumple de mi hija también

Feliz compleano tardio para usted hija.

ikaymoreno wrote:

Who else is stuck climbing Conversation Ridge? :D

Haha...funny caricature but makes sense. 

Gopal.Dwivedi wrote:

Hii

Hello! Are you new here?

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

I have just been very busy this year teaching and gigging

I'm curious what gig do you have? Is it related to music?

Rai.S. wrote:

leosmith wrote:

Rai.S. wrote:

Very well explained, edz. Might as well explain when and how we use ika-(number) for dates or counting. For example, ika-1, ika-28. I myself is a bit confused when it's used in dates of the month or anniversaries. Thanks in advance.

So when do you use ordinal numbers, if at all? I hear unang and huling pretty often, but ika- very rarely.

It's rarely used here in the North, but I often hear it in the news as follows: (You would notice that the first three numbers do not use "ika")

Una

Ikalawa

Ikatlo

Ika-apat and so on...

You'll often hear a newscaster saying:

"Kahapon ay ipinagdiwang nila ang ika-dalawampu't isang anibersaryo ng mag-asawa."

Hope this helps.

These sample sentences might help in distinguishing the use of "ika" and "pang":

1. Si Alex ay pangalawa/ikalawa sa limang magkakapatid. (Trans: "Alex is the 2nd in five siblings." Here you could either use "pangalawa" or "ikalawa")

2. Pinagdiwang ni Rose ang kaarawan nya noong ikalawa (ika-2) ng Febrero. (Trans: "Rose celebrated her birthday on the 2nd of February." In this case you could not use the word "pangalawa" because it is technically incorrect.

Other tandems are here...

Ikalawa = pangalawa

Ikatlo = pangatlo

Ikaapat = pang-apat

Ikalima = panglima

Ikaanim = pang-anim

Ikapito = pangpito

Ikawalo = pangwalo

Ikasiyam = pangsiyam

Ikasampu = pangsampu

Indeed true to all....I'm not full blast in the seven.

[quote name="SGP"]

[quote name="edz.conde"]

Currently, I'm doing our week's laundry in a laundry shop because our house is a mess with the refurbishing and all. I hope everyone is just doing fine out there.

[/quote]

Is the laundry shop an expensive one?

And because you said something about refurbishing, I wonder if you speak the language called Furbish.

Currently in a VERY good mood, I don't know what's going on even. And there is a dish made out of bread and marine animals in the electro oven. Can you figure out what it is

Rates in laundry shops here in our country is a little expensive. If you want to really save your money, you need to do the washing of your clothes at home. To answer your 2nd question, no i'm not speaking the that language.

Is that a tuna sandwich you have there in your oven? That is one of my favorites!

Thanks for sharing Jade. Too bad I got redirected everytime I open the episode videos. I got these two here. 

This is a reality ever since there is evolution. Some languages are already endangered and some were already forgotten. 

I wonder where we could buy that here in our country. Or is it available online...perhaps in Lazada or Shoppee?

SianAnna wrote:

Hi I've just signed up to this website and have found nothing at all on modern Greek. Does nobody on this site speak or teach it?

Hola SianAnna!

I'm quite interested in learning Greek too, though I haven't started it yet because I'm focusing first in learning spanish. But I'm curious with the "modern" greek. May I know if there is really a "big" difference between modern and "old" greek? I suppose you already have some ideas on that.

Gracias in advance!

Currently, I'm doing our week's laundry in a laundry shop because our house is a mess with the refurbishing and all. I hope everyone is just doing fine out there.

Telling time ( Spanish)

 Ex. Alas kwatro na pala.

Age ( Tagalog)

Ex. Siya ay dalawang taong gulang pa lang ng maulila.

Date of month (English) ..in my case we usuallly use English for months like January, February and so on.

Ex. Noong January kami ikinasal ng asawa ko.

Year (English)

Ex. Taong 2015 ipinanganak ko ang aking panganay.

Counting (Tagalog and English) I put both because the frequency of the use of both in most households is almost the same, although in my case we usually use the English one.

Prices ( Spanish)

Ex. Ang isang kilo ng bigas ay kwarenta y nuebe na ngayon.

Fractions (Tagalog & English)When you're in supermarket you will usually hear the English one but when you go to a wet market, you will hear mostly tagalog like "kalahati", "isang kilo" etc.

I hope I was able to help you with this.

