MAGSINGAL ASSOCIATION OF HAWAII GRANDE (MAHG) OFFICIALLY ENDORSES THE MAGSINGAL COMMUNITY CENTER PROJECT
Bert Ugalino
by Mario Ugalino
June 22, 2008 - Hawaii
Most of us once we left our country of birth for another country, we always find ourselves thinking of going back. To some of you, you probably left the Philippines for some other reasons and never even thinking of going back anymore. But the majority of us always want to go back home again because we are either homesick of our culture, miss the old way of life we were used to or miss our families and friends we left behind.
When we were living back in the Philippines, we tried to leave our country as soon as we were able to. We left our good jobs, our lands, our families and our culture behind for another different way of life and a new culture that we would eventually adopt as ours. We cross the unknown in order to improve our lives. Months, years, decades, half a century gone later, we always go back!
Did you notice the two most common question people ask once you are old enough to go and work abroad? People would ask, “When are you going abroad?” Then once you have been abroad and come home to visit, the next question would be, “When are you coming back?” So those are the two phrases most commonly said – “When are you going abroad? When are you coming back?” Remember these two phrases?
And when we are already abroad, we see our Kailians at the church, at the supermarkets, sports hall and so forth and we ask, “When are you going back home?” This phrase is the most common phrase we use when we see our Kailians abroad – “When are you going back home?” I think once we are abroad, we can hardly wait to go home and feel the Filipino culture again. I think other people (cultures) feel the same way when they are away from their own countries. Our culture and families are so precious and important to all of us Filipinos. These I believe are our main Filipino traits. It shows for example our traits when some family members of ours leave for or arrive from abroad. When one family member leaves, we fill the bus up to the airport to say our goodbyes.
I still remember the day August 9, 1970 when I left for Hawaii at the old Manila International Airport (MIA). Lots of my relatives came to say goodbye to me all the way to the tarmac door (9/11 terrorist attack changed all this way of saying goodbyes forever. They are so strict nowadays you will learn how I almost got in trouble). I promised to visit them often but it did not happen again until so many years later. Some of them have passed on without me having a chance to see them again. The first time I went home after I left the Philippines was 26 years later in 1996.
Early this year I went home to visit my parents in Magsingal. I flew on Philippine Air Lines. I always like flying on PAL because of its fine service it gives to its passengers and also because it was only the airline then that fly straight flight to Manila from Honolulu (Hawaiian Airlines later followed with a route and a direct flight from Honolulu to Manila). It is also very comfortable flying with PAL because mostly the passengers are our own Filipinos (Ilocanos I meant!). Hehehe!
Before I left Honolulu, my wife had already called her auntie in Magsingal about making for me an anting-anting. This is to thwart the multi-evil spirits some of us believe thriving in the Philippines especially where I stayed for three weeks. Banggay where I stayed used to be a semi forest near Bussawit. Our forebears told us when they were still alive that Banggay was full of “Naka-taotao-an”. Ansisits, Kibba-ans, Karkarmas, Pugots, etc, roam there, an Albolaryo once told us. Therefore, I always say “dayo-dayo” or “bari-bari” whenever I do some personal stuff or just walking around or up the hill near my parents house. I never understood where these words came from or its meaning. But we just followed. So every time I go home in Banggay, I need to have an anting-anting with me in my wallet. In the States, we say, “Do not leave home without your credit card”. But when I am in the Philippines, I say, “Do not leave home without you anting-anting”.
After three weeks of being with my Mom and Dad, I finally was coming home again to my adopted land of Hawaii. My brother (Ron) and cousin (Espin) took me to Laoag for my flight to Manila and then to Honolulu. There were no problems for me to get inside the airport’s secured area. The detection machine did not detect any prohibited things. I boarded the plane and 50 or so minutes later we arrived at NAIA. I then went out of the domestic terminal and entered the international part of the NAIA. The first security door I entered was no problem for me to enter. The second security door I entered was again no problem for me to enter. Then the third and last security check, they told me to step aside for a minute while they check my briefcase. Maybe some fifteen minutes later, some airport security police showed up and asked me to follow him. I followed him all the way to the airport’s police office. They told me to sit down and relax.
