Saturday 27 June 2015

Happy 2nd birthday: language log



Dear Julien Punai Aga (阿甲),

Today is your second birthday, and this is my gift for you:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/j41zxol47s0j6pj/_LangAcqusitionNiPunai.docx?dl=0

Here you’re looking at a “language log” that I’ve kept for you. These are the words and phrases in the languages you’ve learned to use to perceive the world around you during the two years (& 9 months) you’ve lived in it.
I hope you will remember that you have all these, and you have been all these.

You have been plurality.

I hope that you will never find the need to choose one (language/culture/identity) over another even though many people will try to make you do so (Forgive them; they are ignorant, and it’s not their fault);
I hope that you will understand no one person or thing needs to dominate, and that you do not need to single any one out;
I hope that you will be able to resist competition, ranking comparison, and singularity, i.e., the stupid, unreasonable, and utterly contradictory attempt to be or to possess the best or the most (contradictory because if everyone claims the best then obviously its abstract meaning cannot be), that is the disease and cause of pain for my generation and many before me, and that, if not changed, will destroy humanity.

ALL are complete; ONE is not.

I hope you will never see yourself as a composition of parts – a “mixed” person of percentages, but a continuation of whole – you are 100% of all that you are and would like to be.

I hope you embrace and enjoy you-you-you-you-you,
and I love you-you-you-you-you.

Papa/Jimmy/把拔/lin-lau-pe(恁老爸)

(p.s.1 This log does not show all that you’ve already known. As a linguist using the currently accepted scientific methods, I can only observe your linguistic “performance,” but not directly your “competence” – if you know something in your brain/mind/soul but never uttered it, or when you uttered it, I didn’t not hear it or perceive it as you intended, then that something is not kept in this record. Still, you have acquired it.)
(p.s. 2 Your learning of languages has been light speed – yep this is just a metaphor ^_^ - especially in the last month, your 23rd on earth. I won’t be able to keep up very soon. I may just keep the documentation of your new utterances for another month, or shorter than that, and then I’ll stop; Then I’ll just enjoy being amazed by you, and selfishly take your amazingness as your gift for me. That is why this language log is my gift for your 2nd birthday.)

Wednesday 18 February 2015

Kasiyahan sa tahanan / domestic fun fun fun

Sometimes we chill by watching Sesame Street....




...sometimes we chill in the pool....


..or by eating frozen 'nanas (bananas)...


ngilo-lamiiig! cccooooollllddd!


mahilig din kaming mag-tennis! we also like to play tennis!


at siyempre, matuloooog. and of course, sleeeep.



Pero isang napaka-sayang bagay ang tumambay sa porch!
But one super-fun thing is to hang out on the porch!

Mag-aral tayong magdilig-dilig ng mga halaman ni mama... let's learn to water mama's plants...




at nagkutkot na sa lupa ang bata! playing in the earth!


posing-posing 'pag may time!
our bag-baby likes to pose. wanting to pose for photos is new behavior!





and then we learned to take selfies! ;-P



Wednesday 14 January 2015

our one-night "staycation"

This school break (Guam is tropical, so I can't really call it "winter break") we didn't travel: Machel is busy with several things and I am still taking care of my eye problem. So we decided to go to the hotel and stay one night... to use its facilities and have some buffet, just to relax a bit. Here's what happened at Nikko Hotel, Guam :)

How about let's start with videos:






and now here are some pictures:
chilling with mama

chilling with papa 
(看那個假笑,根本沒人教他,讓我直接想到屏姑姑小時候哈哈~)


kids' playroom


free drink in the "lounge" (just water here haha)

the view

apparently not fully awake yet :p

now awake!


yay! bye-bye~





Wednesday 31 December 2014

Have a nice 2015!

Punai and his caterpillar.
fireworks on new year's eve at Tumon Bay, Guam!

Wednesday 24 December 2014

santa, banana, and gifts


 a santa from France, a banana leaf from our backyard on Guam, stickers (as tree ornaments) from Auntie Ping, and a happy bebe






Sunday 28 September 2014

[pahabol] Tnx for the gifts!!!

Yesterday an awesome box arrived for Punai, containing goodies from the Philippines, France, AND Hongkong!!! We had a lot of fun opening it! Wow, thanks so much Lola Odile & Tita Pat!!!!


Aand today, we went to a little indoor activity center, popular w/ the local kiddies:

 Jimmy thinks the fake tree looks like a giant zizi/titi/willy...



And just a few more extra photos, just 'cos it's that kind of two-blog-post day :)




September update: ocean, beach, pool, and i m still mostly naked...

but first off, a cute house lizard basking on Machel's pillow



Before punai could walk on his feet, he walked on his butt cheeks... and this phobto shows how he left a butt trail on the beach.


look! rainbow!