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Episode 16: Pasalubong (Souvenir)

Pasalubong (Souvenir)

In this episode I share the meaning of pasalubong or souvenir. Growing in the Philippines, I often get pasalubong from my aunts and uncles. It doesn’t matter how far or how long they left, for the most part, they bring me something when they come home.

No matter how little the pasalubong is, it’s the thought that counts. They took time away to find something to surprise me with. I go into sharing different types pasalubong I would get when I was younger. I also shared a story about fried kasoy.

Then I fast forward to more recent times here in America. We bring pasalubong to our kids often on the rare occasions my wife and I go out without them. At first it was weird but as my wife reminded me of the meaning, it became a regular habit.

I hope you enjoy this episode. Please send me some feedback if you get a chance. Thank you for listening.

Tagalog Words

  • OFW – overseas Filipino worker (not really tagalog but is commonly used)
  • mani – peanuts
  • pastillas – dairy type of snack
  • polvoron – powdered sweet snack
  • pusit – squid
  • almosal – breakfast
  • jaryo – newspaper
  • kasoy – cashew
  • kabayo – horse, here’s a picture, but the end is different. This picture is for coconuts not cashew.
  • pulutan – food you eat while drinking alcohol

The show notes of this episode can be found at http://podcast.sherwinm.com/16.

My Stuff

Intro/Outro music by Emapea – Lofi https://emapea.bandcamp.com/

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Episode 15: Anong Balita (What’s New)

Anong Balita (What’s New)

It’s been over a year since, what has happened? Well, we are now homeowners. I still can’t believe it. We have our own home now. That’s pretty much what has happened this past year. Been putting in work and looking for the right home and we found it.

So in this episode I call “Anong Balita”, that’s what’s up. Anong balita is generally used when saying hello to friends and family. It’s kind of like, what has happened since the last we hung out? This is what I will be sharing with you in this episode.

I also want to a give special shoutout to Eril. She reached out to me on Facebook and asked why haven’t I recorded any new episodes lately. She also shares that her favorite episode is Episode 8: Kain Tayo Part 2. I had promised her a new episode back in July this year but just really busy so I apologize. Thank you very much for the feedback.

Another shoutout to Arthur who left me some feedback also on the SherwinM Podcast Facebook page. Thank you for the feedback Arthur.

I’m really excited and happy. I am at a new place. I have a nice area to do my recording. Time is a luxury I wish I have more of so I can record. We’ll see if I can start moving things around now that the big purchase is out of the way. Although, lots of home improvement ideas I want to do.

Tagalog Words

  • anong balita – what’s new

The show notes of this episode can be found at http://podcast.sherwinm.com/15.

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Intro/Outro music by Emapea – Lofi https://emapea.bandcamp.com/

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Episode 14: Takot Ako (I’m Scurred)

Welcome to the SherwinM Podcast. A podcast about the adventures of being Filipino American. I am your host Sherwin.

Takot Ako

This is the Halloween episode of the SherwinM Podcast. It may sound weird but the Philippines does not officially celebrate Halloween. Since most Filipinos are Catholic, Halloween is considered a pagan holiday. Rather than pass out candy and dress up, most prepare for a different holiday, one that occurs the following day, November 1st. This is All Saints Day. It’s a day we remember those who have passed away. November 2nd is All Souls’ Day – those who didn’t go on November 1st go the following day. Also, chocolates are very, very, very expensive. So why do an episode on Halloween? To share scurry stories, that’s why.

Generally speaking, we call ghosts, monsters, spirits “multo” or “mumo”. Here are some examples.