How to learn a language in 15 minutes per day.

Haven't tried this app yet. But will the 15 minutes per day be enough to help me with my Spanish learning?

Any feedback from Babbel app users please?

I don't know how effective is this in learning new words of a new language, but I'm kind of curious of doing it, if I can.... perhaps one of these days. Haha. What do you think about this guys? 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190131113837.htm

(edit - link fixed)

Yey!!! I just need 480 hours to get basic fluency in Spanish! Haha! Ajah!

leosmith wrote:

We had a related thread here.

Thanks Leo!

leosmith wrote:

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

i wonder how her language skills are today ?

We'll probably never know. On youtube, a child who can speak a few phrases in several languages is a miracle, a teen who can recite a memorized script in over a dozen is impressive, but a 30+ yo who is truly advanced in 10 languages is barely worth mentioning.

Undeniably true...haha. Perhaps, age does really matter in this case or it is so because they (little kids) are cute to watch.Though, personally I am still amazed with 30+ yo who could speak well 3 or more languages. That's my weakness. 

Rose.Angelie wrote:

edz.conde wrote:

I don't know how effective is this in learning new words of a new language, but I'm kind of curious of doing it, if I can.... perhaps one of these days. Haha. What do you think about this guys?

Please update the link, I'd love to read it.

This might not be completely the same but kinda related, I found some Youtube music that (as some people claim) encourages learning - or maybe improvement in learning. I forgot the actual term but they said it was scientifically proven.

Try this one...I think, the link was broken when I copied it...

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190131113837.htm

Got some new spanish words learned today:

Feliz dia de San Valentin!

Enviando mi amor a todos.

Bicol dialect - Padaba taka

Happy V-day to all!

I once again remembered our tagalog translation of "website" which is "pooksapot". It makes me really laugh because it's very literally-translated. Haha

dragonsky wrote:

I think there was a thread for something like this

I guess that concept of learning works, but only for some people. I think you have to be in a certain mindset for that, I doubt everyone can sleep learn by default

My thoughts goes the same way, mindset is probably the key in order for this type of learning to be effective.

Oghenekevwe wrote:

There's no one way of understanding women and i think the mistake some men make is applying the knowledge of Woman A to Woman B.

I totally agree with this one. The complexity of understading women could also be attributed to the differences between woman A and woman B. Some men tend to compare one with the other, which make it even more more difficult for them to understand us.

Irregardless of the flirting stories (because there are also men who are behaving like the girls in your stories...), basically, anyone would think that the answer to your question is because of the differences in sex, hormones, preferences and so on. BUt right now I'm thinking more about "acceptance" of the differences between men and women. Men often don't understand women because they could not accept the fact that women are not "completely" like them. 

Amazing kid!....I wish I am her! Haha...how come she knows that much languages.

I like slow rock, reggae and acoustic.

Since mnemonic has been mentioned here, I remembered my old years as a student because this has been my refuge when I had so little time to study for exam...haha...but it has helped me a lot then. Though it's not really good to use all the time.

ikaymoreno wrote:

This made me a littel sad because I honestly don't know how many tenses there are in my language. T__T

I know about our verb tenses way back in high school...they were called "pangnagdaan" "pangkasalukuyan", and "panghinaharap". But I don't know if it has been updated or changed now because it has been more than 10 years now...hehe

Michelle.Batan wrote:

the most important thing is to have fun

Can't agree more...having fun while learning...it's the same with our job. We almost endure anthing in our job if we are having fun doing what needs to be done.

Wether or whether...lol

Great article indeed..my fave is this..."Define your 'why' first...with enough why, a language learner can endure almost any 'how'.

Mailyn

Malaysia

Monkey

Next: S

Maybe this pertains more on language acquisition versus language proficiency? Things like... your language acquisition on a second language could be high but your level of proficiency is way behind the A+.

Hola carmen. Beinvenida!

It's close to 11 pm here but I cant sleep...and I got a headache.

Beverly

Bahamas

Bear

Next: C

leosmith wrote:

websayt?

Actually I would prefer to use this one because it actually just follows one of the rules in english-tagalog translation "kung anong bigkas syang baybay" like teacher=titser, meeting=miting. I've seen the word "websayt" used in some tagalog novelas. I just remember it now.

Well done is better than well said. - B.F.

