#and doing some more research into traditional filipino clothing :)

[cimmeria-writes]

(ID: A digital drawing of Keema and Jun from The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. Keema has chin length brown hair, and is wearing a terra cotta colored shirt and purple pants. He holds a spear and looks over at Jun, smiling slightly. Jun is wearing a blue wrap shirt and black pants tightened at the waist and shins with cord. He holds a red demon mask. The background is teal, a thin crescent moon between them. The other images are close ups of their faces. END ID.)

[speedybeardtidalwave]

As one of Bukas-Space and UPOU’s Futurists in Residence, Renz Reyes’ views are something to think about in the current situation. Speculating on the future of the Terno as an icon of Filipino culture and identity, I look forward to his designs as he goes back and forth between the traditional and modern and synthesising computers and mechanisms in work to come up with something unique. Below are some images I grabbed from his presentation.

1st Blog “Terno Futures”

Welcome. We are in very strange times indeed. not really the most ideal Scenario. given to what is our Current reality. Hopelessness has set in and its so easy to get into a negative Headspace. after the Elections. I had a lot of mixed feelings. disappointment, anger and confusion. The desire to create was fleeting. but I knew moping around and sulking would be unproductive. and I can't be in that bubble for too long. to somehow get this thoughts out to comfort myself. I talked to a friend regarding our feelings at the time. and as our conversation progressed. We came to a consensus that we had to do something. A dialogue needed to begin.

As Creators ourselves. the best way we know is through art. Being Designers, We Naturally gravitated towards fashion and more specifically, The Terno. Since the Terno is a symbol of the Filipino people. which unfortunately has been tainted and synonymously linked to some unsavory individuals. now more than ever we need to claim the Terno as our own national identity.

As a creative who has a dayjob. I always sought ways to express my art outside commercial structures. Where I can explore my ideas to its fullest extent and just go off as the kid's would say Haha. So when this artist residency project by UPOU came into existence and I was offered to participate in it. it was a no brainer. What I really liked about this project is besides Creating meaningful, thought provoking pieces of Art. It also focuses on Futures literacy/ Thinking. I've always admired designers who are able to Combine Design and Technology in their work. Lately, There's been a shift in the industry where designers are collaborating with Scientists and Engineers. Developing new ways to create Textiles. Making Kinetic Garments, and having The Clothes be Computers themselves. its a different way of storytelling. These are the kinds of things I didn't know were even possible to do here locally. and these kinds of collaborations are the ones that yield the most interesting results. This being quite a new concept here. Made me more interested to make it happen.

C ircling back to the Terno. We chose it since we want to do something that means to us and a lot of people. and if we were going to do something that elevates an artform from tradition to something Modern. it had to be the Terno. over the course of a few months I and my colleagues will be blogging The Progress of our work and the many changes that it will go into depending the challenges of Materials, production and the mentorship that we will all be under. i'm very interested in collaborating with The different experts in the fields of Technology/Science and Design and how it will affect my work visually and its purpose in the modern World.

[mostly-mundane-atla]

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is eskimo a slur?

"Eskimo" has a complicated history, and given how the people it's been applied to have been subject to like 4 different nations' colonial rule (Russia, the United States, Canada, and Denmark are the ones I know about), you're going to get some different answers depending on who you ask. Insisting that the word Eskimo be treated as a slur in every context leads to policing Indigenous folks and how we talk about ourselves and our cultural identities, so do understand that there is nuance that comes not just with the time period, but with where and among whom the word is used. The best way I've heard it explained is that you wouldn't tell a guy from the Philipines not to call himself Filipino, even though it's an exonym and a product of imperialism. The word eskimo has a complicated history and has been weaponized against vulnerable peoples, and so it's understandable if you don't feel comfortable with it, but understand in turn that Indigenous peoples are not required to alter the language we use for ourselves to conform to your idea of respectability.

What's a kuspuk?

A kuspuk (also spelled qaspeq) is a smock-like garment resulting from Euro-American style dresses and shirts being introduced to Inupiaq and Yup'ik peoples. Missionaries insisted on us dressing more modestly indoors (because traditionally indoor clothes didn't cover much and there really wasn't a nudity taboo), and we made alterations to the patterns to suit our needs. They were made bigger and looser to be worn over skin clothes, similar to a gut parka, and to be quicker and easier to make. Hoods and large front pockets were also added. They have become regalia but are also open to outsiders. It is not cultural appropriation to wear or draw kuspuks as someone who isn't eskimo. Everyone is welcome to it and it is understood as appreciation.

What does nalauģmiu mean? Is it an insult?

The literal translation with all the connotations and implications is something like "person of (defined specifically by) not knowing" or more simply "person who doesn't know", basically used to mean white people or cultural outsiders in general. It's no more insulting than "newbie".

Can you tell me about [Inuit thing]?

I can certainly try. The Inuit are a culturally diverse and geographically scattered group, King Islanders/Ukivokmiut/Uguivoqmiut were especially unique in our architecture and diet. I can try to share what I've picked up on, but I can't guarantee I'll really get the nuance down, as it might not be something I've grown up with and might even be from the other side of the North American continent

Are Inupiat and Inuit the same?

The ancestors of the Canadian Inuit and Greenlanders split from the ancestors of the Inupiat about 1000 years ago and we've developed seperately, in culture, technology, what have you. My family never refered to us as Inuit, choosing Native, Inupiat, or Eskimo instead. I don't refer to myself, or even really consider myself, as Inuk even tho on a technicality I am.

Can I draw traditional tattoos?

I don't mind the idea of nalauģmiut drawing traditional tattoos. Like using the word eskimo, I think prioritizing the idea that it should never be done can ultimately do as much harm to the quieter communities involved (the Inuit and Inupiat are not the only peoples with women's face tattoos and non-natives rarely try to educate themselves on our cultures or look into white-passing folks' cultural backgrounds) as good. That said, people tend to put in as little research as possible, leading to the cultural practices portrayed being bastardized for the sake of neat fan art. There are other visual aspects to the culture that are entirely for aesthetics, and insisting on tattoos you don't know the rules for or significance of is pretty gross.

Are Yup'ik peoples Inuit?

No, they're Yup'ik and have just as much a right to these discussions.

What are your pronouns?

They/them

Do you have a dni?

Not against any specific kinds of people, just in forms of interaction. Please don't reblog my posts about eskimo stuff to blogs with a lot of z*tara content. Don't drag me into fandom discourse (if I want to talk about it, I will on my own terms). Don't ask me my opinion on or tell me about your ships unprompted. Do not ask me for my opinion and tell me i'm wrong for having an opinion (yes, this has happened to me already). Do not suggest I'm some kind of bigot for not wanting characters written to resemble people of my culture to be proselytized to (this has also already happened to me). Understand that I'm a disabled adult with bills, a job, and other responsibilities. I will not always have time or energy to respond right away. If you have a question and are unsure if it crosses a line, you can ask me. Private messages are open and asks on the topic will be answered privately

Do you post fanfiction anywhere?

No.

[opal-owl-flight]

Halcyon lives in the Coastlands domain (borders of this domain include the area from Isle of Dawn to half of Valley of Triumph)

…which has…a mostly tropical climate. He doesnt travel much beyond cool the high altitude mountain area where he resides, but when gathering ingredients for medicines and potions, he has to travel into really hot and humid climates. I thought his old look would guarantee suffering (THE LAYERS, THE LAYERS) so heres a look inspired from SEA! I based this off of the traditional clothes of the Kapampangan from the Philippines. I love the symbolism, and how well it matches up to the lore Ive written abt my world so far.

(The entire Coastlands domain is inspired by SEA, but the area that Ill explore through writing would mostly be based around the Ph since thats. Where Im from. More research must be done to make sure the references are respectful — do note however, that this is a fantasy world with its own lore!!)

Bonus bc I was talking abt Filipino food with some friends:

Please dont eat the banaNA LEAF YOU MADLADS!!!

[cloudy-leonhart]

AOT Characters with a filipino S/O!

[Author Note: I just made this out of impulse lol, I’ll make a part two with the AOT veterans- if it’s requested then I’ll make a part three with the Marley Warriors- feedback is also appreciated on all my posts :))]

[Summary: It’s just headcanons, AOT with a filipino S/O lol, that’s it. that’s the post.]

Recommended song: Sa Susunod Na Lang - Skusta Clee ft. Yuri.

Gender Neutral Reader.

Theme: Fluff, Modern AU.

TW: Swearing.

Characters: Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Marco, Connie, Sasha.

Eren Jaeger

He probably fucks up his greetings with your parents, surprisingly your dad loves him, both of them talk about basketball and boxing, whenever Many does a fight, you and him come over so Eren could watch with you dad.

This man gets bodied by your dad ALL THE TIME during basketball, it’s valid because your dad used to be a basketball player.

He eats with his hands, yes he also got that from your dad. Your mom always comes up to you, while Eren and your dad talk, she’s happy that you found someone, and that Eren reminds her a lot of your dad.

Mans swallows rice like it was no one’s business, he eats that shit with barbecue and vinegar. 

You can’t tell me he gets drunk with your dad and his friends?? They watch boxing matches and eat peanut while drinking beer.

For some reason he acts like he lives there?? Like the whole community knows about him, the kids like playing with him, the guys like doing karaoke and drinking beer with them, and the titas and lolas love talking about your relationship with him and how they would totally marry a guy like that if they ever met someone like that when they were younger.

His favourite thing about the culture? Probably how open the people were, they were very generous and kind.

Armin Arlert

When you first told him, he was kind of like, “okay??” but he also took time out of his day to research your culture, he’s the type to catch you in a sad mood where you really miss your country, and take time out of his day to try his best to make food from your culture.

