Reminiscence: Jeonju City, South Korea

 Reminiscence: Jeonju City, South Korea (2011 June)

A trip to South Korea for a conference on Language and Literature where I met teachers from Cebu, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and other neighboring Asian countries is one of my enjoyable milestones.  Such trip came after the study tour in May and I was fortunate enough that my South Korea visa got processed while I was still in Germany as I got a call regarding this trip on my 3rd day in Berlin. When I reached Bacolod City on 12 May, I prepared my presentation on "Netspeak and Its Implications to Language Teaching" and resumed teaching my undergrad classes. 

On my own, I left for South Korea on 4 June with strict instructions to take the 9 pm (last) bus to Jeonju City, but not to leave without getting my Korean Won allowance (from a sponsor-partner of USLS EGC) that I used for the duration of my stay. There I was worried because the tarmac of Incheon International Airport was a train-ride away from my luggage and the exit, and I was late for the bus! Out of nowhere, a university professor that I met on the plane guided me on the airport train and gave me directions on where to go. In all of my travels, strangers came to my rescue and helped me out of the predicaments that seemed difficult to resolve on my own. We both ran to the baggage carousel while he cleared the way as we went along. As soon as I got hold of my luggage, he told me to go quickly and look for terminal 9 as it was almost time for the bus to leave! I bought the ticket with the Won that I exchanged in Bacolod and waited inside the bus for a Mr. Park. Since I didn't know any Korean except "anyonghaseyo", I talked to one of the younger passengers who I knew was a university student. She spoke English! In the orientation, I was told that I could borrow a phone to call the USLS exchange students who waited for me at the station in Jeonju-- for the bus that was to arrive at 12 midnight from Incheon. It turned out they were given instructions to pick me up and bring me to the residence hall where I was billeted during my 4-day stay. I asked USLS and the faculty-in-charge at Chonbuk National University to let me stay for another three days to go around the city. They relented. It made me so blissful!

Anyway, Mr. Park arrived just before the bus left. He gave me my  allowance (which I don't remember for how much), plus my own pocket money which I thought was enough to let me enjoy the place, eat the famous samgyeupsal, buy travel mementos for family and friends, and many more. I couldn't sleep on the bus because I was half excited, half nervous. My presentation was scheduled the following day and there I was traveling in the middle of the night. I borrowed the Korean student's phone to call the number that was given to me. One of the USLS students picked up. It was almost midnight and I told them that I was on my way. Finally, when the bus swerved to the side of the road and the Korean student told me that it was my stop, I hesitated because it was very dark, with no bus terminal that they spoke of. How glad was I when I saw the faces of the exchange students. They were my students in the Public Speaking class- all three of them! I was relieved when we took a taxi and were brought to my apartment. We went out after, because we got hungry, to a McDonald's store near the campus. It was around 1 a.m. We ordered warm rice and chicken, ate hurriedly, and went back to the apartment. But since it was very late, I asked them to sleep there. They happily stayed to watch TV while I said my goodnight and went to my room. I only had 6 hours left before the conference and I couldn't sleep! 

The following day, a graduate student brought me to the conference hall for the plenary session. Then, we were ushered to a room where our talks were to be delivered. I was the second speaker. The first one was from Japan. A professor from South Korea followed my talk. There was a pleasant exchange of questions and answers all throughout the conference and I was glad that it was over after the simultaneous sessions and the final plenary talk.  Soon after, we had an early dinner at one of the famous restaurants in the city known for bibimbap.  The conference felt like a dream. It ended quickly.

On the second day, the graduate students who were assigned to help me around, brought me and a Cebu professor to the Hanok Village (a Korean traditional village that was preserved as a heritage site). 

The third day was eventful as it was a cultural day when the delegates from different Asian countries dressed in their splendid national costumes and paraded around the Hanok Village. It was a colorful and majestic sight to behold! I, of course, joined the Philippine delegates, with no costume to wear because I wasn't informed that there was such an event. 

On my last night there, all the Filipino exchange students had samgyeup dinner with me. We enjoyed it very much over strips of pork belly and all the other side dishes and condiments, and of course, stories of their stay at CNU. 

I had to leave for the Philippines with a heavy heart the next day. That short visit was truly amazing. I took the bus to Incheon Airport from the proper bus terminal where my three students dropped me off. They had to leave me there as they headed back to their classes. 

I survived that trip to South Korea without any knowledge of the language, and that cemented my belief in the goodness of people, of the magnanimity of the human spirit, of respect between strangers from different cultures. This was the reason that I never stopped traveling after. That study tour in Germany, followed by this South Korea trip, made me a citizen of the world. 🥰

At last! I've found my truth!

 Prologue

As of this writing, I’ve decided to embrace all the best practices of the world’s religions with one truth in my heart and soul—that Jesus Christ is my Savior. It was the Holy Spirit that brought me back to Him. In Him, my spirit rests in peace! 

After exploring and studying the doctrines and practices of Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity, I’ve realized that these faiths all strive to teach love, compassion, kindness, gentleness, and humility. I no longer see differences and conflicts, but rather I live out the harmonious blend of all the faiths that I was able to experience in this lifetime.  I’ve found the truth after living out those religions. And I can say that my spiritual life has been deeply enriched by those experiences. 

Finding my Truth: My Transition from Catholicism to Islam

By Amy Luz U. Catalan, PhD

May 25, 2014

(Published in https://www.muslimconverts.com/converts/catholic-convert-to-islam-1.htm. Cited in La Voie, Michael. 2017. Identity Conversion: Female Muslim Converts in the United States. Accessed in http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:107423 Boston College University.)

