Here is a narrative about the writer’s experience of learning how to scuba dive, which I found in a workbook in the KPV Collection (details below). In this post I’ve included the Chamorro text, an English translation, and a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading!
Lamitå Taotao, Lamitå Guihan
Tinige’ as Sylvestre Iguel
“Na’despåsio hao ha’ John,” ilek-ña si Tom nu guahu. “Lá’sigi ha’ påpa’ esta ki malingu i ilu-mu gi papa’ i hanom. Gógotte i gua’ot ya un háhågong. Pues suhåyi i boti.”
Hu gégef ékungok maolek si Tom annai på’go ha fa’nána’gue yu’ bumuseru. Gof ma’åñao yu’!
Ha esgaihon yu’ si Tom guatu gi kanton boti sa’ ti hu na’siña na’maisa. Hu kákatga 44 (kuarentai kuatro) libra na tanken månglo’. I dos hos ni ginen i tanke mo’na esta i pachot-hu hu á’akka’ ni nifen-hu. Guiya este na hos nai bai hu hågong.
Gai minakkat ha’ lokkue’ i sentiron-hu. Gi addeng-hu guaha dos påtas ngånga’, i antios-hu gi matå-hu. Gof mappot kumalamten nu este siha na tråstes gi tátaotao-hu. Taimanu yu’ ñumangu?
Pues ha esgaihon yu’ påpa’ si Tom gi gua’ot esta ki malingu ilu-hu gi halom hånom. Annai humågong yu’, magåhet na ginen i hos mo’na i manglo’! Annai humågong yu’ huyong, ai, na buruka! Bulólokbok siha gi uriyå-hu.
Ha halla yu’ hulo’ si Tom. “Hu sangåni hao ha’ na cha’-mu humáhagong huyong gi gui’eng-mu,” ha huppa yu’. “Háhagong huyong gi hos.”
I mina’sigundu biahi, hu go’te i gua’ot ya humagong yu’ huyong gi hos. Todu magåhet maolek, pues hu dingu i boti. Hu ripara na yanggen hu na’kalálamten i addeng-hu hulo’ yan påpa’ humånånao me’na yu’. Ha na’gefmanman yu’ este. Siña ha’ yu’ lokkue’ humånao påpa’ lao ti u gefchago’.
I talangå-hu! Ai na piniti. Håfa på’go para bai hu cho’gue? Pues hu hasso’ håfa si Tom ha tågo’ yu’. “Siakåsu pumuti talangå-hu, go’te i gui’eng-mu ya un guaifi huyong.”
Hu hoño i gui’eng-hu gi papa’ i antios ya ayu nai hu guaifi huyong. Pumåra i puten talangå-hu.
Lao ti trankíkilu ha’ yu’. Gi kada humagong yu’, humáhalom lokkue’ hånom gi antios-hu. Gumuaha ta’lo problemå-hu! Håfa ta’lo ilek-ña si Tom nu este? Esta hu hasso’. “Bira hao gi akague-mu na bånda ya ayu nai un guaifi huyong.” Hu cho’gue taimanu fino’-ña ya hu sodda’ na magåhet na dinanche. I sigiente na hinagong-hu månglo’ ya, ai na minangnge’.
Gumé’papa’ yu’ mås. Guaha siha guihan manñáñangu gi uriyå-hu. Hu estira i kannai-hu ya hu go’te unu annai ñumáñangu mågi giya guahu. Ti ma’å’ñao nu guahu. Kao hinasson-ña na guihan yu’ lokkue’? Gof ti mappot yu’ magåhet kumalamten gi halom hånom!
Ti apmam, ñumangu mågi si Tom gi fi’on-hu. Måtto para hu konne’ yu’ tåtte gi boti. Lao ti monhayan trabiha i leksion-hu. Ha na’ñangon despápasio yu’ hulo’ gi supen tåsi. Este na bånda gi leksion buseru mås piligru. Malago’ hao chumaddek hulo’, lao gof piligru. Ginágagao i tátaotao-mu tiempo para hu payuni i tinilaikan i pressure.
Kumu un na’chaddek hao hulo’, siña ha’ pakpak i talangå-mu, osino pakpak i gofes-mu, pat nina’litiku hao. Debi di un na’despåsio hao hulo’ yan na’naturat i hinagógong-mu.
