Fresh Off the Boat

I am trying to look and act like an established resident here in Albany but I am miserably failing.   I am undeniably Fresh Off the Boat and I probably reek of the sea, figuratively.

First, the weather.  It's hard to fathom temperatures expressed in Fahrenheit.  And when I do convert, I can't imagine how warm or cold it will be like.   I don't know what 40F, 50F, or 60F feels like because in the Philippines, I am only used to temperatures above 30C.  I keep asking Ben before I go out, will I need a coat?  Will my feet be warm?  Do I need to wear socks?  My feet get cold quite easily, you know.   If there is anything that will give my new immigrant status away, it will probably be my extra layer of outerwear when I brave the winter.

Second, while I am used to conversing in English, it is quite different when the tempo is faster, the intonation is different, and the accent is more polished.    I try my best to drop the Filipino accent, but with 38 years of talking Filipino English, it is often hard.   As you would have guessed, I have had a lot of mispronunciations.   The common ones are the Ps for Fs, Bs for Vs, and vice versa; short vowels in place of long vowels, and vice versa.   I sometimes commit the blunder of using "he" instead of "she" or "his" in place of "her", and vice versa.   This is especially tricky because in Tagalog, the 3rd person singular pronouns "siya" or "kanya" are both gender-neutral.

I try to translate my thoughts in English and end up translating every word including "na" or "diba" too.    For example, "Did you eat already" is my direct translation for "kumain ka na?   The more appropriate translation should have been "have you eaten", but spoken English does not give one the luxury of more than a few seconds to think of the proper translation.   Ben noticed I always add "already" at the end of sentences.  In jest, Ben asks "Are you ready, ALREADY?"

While I do watch a lot of American films and TV, I am still more familiar with formal English.  I am struggling with colloquial terms and expressions.   For example, I can't understand a thing they say in Sons of Anarchy.   I need to have captions enabled for me to follow the show.  Ben assures me though that my English is perfectly fine, and I am just being too harsh on myself.   I need to remind myself that my English is not inferior because I have an accent.  It just means I know another language other than American English.

And then there is the general unfamiliarity with the area and the customs. I can't get my bearings on which way is south, which is east.  I am still trying to get used to being friendlier and more chit-chatty when ordering food in restaurants or paying for groceries.   I need to be more abreast with local news.

Despite my attempts to veil it, I am an FOB.  A "freshie."     I just really want to blend in, but I guess the Filipino in me sticks out.   I might as well be proud of it.

My Name is Difficult to Pronounce

Now that I am in the US, I think I may need to come up with a new nickname.   Judging from past experience, it looks like many will have trouble pronouncing my name.    I guess it sounds too foreign.  

Titus of Rome 

Let's start with Ditas. I've had somebody ask if it's pronounced as "DIE-TUHS" much like how you would pronounce Titus.  (Hence, the picture of the Roman emperor to the left).

A coworker of Ben saw my name engraved on Ben's wedding ring and asked, "Hey, is that a latin word?  What does it mean?"  I thought that was funny.  I knew my name sounded old but never thought it to be akin to a dead, ancient language.

Photo: Titus of Rome by Filipo taken from Wikipedia

Dita Von Teese at Cannes 2007 

A lot of people also forget to notice the S in Ditas and just plainly say Dita, ala the femme fatale, Dita Von Teese to the right.   Oh how I wish I was that good looking!

Although hearing Dita sort of leaves me hanging  (like waiting for an S that will never come), I think it is chic, in the French sort of way.  You know how you don't pronounce S in Jacques, Bourgeois or Rendezvous?    Ditas can be in that league, if I can get used to it, that is.  Tres chic, tres hip, tres sexy n'est ce pa?  Totally not me!

Photo: Dita Von Teese at Cannes 2007 by Mireille Ampilhac from Wikipedia   

Lady Edith Crawley

If I go by my given first name "Editha", I still have the same problem.   Americans are familiar with the name Edith.  Now, add an A to the end and they are completely lost.  

Maybe I should just use Edith.   I love Downton Abbey and I can pretend I am Lady Edith from Downtown Albany.    BTW, she isn't my favourite character.  I hated her in the early series, but she has since grown on me after she got jilted at the altar.  I just have a soft spot for the weak, oppressed, and underdogs. 

Photo: Lady Edith Crawley from Downton Abbey Wikia

Vincenzo Corleone, Godfather

Now for my maiden surname Vicencio, I've had people affix Villa in the beginning a la VILLAVICENCIO.  My usual reply to which was "Oh sorry, we are not rich and landed".   On countless other occasions, people changed the first C in my surname to V, making it VIVENCIO.    I don't know about that one.   It makes me sound vivacious, quite the opposite of my often somber mood.   But my favorite of all is giving an italian twist to the pronunciation, like VINCENZO.  Hearing that brings images of Godfather in my head.   I remember checking in a hotel abroad where the front desk attendant asked me, "Are you Italian?"   Handing him my Filipino passport, I said "Almost".   After all, many think that the Vicencio family origins can be traced to Italy.

Photo: Movie screen shot of Andy Garcia as Vincenzo Corleone in Godfather taken from Wikipedia

I think Life is just preparing me for how my new surname will be butchered both here in the US and back home.  I can't wait to blog about it.