  • Mananangal – often hideous, usually depicted as female, and always capable of severing its upper torso and sprouting huge bat-like wings to fly into the night in search of its victims. The word manananggal comes from the Tagalog word tanggal, which means “to remove” or “to separate”, which literally translates as “remover” or “separator”. In this case, “one who separates itself”. The name also originates from an expression used for a severed torso. The manananggal is said to favor preying on sleeping, pregnant women, using an elongated proboscis-like tongue to suck the hearts of fetuses, or the blood of someone who is sleeping. The severed lower torso is left standing, and is the more vulnerable of the two halves. Sprinkling salt, smearing crushed garlic or ash on top of the standing torso is fatal to the creature. The upper torso then would not be able to rejoin itself and would perish by sunrise. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manananggal
  • White Lady – is a type of female ghost dressed in all white reportedly seen in rural areas and associated with some local legend of tragedy.In other instances, it is said that when solitary people drive on that street in the early morning, they briefly see the face of a white-clad woman in the rear-view mirror before she quickly disappears. Some accidents on this road are blamed on apparitions of the White Lady. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Lady_(ghost)
  • Kapre – mythical creature that could be characterized as a tree giant. It is described as being a tall (7 to 9 ft), big, black, hairy, muscular creature. The term kapre comes from the Arabic “kafir”, meaning a non-believer in Islam. Some historians speculate that the legend was propagated by the Spanish to prevent Filipinos from assisting any escaped African slaves they sometimes imported from Latin-America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapre

Stories

  • The taxi driver who picked up a fare and took her home. Later he founds out who she really was.
  • The white lady I remember growing up in front of the house.
  • My grandfather who got water from the well and crossed the cemetary.
  • The handprint on my shirt after passing the same cemetary.
  • Friend’s story about sleeping on the second floor at wife’s house during a vacation in Philippines.

Tagalog Words

  • multo, aswang, or mumo – ghosts, monsters, spirits
  • takot – scared
  • manananggal – vampire
  • panglawin – easily gets scared, I looked it up but didn’t find anything. It could be a local slang term in different areas.

The show notes of this episode can be found at http://podcast.sherwinm.com.

My Stuff

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Episode 13: Ber Month

Welcome to the SherwinM Podcast. A podcast about the adventures of being Filipino American. I am your host Sherwin.

Updates

  • I’ve started creating videos on Youtube again. Please check them out https://youtube.com/user/w1n78
  • Simplecast, the host provider for this podcast has recently changed how they handle URLs for the episodes. Before it was as easy as podcast.sherwinm.com/episode-number. Now it’s something different. From my understanding, it’s to prepare for the new Apple iOS11 and how it handles RSS feeds for podcasting. If you subscribe to my podcast, no need to worry as the show notes are part of the episode. Otherwise, just check the Facebook page https://facebook.com/sherwinmpodcast or follow me on Twitter or Instagram or send me a message.

Ber Months

It is mid-September at the time of this recording. In the Philippines, we have started the “Ber” months. This means everyone who celebrates Christmas has started preparing for it. From decorations, singing carols, and getting into the spirit.

A decoration that is widely seen throughout the country is parol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parol. It is a star-shaped Christmas lantern. Parol is derived from the Spanish word farol, which means lantern. It is made out of bamboo and paper. You should Google images and check them out. They are quite beautiful. I guess you can consider them to be similar to wreaths.

In the US, we don’t get in that mood until Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving. We do something similar throughout the year. Preparing for holidays such as Independence Day, Halloween, and Christmas. But not that early.

The show notes of this episode can be found at http://podcast.sherwinm.com.

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Episode 12: Manuod Tayo (Let’s Watch)

Welcome to the SherwinM Podcast. A podcast about the adventures of being Filipino American. I am your host Sherwin.

Updates

  • 1st day of preschool for my bunso.
  • Shout out to Ikea. Transformed an old bedroom to a “Dad Cave”. This is the first podcast recording in the new configuration. I’m closer to the window that is facing a busy street so I hope the background noise isn’t too bad or worse.
  • Rebranding my Youtube channel to “Dad Cave” maybe. Getting help from my cousin @dejaveci. If he has some time, he’s gonna hook me up with a logo.

In this episode, I will be sharing my memories of watching movies. The movie theaters in the Philippines are slightly different than it is in the US. They are grouped together just like in the US but there is a ticket booth for each theater. For instance, let’s say the mall has 10 theaters showing different movies, each one has a ticket booth for that theater. You can purchase a ticket for that movie and you have access to that movie for the entire day. You can enter at anytime, even in the middle of the movie.

I also want to share the first movie I watched in the US and my memories of going to the movies in the Philippines. I’d like to compare both experiences. I hope you enjoy the episode. Don’t forget to subscribe and rate me on iTunes. Or just say hello on social media. Thanks for listening.