He’s mastered to cook Tofu Sisig and Halo-Halo. You always ask him to make it for you whenever you’re sad.

He could never understand how your family’s able to sit in your traditional clothing, he tries his hardest not to scratch, he literally looks at you with a look begging for help because he was itchy but he didn’t want to take it off.

You had to explain that he doesn’t always have to participate in your culture, because respecting your culture was enough for you. Mans cried because he thought he was horrible for not wearing the Barong for the whole ceremony.

He does loves trying filipino recipes, he loves seeing you cook adobo or tapsilog in the morning, it just fills the house with an amazing aroma.

he knows how to say ‘i love you’ in Tagalog and he has fully replaced ‘I love you’ with ‘Mahal Kita.’ 

Favourite thing about the culture? The language, he just loves learning new words everyday, his favourite saying so far is, “Huwag kang mag-alala. Akong bahala.” (Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.)

Mikasa Ackerman

Poor baby was confused, she caught you talking on the phone in another language and she just stared concerningly at you, forgetting about whatever she’s doing.

She was also afraid to try your food?? Until you shove a ube-filled riceball (in filipino, Buchi) in her mouth, she ends up making it her comfort food, she asks you to make Buchi with her, she likes to eat the left over filling.

she actually wants to keep trying some of your culture’s food, her favourites so far is definitely Taho and Kaldereta, and of course Buchi.

She can’t say much in tagalog but she does know traditions, she did the binasuan dance with you once, amazingly she kept all cups in balance for her first time.

She knows how bless and actually calls people tita and tito, or ate and kuya. She was kind of, ahem, convinced, to call your parents nanay and tatay.

Your parents always complain about how you haven’t married Mikasa yet, Mikasa was confused about why she could hear them talking about her, but you reassured her that it was only just your parents egging you to marry Mikasa. In which she blushed in return.

Mikasa also learns recipes from Armin, those two cook for ther S/O’s so much that even their S/O feel like their not filipino enough, they got to try things even they didn’t know filipino culture had.

Jean Kirstein

SUPRISINGLY, he knows what blessing is, went as far as saying “Mano po.” whenever he did.

 your dad hates him for some reason lmfao like your dad’s always staring at him with a weird expression.

He’s scared of your dad, no cap. first time you guys went on a date and didn’t have a house together, he almost shit himself talking to your dad.

You tried to teach him to do the tinikling dance and he almost broke his leg.

You and your parents conversed by yelling at each other, like Sasha, he too thought that you were arguing with them and he tapped you on the shoulder like, “Should I leave?-” You were confused as he was, you had to explain that yelling was a way filipinos communicated.

He was concerned when you would hit him while laughing, you also had to explain that was also something most filipino’s communicated.

He tried picking the language up but he just butchers the pronunciation.

Favourite thing about your culture is the places, if he could he probably would’ve bought a private island.

Does this man know how to cook filipino food?? Yessir!! He’s absolute god at cooking, imagine when he finds out we have a whole CHEESE ice cream-

Mans was confused confused, why..would you like cheese ice cream?? surprisingly he likes the ice cream, it’s sweet and salty??

Connie Springer

THIS MAN- he thought filipino was a sexuality?? when you told him, he’s like “so, what gender do you prefer then?” 

HE WAS DUMBFOUNDED WHEN HE FOUND OUT WHAT FILIPINO MEANT-

I just know he shared filipino swears with Sasha, he actually grew accustomed to them, once in a while you’ll hear, ‘PUTANGINA’ throughout the house, because he stubbed his toe.

ugh he rocked the barong too, AND HE ROCKED HIS TINIKLING DANCE.

your titas seemed to love him?? Every time you talk to them, they ask if he’s doing okay.

He actually is a simp for filipinos, he was awestruck with how much beautiful women and men there were in the Philippines.

you cannot tell me this man doesn’t watch Manny Paqcuiao’s boxing fights.

In general he tries his best to respect your culture and not disrespect them, but he cannot bless for the life of him.

favourite thing about your culture is the adobo, he says its “bussin’”.

He drinks with your titos and your dad. No way he doesn’t, he also plays basketball with them.

traumatized somehow by the naked children running down the street sometimes- Filipino streets man, a little too comfortable-

He was shocked to find out that some people showered outside?? Like comfortably?

Man covers his whole face bc he feels like a perv.

Marco Bodt

Absolute researcher in your culture, like Armin, he actually makes sure he’s not disrespecting it or anything.

HE DOES THE BLESS GESTURE, but he whispers in your ear about how he accidentally blessed one of your titas too hard

his favourite filipino dish is Buko Pandan, he literally couldn’t help but get seconds when your grandma offered him a cup.

tbh he rocked his barong, he looked so good, like GAH DAYUM.

he picked up some words since he really loved being around your family, you were lively and your family was so open to accepting him.

you and him danced in a barong and baro’t saya for your wedding reception.

genuinely, he was in fearful awe when you caught a rat your parents have been complaining about in their house, remind you rats in the Philippines are as big as kittens 

He also calls you Mahal, it’s kinda cringey but you thought it was cute.

Favourite part of your culture, the clothing, he’s always asking to go to parties just so he can wear the barong.

he’s also deathly afraid of the bodies of water the Philippines has, he doesn’t know if murky water scares him more than clear water in the islands.

Mans tried his best to corporate your culture into your guys’ wedding, until your Tito Philip brought a WHOLE ASS LIVE CHICKEN as a wedding gift?!

he was kinda sad y’all didn’t keep the chicken.

Sasha Braus

Sasha honestly didn’t know that your were filipino until you spoke your language with a family member, you guys were yelling at each other and Sasha thought y’all were fighting-

she wants to learn the language BUT ONLY THE SWEARS, connie and her both.

she loves when you speak to her in your langauge, she loves guessing what you’re telling her. SHE ALSO LOVES WHEN UR PARENTS TRY TO SPEAK TO HER AND THEIR ACCENTS COME OUT.

you guys actually went to the Philippines for your guys’ honeymoon. did she almost spend all your money? yes, did you let her? duh.

Her most favourite thing about your culture is definitely the food, and beautiful people like you.

Genuinely rocks the Baro’t Saya, her short hair goes well with the dress, her colour was a dullish-pastel pink, she had a matching fan with it too! 

She wore it for your birthday, almost ruined it by almost spilling fruit salad on it.

THIS WOMAN- SHE WAS LITERALLY CRYING TEARS OF JOY WHEN SOMEONE BROUGHT OUT THE LECHON (a whole roasted pig).

Yes, she almost ate half of it, she would’ve probably finished it if it weren’t for her eating everything else, a human compost bin, you got leftovers? She’ll eat em.

She loved going to Jollibee with you, you and her have dates where you literally eat almost everything off the menu.

[kageyamavibes]

Haikyuu boys with a Filipina s/o pt.1

Tsukishima Kei

he was quite fond when he found out you were a filipino.

BUT Tsukki being Tsukki, he would pretend he’s not interested even the tiniest  bit.

When you started sharing how your language had different dialects, oh boy he was listening attentively even if had his headphones on he turned off the music

Tsukishima was smiling the whole time when you started talking in Filipino when your mom called you

So He started searching filipino words so he could surprise you with him speaking it

“Oi, Y/N”

“What?”

“Mahal kita” (I love you)

You almost lost it since it was the first time Tsukishima told you he loves you and HE SPOKE IT IN YOUR LANGUAGE

He was so proud of himself when he saw you blushing madly

Ever since then, you would teach him basic filipino words also trying hard not to laugh at his cute accent or else you won't ever hear him talk in Filipino again

Tsukishima also did tons of research about your culture and you were stunned when he went to your home then performed “mano po” to your parents who were impressed (mano po is a sign of respect for the elderly where you would ask for their hand and proceed to touch your forehead with the back of their hand)

Kageyama Tobio

baby boy literally was stunned that he stopped functioning

Oh I’m dating a filipina? Not a japanese? Okay

He asked you if Filipino was harder than English 

Kags almost lost it when you spoke 2 Filipino dialects it almost made him asked your hand in marriage

“So you know 4 languages?”

“Yes”

He was so amazed at you he got more interested and asked a lot.

You told him about your favourite volleyball star, Alyssa Valdez so when you two watched a few of her games, he instantly idolized her too.

The Adlers setter literally bought airplane tickets for the both of you so you two can watch her live

Tobio sheepishly asked you to teach him a few words along with your traditions since he thought he also had to live and know about your lifestyle as a filipina too.

“Hey Y/N”

“Yes?”

“Some of twitter users say putangina mo means I love you”

You laughed your ass off and baby Kags was so confused 

When you told him it was a curse word, he instantly slapped himself in shame

Mans gonna be lowkey proud when he understand a little bit of Tagalog while your parents were speaking it

When you two decided to go to Baguio, he instantly loved the place especially of it’s weather and scenery

You showed Kags how to eat using your hands, he grew fond of it and started practicing eating using only his hands. He does not admit it, but he loves eating with his bare hands.

He particularly loves adobong baboy (pork adobo - a cuisine)

Kageyama also proceeds to curse Hinata using tagalog words( i.e bobo meaning baka)

Bokuto Koutarou

“You’re a Filipino??? I LOVE Filipinos!”

Man was down to visit Philippines so he could study your culture

Bokuto was so dedicated learning your culture he even bought a barong tagalog (a traditional clothing worn by men especially in weddings)

“Y/N! I’m wearing this in our wedding!”

He learned about harana which was where you will serenade your lover. He instantly called the gym 3 gang, to surprise you later at night when he was performing the harana with his gang even if Bokuto wasn’t that great at singing, you still managed to fall in love with him the second time around.

