TODAY IS MAY 10
ON THIS DAY: MAY 10
Today is the birthday of Ernani Joson Cuenco (1936-1988), a Filipino composer, film scorer, musical director, and music teacher who in 1999 was named a Philippine National Artist for Music. A graduate of the University of Santo Tomas, he taught for decades at his alma mater until his death in 1988. He is listed as composer or musical director for over 300 films on IMDB, from 1966 to 1989.
Born in Malolos, Bulacan, he learned violin as a boy and then earned his bachelor's degree in Music, Major in Piano, at the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music in 1956. He then studied cello at UST on a scholarship grant, and took a master's in Music at the Santa Isabel College in Manila. He performed as a cellist with the Manila Symphony Orchestra from 1960 to 1968, and played for the Filipino Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Manila Chamber Soloists.
As a composer, he was known for a Filipino sense of musicality which embodied an ingenious voice that raised the aesthetic dimensions of contemporary Filipino music. He received numerous awards, including three from the Film Academy of the Philippines.
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QUESTIONS
Answer in complete sentences where possible.
Where did Ernani Cuenco teach for decades?
What were his major instruments?
How many films did he create music for?
ANSWERS TOMORROW!
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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT ON THIS DAY FOR MAY 9
Five of Barrie's works feature Peter Pan.
Peter Pan wouldn't grow up.
Peter Llewelyn Davies, the "model" for Peter Pan, threw himself under a train when he was 63.
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SOME VOCABULARY
aesthetic: sense of beauty
alma mater: the school one graduates from
cello: the third-largest orchestral stringed instrument: smaller than a bass, but larger than a violin or viola. The cellist straddles the instrument (sits with legs on either side).
ingenious: clever
scholarship: money given to support student's studies
soloists: people who play alone, above the others
TODAY'S FEATURE FOR MAY 10
Viking Settlement: L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site is the site of the only authenticated Viking settlement in North America. Dating to approximately 1,000 years ago, it is located in what is now the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It provides physical evidence of voyages like those of Leif Erikson, mentioned in the Icelandic sagas written down in the 1200s. The remains of several Norse buildings and some reconstructions can be seen.
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QUESTIONS
Answer in complete sentences where possible.
What is the approximate date of L'Anse aux Meadows?
Where is L'Anse aux Meadows?
Whose voyages are mentioned in the Icelandic sagas?
ANSWERS TOMORROW!
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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FEATURE FOR MAY 9
Fire and the wheel were the earliest "technological advancements" mentioned in the text.
Hunters and gatherers became farmers and herders ("agriculturalists") who became city dwellers.
"Division of labor" means dividing up the jobs of a society between different people, rather than having everyone doing everything.
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SOME VOCABULARY
authenticated: proven to be true
evidence: proof of, or at least support for, an idea or theory
Icelandic sagas: prose (not poetry) stories and histories composed in Iceland and telling stories of kings and heroes
reconstructions: things (often buildings) that have been rebuilt to replace ones that are gone
FILIPINGLISH FOR MAY 10
SPECIAL ISSUES FOR FILIPINO SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH
"Lang": just, only, exactly
Lang is a kind of limiter, sometimes meant to soften the impact of a sentence. Imagine your dentist saying, "I'm going to pull your tooth." Harsh, right? But somehow, "I'm just going to pull your tooth" is supposed to be a little less harsh.
Filipinos often say, "I'll just..."
I'll just close the door.
I'll just cook us something to eat.
I'll just go buy some Coke.
I'll just cut off your arm. (WHAT?!)
I also notice it--translated "only"--when I make purchases. Clerk: "And with the batteries that will be... five thousand two hundred sixty-two pesos only."
Me: "ONLY?! That's a LOT more than I expected!"
I think in this case "lang" is more like "exactly"--no more, no less. It's still meant to ease the pain.
It also comes out untranslated. I often hear, "Wait lang." "Just wait." What else am I gonna do?
My recommendation is to use it less. Just (!) say, "I'll go buy some Coke" or "That will be 5,262 pesos."
If you're going to cut my arm off, nothing will soften the blow.
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QUESTIONS
Try to express the following ideas in more natural English, without using lang, only, or just.
Wait lang.
That will be 60 pesos only.
I'll just go now.
ANSWERS TOMORROW!
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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT FILIPINGLISH FOR MAY 9
Let's eat at Wendy's.
Please call the driver.
Can you explain it to me?
FILIPINIANA FOR MAY 10: KNOW YOUR PROVINCES AND REGIONS
Mandaue: The city of Mandaue lies on the eastern side of the island of Cebu, which means that it is physically within the borders of Cebu Province. However, it is a "Highly Urbanized City" and thus one of the 38 autonomous cities in the Philippines. So it is listed here in addition to Cebu Province. (Altogether, we will be looking at the country's 82 provinces, 17 Regions, 33 Highly Urbanized Cities, and 5 Independent Component Cities. That's 137 articles!)
Mandaue is one of the country's oldest cities, as the region where it lies was one of the first colonized by the Spanish. The city was founded on April 7, 1521, according to the city's website. But it didn't become a legally Chartered City until 1969, and a highly-urbanized city only in 1991. Prior to 1521, it is recorded that there was a settlement of local people on the site called Mandaui, with a chieftain named Apanoaan.
Today it is part of the conurbation of Cebu City, the sixth most-populated city in the nation and the most populous in the Visayas. Mandaue itself has a population of 364,116 people. Unsurprisingly there are plenty of historic sites, as well as museums, parks, the ubiquitous shopping, and some natural areas.
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QUESTIONS
Answer in complete sentences where possible.
What is unusual about the government of Mandaue?
What was at Mandaue before the Spanish arrived?
What is typical about tourism in Mandaue, given its age?
ANSWERS TOMORROW!
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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT FILIPINIANA FOR MAY 9
The Manila Galleon trade took place from 1565 to 1815.
The galleons traveled between Manila in the east and Acapulco, Mexico, in the west. Good were gathered into these ports for shipping, and forwarded from there.
The entire trade was driven by the mining of silver in Mexico.
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SOME VOCABULARY
autonomous: independent; self-ruling
conurbation: joining together of two or more cities into one large urban area
highly-urbanized: very city-like, having a large population
prior to: before
ubiquitous: found all over
THE COLLEGE OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE FOR MAY 10
Idiom: One's goose is cooked.
Meaning: one is in serious trouble, or perhaps even dead.
Two things can change in this idiom: The "one" affected, and the tense of the "be" verb.
If I'm late for dinner, my goose will be cooked.
When the man fell off the building, his goose was cooked.
Various stories attempt to explain the origin of this expression; none is convincing. It's easy enough to imagine that a cooked goose doesn't have much of a future!
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QUESTIONS
Answer in complete sentences where possible.
Oh, no! I missed the application deadline! ____ goose _____ cooked!
Marian lost her car keys when she was supposed to pick up her car pool; ____ goose _____ cooked.
The team was already behind, and when they missed the last shot, ____ goose _____ cooked.
The clerk knew that if he was late to work again, ____ goose _____ cooked. [Needs the subjunctive!]
My mom caught me coming in late and ____ goose _____ cooked.
ANSWERS TOMORROW!
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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT GENERAL KNOWLEDGE FOR MAY 9
The mouse's home was destroyed by a plow.
The poet says that both he and the mouse are both poor creatures that share the earth.
The mouse is now facing the harsh winter weather without a home.
The poet realizes (a) that our plans are often disturbed and (b) that the mouse is lucky not to remember past problems or anticipate future ones.
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That's all for today!