I Speak Your Language

The Philippines has two official languages: Tagalog and English.  Most people in Metro Manila speak both, and due to the long running association between America and the Philippines, there are certain English words that have "invaded" Tagalog.  One of my favorite things is to listen to local radio (it's usually on when we ride in cabs) and find the English words that pepper Tagalog. It's like this: tagalog tagalog tagalog tagalog weekend tagalog tagalog.  I often think, "You guys really don't have a word for 'weekend?'" Many times there WAS a Tagalog equivalent, but the English word has become the "cooler" way of saying it. 

Here are some of my favorite English words and phrases that I've picked out.  Do they have a Tagalog word?  I don't know, but it has certainly amused me to hear these words in the midst of what is otherwise unintelligible to me:

weekend
make-up
transfer
forest
life vest
effort
labor
reduce
teenager
cellular phone
legal insights
guarantee
fair market value
lunch
end of month
winner of the pocketbook
ex-girlfriend

And my all time favorite: Tagalog tagalog tagalog tagalog tagalog Total Emotional Breakdown.