Ina'famauleg

Growing up on a small island like Saipan; you’re prone to know people or be related to someone all over the island. I recall being told that “I couldn’t be in a relationship with so and so because she is related to our family by blood”. Sometimes though extended families built by friendship also becomes “hands off”. That may be one of the reasons why I decided to marry someone from outside Saipan.

My early years in San Jose Village were with friends and family that were of different ethnic and language backgrounds. From my father’s side, I was the Carolinian or “Refalawasch” and from my mother’s - Chamorro. San Jose Village was mainly of Carolinian descendents. Many of my friends spoke “Refalawasch” as well as Chamorro. This gave me the advantage of learning the language from early on until the time I left Saipan. My “Nang” (grandmother) was one of the devoted church catechism teacher, Novena readers, choir and everything in between concerning San Jose Church. This gave me more exposure to villages further than San Jose.

One thing for sure is that I was never far from family and friends. We all become friends going to the same elementary school, high school and even the private school friends either end up going to public school. We help each other out when times of need rise even if were not related. Your neighbors become the person you give to when you have an extra catch of fish or whatever came from the farm. Sharing your excesses was always the norm and in your trying times its your neighbor that will also be with you to help you out. You didn’t require an invitation if something big as a wedding or a death to be invited. As a neighbor you were obligated (unwritten) to assist in whatever capacity you could. Having Filipinos as neighbors was not exempted from this practice. We treated each other equally.

Ina’famauleg means taking care of each other. Being kind and generous. This is one of the things I miss about my island Saipan. Fan a’famauleg todus hamyu taotao Saipan. Be kind to each other people of Saipan. Bien probechu.