Day 137 of 160

Day 137: Capiz Lamps by December

In his workshop in Bacolor, Pampanga, Mang Emong (A), an old maker of capiz-shell lamps and window panels, hears out Fatima (B), a young interior designer who needs forty capiz lamps for a boutique hotel in Makati by December.

How to study this lesson 3 steps
  1. Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
  2. Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense.
  3. Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Tagalog. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.

Dialogue

Audio for this lesson is coming soon. For now, read the dialogue and its translation.

Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day

  1. A

    Apatnapung ilaw na kapis, sa Disyembre? Iha, hindi pabrika itong pagawaan ko.

    Forty capiz lamps, by December? Dear, my workshop isn't a factory.

  2. B

    Alam ko po. Gawang-kamay po ang hanap ng hotel, hindi gawang-pabrika.

    I know. The hotel wants handmade, not factory-made.

  3. A

    Marahil aabutin ito ng tatlong buwan, iha, kung may makuha pang magandang kapis.

    It'll probably take three months, dear, if I can still find good capiz.

  4. B

    Tatlong buwan po? Maaari pong tumulong ang mga apprentice ninyo, hindi po ba?

    Three months? Your apprentices could help, couldn't they?

  5. A

    Kaya nila ang paghiwa at pagkinis. Ang problema, pakaunti nang pakaunti ang malalapad na kapis.

    They can handle the cutting and polishing. The trouble is, the wide shells are getting scarcer and scarcer.

  6. B

    Kung tataasan po namin ang bayad, makakahanap pa po kaya kayo?

    If we pay you more, do you think you could find more?

  7. A

    Hindi pera ang kulang, kundi kapis. Pero may naitabi akong mga bintanang kapis mula sa mga bahay na giniba.

    It's not money that's short, it's shells. But I've set aside capiz windows from houses that were torn down.

  8. B

    Ang ganda po ng lumang kapis, kulay-pulot na. Sapat po ba iyon sa apatnapu?

    Old capiz is so beautiful, it's gone honey-colored. Is there enough for forty?

  9. A

    Sapat, pero galing sa iba't ibang bahay, kaya walang dalawang ilaw na magkapareho. Kung payag ang hotel, aabot tayo sa Disyembre.

    There's enough, but it comes from different houses, so no two lamps will match. If the hotel agrees to that, we'll make December.

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