How have my Kankanaey folks say "Good Morning", "How are you?", etc.

Of course I heard some Kankanaey folks say "Good morning!", "Good afternoon!", etc.  as they are said in English.  They are not really uttered as Kankanaey lines.

The reality amongst us, kins, when we see each other, is that we do not necessarily say "Good morning", "Good day!" or the like.  Rather than a verbal greeting, facial expressions are made to let someone feel the welcome.  Instead of saying "Good morning", you get an eye-to-eye contact or a smiley face from a kin and that suffices to feel the sincere  greetings.  In some cases, the welcome look is followed up by query statements like "[Intoy] napu-am?" which literally means "Where were you before coming here?" but an allusion to "It is good that you are here." Sometimes you are asked "[Ka]datdateng mo?" which literally means "Have you just arrived?" but just the same an allusion to "It is nice that you here."

Together with my siblings and parents, we do farming work back then. Some old folks would pass by us.  The pathway (called "danan") from the town to the far abodes stretches along farms (called "nem-a") including ours.  People, most of whom are relatives, would walk to and from town to their homes.  Vehicles were limited then.

A passing folk would say "Malabasak" [I am passing by] and we would say "Aw" [Yes!].  The dialogue is essentially a concrete  form of the hypothetical "How are you?-Fine thank you-Take care" dialogue.

Some of the old folks would let you notice the weather situation as they pass by. ("Nay mayat di sesegitan na" = The sunshine is nice;  "Doy umal-ali udan"= The rain is coming; "Enggay nasdem"= Its is already late afternoon).  Such is their way of saying, "enjoy the day" or "take care".

Translation of Phrases Used in some Igorot communities

"UMALI KAYO"

•  "Umali kayo" is a kankanaey phrase that literally translates to "You Come" [ Umali=Come, Kayo=You) 
• "Umali kayo", however, is used to convey "You are welcome"

 "UMALI KAYO KASIN"

• "Umali kayo kasin" transliterates to "You come again".
• I seem to have seen a road sign that reads "Umali kayo Kasin" upon exiting a place somewhere in the far north(Somewhere in Kalinga, I think?) It must figuratively mean "Please come again."  

Kankanaey Words For the Day

Dagem --> Wind
Mandadagem --> Windy

Udan --> Rain
Man-uudan --> Rainy

Segit --> Sun
Mansesegit --> Sunny

Libu-o --> Clouds
Manlilibu-o --> Cloudy

Pasyalan di kaka-ili-an ed Baguio (Hang-out of fellow "cordillerans" in Baguio)

I haven't been to gimik venues in town for a long time.

Many thanks to a long lost friend who came for a brief visit.  
He re-introduced me to the Cordilleran's country music hang-out by the night.
We've seen two: One near the Rose Garden and one along Magasaysay Avenue-the one in the hall that used to be a movie house.

Visiting the first one makes one in unison with people who are taking a break from hard labor.  Patrons are generally the mature and serious type.  A short stay in the place can bring back the thought of the Baguio of the past, that Baguio is owned by "genuine-hearted" people.

The second one is more of a venue for fun by those who have the happy go lucky tendencies. What is best is that, the setup successfully intertwined fun and culture celebration.  At certain points during the stay in the place, you seem to be celebrating the "Canao"(Dance int the style of the natives).  At a certain points, you seem to be in the "barrio-benefit-dance act"("Agsala dagit naka black"). At a certain points, you feel that you are indeed in the city wheres some souls are misguided( adda metten ag-binugbog).

Kankana-ey Song Lyrics Transliterated to English

An-Anusak

I will endure

by MPBC Kinoboyan

I.
No nemnemek san nabiit

If I remember the recent time
Ay nankoykoyog ta

When we have been going together
Kanak no nan kinaragsak ta

I thought that the happiness we shared
Et magay patengga na

is something without an end
Polos adak ninemnemnem

Never did I have in my mind
Di pansinaan ta

About us parting ways
Lumuluwa nan mata

My eyes are in tears
No nemnemnemek sik-a

Everytime I think of you

CHORUS:
Et aw adi, no say kanam

Okay then, if that is what you say
Ay enggay magay riknam

That you’ve got no more feelings
An-anusak, ikarigatak

I will endure, I will do my best
Manbiyag ay maga ka

To live without you
Tan narigat met kayman

Because it is difficult indeed
No wat sak-en di manlaylayad

If I am the only one who feels the love

II.
Narigat no mamingsan

Sometimes it is difficult
Di umas-asa ka

To have expectations
Nakarkaro no sisik-a

Especially if you are one
San pobre ay kanan da

Of those referred to as poor
Wat dakan lalasoyen

You will just be despised
Aagin di gayyemen

By the relatives of whom you love
No mamingsan san kinapobre

Sometimes your being poor
Di inda iilaen

Is what they focus upon

(Back to Chorus)

Bridge:
Ngem asak an-anusan,

But I will do my best
Sik-a di ennak liw-an

So I will forget you
Es-estek et nan biyag ko

I will just take care of my life
Ta adak wat kaseseg-ang

So that I won’t be pitiful

Wooooh (Back to Chorus)

An-anusak tan narigat

I will endure because it is difficult
No wat sak-en di manlaylayad

If I am the only one who feels the love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO03AZxGDHs

Coming Back after a long hibernation due to work.

Work has been difficult.  It got all my time. I forgot about my blog... I  am coming back though.

Linmigat din ublak, Inana amin ay oras ko.  Niliw-ak din blog ko.... Ngem nay umali-ak ay manta-uli.

Today is Friday, 10 July 2015.  It's a rainy day here in Baguio.

Biyernes edwani ay agew, 10 Julio 2015.  Man-ud-udan esnan Baguio.  

Paulinian Hearts 2013

There are a few who are expecting the next segment of Paulinian Hearts. Paulinian Hearts is the title that I have assigned to my accounts of reunions by alumni of Saint Paul's Academy.
I wish I could write a new version since SPA had its alumni homecoming this May 1, 2013. Unfortunately,  I was not able to make a whole day attendance to the event due to my very limited time. Based on my two hour attendance, I can only share very little.

Note Number 1.
The Tree Planting Joke.
There were a lot of seedlings to plant but a few came early to participate in the planting. In addition, there's not much space to be planted. When everyone was tired and every accessible space got a seed while a couple of seedlings are still in the crates, somebody uttered, let us do the real tree planting, we put tree, as in three, seedlings in a hole. Hehehe... Somebody was quick to answer, aw ta asi en paynotan. Of course, the later statement can only be fathomed by carrot growers.



Note Number 2.
Ghost story experience at SPA in the 80's- Revealed Truth

There was one night time in the 80's when the school bell repeatedly echoed its sound. The dormitorians quickly checked who is playing with the bell. They saw no one. A ghost may be. They panicked with the chill from a ghost experience. The truth? One naughty Paulinian attached a very lengthy knot to the bell such that the ringing can be triggered from the far Celo Haight Elementary School vicinity... Who is the naughty Paulinian?


Note Number 3.
The Cutting of the Alnos Tree at the Quadrangle & the 2-man Saw

Under Fr. Jose's supervision, a group of Paulinians are to cut down the famous Alnos Tree at the quadrangle. Fr. Jose instructed one Paulinian to get the 2-man saw from an identified place. After a few minutes, the Paulinian turned out with 2 "maso". hehe. 2-man saw is understood as 2 masos. Then, somebody's ear needed a twisting... Who is the Paulinian?