WASP INFESTATION OF THE 1800s

true-wildlife.blogspot.com

For about twenty years, beginning in the 1860's, from December till February, Guam was infested with wasps from about noon till five o'clock on hot, still days.  The bees were believed to have originated on a boat which crashed on shore and broke up.  The sting from these wasps was sharp and burning.

Chamorros bathed in water with tobacco leaves or vinegar to treat the sting.  The Spanish priest used camphorated oil and experienced immediate relief.

(P. Aniceto's Chronicle)

KATESISMO #1

How good is your Chamorro?  I'll be posting short excerpts from an old Chamorro catechism without an English translation.

1. Håye muna' fanhuyong hit yan pumo'lo hit gi tano'?

Si Yu'us Saina-ta ha na' fanhuyong hit yan pumo'lo hit gi tano'.

2. Para håfa na ha na' fanhuyong hit?

Ha na' fanhuyong hit para ta tungo', ta gofli'e yan ta setbe si Yu'us guine gi tano' ya taiguine ta konsige i langet.

MOCHONG LATTE SITE IN LUTA

MOCHONG IN LUTA

Not the biggest latte stones, but the largest number

 

At the very north of Luta is Mochong, which stands out as having the largest number of latte stones in the Marianas - about 50 of them.

Another Unique Feature here .... STONE WALLS....built by our ancestors

Perhaps the only place where walls built by our pre-Spanish ancestors can be found.

The latte stones here aren't very large, and, thanks to our frequent earthquakes, most if not all the capstones (tåsa) have fallen off the pillars (haligi), as is seen above.

ADAHE!  BE CAREFUL!

I went to Mochong with a Rotanese friend.  As we drove into the dirt trail, he told me that a Chamorro dance group from Guam came up to Mochong and did their dances all around the latte stone site.  By the next day, most of the dance group, he says, were sick.

As I got down from the car to survey the area and take photos, I noticed that my Rotanese friend stayed by the car, not approaching the latte stone site.  I said a prayer to my Guardian Angel to protect me from any spirits wishing to do me harm, and nothing unpleasant happened to me.

NOTHING SECRET HERE

best-printable-invitations.com

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

What happens on Guam, is heard in Vegas, and LA, and San Jose, and Seattle, and....

So a family decided to hold a surprise birthday party for a member of the family.  Invitations were sent to many people, with the words SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY prominently and unmistakably printed at the top.

One woman got her invitation in the mail, and, seeing the date of the party, felt so bad that it was the same time as a prior commitment.

She felt so bad....she called the birthday boy and said...."So sorry I cannot make it to your surprise birthday party tomorrow!"

FAMILIA : UNGACTA

 

Ungacta is an indigenous Chamorro name.

It is derived from the Chamorro word ungak, which means "to knock off balance, to tilt, to bend to one side."

A Chamorro hymn about the Holy Cross says, "Ungak på'pa' i ramås-mo."  "Bend down your branches," referring to one side of the beam of the cross, so that the singer can kiss Jesus hanging there.

ONE FAMILY

From all appearances, anyone named Ungacta today is a descendant of Don Miguel Cruz Ungacta of Hagåtña.  The fact that he is named "Don" in the 1897 Guam Census shows that he had held some civic position (former neighborhood leader or justice of the peace, for example).  "Don" is equivalent to "Sir."

He may have had a sister Maria, married to Pedro Baza.

Miguel was married to Maria de Leon Guerrero Perez, the daughter of Cesareo Aguon Perez and Nieves de Leon Guerrero.

The family is still very much associated with the capital city, with an Ungacta holding the position of mayor for many years.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE CHAMORRO WHEN....

Watch Frankie's own video, and you'll understand how we often sprinkle the word "own" in our own conversations.

ÅNTES YAN PÅ'GO

Plaza de España, Hagåtña

Before 1930

I can tell this was taken before 1930 because the Saint Vincent de Paul Hall isn't built yet.  That Hall, with two floors, was built adjacent the Cathedral on the west side and would have been visible from this vantage point.  The little building that is seen next to the Cathedral in this photo was taken down to make room for that Hall.  My guess would be this photo was taken in the mid to late 1920s.