Tristan

Turkey

Tarsier

Next: O

Huhu...I can't open the video because I have low net connection now. Seems interesting though. Will get back here later.

Great info and visual. I'm surprised to see two Asian countries in the chart with English native speakers. 

Rachelle

Russia

Rabbit

Next: J

Of course, I prefer English or Filipino because they are the only languages I know as of now. But I would love to read books written in Spanish in the future. I actually started reading Spanish books for children last year like "The frog prince" because it's easier to understand. 

Brian

Belgium

Baboon

Ne×t: N  

Suggestion: Repetition should not be allowed. LOL

Michelle.Batan wrote:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/filipiknow.net/rare-tagalog-words/

you can find the tagalog word of website from the link above. its "pook sapot"

Is this a joke? Haha. Haven't heard the word but just now. It's kind of weird though because it's very literally translated in our language. Web = sapot and site=pook. I need to check the link you provided because I'm really curious about this translation.

I think that it's only a slight edge for people willing to get to an "A+" level of knowledge. I think you can definitely learn the language if you learn on "autopilot" just learning the necessary things without being to immersed in the "backstory" of the language/country/culture 

[/quote]

I need to say that we have a different view on this. Though I fully respect your opinion, but I wouldn't say it a "slight edge", that is, my point now is irregardless of the article abovementioned. In my point of view, knowing and understanding "Culture" is a "big plus" in order to attain a higher degree of language level. As many linguists claim, you cannot trully acquire a "higher level" of the second language without really immersing yourself to the people speaking it. It's way too different if you just focus in an "autopilot" type of learning. Though "autopiloting" may help the learners, but if your goal is for the "A+" level, knowing their culture is a "big help". And when I say "culture", its not just about the "backstory" of the place, its more about the current social practices, the beliefs, the behavior, the set of values and the way of thinking of the people living in that country.

Having said this, I would also like to add that knowing the culture is not a pre-requisite to language learning but you can never ever be proficient in the second language without "direct contact" with their culture, so it's a " big edge" if you get to understand them (people talking the language you are learning).

Charlyn wrote:

Absolutely! I would not have an interest to learn the specific language if I don't really like/love the culture first. :)

I understand you here, maybe it's in your persona to like/love the culture first before taking interest in learning their language. Though for some people, its the other way around. 

Oghenekevwe wrote:

http://testyourvocab.com/

Just a short test to find out how many words you know. I scored 16,400.

What's your score?

Got the same rough score...haha

Maugmang bagong taon sa gabos!

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

Puede practicar conmigo edz

Hara ese Jade. Gracias!

Rai.S. wrote:

Mine is the improper use of they're, there and their.

Plus one for this...haha. In addition, it's a sore in my eyes when I got to see people using "kong" instead of "kung" and vice versa, in our language. One is possesive while the latter is conditional. Example...

1) Ang anak KONG bunso ay mabait.(My youngest child is kind.)

2) KUNG maganda ang epekto sa aking kalugusan, bibili ako ng produkto. (If the effect is good for my health, I'll buy the product.) 

Still would like to allot more time learning Spanish. Because of my online and offline works plus playtime with kids, my time for learning the language walked on thinner lines at the final month of 2018. Hence my goal this year is to spend more time learning and perhaps will look into more engaging options for learning practices.

Hi Hannah! Welcome to LT! It's nice to have you here.

Plus 1 for more more practice. Speaking/using the language often will do the trick. It's the same case with my cousins from Manila (capital of Philippines), whose using Tagalog as their dialect, while ours is Bikol. They could understand what we are talking in Bikol but they could not reply in the same dialect. But when they stayed for a year in our place, they eventually adopted our dialect and were very good in speaking it.

A joyous Christmas to all! ^_^

Songs in different languages are beautiful to listen to although I can't understand some of them. Hmmm I'm kind of wondering if it's really because of the langauge itself or the singer plays a big role in the beauty of it.

How about candy-wrapped, winter-inspired and God-given.

SGP wrote:

SGP wrote:

Also, there are some additional languages that I am learning (but currently not spending too much time on them). As long as they are below the A1 beginner's level even when it comes to reading/listening, I wouldn't include them in the list.

Anybody tell me how to enter a language in the "other:" field that some users have? Tried to do so in the "languages" section of "edit profile", but I didn't find it.

If this possibility still exists, I would like to include some of my pre-A1 languages.

Wouldn't want to add them to the main list, because the distinction between these and those could be a bit blurry for some.