He likes learning Ilokano dialect instead of Tagalog, he thinks the Ilocano dialect was more intense than the tagalog 

Cue Bokuto trying to say hoy hoy hoy! Instead of hey hey hey!

He definitely got hooked at the volleyball players, praising them with their talents

Also claims that Jollibee has the best chicken in the whole world

“I really like Ara Galang, she’s great.”

Bokuto was down for sorbetes aka dirty ice cream

Kenma Kozume

Ah this man was only interested with what Filipino people usually plays

Tries to play mobile legends

Climbs to Mythical legend after 3 days of playing then quits saying some of the players were too toxic

(His first pick was Guision and Fanny)

You were incredibly shocked when you saw Kenma being idolized in the Filipino gaming community since he was a really famous live streamer in League of Legends

“Y/N, what does Lodi mean?”

“Why do you know that?”

“Someone kept on calling me Lodi while I was streaming”

Also buys a bahay kubo, a traditional filipino home since he thinks a bahay kubo is a good place to relax 

Turns the bahay kubo in to his gaming area respectively

WAS TOTALLY HOOKED WITH FILIPINO CUISINE!!!

When he tried Menudo, he instantly liked it, he kept on asking to have Menudo for dinner

Also proceeds to order lechon baboy once a week since he loves how crispy the skin was and also how tasty the gravy was

Kenma loved Siargao island, saying the scenery and the place was peaceful and hopes to live there once you two have already settled down

You were totally shocked when you found out he already bought an estate in Siargao yes Kenma you are such a sugar daddy

[pnwdoodlesreads]

Seattle's largest Hooverville occupied nine acres that are now used to unload container ships west of Qwest Field and the Alaska Viaduct. (Courtesy King County Archives).The failure of Depression-era policies to alleviate unemployment and address the social crisis led to the creation of Hoovervilles, shantytowns that sprang up to house those who had become homeless because of the Great Depression.

The towns were named “Hoovervilles,” because of President Herbert Hoover’s ineffective relief policies. Mass unemployment was rampant among men aged 18–50, and the lack of a social safety net continued to push them down the ladder. By looking at the Vanguard’s news coverage from 1930–1932 and the history of Hooverville written by its self-proclaimed mayor Jesse Jackson, we can see that the creation of Seattle’s Hooverville was due to an ineffective social system and the inability of local politicians to address the Depression’s social crisis.

 Even though these men wanted to care for themselves, the social structure forced them toward charity, a dependent position many unemployed men in Seattle rejected. As a reporter for The Vanguard, the newspaper of Seattle’s unemployed, wrote of one Hooverville resident, “He had a distaste for organized charity-breadlines and flop-houses so he decided to build a shack of his own and be independent.[1]  

This rejection of organized charity was due as much to a desire for independence as to the low quality of the shelter and food on offer. While there was shelter for sleeping, it was often on the ground in damp and unhygienic surroundings, and while charities such as the Salvation Army offered soup kitchens, the food was often barely digestible and contained little to no nutritional value. The creation of a Hooverville in Seattle, then, was due to the lack of social safety net, the desire for self-sufficiency, and the poor quality of Depression-era charity.

 Jesse Jackson, the self-declared mayor of Hooverville, was one of the men who had a strong distaste for organized charity. After finding men that shared this feeling, they decided to do something about it. In recalling the foundation of their Hooverville, Jackson explained,“We immediately took possession of the nine-acre tract of vacant property of the Seattle Port Commission and proceeded to settle down.[2]   Jackson and his friends rounded up whatever they could find and began to create shelters. Seattle city officials were not thrilled about this new development.

In an original attempt to disband these shantytowns and unemployed “jungles”, city officials burned down the entire community, giving the men only seven days’ eviction notice. As The Vanguard argued, this only made the social crisis worse: “If the County Health officer orders the Jungles burned out this year, as he did last year, a large number of men will be thrown upon organized charity, for no very good reason.[3]   Hooverville residents, for their part, were not thwarted by the city’s attempt to disband them. They simply dug deeper embankments for their homes and reestablished the community. Noted The Vanguard, “Meanwhile, new shacks go up everyday, and more and more buildings uptown are empty.[4]    

 In June of 1932 a new administration was elected in Seattle. They decided that the Hooverville would be tolerated until conditions improved. However, they did demand that Hooverville’s men follow a set of rules and elect a commission to enforce these rules in conversation with city officials. Among the city’s new rules was one outlawing women and children from living there, a rule almost always abided by. This agreement between Seattle and its Hooverville improved relations between the two greatly. Businesses that were originally hesitant become friendlier, donating any extra food or building supplies to Hooverville’s residents.

 The Vanguard    drew vivid pictures of the atmosphere of Seattle’s shantytown: “Little groups of men huddled around forlorn fires, ‘boiling-up’ clothes begrimed by their peculiar mode of travel, or cooking food-the worst kind of food… out of smoke-blackened cans these men eat and drink.[5]   While the surroundings were not optimal, Hooverville mayor Jesse Jackson;s more personal portrayal of Hooverville pointed out the resilient nature of residents: “…for the most part they are chin up individuals, travelling through life for the minute steerage.[6]   Either way, Hooverville was growing: very quickly after its original settlement, Jackson noted that Hooverville “…grew to a shanty city of six hundred shacks and one thousand inhabitants.[7]    

 Jackson referred to Hooverville as “…the abode of the forgotten man[8]   His characterization was correct in regards to the men who lived in other jungles or shanty communities around Washington, but not accurate of Seattle’s Hooverville. One Vanguard journalist noted that “Perhaps if some of these Jungles were as conspicuous as Hooverville, the problem of unemployment would be recognized to be really serious by those sheltered dwellers on the hilltops who live in another world.[9]  

The men in the average city jungles were in fact forgotten men. Hooverville, however, was a jungle with power. Wrote sociologist Donald Francis Roy, who lived in the Hooverville as part of his research, “Within the city, and of the city, it functions as a segregated residential area of distinct physical structure, population composition, and social behavior.[10]   Residents were not only to gain community involvement but also a place in the Seattle city board of commissioners. Hooverville was becoming a city of its own.

   A different  Hooverville near 8th Ave S. in 1933 (Courtesy University of Washington Library Digital Collection)

Despite its growing influence in the city, Hooverville was by no means a secure place to live, but a temporary and improvised shantytown. With a backdrop of skyscrapers that boasted of Seattle’s economic might, Hooverville, on the edge of the waterfront, was situated in a location where it stood out completely.

One town member commented on how “The sea appears to be eternally licking its chops in anticipation of swallowing the entire community in one juicy gulp[11]  While Hooverville’s small shacks seemed to suffice for the time being, they were not sturdy homes. Some were lucky enough to contain solid walls built of wood with separate bedrooms inside, while others barely had a wall and ceiling built from flimsy boards. One journalist described Hooverville simply and accurately as “…approximately one thousand shacks, inhabited by about fifteen hundred men, who have discovered how to exist without money.[12]    

 The shantytown consisted of almost all men, aged 18–60, with little to no income. Considering that the majority of Hooverville’s population was older men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, many historians have been shocked that there weren’t higher death rates. Some observers of the community claimed that the shanty lifestyle provided a stability that actually improved some of the men’s health.

The only variable among these men was race, which was reflected in Hooverville’s elected board of commissioners. As Jackson wrote, “The melting pot of races and nations we had here called for a commission of several races and nations. Two whites, two negroes, and two Filipinos were selected.[13]   As noted before, the Seattle city commissioners did not allow women or children to live in the community. While some floated in and out, they were rarely permanent fixtures.  

 The spirit of these men was their most notable characteristic. Jackson declared that “If President Hoover could walk through the little shanty addition to Seattle bearing his name, he would find that it is not inhabited by a bunch of ne’er do wells, but by one thousand men who are bending every effort to beat back and regain the place in our social system that once was theirs.[14]  

Jackson’s goal was to point out that these men were not lazy, but simple, average, hardworking men who had been failed by the social system. While these men created a community together, Jackson felt that a community sensibility was not the only one in the town: “I would say it is more of an individualistic life, but we do divide up a lot around here, but it is more a settlement of rugged individualist.[15]   One of the traditions of Hooverville was for residents who found a job (a rare event), to ceremoniously give their house, bed, and stove to others still out of work. While the men of the community clearly were used to living their lives independent of others, they still found a way to help those struggling around them.  

 The political structure of Hooverville was based largely around the self-declared mayor Jesse Jackson. While the city did demand that the town create a commission of representatives, Jackson was still looked upon as the voice of Hooverville. Jackson claimed that “mayor” was never a role he sought out, but rather fell into: “I am just a simple person, whose status in life is the same as theirs, trying to do the best I know how to administer in my poor way to their wants.[16]  

The only benefit he received for being the leader of this shantytown was a donated radio from a Seattle company, which he made available to the men by hosting news and entertainment listenings in his shack. While the community seemed to have a substantial political structure, individually Jackson noted that the situation was different. “My honest opinion is that the average working man doesn’t know what he wants in a political way.[17]  

The community’s naïve opinion toward politics might have been the reason why it was so easy for them to look to Jackson to lead of the community. While there were no laws established within Hooverville, there were common rules enforced. Jackson pointed out one example. “You can’t come here and do just what you want. You can’t live alone. You have to respect your neighbor, and your neighbor must respect you.[18]   He noted that troublemakers were not thrown out by the men within Hooverville but by outside authorities.  