I am a Muslim. I’ve reverted to Islam last May 3. Like many reverts who have felt and experienced a deep sense of emptiness and loss, I have been searching for my life’s meaning and significance. Plans of traveling to other countries while earning the much-needed funds are nothing compared to what I discovered. I have found my Truth. Becoming a Muslim woman in these contemporary times is a great source of joy and happiness from the distractions and decadence that taint the world.

My reversion to Islam is a return to the original faith. It is a personal decision and the culmination of my faith in Allah, my Creator, and in all the teachings of the prophets from Adam to Mohammed (Peace be upon them). It is not a big leap, but rather a strengthening of my belief in God who has been faithful to His promise of guidance and protection throughout my life. I have chosen the Islamic name Maryam, which translates into sincerity and purity of intentions. The abaya and the hijab, my “fashion statement” against my former way of life, and symbols of my shift and commitment to the Islamic way of life of submission to Allah, constant nurturance of my spirituality, and modesty in manners and dressing, have become my wardrobe must-haves. Moreover, the warmth and support of my Omani brothers and sisters that I have grown to love and respect have provided me with the zest and courage to pursue my new life with much confidence and hope. I am determined to make a difference in this life and to cultivate the seeds of a renewed faith that Allah has planted in my heart. This is what I will do in the belief that my quest for eternal life has begun.

My Catholic Background

I grew up in a devout Catholic family. I remember that I had a deep belief in God from the time I became aware of His presence in my life.

My father was a member of a religious congregation founded in France and eventually reached the Philippines to spread its mission of Lasallian education. Before he married my mother, my dad was on the verge of professing his final vows to become one of the De La Salle Brothers (a religious congregation of men who live out the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience). His vocation was short-lived and he became a devoted family man instead. He and my mother were married for five years when it was cut short by my mom’s death due to cancer. He raised me and my brother in our early years and educated us in Catholic institutions from the time we started schooling. My father remarried and we gained a brother. My stepmom, a devout Catholic herself, taught in St. James Academy where we graduated from elementary and high school. True to his Lasallian roots, my father enrolled me at De La Salle University in Manila for my baccalaureate degrees. He wanted me to become an educator and to “shine like the stars for all eternity.” I finished my doctorate at the University of St. La Salle where I also taught for 14 years. The education that I received from one of the top three reputable academic institutions in the Philippines provided me with enough courses to believe in equality between men and women. I was a feminist and an activist back in those years. Both ideologies suited me well for I believed that as a human being I should strive for something higher and better than my former self through constant personal development and service to humanity. To be a feminist meant upgrading myself so that I could compete and be equal with everyone, and as an activist, I thought that I served the poor by taking up their cause.

However, the sense of awareness of God’s presence in my life made me decide to enter the convent of the Guadalupanas, a religious congregation of Lasallian sisters from Mexico, when I was in my mid-20s four years after I graduated from college. At that time, I wanted to become a nun. But God had a different plan for me. I left the convent due to family reasons. Eventually, I immersed myself in the realities of life. I took up post-graduate studies while I worked for the best university in the province. In those times, I felt that something was missing that not even the accolades of finishing my academic degrees or the romantic love of a fellow human being could satisfy. Added to that, the death of my beloved father in 2001 aggravated that sense of loss and emptiness.

In the succeeding years, I focused on my profession with the passion and determination to serve with excellence. However, dissatisfaction crept in because my life went nowhere. This feeling accumulated over the years and I felt that I only worked to survive, not to enjoy life. I expected too much. Deep inside, my sense of loss and emptiness grew stronger as I faced a crisis- the dark years of my spiritual life. I stopped going to church and hearing mass. At that time, the Catholic Church was beset with internal problems. I started questioning the doctrines and teachings that I learned from years of Catholic education, especially the priests’ authority to preach about justice and love, while they were capable of committing the most atrocious offenses against their parishioners. I prevented myself from listening to their sermons by not hearing mass at all. My reason was simple: the very people who professed their faith in God, to the teachings of Jesus, and who acted as my intermediaries to God were the very persons who violated the principles that I believed in. I resolved that I would pray directly to God in the confines of my room and cry out to Him for mercy and guidance.

From Catholicism, I tried and studied Buddhism. However, it was a brief encounter since the doctrines did not appeal to me. The teachings were not clear at all. Instead, I became more confused as to what I wanted in life. The years dragged on and my success in the teaching profession did not make me happy. Even my travels to other countries to present my dissertation and to attend international conferences did not prove much of a help. I still felt empty.

Finding my Place Under the Sun

At first, it was out of curiosity about Oman when I came in 2012. I wanted to know how the people in this part of the world live. I did not know much about the country and its people, the Omanis, except when I got hired by TATI that I started reading about them in the articles that I researched from the internet. Also, part of my plan was earning the much-needed income so that I could travel the world before I passed on to the next life. When I started teaching here, I dedicated myself to educating my students. There was no doubt in my mind that I was an educator first and a traveler second! My Lasallian education had always been my source of inspiration in serving with excellence. During my first year of teaching, I volunteered to conduct remedial classes to help students who were struggling in writing, and had set up an enhancement class to cater to those who wanted to get more exposure to English materials in my second year.

When I came here, I did not expect to become a Muslim, for, after all, Muslims were known to be associated with terrorism and Jihad (holy war in defense of Islam). I learned the word Jihad from some Muslim friends during a fellowship at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung that brought us to Germany in 2011 for a study tour and media training. During the trip, we got to talk about the situation in the Southern Philippines and discussed the reasons why the Muslims in that part of the country had committed so much dissension and terrorism that killed thousands of innocent Filipinos. Moreover, the 9/11 event in the US added to the belief that they were capable of mass murder. It was only natural that my aunts and uncles warned me to avoid them at all costs and to focus on my work here.

