A Le Ko Kau Forum

By Santy Asanuma —-

As a society there must be a man or woman that young males and females would like to emulate (mesuub er tir) in their lives. It is interesting to know what young people see in elders today that enthralled (ng meksemerriar) their imagination to live like them. Melangesmad is a cultural practice promoting that young people learn at very young age to have this social skill in revering (ke dodengesii) older people who possess qualities or positions that they hope to become someday. In general, young people were expected to look up to their elders, and at the same time, to forego (obes) their own demands and expectations to give way to true and tested advice and wisdom to guide them. read more »

By Santy Asanumna —-

Published 2003 Whatanow Column

Alii T,

I am not surprised to hear that you and your colleagues are afraid to speak your views publicly for fear of reprisals (“mechetechat”). And you are teachers. How about the rest of us in Palau who do not have teacher status (“sensei el medengei a betok el tekoi”) like you? Sad to say, many in Palau today like you are so afraid to speak their opinions (“audesuir”). It is common for people to just swallow unjust treatment at work or neighborhood. For variety of reasons, people rather be in pain than speak out. I have always wondered about this. Maybe people saying what is bothering them or expressing their opinions on things is more painful. Why is that? read more »

published June 10, 2003 Whatanow Column 

Alii K,

This week I have been asked in an interview if Palauans are happier today compared to yester-years (“sel domes aikel mla mo merek el rak e do rael mo bedul uriul”)? If Palau is more developed now than years gone by which aspect is it? Why did Palauans take on community activism (“remurt ra tekoi malechub e ng ureor el kirir rechad ma beluu el diak lududel e re ngii”) more so in the past than it is nowadays? Is Palau serious in developing its tourism? These are some of the questions asked of me that painfully pierced right through me. I am not exactly sure now what scared me the most even after the interview because these questions are still burning in my head. Was it the fact that the interviewer was a foreigner asking me these questions that I thought I had foolproof and convincing answers to them ready or the fact that I could not conjure (ko ra oblad) answers to these rather soul searching questions (“aikel ker el ngara chelsel a rengum el kirel el di kau a chonger”)? What really bothered me while I was asked these questions is that it dawned on me that majority of Palauans do not have clear answers to these questions either. At least that is my opinion, which I hope I can be proven wrong. read more »

By Santy Asanuma —

Published 1/02/03 Whatanow Column  

Alii B,

I strongly believe that everyone has to say that 2002 was an eventful (“betok el tekoi el dilubech”) year to say the least. Some good and some bad. However, it is the bad things mostly that preoccupied (“ikel de blechoel mesaod malechub e ke domdasu el kirel”) our time and resources. Things in general in Palau kept going toward more complications (“mral mobedul a cheliseksikd”). Only few who are paying close attention on what is happening to Palau or those perceptive enough (“sebechir leues a tekoi e te mo medengei el kmo ngara ngarengii malechub e ng mo dubech”) are uneasy (“suebek a rengrir”) where we are heading as a country. The combined Palauan leadership both elected and traditional continues to be in the state of denial (“ng di tir el mengeuid a rengrir ra betok el telemall el de ngara chesel”). To top it all, Palau lost Fr. Felix Yaoch at the end of the year. He was one of the few church leaders who have always reminded us to stay on the side of good. He used to say to Palauan churchgoers that we have to be good persons (“ungil el chad”) and good Palauans (“ungil el chad er a Belau”) before becoming good Christians.  read more »