Learning Languages, Communicating Respect, and Discovering The Easier Way to Study

How’s it everyone. As you all know, I'm back in grad school pursuing my master's degree in exercise science and life is getting a little bit crazy. Due to the additional workload, I'll be trying my best to release new episodes every other week...hopefully. We'll see! But, no matter what, I'm truly grateful for the support.

Speaking of education, I actually started learning a new language as well. Oh, you know, I don't know when to quit when it comes to maximizing my work schedule. But, anyways, I'm learning Spanish in honor of my epic trip to Spain next year! I'll be heading out there for a few days before the Olympics start in France, so learning Spanish will be incredibly valuable.

Anyways, in today's podcast episode, I reflect on traveling and the value of learning the local language. I truly believe that communication is a powerful way to enhance the travel experience and in many ways is a great way to show respect for others. Additionally, I offer some study tips for learning anything that your heart desires. So, sit back, relax, and I hope you'll enjoy this episode of Love Notes for Life.

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Transcript

How’s it everyone, my name is Mike Cabuco, and welcome to another episode of the Love Notes for Life podcast, your creative space for amplifying greatness through gratitude.

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So, grad school has indeed finally begun, but in typical Mike Cabuco fashion, I just had to make my life ever-so complicated. 

Now mind you, before we get going, I’m going to be totally honest with you all. Last week, when I tried to make that promise that I would maintain a weekly podcast schedule for Love Notes For Life, uhh yea, I didn’t realize how intense grad school was going to be. It’s already week one of Kinesiology 1 and I’m already feeling a bit overloaded with the workload. Don’t get me wrong. The class and knowledge is fun and entertaining, but the time required to be really invested in the class while working a full-time engineering job, and also training on top of that, well…it’s not the most ideal situation to be podcasting as well. Nevertheless, I know, it’s one of those things that I didn’t truly grasp until I actually got into the thick of it. So yes, I think I’ve finally maxed out my time utilization so I’m going to have to back track, just a bit, and probably shoot for…maybe…releasing podcast episodes every other week? Hopefully? And the keyword is “try” and I’m sorry master Yoda, but this circumstance that I’m in is a wee bit tricky. But as always, I appreciate the unconditional support from you all and hopefully, by doing my best the rest will follow.

Alright, so! A couple of weeks back I decided to learn French. Yes French.

Now, the inspiration for learning French started from my prep work for my France trip next year for the Olympics! I had such an amazing time at the World Cup, so I really couldn’t survive another 4 years of waiting just to watch international soccer. I know you got to love first world problems. So! I’m packing up my bags next July and August and heading out to France to watch soccer all over. This one is going to be biggie, because I’ve got tickets for the men’s and women’s quarterfinals, semi-finals, and hopefully, next year, when the resale window opens next spring, I hope some folks decide to give up their tickets for the finals. And I can already imagine, some those tickets will be sold at a premium, but regardless, I’m willing to pay for those premium prices.

So, anyways, I’m really looking forward to the trip next year and really, I just want to make the most out of it. And funny fact, I’ve never actually traveled around France, and I don’t count the layovers at Charles de Galle Airport when I used to travel a lot for work. But France has always been on my bucket list and I’m ready to maximize my travel experience by hitting up as many cities that I can. Of course, I can’t be like a wandering nomad because I’ve got a day job to attend to, which is technically sponsoring this trip in a way, but I’m planning for two weeks with a few days in Barcelona, Spain, before I head over to France.

And the Olympics picked a bunch of cool cities for football such as Marseille, Lyon, and of course with the final in Paris.

So, learning French. Is it a necessity? Not necessarily, BUT I tell you what, if you travel to a foreign country where English isn’t the first language, it’s a very (very) nice gesture to learn the national language. And really, my feelings towards this started when I first started traveling to Europe for work.

Let’s just say, and I’m generalizing here, but the Americans that I came across and worked with had this attitude expecting everyone to speak English. And some of it was intentional, but most of the time it was just due to naïveté. And trust me, as you further get away from the more western type of countries and you enter what I like to call “old country,” there’s an expectation set by the destination culture about maintaining your manners.

I mean, for example, I remember cruising through the countryside in Cyprus and we stopped by a little restaurant for some fish and chips. I remember this moment distinctly because as we got seated at our table, there was a man eating off to the side that got up, approached our table, and asked my coworker to take his hat off. My coworker didn’t press back and he took his hat off, but I tell you what, he wasn’t happy about the situation. So, I tried to explain to him that, in most cultures, removing your hat when you’re inside a restaurant, or someone’s house, or even a house of worship is done out of pure respect. In fact, as Americans we shouldn’t have been surprised because in the South and also traditionally, back in the days, this etiquette was and still is actually very common.