 The men in Hooverville did far more to help themselves than any established social and political structures did during the onset of the Depression., but their collective action was often not enough. One Seattle journalist still put it most bleakly by describing the men of Hooverville’s future as “… blacker than the soot on the cans [they eat out of],” while politicians quibbled … “about the exact number of unemployed but do nothing to relieve distress.[19]    

 Lee took this photo June 10, 1937. Close to 1,000 men lived in Seattle's Hooverville. (Courtesy University of Washington Library Digital Collection).

 Many politicians looked away at other, more “important” issues, but it was still noted that there was a crisis of housing taking place. Reported The Vanguard, “According to the report of the Central Housing Committee of the U[nemployed] C[itizens’] L[eague] to the central federation the unemployed are expected to be content with shacks, rookeries hovels in brief, a pig-pen standard of housing.[20]

  Politicians, in some cases, did far more harm then good. For instance, after ordering the burning of Hooverville, Mayor Dole of Seattle proceeded to evict more people out of their homes. He suggested that they obtain temporary, low-quality housing, then move quickly into permanent housing again. Articles in the Vanguard asked, “Just where they were going to find permanent dwellings, when they had no money to pay rent in their previous homes, was not explained.[21]  

This plan was clearly flawed and poorly thought out: “…he was going to see to it that property was protected. Human rights apparently came second.[22]   Mayor Dole claimed he was just upholding the rule of law. However, in a time of economic depression, with hundreds of thousands of American’s struggling to make ends meet, what is the duty of the law? It was established the protect individuals, not persecute them when they are down and out. “All these men ask is a job, and until that job is forthcoming, to be left alone.”[23]

Lessons from Hooverville still have not been learned today. Seattle, in 2009, is currently facing a recession that may be the most serious since the Depression of the 1930s, and a community similar to Hooverville has formed. The current “Nickelsville” is a nod to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, just as “Hooverville” was a sarcastic nod to President Hoover’s inaction. Additionally, the mission statement on Nickelsville’s website is eerily reminiscent of the Jackson’s description of Hooverville’s founding: “

Nickelsville will keep operating due to the inescapable fact that there are people on the streets with nowhere better to go. They are taking the initiative to organize so they can provide for themselves a basic level of safety and sanitation when their government steadfastly refuses to do so for them.[24]   Sinan Demirel, executive director of the local Seattle shelter R-O-O-T-S, which has supported Nickelsville, referenced the history of tent cities in an interview, saying,  

“Like the Tent Cities that preceded it, Nickelsville is part of a long and proud tradition of homeless persons organizing themselves to provide each other safety and to educate the broader community about their plight.[25]   The leaders of Nickelsville urge its members, as well as the members of the community, to encourage government action to fight homelessness.

If members of the Seattle community do not take action, they might experience a modern-day Hooverville. Demirel noted that, “If it is successful during its next move [in June 2009] in establishing a permanent site and permanent structures, then Nickelsville will join an even prouder tradition, dating back to Seattle’s Hooverville over three quarters of a century ago.[26]   If Seattle does not learn from the example set by Hooverville in the 1930s—that the failure of the social and political system, not individuals, leads to homelessness—it is doomed to allow history to repeat itself.  

[purplesurveys]

1118

Have you ever visited your country’s capital city? Yes. I was born in Manila and even lived there for a short while. But I don’t like going there anymore as I find it too icky, stinky, and depressing. It has come very far from its glamour days in the 50s until the 80s, and not in a good way. If you’re going to make a trip to the Philippines, go to literally anywhere but Manila.

What are your plans for next Thursday? Next Thursday is actually a holiday here, so I’d want to spend that day catching up on rest, ignoring work, and simply staying in.

When was the last time you were outdoors for over an hour? Last Friday when I went out with Angela and a few other friends. A bar in Katip announced that they were going to permanently close by the end of the month - another pandemic victim - so we went there to have a bit of a good time before they’re gone for good.

What is the shortest amount of time you’ve lived somewhere? My parents and I only lived in Manila for a year. By the time I was 2, we had moved in with extended family in the city I currently live in.

What’s your favorite kind of mint? (Peppermint/wintergreen/spearmint/etc) Mentos has a spearmint flavor that’s my favorite, so I’ll go with spearmint.

What was the last thing to frustrate you? I watched an interview with one of the last living Filipino comfort women who, as a teenager, had been raped by the Japanese during WWII. The Japanese’s way of dealing with their history is very infuriating – AKA they choose not to deal with it at all and act like nothing happened. I also learned that the Filipino government removed a statue we used to have that was meant to be dedicated to our comfort women, because the Japanese threatened to defund some of our projects if we didn’t have it removed. Everything about this is frustrating but most of my hatred is geared toward the Japanese government, both past and present.

What was the first movie you ever went to see in theaters? Stuart Little 2.

Do you do volunteer work, or have you ever done any in the past? I haven’t. I wanted to start volunteering for PAWS after I graduated college, but then Covid happened and so those plans fell through. These days, I help by donating P100 every week to my shelter of choice.

Have you ever been to a bachelor or bachelorette party? Never been. None of my friends have gotten married yet, and once they have plans to I’m not sure if they’d be the type to throw this kind of party. In fact, I don’t actually know if bachelor/ette parties are a thing here...it’s definitely not a standard Asian tradition, I can tell you that much.

Did any of your family members serve in WWII? My great-grandfather did, though I’m not exactly sure what his rank was. He was also given the Congressional Gold Medal Award for his efforts in 2018. My military-hating ass will always be in conflict because I hate the idea of war and sending people off to participate in it, but I’m also proud of my great-grandpa.

What’s your favorite kind of salad? Spicy freaking tuna salad. I really want to order one today, but I already spent so much on food last week :/

Are you more realistic or idealistic? I am realistic towards myself, but I appreciate people who can be idealistic or keep being the least bit optimistic. I feel like the people I surround myself with is also crucial to the mindset I end up molding.

Do you have a home security system? Yes, his name is Finn. Statistically alarms like him are far more effective than the techy kind ;) < Ahahaha, same. Cooper’s very handy. Kimi’s going blind so he only barks when he hears Cooper start to bark, I guess as kind of a moral support hahaha.

Have you ever been to Ohio? Nope, and I’ve never been to that country at all.

Are you currently borrowing something from someone? I have Andi’s vape pen. I’m thinking of just buying it from him, to be honest, because I see myself using it for the long-term. I also still have several of Athenna’s books that she had lent me all the way back in high school, but I never got to return because she distanced herself from me and Angela.

Is anyone currently borrowing anything from you? I don’t think so. I’ve lent books before but they’ve since returned them.

What is your last name’s heritage/country of origin? Spanish and Portuguese.

When did you last buy a new pair of shoes? What kind? September. They were kitty heels meant for the first job interview I ever scored.

Is your car paid off, or do you make payments? I think it’s paid off. I’ve never heard my parents talk about having to make payments for it.

Have you ever experienced culture shock while traveling? If so, where?

China: People will stare and point at you while clearly talking about you with their peers. It was incredibly unsettling at first, but in the end I just powered through and ignored it no matter how irritating it felt.

South Korea: Apparently you can’t take photos in public?? I was trying to take a photo of this silly mannequin, but the stall owner shooed me away. This was my own fault, though, and I should’ve done more research before I pulled my phone out.

Japan: Bus drivers turn the bus’s engine off when at a stoplight. That was a pleasant surprise. And of course, the people there are incredibly nice. At one point we asked this couple how to get to a certain museum, and in no time we were surrounded by a literal large crowd who just wanted to help me and my parents.

Indonesia: The dizzying amount of motorcycles on the road.

Are you able to see the stars at night where you live? Yes. Even though we live close to the city, I’m glad we get a lot of stars.

Do you include your middle initial in your signature? No. My signature is the first letter of my name + the last letter of my surname in a very lazy scrawl.

What brand of computer do you have? Apple.

What operating system does that computer run? Mac OS and I am too lazy to check which particular one.

Have you ever had gumbo? I don’t think so. Looks appetizing though.

What’s the oldest piece of clothing that you still own and wear? Some dresses and pants from like the 6th and 7th grade that can still be appropriate for some occasions, but I keep them at the very back/bottom of my closet because I rarely have to pull them out.

Do you have a passport? Yes.

How many miles are on your car? Mid-30,000s.

Have you ever been to an estate sale? Nope.

How many relationships have you been in? I’ve been with one person, though we dated twice

Have you ever had Greek yogurt? I don’t think so? I’ve only tried yogurt once, not sure if it had been Greek yogurt, but anyway I absolutely hated it and have refused to consume yogurt since.

Is the area in which you live flat, hilly, or mountainous? I live in the flatter part of the city, but we have a mountainous part as well of which we have a view from here.

