What Learning Filipino at My Local Bar Taught Me About Communication (and Copywriting)

We’re those people.

You know the ones.

The ones who go to their local and somehow end up knowing everyone’s name. The bartender, the venue manager, the waiter from the place down the road. Not in an intense way. Just enough to have a chat, share a laugh, and feel like you belong there.

It’s our thing.

Anyway, one of our favourite bartenders is Filipino. Absolute legend. Great energy, always up for a chat, just a genuinely good human.

And somewhere along the way, my brain did a thing.

I’ve been casually learning Spanish on Duolingo. Very, I’ll do a lesson here and there and pretend I’m worldly vibes. But it hit me one night. I can’t actually speak a single word of his language (which would probably be more useful right now).

Not one.

Which feels… odd. Especially when your whole job revolves around communication.

Turns out, I’m not as good at communication as I thought

I mean, I’m a copywriter.

Words are literally my thing.

I help businesses say the right thing, in the right way, to the right people. I care about tone, nuance, phrasing, all of it.

And yet… put me in front of someone whose first language isn’t English, and suddenly I’ve got nothing.

No, ‘how are you?’
No, ‘thank you.’
No, ‘this Margarita is elite, please make me another immediately.’

Just vibes.

And that was a bit of a wake-up moment.

Because being good with words isn’t the same as being good at communication.

So naturally, I decided to learn Filipino (and yes, I’m still plodding on with Spanish too)

Because that feels like a very logical, not-at-all-chaotic Filipino next step.

Spoiler: Duolingo does not offer Filipino.

Rude.

So I did what any normal person would do. I asked for help, started learning a few phrases, wrote myself a little cheat sheet (yes, I’m that person), and decided I’d just give it a go.

No perfection. No pressure. Just try.

The first time I used it

Look, was the pronunciation perfect? Absolutely not.

Did I say it slightly slower than necessary, like I was trying to convince both him and myself that I knew what I was doing? Yes.

But I said it.

“Kumusta po?”

And his face lit up.

Not in a ‘wow, flawless execution’ way. In a ‘wow, you tried’ way.

And that’s when it clicked.

Effort lands harder than perfection

I could have said ‘how are you?’ in perfect English, like I always do.

But saying it in his language, even slightly wonky, carried more weight.

Because it wasn’t about accuracy.

It was about effort.

It was about meeting someone where they are, even just a little bit.

And honestly? That’s the whole game.

It’s the same thing with copywriting

We spend so much time trying to sound polished.

Professional. Clever. Put together.

But the copy that actually works?

It’s the stuff that feels like someone gets you.

Not perfectly. Not in a ‘that sentence structure is flawless’ way.

But in a ‘oh… this feels like it was written for me’ way.

And that comes from the exact same place as a slightly awkward ‘Salamat po’ that fell out of my mouth.

Effort. Intention. Connection.

Also, a small side note…

Nothing humbles you faster than trying to speak another language in public.

Suddenly you’re:

• Forgetting words
• Second-guessing everything
• Smiling a lot to compensate (like more than I usually do)

Which, to be fair, is exactly how a lot of people feel when they’re reading confusing, overcomplicated copy.

So if anything, this whole experience has just reinforced one thing:

• Keep it simple
• Make it feel human
• Don’t overcomplicate it

Because clarity is king.

Back to the bar

Now we’ve got a bit of a rhythm.

I’ll drop a phrase here and there. He’ll laugh (sometimes with me, sometimes at me – I’m not sure sometimes). We’ll mix English and Tagalog like it’s our own little hybrid language.

It’s not perfect.

But it’s real.

And that’s kind of the point.

What I’m taking from this

I’m not suddenly fluent.

I still need my cheat sheet.

And I will absolutely continue to butcher pronunciation from time to time.

But I’m more aware now.

More aware that communication isn’t about saying more.

It’s about saying it in a way that lands.

It’s about making people feel seen, understood, and just that little bit more comfortable.

Whether that’s:

• A line of copy
• A conversation at a bar
• Or a slightly shaky ‘thank you’ in someone else’s language

Final thought (before I order another cocktail)

Turns out, being a chatty copywriter who loves communication isn’t about having the perfect words.

It’s about caring enough to try.

Even when it’s a bit awkward.
Even when it’s not perfect.
Even when you’re 90% sure you’ve said it slightly wrong.

Because people don’t remember perfect.

They remember effort.

Isa pang Tommy’s Margarita… libre na ‘to? Joke lang. Salamat po.