Ating Kultura

Kamusta, mga kaibigan (how are you friends),

I hope you all had a restful and reflective end of the year and are starting the new year feeling fresh and restored.

It's with a heavy heart that I inform you that I must close out my journey here at Ating Kultura. I'm sure you can all relate when I say that life can truly take you down unexpected paths, and sadly continuing this endeavour is no longer part of the plan. There are some of you who follow this account who I have had the greatest pleasure of meeting and guiding on a journey of learning conversational Filipino. Thank you so much for your trust in me as your teacher, I hope you had as fulfilling an experience as I did. To those who have followed over the last year or so, thank you all the same for your interest. I hope everyone is able to start or continue on their own paths of embracing the language, to whatever degree that feels right for you.

Before I sign off, I wanted to let you know of Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts & Culture , a Toronto-based nonprofit that I have supported and believed in for many years now. I don't know if Kapisanan intends on delivering Filipino language programming as they did in years past, but they are a great way to keep in touch or even delve deeper into the culture within the context of the Flipino/a/x diaspora.

Once again, salamat for being part of this brief journey, and I wish you all the very best.

Ingat palagi (take care always), Carla

[ID: Peach background with white text that reads "Salamat at paalam (thank you and goodby)]

Hi mga bekis, mga badinger z at mga beshies! Joinalu na kayo! Hi qu**rs and friends! Did you know that the q***r Filipino community has their own language? It originated in the 60's/70's as "Swardspeak" and has evolved into the "Beki" language (aka Bekimon, Bekinese). In fact, some of it has been adopted into day to day Filipino language over the decades. Join me to find out more about the origins of this fascinating language and pick up a few new phrases in time for Pride (Toronto) and Filipino Heritage Month (Canada). It's happening on June 9th, this Thursday. I know it's short notice but I have been so pagoda cold wave lotion and just haven't had time to post about it (you'll have to come to the event to find out what this means!). Open to everyone! Go to the link in their bio to register. Rampa!

Puno na! Filled up! Wow we can't believe it, maraming maraming salamat to those of you who have signed up for our inaugural conversational Filipino language classes! Looking forward to meeting my amazing students in a matter of weeks!

Eto na! (Here it is!)⁠
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We're so excited to announce our first series of Basic Conversational Filipino Language lessons called "Magsimula Tayo - Let's Start". ⁠
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What makes our program unique is our focus on developing casual and practical conversation skills that help students build confidence in carrying out simple interactions. By the end of the series, students should be able to carry simple conversations, providing a starting point and framework when connecting with elders, relatives, community members, and friends.⁠
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Ano pa ang hinihintay mo? (what else are you waiting for?) Click on the Eventbrite link to find out more and register. Classes are capped at 10 students, so make sure to grab your spot!⁠

t.ly/K3pJ
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Photo credit: Photo by Jeff Nafura on ⁠
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Image description: Photograph taken from the viewpoint of the top of a mountain, overlooking a mountain range in Mount Pulag, Philippines. The sun is rising and casting a pink glow over the clouds rolling over the mountain peaks. Over the photo are the words "Basic Conversational Filipino Language Classes" in all caps text, "March 9th - April 13th via Zoom" underneath, the logo for Ating Kultura in the lower right hand corner, and the words "Develop casual and practical conversational skills and build confidence in carrying simple conversations" in the bottom of the image.

Manigong Bagong Taon (Prosperous New Year)!

With what is going on in the world, I hope you have been keeping happy, safe, and healthy.
As for myself, I’m so grateful for having kept happy, safe and healthy myself for much of 2021.

While Ating Kultura was quiet for most of the year, the programming that we did offer to the community is certainly worth celebrating. First, we reached out to ask what our audience was looking for in terms of Filipino language classes, and the results were very enlightening. We are so appreciative to those who participated, as the information has guided our programming thus far. Towards the end of the year, we launched our first official Filipino language program called “Namamasko Po”, and I had a wonderful time connecting with the participants as we discussed topics within Filipino culture that were Christmas-themed. I was wowed by the commitment and progress they made learning the “12 Days of Pinoy Krismas”. Lastly, we put some parol kits up for sale, to spread the spirit through traditional arts and crafts (as a facilitator, I led a parol making workshop for a US-based company, which was what inspired me to create the kits for the local community in the Greater Toronto Area).

I am so thankful for having connected with everyone throughout last year through these programs, and this has given me the inspiration and fuel to plan even more programming in 2022. Just some of the things we’re up to at Ating Kultura HQ are our first Conversational Filipino Language class series, coming soon - sooner than you think, so definitely keep an eye out for more information over the next couple of days.

We have some events lined up for June, which is designated as Filipino Heritage Month (as well as National Indigenous History Month, among others) in Canada. There’s definitely more coming, so always make sure to keep in touch with us through our newsletter or on social media - we can’t wait to share more with you.

In the meantime, watch out for our next update coming in the next couple of days. Hanggang sa susunod (until next time)!