[unadulteratedcloudflower-blog]

Dried Corn Cobs as Active Ingredient in the Reduction of Smoke Particles Emitted by Gasoline-Fueled Vehicles

Commuting is a part of people's everyday lives since people uses vehicle as a medium for transportation that requires fuel as conversion of mechanical energy. However, many people are unaware of the risks of being exposed to fumes from burning fuel or inhalation of air in poorly ventilated areas (Dictionary Diseases & Disorders, 2016). The Filipino population have developed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). In Manila, over 14 percent of its population have OCPD while 20 percent on average in rural areas (Soliman, 2017). COPD is the umbrella term for respiratory diseases like asthma, lung cancer, allergic rhinitis which are caused by inhaling polluted air. Due to the lack of proper air quality management, the Philippines suffers from large amount of air pollutants due to the carbon emission of the vehicles that lacks proper air filters. As the smoke particles build up and gets dense, it does not only affect the environment but all of the people especially those who are living in urban areas. An annual report done by Land Transportation Office states that there are 12,725,305 registered motor vehicles in the Philippines in the year 2019 which varies from either gasoline or diesel fueled. Both type of engine; gasoline and diesel are deadly as they both produce harmful gases. When gasoline is burned, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons are produced which are also known to be as "silent killers" because of how deadly those are (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2019). While when diesel is burned, mainly carbon dioxide are being produced which are the noticeable black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes of diesel fueled vehicles (Majewski, 2012). As gasoline being more deadly than diesel engine because of serious damage it can do to a person's health, the researchers wants to find a way to reduce the harm of gasoline vehicles by lessening its carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emission. In the past years, specifically in the Philippines, burning and letting corn cobs rot is a way for the farmers to get rid of such wastes that they consider. At the best use of being just a livestock feed, they could do nothing about it so they burn those down. With this research, the use of corn cobs in other ways will be utilized. As the research progress, the researchers wants to use corn cobs as an alternative activated carbon since these organic materials are not actually being used totally for something that is worth it and with its full potential. A corn cob is the long and hard part at the center of the corn where the kernel grows. It is mainly used for livestock feed where traditional farmers use it for animal bedding (Oxford Dictionary, 1884). Although corn cobs have some uses when it comes to farming, it is only a waste in the Philippines since many farmers burns corn wastes or left to rot in their farms. With further research, the researchers knew that corn cobs can form activated charcoal with proper process and conditioning (Buah, MacCarthy, & Ndur, 2016). Also, to consider that the formation of activated charcoal from charcoal itself does contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases which is not healthy for the environment (Velasco, 2017). So the researchers seeks for an alternative that has the same property as of what the activated charcoal can do but with a process that would not harm the environment.  Activated carbon filters are really effective in terms of contaminants in tap water. Specifically, activated carbon can remove the following contaminants; chloramine, lead and zinc, copper, microplastics, heavy metals such as mercury, nitrates, arsenic and asbestos, fluoride, and microbial cyst. With these given variables, the researchers thought of using activated carbon in air to be able to remove the carbon being emitted which is harmful to the environment as well as to humans (Magnus, 2019). Using the full potential of activated carbon not only in water but also in air is one of the objectives of the researchers that they want to address. An article last 2015 shows a researcher used corn cobs and was made into an activated charcoal. The researcher of that study created water filtration system using dried corn cobs. The filtration system that was made lets the wastewater flow through the different layers of those corn cobs which was used as activated charcoal (Sahu, 2015). As corn cobs have the property of filtering water pollutants, the researchers think of another problem in which this property can be utilized, in which they thought carbon emission, where those corn cobs can be used. Although Philippines is an agricultural country, the use of fossil fuels are being evident since the demand for energy is high. Thus, carbon emission being a massive source when it comes to greenhouse gases. To consider that changing the form of obtaining energy in the Philippines would be hard, the researchers thought of not changing the way but to find a way to reduce the pollutants being expelled through these various methods of producing energy. This is why, the researchers are to introduce a cheaper, more organic kind of an air filter, made out of dried and grained corn cobs, enveloped on a cheese cloth pouch as an extension to the exhaust pipe to filter the carbon emitted by the exhaust pipes by vehicles that uses gasoline like motorcycles and most of the cars. Since one of the main contributors of air pollution in the Philippines are vehicles, the researchers focused on creating an air filter for them, aiming to lessen the pollutants and thus, reducing the greenhouse gases that the vehicles emits that will reduce the risks of these harmful gases to everyone especially to those people living in urbanized areas.

[womanlalaboy]

A Dose of Spoken Word

** Zuela at DLSU-D

Many people would say that art is not for everyone. I have to disagree. For me, we’re all born artists and art is for all of us. The thing is, others embrace their gift and the rest walk away from it. Regardless of what we choose, we all have our own reasons and we get our fair share of consequences for choosing a path.

I’ve walked away from art more than I could count. I’ve drawn, painted, did clothes, acted, danced, sang, and more. In my case, there were just way too many forms to explore, but nothing to specialize on- something I’ve carried until college and up to now. I still feel that title as a Com Arts graduate- jack of all trades; master of none. But I’ve always thought that writing is my muse, you know? No matter how much I think I suck at it and how many times I try to quit, the words though vague and blurry always find their way to me.

One of the most profound things I’ve learned in college is this aphorism that Mrs. Isolde Valera once told us: one cannot not communicate. There is always this need to express, and words are the closest I can grasp on to convey whatever it is that I want to say. The same goes for many people, especially for those who base their work from words- authors, script writers, poets, researchers, playwrights, etc. Spoken Word artists are a little bit different- mainly because they’re not just literary artists, but also performing artists. And both forms demand intellectual, physical and emotional investment.

** Slac at Intramuros Rising...

With a few of my friends, we were able to interview Slac Cayamada back in 2014 to discuss Spoken Word in the Philippines and Sev’s Café. We visited Sev’s a few weeks after I covered Intramuros Rising where I first saw Slac and the rest of Words Anonymous perform. There were only about 11 of them and at that time, their newest member was Juan Miguel Severo.  Slac said Gege performed “Mga Basang Unan” and “Naniniwala Ako” at Sev’s Café- a café in a basement that always holds an Open Mic. It’s an event where its patrons can perform onstage. It doesn’t have to be Spoken Word, really. Many have danced, sang, rapped, and acted, but most people really do Spoken Word. They’ve invited him to be a part of Words Anonymous and I’m honestly glad that he joined. Because if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have seen him perform “Ito Na Ang Huling Tulang Isusulat Ko Para Sa’yo“ at Intramuros Rising which have become one of my favorite pieces. From Gege’s regular performances at Sev’s and his stage exposures at huge events, his career has sky rocketed whilst spreading the art of Spoken Word itself.

** Sev’s Cafe before it closed

** Slac at Sev’s back stage...

SPOKEN WORD AND PAGE POETRY

For many, the difference between traditional poetry and Spoken Word is simply the act of performing the piece. However, it’s not just the performance that separates Spoken Word from page poetry. You may be familiar with poetry reading or powesiya- it’s the performance side of page poetry. However, in Spoken Word, you don’t simply read the piece; you perform it like doing a theatrical monologue. Most artists memorize their pieces so they can freely move while performing and not having to be bothered by holding something like a script. Though for some, they find it easier to perform with a guide or a copy of their piece. Slac also mentioned that in page poetry, you are limited to certain parameters and distinct rules. In Spoken Word poetry, measurement isn’t a thing. Words don’t even have to rhyme. Artists can choose however they like to write their pieces. It is still a Spoken Word even if you wrote your piece as a prose, essay or free-verse poetry.

Another distinct character of Spoken Word Slac mentioned, Is that the pieces are usually about those who write them. There are many page poetry pieces that are detached from the writer, but in Spoken Word, the piece will always be a part of the writer, not just from the writer. There are honestly lesser creative restrictions in Spoken Word compared to say, theatrical monologue and page poetry. In Spoken Word, you write your own piece, you direct your own performance and you perform your piece yourself. It’s a one-man production that is ever evolving. It is a very progressive form of art that is used and executed in more ways than one.

** Juan Miguel Severo at DLSU-D...

SPOKEN WORD IN FILIPINO SETTING

“Some people would say that there’s no money in art. That’s not true. Everything is art. And we pay for everything,” Slac said. He was a call center agent and he had to quit painting to focus on his job even to a point where he got burnt out. “I felt dumb. I felt like a prisoner of my job… You guys are gonna graduate and you’re gonna feel this when you don’t do art,” he further said. Slac continued to tell us to find a balance in our lives. We can still do our 9-5 jobs without having to quit what we love to do. It may not become a career for most of us, but at least, we do something that makes us happy. “When you do something outside of your work- you write, express your thoughts, you actually sharpen your mind, “ Slac added. And if we hope to really pursue art, we can treat it as a hobby at first then slowly transition to doing it full-time.  

Spoken Word artists express not just their personal experiences, but their views of the society and their opinions on pressing issues affecting them and the ones they care about. Words Anonymous isn’t just a bunch of Spoken Word artists that capitalizes on the novelty of the art form. They challenge the way we see art and artists as a whole. Spoken Word has become an avenue to push movements forward and spread awareness. In the recent Pride Parade, someone performed a Spoken Word. In Intramuros Rising 2, Michelle Manese performed an open letter to catcallers. In Word’s Anonymous’ book called Tuwing Ikatlong Sabado, they talked about their support for women’s fight against patriarchy. Louise Meets has performed pieces about LGBTQIA+ love. Juan Miguel Severo performed a piece about the empowerment of having ownership to our own bodies. Enthusiasts like them are still undermined by many Filipinos. No matter how enigmatic their pieces may be, for some they are sadly still reduced to just hugot kings and queens. We’ve constructed this idea of success and pursuing one through art is often seen with disapproval.

** Trevor William Viloria, Michelle Manese, Louise Meets at Intramuros Rising 2: A December To Remember...

THE SPOKEN WORD EFFECT

Regardless of what it may look like to others, Slac said that he still sees a bright future for Spoken Word and its artists. It affects many people in ways that are just moving. For Slac, Spoken Word is like a therapy.  He has met a lot of introverts through this form who were motivated to pursue their craft. “They see confidence, but we’re rarely confident. We’re like scared as hell on stage. But when they see that [spoken word performance], they get inspired to write something that they can perform in front of a lot of people,” Slac added. Many have been inspired to be vocal about themselves and being able to finally let loose, speak up or express, sounds like healing and empowerment to me.

Slac also mentioned that our youth today don’t read and write anymore. People, he said, have been engrossed in television and film. Though he thinks that they are good art as well, he feels like we should have something for ourselves. “We rely on other people’s art. Why not participate?” Slac further said. Words Anonymous have been doing workshops and do events to push this advocacy, especially to kids.