Then some minutes later, their supervisor in charge at that time showed up. In my mind, I thought that they were going to question me about my many different prescription drugs I have with me. But then, they showed me the anting-anting. Where did I get it? What is it for? And so on…I explained to them what it was for and I forgot to leave it behind in Magsingal. They then cut the small piece of wad that covered the anting-anting or anib. I did not know of what it was made of. As soon as I saw it, I prayed! It was an empty capsule of .22 caliber (without the bullet). Inside the capsule were phosphorous, and things that I cannot recognize. Any kind of “Capsola” with or without the bullet is prohibited for Air transportation (9/11 anti-terrorist rule). They held me in their office for almost two hours. They took copies of my passport, I made statements that I will not take any anting-anting again especially with a capsule. I made statements that I did not know that the anting-anting was made of capsule. They have probably checked my background in the Philippines as well as the US. And they probably alerted the US Homeland Security about my disgraceful work.
After so many hours of paper works and cliché type questioning from the Airport Security Police personnel, they finally let me go. I was so embarrassed and almost did not make my flight home to Hawaii. So next time, I will make sure that the anting-anting stay behind in Magsingal! Hehehe! I am laughing now but it was not funny then. The lesson here is check everything you take to the airport and leave your anting-anting behind. Also, I now know that the security in Manila airport is pretty good.
In the end, I was so thankful they did not keep me over night for more questioning. Or fine me P60,000 for my dumb mistake as they usually do for this kind of dumb mistake. Also, flying home that night I was so scared that the US Homeland Security in Hawaii might be waiting for me in Honolulu because of my actions in Manila. They are so security conscious nowadays after the terrorist attack that everything’s serious pertaining to anything that could explode or use to aid terrorists everywhere. I am thankful they did not show up. As a former military, I should have known better!
Happy Anting-Anting and Aloha!
Manong, thanks for the lesson learned. I guess next time we enter the airport security, we will have to remember the phrase that we used to say before and after we come out of the firing lane: NO BRASS, NO AMMO.
And next time you bring an anting-anting, you may as well bring the real one - daytay isalsalikad mo idi no mapan tayo diay Russian River, but remember to declare it.
Kevin must have now hooked more salmon than I had. I have stopped using rod and reel since I found out about dipnetting. I been skunked at Russian River a couple of times so I'd rather dip net.
And, I would love to see a picture of katuday tree with flowers from you. I saw the picture you posted and for a while I thought it was a katuday.
Adingko Dole,
Wen adda tanem dita asideg ti bantay tayo. Numona ta kanayom mi ken ni Kaka Bert ti mapan agiwayway dagiti baka daydi lelongmi nga Apo Faran. Kasta unay ti butengko no mapan kami ta makitkita mi met diay tanem diay sirok ti mangga. Ken kasta unay a nagsamek idi didiay. Adu pay ti mulmula a datdatlag a agtubo idi. Kuna dagiti lallakay idi a mula ti Marmarna.
Ngem adu met naglalapsat a saluyot nga agtubtubo idi ngem awan ti saluyot idiayen. Apaunay a naggalis a saluyot. Uray dagidi lames kada kappi awan dan.
Ni Ador ket didiay Florida ti ayanda. Asideg ti University of Florida ti ayan balayda. Numuna to aglaban ti University of Hawaii ken University of Florida datoy Setiembre ti football. Ma embaras kami siguro a taga ditoy Hawaii ta napapaspas dagiti taga diay Florida. I misplaced her address but I will get it for you.
Nagpintas dadiay imbagam a panag meet tan. Bay am ta umayakto makipag sinambong ken kaskaron saton to met ipatulod ditoy MVP tapno agawid da met aglalo dagitay nabayag a nagawawiden.
Kastan ken Aloha yo amin dita
Manongmo G
Ay, sus, por dies porsiento, binisbistodaka metten kabagis...
Incidents involving “anting-anting” (or “an-anib”) at security lines are more common than we think...