But it still could be a good idea to tell others that one started to learn them. Maybe they did, too.

This should be redirected as a new post/thread in the technical section in the forum so that the same query/concern will not be repeated in the future. Also, the nature of the post pertains to the technical aspect of the site.

Jess.PWinkler wrote:

Philippines is really beautiful! When I saw her I knew that she would be a finalist :)

Our contestant looked like pocahontas :D... (I had to share the picture xD)

Congrats Jess! Out of 94 contestants, she was included in the Top 3 and that is already something to be proud of. Ms. Venezuela is also beautiful. Her evening gown is stunning! :)

"Inputs or ideas" is more appropriate because it's a "here and there" discussion. Techniques might be off if we're just discussing certains things that not do not necessarily ask or imply for that.

Magandang umaga sa'yo (sa iyo) SGP.

 "Sa'yo" is the shortened of "sa iyo" and that is the usual word we use in our conversation.

Also, the usual or natural thing that we say in returning a greeting is we just add the word "din", though "Magandang umaga sa iyo" is okay.

Someone: Magandang umaga! (Good morning!)

Me: Magandang umaga din! (Good morning too!)

Thanks Ari! We are very happy that Catriona got the crown. It's really a very merry christmas here in our country because of that. Pilipino people are rejoicing. She's the 4th Pilipina to get the crown.

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

The grammar will come with time, ¡persevere!

Gracias Jade! I'm slowly picking things up with grammar and all. Your inputs here and there illuminate some gray areas in my mind. 

SGP wrote:

edz.conde wrote:

Haha! Yo soy solamente utulizando mi telefono y no puedo encontrar esto simbolo.

Since you said that you don't have any ish' with being corrected, I could add a few improvement suggestions.

The gerundio of utilizar would be utilizando (U-T-I-...). Just like EN "util" and "to utilize".

And the usual way of laughing in Spanish would be "jaja". Because the J is pronounced, but the H is a silent letter.

However, nowadays there also are cases of words with an H that is pronounced as a J. Like "hacker".

Important: These small corrections are about some specific words and phrases only. As for anything beyond, I keep silent. And that silence neither means that I state that everything else has correct grammar etc., nor that I state the opposite. Among the reasons for doing so is that I didn't reach the level of Active C2 Spanish Knowledge yet.

An example is that sometimes, I am not sure yet whether a Spanish native would prefer to use "soy" or "estoy". So I didn't say anything about your use of "soy" here. Maybe others, like Jess, would be able to answer instead.

Muchas gracias para tus pensamientos.

According to this article, being open to understand the culture of a place that speaks the language that we are studying can greatly help us in our second language acquisition. I think this pertains more to the immersion phase. Aside from perhaps equating their culture to the etimology of their language etc., by knowing, understanding and respecting their culture, we can really gain native friends, who can graciously help us with our learning.

https://www.strategiesinlanguagelearning.com/language-learning-and-culture/

SGP wrote:

edz.conde wrote:

Welcome to the community SGP! Nice to have you here. I'm foreseeing interesting discussions with you around with all your geekiness as a polyglot.

edz.conde, thank you for the welcome.

And do you know why the nickname starts with "Somewhat Geeky", rather than "Geek"? Because "somewhat" and "-y" are needed to express this description: "less than half of a geek, but still above zero" . Really.

As for the reason of this geekiness, it simply is about the brain's neurons. Some of them are slightly differently wired, just as those of maybe 5% to 10% of the population. Not at all ashamed to "admit" it, just as someone with the "very typical neuronal wiring" wouldn't be ashamed of it either.

And yes, I hope that there also will be some more interesting discussions in the future about a certain topic which captures the interest of all of us. For those who really wouldn't know what that might be (seriously?!), well, it is about words, phrases, grammar and related matters. Some people also simply call it languages.

really

Yeah, got that "somewhat" thing. Haha. Not just very particular with specific words really. Anyway congratulations for not being ashamed with having a brain neuron that is "slightly differently wired", it makes you actually a unique and special person because you belong to "maybe 5% to 10% of the population. " It also makes you talented. I hope during your younger years you did not go through the rough roads with this millenial thing they called "bullying". Because I got a classmate or two back in high school who was "somewhat geeky" and the other students really bullied thwn

SGP wrote:

edz.conde wrote:

It's a good thing that you're not a member of the 1club... ...we might as well learn from you some personal techniques you used in your language learning journey.