I soon found out that what I learned from the media and well-meaning relatives and friends proved to be contrary to the misconceptions and biases against Muslims. As a people, the Omanis acted and behaved differently from those that the media portrayed to the world. In due time, I fell in love with Oman and its people! I began traveling around the country and saw its natural beauty. I did not doubt that I reached the place where I wanted to be. I developed this sense of deep affiliation with the people, especially among my Omani colleagues and students in the college. Everybody was kind and helpful when I first came. As I interacted with them day by day, I became fascinated by their culture and their traditions, and eventually became interested in Islam. In hindsight, I guess that was the start of my journey to embracing Islam. I started reading parts of the Quran that Nishat Farkunda, a friend and colleague, brought from India. I even asked some of my fellow Filipinos if they got interested in Islam. Most of them answered in the negative. It was then that 2013 became a year of constant search for answers.

Fortunately, Rashid Al Hinai was there to engage my thoughts and we got to talk about our students. I started asking about religion and its influence on the behavior of students who often said “Insha Allah” whenever I gave them some tasks to finish and they would answer “No problem, teacher” as if I was the one who would take the exams and fail if I did not study. On the other hand, the segregation of male and female students in classrooms, including separate staircases, canteens, and almost everything else, became an anti-thesis to what I believed was the equality of sexes.

Rashid and I agreed on one point that the students are good persons and it is the culture that makes them the way they are, not the religion. I asked him to clarify this and he said that everything is provided for them. They do not need to work hard to have a job or earn their income. The government provides for their basic needs including free education and allowance, health services, and social security. What we could do is to motivate them on a different level- to instill in them the chance to dream of a good life.

In my second year of teaching, I met Eyse James Blaauw, an Australian who reverted to Islam and married a Yemeni. We had a chance to talk about his decision and he explained it in such a way that left an impression that to become a Muslim is to live a contented and grace-filled life. He said that it was what he wanted all along considering that a Muslim wife was all that he ever needed. He saw the declining values of women in his society and he did not want to be part of a dysfunctional relationship that would only make him unhappy. He advised me to read as much as I could and to think about it very carefully when I confided that I was interested in Islam.

As I began reading the Quran and other Islamic books, I found out that both Christianity and Islam shared the same basic set of principles of love, charity, kindness, and most importantly the belief in One God. However, the differences between them struck me the most. While I believed that there is One God, it did not occur to me that He has no partners or helpers as the Supreme Being of all Creation. Moreover, the Christian belief that Jesus (Peace be Upon Him) as the Son of God could not fit quite well in the Islamic faith. In Islam, Jesus or Issa was a prophet who lived in his time and brought God’s message to the people. I thought about this for a very long time and asked myself if I could accept this idea as part of my truth, but it did not deter me from searching for more. The answers came, but I was not quite sure whether to accept them or not. I became restless and unsure about the information that I was receiving. As I read the Quran and asked about his role in the Islamic faith, I was told that Jesus’ (PBUH) second coming is imminent and he will serve as our guide during the Day of Judgment. I wondered what will be Mohammed’s (Peace be upon him) role on that day? Is he not the last prophet? An Omani working for the Islamic Information Center in Muscat saw me one afternoon at Lulu’s and handed me a pamphlet about the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). I read it immediately and it said that the Quran was the Prophet’s miracle. As I read about his life, it became clear that he is, indeed, a messenger from God. I also read that all his good works and his examples are worthy to be emulated and he preached the same belief that had been set by all the other prophets who came before him: the belief in One God. So, I reasoned out that if I believe in all the prophets from Adam to Jesus (Peace be upon them), why should I not believe in the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)?

In the college, I asked Dr. Khamis Al Muniri about the lifestyles of the Muslims since at that time I wanted to visit a village to interact with as many Omanis as possible, to observe more, and perhaps, to teach English to the young children. He advised me against going because it would not be easy. People would ask questions and would not perhaps agree to send their children out to meet a stranger, a non-Muslim woman. Instead, we discussed Islam and its basic beliefs, its pillars, and how it uplifts a person’s dignity as a human being. He challenged me to find anything in the Quran that violates human nature. I accepted. And my quest for answers continued.

My mind raced from one answer to another, questioned every bit of statements and their meanings. Salwa Al Sulaimi and I initially talked about the role of women in Islam, and Thuraiya Al Rawahi gave me some pamphlets which I hungrily read and finished in one day. This kind of conversation with Muslim colleagues went on for quite some time. The next thing I knew, I was attending a talk at the Ministry of Education Training Center in Nizwa. It was sponsored by the Islamic Information Center of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The announcement came from two of my Omani brothers, Haroon Al Nabhani, who received the message about the talk, and Saud Al Busaidi, who sent an email to the English Language Center staff. Eventually, Haroon and Saud figured out significantly in my decision to attend the talk. I went there, not to embrace Islam, but to listen to the speakers and to learn more. I was the only Filipino and the only one from the college, the rest were Omani and Ethiopian ladies. During the talk, Fatima Al Harrasi, the speaker, asked me this question: “Why did God create us?” I was hesitant of my answer at first, but I said aloud “There are two reasons: to worship Him and to love His creation”. The projected answers which were quoted from the Quran convinced me that, indeed, my Catholic beliefs were in line with the Islamic faith.

