Una Entrada en el Circulo

Lo siguiente es una entrada que he publicado en un foro que está promoviendo la lengua española en este país. Espero que les guste. NB: Usé una mezcla de inglés, castellano, y tagalo.

Estimados contertulios,

Escribo esta entrada mientras estoy bajando uno de los discursos del ex-Presidente Manuel Quezon, en el que habló el mismo mensaje en los dos idiomas oficiales de Filipinas en esa epoca: inglés y español. Se puede encontrarlo en este sitio web: http://revista. carayanpress. com/mquezon. html. He oído esta grabación antes y me interesa mucho la manera con la que habló y enunció palabras, su entonación, y pronunciación. Esta grabación nos sirve como un specimen muy interesante a los que averigüen qué sería el español de Filipinas.

Por cierto. Voy a escribir en tres idiomas, porque, no voy a mentir, quiero comunicarles a ustedes lo que estoy sintiendo por dentro sobre este tema en una manera más comprensible. Asumo que muchas personas involucradas de este foro tienen dominio en inglés y tagalo también, o ¿me equivoco?

One of the things that inspired me to learn the Spanish language was during one of my clinical encounters. I was rotating in the Neurology department as part of a clinical elective. One of the things I stipulated in my learning contract was that I wanted to learn more about dementia and stroke. So, here I was, with my first dementia patient, a former Spanish teacher. When I was trying to assess her mental status, she suddenly spoke Spanish. I panicked, and struggled to answer, "no hablar español" aunque esto no sería correcto y además no estuve seguro de lo que me estaba diciendo ella. Right now, as I got more knowledge about Spanish, the more people thought I was into something foreign, and not really something that is ours.

Admittedly, the culture of the United States has already been part of Philippine culture for a long time. Or rather, Filipinos chose it to be so, for many might have wanted to identify themselves with the culture of the country they would ultimately want to live in. I don't think that the presence of the US in this nation ended with the lowering of the US flag on 4 July 1946 at the Luneta. Even with the choice of language I made in writing this entry, it shows that the influence is still pretty strong, and I don't see any event that would let it cease to be so.

Si queremos tener éxito de lo que estamos promoviendo, adoptar el idioma castellano como un idioma oficial, more Filipinos have to rediscover how much Spanish-speakers have in common with us. Because, whether we like it or not, Spanish will still be considered a foreign language in this country. And unless we try to reorient Filipino culture from espousing American influences to that of loving our very Spanish cultural heritage, we will not get very far.

It is frustrating to learn a language that no one else speaks, at least in my field of specialty. More frustrating is the fact that for me to effectively use Spanish in the medical field, I will have to relearn my anatomy, physiology and pharmacology in Spanish. Even the technical terms that I have grown to use in English, I will have to relearn it in Spanish. To say the least, I am very tired, and very frustrated. Even the Spanish terms that are being used in this forum bring me much difficulty, for, as I understand, I am in a circle of Spanish academicians who have been accustomed to using Spanish in its academic flavor.

I have been tempted many times to leave this endeavor altogether, and concentrate on my medical studies, which are done here in the Philippines in English. My only way of expression in the Spanish language has been through this Circulo and an all-Spanish blog that I am currently maintaining but now am in the point of deleting. In learning a language, one has to see and feel the reasons for doing so, and little by little, I am losing the reasons that have propelled me to learn Spanish in the first place.

This may be a phase of someone struggling to understand a language foreign to him, but, this is how emotional this struggle has gotten to be. I achieve a level of Spanish, only to lose the vocabulary I have learned simply because my way of life does not allow me to socialize and practice with people speaking it.

These thoughts are from someone who is learning the language at his own volition, at his own choice. Sige, gugustuhin nating turuan ang mga Pilipino ng Kastila, pero ano nga ba ang kaseguruhan na ang gawaing ito ang magpapanatili ng wikang ito sa ating kamalayang pambansa? Maraming tao ang maaaring makaramdam nang tulad ng nararamdaman ko ngayon, at piliing itigil na ang pag-aaral ng Kastila. I may be more patient as a foreign language learner, but it is slowly running out. I love learning new things, as long as I feel these things will help me do better with what I am doing right now. Will Spanish help me? Puede ser, si yo tendría la oportunidad de irme a España para conseguir una beca o algo así. ¿Pero a los demás que mueren de hambre acá? No quiero que les ponga un punto de vista deprimente, but I hope you will get to read between the lines.

I don't know. These are just points to ponder from someone who stands to get affected with the changes that this Circulo is pushing for.

In summary, we need to do a lot of soul-searching. We need to form strategies that would help the Filipinos feel that learning Spanish is something that they can use, something that they can live, and something that they can love.

Buenos días a todos, y gracias por leer.