Trying again...

Yes, I'm trying to learn Tagalog... AGAIN.
Last year I had started to take lessons, but those were quickly interrupted because of travels.
I tried to learn through watching Tagalog TV shows and movies.
I tried to learn just through being around friends.

And, while I do think I'm understanding more -- and faster, I'm not talking in Tagalog hardly AT ALL.

So, I decided that this year I would make SERIOUS attempts at learning the language.
I asked one of my friends in the office if she'd be willing to help me. So now, two nights a week we are getting together for my lessons.

It's been fun. And at least I'm entertaining her! Hahah!

My homework was to write 10 sentences practicing the things we reviewed together. I was to write the 10 sentences and then write them over again using another sentence construction.

The first sentence I wrote was...
"They are riding the elephant." --- "Sila ay sumakay sa elepante."

So, the second construction would have read:
"Sumakay sila sa elepante."

But, instead I wrote -- "Ang elepante sumakay sila" ... The elephant is riding them.

HAHAHAHA! At least I knew that it was wrong when I wrote it!!!
I think I will be giving my teacher plenty of laughs along the way.
Hehehehe!!!

I think my biggest barrier in learning Tagalog is my pride. It's hard to think about sounding foolish. It's hard to be willing to make such big, embarrassing mistakes. It's hard to think about how long and hard it takes me to learn this kind of stuff and how easily it comes to others. I'm learning more than just language in taking these lessons... hopefully so anyway.