During that talk, I met Amira Reyes, a fellow Filipina who reverted to Islam two years ago. It was her who answered most of my questions about Jesus as the Prophet and not as the son of God. In Islam, Jesus (PBUH) is revered as one of the prophets who prophesied about the coming of another prophet known in its narrative as Mohammed (PBUH). It was believed that Jesus did not die on the cross. Instead, he was raised to Heaven by God himself and it was another man who looked like him that was crucified. Jesus’ (PBUH) second coming had also been a very important part of the Islamic teachings. My heart jumped with joy when I heard that Jesus had not died on that day and was and is still alive! I had goosebumps and tears started falling. I knew that I was going to be a Muslim.

Before I uttered the shahada or the profession of my faith in One God and His Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), I did not stop shaking. I wanted to do it, but part of me initially resisted, especially because once I committed to embracing Islam, there was no turning back. I called up one of my Omani colleagues who happened to be available at that time after I texted several others and did not get any response. I told Saud, my seatmate in the office with whom I had serious discussions, that there was no point in delaying my decision to become a Muslim. I cried on the phone while I talked to him and he told me that he did not know what to say. He was speechless. I asked him to just say that everything was going to be fine. It was all that I needed to hear- the voice of another person reassuring me that I was going to make the best decision in my life. It acted as my security blanket. However, I believed in my heart that Allah called me to return to Him with a renewed faith and a pure heart. Tears just did not stop falling while I uttered the words, Ash’hadu an La Ilah Ila Allah wa ash’hadu ana Mohammed Rasul Allah, wa ash-hadu ana Issa Rasul Allah (I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and I bear witness that Mohammed is the Last Messenger of Allah and I bear witness that Jesus is the Messenger of Allah.). After that, I felt the best feeling in my whole life. I suddenly felt peace in my mind and my heart. Happiness from within surged and it made me cry while I embraced my sisters who congratulated me. I became a Muslim. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Living Out my Truth

At first, I only wore the hijab to symbolize my reversion. The whole college knew about it because Dr. Khamis announced it on the college WhatsApp group. Muslim and non-Muslim colleagues and the majority of my students greeted me when I returned to the college that week. I was ecstatic and felt like a newborn trying on her first steps. I knew that Islam would be my lifetime pursuit.

As days went by, I learned the salaat and memorized the Al Fatiha. Eventually, I could pray on my own without notes. I would anticipate the adhan from a nearby mosque or my phone, readily do the wudu or the ablution and change into my prayer dress. During the first few times that I prostrated, with my forehead touching the ground, I felt a very deep sense of peace and happiness that made me sob incessantly and I knew then that I was closest to Allah. From that time on, I would always look forward to hearing the adhan. Prayers had been my direct connection to God, and they filled my life with peace and happiness that were not there before.

I started wearing the abaya just recently. I made that decision after a welcome party organized by a group of students last May 20. The dean of our college, Dr. Hafidh Ba Omar, gave a speech in Arabic and I was overwhelmed by emotions because my students were there, gave out roses and gifts to me, held the letters of my name, MARYAM, in front of the audience to see. I gave a speech on how the goodness of the people in the college became one of the reasons that inspired me to embrace Islam.

Wearing the abaya has been an appropriate response to the kindness and generosity of my Muslim community. I want to be one with them in leading the Islamic way of life. The feeling of being protected against anything when I wore it for the first time was overwhelming that I want to wear it for the rest of my life.

My journey as a Muslim has just started. This is not the end of my narrative. One of my plans is to become a Muslim scholar and to propagate the principles of truth that the people who are closest to me must know. May Allah grant and guide me in my endeavors and instill in me a pure and humble spirit to pursue the Islamic way of life until my last breath. In sha Allah!

Epilogue

I left Islam after two years of practicing it because of the longing and emptiness in my heart even though I practiced the faith. Somehow, in my emptiness, I knew that it was the Holy Spirit that rekindled my love for Jesus Christ—the One that my heart has been searching for all along! 

Reminiscence: Masirah Island

 A Travelogue

Masirah Island: Captivating

By Amy Luz U. Catalan

(In the maiden edition of “The Mirror”, the official newsletter of the English Language Center of Nizwa College of Technology edited by Prof. S. B. Flamenia, Prof. T. H. Finken, Jr., and Prof. S. Prem)

Last October 18, 2014, I woke up at 3 in the morning and readied myself for the trip. The first thing that I checked was my camera. Since coming to Oman, this gadget became a necessity for me-what with all the lovely sights of mountains, deserts, and seas all displaying their various colors and shapes to my unbelieving eyes. The first photos that I took on that day were the phases of sunrise that welcomed a new day of adventure and fun. For the rest of the trip, I filled my camera with moments and images of beauty-both physical and ethereal. Except for the delayed departure from Nizwa, because a friend overslept, everything else went great. The weather cooperated and the day started with a positive vibe. I prepped myself for what awaited me in  Masirah Island! 

As I later discovered, the island is located in the Sharqiyah region where the mountains, desert, and oceans meet. As magical as it sounds, the region is home to beautiful wadis-one of which is Wadi Bani Khalid, the never-ending stretch of the golden desert called the Wahiba Sands, and the famous turtle beach, among the many. 

As soon as we reached the Sharqiyah region, everybody became excited and checked out the signs that pointed to our destination- the Shannah ferry terminal-where ferries ply the nautical route from the mainland to Masirah Island.  Just before reaching the port, a white crystal-like landscape caught our attention so we went out of the rented van to check it out. It was salt. As we reached the spot, everybody took photos and posed beside it. And soon enough, we touched the grains and took more photos of the white expanse than our lens could take. After all, where could you find a salt bed in the middle of the desert, of crystal-clear seawater meeting the golden desert sand? How wonderful it was to look at the tiny crystals glinting under the heat of the sun! 

We chattered as we took more photos that our driver reminded us that we had to leave soon. We were running out of time as we still had to catch the ferry,  and upon reaching the island, we needed time enough to look for a suitable spot to set camp. 

