We moved here from the States 7 years ago. Bob’s been trying to learn to speak bisaya. When we used to lived in General Santos City he went to school that was owned by a guy who used to work in the States. His been wanting to help some foreigners. He wants to pay back because when he was in the States he went to school there and it was free. The US government let him study there. So when he came back here he wants to help too. So when Bob approach him if he could teach bisaya, that teacher immediately said yes. Bob was taught by him for a few months until Bob got ill. When Bob recovered from the sickness he can still remember some of the bisaya words but lots of it he forgot.
Later when we moved to Davao Bob was still wanting to study. We found another teacher who is from Ateneo de Davao. She’s pretty good, the only thing she’s too busy. He learned quiet a bit from his teacher in Ateneo. That was like over 3 years ago. Like 2 weeks ago a fellow blogger introduced Bob to a new teacher. She’s been studying how to teach good bisaya with good grammar to the missionary here in Davao. Bob just have 2 sessions with her and I’m very impress. He learned a lot with in just 2 sessions. She told him that he will learn to speak good bisaya by their 60th sessions. They will meet once a week. She gave him assignments to do. He has textbook for his guide. I think by the end of their sessions Bob could probably speaks good bisaya than I do. He was taught to use good grammar. That would be something. Don’t you think? ;-). I already meet one of her student and that student was already speaking good bisaya. She’s been here just 5 months. She’s from Switzerland. I was so amazed of how good she communicated to me in bisaya. Very impressive.
Our kids are not happy that Daddy’s learning to speak bisaya. They have no control over him then. Our second child Aaron especially. He likes it before that Bob don’t know a thing about bisaya because they can make tsismis right in front of daddy. Crazy kids. Now they can’t stop daddy from learning, so sometimes they help me in teaching daddy. Like with the pronunciation. At first I’m kind of leery for him to learn because I don’t want him sometimes to hear other peoples talk. You know sometimes the tsismis of others? Anyway, in other hand I like it too that he is learning so that I don’t have to interpret for him every time. I’m happy that he did take the time and effort to really learn and try to speak our dialect. It’s easy for him then to speak to the local people especially in the area where it’s hard for people to speak english.
If any of you wants to study just let me know and I will pass along your message to this teacher.
Good luck my dear. You’re doing great. I’m proud of you.