NANGGIGIGIL AKO SAYO

Gigil. I don’t think there’s an exact translation for this in English, but this is basically Cuteness Aggression, Filipino-style. Good gigil is the feeling of being absolutely overwhelmed by cuteness – VIBRATING because of someone or something’s intense cuteness – like you JUST CANNOT HANDLE THIS LEVEL OF CUTENESS. It’s a feeling somewhere between adoration and agitation? The uncontrollable urge to squeeze someone’s cheeks? Clenching your teeth because you cannot handle the cuteness you are experiencing? The feeling you get when you see a puppy or kitten so cute that you want to cry or scream? I know y’all know what I’m talking about. So, what does nanggigigil ako sayo translate to? It’s sort of…  I CANNOT HANDLE HOW CUTE YOU ARE. IF I DON’T SMORSH YOUR CHEEKS I AM GOING TO LOSE MY MIND.

Ok, that’s not the literal translation, but you get the gist.

(Bad gigil, on the other hand, is when you are about to go volcanic with irritation. When your eyes are watering and your hands are clenching and your teeth gnashing because you are frothing with frustration. There’s too much of that in the world right now, so we’re not going to go there. I’m all bag gigil’d out. I’ve had enough bad gigil to last me a hundred lifetimes.)

A scent for all of us who have been exploded by someone else’s cuteness: ube candyfloss and rice paper-wrapped red bean custard candy.