Annai esta gaige ham gi halom boti hu faisen, “Kuanto tinaddong-ña i karerå-ta?”
“Kana’ ha’ 5 (sinkgo) pe,” manoppe. “Esta maolek ha’ tinaddong-ña para på’go un tutútuhon. Otro biahi ta na’dopble tinaddong-ña.”
Mumagágahet si Tom ni fino’-ña. I mina’otro simåna na hu dalak, ha konne’ yu’ påpa’ esta i 100 (sientu) pe na tinaddong. Ayu na ha’åne nai hu chagi tomohge gi fondon tåsi. Ha konne’ yu’ gi adotgan åcho’ siha, liyang, yan hatdin. Gof magof yu’ nu i buniton lugåt siha gi papa’ tåsi. Ha na’fanli’e’ yu’ si Tom nu i minagof yan piniligron este na huegu. Debi di un subetbio yanggen malago’ hao lumi’e’ este siha na ná’manman yan buniton lugåt gi papa’ tåsi. Lao gof ná’magof lokkue’, mana’lamitå taotao, lamitå guihan.
Half Person, Half Fish
Written by Sylvestre Iguel
“Just go slow, John,” Tom said to me. “Continue further down until your head is no longer visible and is under the water. Hold onto the ladder and breathe. Then avoid the boat.”
I really listened well to Tom when he was first teaching me to dive. I was very afraid!
Tom guided me to the edge of the boat, because I could not do it on my own. I was carrying a 44 (forty four) pound air tank. I was biting the two hoses that went from the tank to my mouth with my teth. This was the hose that I would breathe from.
My belt also had weight. On my feet were two flippers (duck feet), my goggles on my face. It was very difficult to move with these things on my body. How would I swim?
Then Tom guided me down the ladder until my head disappeared into the water. When I breathed, the air really did come from the hose! When I exhaled, oh what noise! It was bubbling all around me.
Tom pulled me up. “I told you not to breathe out of your nose,” he threatened me. “Breathe out the hose.”
The second time, I held the ladder and breathed out the hose. Everything was indeed fine, so I left the boat. I noticed that I if I were to move my legs up and down, I would go forward. I was amazed by this. I could also go down, but it wouldn’t be very far.
My ear! Oh how painful. What do I do now? Then I remembered what Tom had told me to do. “In case my ear begins to hurt, hold your nose and blow out.
I pressed down on my nose under my goggles and then I blew out. The pain in my ear stopped.
But I still wasn’t calm. Every time I breathed, water was also entering my goggles. Another problem emerged! What had Tom said about this again? I remember. “Turn on your left side and that’s when you blow out. I did as he said and I found that it he really was right. My next breath was air, and oh it was so great.
I went down further. There were fish swimming around me. I reached out my hand and I held one as it swam toward me. It wasn’t scared of me. Did it think that I was a fish too? It really wasn’t difficult for me to move around in the water!
Before long, Tom swam over next to me. He came to take me back to the boat. But my lesson wasn’t done yet. He made me swim slowly up to the surface of the ocean. This part of the diving lesson was more dangerous. You want to go up quickly, but it’s very dangerous. Your body needs time to adjust to the change of pressure.
If you go up quickly, your ears could burst, or your lungs could pop, or you could be paralyzed. You should slow yourself going up and make your breathing natural.
When we were already in the boat I asked, “How deep was our journey?”
“Just nearly 5 (five) feet,” he answered. “This is already a good enough depth for now as you’re just starting. Next time we’ll double its depth.”
Tom made good on his word. The next week that I followed him, he took me down to a depth of 100 (one hundred) feet. That day was when I experienced standing on the ocean floor. He took me through holes in rocks, a cave, and a garden. I was so amused by the beautiful places under the sea. Tom showed me the joy and danger of this sport. You need to be brave if you want to see these amazing and beautiful places under the sea. But it’s very pleasing, too, to be made half man, half fish.
References
KPV Collection, and Sylvestre Iguel. 1977. E-5. PDF. Chamorro Stories w/Worksheets & Questions. Saipan Title VII Chamorro Bilingual Project.
https://airtable.com/appU43QeD409YS6Hl/shrXhl6F1kRn9xx1H/tblN01VTDCNtsL5Er/viweMEfQRRSfWjSvi?blocks=hide.
Lengguahi-ta 