001Hello there. our teachers to our family members. So without further ado, I will thank you very much for coming tonight. This is something that a lot of our teachers put together and they've put a lot of work into it. I appreciate the support of the students that have joined in and I hope this is something that you guys truly enjoy tonight. It is something special where we get to share our cultures and how that impacts our community. So without further ado, Mr. Maz, if you can come on up and we'll get it started. [Applause] Good afternoon everyone. My name is Chesca Marie Hamura from Desert Sunrise High School and I am Paulo Malapas from Desert Wind Middle School. Today we are excited to take you on a journey to a beautiful archipelago in Southeast Asia,
002the Pearl of the Orient Seas, the Philippines. With its 7,641 islands, the Philippines is a country rich in history, culture, and natural beauty offering a diverse blend of traditions and experience. So to start this sharing we would like to talk about um the pre-colonial Philippines which were docu we have citizens in the Philippines as early as 900s to 1565 and then from 1565 we um our Spanish friends came to our country until 1898 that is exactly 333 years and in 1898 to 1946 we have the what we call of the American period where our friends from the United States are in our country for almost half a century. Some statistics we have 7,641 islands which were which are divided into three main regions. The Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Miss Chesca here is from Visayas. I
003am from Luzon. And we have Filipino and English as our official languages, but we have 130 to 195 um dialects and languages. Filipinos also like to celebrate um festivals all over the country. We have here Sinulog. Synulog is considered the first and the biggest festival in the Philippines which you guys will see later. It is a celebration of Cebu of celebration in Cebu City held every third Sunday of January to honor Santon the child Jesus. And we also have Pahas festival celebrating bountiful harvest and giving thanks to San Isid Labador the patron saint of farmers. Of course, Filipinos are are known to celebrate the world's longest Christmas celebration. We begin putting up our trees in September and then we put them down in January. So for the food and cuisine, we have our very famous
004um firewood roasted um pig we call lechon. And we also have other dishes such as adobo and rice which is our staple food which we eat three times a day if you're on a regular diet. Um and we have seig and this dish is what maricopans really love. We have the lubia very famous. Now we are also known for our values and traits. We do pagmano or a bow to elders accompanied by touching the elers's hand to the forehead to show respect. And also we use we like to use oppo a term of affirmation or po an honorific particle to show respect to elders when talking to them. And of course we are very close to our family. We are known for our close family ties, the use of kinship titles such as ate for
005our older sister or kuya for our older brother. Filipinos are also known for our hospitality, hard work, perseverance and of course resilience. So to end this very short sharing, I'd like to talk about some trivia that are related to the United States and the Philippines. Did you know that the second longest highway in the Philippines, which spans for 426 miles, is named after an American general, Dougl Douglas MacArthur, who was in the Philippines before the Second World War and during the Second World War. And every 4th of July while we celebrate Independence Day here, we celebrate the Filipino American Friendship Day in the Philippines. And this one is um a lesserk known fact that um the Philippine Basketball Association is the world's old second oldest basketball association next to USA's NBA. We are a hardcore
006basketball basketball fans. And this one, I don't think it's a trivia. It's quite obvious that Philip the Philippines is a karaoke obsessed nation. If we don't have a time limit, I would have done it myself today. Okay. Now, get ready to experience the heart and the soul of Filipino culture through this joyful and spectacular festival, [Applause] Sinulog. Considered the first and the biggest festival in the Philippines, the Sinulog Festival is a traditional celebration in Cebu City held every third Sunday of January to honor San Antonio, the child Jesus. The word Sinulog means graceful dance, which comes from the Cibuano adverb sul meaning like water current movement. The sonino is known for his miracles in people's devotion that transcends religions. In the word of Pope Francis, the holy child is the protector of the Philippines for
007half a millennium. Thus, his significance both in history and culture. To seek a favor, petition on behalf of a devote and give thanks for blessings received from Santano. Candle vendors during this festival, also known as TIGSOG, perform synog steps, recite prayers, and sway to the rhythm of the music and their heartbeat. During the season, people attending the festival or mass danced to the beat while holding images of the child Jesus and shouting pit senor. A sibuano phrase from s pit senor meaning to call to the lord or viva pitor which means hail lord referring to the sonino or the child Jesus who is the central figure of the celebration and is repeated enthusiastically during parades and dances. Together with the selected teachers and students from Maricopa High School and Saddleback Elementary School, ladies and gentlemen,
008we give you Sinulog from the [Applause] Philippines. So good. So good night. So good night. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music] We are going to [Music] go Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Here we [Music] are. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat [Music] up here. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. N. know [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Say the monkey Oh my go. [Music] Mama. [Music] You know what I'm talking about. [Music] Keep holding [Music] on. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Yeah. [Music] Heat. Feeling [Music] [Applause] more. You tell me when to move on. Our friends from Philippines were incredibly awesome in celebrating and sharing their culture with us tonight. Good job [Music] guys. Welcome. Namaste. Namaskar. Swagatam. Now it's time for us
009to celebrate the one and only India which is widely known as Barat Ardesi. There are nine amazing Indian educators working at MUSD. We're all excited about showing you a taste of our country using a variety of popular things like food, dances, festivals, monuments, etc. which we are really proud of. My name is Da Emanuel and I'm here with my fellow brothers Mr. Singh, Mr. umbrella and our desert wind middle school volunteers and our adorable son Mundraj and who is Mr. Singh's son and he will be also performing with us and um I'm here to just briefly talk about um Indian history. India was ruled by British Raj for over 200 years and we got independence at the midnight of August 14th 1947. India is one of the populous and most diverse nations on the planet.
