slacker mommy files

Archive for June, 2009

    In my distracted attempt to write, I have eventually come upon a piece of Philippine culture that I may have overlooked in my years of structured education. It is a shame, really, because it is made by a very amazing tribe of people living in an island in the Visayas – the Hanunoo Mangyans of Mindoro.

    These amazing people are living in the mountains of Mindoro and thrive with much of their culture intact, including their very own script – yes, people, they have their own system of writing, something the rest of us have long long forgotten – and their beautiful poetry called ambahan

    It is a refreshing treat to read their poetry as they pertain to everyday life, only delivered in a very allegorical manner. They can also be humorous and entertaining. The ambahan is often written or rather etched on bamboo trees by forest trails, on bamboo slats, or even on handweaven baskets. amabahan written on slats often serve as letters. These are left on a prominent place in the trail and will eventually reach their destination in a matter of days. It really is an interestng piece of culture and one that is currently being protected for posterity.

    Here is a sample of ambahan for all moms out there.

1. Magkunkuno ti babayi	Says the mother to her babe,
2. Magduyan sa kay anak	she is rocking in a crib,
3. Magbabayan babayan	rocking, rocking to and fro:
4. Anong insing nawaan	My beloved baby dear,
5. Salag anong hagbayan	my darling, so sweet and fair.
6. Kana lam lugod ginan	What might be the reason, that
7. Kam ipagkabuyungan	you seem to be so upset?
8. Hinton kam pagkasungnan	What’s the cause? You are disturbed
9. Hinton kam pagkalut-an	and keep crying all the time.
10. Nanhakyan ka sa kagnan	Didn’t I give you a bath
11. Sa talisi balsigan	at the bamboo waterpipe,
12. Sa danom magka-uman	at the water cool and clear?
13. Linilang ka sa duyan	I have rocked you in the crib.
14. Binabaw ka sa pupwan	I have placed you on my lap.
15. No binabaw sa pupwan	Now, that I have cuddled you
16. No linilang sa duyan	and have rocked you in the crib,
17. Kawo hayga mambunan	why are you still crying then?
18. Kantam di suod duyan	Our cradle woven strong,
19. Ga di ud way nilkasan	will not just now fall apart,
20. Ga di ma-urog way man	is still looking very strong
21. Sitay babaw linungan	down here on the peaceful world.
22. Magkunkuno kay anak	Answered the child in reply:
23. Suyungan bay suyungan	Mother, oh, my mother dear,
24. Nos katnaan di bay man	it is truly as you say:
25. Halaw inda pag-uman	I, the baby that I am,
26. Nanhakyan ngap sa kagnan	have received a bath indeed
27. Sa talsi balsigan	at the bamboo waterpipe,
28. Sa danom magka-uman	at the water cool and clear.
29. Kis-ab way sa lumbadan	Just this morning, early still,
30. Linilang yi sa duyan	you have rocked me in the crib
31. Binabaw yi sa pupwan	and cuddled me on your lap.
32. Dapat hangan kang duyan	But this much I want to say:
33. Kangko bay pagmanuywan	the cause that I am so sad,
34. Padi nga wa hintunan	is not just a common thing.
35. Buyong ud way kilbadan	It’s a pain that doesn’t leave
36. Payi ngap manlinungan	and disturbs me very much.
37. Nakan kis-ab sugutan	Reason why it is like this:
38. Salagan ti ma-amban	I am just a baby still!
39. Suyungan ti malut-an	Mother doesn’t seem to know!

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    A small thanks to those who left their comments here on my blog. sorry for the long slacking.

    Wow! My last post here was from January 27! Four months of slacking. Even i am amazed.

    Anyway, a lot has happened in these last months including the near global pandemic of H1N1. But i can’t comment on that since i am live under a rock, and i have an allergic reaction to newspapers andnewsfeeds.

    Back here, well, Kylee is finally learning to walk and talk, while Lyka now sports a new pair of glasses. Yep she has been diagnosed with astigmatism, like me and a couple of her uncles. It also came as a shock that her prescription was higher than mine. She probably got it from her uncle Tey who started wearing glasses in kindergarten. When i told her grandparents that Lyka will be wearing glasses, they were like, “Oh no! My poor baby!” I was like, “Huh? They’re only glasses,” though i never said it out loud. As far as i know, astigmatism can be corrected, and the earlier it gets corrected, the better for my daughter. The opthalmologist said that if we passed on having Lyka fitted for spectacles, she may later develop lazy eye, but then again, she may just be looking for some extra profit. But anyway, I decided that she better get some glasses (since i practically decided then and there that I would rather have my daughter wear spectacles at an early age than to have her suffer later on).

    Back at home, Lyka was resistant about wearing her glasses. Well, of course! She’s only two and a half! What did I expect? But I had to be firm and firmer about the our new rule: Lyka always has to wear her glasses. It took a lot of crying and bawling and screaming to enforce the new rule. It was frustrating for the both of us. Then lo and behold, in two days’ time, I got her to wear her glasses comfortably and without any protests! Yay! Now she even asks me or her dad to put on her glasses for her if she wakes from sleep. I just hope that her eye condition is corrected as soon as possible so that she’ll look at he world clearly.