Me Lom Me Lom (Nostalgia)

I was living on my island. No worries at all.

I grew up on taro, breadfruit, coconut, noni and afuch and I was sated.

Fish was plentiful and they splashed and frolicked in my back yard - the lagoon.

There was never any need for refrigeration as everything was picked or caught only when ready to be consumed.

O, but we preserved breadfruits that became the scrumptious “maar”- the food of the gods.

I was never sick as there were never any plague, STD’s, hepatitis, cancer, diabetes or AIDS.

I didn’t have Ibuprofens and Acetaminophens, insulin and metformin or any dialysis equipments. And I didn’t need them. I found remedies all around me.

I was a star pupil even though I did not read any textbook, write any essay or learn Spanish, German, Japanese or English.

I never learned geography but I could easily name every pieces of rock and sea mounts between Mili and Tobi.

I never had any compass or navigation instruments. “Apiileng” was my chart, the stars, the winds, the waves and the drifters, my instruments.

I never learned meteorology but I could accurately forecast rains and squalls and changes in weather without the aid of any satellite image.

I never had any radio or cable TV but I could get news and information from dreams, from signs and symbols in driftwood, from sightings of unusual fish or birds, from thunders, and from the century-old oracles.

I didn’t go to any court and didn’t need any lawyer to advise and rob me blind. The traditional chiefs were the judges, the mediators, the conflict resolvers and peacemakers.

I didn’t need a belt and tie as I never needed trousers and suits. I was most comfortable in a “weiweita” and in my birthday suit.

I never relied on fossil fuels to power my boat. Instead of gasoline, my canoe ran with the wind and on harmony and sweat.

I never heard about sea-level rise due to global warming. I walked and fished the reefs during low tides and I was never aware that someday my island will be underwater as a result of someone else’s poor stewardship.

I was happy and carefree. I enjoyed life without any reservations. Nobody told me it was a sin to have everything and enjoy them, too. And nobody ever told me that all good things must, sooner or later, come to an end.

And then . . . a large boat with many white sails appeared on the horizon.

And the beginning of the end came upon the Mortlock Islands.

Suun Namukuk

Safe in a cocoon of sand and darkness;

away from the unrelenting whispers

of the blood-lust 'quitoes, in the stillness,

at Meseniang, I was lulled by the deafening sounds of the Pacific rollers.

I stared up the dark sky and marveled at Creation,

Thinking. In the overall scheme of things, I’m so insignificant.

O Universe, from eternity to eternity, what majestic domination!

Your stars, countless, are only points through a mariner’s sextant.

And O what beauty! Like diamonds on black velvet, they shimmered

And glittered and pulsated in harmony though it was in chaos.

From Dusk to Dawn, they followed in the shadow of Helios-the revered.

But Fuuesemwakut, sentinel, yearned to be with the Southern Cross.

Machemeas, in her splendor, its radiance and warmth, the night felt.

The procession, from east to west, never pau

The celestial ballet by Uul and Orion’s belt

Up at the dark canopy of Apiileng - the chart of Doctor Mau.

What Do You See?

Your perception of whether the glass of water is half-full or half-empty very much determines who you are as an individual in relation to the world around you. Experts will tell you that if all you see is a half-empty glass, then you are a pessimist and you have a tendency to view things in a negative light and as a consequence, you will fail. On the other hand, if you see a half-full glass, then you are an optimist and you have a can-do attitude that can make a great impact on your life and on the lives of those around you.

As for me, I see a  glass that contains 1/2 water and 1/2 air. Technically, that glass is full. So, what does that make me?

"Send The Foreign Aid Check to the Republic of Micronesia"

The title is a comment made by Congressman Charles Djou of Hawaii concerning the citizens of what he called the Republic of Micronesia. He made it clear that he did not want the Micronesians to come to Hawaii and use up all the social services and become burden to the state especially because they are not paying taxes to the state. In fact, he'd rather that the "Foreign Aid Check" should go to the government of the Republic of Micronesia and that they should take care of their own citizens. He also wanted to require these citizens of the Republic of Micronesia to apply and have visas whenever they enter the United States just like any of its allied countries' citizens.
Well, while his concerns may be legitimate, it is rather sad that his rather prejudice viewpoints had blinded him to the fact that there are many more Micronesians that are working and paying all sorts of taxes to the state of Hawaii. For each Micronesian that is utilizing the social services, there are at least three that came to Hawaii because of that one person and they are working and paying taxes to the state just like everybody else.
Mr. Congressman, we will be here in Hawaii and elsewhere in the United States seeking out opportunities for ourselves and for our children. We won't go away just because you don't want us here. But we will if both of our countries agree that the Compact of Free Association should be terminated or if you started a Pogrom and haul us all back to the Republic of Micronesia. Until then, Mahalo.

