Our Saturday evening practice group is still making our way through some of Siñot Danny’s songs, and last night we listened to Masi, which is about how when times were hard on Guam, people would be collecting scrap metal for money. Jay actually remembered what it was like in the 2000s on the island, and he especially remembered when brass plaques would be stolen off of the monuments. You may also recognize the tune, as it is very similar to his song Kåddon Pika. In this post we have included Chamorro lyrics and an English translation for Masi by Daniel Deleon Guerrero. Happy listening!
Continue reading “Kåntan Chamoru: Masi”Author: Schyuler Lujan
Learning to speak, read and write Chamorro while creating digital materials to support our worldwide learning community.
Chamorro Breadfruit Dishes
While it’s harder to come by in the Pacific Northwest, breadfruit is an abundant and beloved staple across most of the Pacific and the Marianas are no exception. Breadfruit season on Guam makes for plentiful supply. A few years ago, when we were visiting Guam with my cousin, we were lucky enough to enjoy some breadfruit, which we prepared by blackening in the barbecue coals and smashing open to enjoy with our meal. In this post we will learn more about breadfruit on Guam and read four short recipes for preparing it. This is the fifth part of the book Manmannge’ Na Nengkanno’ I Manchamorro Yan Taimanu Manmafa’tinas-niha written by Carmen C. Blas, which I found in the UOG Archives and Digital Collections website. This post includes the Chamorro text, an English translation, and a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading!
Updated 15-Feb-2025: Added discussion notes from our Saturday morning practice group.
90 Words for the Body in Chamorro (with Audio Pronunciations)
Let’s learn Chamorro vocabulary for the human body! In this post, we have about 90 essential words for different body parts in Chamorro, complete with English translations and audio pronunciations voiced by Jay Che’le. Happy studying!
Continue reading “90 Words for the Body in Chamorro (with Audio Pronunciations)”Kåntan Chamoru: Ti Hu Nisisita Hao
This past Saturday, our evening practice group didn’t meet because Jay was at a conference, so I transcribed this song during a solo study session. I got some much-needed help from Jay and our study group to clarify a few tricky words—big thanks to all of them! I really enjoyed both the music and lyrics to this song, and I think its message of leaving behind a toxic person and relationship will strike a chord with many. In this post, you’ll find the Chamorro lyrics and an English translation for Ti Hu Nisisita Hao sung by Jocelyn Toves. Happy listening!
Continue reading “Kåntan Chamoru: Ti Hu Nisisita Hao”
Chamorro Taro Dishes
Chamorro recipes that use taro root or taro leaves were rare for me when I was growing up, as they weren’t easy for us to find here in the Pacific Northwest. It was more common for my grandmother to cook with other roots, particulary kamuti (sweet potato), and spinach leaves are a frequent subsitute for the taro leaves when cooking the gollai hagon suni. In this post we will learn more about taro on Guam, and read five short recipes for cooking taro. This is the fourth part of the book Manmannge’ Na Nengkanno’ I Manchamorro Yan Taimanu Manmafa’tinas-niha written by Carmen C. Blas, which I found in the UOG Archives and Digital Collections website. This post includes the Chamorro text, an English translation, and a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading!
Updated Feb-8-2025 with discussion notes from our Saturday morning practice group.
Lengguahi-ta 