I had a “brush” with NAIA security as well. And believe it or not, it also had something to do with anting-anting. Although the anting-anting was not mine and was not found in my possession, I was still “implicated”. How I was involved in a contraband that was not directly linked to me and how I fell under close scrutiny with the flight and the airport securities because of it I attribute to bad luck... or being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
It was about a couple of years ago on a return trip from Manila to Honolulu on a Pal flight. We were already boarded but the plane idled for quite a while at the NAIA tarmac. I noticed the seat next to me was vacant.
After another fifteen minutes or so of waiting, an elderly Ilokano gentleman, about 75 years old, arrived to claim the seat next to me. And in Iluko he said to nobody in particular but to everybody within earshot: “You won’t believe what happened to me. The security people were questioning me for hours!”
I easily get drawn into any conversations that are in Iluko. So in true,
classic form I jumped into the conversation with the old man that I’ll call “Ama Timot”. Ama Timot was trying to put on a brave face but he appeared shook up from the questioning that he said he just went through with security.
Ama Timot’s story: Ama Timot, a long time Hawaii resident, went home to his old Ilocos hometown to see a shaman because of a lingering illness of his. This shaman prepared an anting-anting for him, a magic assemblage made up of asin, suka, bawang, laya... and a bala. A live .45 caliber bullet at that. Ama Timot claimed he got well from his illness and he attributed his recovery to the anting-anting. He couldn’t leave his anting-anting behind when it was time to return to Hawaii. “Are you kidding, he said loudly, “I paid P6,000 for it...” So he decided to take the anting-anting with him. He stashed the anting-anting in one of his check-in boxes. Unfortunately, the anting-anting’s magic was no match for modern technology. X-ray picked it up... At the waiting area, Ama Timot was repeatedly paged prior to boarding. He finally responded to the page and the lengthy questioning commenced. Ama Timot said he could not shake off the image of the haole (White) guy who was “very mean in questioning me”. So Homeland Security was there, I said to myself.
I tried to steer Ama Timot away from his experience to sort of calm him down. So I engaged him in small talk. And we hit it off. I found out he had decided to retire in the Philippines so as soon as he got back to Kalihi, he would sell his house and then retire in the Philippines. A potential client! I sang to myself. Ka-ching!
My enthusiasm was dampened when out of nowhere somebody came and stood in the aisle next to my seat and he wanted my passport and my boarding pass which he took with him. I started to fidget in my seat.
I deduced that security watched Ama Timot all the way to his plane seat and wanted to check out who his companions were! I was probably mistaken to be one...
But I survived to tell this story of the paradox of anting-antings!
Moral of the story (actually there are two of them): One: Do not bring anting-anting with you in any air travels. Two: Steer clear from people who’ve been questioned by security.--BU
Dole,
That was the best "fishing story" diay imbagam nga cold beer ti naala dagidiay bukatot! Ket no adda met nairana a sumagmamano nga kappi ken buntiek wenno igat a nailaw-an iti bukatot, ayos pulotan!
Sika koma ti agistoria dagita padpadasmo ta adu dagita pagpaspasiaram. Nadlawko ket bistom met ti agsurat.
La man, Kap, ta adda linglingay a basbasaen.
Siak ni Manongmo Bert (SWI 67), kakaen ni Mario ken adien ni Mg Noling.
Komustakay amin dita batogmo!
MANONG GARMAN,
AGASSIDEG KEN AGDUDULON TAY MET GAYAM DIAY BANGGAY.....MALAGIP MO PAY KADI DAYDI TANEM TI INTSIK DIAY SIROK TI MANGGA DIAY BANGGAY ? WEN.... SEGUN DAGIDI LAL-LAKAY KET ADU KANO TI AL-AALIA KEN MAR-MARNA DAYDIAY BANTAY TAYO DIAY BANGGAY...ITI PARTE MI KET DIAY AKIN LAUD...DIAY SUNGO NGA KUNADA NGA AYAN TI LUMBOY NGA AMIN NGA SANGA NA KET AGPABABA...KUNA DAYDI ULITEG NGA IROY OANDASAN KET ISU NGA AGPABABA DAGIDIAY SANGA TI LUMBOY TA PAGBALAYAN KANO MET TI KAPRE WENNO PUGOT......DIAY AYAN TI PAY-AS WENNO WAIG NGA PAGPAKATAN TI BUKATOT KEN PALAYAW...NO TIEMPO TI NEP-NEP KEN BAGYO...