Tagalog Words

  • Puyo – cowlick
  • Sine or Pelikula – movie
  • Pikon – quick tempered, sensitive

The show notes of this episode can be found at http://podcast.sherwinm.com/12.

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Episode 11: Bahaghari (Rainbow)

Welcome to the SherwinM Podcast. A podcast about the adventures of being Filipino American. I am your host Sherwin.

Updates

  • Got the new 12.9″ iPad Pro 2nd gen
  • Got the new DJI Spark drone
  • Check out blog.sherwinm.com for my first impressions on the new toys.
  • I haven’t recorded in a few weeks. Been busy with a project that I plan to finish this week. Just putting finishing touches. Got a chance to record.

June is Pride Month so I decided to discuss LGBT. I’m no expert at this but I did a tiny bit of Googling to help me with the episode. This episode is not meant to support or condemn LGBT. I just wanted to share what I’ve learned and some stories and experiences.

I grew up without having any negative experiences or views towards the LGBT community. But my religious beliefs contradict how I’m supposed to view them. I never really paid too much attention because I always think that we all have to accept each other the way they are. Otherwise, ignore them.

The earliest I can remember when I was first exposed to LGBT, I think I was around 5 years old. I was living in Manila and my uncles wanted me to check out a sporting event on TV. The game was played by gay men. All I could remember is that there was something different with the way they moved. I was unaware at the time what I was watching but for whatever reason, I remember it.

I have a gay cousin. We’ve known for a while. I heard stories that his dad (my uncle) would beat him when he catches him “acting” gay. My cousin has always been kind, caring, and responsible. He doesn’t get into trouble. I feel bad but I believe eventually my uncle accepted it. He is no longer with us and I hope they have closure. I always referred to my cousin as “kuya”. I never called him “ate” or his nickname “Jinky”. Shout out to my cousin.

I have plenty of gay friends. They are fun to be with. In my single days, I would hang out with them because they always have beautiful women with them. The ice breaker moments are pretty much non-existant because we all hung out and everyone was considered a friend, at least an acquantant.

Another story I have is getting a haircut with Abby’s cousing “Watot”. It was an interesting experience.

Tagalog Words

  • Bahaghari – rainbow
  • Bakla/beki – womanish
  • Tibo/t-bird – lesbian/tom boy
  • Bading – fairy
  • Malandi – flirty

The show notes of this episode can be found at http://podcast.sherwinm.com/11.

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Episode 10: Sanggol Games (Baby Games)

Welcome to the SherwinM Podcast. A podcast about the adventures of being Filipino American. I am your host Sherwin.

In this episode, I am joined by my cousin Jake. He texted me wondering if I had done an episode about games and music we play with babies. I said no and would like to do one on the condition that he join me since it was his idea. We shared a few games and songs. Here they are.

Shout out to my cousin Nikki for participating in the Ragnar Trail.

Shout out to my Mom’s hometown Liliw, Laguna for celebrating their annual Tsinelas Festival. It occurs every year at the end of April. Check them out if you’re in the area.

Tagalog Words

  • Sanggol – baby
  • Maganda/Marikit – beautiful, pretty
  • Bulaga – boo
  • Sawsaw – to dip
  • Suka – vinegar
  • Mahuli to be late or be the last one, or to get caught
  • Taya – “it” like in tag
  • Tsinelas – slipper

The show notes of this episode can be found at http://podcast.sherwinm.com/10.

We hope you enjoyed the show. Jake shared a few links to check out more about him.

My Stuff

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Episode 09: Holy Week

Welcome to the SherwinM Podcast. A podcast about the adventures of being Filipino American. I am your host Sherwin.

In this episode, I share our trip to Glendale, at the Alex Theatre, to watch Coco Martin and the Fantastik 4. We had a great time. It was a variety show that included some singing, story telling, and comedy. There were a few things I didn’t understand, that Abby had to explain to me.

Holy Week is a week that leads to Easter. Many schools and businesses close this week. Radio and television programs are halted and replaced by religious themed programming. The days leading to Easter are called.

  • Maundy Thursday (Huwebes Santo)
  • Good Friday (Biyernes Santo)
  • Holy Saturday (Sabado de Gloria)
  • Easter Sunday (Linggo ng Pagkabuhay)

Bisita Iglesia is practiced on Thursday or Friday where people would visit seven different churches and do the Stations of the Cross.

