Why did you decide to include Tagalog and Spanish phrases?
I heard both languages growing up because a lot of Filipino families speak Spanish and because Tagalog was influenced by Spanish during the occupation. I read All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy and he interspersed Spanish throughout the whole thing, but he doesn’t translate it. I realize how much including the Spanish colored his novel. The characters became authentic to me. Also, I had never seen Tagalog in print anywhere and I thought it would be a nice addition. One of the main themes explored in the novel is division and infighting among Filipinos in the face of foreign invaders, be they Spanish, Japanese or American. Given the current political situation in the Philippines with the secessionist movement and the arrival of US troops, do you think this message is particularly relevant today? Yes, there is definitely an amazing parallel for the civilians who are struggling there. There are people in the Philippines who do not want Americans there because they have been occupied
