A Le Ko Kau Forum

By Santy Asanuma —-

In tribute to the mothers of Palau a friend of mine who I deeply respect showed his poems that he wrote in 1987 on day that surely will burn in our history as people and nation. I knew right away that I would use them to celebrate the woman and the mother. Like a mother Palau has gone through great pains in the past up to today just so she can take care of us her children, the Palauan people.

By Santy Asanuma —-

A friend of mine was lamenting (ngoumekngingit el reng) when he prayed during a gathering with friends and was harshly criticized. He was upset when another friend who was covered by the same prayer said to him afterwards that “how can anybody who is so sinful like you should pray?” The sinful man retorted (a milekingang) to his friend that if the plate was cracked but was able to hold the food he should have just paid attention to the food because he was not going to eat the crack after all. I suppose the prayer critic represents the majority of us when we size up other people and tally their faults against any possible chance of being worthy to stand among us. I am beginning to believe that this is one of the main reasons why people would rather remain silent on wrongdoing in our social group, family, clan, church, or government for fear of being evaluated to the pulp (medirk el di mo techel).

By Santy Asanuma —-

April 2012 is another monumental (klou el olangch) milestone in my life when I found myself struggling for words to explain myself to one eighteen years old young man and a forty one years old lady. For those who know me struggling for words got to be an irony (sel diak desang el kmo sebechel dubech) in my life. These two persons were perfectly normal and were obviously amused by my difficulty in speaking to them as they were smiling and giggling at my disability. They happened only to be deaf and mute out of the group of people with other forms of disability. I just did not know their language and they are Palauans. I do not do sign language and I have never felt so inadequate (olengesonges) to help people that I thought I was going to help during a three days workshop on Human Rights for persons with disability in Palau.

By Santy Asanuma —-

(rerun 2/5/2003 Whatanow Column)

Alii Lorna,

There is a story that is becoming popular in Palau lately to make fun of the situation that is happening almost everywhere in this country. A child watched her mother break a dish while washing dishes and wished out loud by saying, “baiderengum e mommy le ng diak a oklau” (lucky you mom for not getting any scolding from anybody). The child represents the common people (“a re mechebuul”) and the mother represents the few powerful people (“a re ngarebad el chad”) in Palau today.

By Santy Asanuma —-

“Dou lel a tuu er ngii” is used to describe a person when one takes no seriousness or commitment on an issue or work that he/she is undertaking. This expression is disappearing as banana trees are obviously not lining the street sides of Koror as it used to up to 1980’s. Banana leafs are very light and would sway on the slightest wind. And the fact that banana leafs easily wither (mo moualech el mo merat). Also most of the time they are not tended to and leaving them in a mess. These are the characters implied on a person when he/she does not perform up to the expectation.

By Santy Asanuma —-

(3/28/2003 Whatanow Column)

Alii Roger,

People of Palau should come to realization (“melchesuar”) that OEK is where success or failure of Palau is determined (“meketmokl e moterkokl”). Senator Koshiba recently challenged his colleagues during a session by pushing a question on all senators and delegates: “kid kede ultechei” (are we deformed?). The word “ultechei” has a deeper negative connotation (“mekngit el belkul”) in Palauan implications (“omtechakl a tekoi”) that one is vile and despised (“mercherached e checherd a rengud e rengii”) by people. It also implies that one is not mentally sound (“telekib el longesonges a btelul”). This is the lowest Palauan regard that can be given to someone you do not respect or care about. Is this question befitting (“ungil a deruchellel el tekoi dousbech e rengii el mesaod ra rechad”) people chosen by Palauan people to seat in the OEK?

By Santy Asanuma —-

We should get rid of our traditional leaders and our culture and be all modern, democratic, free, equal, economic, and be one happy society. “We should not allow traditions to hold us down and miss our chance in progress and development,” openly expressed in public discussion by more and more of younger generations of Palauans. This mentality implies (ua lolekoi) that money is enough to satisfy our needs and fulfill the purpose of our life as human beings.

By Santy Asanuma —-

Dear Teachers,

I am writing to you personally to convince you on what I think is very important responsibility that comes with being a teacher. And because I cannot meet with all of you to deliver this letter I am using this newspaper column to reach you. As teachers, you are basically tasked with the role of putting informational contents into the brains of all students. A very important job. Being a Palauan, I am culturally drawn to believe that the holder of information must be worthy (ngarengii aututelel chad) or credible (ke doumera er ngii) or at least has some social status (ngarengii a deruchelel) whether achieved (okiu a cheroll el ua dui) or ascribed (okiu skulel malechub e ng ureor) or combination of the above.

