Justin Nicolas: Art, Man and Society

A combination of art appreciation and Art and Society for students of the Humanities and the Sociology and Social Reality readers.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Taglish: Hanggang Saan? by Bienvenido Lumbera

Taglish: Hanggang Saan?

Bienvenido Lumbera

May nagtanong kung ang paggamit ng Taglish sa kolum na ito ay recognition on my part na tinaggap kong maaaring gawing basis ng wikang “Filipino” and Taglish. Ngayon pa man ay nililinaw ko nang hindi lengguwahe and Taglish. Ito ay isa lamang convenient vehicle para maabot sa kasalukuyan an isang articulate sector ng ating lipunan na unti-unting nagsisikap gumamit ng Pilipino.

Importnanteng makita nang sinumang gumagamit ng Taglish na limited and gamit nito. Dahil sa binubuo ito ng mga salitang galling sa dalawang wikang not of the same family, makitid ang range of expressiveness nito. Ang sensibiliteng ni-reflect nito ay pag-aari ng isang maliit na segment ng ating lupinan, at ang karanasang karaniwang nilalaman nito ay may pagka-superficial.

Isang makatang malimit banggitin kapag pinag-uusapan ang paggamit sa taglish ay si Rolando S. Tinio. Sa kanyang koleksyon ng tulang tinawag na Sitsit sa Kuliglig, may ilang mga tula na pinaghalong English na sulatin. Effective lamang ang Taglish, gaya ng pinatutunayan na rin ng mga tula ni Tinio, kapag Americanized intellectual and speaker, at ang tone ng tula ay medyo tongue-in-check or sarcastic. At kahit na sa ranks ng Americanized Filipino intellectual, and profounder aspects of cultural alienation ay hindi kayang lamanin nang buong-buo ng Taglish.

Better described marahil and Taglish as a “manner of expression.” Ibig sabihin, sa mga informal occasions, mas natural sa isang English-speaking Filipino na sa Taglish magsalita. Sa light conversation, halimbawa. Pero para sa mga okasyong nangangailangan ng sustained thought, Taglish simply won’t do. Walang predictive patterns and paghahalo ng vocabulary at syntax ng dalawang lengguwaheng magkaiba ng pamilya. Dahil dito, maraming stylistic and logical gaps na nag-iinterfere sa pag-uunawaan ng manunulat at mambabasa.

Kailangan sa Taglish ang spontaneaous interactionng nagsasalita at ng nakikinig. Sa pamamagitan ng physical gestures, facial expressions, o tonal inflection, nagagawa ang filling-in na siyang remedyo sa mga stylistic at logical gaps. Maaari naming sa pagtatanong linawin ng nakikinig ang anumang ambiguity sa sinasabi ng kausap.

Sumakatuwid, ang pagsusulat sa Taglish, cannot be a permanent arrangement. Kung talagang nais ng manunulat na magcommunicate sa nakararaming mambabasa, haharapin niya ang pagpapahusay sa kanyang command ng Pilipino. Para sa manunulat, isang transitional “language” lamang ang Taglish. Kung tunay na nirerecognize niya na napakaliit at lalo pang lumiit ang audience for English writing, hindi siya makapananatiling Taglish lamang ang kanyang ginagamit. Maliit pa rin ang audience na nakauunawa sa Taglish pagkat nagdedemand ito ng adequate control of English. Magbalik sa English. O tuluyang lumapit sa Pilipino. Ito ang alternatives para sa Taglish users ngayon na hangad pa ring magpatuloy sa pagsusulat.

Valediciton sa HIllcrest by Rolando S. TinioValediction Sa Hillcrest

Valediction Sa Hillcrest


Rolando S. Tinio
(Iowa City, 1958)

Pagkacollect ng Railway Express sa aking things
(derecho na iyon sa barko, while I take the plane),
inakyat ko muli ang N-311, at dahil dead of winter,
nakatopcoat at galoshes akong
nagturn right sa N wing ng mahabang dilim
(tunnel yatang aabot hanggang Tundo).
Sa isang pitik, nagshrink ang imaginary tunnel,
Nagparang ataol

Or catacomb.
Strangely absolute and impression
Ng hilera ng mga pintong nagpuprusisyon—
Individual identification, parang mummy cases,

De nameplate, de numero, de hometown address,
Antiseptic and atmosphere, streamlined yet,
Kundi catacomb, at least
e filing cabinet

Filing, hindi naman deaths ha.
Remebrance, yeah. Iyong medio malagkit,
Porque alam mo na, I’m quitting the place
after two and a half years.
After two and a half years,
Di man nagkatiempong mag-ugat (ika nga), siempre’y
Naging attached, parang morning gloring
Mahirap nang mapaknit sabarbed wire trellis.

At pagbukas ko sa cuarto,
Hubo’t hubad na ang mattresses,
Wala nang cushion sa easy chair,
Mga drawer ng bureau’y nakanganga
(sabay-sabay mag-ooration,
nagkahiyaan, nabara).

Of course, tuloy and radiator sa paggaralgal:
Nasa New York na si Bob and the two Allans.
Iyong mga quarterbacks across the hall,
Pihadong panay ang display sa Des Moines.

Don and Ocntance aren’t coming back at all
Gusto ko mang magpaalam—
To whom?