** Jeziel and I performing “Tanong Na ‘Di Ko Masagot at Sev’s Open Mic...

ART AS A WHOLE

When asked what he could advise those who want to pursue Spoken Word, Slac simply said, “just do it, and do it from the heart.”

Many people would say that art is not for everyone. I have to disagree. For me, we’re all born artists and art is for all of us. We create and we consume art, even if we try to hide it. Success in the industry of art, though, isn’t guaranteed. However, that’s not the point of art, right? And don’t ask me. You already know what the point is.

MORE...

Check out Words Anonymous’ FB page Check out Words Anonymous' Tumblr page Check out Words Anonymous' videos on Youtube Also watch "Mahirap Kalaban si Papa Jesus" by Abby Orbeta Also watch "Human" by Louise Meets Also watch "Ako Naman" by Zuela Herera

[aiyeim]

"Baro't Saya" modernized~

Baro't Saya means blouse and skirt. I've been wanting to draw traditional filipino clothing for quite a while now but I couldn't find the time and I had to study the different traditional clothings first. I'll do some more research since I reaaaally really enjoy modernizing this clothes. (Mylo's killin it with the skirt/ saya~)

Gif Commission: here

Your Character Here Commission Sheet (couple): here

“Regular” Commission Sheet: here

Please read this too:

FAQ

Re-blogs are appreciated~~

[almostdiplomatic]

I love me some tea. Even more when it comes with scones, finger sandwiches, and tiny pastries served on elegant, tiered serving stands. Afternoon Tea is something I simply adore doing with my girlfriends. So much so that one of my first articles for Forbes was about it. There’s just something so attractive with this dainty tradition that goes all the way back to the 1800s. It’s so feminine and quintessentially British.

With that said, let me walk you through this tradition based on what I’ve learned through experience as well as research. From its history and the modern-day adaptation that was started by the Mrs. Caroline Astor of the St. Regis in New York.

Afternoon Tea or High Tea?

No. They are most definitely not the same. It’s actually a pet peeve of mine when a cafe or restaurant calls their afternoon tea offering ‘high tea’. I believe they’re contributing to the confusion and I simply just expect more from people who profit from the tradition.

Afternoon tea is held between 15:00-17:00 and is served on a low coffee table. It’s not meant to replace dinner. Rather, it’s something to fill the gap between lunch and dinner which, at the time the tradition started, was served at around 20:00. It’s similar to the concept of merienda but a bit more posh. Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford began the tradition in 1840 as merely a meal to tide her over the long hours but later became a social event when she started inviting her friends over.

High tea, on the other hand, is a meal served at around 18:00 for the “servants or the lower class”. Quite elitist if you ask me but this is the 1800s we’re talking about. It’s eaten at a dining table which is where it gets its name. The food served is actually heavy, making it similar to a full-on dinner. However, since they will be serving the aristocrats a few hours later, they’d have to eat earlier. These days, the term is appropriately used as a replacement for ‘early dinner’.

What to wear?

My dear friend Arpita and I (who’s also a co-founder for The Binge) back in 2016 at the Ritz-Carlton KL, having afternoon tea

Duchess Anna would have been in her prettiest of dresses back in the day to impress her friends. But it’s 2018 and a smart casual dress code is now accepted. Do note that sportswear, as well as sneakers, should never find themselves in this setting.

Eating in the right order

Savouries, scones, and sweets. That’s how it should be. These treats, often served in a tiered serving tray, would often be arranged in a way that the savouries are at the bottom tier, followed by the scones in the middle, and the pastries or mini desserts are on the top. It’s easy enough that way as you just have to work your way up. In the event that they are not served in a tiered stand, the same order applies.

Finger sandwiches should have their crusts cut off and served in the shape of either triangles or rectangles. They should also be eaten using your hands. The sweets, meanwhile, should be chosen carefully. Mrs Astor prefers them ‘dainty as well as mess-free’ and eaten with your cutlery.

The scone debates: The proper ways to pronounce and eat this baked treat

Let’s give some proper attention to this age-old debate. Is it ‘skon’ or ‘skoan’? Most British people prefer to pronounce it as ‘skon’ (rhymes with ‘gone’). We’re talking 51% of the population here. However, there’s also a hefty 42% who go for the ‘skoan’ (rhymes with ‘cone’).

For the record, Mrs Astor prefers ‘skon’. I’m pretty sure Duchess Ana also went with the same pronunciation as Bedford is in an area where people tend to say it the same way Mrs Astor did. So, while saying ‘skoan‘ seems more sensible due to the spelling, you may want to go with ‘skon‘ if you’re looking for historical accuracy.

Scones are also meant to be broken in the middle using your (clean) hands. A well-made scone should easily break apart in the middle. However, should you wish to use a knife, you should cut through the scone’s middle section horizontally. You can see this in action on Netflix’ The Crown (Season 2). Claire Foy, who plays Queen Elizabeth II, cut her scone with a knife during her afternoon tea with Jackie Kennedy (Jodi Balfour) at Windsor Castle.

Which goes first? Jam or cream?

This is also another contentious issue in this great island nation. The good thing though is that there is no right or wrong way – unless you’re from Cornwall or Devonshire.

The Cornish prefer jam first while those from Devon swear by going for the cream first. The only rule you should be strict at following, however, is that you should be using clotted cream. No exceptions.

Oh, and for the love of God, do not eat it as a sandwich. Each half should be eaten separately.

Drinking your tea

Cups should only be filled up to two-thirds of its capacity to avoid spillage. You can always get topped up anyways.

Stirring doesn’t have to mean swirling. Stir the milk in using back and forth motions without hitting the sides of the cup and making unnecessary noise. When you’re done with your teaspoon, lightly flick it right above the cup’s opening. Then, place it on your saucer behind your cup.

While we’re at it, let’s clear up another issue: Milk should never ever be added first.

If there’s still some spillage, ask for a fresh saucer and a paper napkin (do not use your cloth napkin under any circumstance for this). The paper napkin should be used to soak the spilled tea then taken away with the dirty saucer.

Pinky in or out?

Contrary to popular belief, the pinky should never be out. Rather, a tea cup must be held through the handle using your thumb and forefinger. All other fingers should gently curve back towards the wrist.

The napkin guide

Napkins should be picked up and unfolded on your lap – never over the table. At places that serve proper afternoon tea, the servers would normally do this for you. In more casual settings, you can go ahead and do this by yourself.

For a bigger napkin (dinner napkin size), fold it in half with the fold towards your body. A lunch or tea napkin (smaller size) may be opened completely. Set it on the middle of your lap. Use the corners of the napkin to discreetly blot the corners of your mouth during the meal. Never wipe or use it as a handkerchief.

If you need to excuse yourself for a bit, place your napkin on the arm of your chair, on the left side. If your seat doesn’t have an arm, place the napkin it on its left. Never leave your napkin on the table during the meal. You can only put it on the left side of your plate once you’re fully done.

Afternoon tea no-nos

Sometimes, the sweets plate may include some cookies. While I’m a huge fan of the Filipino way of dunking pan de sal (a kind of soft bread) into coffee during breakfasts at home with the family, this similar concept cannot be replicated for the afternoon tea. Cultures can be tricky and what’s accepted or is considered a tradition for one, maybe rude for another.

There is also no acceptable excuse for slurping your tea. For some countries in Asia like Japan and China, slurping noodles and soup is a sign that you’re enjoying your meal. Again, this is one of those things where cultures see differently. I would, on any day, slurp my ramen to give me compliments to a chef but will not do it during afternoon tea. Just always be aware of where you are and what you’re eating or drinking.

Do pin this image if you found this article enjoyable and/or useful!

  Thanks so much for dropping by my side of the internet! Will be writing more etiquette posts soon. As you know, this is something I am very passionate about.

Thank you for the continued support to this website of mine. Really love you guys for that.

Love,

Carol

    Afternoon Tea: The Complete Guide I love me some tea. Even more when it comes with scones, finger sandwiches, and tiny pastries served on elegant, tiered serving stands.

[writingwithcolor]

Female Vietnamese-Chinese-Australian

My dad is Vietnamese, but his parents come from China. My mum is from China, but she moved with her family to Hong Kong from an early age. They speak Cantonese (or as you otherwise might know it, traditional Chinese) as a main language, although they can speak (simplified) Chinese too. I was born and raised in Australia so I identify as Australian as well as Chinese and Vietnamese.

My area has some Asians, but you can get other PoC showing up too and as a writer, I like to embrace that (that’s why this profile exists). However, most people here are non-PoC, Australia being a former British colony and whatnot.

Clothing

Hand me downs. When your dad has 10 sibings and 2 of them are about an hour’s drive from your house, you can’t deny that’ll happen. However, I do get new clothes every now and again.

Food

My family does have a habit of eating rice and/or different Chinese styles of noodles a lot for dinner, but we eat pasta and other cultural foods every now and then. A typical lunch is normally a sandwich or fast food, while breakfast can be anything from dim sims to toast to apple pie (I think the apple pie is just a scrounge-for-money excuse on my mum’s part though).

We do eat Vietnamese food for dinner (a cold vermicelli dish with mint/lettuce, fish sauce and soft shell crab/spring rolls/cha lua/surimi scallops - or a combo of those - known verbally as something along the lines of “moong” to me, although I don’t know its proper name or spelling) or lunch (banh mi or pho), although the likelihood of having Vietnamese food for any given meal is significantly rarer than Western-style food/rice and normally it’s my dad who’ll eat pho.