By Santy Asanuma —-

“Ng ko ra ralm el di meleod e choibekii” (like water droplets chipping through any barrier). “Ng ko ra ralm el melemedemek ra daob” (like the water softening or calming rough sea). “Ng ko ra ngerngir el di ua isei e tmat a deluus” (like drizzling rain that eventually break cover above). This is the Palauan thinking when it comes to dealing with volatile (kmal mekeald e sokol el obikaiek) situation. This sociological (delomel ra klebelau er kid) attitude I believe had directly contributed to the quiet behavior to the point of what appears to being subdued (bedektall) nature of Palauans in general to outsiders. Up to this day Palauans opt for silence for good reason.

By Santy Asanuma —-

Family is in trouble when bother is set against brother (or sister against sister).  And this is not looking outside or in the Bible for an example like Cain killing Abel. Here at home in Belau we have a legend of two brothers Uchulachetiu and Madachelbai. One is selected and treated better (cheleoch) by being given the best choice taros and the other poorly treated (cheterocher) by being given the rotten ones (bekngiuk), waterlogged (misaker), or half eaten by Uek (bird that consume raw taro root crops). Madachelbai being not the blood child but only the nephew of Uchulachetiu’s father was the one receiving the bad treatment from the mother of the house.

By Santy Asanuma —-

What will a Palauan today be willing to spill his blood or die fighting for? Talking with three very well mannered and disciplined and educated young Palauan men, who are in their twenties, thirties, and forties, recently took our discussion into this somewhat heavy and serious discussion. They are very sincere and want to be part of any movement that would benefit Palauan people. Without having to reveal who they are because I do not have their permission to do so, they are doing work beyond the usual working hours (5pm to 9pm) and it is one that I have to admit would directly improve men’s health. A truly noble task in helping the “kelel a tengadidik ra rael” (men are feed for the kingfisher on the roadways) to better their chance in life.

By Santy Asanuma —-

The Palauan norm is to avail food in the company of others. As matter of fact if you keep food to yourself, other people will look upon you as merechorch (literally stealing or robbing food from others and considered greedy). Or such behavior is considered a sign of a bad person or simply not fit as a member of community. This in Palauan thinking is a proof that a person does not have a good heart and does not think of well beings for other people.

By Santy Asanuma —-

Chemchemel olik is literally fruit bat urinating (mengemokem). I have not heard any young person say this expression for the longest time that it is most on the verge of being lost in the Palauan oral language. It implies that the rain is inconsequential (ng kmal kekerriei el diak a le temelii) so we should not mind it and continue with whatever plan or activity we have outdoors. This expression has been replaced by a “tia diak el mera el chull” (this is not real rain). But that is all it means. I rather we go back to the original expression because it means that and much more.

By Santy Asanuma —-

Ngerdobotar was a village in the northern part of Imeliik. In the olden days it is said that Palau had a big population reaching hundred thousand and a big group of people lived there. The village was ideally situated in fertile farm and wood lands with a rive running through it providing water. The nearby reef and inner reef environment provided abundant fish, shell-fish, and seafood for the residents. During this time there was prosperity and people had everything they needed.

By Santy Asanuma —-

Men should be mindful of their conduct around women especially being deceitful (ke di obebulak) when courting them. This is a defense mechanism for women to protect themselves from men in abusing their affection and love. Furthermore, this is to make sure to avoid men for taking them lightly and trashing them in the end for nothing. This institution depends on cooperative and collaborative (ungil klaodengei ma klaingeseu) effort of women to make this system effective.

By Santy Asanuma —-

Fixing the floor is the literal translation of meruul ra ulaol. This expression is used in referring to a marriage between two people who by cultural norms should not be allowed to wed because of their blood relations or membership to the same lineage (telungalek) or clan (kebliil). But as human experience in this case has shown throughout Palauan history up to this day this kind of combination seems to defy all efforts to stop it. As a matter of fact, those who want to separate this unholy union do admit that the attraction between these people is comparable to the timeless love between Romeo and Juliet that not even death can split them apart.

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.

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?

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.

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.