Nobody’s Child

By Santy Asanuma

After receiving and talking with what seem to be an ocean of people all day long, the children all flocked to him with excitement. Of course they were all scolded and turned away considering that nobody after a full day’s work would like to be bothered by children. But the unexpected reprimand ensued against the grown ups for behaving this way. “Let the children come to me…for the kingdom of God is like these.” Wow we do not have to die to see heaven after all for all we have to do is look at the children. So let’s look at our children.

DeWill (Jubilation Not Intoxication)

By Santy Asanuma

About this time of year for jubilation with only few days before Christmas in 2007 a boy in his innocence at a tender age of 14 and full of life’s promise was excited to ride his bicycle from downtown to his home in Ngesaol as the sun was setting to end another beautiful day. The joy of seeing the front lawn of the house he grew up in and seeing colorful Christmas bright lights inside the house and outside by the time he reached home. If only he was given a chance to reach this destination he thought was there all the time and easy to reach as he had always done before. And like all children, the sight and sound of a home beacon for the young to come to safety after sundown. And the voices of other siblings going about inside the house before dinner represent life as he knows it. And finally the call of his mother for him to leave his bicycle and come inside is a sound of love that cannot be mistaken. But this day was going to be different.

Ongebitelulengall (At Sundown)

By Santy Asanuma

The notion that early Palauans had no sense of time before introduction of Seiko and Timex wrist watches goes to show our lack of appreciation and knowledge of how advanced and organized our society during pre-westerners era. “Ongebitelulengall” is about from 5:45 pm to 6:00 pm to mark the sun as it sinks on the surface of the ocean at the horizon. If you listen to our modern weather broadcast from National Weather Service, it announces the time for sunset in clock time but does not have a name for this particular occurrence.

Banakboub (Man Of No Fear)

By Santy Asanuma

This word is no longer heard in recent years. But “banakboub” is used to describe usually men and boys in doing the unimaginable feat (a ikel diak el mudasu malechub e ng sebechir a re chad el remuul). It is acceptable to be telling your young son as “banakboub” as to encourage him in accomplishing something difficult to do. In light of what is happening in our legal and justice system, I would like to declare this year with only one more month to go before its end as the year of “banakboub.”

Meringel El Chad (Most Important)

By Santy Asanuma

Palauan language has a strange way of describing what is important. “Meringel el chad” literally means painful person. These two words used separately do not in anyway have a meaning referring to what is important. In Palauan thinking, the mind cannot ignore pain. It occupies your consciousness; therefore, its presence cannot be avoided. In a sense, a person is most aware when he is in pain. “Meringel el chad” demarcates what gets attention as being important.

Palau Heroes (Ngirbelau and Dirbelau)

By Santy Asanuma

Are there living heroes in Palau? CNN today showcased World Top Ten Heroes. One of them is a Brazilian bus driver who had cooked and packed meals every night and heads off to the poor part of downtown in search for the hungry. He gives food to anyone who is down on his/her luck and starving. And he has been doing it for four years without missing a single night so his name was nominated to CNN. Who then can be the heroes for us in Palau that we can nominate?

Sensond A Mrecherchii A Klengoes (Twigs Can Boil Food)

Santy Asanuma

Ordinary people in the community heed the call and respond. There are people out there who care and want the truth to ultimately triumph in Palau. One who reads A Le Ko Kau Forum responded:

Bai Ra Medideriik (House of Empty)

By Santy Asanuma

An impressive ancient Bai once stood in the north of Palau but it was screamingly clear that it was not being used at all. Nobody showed up at the bai and no activity really took place inside this particular bai to earn the obvious name and its widespread reputation of being empty. Even primitive Palauans had some sense on the return of resources being invested in relation to the frequency of its usage. This expectation is still the same in Wall Street world of investment today. In this thinking, people whether in the ancient past or modern finance centers of the world today are held responsible to take care of resources (money, materials, food).

Chosm Er A Itekokongei (Tree of Yes)

By Santy Asanuma

This is a skill even considered as a gift of a certain lineage in Palau for securing a yes or positive answer from the other party they are pursuing. Mostly it was used in getting approvals for romantic proposals. After short research only the very old and few members of the Palau Society of Historians still recall this adage which was usually used for good cause and luck. I heard it as a young boy and it has always stayed in my memory. The fact that this ancient saying, “Chosm Er A Itekokongei,” implied that all will be okay and in our favor made it very appealing to me. This was a valuable gift once a upon a time because Palauans are known to be unimpressionable (ng diak el beot el bo le mechas a rengrir) and not easily convinced to follow other people.

Festival of Dangerous Ideas (US vs. Compact Islands)

By Santy Asanuma

Palauans do not take ideas well. Ideas as simple as one may think are what fuel life to move forward.  Without ideas life as we know it may not have any sense or direction to it. A “mechas” once told me her assessment of our modern government system, “don’t underestimate the power of a stupid person because he/she can vote for leaders of a country.” This statement means many things to me but one meaning is that ideas can come from anyone regardless of how educated or not. Today a priest in church said, “if you want to be first you have to serve others…you have to lower yourself.” Not an easy idea to follow though.