We used to go out for yum cha for lunch (despite it being breakfast in most cases in Hong Kong) every now and again. When we’re in Hong Kong though, my maternal grandma makes us go to yum cha for breakfast and then to the same restaurant for dinner. There’s one dish I love from yum cha specifically (prawns in cheong fun with soya sauce) which is often on the menu and why I don’t mind yum cha in most cases.

My mum loves Japanese food, but my dad doesn’t like most raw things (I had a childhood friend whose mother used to work at a sushi shop, so we got lots of discounted food - it didn’t help my dad one bit) so me and my sisters have grown up eating sushi/okonomiyaki/sashimi and we’ll eat this stuff on birthdays or special occasions. That’s how we get into anime and learning Japanese at school. 

Holidays

My family is atheist, with a mild exception on my smallest sister’s part (she believed in the optional religious education classes a little too much, and so is a bit more insistent on Christianity). We normally go out to Chinese New Year celebrations in our vicinity (we normally buy the spiral potatoes on skewers and/or batter-coated octopus tentacles and eat them if not collecting freebies). We’ll eat mooncake, tang yuan or the like as a celebratory food around the relevant holidays, although we do sometimes eat them out of season if the food is around and cheap. We don’t take days off around Chinese New Year like Chinese are supposed to, but we do take breaks around Easter, Christmas etc. because schools, supermarkets etc. close on those days.

Red pockets (actually red envelopes, they have money in them) are a custom for birthdays, Christmas, New Year, weddings and Chinese New Year. If your birthday is close to one of the other listed holidays, you get one instead of two (see this profile for explanation). There is no set amount for the others, but normally for a 20-something-year old the cap is about AU $50 (we send the equivalent in American money to American relatives, but that’s less often than the ones we see in person and remember the birthdays for), and for weddings you should give more than that. 

We take basically any excuse to get together with extended family and Asian family parties are never dull. The adults, especially, gossip long into the night and if they bust out the alcohol, they go home at midnight or 2 am because…obvious reasons.

Identity issues

I thought, when I was younger, my surname was Chinese, but it turned out to be Vietnamese put through American pronunciation. I told my friends…and they didn’t give any reaction. Either they took it in their stride or just continued to think I was Chinese/Chinese-Australian like them.

I’ve been to Vietnam and Hong Kong on family trips before and for some reason, even though Australia is “home” to me, when all the people look closer to what you do and experience life similar to what you do, you feel like you’re “at home” in a weird sense. Can’t speak a speck of Vietnamese and my Cantonese and Chinese have fallen out of good use though, so I’m just berated by older relatives (in Cantonese and most times to my parents’ faces) when I visit them and speak in English.

I’m a bit more tan than my sisters due to neglecting sunscreen on sunny days, but my dad used to joke to me and my sisters that I was Filipino/Indian and looking back on it, that was pretty toxic. (It was also kinda hypocritical because he’s tanner than me, but he never pointed that out.) Some other people may get offended at being called “banana” or “ABC” (Australian-born Chinese), but me and my sisters can take it as a joke.

Talking about the Vietnam War is kinda awkward for me, as my dad escaped from it in his youth. I learnt about the war while doing an international studies course and being to Vietnam - there was this aura of coldness around it all the while and I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it.

Language

I was taught Cantonese from birth, but Australia being as it is means English is my default. I had to learn Chinese and Japanese from language schools and school courses.

Hong Kong was British up until 1997, so there’s lots of English (the language, the people aren’t that common there) around and it’s easier to get by there (for me) than Vietnam. Vietnam was French in the 1800s so my dad knows limited French, but I’ve never learnt French. 

Study

I used to try and keep up with my parents’ standards of “play piano!”, “get good grades!” etc. etc. but as time wore on, I found I didn’t want to. In the end, I found they’re not too worried, so long as I do well in what I want to do and pass in what I need to do. 

…I’m also a proud procrastinator, as bad as that is.

Micro-aggressions

Notice how I’ve used “Cantonese” as a term for traditional Chinese, and “Chinese” for simplified? Cantonese and Chinese are completely different beasts. (I can get kinda picky about it, even though “Canton” is a somewhat whitewashed term and doesn’t refer to Hong Kong per se…I use the terms because I have no better way of distinguishing between the two.)

Tropes I’m tired of seeing

Kung fu Asians. Not all Asians are willing to whip your butt into shape with martial arts - most Asians wouldn’t know martial arts. For that matter, tai chi/taekwondo/karate/gong fu do not equal each other (yeah, Karate Kid with Jaden Smith is a misnomer).

Things I’d like to see more of

There’s one show I thought was fairly accurate in depicting a life like mine, and that’s The Family Law. Showing more family dynamics like that would be great.

I’d also like to see close siblings, regardless of genre, gender or race. (Not twins or OreImo, either - that’s a little too close.) I’m very close to my older sister, to the point where if we weren’t blood related, we’d be best friends.

It’s a weird demand, but regardless of where your story’s set or who it’s aimed at, I get kinda disappointed when people have an eating scene and they could check up some weird and wonderful food for it - for a workplace or school scene, a sandwich can make sense and it’s fine, but for one example, in fantasy feasts people eat “boar meat” and sometimes I wish they’d eat char siu instead of being so generic. Just do your research properly, spell the words properly and it’ll fit right in if it’s appropriate and/or relevant.

Read more POC Profiles here or submit your own.

[tanminaaeisha]

Go North… Go Baguio!

(Travel writing)

    Baguio is one of the most visited places in the Philippines, if not the most.  A place so urban yet so close to nature.  A place so small yet with so much to see every day of your stay.  A place of comfort and culture.  From the modern hotels and rest houses to the old ruins and villas, you will feel as though you’re in between two different eras.  Like a time traveler, you can go from one era to the other.  Quite amazing actually.  And so off I went to Baguio even if it’s just for only a “2-day-1-night” stay.  Well actually it was a 1-day exploration.  We need to attend a wedding the next day, which is the reason why we took this trip.  But 1-day is better than waiting for that free-time I need to be able to go there. 

      When we arrived, I literally dropped my bags near my assigned bed, grabbed my jacket and begged everyone to do the same.  I wanted to get an early start because there’s so much to see with so little time.  Excited to see the villagers as they were before, my first stop was the famous Tam-awan Village.  Found in the hilly mountains of Baguio is an unsuspecting art village. At the entrance you would see natives dressed in their colorful traditional clothing, smiling and more than willing to take pictures with you for a few bucks.  The village is designed to look and feel like a traditional Cordilleran village. At a glance, you only notice traditional huts with grass roofs scattered on different levels of elevation throughout the forest.  But going into these huts you’ll realize that each of them is actually a mini-art gallery.  Nature and art in one spot.  Again, amazing. 

Next stop, Baguio Cathedral.  It has been a known old saying that when you go to a place the very first time, you have to look for the church and make a wish.  And so I did.  Went to Baguio Cathedral just to do that but I didn’t know I needed to climb a 104-step staircase just to reach its doors.  Had I done my research, I would have known that this Neo-Gothic Designed Cathedral rests on top of a hill.  According to the residents, this used to serve as an evacuation camp during World War II.  Now it’s a serene place where people attend mass and even exchange their vows.  Anyways, after saying my prayers, I lit a candle, made a wish and went off to the next spot.

      The ever-so-famous Mines View Park.  Here you can eat, shop and go sight-seeing in one place.  Since we only have two days, might as well go to a place where you can do and see more.  I hurriedly bought a few souvenirs to finish the task.  I must admit I spent quite a little longer buying stuff because there’s a lot of beautiful hand-made or hand-carved souvenirs that I tend to stop and just look sometimes.  Everything was so colorful that I took a few steps back and took a shot at the lane of souvenir stalls.  You won’t believe the many colors and hues my camera captured in just one shot.  It was so beautiful.  But nothing can be compared to the view just behind me.  I turned around and there she was.  The wide and enchanting view of the Cordillera Mountains.  It was so magical.  With the fog hovering over it, like a huge silky blanket protecting Mother Nature while she rests.  I was staring at it when I suddenly felt a cool breeze brushed against my cheeks.  I then just smiled.  That moment and the feeling was too perfect; I don’t believe I can catch it on cam.

      Now, we need to get some “shut-eye” to be ready for the wedding the next day.  We definitely don’t want to look like zombies in the photos so we made our final stop.  The Canto Bogchi Joint.  Yup!  Bogchi.  Chibog!  Filipino’s slang word for “eat” during the 70’s.  This used to be one of the well-loved restaurants in The Ketchup Food Community.  After the Community closed, it took them a while to set-up a new place along Kisad Road. And guys, the rumors are true.  They serve finger-licking foods!  And lucky for all of us who missed The Ketchup Food Community, Canto is back.  Still offering the same best-seller Bar-B-Que Pork Ribs with their Homemade Bar-B-Que Sauce.  Everyone loves it… and we did too! 

      The next day, we woke up a little late than we should.  As expected, everyone was running nuts just to make it to the church.  And luckily, we did.  The wedding, with the cool morning breeze and the nature so close, was beautiful.  But that’s another story.  Anyways, we went straight to the hotel after the wedding.  Got dressed and packed and off to the terminal bound for Manila.  Yes.  This was one crazy trip but was very much worth it!  The sights, the weather and the people.  All worth the crazy trip.  Baguio.  A place where you can have both worlds!  Amazing.

[wheretobaguio]

Meet the Artist Behind this Year's Christmas Tree: Maela Jose

“To be able to create, you have to believe that you are created.” ~ Maela Jose

Back in the days of the (in)famous cement pine tree standing on top of Session Road, the people of Baguio would anticipate how the tree would be decorated for Christmas. And when it was demolished, newer versions of Christmas “trees” would be installed. One version that comes to mind was composed of hollow spheres. Last year, Session Road wasn’t embellished with a tree, but we were devastated by the burning of the Christmas tree in Burnham.

