Running out of English

I worked for a BPO for more than 10 years. We interact with clients in the US and Canada so the management wanted us to speak in English all the time. We use to call it JEP as in Just English Please. I appreciate this rule because it makes a second language more natural in you, or at least you become more comfortable with it. I do not claim to be perfect with my English and I know I am not but I can say I’m pretty okay with it. I talk to clients and customers without having a problem.

So I thought I will be okay in an English speaking country. I was wrong. A few months after I got here, I feel like I am running out of English.

‘Nauubusan na ako ng bala’ is what we use to say back home. We also associate speaking in English to ‘nosebleeds.’ I find myself using words/phrases I did not usually use before such as like or it’s like ah, you know what I mean?, something like that. Cringe! I didn’t know it was possible and I don’t know why it’s happening!

A friend recently posted a link on my FB page wall about Filipino words that have no direct English translation. You can find the Buzzfeed article here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/isabellelaureta/basta-yung-ano?utm_term=.jlrkOwnnJ#.kbwAQYNNB. I don’t know how if I should feel better that there are just some words I won’t be able to say to my partner unless I use ten thousand words. Imagine saying “Oh you’re so nakakagigil!” and she will ask me what I mean and I will explain to her (as explained in the article) “It means you are so cute and I want to pinch you but it can also mean I am a little upset with you." Eyes rolling.