A REAL ZAMBOANGUEÑO

VIVA ZAMBOANGA! 

Us Zamboangueños are quite a character.

We have our own distinct style and language :)

We have a unique character that sets us apart from other people of our country.

I am proud to be a Zamboangueña.

Here's how to find out if you are a true Zamboangueño:

You know what MARANG is.

A "kwek-kwek" is not an egg but what they sometimes referred to as "chicken skin"

The Famous "Kwek-Kwek"

Marang

Banana cue

Banana-cue syo ay inihaw na saging na nilagyan ng star margarine at white sugar.

You refer to the people living in luzon, (i.e., Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Pampanga etc,) as

  people from "Manila" (de Manila se)

"Doy" is a friend's pet name just like saying "pare"

You can belt out "Mi ciudad de Zamboanga" and you have no idea how you memorized the lyrics.

The Late Mayor Cesar Climaco

Statue of the late Señora Maria Clara "Caling" Lobregat

Kilala mo si Cesar Climaco.

Feeling mo Lola mo si Tita Caling.

Your birthday or someone you know was once featured in "s na s".

You used to watch Zambo Jambo even if you don't know why.

You say "traysikol" instead of "tricycle"

You pronounce "Uncle" as "Angkol".

You don't go shopping at the mall, instead you go to "town" at shopper's.

For you Baliuag is a bakery, and Ayala is where the "barrio" is.

Boulevard of "broken dreams" also known as "BOULE"

Tambayan mo ang "Boule"

You used to watch "Dulce y Dolor" just to make fun of the actors.

You're 1/4 of something. (chinese, spanish, japanese etc..)

You used to own a telephone and the number starts with either 991, 992, or 993.

You're a solid Kapamilya. 

Affected ka pag may lumilipat sa GMA.

Latu

Agar-Agar

Satti

You love eating latu and agar-agar.

Satti is your breakfast. Screw tapsilog :)

You know what a "jaka" and a "pesetta" is.

You have been in a "Manianita" or was given one...

You love eating "oboy" as a kid.

Nuestra Señora La Virgen Del Pilar

You have a Devotion for Mama Mary.

You ate popcorn or cotton candy in Fort Pilar.

You're used to saying "COKES" and "KEPCHUP"

You have a motorcycle. You almost owned every single model of Honda, from C-70 to Wave.

You know how to drive a motorcycle since birth.

You pronounce "steady" as "stidi" (ase stidi el electric fan)

You call a minivan "Bichu-bichu"

Curacha

You love the Alavar sauce.

CURACHA for you is not a sexy film, but something you eat. 

A serving of Pizza at Speedy's

You like "speedy's" better than Pizza hut, greenwich etc.

Kahit madaling araw lumalabas ka para bumili ng "Supercheese bread" sa Master's Bakery.

A "VINTA" ride in Caragasan

You rode a vinta in Caragasan.

You know what a "pachanak" is.

Nakapagpa-picture ka na sa Fotospeed.

Mahilig kang pumunta sa Golden Bell.

"Torpe" is a swear word.

Your expression is: "todo bagon" or "todo bo sabe"

You know what a bomb explosion sounds like.

Abong-abong Cross

Once in your life nakipag-date ka sa pasonanca park o kaya sa abong-abong..

O di kaya nakapagpicnic ka na at swimming sa pasonanca pool.

PASONANCA PARK

Zamboangaueño ka if - gumagamit ka ng coins pampara sa jeep 

(kinakatok mo sa steel na hawakan)

Jeepneys are per barangay and the label on its side always ends with VICE-VERSA.

The Regatta during the Fiesta Pilar

The Regatta

Plaza Pershing at Christmas time

Your verbs always has (mag-) or (nag-) like: magnood, magkain, magpasyal, naghingin, nagtakbo, nag-iyak, naglundag etc...

Chavacano translation to tagalog is always "literal". Every word is translated and "MAN" is a very important part of your sentence.

BUT FIRST!! Before another "PSYCHO / CHAVACANO FANATICO" reacts to the translations below, let me first explain that these translations are not the TECHNICAL, EXACT a.k.a GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT translations. These are all comedic interpretation of many years of observation on how the new generation of Chavacano speakers incorporate other languages into our dialect. 

The following translations SHOULD NOT be used as basis for an AUTHENTIC chavacano translation. 

Here's an example: 
(tagalog-translated chavacano-chavacano translation)

ano ka ba? - ano ka MAN? - kosa man ka?
bakit ka ganyan? - Bakit ka MAN ganyan? - porke ka man ansina?
bakit andyan ako? - andyan MAN ako - porke man io tali?
ano ka ba? - ano ka MAN? - kosa man ka?
ano? - ano MAN? - kosa man?
bakit? - bakit MAN? - porke man?
saan ba yan? -saan MAN yan? - onde man se?
bakit yan? - bakit MAN yan? - porke man se?
wala naman - wala MAN - nuay man
ano yan? - ano MAN yan? - kosa man se?
Saan yan galing? - Saan MAN yan galing? - donde man se estaba?

Other translations: 

ikaw na lang lagi - Lahat ka na lang - todo ya lang bo

bumubusina ang kotse - Pumipito yung kotse - Ta pita el auto


Famous Chagalog phrases:

"Wak ka dyan magdaan malodo dyan" - Wag ka dyan dumaan maputik dyan

"Dun mo na lang i-pone sa karton" - Dyan mo na lang ipasok sa kahon

"ho-on. Amo ka talaga." - Oo. Tama ka talaga.

"Makapeste talaga" - Nakakainis talaga

"Pinatik ako kaya ako nagtumba." - Pinatid ako kaya ako natumba.

"Ikaw talaga. Lasangan magsalita." - Ikaw talaga. Kung anu-ano sinasabi mo.

Zamboanga City Hall Fiesta Pilar

Zamboanga City Hall Christmas time

Paseo Del Mar at night

Plaza Pershing Christmas time

Plaza Pershing Christmas time

There are more reasons to our uniqueness.. 

These are only a few things that makes us interesting and fun to be with. 

As they always say, LOVE YOUR OWN. 

MAFUERSA EL CHAVACANO! :)