Hey GTA (Greater Toronto Area) pamilya! Make your own parol this Christmas! Available in green or red. Kit comes with a pre-made frame (approx. 11" in diameter), and enough tissue paper to complete the parol plus extra. All you need are scissors, glue, and some string. A link to the instructions is included. Once your parol is done, decorate with stickers, battery-operated mini string lights and other embellishments. A wonderful way to get into the Pasko spirit! Each kit costs $15 and is available for pick-up only in Newmarket. Please DM for more information.

The iconic parol comes from the Spanish word “farol” meaning lantern. The parol is said to have originated in the province of Pampanga in the late 1920’s and were used to light the streets at dawn for church-goers. Today the parol is considered the ultimate symbol of Christmas in the Philippines and comes in all shapes and sizes and materials.

Maligayang Pasko! (Merry Christmas!)

Image ID: First image contains a photo of a green parol, a five-sided star covered in green paper and clear cellophane, with white tissue paper embellishments, hanging against some dark silver curtains. Below it and to the left is a photo of the contents of the kit: a bamboo star-shaped frame, some sheets of green and white tissue paper, and a roll of clear cellophane. On the upper left-hand corner against a white rectangle are the words “Parol Making Kit”, the list of kit materials, and “Available in red or green”. The second image in the carousel shows the same image of the kit contents in green, and another photo of it of the kit in the red version. Above are the same words regarding the kit and the contents as in the previous image.

What’s a quick and fun way to learn to say simple sentences in Filipino like “Can I have two lumpia please, Lola” at Noche Buena dinner next month? Join our sessions learning to sing “12 Pinoy Days of Christmas” starting December 1st. By learning the song with its lyrics full of practical vocabulary and grammar, you’ll have a lot of basics down in a matter of weeks! Feel free to DM us any questions you may have before you sign up through the link below. Sige na! (Come on!) See you there!

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/namamasko-po-explore-the-filipino-language-through-a-christmas-song-registration-207490167677

Namamasko po! A fun and educational way to explore the Filipino language in time for the holidays.

For many Filipinos both in the motherland and diaspora, Christmas or Pasko is a major celebration that often includes lots of family and social gatherings (as safe as possible during these times of course), lots of delicious food and maybe even some good ol’ karaoke! If you’ve ever been interested in embarking on your journey with the Filipino language but don’t know where to start, why not learn the basics through song? We’ll also be talking about some of those long-standing traditions you may have always wondered about (e.g. what’s up with the parol, and why do I have to jump up and down at midnight on New Year’s?)

Through this four-week online program, we will learn how to sing “12 Days of Pinoy Christmas”, an adaptation of the classic song by the popular singing group Apo Hiking Society. The song is the perfect introduction to speaking Filipino as it includes numbers, common objects and descriptors. And since it’s in an already familiar melody, it’s easy to learn!

Sessions start December 1st and registration is now open at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/namamasko-po-explore-the-filipino-language-through-a-christmas-song-registration-207490167677

ID: A stylized photo of a Filipino lighted parol, revealing the inspiration from previous posts. Written in white are the words “Namamasko po!” and below, written on a black semi-transparent rectangle, are the words “A fun and educational way to explore the Filipino language in time for the holidays”.

Ano kaya ito? (What could this be?) Did our last post get you curious? Keep staying tuned because we’ve got a big announcement coming tomorrow! If you’re signed up to our email list, you probably already got the news! Otherwise, isang tulog nalang! (Just one more sleep!)

ID: Abstract background of colours in red, blue, yellow and green (a slightly different iteration as the previous post image), with words in white that read “Ano kaya ito?”

Pasko na ba? (Is it Christmas yet?) Sure it’s still early November, but we’ve got something coming your way to get you into the Christmas spirit, all while learning Filipino language basics. Stay tuned! Better yet, sign up for our email newsletter to get the scoop before anyone else. Head to our website at http://atingkultura.com to sign up!

ID: Abstract background of colours in red, blue, yellow and green, with words in white that read “Pasko na ba?”

Psst! Kamusta na?

While all is well and healthy at Ating Kultura HQ, this past Winter/Spring lockdown certainly presented its own challenges, resulting in many delays. We hope you have been keeping safe and well too.

To those who participated in the survey we launched back in February, thank you so much, your responses were incredibly insightful and have been shaping the direction we would like to take our Conversational Filipino language classes. Here are some highlights of the survey responses that we’d like to share with you:

*78% identified as Filipino (a/x)
*52% were in the 25-35 age range
*40% can converse minimally, and 30% have some understanding of Tagalog/Filipino
*74% have someone they can converse with on a regular basis
*The majority of respondents wanted to learn conversational Filipino so that they may communicate better with elders and family in the Philippines, and connect to their heritage and culture on a deeper level

These were just some of the reasons that led us (OK just me), to decide on the direction to take the classes. Instead of reading yet another lengthy caption, why not head over to our website for the full tsismis (gossip) and have (most) of your burning questions answered. Tara na (let’s go) to the website!