Do you think that this thread would be a very good place to discuss them? Or would there be another thread which is even more suitable?

I mean not necessarily here in this thread but here and there in the numerous discussions we have in this site. I think "inputs or ideas" is more appropriate than "techniques" then. 

SGP wrote:

edz.conde wrote:

Among these 5 stages of second language acquisition, what stage are you now in the language that you are currently learning? Way to go for me because I'm still in the pioneering stage. Whew! Ajah!

https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/five-stages-of-second-language-acquisition/

For the C2 languages, it would be the fifth stage.

For all others, I wouldn't always restrict myself to any particular one of these five.

This is because sometimes there is a bit more motion than usually, or I also would sometimes queue a language which means pressing the pause button. Learning them in rotation anyway.

The approach currently being used (by SGP ) is "On Demand Learning". So whatever currently captures more of the interest in the personal life, more time is being spend on it.

Any of those below-C2 linguae could be strengthened, get a bit rusty, or could be re-activated some more.

It's a good thing that you're not a member of the 1club... ...we might as well learn from you some personal techniques you used in your language learning journey.

Welcome to the community SGP! Nice to have you here. I'm foreseeing interesting discussions with you around with all your geekiness as a polyglot.

Oh wow. It seems like we're all on the same boat. The journey for us is still long. Good luck to everyone of us!

Among these 5 stages of second language acquisition, what stage are you now in the language that you are currently learning? Way to go for me because I'm still in the pioneering stage. Whew! Ajah!

https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/five-stages-of-second-language-acquisition/

It depends if we have common friends and that friend of mine confirms that he's not a rapist or serial killer.

Never had a birthday cake until I reached 18. Haha! It's my simple bday wish during that time. 

I think in language learning there is another meaning for interpretation aside from what/how a person perceives a thing or idea. Both interpretation and translation involve changing one language to another, the difference is in the medium used. Translation is for written while interpretation is more of oral. This article offers 5 major differences between the two. 

https://content.lionbridge.com/5-major-differences-interpretation-translation/

I think this technique is more effective in remembering lost keys, wallets, cellphones and simular things. I've quite done this many times since I got this seemingly malignant memory loss after I gave birth to my youngest. And it usually did help me. 

It is also very helpful in witnesses and practioners like Sherlock Holmes, who is by the way my fave character by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle when I was young.

Phillip.Laplana wrote:

edz.conde wrote:

Phillip.Laplana wrote:

Edz, so what are you doing to keep yourself busy while you heal?

It's a good thing there are still things that I can do while confined in the room. Aside from watching tv, browsing the net, doing some online jobs, I get to oversee my babies thru cctv. I miss hugging and playing with them. The last blisters to appear are healing already so maybe a day or two I'll be off in this room already.

That's harsh. I couldn't imagine being away from my little ones. Glad you're getting better soon. Here's to you and hugging your babies finally.

Thanks Philip! This is my first time to be away (yet near) from them for this long. They dont know I'm just here in the room because if they do, they might cry their hearts out just to come inside. 

Oghenekevwe wrote:

Awww, I totally get how you must feel right now. When I had measles, I felt itchy all over, I was restless and could not sleep. There's was really not much anyone could do to make me feel better. Just keep telling yourself it'll be over soon. Wishing you speedy recovery.

Thanks! It has been 3 weeks already so I've gone past the crucial part. Only waiting for the blisters to completely heal.

Phillip.Laplana wrote:

Edz, so what are you doing to keep yourself busy while you heal?

It's a good thing there are still things that I can do while confined in the room. Aside from watching tv, browsing the net, doing some online jobs, I get to oversee my babies thru cctv. I miss hugging and playing with them. The last blisters to appear are healing already so maybe a day or two I'll be off in this room already. 

Michelle.Batan wrote:

edz.conde wrote:

Still confined in the room. Waiting for the blisters to completely heal. Been absent from work for 3 weeks this week already.

oh, sorry to hear that..get well soon.

Thanks! 

I go for the dead Missionary. I read the whole news and all I can understand is that he just like to introduce God to them through Christianity. Though it's really risky for him to do that because most of the tribes like the Sentinel doesn't really want someone to influence or change their culture. But I salute the young man for his courage. May his soul rest in peace. 

