From Arizona With “Mahal”

I always enjoy a good origin story. Learning about where a person comes from and how those experiences made them who they are is fascinating to me.

It’s Valentine’s Day this Monday, so I was interested in finding out the origin of the word “MAHAL”, or "LOVE” in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines.

Not only did I learn there are more meanings for the word Mahal, like precious and expensive, I also learned the word originally comes from India.

So imagine my surprise when I finally put together that Vineel Mahal, who sang with me at Hong Kong Disneyland, has familial roots in Southern India AND carries the Filipino word for “LOVE” as his last name!

This is why I’m loving every moment of creating my YouTube series “Filipina. American. Creative.” It’s giving me the chance to realize the deeper connections I have to both my origins and the world around me.

Curious how to say “I love you” in Tagalog? Join me now and find out. 😄 ♥️

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