Sa pag-pa-uli kono sa ato ni Nesto (Dr. Ernesto Colina) a few years ago, the hottest topic of discussion among his Opao neighborhood was the Statehood Movement of the Philippines. All throughout the day, he enjoyed listening to the folks young and old in spirited discussions pro and con on whether the Philippines should become one of the states of the U.S. The famous "pilosopo" Tanjay-style became apparent when Manoy Anselmo, who was against the movement, ended his dissertation with an impassioned plea: "Kung ma-state na ang Pilipinas sa Amerika, kitang tanan mapugos na pagka-Amerikano. Ang Pilipinas mahimo ng sakop sa Amerika. Unya kami intawong mga tigulang mangamatay kay dili man maka-agwanta sa kabugnaw sa snow!" Bale kuno niyang tukiki ug katawa.

* * * * *

Sometimes, one is amused by the fact that there are actually certain words and expressions that are indigenous to our town - words that usually only native Tanjayanons can understand. Try the following (and be amused):

sangkay - to throw away (because you have a lot of)
patsada - pretty (but a little inferior to Tanjay's gwapas)
bafayofot - gay (say discreetly, a relative is around)
Ay guini-i ko nimo! - I'm smarter than you think (?) ebol - Grade I
ebol, ebak - Grade I (and he's your buddy)
ebol, ebak, (censored) nabu-ak - Grade I (and you hate her)

(Note: It was only many years later that Junior Dacono and I realized that first-graders were called ebol - because the first English sentence one learns in Grade I is, This is a ball. Then, This is a box. As for that censored word, ask any Tanjayanon over 40 years old, and if she's smart, she'll not tell you....)

When Mrs. Pastor (Salome Calumpang, wife of Nene Pastor) was brought to Disneyland by Mariles and Peton, she was apparently not impressed. Why? Because, she confessed, that she was always tempted to write the word Tanjay every time she saw the Disneyland slogan: The Happiest Place on Earth.... Ah, the typical, biased, proud Tanjayanon!!

* * * * *

Bert Sandiego, hubby of Quirining Navarro, just came back from a visit to Tanjay. Among his tidbits was that the Tanjay Christmas tree, at 150 feet tall, and reputed to be the tallest in the whole Philippines (and probably, in the whole world - bali gyud natong katalana!) can be seen as far as Santander, Cebu at night. It has become the number one tourist attraction for visitors coming from all over the region.

Balak nga Hinubog

(This balak is nonsense. Its authorship is doubtful, but one can be sure that it was written by a Tanjayanon who must have had one too many. I am reconstructing it here because it gives for a very fine delivery, especially when one is in a gathering and is forced to give an impromptu number. Deliver it s-l-o-w-l-y so your audience gets every word you say.)

Usa kadto ka gabi-i, nga adlaw
Di-in ako nag-higda, nga naglakaw-lakaw
Ka-uban ang usa ka higala, nga dili ko ka-ila.

Ning-lingkod ako sa usa ka bato, nga kahoy
Dinan-agan sa usa ka suga, nga wala magsiga
Gi-abut ako sa kakulba, nga wala ko bati-a
Pagka-kita ko sa dakung kabaw (kalabaw!) nga nag-tungtung sa usa ka gamay'ng langaw

Gui-ibot ko ang revolver, nga wala ko madala
Gui-kablit ko ang gato, nga wala ko hikapa
Ug ning-buto usab ang tonto, nga wala'y bala!

* * * * *

(We have permission to print the following letter from Dr. Delfa Gomez Dumaran, who lives in Rockledge, Pennsylvania....)

Dear Tanjayanons:

Thank you for this most enlightening newsletter. It was worth a thousand laughs and fond memories of my childhood in Tanjay - my Lolo Eping's house being strategically located across the park and on the way to Tabok.

I went home to the Philippines in September to visit my son Neil who is sweating it out literally in the hot climate of P.I. He is attending U.E. Medical School. Of course my sister Nida and I went home. Baling lami-a. It was the lanzones season - sus, we of course gorged ourselves with this plus the hanging rice (puso) and sinugba nga isda and kinamot!

It was nice to be home. We were met by all our "etneraps" from Tanjay who came and stayed for two days for the mahjong session. Chita Siwa Quiteves (who is my first cousin on Mama's side) read your Tanjay program because I purposely brought it for her para maka-up-to-date siya sa Tsismis. Some of the names mentioned I only heard thru her when we were growing up. At any rate I was telling cousins Nennen and Glenda (nee Teves) that my sisters and I might just attend the Tanjay fiesta in July.

I gladly enclose my membership due even just for the newsletter. I thought I'd type this letter (tuplok method) because I am famous for my lousy doctor penmanship.

Regards to all,
Delfa