The drapes? The washbowl? Sa double-decker
Na pinag-ikot-tkot naming ni Kandaswamy
To create space, hopeless, talagang impossible.
Of course, tuloy ang radiator sa paglagutok.
(And the stone silence, nakakaiyak kung sumagot.)

Bueno let’s get it over with.
It’s a long walk to the depot.
Tama na ang sophistication-sophistication.

Sa steep incline, pababa sa highway
Where all things level, sabi nga,
There’s a flurry, ang gentle-gentle.
Pagwhoosh-whoosh ng paa ko,
The snow melts right under.

nagtutubig parang asukal,
huhuhulas, nagsesentimental

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Alternative Material for LT 110 Midterm

To my students in Philippine Literature who cannot get hold of the readings:

you might want to consider using the following poems in answering the question I posted in the previous messages. Take note that you have to use the Literary or formal perspective and that you have to use all the elements of poetry.

FIVE MATH POEMSby Eileen Tupaz
i'm tired of being a zero vector

i'm tired of being a zero vector
with no direction
no dimension
and no magnitude;
what i need is another element
- but that would be
a contradiction
of my definition

soulmates

we are all of us
nonsingular creatures
whose identities
must be affirmed
before our inverses
can be found

conformity

why must life
be a diagonal matrix?
where every other path
that deviates from the main
is an unacceptable
- zero
[ ]

we are born
as identity matrices
[nonzero]
[nonempty]

a subset
of the complexity
that is the universe
until fate hands us a scalar
from the twin ends of infinity
and we grow in magnitude
to become universes
- ourselves

breaking point

a vector
is a scalar
that has been pushed
- too far

Friday, December 14, 2007

LT 110 Midterm for BSTM2-2N, BOA 1-1N, BSCmpE 2-5, and BSCE1-2

Dear Students of BOA 1-1N, BSCMPE 2-5, BSCE 1-2:

PLease read (chosse between A or B)

a) Ginto and Tanso and Minero

b) Isang Dipang Langit and Ang Matatanda

c) Katauhang Lagalag:1 and Atis at Kamatis

and answer the following:


1. List all the elements of poetry. Define each and cite examples form the two poems.
2. Commment on the style of the authors. What style did he or she use? Was the style effective to the readers? Compare the two poems.
3. What is the author's point of view on social realities, the plight of the masses, or on poverty or personal struggles? What is the theme of the poems.
4. What is the relevance of the poem to you personally? What events in yoiur life come to mind while reading the poem? What lines relate to these events?



Please email you answer on or before December 21, 2007. Use MSWORD format with the filename format subject-name-section (Ex. LT210MT_ErickaFrancisco_BSTM2-2N) and email it to angsosyoklasrum@yahoo.com

Thank you and Merry Christmas.

Justin V. Nicolas

LT 110-Special Midterm for BSIE 1-1 and BSEE 2-3

Dear students of BSIE 1-1 and BSEE 2-3:

PLease answer the following and email in MSWORD format with file name format subject-name-section (Ex. LT11oMT_JohnQPublicBSEE2-3) and email it to andsosyoklasrum@yahoo.com


MIdterm Questions:

PLease read "Valediction sa HIllcrest" by Rolando Tinio and "Taglish:Hanggang Saan?" by Bienvenido Lumbera and answer the following questions.


1) What was Rolando Tinio trying to point out in his poem?
2) What happened in the poem? What place was he leaving? Prove your answer using lines from the poem.
3) Considering that Rolando Tinio advised his students to use either pure Filipino or pure English, why did he use "Taglish" in a number of his poems? What was his purpose in pursuing this style? From the time frame of the poem (1958), how would you comment on the culture and language practiced by the people during that period in Philippine history? How is this relevant to Tinio's decision to use Taglish at first and later on shift to Tagalog. [40 points]

4) What is the purpose of Bienvenido Lumbera in writing the essay?
5) What is Lumbera's view point on using Taglish?
a. Is Taglish alanguage or not?
b. Why did he refer to Rolando Tinio in his essay? What does this prove?
c. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Taglish? When is easier and when ist it more difficult to use Taglish?
d. How does Lumbera comment on the structure of society, specifically on the culture of the middle class?

6) What is the relevance of the essay to you as a PUP student?

a. Relate the essay to the practice of Taglish in PUP? Would it be better if studetns will speak purely in English?
b. How would you relate this to the students exposure to texting (SMS) and online chat (YM etc.)?
c. If Taglish is just a transitionary language, why does it continue to persist among Filipinos at the present? [40 points]


PLease try to secure copies of hte poem and essay through students of BOA 1-1N, BSCE 1-2, or BSCompE 2-5. Email your answers on or before December 21, 2007.

Thank you and Merry Christmas.

Justin Nicolas

Monday, December 10, 2007

Session on Art History-REM 1-2 07-08

Dear REM 1-2:

On December 11, 2007, there will be a thesis defense at the main building and I was invited as one of the panelist. I am not certain if we will be able to meet. If ever, I think we have to meet at around 12:00 noon. PLease prepare your presentations. As a back up plan, please email your presentations to angsosyoklasrum@yahoo.com , indicating your group and section in the subject of the email. Also, please check out this blog next week for your online examination.

Thank you.

Justin Nicolas