ADU PAY LAENG TI OONG GADO KEN OONG GALIS DIAY BANGGAY KEN KAPPI....SIGURO MANONG KET MALAGIP MO PAY IDI NARBA DIAY RANGTAY NGA KAYO DIAY KALSADA NGA ASIDEG DIAY BANGGAY DIAY ASIDEG TI TALON NI DAYDI MANONG JAIME GOROSPE....NARBA NGAMIN TA NAGNA TI DAKKEL NGA DELIVERY TRUCK TI SAN MIGUEL....KET NATINNAG DIAY TRUCK...OLA FIESTA... AMIN NGA ADDA BUKATOT KEN TANGGAR NA....IMBES NGA BUNTSEK, GURAMI WENNO AR-AR-ARO TI MA-ALA KET INSTANT '' COLD SAN MIGUEL BEER NA PALE PILSEN'' TI MASANGAT...GRADE ONE AKO NOON...
MANONG, PLEASE DO ME A FAVOR....I KNOW THAT ADORACION UGALINO IS YOUR COUSIN...SHE IS MY GOOD FRIEND AND A CLASSMATE OF MINE SINCE WE ARE GRADE ONE TO HIGH SCHOOL...I KNOW THAT SHE IS IN FLORIDA....WE ARE IN TOUCH WHEN SHE WAS STILL IN KUWAIT DURING THE EARLY 90'S PERO NOONG NAPUNTA NA SIYA SA FLORIDA AY HINDI KO NA ALAM ANG CONTACT ADD NIYA...PLEASE MANONG IF YOU HAVE HER CONTACT ADD OR HER E-MAIL ADD AY PLEASE LET ME KNOW BECAUSE SOME OF MY CLASSMATES ARE ASKING HER..AT PARA KUMUSTAHIN KO DIN SIYA...
HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU AND BEST REGARDS TO ALL...MANONG,..KA-ANO TI BAKASYON YO KADI DIAY PILIPINAS PARA UMAY KANTO PASSIAREN WENNO UMAY KANTO PUMASYAR DIAY AYAN KO DIAY MANZANTE WENNO DIAY MANILA....PARA MAPANTANTO AGSINAMBONG KEN AGKAS-KARON DIAY BANTAY BUNENG...PAMBARAN TANTO PAY TI SUMOKMON TI BASI....
CIAO...MED VENLIG HILSEN,
ADING MO,
DOLE
E-MAIL
OOT002@MAERSKCREW.COM
M/V NELE MAERSK
Manong GUU, that's quite an experience you went through there. I also heard a story from a family member where he brought bunga ti marunggi from Hawaii to the mainland. He was brought to this room as well and interrogated just because of marunggi, lol...
My grandson, Kevin, and his catch. These photos appear at the website of Alaska Outdoor Journal (http://alaskaoutdoorjournal.com)
My son (Brad) and my grandson (Kevin) are on the Alaska Outdoor Journals (Alaska fishing guide)
Hello to all everyone across the world! When are you all going home?
GUU
To: William
The tree is called "Gold Tree". They are so beautiful! They come out usually during spring and the color will turn into green as it gets older. The Katudday tree is also beautiful with its white color flower. When they are in bloom tourists also stop by and take pictures of the Katudday they see on the Highways also. They do not know that Katudday is one of our favorite food salad to eat.
Yes, Kevin is just like his father. He is hooked into fishing. I am just hoping that they do not encounter Brown Bears when they go fishing especially at the Russian River. I have told Brad to be very careful when they go down there. But I know the feeling of being hooked to the sound of the fishing line being pulled by the hooked fish. My ears are still ringing with that sound every time I think of salmon fishing, Filipino-Alaskan style. Know what I mean?