What's the Tsismis?

Bonus Ep: Pinoys on Parliament 2024 and 2025

Pinoys on Parliament is the coolest and largest youth conference for Filipinos across Canada. Here are some snippets from workshop participants and the community symposium!

Am I Filipino Enough? Yes Chef!

Chef Earl Briones wrote "I used to think I wasn't Filipino enough" in an Instagram reel (@chefebriones), and Ryan spontaneously invited him into the studio to chat about it! Listen in as they dig into who Filipinos were before they were forced to be something they're not. They talk about imposter syndrome, why explorers like Christopher Columbus were pieces of ****, why the US isn't benevolent, and what the Philippine people were like and what they believed pre-colonization.This was recorded the day after Chef Earl presented at Litfest for the Polyglot's launch of Issue 13: MANAIG, along side WTT co-producer Ryan Lacanilao (@ooakosiryan). Chef Earl also refers to "the dinners" in this episode, by which he means his "Rice & Mysticism" popups where he explores the rich traditions of Filipino cuisine, all the way back to pre-colonial times.

What’s in a Name?

In this episode of What’s the Tsismis, Rajah and Jocelyn dive into the perplexing world of Filipino names and nicknames. Why does every family seem to have a Baby, a Bong, or a Boy? What’s the story behind blending parents’ names to create something uniquely Filipino? From funny nicknames to cultural traditions, we explore how our names are a reflection of identity, family, and connection. Don’t miss this conversation about the stories behind the names we love (and sometimes hate)

The One Where Ryan Gets a Batok Tattoo

Listen in as Ryan gets a batok tattoo, hand-tapped by by Mayo of Birthmark Tattoos. Mayo recalls how he journeyed into the mountains to meet legendary Apo Whang-Od, the last mambabatok of Kalinga and oldest living tattoo artist at 107 years old. He got her blessing to continue the tradition, and even tattooed her...twice!For Ryan, the process is what makes the tattoo so meaningful. He told Kuya Mayo about where his parents come from in Pampanga, how his dad played in the Pampanga river and his mom played in the rice fields. Then Mayo designed a unique tattoo by hand on the spot to represent Ryan’s story.This episode was recorded at the 2024 Edmonton Filipino Fiesta.

Magtanong WTT: It’s the End of a (Student) Era...Now What? Help!

Listen in while Ryan and Domi overshare for this juicy advice episode! They talk about why they left their careers (and don’t regret it), their journeys to WTT (it's a long story!) the best opening line to meet people (it involves worms), and how to find and connect with your Filipino community (karaoke walk, anyone?)What do you do when your student era is coming to an end and you want to step into a career, but there’s not a lot of Filipino representation in your field? Joshua Bolofer is finishing up a masters in media production and is trying to find Filipino stories to put on a platform. How should he go about finding community and kicking off his ‘career guy’ era?