Who can come: Anyone! You don't have to be Filipino or born there to participate.

For our 2nd "Eat-and-Greet" we will be having Christian Cabuay, an artist and practitioner of the Philippine writing system Baybayin, come give us a brief overview of the script and to demonstrate the basics of how to write it.

Visit Baybayin.com (http://www.baybayin.c...) for more information on this script and his gallery of Baybayin.

(From http://www.baybayin.c...)

As usual, in the midst of learning more about Filipino language & culture, we will be having lunch once again at another Filipino restaurant, this time in the East Bay: Tribu Grill in Union City, CA, known for its Binangoongan Rice and Tuna Sisig!!

32208 Dyer St
Union City, CA 94587
(Inside Union Landing shopping center and plaza)

For more information on baybayin:

"The origins of the script can be traced back to India just like other languages and writing systems in South-East Asia. Two Filipino scholars, Tavera and Paterno, have concluded that about 25 % of the Philippine vocabularies can be traced to Indian influence. Baybayin was used to write short things such as poetry and announcements. It was carved in natural material such as bamboo and pots."

-Christian Cabuay (http://www.baybayin.c...)

"In 1571, the Spaniards found the people in Manila and other places writing on bamboo and specially prepared palm leaves using knives and styli. They were using the ancient Tagalog script which had 17 basic symbols, three of which were the vowels a, i, and u. Each basic consonantal symbol had the inherent a sound: ka, ga, nga, ta, da, na, pa, ba, ma, ya, la, wa, sa, and ha."

-Hector Santos (http://www.bibingka.c...)

"The word baybayin is a very old Tagalog term that refers to all the letters used in writing a language, that is to say, an 'alphabet.' It is from the root baybáy meaning, 'spell.' Early Spanish accounts usually called the baybayin 'Tagalog letters' or 'Tagalog writing.' And, as mentioned earlier, the Visayans called it 'Moro writing' because it was imported from Manila, which was one of the ports where many products from Muslim traders entered what are now known as the Philippine islands. The Bikolanos called the script basahan and the letters, guhit."

-Paul Morrow (http://www.mts.net/~p...)

For our introductions: Pretend you are a tour guide assigned to market a Philippine province/destination of your choice. Share with us the hidden jewels we should visit and why! What language do they speak? What other things can you share with us about this location?

See you there! Ingat!

Check out photos from our 1st meetup @ Tselog's in Daly City, CA!:
http://www.meetup.com...