So, learning the local language is more than just trying to survive in a different country. It’s all about respect. It’s about saying, “hey, I know I can’t speak your language well, but I’m going to do my best because I’m a visitor in your house or in your home country.” That’s basically it and no matter what country I’ve visited, the attempt to speak the local language has always been well received, even though, I typically get corrected with my accent.

Now, learning French. It’s hard but expected with learning any new language. And, while my intentions were pure and I did put in a good amount of effort for learning French for at least one week, I actually shifted gears halfway because I sort of modified my travel plans for the Olympics next year. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve set aside about 4 days in Barcelona, Spain prior to traveling to France. And it’s been a dream of mine to visit Spain and logistically, I think I can make it work. I looked at the TGV, which is the high speed train that travels through France and its neighboring countries, and the trip between Barcelona to Marseille, France is actually about 4 hours and a half which is totally doable.

So ¡venga, vamos! Y para mi, estoy aprendiendo español!

Claro! Of course!

So I’m starting to learn Castilian Spanish and yea, I’m not going to lie, this ain’t my first rodeo with learning languages, especially Spanish, but my drive for learning Spanish isn’t just rooted in my love for football, traveling, and experiencing cultures, but actually roots itself within my family heritage. 

By blood, I’m three-quarters Filipino and a quarter Chinese. And yes, I’m what you call a hapa in pidgin talk back on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. And thankfully, even though I was born and bred in the good ol’ US of A, my maternal grandparents, during my entire childhood, spoke to me in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines. For some weird reason, I’m only fluent, Tagalog-wise, through my ears. And I’m not sure why, but when I was younger, I didn’t think to even try to speak back in Tagalog. I would always respond to my grandma and grandpa in English. So, in essence I can’t necessarily speak the language, but I can totally understand the language itself. And it’s a great skill to have. For example, I can watch any Filipino TV show or movie and I can totally enjoy it. I can also navigate my way through any Filipino market. And when some Filipinos like to try and “mask” their private conversations about me, when they assume that I’m either NOT Filipino because I don’t typically look like the common Filipinos here in the States, I just smile and kind of like say, “sorry you feel that way, but I’ll try to make your life better.” And their reaction is so funny. Es muy cómico! And I love it how they start blushing when they find out that I can actually understand what they are staying.

So a word to the wise. Never assume you can hide your comments behind a different language.

And I know, you might be wondering, well you’re halfway there, so why not just learn how to speak Tagalog fluently?

Well, that’s a loaded question and let’s just say that I’m not quite motivated to learn the language beyond understanding it. Is that blasphemous? I don’t know and I don’t really think so.

I mean, how many other kids out there know their lineage’s native tongue hmm? Well, I guess know a handful of Latin Americans that do, BUT that’s besides my point. I guess what I’m trying to get at is, learning a language is time intensive and you really need to lean on purpose to make these types of decisions. And there’s nothing wrong if you’re a casual leaner to try and learn more than one language. But, if you want to get serious. If you want to embed and program that language within your head, then it’s conducive to focus on one language at a time. And, you also have to make sure, that what you focus on is something that can amplify your goals and feed your interest.

So if you only have enough time to do one thing in life, then concentrate on that one thing and become the best at it.

Learning is a tricky thing. It’s a big investment and it’s a tough thing to do if you’re not interested in the subject. For example, I just started my kinesiology class and I can tell you what, I’m super grateful that I took all those anatomy courses back when I was still pursuing a career in concept art for the film and animation industry. My kinesiology class doesn’t play around and waste time. I mean, my first reading assignment assumed that I already had a very strong understanding of anatomy, which is something that I don’t use on a regular basis at my engineering job. So, I could only imagine how challenging it could’ve been if I entered my graduate program without that prior knowledge.

And I’d like to emphasize the “interest” part. Do you know why kids struggle with school in general? Well, I think, it’s because some courses are delivered in a way that doesn’t even try to be entertaining. Sure, some of the hardcore academics will say, “well school is not supposed to be some dog and pony show. It’s meant to elevate the knowledge of society at all cost.” Well, how’s that going for you Mr. Academic? When was the last time, you tried to teach someone anything and how did that go hmmm? Did they even retain any information? Or was that academic delivery all for nothing?

The bottom-line is that education should at least inspire individuals to ask questions and more importantly stay awake to consume the knowledge.