But this year, things are going back to tradition, and as Baguio has just been proudly named a UNESCO Creative City, it is only fitting that a Baguio artist take over for this year’s Christmas tree.

You’ve probably seen it. Its structure is tent-like. The cone-shaped white canvas is sprinkled with bright colors in different shapes and patterns, giving us a sort of 60’s or 70’s vibe. Rarely do we ask, who did it? We got the privilege to meet the artist personally. And now you do, too!

Her name is Maela Jose.

We made our way to the outskirts of town in Tiptop Road. There, Villa Romana sits, which triples as Maela Liwanag Jose’s home, her studio, and a retreat house for those who want to get away from the city for a rustic, vintage stay. We sat down for lunch, and Maela told us many stories and insights.

Originally hailing from Pampanga, Maela is one of many artists who came to Baguio, fell in love with the city, and stayed for life. As an artist, she has gained renown through different national publications and has even made it to the cover of Lifestyle Asia.

The Color Gray

The 70’s would be known for its psychedelic, colorful art and tie-dyed clothes and fabrics. It was then that Maela first took an interest in creating with colors through tie-dye. But Maela would say that her true birth as an artist was during the explosion of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. She described the atmosphere as being totally gray as smog and ashes coated the sky. Life appeared to be dull in Pampanga, and as the nation moved towards rehabilitation, Maela wanted to make a change in her life by adding colors. She grabbed some paint, and her colorful journey began.

The “Tinatik” Technique

We were brought to Maela’s studio, which was incredibly wide. Spread throughout the floor were four white tents. Three of those, already painted and dry, would compose the Christmas Tree in Session Road. On one side of the studio rests her works on canvas and cloth, and on the other side is an entire wall made of glass, giving her a refreshing view of the mountains and the sunset. There, we got a first look at her work and her process.

She calls her technique, “tinatik”, a portmanteau of the Filipino term “tina” for ‘color’ and the Indonesian term “batik” which means ‘drop’. “Tinatik”, meaning “color drop” is very literal in the way that Maela uses a squeeze bottle to “spill” her colors onto her canvas. She then further refines the image using a paint brush.

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Her canvas, being a giant cone-shaped tent, looked like a challenging undertaking since it’s not a regular, rectangular flat surface. She starts with the tip of the cone, waits for it to dry, then pulleys it upwards, moving on to the base.

The Christmas tree took a total of two months to accomplish, with a little help with manpower. Maela jokes that her back is already aching from always hunching down on the floor. The trickiest part, she says, is trying to keep everything neat.

We will never forget her words, “to be able to create, you have to believe that you are created.” The Story of Creation is the inspiration for many of Maela’s works, especially the Christmas tree. But she doesn’t just tell the story with literal images. Instead, she put a Cordilleran twist with careful research of Cordilleran patterns and symbols which are used in artifacts, fabrics, and tattoos. Which is why if you take a close look at the Christmas tree, you’ll see patterns of spirals, zigzags, curves, and lines – each having meaning, such as spirals for hills, zigzags for fish, and diamonds for day and night.

Her Soulmate

Maela Jose wouldn’t be complete without her soulmate, Sonny Zandueta. They call each other “Shine”, and the kilig feels were reeaaaal. Sonny is also an artist with a more abstract take on art. Together, they share the love of music and play as a two-man band. Their most recent notable gig was at the music festival in Sagada.

Making a Comeback

Having disappeared from the media and the art scene for quite some time, designing Baguio’s Christmas Tree is a huge comeback for Maela Jose. She will also be displaying her artwork in the Baguio Museum on the 8th of December for her 25-year Retrospective Art Exhibit.

Maela Jose’s bright and vibrant personality are a reflection of her artwork. Believing that colors have an effect on one’s well being, there is never a gray corner around her. Truly an inspiration, we are reminded that when life seems dull and gloom, it is up to us to add rainbows to our own skies.

Meet the Artist Behind this Year’s Christmas Tree: Maela Jose was originally published on Where To, Baguio?

[theaxtorres]

Ethnic Faux Paus

With the Philippines being home to various minorities, it can be easy to unconsciously disrespect the rich culture behind traditional creations.

Beyond the visuals of art and design is the culture that was able to create it. From the knowledge and history of a local heritage, minorities and their people continue to uphold a commemoration of systems, traditions, and beliefs by turning them into distinct designs and styles passed from generation to generation. Yet, without context about these creations, the act of disrespecting their culture can easily end up as one’s cross to bear.

According to Cambridge Dictionary, cultural appropriation is the adoption of the elements of a culture that is not one’s own. Meanwhile, in a 2017 interview with CNN Philippines, Marlon Martin, chief of the Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement and founder of the Ifugao Heritage School, further expounded on it by simply defining it as claiming and disrespecting a culture different from one’s own, while being unaware of its it ethnic and historical context.

The Philippines is composed of numerous tribes and different religions, such as the Ifugao tribes, who boost their economy by making clothes, blankets, and other textile products using the patterns they create from weaving. For practicing muslims, hijabs are essential to Islam while Kalinga tattoos are badges of honor given to those who have fought and protected their people. With these items being out in plain sight, the mistake of using them for personal use is just around the corner; one could be casually wearing clothing from the Mt. Province meant for the dead, textiles which Cordillerans use for rituals and festivities could accidentally be regarded as table covers by consumers, while some teenagers could be sporting an ethnic tattoo with symbols they don’t even understand. Unfortunately, these trademarks of a minority culture are also victims of cultural appropriation.

Fashion in the wrong

From outfits to hairstyles, fashion and merchandising always craves something unique; the usual denim jacket looks better with a few ethnic patterns, a hairstyle seems more stylish with a makeshift hijab, and a tattoo with an ethnic design certainly adds a ‘cool’ factor.

Despite the cultural background of the minorities’ traditional pieces, there has been a recurrence of these items being used for commercial gain. During their 2012 fashion show, women’s lifestyle company Victoria’s Secret received backlash for having their models take the runway while sporting Native American props with lingerie, while Marc Jacobs’ Spring 2017 Ready-to-Wear collection was called out for designing models’ hair with dreadlocks, a trademark of African-American culture that was used as a symbol for the Rastafari religion.

What one chooses to wear is an expression of their identity; be it through smart casual attires or maximalist outfits, fashion shows a meaningful trademark of one’s personality. The same goes for minorities who have their own garments that express a significant meaning to their cultural identity. The glaring difference is that these minorities have a history of being victims of social injustices, poverty, or microaggression, and have used their clothes and accessories to emphasize their unity and strength in the face of the hardships they have gone through.

The controversy of cultural appropriation was recently magnified in April 2018 when an article published by print and digital newspaper Philippine Star on local fashion brand Filip+Inna’s summer collection featured a model wearing a bikini partnered with a traditional blouse from the Tagakaolo tribe of the Municipality of Malungon in Sarangani. This received negative reactions from the locals who regard the tribe as one of the municipality’s founders and as a result, Mayor Tessa Constantino posted her sentiments about the matter on Facebook.

“We are very proud of our ethnic origins as a people and we value our cultural heritage that in all the undertakings of our local government, we see to it that our tribes are not offended and neglected,” Constantino stated. The blouse was from the Tagakaolo Tribal Museum and was used by the fashion brand without consulting the locals. It was merely marketed as a fashion statement, disregarding its ethnic significance to the Tagakaolo tribe and locals of Malungon.

Wearing indigenous attires as a fashion statement or a mere decoration is the same as pretending to be part of a race or culture completely unaffiliated with one’s own. One should not simply sport ethnic tattoos and already act like they themselves have gone to the wars the natives have gone through. It’s similar to stealing from their beliefs and traditions, and disregarding their given purposes. By using a people’s culture without succinct knowledge beforehand, it creates a pseudo-understanding a person has about the said culture, which forges an idea that these items can be used for one’s own personal gain while also belittling the history and ethnic identity of the minority groups.

With all these common ethnic faux paus, is the current fashion scene suggesting that culture can be sacrificed for its sake? Short answer is no; and it’s time to do something about it.

Change by learning

Some may say cultural appropriation can easily be excused as drawing inspiration from these Filipino artefacts. However, there’s a fine line between the two, separated by upholding traditional heritage. When the usage of these artefacts is to preserve art and history, the culture is promoted and the minority’s legacy lives on. Through educational purposes, like school festivities or dedicated museums, Filipinos can learn to respect the traditional customs and, consequently, act on supporting it.

Buying their products for the culture’s promotion, and not for aesthetic purposes, helps their people thrive by having their products appreciated by the public with its intended function. By collaborating with the locals through development projects,  this can further enhance and spread awareness to their craft.

What seems to be mere prints on a carpet or abstract shapes on a bag are threaded by a rigorous and meticulous process made specifically by that culture. From the blood, sweat, and tears that originated these culture’s products, there’s no doubt how the simple act of respect and caution is well-deserved. Studying about the various cultures and understanding the hard work behind each cultural piece is one easy step to avoid cultural appropriation that leads to a more well-informed and just society.

Filipinos, as an international minority, still have the tendency to disrespect their own national minorities, groups, and tribes who exemplify and contribute to the Filipino legacy, by reducing their artefacts to commercial trends. However, once properly researched, anyone can be the bridge between the traditional and the modern, and reinvigorate the art of indigenous cultures for what they are truly meant to be—a symbol of the people’s identity.

This article was originally published in The Benildean Issue 13.