End-of-year Camping

The final activity of BarkadahaNZ for 2012 is family camping scheduled for 27-29th December at El Rancho in Waikanae. Aside from the opportunity of enjoying each other's company, it was also the perfect opportunity to update the group on what had transpired for the year, and what the future held for the group.

The kids and grown-ups alike enjoyed the company and the facilities. Thank you El Rancho!

Here are a few photos from the event:

We wish everyone a meaningful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas carolling practise songs

Wikalympics

The latest BarkadahaNZ activity was a celebration of the Filipino language as it coincided with Buwan ng Wika (which falls in August), with the rather witty event name by Tita Cory in conjunction with the  recent Olympics and Paralympics in London.

The kids were divided into two groups for an afternoon of fun competition.  The games were composed of:

• Tula (poem) - an individual event. The Unders 8s were given a simpler poem to read, while the older kids were given a more challenging piece.
• Kanta (song) - group event, with two songs involved ("Kung Ikaw ay Masaya" and "Leron Leron Sinta")
• Tongue Twister - The Under 8's were given a simpler tongue twister, and the older kids tackled a more difficult rhyme.

Balagtasan

August is "Buwan ng Wika" (Language Month) in the Philippines.  It is a month-long celebration of the Filipino language.  The first thing that comes to mind when this month arrives is the Balagtasan, which is a form of debate with two sides of a topic being contested.  However, rather than just being a battle of wits, it is also an art form by itself as the delivery is similar with reading a poem with the presentors wearing a local costume, which is usually the barong for the boys and the baro't saya for the girls.



The word "Balagtasan" comes from the name of Francisco Balagtas, a famous Filipino poet in the 1800s. His work, Florante at Laura, is a topic of discussion in the Filipino subject in high school.

BarkadahaNZ will be coming up with some activities to coincide with Buwan ng Wika, albeit a bit belated.  Understandably there won't be a Balagtasan, nonetheless we will have activities for the kids that will enable them to practice using Filipino.  The target date is in the afternoon of Sunday, 9 September at the Johnsonville area.  Contact us if you would like to join the group and share in this activity.  Free to join.

Mini Olympics

What to do when the sun is out at winter time, when we rarely see such a glorious day as this?  Hold a mini-Olympics!  Tito Ricky and Tita Pinkee decided to ring up the group and have a notice posted at the Facebook group so we can have a get-together this afternoon.  Short notice, yes, but sometimes it's the unplanned activities that turn out successful, such as this one!

Photos from today's activity:

Term 2 2012 Holiday Programme

It was a fun day with the BarkadahaNZ kids who joined the 1 Day School Holiday programme.

Thank you for letting your kids join and to Tita Tina and Tita Weng for helping out. The kids had a go at craft making using recycled materials. The boys cooked adobo and pancit for everyone.

The younger ones made polvoron and yema. It was not part of the plan but during their free hour the kids formed a band-Filipino ingenuity at its best, always thinking outside the box. We were impressed!

114th Philippine Independence Day activity

(The National Historical Commission of the Philippines and Rock Ed Radio present this fully animated music video of the Philippine National Anthem. ARNOLD ARRE directed and animated. RADIOACTIVE SAGO PROJECT performs)

On the occasion of the Philippines' 114th Independence Day, BarkadahaNZ chose an activity that is more inclined towards thinking and sharing our ideas about what independence and freedom means for us.

Tara na't maglaro! (let's go and play!)

For this activity, we thought about sharing with our kids the games that we played in our day. Indeed, the kids of today have so much more that compete for their attention, mostly of the electronic kind. And it's not so different in the Philippines as it is here. It is just sad to think that today's generation might be missing out on the great games that occupied us on many weekends and summer breaks. It was loads of fun, it encouraged interaction, enabled us to soak in the sunshine, and was convenient form of exercise!

The weather did not cooperate unfortunately, so we held the activity in an indoor venue. We started it off with the popular Tumbang Preso, a game which required a medium-sixed can, a pair of slippers per kid, and any number of players. Here is a short video explaining how the game is played:

The rules were quite easy to follow and soon the kids got the gist of it.

113th celebration of Philippine Independence and 150th Anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal

Dear friends,

Every year, the Filipinos commemorate its gaining of independence from its colonizers on 12 June 1898.  This year, it will be special because aside from the celebration of the 113th Year Anniversary of our Philippine Independence, we will also celebrate 150th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, our National Hero.

The programme will start at 11:00am with a Catholic Mass, then a “salo-salo” where you could sample the delicious Philippine foods/regional delicacies. Cultural show starts at 1.30 until 3.30, an exciting 2 hrs of excellent performances, including a theatre performance on the history of Philippine Independence (supported by Creative Communities NZ), and a show highlighting Dr. Jose Rizal’s life and achievements. Entertainment from our Filipino bands and disco will follow suit, from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.

What: 113th celebration of Philippine Independence and 150th Anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal
When: 12 June 2011, 11:00-5:30pm
Where: Indian Community Centre, 46 Kemp St., Kilbirnie, Wellington

Southeast Asian Night Market

Bring all the family to sample the exciting sounds and spicy aromas of the third Southeast Asian Night Market which will spread out along the Wellington waterfront at Frank Kitts promenade and Shed 6 on Saturday 16 April 2011 from 4.00pm to 10.00pm. If the event of bad weather, the market will be held on Sunday 17 April from 4pm to 10pm.

The ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - have combined to bring you delicious food, colourful crafts and non-stop entertainment from Indonesian puppetry to Malaysian tea pulling.

The Philippines will host a coconut skull race and tumbang preso!

Read more from the asia:online website

Race Relations Day

Race Relations Day: An annual international event to eliminate racial discrimination

Please join us to celebrate this year’s theme: “Living in Harmony”

Saturday 12 March
11am-2pm
Johnsonville Community Centre (Main Hall)

~ Free Entry ~

Namamasko po!

The Philippines has one of the longest Christmas seasons in the world.  While it officially begins at Advent, Christmas songs and decorations can already be seen at the start of the 'ber' months.  And when the simbang gabi starts, so does the carolling by kids in their neighborhood.  'Namamasko po!', the kids would say after singing.

It's a happy time to be a kid at Christmas time, and we wanted the kids to experience this also.  They practiced their medley of songs during the weekends, which includes "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit".  The kids enjoyed singing the carols as much as the families we visited.

Arts and Crafts Stall at Johnsonville Fair

The girls have been meeting whenever there is opportunity to share their skills in beads crafts as well as card making. Quite a number of projects were completed, and the parents thought the work was superb, and that it just might be possible to have these sold!

So we had it put to the test. We rented a table at the Johnsonville Fair which coincides with the Santa Claus parade. The kids also helped set-up and manage the table. Aside from seeing their work valued by others, it was also a great opportunity for the kids to learn and appreciate how money can be made through trade.

Carolling practice

This is one of the practice sessions the kids attended in preparation for the Christmas carolling. Tita Pinkee happily volunteered to teach the kids, and she squeezed in as much time as she can because she would not be available by December, as they are expecting a new member of their family come Christmas!