It's Not Only Kunol

  I remember posting somewhere that I survived a bout with Kunol or "Iokone" as they say in Lagoonese. Turned out, it was a full-blown infection that if I didn't go to the emergency room on time, I would be a goner. It started with a my small toe-nail which I stubbed on something but didn't give it much thought. On Thursday night August 12th, I started having chills and fever. Friday the 13th , it got worse and I kept wolfing down pain killers and burning my left leg with hot water to relieve the pain. The leg became red and swollen that standing and walking was almost impossible.
  Saturday was our last day at our old apartment, so I helped Believe and the other guys moved our stuff to the new home. The leg was still swollen and red so at the end of the day, I drove to the Queen's emergency room to get treatment and to ask for prescription for the problem. I thought it would be an easy in-and-out situation. I was wrong. After checking the leg and running some blood tests, the doctor advised that I be admitted to the hospital right away. He said the infection was entering my blood-stream and it started to affect some of my vital organs. I ended up staying for a whole week and they were pumping me full of anti-biotic medicine.
   After that one week, I was released from the hospital and I came and laid down in my new apartment for the very first time. I was lucky to have recovered from that infection disease. So, I thank God for giving me another chance to continue to live for His sake and for the sake of my children.

Love - Mortlockese Style #1

I am not an expert on love but I do know one thing: Mortlockese Love is the real deal. It is genuine and sincere, it defies descriptions. If you're shown love Mortlockese style, you will lose yourself in its warmth, comfort and beauty that you will always find  yourself coming back for more. Incidentally, I'm not talking about eros or your typical sexual love. I am talking about the love for your own people, your family,  your relatives, your fellow islanders, your lands and your seas. It is the love of all these things combined and more. It is also the love you extend to your neighbors, to strangers and to visitors that come to your islands. It is the love of your own rich culture and traditions and unique lifestyle. It is the love that I'm afraid we will lose through our exposure to foreign customs and influences if we're not careful.
For instance, on Oneop, as on any other island in the Mortlocks during the Japanese rule, young men were selected to go and do hard labor in the phosphate mines of Angaur, Palau. Actually, they were ordered to go. They did not have any other choice. To refuse is to defy the Imperial Empire and would end up severely punished or even executed. The selection of able-bodied men to go on such a dangerous and sometimes fatal mission was not an easy feat. The local chief was given the task by the bumon cho and the kenpei tai to pick who was to go. This difficult task always tore his heart to shreds. Who would want to send his father, uncle, cousin, brother, nephew or son to die in a far away land? No one. So, out of concern and compassion for his people, the chief decided to send only those that were related to him - his brothers, uncles, cousins, nephews and sons. At least, if something happens to any one of them, only he and his family will suffer and grieve for their loss. He just could not send anybody else. However, that wasn't always the case.
During the general assembly before deployment, the chief openly wept as he read out the names of the men he had selected to go to Angaur. As he called out each name, a young man stood and went to the front. Everybody started to sobbed and wailed and cried out his name. His mother and female family members went up to him, put coconut oil and mwaramwars on him, sobbing and begging him not to go. The next name was called and the same thing was repeated. There was sadness all around. The chief continued to read off the names on the list and after a while, the people started to realize that all those young men standing up there at the front were from the same family or clan; that of the chief's. Immediately, young men from the other clans jumped up and stood in solidarity with them, volunteering to replace some of their brothers on the list. To them, it was unthinkable and unacceptable to send all the men from the same family into harm's way. Some of them were needed to stay behind and look after their womenfolk and children.
The Mortlockese Love that becomes apparent in situation like these guarantees that people on those islands live together in peace and love and harmony. It makes sure that no family or clan is deprived of its rights to live and prosper and produce offspring that will carry on their family name into the future and beyond. It is the kind of love that makes me proud to be a Mortlockese.

What is a Mortlockese?

Is it an identity? Yes. An ideology? Of course. And a  Mortlockese is an individual, a bonafide citizen of the Mortlocks Islands who was born there or elsewhere to Mortlockese parents and grew up in the Mortlockese culture and upbringing that distinguish him or her from other peoples. The Mortlock region spans southeasterly from the Chuuk Lagoon, specifically from Lukeisel (Nama, Losap, Piisemwar) in the north, through isolated Loilam or Namoluk at the south end of Appong, out to Namosepei or Ettal which is effoch iaas away from Moch which shares the atoll with Kuttu, and long and skinny Ta which stretches from Aliar Pass to Parang end of Satowan-the sub state center. East of these, there is Lekinioch always staring down at Oneop through that seven-mile stretch of blue lagoon called Nomonemu. Remochuloks are found in large groups in Weno and scattered throughout the rest of the big islands in the Truk Lagoon. They can also be found in Sokehs, Sekere and other villages in Pohnpei. There is a large contigent in Guam and in Honolulu as well as in Maui and the Big Island. They are also scattered all over the continental USA and throughout the world. But wherever they are, these Mortlockese never forget their identities, their roots and cultures and the islands that they left behind. For them, those islands are always refered to as "Back Home."