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Lessons from the Louvre: Discovering France Through Art

One of the things I appreciate about academic conferences abroad is that they give me the opportunity to learn beyond the conference venue itself. Several years ago, a paper presentation brought me to Paris, a city I had long wanted to experience not only as a tourist but also as a student of culture.

I apparently could not get enough of the Mona Lisa because I ended up visiting the Musée du Louvre twice. Yet, beyond seeing one of the world’s most famous paintings, I found myself fascinated by the museum’s halls, collections, and the stories they tell about French history, creativity, and identity.

As a museum enthusiast, I have always believed that museums are among the best classrooms in the world. They remind us that culture is not confined to books and lectures; it lives in paintings, sculptures, and the memories that societies choose to preserve. And perhaps that is the beauty of travel… we think we are merely visiting a place, only to discover that it has quietly left a part of itself within us.









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Resharing one last time call for participation in the FEAT-UP VINTA webinar happening tomorrow.

If you have already signed up, we are excited to see you tomorrow! We are expecting around 250+ online participants in this maiden project, bringing to OFW-educators access to education across borders.

A digital certificate will be provided to those who complete both the webinar and post-event evaluation.

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analizaperez-amurao.com

FEAT × UP VINTA: Opening New Opportunities

FEAT is delighted to announce its newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UP Open University (UPOU) through UP VINTA! This marks the beginning of a partnership dedicated to expanding learning and professional development opportunities for Filipino educators in Thailand.

To launch this collaboration, FEAT and UP VINTA invite you to a free webinar:

📝 The Roles of AI in the Classroom
🗓️ 20 June 2026
⏰ 09:00 a.m. (Thailand) | 10:00 a.m. (Philippines)
📍 Via Zoom (details will be sent upon registration)

As the first of many joint initiatives between FEAT and UP VINTA, this session will explore how AI is shaping teaching and learning while creating new opportunities for professional growth and academic engagement.

Secure your spot, register now!

🔗 Registration Link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/1wWYkhZ4VRsFFEqGsZVVg9dMfROMIv_Fy_dgPmLiRl3Q/viewform?pli=1&pli=1&authuser=0&edit_requested=true

📱 QR Code: Scan the QR code on the poster below to register instantly.

We warmly encourage all FEAT members to join us. For those who are not yet members, participation in the webinar may open the door to becoming part of the FEAT community, with membership information to be shared after the event.

See you soon!

On this day several years ago, I had my first glimpse of Stonehenge during the same trip that also marked my first visit to the University of Birmingham, the birthplace of cultural studies as a field, where I presented one of my research papers.

A few years later, I started teaching cultural studies, and by extension, about its founders (and their landmark works) who served as faculty members in the same university where I had the pleasure to deliver my paper in.

Inasmuch as Stonehenge remains one of the wonders of the world, cultural studies as a field of study proves to be equally remarkable in revealing the complex meanings, histories, and human experiences embedded within cultural phenomena.

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Representing the Filipino Educators’ Association in Thailand (FEAT), in the company of two other FEAT officers, I got to join the 128th Philippine Independence Day celebration yesterday hosted by the Philippine Embassy- Thailand.

The celebration was graced by the Thai Prime Minister H.E. Anutin Charnvirakul and included a feature of two Filipino groups of artists, namely, in painting and in music. It was also a chance for those present to speak with other Filipino leaders from different communities in Thailand—as well as meet in person ambassadors and diplomats of other countries and Thai scholars/ academics specializing in Philippine studies.

I had to leave shortly after the concert for an Independence Day dinner with a group of Filipino scholars currently doing graduate studies at Mahidol University.

What a fun day! Isang Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan, Pilipinas! 🇵🇭




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FEAT and UPOU through UP VINTA Collab

One of the goals we had when we established the Filipino Educators’ Association in Thailand (FEAT) was to create more opportunities for Filipino educators in Thailand, that is, to have projects for continued learning, growth, and connection with institutions back home.

I am, therefore, happy to share that FEAT has formally entered into a partnership with UP Open University through UP VINTA.

As our first joint project, we will be holding a free webinar:
📝 The Roles of AI in the Classroom
🗓️ 20 June 2026
⏰ 09:00 a.m. (Thailand time)
10:00 a.m. (Philippine time)
📌 Via Zoom (Details to be sent upon registration)

I hope many of you will join us as we begin what I believe will be a productive and worthwhile collaboration that benefits Filipino educators not only in Thailand but wherever they may be teaching around the world.






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FEAT × UP VINTA: Opening New Opportunities

FEAT is delighted to announce its newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UP Open University (UPOU) through UP VINTA! This marks the beginning of a partnership dedicated to expanding learning and professional development opportunities for Filipino educators in Thailand.

To launch this collaboration, FEAT and UP VINTA invite you to a free webinar:

📝 The Roles of AI in the Classroom
🗓️ 20 June 2026
⏰ 09:00 a.m. (Thailand) | 10:00 a.m. (Philippines)
📍 Via Zoom (details will be sent upon registration)

As the first of many joint initiatives between FEAT and UP VINTA, this session will explore how AI is shaping teaching and learning while creating new opportunities for professional growth and academic engagement.

Secure your spot, register now!

🔗 Registration Link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/1wWYkhZ4VRsFFEqGsZVVg9dMfROMIv_Fy_dgPmLiRl3Q/viewform?pli=1&pli=1&authuser=0&edit_requested=true

📱 QR Code: Scan the QR code on the poster below to register instantly.

We warmly encourage all FEAT members to join us. For those who are not yet members, participation in the webinar may open the door to becoming part of the FEAT community, with membership information to be shared after the event.

See you soon!

As a cultural studies teacher, I have always been interested in cultural places, items, people, and practices, among others. They allow us to have a better understanding of life from socio-cultural and historical perspectives.

Yesterday, my daughter Isabelle and I visited Café Narasingh, considered to be Thailand’s first coffee shop. Nestled within in the Pyathai Palace that was built in 1909 during King Rama VI’s reign, the place has gone through different phases, including being used as a hotel, radio station, and clinic for the Royal Thai Army before it became Thailand’s first coffee shop (which remains to be what it is up until now).

The vibe inside is nostalgic. Enjoy the snapshots!

And, yes, thanks for the treat, Isabelle! ❤️

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I’m an academic, but I’m one happy and proud mom, too! 💕

Our youngest daughter Sophia’s entry to Cambridge Re:Think Essay Competition 2026 has been cited as Honourable Mention.

Entries were blind peer-reviewed by scholars from Cambridge, Oxford, Stanford, and MIT, among others. Invited to the Award Ceremony and Dinner at the King’s College, University of Cambridge where Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Barry Barish will speak, Sophia made it to the top 10% from among 15,000 contestants globally.

Thank you for making me and Dad happy and proud, Sophia! Well done! ❤️

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