Sourdough and the tragedy of Clementine

A journey through history, tradition, and a lifelong love for bread

- TIMPLA'T TIKIM SOL VANZI

English was the medium of instruction at all school levels when I was growing up. We sang "Land of the Morning" instead of "Bayang Magiliw" and pledged allegiance to "The Land of My Birth and the Home of My People."

We learned our ABCs from Grade 1. Tagalog was introduced to us as a subject in Grade 3. I was singing "Clementine" long before I learned "Bahay Kubo." Our music teacher used the song to teach us the meanings of English words in its lyrics: cavern, canyon, excavating, mine, miner, Forty-Niner.