Eso es una muy musica encantador. 

leosmith wrote:

I find it very helpful. I believe in tackling vocabulary from as many sides as possible, to get as much of your brain as possible to help you out. Listening to it, repeating it, reading it, typing it, trying to recall it and writing it are all important imo. Here is a screen shot from this week:

Mine is more of a listing of spanish words and phrases with their English translations, to help me build my vocab. Haven't updated it for a while but will start writing down again.

Here it is, please excuse my handwriting.. 

Still confined in the room. Waiting for the blisters to completely heal. Been absent from work for 3 weeks this week already. 

Ari wrote:

Wow, that video was adorable. I can tell you guys are really really nice people. I hope some day I can also go see those beautiful places. I cannot believe the prices, and I am in luck because my favorite drink is rum and cook lol.

You are also very welcome visit our country Ari!

Oghenekevwe wrote:

"A boring vacation,a fun vacation and a Philippine vacation"

I hope to visit the Philippines someday and it's amazing beaches.

You're very welcome to come here. I hope if that happens you will have a very good time. Indeed, we have so many amazing beaches here. I find the accent of the speaker in this video quite cute and funny, especially when he pronounced the names of the places. Take a look, they are among the best beaches here, which you may want to visit some day.  

https://youtu.be/gfPKElQYayg

I'm glad to share this one here. I hope members of this site could visit our country, the Philippines. And if ever you do, please let us know so that we could gladly assist you.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1084228161729335&id=574719552680201

Hermosos paisajes! Un dia, me amore a visitar Panama. Ademas, me amore la pondo musica en la video.

leosmith wrote:

In my village, the men and women speak the same language but they don't understand each other.

 Very apparent to other communities anywhere.

Welcome!

Michelle.Batan wrote:

gambatte kudasai = Hang in there

watashi = I (formal for males, normal for females)

boku = I (normal for males)

start from the beginning...

Onegai shimasu = Please

Hajimemashite = Nice to meet you (for the first time)

Sumimasen = Excuse me (formal)

Gomennasai = Sorry (polite)

O genki de = Take care

Suki desu = I like it

mou ichidou itte kudasai = Please say it again

Hisashiburi = It’s been a while

Jaa mata = See you

Nice phrases. One day I would also like to learn the Japanese language. Good luck in your learning journey!

Ari wrote:

Michelle.Batan wrote:

Jess.PWinkler wrote:

Ari wrote:

In my country we gather the 24 to wait until midnight and then we have a big dinner and exchange gifts. There is a lot of music and parties. I remember one of my favorites traditions growing up were Las Posadas, where kids will dress as shepards and there will be a representation of Mary and Joseph. And they will go from house to house singing and asking for a place to stay just like the story of the Nativity.

In the month of December everything is more joyful, full of lights, decorations, music and more importantly the union of the families.

I think that we latinos have a lot of things in common xD....

In my country there are two options:

- People go to 11-12AM mass to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus.

- People party and drink and wait till 12AM to hug everyone, have dinner and give presents. Then they keep partying.

We eat hallacas (like mexican tamales with european and african heritage), pan de jamon (ham bread - with olives and raisins), pernil (pork) and ensalada de gallina (hen salad with potatoes)

On new years eve we have a tradition, we wait till 12AM and we eat 12 grapes and each one represents a wish :)

Why grapes? Is there a reason behind?

The grapes are for good luck. You eat them and save the seeds, and that will be your lucky number.

There are a lot of traditions for new years. Like wear red or yellow underwear to find love. Go out with suitcases at midnight if you want to travel that year. And there are more that I don't recall at this moment.

First time to hear about wearing red or yellow underwear. I only know bout wearing anything with polka dots and putting coins inside your pockets. We also have this understanding that you should not spend money on the 1st of January so that money will not always be going out of your pocket the while year.  

I just see this today. Thanks Jess for sharing! Though it's really not phone friendly but I tried my best to cope up and understand. Gracias!

I started with conversation phrases, then building my vocabs and knowing individual words especially articles, verbs and conjunctions. Then I went for grammar. Later on I realize I need to go back first to spanish alphabet in order to aid me in pronunciation. I've touched on all that but I can't say that I know them very well. Haha! Still working out on them and hopefully I'll have more time learning the language. 

Mine is adobong baboy... i like it a little sweet and cooked until a bit dry, with bananas (saba) and boiled eggs.

https://goo.gl/images/FoSPC3