010It is a home for over 1 billion people. Every 100 to 200 miles you travel in India, you get to see different cuisines, clothes, customs, best practices that reflects centuries of cultural evolution. India's linguistic diversity is extraordinary. There are over 1,600 languages spoken in India and 22 of them are made official. Hindi language is the world's third most spoken language at this moment with the Sanskrit being one of the oldest spoken languages in the world. We also have Tamil language as the only oldest living languages on this planet. India's joint family system is unique. The a system that supports patriarchal ideology. We believe in fostering a sense of unity and shared responsibility. Family loyalty and strong ties are highly valued in Indian culture. Yes, we don't kick our children out when they turn 18. We
011keep them. In ancient times, we had gurul systems. Students live with the teachers and learn not just subjects but also how to live with discipline, respect and simplicity. It was born beyond classroom walls. Today we have modern schools. We have moved forward in methods but we still carry those traditional values in our hearts. The core idea remains the same. Learning is sacred. In Indian schools, discipline is deeply valued. We are taught to greet our teachers with respect, to maintain neat uniforms and to groom ourselves with care. Every small act we show, it will gives the education the dignity it deserves. India is the land of history and wonders. Every state has its own unique monuments and reflects its culture, religion or royal past. Today we have chosen a few special ones to showcase like Taj
012Mahal a symbol of love. India gate golden temple the statue of unity is the world's tallest statue with a height of 182 m. Each place tells a tale of ancient Indian brilliance and its architecture and craftsmanship. There are so many more but these gives a glimpse into our beautiful diversity. Festivals in India are not just days of celebrations. They are expression of joy, unity and traditions. Here are a few of them with of many we celebrate. Onum, Holi, Diwali, Makrasantranti, Dasara and Pungal. Each festival has its own meaning, its own flavor and its own rhythm of celebration. Dance in India is more than entertainment. It's storytelling. Classical dancers like batanatium, katak and kuchupuri come from deep traditions often telling stories from Indian epics. They are graceful, expressive and spiritual. Each region has its own unique
013rhythm, customs and style and together they dance to the heartbeat of India. India is often called the land of spices and for a good reason. For from turmeric to cardamon, cumin to red chili, our kitchens are full of colors, aroma and health. Spices aren't just for taste. They are part of our wellness, our ritual, even our history. They add life to food and warmth through the tradition. It said you can smell Indian food before you see it. That's the magic of our masalas. From the royal hyderabadi biryanis to the colorful Indian thali with curries, rice, chapati and sweet, each meal is a celebration. And don't miss our tradition of serving food on banana leaf especially in South India. It's natural, eco-friendly and has a spiritual significance too. Indian food is not just about sharing. It's
014about sharing b sharing bonding and nourishing both body and soul. If you visit India, you will be treated like this. That's our hospitality. As foreign educ foreign exchange educators, we are culture ambassadors. We don't just teach lessons. We bring our stories, our values, and our heritage into the classroom. By sharing Indian culture with students from another country, we build bridges of understanding. We show that despite the differences in food, language or customs, at heart we all value the same things. Learning, respect, kindness and connection. Thank you so much for taking this journey through Indian culture with us today. We hope it gave you not just information but a deeper connection to our roots, our tradition and our way of life. As educators and culture ambassadors, it's our joy and honor to share this with you
015from India. With warmth and respect, Danya, thank [Applause] you. Now, let's experience the dance performances of India. Thank you. [Music] Oh, you got me. [Music] I got chal. [Music] Melanie Mel. Halha. [Music] Hotel.ch. [Applause] [Music] I got [Music] a heat. [Music] [Applause] DJ [Music] feel. Oh yeah. [Applause] I [Music] got pony. [Applause] [Music] Damn. Like that. [Music] [Applause] [Music] N Let's see. Stop it. [Music] other [Music] Yeah, [Music] D [Music] D jump [Music] D [Music] jump the D the D is the D the D M [Music] D N D. This is the tribute to [Applause] [Music] Iowa. foreign. on the floor. Wow. Let's give them all a bigger hand again. Thank you. That was terrific. I'd like to recognize some people tonight. First, board member Carolyn Lopez down front. If you could wave your hand,
016Vice President Patty Coutrey in the back there. That's right. And board member Ben Owens also in the rear there. So, I think that was it. I want to thank McNatalie Montana. I want to thank U Sandra Aleron. I want to thank Marjorie Stout and Janelle Hildy for pulling this all together. A terrific evening. We live in a very diverse community, don't we? It's exciting that we'll be able to share uh these teachers, their culture, and just enrich our our Miracle experience uh even further than than what we do. Thanks so much for coming tonight. We really appreciate you being here. And once again, let's give a big hand to our our performers, the great show. And we're meeting up 10 minutes.