As we waited for our vehicle to be boarded, we sat outside the only coffee shop at the terminal and observed all that was happening and who was coming and going. Most of the passengers were Omanis. Some were fellow expats who were on a holiday like us. The Omanis were probably businessmen who ply their trades from and to the island since they drove pick-ups with huge containers on the back. We met some of them and they gamely posed for photos with us- on the terminal with the ferry as background and inside the captain’s deck. They were very friendly and eager to socialize, and we never had a difficult time exchanging queries with them. They conversed with us in their typically warm and humorous way. And I guess, minds and interests met as my friends equaled their neverending playful banter. 

The “uneventful” ferry ride took more than an hour. While we lined up along the boat rails and watched out for anything that moved in the waters, the stories became scarce and we began to silently await the sight of the island. Then excitement filled the air for a few minutes when we saw a tortoise with its orange head, popping up and down the waves. Silence again.  After almost like an eternity of staring at the clear blue waters and the occasional humorous stories, somebody from our group heaved a sigh of relief while we turned our heads in the direction of the island. Over the horizon, a strip of brown land appeared thinly at first, then it became a huge landmass with structures and buildings that could be seen from afar. We chorused “At last!” and moved like one body as we pointed our cameras to the island-a bunch of amateur paparazzi wanting to capture the perfect moment.                                                              

As soon as we docked, the gentle ocean breeze and thoughts of driving around the island and seeing the long stretch of wild sandy beaches and the crystal-clear blue waters re-animated us. One of our stops brought us to the ruins of what used to be a dhow- a traditional Omani fishing boat. It was a sight to behold! The wooden ruins proved to be something more than just a pile of wood. It became a piece of artwork as we shot from different angles. When we got exhausted from posing and clicking, we proceeded to our next itinerary-- crabbing! Only the men went out to catch crabs, which they accomplished, and they brought back almost 3 kilos for our dinner. Since it was almost four in the afternoon, we started planning for our next meal and someone suggested going “fishing” to complete the beach-themed dinner that we planned since leaving Nizwa. It was impossible to catch fish late in the afternoon so we determinedly set out to the men who unloaded fish from their boats. It was nearly sunset when we reached that beach. While we stood there waiting for our “catch”, the place became flooded with bright lights and shadows from the setting sun. Seagulls flew around as they circle the boats for their supper. It was a beautiful sight!  And it probably inspired the owner of the pick-up where the fish were being loaded because he just gave us two large pieces for free! We felt lucky as we drove away and went back to our camp - mightily proud of our “catch” and ready to cook and eat a sumptuous dinner of crabs, fish, chicken adobo, and rice. 

Perfect! It was the best dinner ever. The moon shone brightly. We sat around our meal. We talked and laughed, and shared stories of the day how some crabs were caught, how some of the crabs bit, how big and juicy the grilled fish was, and so many more anecdotes that we enjoyed hearing from each other. We played cards after dinner until we all got exhausted. 

On the following day, we went for a brief swim to feel the warm seawater on our skin. Then it was time to move on. We all fell silent on our way back to the port and the mainland. I doubted that it was because of the heat and exhaustion. I believed that we all felt a little sad because we left behind a paradise- a place where we could enjoy being with friends for some good old-fashioned fun and adventure. 

Masirah Island was a lovely experience. It offered a generous take on nature and people. I’d always believed Oman to be beautiful, and so far, I hadn’t been proven wrong. 

Reminiscence: Birkat Al Mouz, Oman

 Reminiscence: Birkat Al Mouz, Oman

Perhaps, this restlessness is my soul's creative outlet to prod me to write.  I've been having this feeling since my childhood days when I opened the watch that my dad gave me on my 7th birthday. I wanted to know what made it work. I broke it, of course. I never brought back the parts together, and my father scolded me because it was my first watch. I had to learn to read the time that was why he gave it to me. I did learn how to tell time eventually, but after having several broken watches.

This curious mind propelled me to visit certain places and engage in situations, at times risky ones, because of my penchant to search for answers that I had to know immediately. 

Hence, this led me to trek to the topmost part of the Ruins in Birkat Al Mouz. It was mid-afternoon on a cool Saturday when my friends invited me to join them on a trip to one of the tourist spots in the city where we saw the irrigation system called falaj that brought water to the various places in that desert country. Eventually, we decided to climb the steep and slippery slopes of the ruins until we reached the tower.  It took us 45  minutes to an hour to reach the top (to take photos as proofs that we conquered it!). I slid down several times because the soil was loose and there wasn't anything to grab except hardened clay and dry bushes. It was the sheer determination to reach the top that pushed us although we almost fell to the stony grounds below. The way down was equally risky as we had to control the force that pulled us to almost sprint downwards and plummet to broken bones or worst, death.  Surprisingly, we survived unscathed! But that climb made us terribly thirsty, hungry, and speechless on our way back to our flats.

My family didn't know about this. I hesitated to tell them because I didn't want to be asked by the elders to go back to the safety of home in the Philippines. They could rest knowing that my adventures have been less risky since I came back. I've reached my limits. I've done riding zip lines, driving at 200 kph, doing out-of-town trips on a racer bike, and many others that I don't want to mention anymore for fear that I might be dared to do them again. Nope. I've reached the stage when adventures mean going to the beach, driving out of town at a slow speed, hiking on a flat surface (be it on a mountain or in the city), and swearing off zip lines. I've been contented and peaceful for years. The spirit has remained a bit dormant and bored, perhaps, partly due to this pandemic. Only time knows how and when it will give in to another stirring yet the safe pull of those riveting adventures. Maybe, it will come one of these days. Maybe, I'll just focus more on writing and live vicariously through my poems and short stories. 