The Kiosko (built by the Americans, not the Spaniards) is on the left.  Some kind of group formation, more than likely from the schools rather than militia, is taking place.

Plaza de España, Hagåtña

Now

The original Kiosko is still there, and much of the concrete foot path and the arches.  The new Cathedral is bigger and doesn't go as far back on the property as the pre-war one.  Instead of the konbento directly behind the Cathedral, today we have the Academy Gym in that spot.

DID YOU KNOW....?

That the Plaza de España wasn't always called the Plaza de España?

At one time it was called the Plaza de Magallanes.  What?  Magallanes is the Spanish form of the name Magellan.  Chamorros pronounced it Ma - ga - yå - nes, with a Y as in Yigo.

TODAY'S CHAMORRO WORD : LÅ'LA'

sidsavara.com

LÅ' LA' : to live

Låla'la'.  Living.  It is alive.

Ti låla'la'.  It's not living.  It's not alive.

Lina'la'.  Life.

Gi todo i lina'lå'-ho.  In all my life.

Para todo i lina'lå'-ho.  For all my life.

Dångkulo bali-ña i lina'lå'-mo.  Your life has great worth.

Na' lå'la.  To make live.  To animate.

Si Jesus lumå'la' ta'lo.  Jesus came alive again.

Ha ofrerese hit si Yu'us nu i taihinekkok na lina'la'.  God offers us everlasting life.

THE BIRTHDAY SONG IN CHAMORRO

How lucky am I to have the talented Ruby Aquiningoc Santos sing and play this for me?  And Lawrence makes a good birthday boy, even though his birthday is months past.

The Chamorro version of the Happy Birfday Song is quite simple, consisting of just one line of two words : Biba Kumpleåños.

Kumpleåños is borrowed from the Spanish word, and broken down it means "completing" (cumple) "years" (años).

Biba is also borrowed from the Spanish (Viva!) and it literally means "may you, he, she or it live," as in "live long!"  But Chamorros use Biba! as a celebratory exclamation of joy or glee.

Spaniards never say Biba Kumpleåños.  Instead, they say "Feliz cumpleaños."  Call it "Spanish the Chamorro way" to say Biba Kumpleåños.

BE CAREFUL....

Kumpleåños, as we mentioned, really means "completing years."  "Anniversary" is a good synonym for it.  So, kumpleåños does not refer just to the anniversary of one's birth.  You can observe the kumpleåños of someone's death (Kumpleåños Finatai) or one's wedding (Kumpleåños Umakamo' or Kumpleåños Kasamiento or Kumpleåños Umassagua).

HINENGGEN I MAN ÅMKO'

playaweather.com

A pregnant woman shouldn't look at the moon during the first quarter...

...or else the baby will be born with a cleft palate.

MOUNT JAMALAMLAM

What a surprise many years ago when we were all told we had been climbing the wrong mountain.

For years people said we were taking the cross up Mount Lamlam on Good Friday, only to find out it wasn't Mount Lamlam.  It was called....Mount Jama....Jama....never mind.

The name is Humuyong Månglo'.  Here's how the Chamorro language authorities spell it :

guampdn.com

Huyong means "to exit, to come out of."  But that can also mean "to result in, to become," as "You came out alive!"  So Mount Humuyong Månglo' could mean "where the wind exits" or "what became wind."

So why does the PDN spell it...JUMULLONG MANGLO?

guampdn.com

Well...back in the good ole Spanish days, many places in the Marianas were spelled the way a Spaniard would spell it.  You know....Sinajaña, Inarajan, Merizo.  The J in Spanish sounds like an H, like Jose and Juan.  The double L sounds exactly like a Y, which in Chamorro sounds like an English J.  As in Yoña or Yigo.

That's why we have that double L thing going on in AcfaLLe and TajaLLe.  Those are Chamorro names, but for the Spaniards LL and Y sound the same.  And for Chamorros, LL and Y sound the same : like an English J, or better, like a DZ.

SO WHERE IS LAMLAM?

As you can see on the map, Lamlam is due north of --- there we go again --- Jumullong Manglo.

Due to the confusion - which mountain we're climbing on Good Friday - some young guy from Agat that I know calls it Mount Jamalamlam - a mix of Lamlam and how a young generation Chamorro thinks Jumullong is pronounced - the American way.

