Ilokano ka gayam!

Makaawat ak ti Ilokano, Makasarita ak ngem basit laeng.

And the usual reply would be,

Ukinnam! Ilokano ka gayam!

I've always liked travelling in the mountains of Cordillera because aside from the spectacular views, I am given the opportunity to practice speaking in Ilokano. I've discovered that people there warm up to me when they hear me speak the language. It's that or my accent is really bad which is why they laugh a few seconds after I say my opening lines. 

I grew up hearing my parents, my relatives and even the family's household help speak Ilokano so my ears were involuntarily trained to understand the language. My lola from my mother's side of the family particularly loves to speak in Ilokano especially when sharing stories during family gatherings. It's safe to assume my vast knowledge of Ilokano expletives came from her.

Taken by my friend, Ben

A couple of weeks ago, during our visit to a village in the Mt. Province, I met an old man who introduced himself as manong David. He was lounging under a tree when I approached him. I said: 

Kumusta manong? then he just smiled at me. 

He replied saying a few words in a language which sounded like a mix of Kankaney and Ilokano. That's when shifted. I noticed the skies were overcast so I asked:

Kanayon nga agtud-tudo idtoy? He replied saying, "Wen. Maymayat koma tatnu masibugan ti pagay. Ilokano ka gayam, sabali gamin ti rupam" I could tell he was more interested this time. 

So I asked again, "Kaano kayo nga ag ani ti pagay, manong?" He replied, "Nabayag pay. Narigrigaten tatta, dagiti ubing, haan da kayat ti agtalon ti pagay".

I fell silent for a while because I didn't know what to say to him. I also ran out of Ilokano words to say already so I just sat there and stared into the distance. Then the rain started pouring heavily. He invited my friends, who came looking for me, and I into his house, "Umay tayo pay lang iti uneg ti balay ko"

There were seven of us gathered in the first floor of his house including three of my friends and two of his grandchildren. We waited for the rain to stop. I played rock, paper, and scissors with his grandchildren to kill time. Manong David sat there comfortably watching us play the game. 

Taken by Janus, Mang David's grandson, using my camera

The rain stopped after around 20 minutes. I told him we had to leave, "Manong, salamat. mapan kamin." Then he said with a smile, "Syak met, ag ili ak pay. Agsubli kayo"

These portraits

I find it difficult taking portraits of people. I blame it on my inability to quickly establish connections with them.

I was a shy kid growing up. I learned early on that I was not blessed with much talent. The kind of talent that I could easily show when asked spontaneously. It was an insecurity that bothered me when I was young. In a family of very talented singers, I often was a quiet spectator during gatherings and reunions. 

It's something that I've learned to cope with over the years. I did eventually discover my own unique skills and capabilities but the experience I had growing up still affected the way I approach people. More specifically, I often have a difficult time keeping conversations engaging. I find it hard especially when I'm not able to draw out similarities with the person I'm talking with. 

And so most of the portraits I take are of people very close to me. There's the familiarity that gives me the courage to point the camera at them. An exercise which often brings about a certain feeling of uneasiness in most people and eliminates immediately any the element of candidness in any situation. 

I also tend to be less deliberate in my approach. I'm not that type of photographer who is very good at directing people. I usually start a conversation with them to distract their attention from the camera. It's very easy at this point since I've known these people for years. When the opportune moment comes, the split second smile or that peaceful and serene look, I quickly take the photograph and hope for the best.

Below are two recent portraits of my grandmothers from both sides of our family. These are not my best. It's an ongoing learning process for me and something I wish to improve on. I'm happy to say however that slowly I've been able to build my confidence. 

I need to practice writing for an upcoming test :)