March 11, 2006

Two more years later and this site is still not updated. I don't think it will ever be updated in the near future. I'm so busy with work and school that I don't have time to do much of anything really. I have grand plans for a website, but I will have to put that on hold.

In the two years that have passed, my Tausug book has been published. It is available here. I have also started a blog about Philippine languages at Salita Blog. I try to write there once a month.

Also, wish me luck. In February I submitted my application to the University of Washington in Seattle. I am applying to their linguistics program. One of my dreams in life is to get a Ph.D. When I transfer to UW, I'll be a junior. I graduate with my Associate in Arts and Sciences degree this June from Pierce College. I'm pretty excited.

Oh, in my spare time I try to make contributions to Wikipedia. You can see my profile there at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Christopher_Sundita.

That is all for now. See you later.

--Chris Sundita

January 11, 2004

So, uh, it's been quite a while since I've updated this site. Tinatamad ako kasi. hehe

I've added a Waray-Waray version of the Philippine National Anthem. I guess this is what prompted me to make an update. Addendum: Several hours I updated it, I received an Aklanon version. Very cool!

My Tausug article, which has been done for a long time, is no longer an article. It is now a book. Well, a monograph to be exact. It is about 90 or so pages. I've had some trouble finding ways to publish it last year, but I think it will definitely be published this year. It will be sold via Lobel & Tria publishing company. Stay tuned. The title is In Bahasa Sug: An introduction to Tausug.

Oh, did I mention that I have a new full-time job now? Course not. I teach Spanish. It's a challenge... keeps me on my toes.

Language-wise, I've started learning German here and there last year, but I think I need to commit more. There are many reasons why I'd like to learn it, but the two most important ones are that I have German heritage (from Switzerland and Germany) and that it's a widely spoken language. I have also increased my learning of Catalan, a Romance language spoken in Barcelona and other parts of Spain, France, Andorra, and Italy. I think my vocabulary is large enough to survive the streets of Barcelona (assuming I won't resort to Castillian), but my listening comprehension simply sucks. This looks like the fifth language I'll be fluent in.. just give me a couple of more years. It's not a language spoken by many, but hell it's so damn beautiful that I think it's worth the trouble. :-D

In the realm of Philippine languages, I have increased my knowledge of Kapampangan. It is a very fun and interesting language to learn. Conjugating verbs isn't as simple as Tagalog or Cebuano, so it's very challenging - and I like a challenge. And plus, a pronoun is obligatory even if a noun is present! Perhaps the word-for-word Tagalog equivalent of Kapampangan Susulat ya i Chris is *Sumusulat siya si Chris or something like that. This language reminds me of my childhood (5 years of it) living in Pampanga; Angeles City & Clark Air Base.

I am continuing to study other Philippine languages. Right now I am perusing a grammar of Tboli, spoken in Mindanao. It is vastly different from Tagalog and it has such odd consonant clusters (the name of the language should yield a clue). It's reminiscent of Slavic languages like Russian and Czech. I eventually want to gain some more fluency in Ilokano and Cebuano. The latest addition to my library of Philippine language books is Dr. Lawrence Reid's Philippine minor languages: Wordlists & phonologies. It's page after page of words in 43 obscure Philippine languages. I love it. Let's see.... I've also done some minor stuff on Kinaray-a (spoken in Antique) and Bolinao (spoken in Pangasinan).

As for genealogy, I've not had the time to do much research into my Philippine ancestors. Living in a rural area, it's a hassle getting down to the nearest (30 miles) Mormon Family History Center. It's easier to focus on my American ancestors which include the surnames of Jolly, Leedy, Hamill, Cocking, Divelbiss, Mulligan, Roberts, Stratton, Garber, Gatton, Woodry, and much more. They're from Michigan, Cornwall (England), Switzerland, Germany, County Armagh (Northern Ireland), and Ontario (Canada). I've made so much progress in the past 2 years, getting to know my maternal grandfather and his ancestors. I'm forever grateful for the pictures and information I have received from distant relatives. By the way, for my Philippine ancestors I am researching Buenpacifico, Dakila, Londite, Fermin, Najera, Ramos, Abiada, Nazareno, de los Santos, Javier, Orlanda, and Velasco. They are from Batangas, Manila, Rizal, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Cebu, and Pangasinan. Connections to Spain, too.

Well, that's it for now in the life of Chris. I'm sure you all are bored by now. I have big plans for a more meatier website in the future. But that'll have to wait since I have so little time these days. I'm not making any more promises.

In the meantime, read my Dialects and Language essay.

Greetings from the Puget Sound,
--Chris Sundita

PS: Yes, say it.. I am such a nerd. So hah! ;-P