Thanksgiving 2008

I am thankful this year for the life and health that our Heavenly Father has bestowed upon me and my children. Although we've struggled to make ends meet almost everyday, we always feel blessed and richer than many people because of the fact that we still have each other. We feel much closer to each other as a family even with the fact that their Mom is only with us in spirit and in our memories. Our love for her transcends even the boundaries of the here and beyond. She's always missed.

I pray today that the good Lord will continue to bless us and to guide us in our journeys through this life so that we will always honor Him and each other. May we never stray from under his protective wings, and may we always keep the love, the trust and the respect that we have for each other.

This world is already full of hatred, envy, turmoil and death. Let's not add to its woes.

Peace.

Our First Webcam

LOL! We'd just installed our first webcam and IS went POSTAL. We were like those early Oneopese men when they saw knife for the first time. The "ground chief" in lefalen Aur was the first to acquire a brand-new knife from the Spanish traders. The rest of the Oneopese men were envious of the powerful implement that can slice through flesh very easily. They were so awed yet afraid of the mysterious weapon that whenever the chief came out of his "faal" with it and if the sun just happened to glint off its shiny edges, they would yell, "A pwal lep maniwe!" and they would run away screaming.

The Remaining Faal's on Oneop Island

I cannot help but wonder what will happen to the Oneop landscape, say, ten, fifteen or twenty years from now. Looking back fifteen to twenty years in the past, I recalled Oneop as a once robust and vibrant community with a healthy population with a simple but unique lifestyle. The small closed-knit community where everybody knew everyone was alive and well at that time contrary to what one Bad Volunteer tried to portrayed in her publication some years later.


View Larger Map of Oneop Island from Space

Around that time, there used to be about twelve "faal"s strategically located on each lineage's land or property near the shores throughout the island. There were Ukomw, Lemelech, Olap, Lemwar, Aur, Lamangu, Unufou, Lerong, Lanean, Lepu, Mesen and Kusan. The "faal"s were not only meeting places and storehouses for the islanders' canoes or boats but also served as the sleeping and living quarters for the males--from the very old and invalid "warrior" down to the young pubescent lad who just got kicked out of the ladies' quarters. In these faal's, stories and legends were told, history was preserved and handed down to the next generation and skills, crafts and local trades and knowledge were taught and practiced.


The Old Faal

In each of the faals, there were at least two or three elderly men over the age of ninety who were confined to their weip's who could still read books without any presciption eyeglasses; there were a dozen able-bodied seamen/fishermen who always talked about fishing and night-crawling and argued about who caught the largest or the most beautiful fish; and there was always the clutch of adolescent boys who always lingered around just to hear the next episode of the Legend of Saiochol or the Adventure of Rakumur.

Today, some of the faal's are no longer standing--they were deserted and became dilapidated and later torn down with the hope of being rebuilt one day. Some new ones were built instead: Asipelong, Sopowou, Lamangu 2, Wenupuker, and Lepu 2. These new faal's were built with modern materials and were very nice. However, unlike the faal's of old, the spirit was no longer there. Where have all the old men gone? There doesn't seem to be any more old people around. And why are all the young men going to Guam, Hawaii, and mainland USA? There is nobody around anymore to teach the boys in the ways of the islands.


Lefaalen Asipelong (Tomuo, Junior, Kipiter & Berwit)

The faal is the institution in which one can find the strength of unity and the sense of belonging. It binds everybody in that community together to live in relative peace and harmony. It is the place where knowledge is acquired and direction is provided for the advancement of the people of that community. Without the faals, the community and their survival are at stake.

Thurstie's Graduation Photos

Alshina, Norie, Lynn, Darla and Marshalyn

Daniel Lodge,Thurstie Ruben & Atina Ruben

Kita Hillario Mokut & Alshina Johnny

Lisin Lynn Simina and Edlynn Beyond

Thurstie and Atina Ruben

Some Family Photos

IS & Twinsa - Going Away

IS Ruben & Cousins

Twinsa, Salome, Adina & Manny

Twinsa Ruben & Marie Jean Sorim