Reminiscence: Siem Reap, Cambodia

 Reminiscence: Cambodia

Imagine temple-hopping under the heat of the Khmer sun in the middle of the day! You would perhaps surrender on the steps of the Angkor Wat and just stayed still with a fan and bottled water in your hand.

But we never did! My friend, Mylene, and I completed the temple tour from 10 in the morning and ended it on top of Bakheng Hill to witness the stunning sunset. 

We had to wrap our hair with a shawl to protect it from the dust and heat as we trekked around Siem Reap with our cameras and explored seven temples, including the one where Angelina Jolie shot the movie, "Tomb Raider", called Ta Prohm. Our route brought us to Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ba Yon Temple, Ta Prohm Temple, Ba Phuon Temple, Terrace of the Elephants, and finally, Phnom Bakheng. These temples, located within the Angkor Wat Archeological Park, had been challenging, albeit fulfilling to an uninitiated culture enthusiast. 

Apart from temples, the most poignant stop was the "killing fields" glass cases that housed the victims' skeletal remains of the Khmer Rouge atrocities. 

Since our flight from Siem Reap was around 11 pm and we already checked out of our hotel room, we decided to have a massage in a Thai spa of the hotel just to take a shower and board the plane refreshed and ready to sleep for the duration of the flight back to the Philippines- she to Pampanga, and I to Bacolod.🌷

Reminiscence: Singapore

 🌷Reminiscence ❤️

I love looking at pictures of my adventures from years ago when I had more time to spare to travel in places like Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, and South Korea. 

I went to Singapore (my second time) with a friend from work. She, like me, loved taking photos. So, while we were on a tour bus plying the routes in the city, we stopped by at every iconic spot where tourists flocked to have their photos taken.  At the Quay, where the Merlion stands, she disappeared. Since I wanted to take a photo under the water spouting from the Merlion’s mouth, I didn’t hesitate to ask a stranger to click my cam for me. There I stood, half-smiling, half-squinting, under the searing heat of the noonday sun. 🌞😑 I was happy enough to have a memento, but my friend, as it turned out, was busy taking photos of the skyscrapers and the Marina Bay Sands from different angles. Who does that? Well, my friend, that’s who! 😆

From there, we proceeded to take another tour bus and on to the Indian-Chinese district. I told her that I wanted to just continue the tour on the bus while she took off to take more photos. At the end of the day, we compared notes and exchanged photos as we covered a lot of places. On our 2nd day, we went to Sentosa Island for a day-trip and pranced about like children. In the evening, we watched a Disney play set on water and went back to the main island, she,  on a cable car, and I, on the train. I told her I had fear of heights, and so we discussed how I loved traveling and didn’t fear being on a plane and would always insist on a window seat. It was different, I said. So, she let me take the train, and, eventually, she overcame her own fear of heights. Oh, I miss her so! We had so much fun. We were like sisters. ❤️ We also enjoyed roaming and taking photos at the Gardens by the Bay while waiting for the sun to set just to take a photo of the Singapore Flyer. I’m sure my version turned out to be better. 😆 (Joke, hers was better because the colors were vivid.) 

Our next trip was in 2015 and we had a grand time in Malaysia and Cambodia. 

#singapore2014

Reminiscence: Ajuy, Iloilo

 A Funny Thing Happened While I Was Disembarking A Boat 🥰

Of all the "embarrassing" situations that could occur on that day after semi-expertly boarding and disembarking the boat that brought us to Marbuena Island Resort and the island-hopping adventure, it was when my foot suddenly got entangled between the makeshift bamboo bench and the bow. It took me several minutes to finally free my left foot to secure my position and was able to jump into the knee-deep water with the help of a paddle that I used to ascertain that the water was, indeed, shallow. I thought that the boat man was only joking when he said that we had to walk through the shallow water until we reached the shore. My duffel bag fell into the water only that my dry clothes were fine. I rinsed myself at a friend's house and changed into decent clothing before we went back to the city. Thank goodness!

What happened was that the group had to transfer from the big boat to a small one that's often used in fishing since the one that brought us to Marbuena could no longer make port due to the low tide. No wonder there was a proper timing for when to set out and come back. Lesson learned, indeed! Everyone couldn't stop laughing, myself included. 😆

(Small boat on the left, big boat on the right)

Netspeak and its Implications to Language Teaching

* This paper was presented at Chonbuk National University in South Korea during a conference of Language and Literature teachers on 5 June 2011. 

Find this article in:  (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352020719_Netspeak_Its_Implications_to_Language_Teaching)

Netspeak and Its Implications to Language Teaching

by Amy Luz U. Catalan, PhD

ABSTRACT

This research paper aims to discuss the linguistic features of computer-mediated communication and their implications to language teaching.

Profile of online daters with variables on sex, age, education, and occupation shows that a total of 100 heterosexual females and males participated in the study, majority of them between 18 to 24 years of age, with college or university education, and are gainfully employed in various fields such as teaching, sales and marketing, and secretarial work for females; males are employed in the military or law enforcement, engineering, and designing arts. 

Their linguistic repertoire based on the features of CMC consists of the absence of capitalization, lack of punctuation, and speed writing.  Significantly, female participants have a high occurrence of complete sentences in their utterances. Telegraphic language is prevalent among male participants. 

Female and male online daters use linguistic features to present themselves. Females tend to be verbose in their conversations while adhering to the demands of online talk—speed, brevity, and efficiency in talk. Males, on the other hand, are more the objective and casual type of communication.  

