Then there are those honest reports – the ones that are not coerced, but rather deliberate and capture the essence of Palau. The following is one such report as told by Ruby Chan, a student from Guam who visited Palau in April of this year. The report is published as is with no editorial work – for fear of taking color out of someone else’s view. Read and enjoy.KayangelBy Ruby ChanDuring our stay on Kayangel, a small unincorporated territory of Palau, our first activity with the people of that state is to conduct interviews about their daily lives and their traditions/cultures. My interviewee was Mr. Obeketang, a young, local messenger and electrician for the telephone service. Because the island is made up of only fifty to sixty people, he could possibly have more than one job.According to Mr. Obeketang, one of their traditional dances is called Matmatong. Additionally, the usual greeting is “Allii!” which is similar to “Hey!” or “Hello!” The way the people of Kayangel acknowledge a marriage is first, the family of the female must present food to the family of the male, while the family of the male must then present money to the family of the female. The eldest of the family will then decide whether or not the couple is to be wed. The structure of the house, which is made mostly from wood, is elevated from the ground to provide ventilation. Their traditional food dish is fish, such as the red snapper, and taro. During Mr. Obeketang’s free time, he likes to carve story boards and spears and make jewelry. Baseball is also their favorite sport. On March 15, for example, which was their Youth Day, they had played a great deal of baseball and other games.