So, in today’s podcast episode, I want to focus on three things that helped me become a better learner or a consumer of knowledge.

La primera cosa. Es fácil aprender lo que te gusta. It’s easy to learn what you like.

Politics. I don’t hate it and I believe it’s important to the know the basics, but you won’t find me deep diving into it. I’m just not that passionate or interested in the topic. Sure, I want to see things change. I want to see things get better, but there are more passionate people willing to decipher politics and lead the charge towards making things better…hopefully. So, it’s pretty obvious that I wouldn’t do well in a politics or in a political based graduate program. It’s not that I’m uneducated, but I’m just not that motivated to learn more than what I need to know.

In contrast, a degree that revolves around the science of sports? Claro, of course, sign me up!

Science is tough. Kinesiology is tough. Physiology is tough. But even through all of it’s tough, tough, tough, I’m so curious about the topics that I’m willing to put in the extra energy to learn the language of science.

And the same goes for learning Spanish. I’m fascinated with Spain and even though I’m Filipino-Chinese by blood, my grandparents have a strong Spanish heritage. Sure, they weren’t pure blood Spaniards, but I’ve heard the stories passed down through my parents that in the past my grandparents would actually prefer talking in Spanish rather than the Tagalog language. They were raised in the Spanish-Filipino cultural household and most of that Spanish influence is still ever present in my cultural upbringing. Whether it be the food or the religious traditions, I’m proud to acknowledge that my Spanish heritage is embedded in me and I’m interested in exploring my heritage even further.

La segunda cosa. No hay prisa. Take your time.

It’s easy to feel burnout especially when you’re studying something new. It’s tempting, to approach life with a crash course mentality, but most often, it’s just not the wisest thing to do. We’re all humans. We’re not machines and our learning capacity varies between individuals. For example, have you tried to read pages upon pages of academic literature only to find out hours later that you didn’t retain any information at all? Claro! Of course! It’s like your mental bucket is overflowing and any more input of knowledge will just spill over. So rather than just rushing the process, slow down, find a good learning pace, and consume knowledge responsibly. For example, para mi, I like to read for about 50 minutes and then take a 10-minute break to refresh my brain. I find by taking these mini breaks in between these long bouts of reading, that I have a better chance at retaining the information. Furthermore, that 10 minutes allows me to reflect on what I’ve been learning in the past 50 minutes. It allows me to go back and review, if necessary, and if I need to adjust my learning intervals. Sometimes, 50 minutes may be excessive, so I’ll shift those intervals to 20 minutes of studying instead and then, I’ll break for 10 minutes. So, find an interval that works for you and adapt when necessary.

Y lo ultimo. And the last thing. Aprender enseñando. Learn by teaching.

The best gift you can give yourself is learning through teaching. When I was in art school, I valued moments where I could share my knowledge and teach my peers. I enjoyed helping others out and at the same time, it allowed me to reassess my knowledge. It’s one thing to consume knowledge, but if you’re able to reciprocate it in a meaningful way, then that’s the moment you truly understand what you’ve been consuming. And that’s the beauty of communication because really, at the end of the day it’s a dialogue of knowledge between two people that are passionate about a subject. And if you don’t have someone to teach, then learn to teach yourself. You’d be amaze at the benefits you can get by simulating this dialogue with yourself. I mean, I do this all the time when I’m learning Spanish. In the beginning, especially when you’re learning the basics, you don’t necessarily need a native speaker to help you learn the basics. While it’s highly beneficial or conducive to make conversation with Spanish speakers, sometimes you don’t have access to those opportunities so rather than just outright quitting, make the most of out it, and just talk to yourself. I mean, this is why I love podcasts such as Coffee Break Spanish because its designed in a very “learn by teaching” model and you really have no excuse to not learn Spanish. So, look for these golden opportunities to share your knowledge and become a better student and learner for life.

So remember, the role of education is to simply teach the beauty of growth. Learn as much as you can, learn to love along the way, and always look for opportunities to become better than who we are today.

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Thanks, y’all for tuning in to another episode of the Love Notes for Life podcast. I look forward to continuing this conversation of awareness and amplifying greatness through gratitude. If you’re enjoying the Love Notes for Life podcast, please subscribe and leave a 5-star rating on Spotify, Apple, and other major podcast platforms. The Love Notes for Life apparel and book is now available at lovenotesforlife.com. For the latest updates be sure to track the mindset by following me @mikecabuco on Instagram or Twitter.

Thanks y’all for the support and always remember, “There is beauty in knowing that there is only one of you.” Take care.