Implications of linguistic features of CMC to Language teaching are for language teachers to include pragmatics in their lessons and to use the linguistic features in developing appreciation among learners on the importance of standard English in formal settings. Communication and language researchers may include themes and motivation of online interlocutors as part of the objectives of future studies on CMC.   

INTRODUCTION

 

Language choice is a potent instrument in analyzing the identity of a person and it is one of the main components that reveals linguistic behavior which shows the cognitive processes that may be influenced by cultural and social factors.  In this study on computer mediated communication or CMC (Gonzales & Meyers, 1993), linguistic choice is very much a part of the entire communication process.  

Ellison, Gibbs, and Heino (2006) point out that scholars have paid attention to this  particular form of mediated communication because this has a larger user base and more sophisticated self-presentation options, which includes the use of a distinct form of language that is present in an online context, than any of the traditional forms of communication.  In addition, Crystal (2001) proposes the idea that CMC showcases a mixture of spoken and written features that resulted from movements aimed at making communication or interaction more “fluid and seemingly talk-like, thereby, closing the gap and reducing social distance”. Furthermore, Thurlow (2001) describes the internet language as netspeak which combines speed, efficiency, informality, and creative topography such that these traditional rules of grammar and style are weakened. In this sense, netspeak depends on the expression characterized by speed and economy of computer key strokes.  He also emphasizes that CMC has the following language patterns: lexical compounds and blends, abbreviations and acronyms, minimal to no use of capitalization, punctuation, and hyphenation, generally less regard for accurate spelling and/or typing errors, and less or no use of traditional openings and closings (2001). Interestingly, Georgakopoulou (2006) states that in the midst of a globalized form of communication, sociolinguistics may be taken as one of the most interesting fields of study— language features and their position in the online community, as well as their implications on social intercourse and communicative skills.  Such observation is relevant in the study of language and computer mediated communication because of the presence of a sub-culture that emphasizes a group of individuals who makes use of a distinct language found only in this context. 

This research paper, therefore, has endeavored to investigate the linguistic features found in computer mediated communication and how this has changed the behaviors of individuals who interact in an expansive space known as CMC, and in this case, online dating. Significantly, discourse analysis is the main approach that the researcher has chosen to capture the powerful and distinct language of the internet.

Objectives of the Study

This paper aims to discuss the linguistic features of computer mediated communication, specifically on the following topics:

1.     profile of the online-daters when grouped according to sex, age, education, and occupation;

2.     linguistic features in the chat-conversations of the online-daters according to sex, age, education, and occupation; and

3.     the implications of computer mediated communication to Language teaching.

Theoretical Framework

            This paper uses a theory on linguistic features of computer mediated communication.  Crystal (2001) provides a list of these features that are evident in the chat-conversations or netspeak:

1.     Orthography involves informal spelling (phonetic based) such as da for the; speed writing is a combination of informal spelling with letter omission, (e.g. wat for what and u for you), and absence of capitalization (with pronoun I written as i, the beginning of sentences such as i am mark, beginning of a sentence in what is ur name?, and proper names such as usa for United States of America and mark for Mark). 

2.     Another linguistic feature of CMC is vocabulary which includes informal usage of terms such as uni for university and hols for holidays; use of interjections in the form of Wow!!!!!; and use of abbreviations such as lol for laughing out loud.

3.     Grammar is also a CMC linguistic feature that uses telegraphic language. One example of telegraphic language is: got many things to do, a telegram-like language that contains the basic information in an utterance without the necessary grammatical parts. Chaining, such an example below, is a continuous statement of different thoughts and contexts with or without punctuation marks as in Don't assume. ‘don't ever’ or ‘all girls/guys’ or ‘he/she will definitely...’ don't believe it. I mean it can be pretty accurate, because of course there's the ever
present ‘don't lie to a girl’ and ‘be a gentleman.

4.     In addition, discourse and text involve the use of interaction feature such as ok as a tag in a question like, I will call you tonight, ok?. Stream of consciousness is another feature which is more of a reflective type of writing, as in do I have to reply to this guy’s message or do I need to keep quiet?. Hypertext (in the WWW) which directs the online daters to other sites relevant to information gathering during the dating process such as when an individual wants to give another link or website: sonia.raj80@yahoo.com.

5.     Paralinguistics and graphics like spaced letters, multiple letters, alternative markers for emphasis, capitalization (that indicates shouting), little or excessive punctuation, and smilies (emoticons), instead of words. Spaced letters signify slowness of the utterance such as H  I! On the other hand, alternative markers are used to emphasize an utterance or an idea in an utterance such as the use of asterisk *****I love you! ******. Capitalization is also part of the grammar feature, such as MY NAME IS MARK. WHAT’S YOURS?.  This feature signifies shouting in the CMC context.  Lack or excessive punctuations are two separate features that deal with marks like what??????????? to indicate surprise with the showcase of excessive punctuations.  However, lack of punctuation may be in the form of Im going to call you tonight, which indicates the absence of punctuation in grammatical units like the contraction of I am.  Moreover, smilies or emoticons are graphical features that substitute the real emotions in CMC. An emoticon such as a smiley J, which is formed by typing several keys, is used to indicate happiness or a smile.

Conceptual Framework

            The schematic diagram in the succeeding page shows the link between CMC and the linguistic features proposed by Crystal (2001).