CHAMORRO TONGUE TWISTER : DRY SEASON

It rained a fair amount tonight, but from the looks of the humble Hagåtña River today, it certainly is the dry season.  The river water is quite low, exposing those dry banks.

"Dry season" in Chamorro is fañomnagan.  I have to slow down every time I'm about to say it.  A bit tricky for the lingually challenged.

FA + ÑOM + NA + GAN

It comes from FAN + SOMNAK + AN.  Somnak means "sunlight."  To the Chamorro mind, "dry season" is really "time of sunlight," meaning "abundant sunlight, little or no rain," which kind of dries things out, no?

BEST BEACH IN MARIANAS?

TÅGA' BEACH

Tinian

What's not to like?

Sand --- not sharp rocks and coral.

Warm, clean water that gradually deepens so you can actually swim, dive or float, and not just get your legs wet.

The beach is situated at an idyllic cove, free of pollution.  And the best thing - this is Tinian!  Which means - you can spend hours here and be the only person.  Your own personal beach.

Like these two Tinian boys roughing it up in that clean, clean water.

FELIS PÅSGUAN RESUREKSION!

Lumå'la' ta'lo si Jesus!

Måtai i Finatai!

Gigon manana gi tetset dia, kumalamten un dångkulon laolao tåno', ya guihe mismo na momento humuyong si Jesus gi naftan yan bula i oriyå-ña nu i mina'gas långet.  Tumunok un ånghet gine i langet guihe mismo na tiempo.  I matå-ña mañiñila' kalan i lamlam, ya i bestidu-ña siha man å'paka kalan i niebe.  Ya ha na' susuha i acho nu i tumåmpe i naftan, ya matå'chong gi hilo'-ña.  I sendålo siha nu i man eståba man mamumulan ni naftan, man laolao ya man matomba kalan man måtai.  Ya annai mana'lo manhomlo', mangahulo' ya man malågo sen chaddek para i siudå.

Niebe = "snow," from the Spanish nieve

Gine = older form of ginen, "from"

Siudå = "city," from the Spanish ciudad

TODAY IN HISTORY

GERMAN SHIP BLOWS UP IN APRA HARBOR

April 7, 1917

en.wikipedia.com

SMS CORMORAN

Originally a Russian ship, the Germans captured it in 1914 and re-fitted it at their colony in Tsingtao, China, naming it after a prior ship of the same name.  There is a historical first associated with the Cormoran from the outset; it was the first naval prize won by Germany from the Russians in the First World War.

While sailing in the north Pacific, the Cormoran was pursued by Japanese warships.  Japan, at the time, was at war with Germany in the First World War.  Since the U.S. was, at the time, neutral and not at war, the Cormoran pulled into Apra Harbor to escape the Japanese, as the ship was running out of coal.

Governor Maxwell supplied the ship a small amount of coal and ordered the Cormoran to leave, but the Germans refused.  So the Cormoran was detained, and for two years, the German sailors lived on Guam, often very happily!  The Catholics on board even formed a choir to sing at the Hagåtña Cathedral for Christmas.

German sailors of the Cormoran with a Chamorro boy

On April 7, 1917, however, everything changed.  The United States finally decided to enter the fight and declared war on Germany on April 6 (April 7 for Guam).  The Cormoran was now considered an enemy ship, subject to seizure by the U.S.  Rather than let his ship fall into American hands, the Captain of the Cormoran blew it up himself.  Before this happened, however, the Americans fired a shot over the ship - another first!  The first shot between Americans and Germans in the First World War.

Nine German sailors died as a result of their own scuttling, and are buried at the Naval Cemetery in Hagåtña. 

The Cormoran lies under water in Apra Harbor to this day, with a Second World War Japanese casualty, the Tokai Maru, resting on top of it - another rarity!  Two enemy ships, sunk in two separate World Wars, lying in the same watery grave.

A depiction of the Tokai Maru lying atop the Cormoran in Apra Harbor

Memorial to the fallen German sailors of the Cormoran
at the U.S. Naval Cemetery, Hagåtña

The memorial is written in German and says

"The dead of the SMS Cormoran
7 April 1917"