YOU KNOW YOU'RE CHAMORRO WHEN...

YOU LOSE MONEY AND YOU SAY, "IT'S OK, WHOEVER FINDS IT MUST NEED IT MORE THAN ME."

Påle' : Yanggen salåppe' ha na' falingo i taotao, ya humåhnanao ha' ti ha sodda', i Chamorro, guåha na biåhe na ilek-ñiñiha i Chamorro, "Po'lo, sa' i sumodda' buente guiya mås munesesita."
(If someone loses money, and as time goes on he doesn't find it, sometimes Chamorros say, "Let it be, because the one who found it probably needs it more.")

Tan Didang :  Hunggan, magåhet ennao guåha na biåhe nai na taiguennao ta sångan.  Sa' ombres hame guine gi halom guma', hu sangångåne ennao, guåha na biåhe nai na yanggen in sedda', nai, taiguihe esta singkuenta pesos, pues kumekeilek-ña eyo nai, famaisen sa' nu esta no kalan dångkulo nai na kantidå i singkuenta pesos para u pinedongguan i taotao.  Pues, sa' este ha' magåhet gi halacha ta'lo, nai humånao ham yan si Idung para i tenda, pues isao-hu ha' nai sa' ti ya-ho eye mangingili' purse, pues hu botsa, kalan si Tan Elisa yo' ni hu botsa ha', ya annai måtto 'u mågi para bai tulaika i magagu-ho, annai hu tataka' ya hu laknos taigue i fifty dollars.  Pues, duro magåhet in aligao lao humåhnanao ha' ti hu sodda'.  Ilek-ho, "Po'lo,  po'lo sa' yanggen håye sumodda', seguro para guiya."
(Yes, it's true that sometimes we say that.  Because even here in the house, I am saying that, sometimes if we find, like fifty dollars, well that means ask around because that's somewhat a big amount fifty dollars for someone to drop.  So, because recently only, I went with Idung to the store, and it's my own fault because I don't like to carry a purse, so I pocketed it, like Tan Elisa I pocketed it, and when I came here to change my clothes, when I reached for it and took it out, the fifty dollars was missing.  So, we kept looking for it but I never did find it.  I said, "Let it be, because if anyone found it, for sure it's for him/her.")

UPDATE

www.kuam.com/story/33456860/2016/10/24/piti-mayor-says-vandals-were-poor-and-desperate

If you go to the KUAM link above, you'll read a story about how Mayor Ben Gumataotao responded to a break-in at the Piti Mayor's Office. It goes right in line with this idea among many older Chamorros that those who steal must be desperate and needy.

"They must  be desperate, they must be so poor, must be homeless. Section 8 is not giving them enough money. They are poor - they should have come to my office whatever they ask I normally give it to them," he promised.