Chat-conversations

Chat-conversations of Participants

Linguistic Features: Orthography, Vocabulary, Grammar, Discourse and Text, Paralinguistics, and Graphics

Computer Mediated Communication

Profile (Age, Sex, Education, and Occupation)

Scope and Limitations of the Study

One hundred heterosexual online daters have been chosen from 10 online dating sites. Selection of 50 females and 50 males for this study is based on the following criteria: 1.) registered users of any online-dating website, 2.) 18 years old and above, 3.) with demographic page containing sex, age, education, and occupation details; 4.) and willingness to chat.  Two coached chatters have been tasked to chat with the online daters for a month, from May to June of 2009. The age grouping was determined with the use of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which uses intervals of six from age 18 and up. Thus, the age grouping used in this study is as follows: 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, etc.  (http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/as_facebook_ages_gen_y_turns_to_twitter.php). 

 

This study includes the linguistic features of computer mediated communication found in the chat conversations of the participants. Several observed features have been added to provide an overview of the dynamic nature of computer language or netspeak.  Independent variables such as age, sex, education, and occupation have been used in grouping the participants and the features that they commonly use when communicating online.

As for its limitations, the study has included heterosexual participants only. The authenticity of the participants’ language was checked through constant chatting that lasted for a month. There is, moreover, the possibility of having made use of inauthentic conversations due to the intervention of the coached chatters as far as the initiation of conversations and topics is concerned.

Significance of the Study

This paper may be used by Language Teachers in the study of internet language since this is becoming a trend and is one of the interesting fields in linguistics.  Through this paper, language teachers would have better insights on the language of females and males, which, used as basis for language learning, may be maximized in the teaching of pragmatics.  Moreover, conversations and speaking skills are the basic foundations for language learning. As such, this study would increase awareness about spoken language and its impact on the daily lives of the individuals. Teacher and learners would find the materials enjoyable and challenging because English, when used as a basis for cyber language, transforms into a distinct language that could be utilized to improve the students’ appreciation of formal English. In addition, language teaching in all parts of the world could be a systematic transference or translation from CMC to formal English and vice versa.

Communication and Language Researchers may also benefit from this research paper since the corpus from the chat-conversations of online-daters is useful to a collection of English language materials that may be used for a variety of purpose.  Aside from newspapers (i.e. editorials, opinion columns, letter to editors and newsleads), the chat-conversations would serve as exciting addition to the growing compilations of global English.  These culturally enriching materials show the actual conversations of male and female online dating participants across age, education, and occupation.  Since these are actual conversations, many of these could be used as bases for syntactic and semantic analysis of the English language. These materials could also be used to enrich the discussion on the styles and features of the English language used in a computer mediated context as many English-language materials do not provide natural conversation patterns for learners.  Specifically, the linguistic features are important in the study of language because computer mediated communication is one of the emerging trends in interaction. These could be used as examples for cultural discussions. In addition, language researchers could explore other areas to study such as motivations for chatting and themes usually conveyed by the conversations, sexual preference, and dating outcome desired that could provide more insights into the growing trends in inter-cultural communication.

Research Methodology

            Profile of participants and the required data were collected from the demographic page and conversations. The coached chatters were tasked to register in five dating websites and to gather heterosexual males and females using the criteria set by the researcher. The gathering of data happened for a month (May to June 2009) with the researcher identifying the linguistic features of CMC based on the list provided by Crystal (2001). She went through each participant’s stream of utterances and listed down the features using a matrix. After which, she counted each feature per category. The categories of linguistic features were then placed under the different variables of sex, age, education, and occupation. The linguistic features of CMC based on Crystal were added with new features observed to be present in the chat-conversations of the participants. These are complete sentences, ellipses, and incorrect spelling. Extracts taken from the actual conversations of the participants were provided. 

To establish validity and reliability of data, two inter-raters from the Department of Languages of the University of St. La Salle were tasked to code and evaluate 30% of the data.

The study made use of descriptive statistics in simply describing what is or what the data shows. It involved frequency counting, percentage distribution, and averaging of the linguistic features. The units of analysis involved in analyzing the linguistic features were individual words (except for streams of consciousness, chaining, and complete sentences) in threads of utterances.  

The discussion of the linguistic features of CMC found in the conversations of male and female participants are found in the succeeding paragraphs.

   

Results

             This study discusses the linguistic features in the conversations of male and female participants.

 Majority of the participants in this study are young, educated, and middle class males and females who are in a university or gainfully employed. They engage in this form of computer mediated communication due to their adeptness on netspeak. Furthermore, when professionals engage in CMC, they look at it as a venue for them to escape the traditional forms of courtship because of the constraints of the latter on their time as they are among the busiest and the most active people in the group (Githinji, 2008). While both female and male participants adhere to the maxims of brevity and speed, females seem to assert their verbosity and relational linguistic repertoire and males tend to be objective and casual in their conversations (Jay, 2003).

Another significant finding is the use of online-dating as venue where participants can express their guilt, problems, and apprehensions about romance and life in general.  

Implications to Language Teaching

Language teachers may include naturally-occurring talks in the teaching of language to second language learners. However, due to the uncensored language used by the online daters, teachers may choose conversations that are wholesome and informative, not the erotic and flame-filled utterances that most of the participants in this study have engaged in. 

Moreover, language teachers may use examples from the linguistic features to re-introduce students to the usage of formal English. Such exercise may create awareness on the distinctiveness of online communication from formal communication usually required in language classrooms.

 It is important that researchers consider a larger sample size to formulate generalizations of the linguistic and behavioral differences in the conversations of female and male participants because this may aid in determining the authenticity of their identities. Likewise, the naturally occurring characteristic of computer mediated communication may also be investigated to discuss the styles and features of language, which is essentially English, but a distinct variety that may enable participants to engage in CMC that may have a great impact in the evolution of English as a mediated medium and the implications to the acceptance of its online version, albeit informally, in the mainstream. They may also explore other areas to study such as motivations for chatting and themes usually conveyed in the conversations.

 

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