On Sabado de Gloria (Holy Saturday), many have picnics and go to the beach. Others will get circumcision or pagtutuli.

On Easter Sunday, there are processions (parade) called Salubong (welcoming) of Jesus.

Tagalog Words

  • Bisita Iglesia – church visit
  • Pagtutuli – circumcision
  • Salubong – to welcome
  • Albularyo – herb doctor, “quack” doctor

The show notes of this episode can be found at http://podcast.sherwinm.com/9.

My Stuff

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Episode 08: Kain Tayo Part 2 (Let’s Eat)

Welcome to the SherwinM Podcast. A podcast about the adventures of being Filipino American. I am your host Sherwin.

I originally had a different topic I wanted to talk about but I record it three different times and I was not pleased with how it came out. I finally decided to change the topic and save the other idea for another episode. I’m thinking of inviting someone to join with me, maybe that will help shape my content.

In this episode I revisit kain tayo from episode Episode 6. This is part 2.

I take a deeper dive with eating. Some of the topics I cover are

  • The life cycles of rice.
  • Appetizers and desserts
  • What do you find in a plate
  • Revisit salu salo (salo salo? I’ve never really spelled/pronounced it with the letter U – /shrug)
  • Brief info on cooking rice. I mention a bit that Jokoy (Fil-Am comedian) shared about cooking rice. https://www.facebook.com/jokoy/videos/10155230550522590/
  • How to ask for the check at a restaurant

I shared a recording that my friend Jeff shared with me with him using Google Home to listen to the podcast. Also shared a story about our trip to Philippines along with another friend, Erwin.

Tagalog Word in this episode

  • Kanin – rice
  • Ulam – main dish
  • Sinigang – soup with a sour flavor usually made with fish, shrimp, or pork but is not limited to those ingredients
  • Nilaga – soup usually with meat and vegetables
  • Palay – rice seed
  • Bigas – uncooked rice
  • Ube – yam
  • “Chit” or “Chet/Cheat” – check or bill at a restaurant

My Stuff

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Episode 07: Bawal Umihi Dito (The PeePisode)

In episode 7, I talk about signs that say Bawal Umihi Dito which translates to You are not allowed to pee here. But is it obvious? I have 3 stories to share regarding this topic. You may think, Wow! 3 stories? Yes, 3 stories. I also share a scene in a movie regarding this topic or was it a joke. I can’t remember that well but it involves comedian Dolphy. I met him before he passed and it was a very memorable experience. I think I got my timeline wrong. In the episode, I mentioned meeting him around Christmas either 2012 or 2013 but he passed away in 2012. So it may have been 2010.

The first story was during the flag ceremony Lupang Hinirang when I attended San Beda School School.

The second story happened in second grade at St Jeromes in Chicago. Jingling is not tagalog but a slang English term used in the Philippines.

Finally, the third, occurred some time in the late 90s with one of my Unlces.

Tagalog Word in this episode

  • Bawal umihi dito – you are not allowed to pee here
  • Barangay – neighborhood
  • Baka pwede natin pagusapan ito – maybe we could talk about this
  • Mukang baka hindi pa kayo nag ka kape – it looks like you haven’t had your coffee yet

Updates

  • In episode 6, I recorded during the afternoon and there were plenty of background noise. I tried my best to edit them out but if you listen with headphones or have keen hearing, you may notice them. Hopefully, it wasn’t too distracting. This episode, I tried to record in the morning with the hopes of less background noise.
  • Abby’s cousin and his family from Australia came to visit the US. We took them out for the day. The kids were more calm than usual hanging out with their cousin. I also got a new pair of shoes that I didn’t anticipate finding nor buying. The Metalic Foamposite Pro aka Silver Surfer. Was ready to get another pair of the Foamposite One Royal but held off.
  • Shared a story about my kid and how I couldn’t find a response to what he said. Being a dad is great. I love my kids.

Feedback

  • No feedback this episode. If you would like to send me feedback, just reach out to me on social media. Please don’t forget to rate the podcast on iTunes, it would help me a lot and is a form of feedback. Thank you.

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