Learning Cebuano

I still have a hard time learning the local language: Cebuano or Bisaya, at MaryKnoll Institute for language and culture. My classes are from 8 am to 3.30 pm every day except the weekends. There are only 4 other students in my class and aside from grammar we have seperate lessons with not more than 2 students (+ 1 teacher). Of course there are many brakes, sosyal awor (where we watch a movie or play scramble in Bisaya) and since the school is a missionary's house we also have mass twice a week (the priest comes from Poland and gives mass in Cebuano with a polish accent - kalooy sa diyos). 

The first week we focused on spelling, the second on non-verbal sentences (Ako si Lilli = I'm Lilli / Hinay hinay basta kanunay = slowly slowly - but always! you can actually create a lot of sentences with just nouns and adjectives) and this week we finally learn some verbs. It is very much a spoken language with words coming from spanish (like numbers: i.e. baynte singko = 25; words are slighty changed in writing and sometimes in meaning i.e. seguro = maybe) and english (drayber = driver or janitor = diyanitor) or with malay roots. In fact, the language already tells a lot about the culture (i.e. sayings with a religous meaning: pohon = (next time) if god is willing, there is also the verb "simba" that refers to the action of "going to church")! 

We usually sit outside under these "payag" during our lessons. It's a nice atmosphere but aside from mosquitos there are also caterpillars (tilas)

 walking around. Although they look nice their hairs will infect your skin with red pimples which are very very itchy! And what is even worse: when you scratch yourself the itchyness will spread everywhere your fingers go... I had one last friday! Luckily I spend the next two days "under water"! 

The last picture shows a fresh mosquito bite which looks like a flower - quite artistic these mosquitos! 

Their bites develop a certain shape (maybe just in my case) before it will get red and big. You could even make a psychological Rohrschachtest out of it: what else does this shape look like?