Tata yan Lahi

Esta mas ki un simana desde hu li'e' i lahi-hu.

Sumasaga' ham yan i che'lu-na na'ya giya Kalifotna, ya gagaige ha' gui' giya Guahan.

Antes di humanao yu', pine'lo-ku na ti para bai hu mahalangi gui'. Mas mafnot ham yan i che'lu-na, Si Sumahi. Ya achokka' hu guaiya i lahi-hu, kalang ti gos mafnot ham. Hunggan bunito na paton gui', sen kinute lokkue', lao put i mampos pumapatgon gui', tataya' ha' substansia. Kalang un mampos kinute na taya' gui'. Ti ya-hu umoppan este na hinasso, lao este i minagahet. Esta ki sina kumuentos gui', ti siguru yu' hayi gui'. Ti siguru na ha hulat kumomprende yu'. Annai hu atalaki i mata-na, kao ha tungo' hayi yu'?

Siempre u matulaika este, lao para pa'go, i siente-ku na kalang hu nanangga i lahi-hu, ya ti apmam siempre u fatto.

Lao mahalang yu' sinembatgo para i gof kinute yan gof "clueless" na mata-na. Nina'atdet este na siniente annai hu hungok i kanta "Tata yan Lahi" pat "Father and Son" ginnen Si Cat Stevens. Ayu na kanta ha sen pacha' i korason-hu kada hu hungok gui'. Ha na'hasso yu' put i minagof yan i trinsite tumatata.

Hu hungok este na kanta gi i rediu annai manunugon pappa' para Atascadero ginnen Sacramento, ya siempre nina'hasso yu' put i lahi-hu.

Puede ha' maolek hao pa'go na puengge lahi-hu. Un simana ha' tetehnan este ki para u ta ali'e' ta'lo.



It's not time to make a change,
Just relax, take it easy.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to know.
Find a girl, settle down,
If you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.

I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy,
To be calm when you've found something going on.
But take your time, think a lot,
Why, think of everything you've got.
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.

How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again.
It's always been the same, same old story.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.

It's not time to make a change,
Just sit down, take it slowly.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to go through.
Find a girl, settle down,
if you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.

All the times that I cried, keeping all the things I knew inside,
It's hard, but it's harder to ignore it.
If they were right, I'd agree, but it's them you know not me.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.

Comments

word said…
Hey Michael,

My name dakota. . . I dont know how to contact you cuz I can't find your email address no where. But, I wanted to hit you up because I've been following your blog for a really long time. I think I was following it before you became a professor and when you were still at UCSD.

All this sounds maybe a little bit creepy, but really its about trying to learn about my culture, and you my friend have had one of the only consistently critical and radical interpretations of the Chamorru experience I've found on the internet, which has definitely done more than help me articulate my experience as a member of the Chamorru Diaspora.

I never thought this would happen... BUT I am officially studying at the University of Guahan in the fall (hopefully through the spring). I was hitting you up because I would like to take some rigorous courses in Chamorru history and culture. I've also been watching the We Are Guahan group through the internet and admire your dedication to the group. Basically, I guess I'm trying to ask you if you have suggestions for classes I should enroll in or if I could begin being in contact with you to get some advice as I pick classes/navigate the University.

:) please holler at me back - dakotacamacho at gmail dot com
May 28, 2011 3:05 AM
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