Tom Zink's Content
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Tom Zink

From: Cleveland, Ohio
PC Group: Micro VII
Trained: Rota
Served: Saipan
Years of Service: 1968-70

Assignment:
TESL at Oleai School (year 1), Hopwood Junior High (year 2), taught physical education and coached Oleai school sports teams 
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Micronesian travel:
Summer 1969, visited Majuro, Yap and Palau with fellow volunteer Andy Pavley; worked as dorm manager at MOC, Palau (TT contract), 1971-72. Returned to Saipan for visits June 2013 and January 2019

Picture/Slide Album

Submitted Photos:
Saipan, microlympics, & teaching

Micro VII
Peace Corps Training

Stories

1969 MicrOlympic Games

Video

In Memory of Ping
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"​Saipan - Then and Now"
(1970 - 2018)

Liki My Kimok​
(Uploaded Dec 15, 2023)

  • Video Created and Submitted by: Tom Zink
  • Date(s):  1968
  • Description:​
    ​This song, “Liki My Kimok,” made its way from the Marshall Islands to the northern Marianas and became a favorite of the Saipan Carolinian community, especially among the singers of the Oleai Civic Youth Organization (OCYO). Listen as the rhythmic energy of the song spreads to the audience of students gathered on the front steps of the Trust Territory Nursing School where students from all across Micronesia lived and studied. They first start clapping along, then some begin dancing, others hooting, whistling and cheering. By the end, the song dissolves into applause and laughter.
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Gi Todo i Lugat
(Uploaded Oct 27, 2023)

  • Video Created and Submitted by: Tom Zink
  • Date(s):  1970s
  • Description:​"A traditional song of farewell, “Gi Todo i Lugat” is a Chamorro song from the Northern Mariana Islands in the western Pacific. The first line of the chorus – “pues adios, asta ke” – says, “So, good-bye, until then.” If any viewers can help by providing a more complete translation of the song, please reply in the Comments below.

    This recording features five Oleai School teachers and friends who sang together in a school classroom on a late Friday afternoon in June 1970. The singers were Canso Limes, Jack Ruben, Joe Olaitiman, Mariano Igisomar, and Tom Zink. The then-new Oleai School building located on the island of Saipan in the Northern Marianas had just opened one year earlier. 
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Slack key guitar
(Uploaded Sept 29, 2023)

  • Video Created and Submitted by: Tom Zink
  • Date(s):  1970s
  • Description:
    ​“Slack Key” guitar is a traditional Hawaiian finger-style genre of guitar music that made its way to other Pacific islands including the Northern Marianas and was popular among guitar players on Saipan, NMI in the 1970s.. Several strings on the guitar are loosened, or “slacked,” to produce an open major chord. In this video, Jack Ruben plays an instrumental slack key song.
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I Kapiya
(Uploaded Sept 22, 2023)

  • Video Created and Submitted by: Tom Zink
  • Date(s):  June 1970
  • Description:
    “I Kapiya” is a Chamorro song from the Northern Mariana Islands in the western Pacific.

    The song is about the chapel (“kapiya”) in the valley where the couple, who are very much in love, are going to be married. If any viewers can help by providing a more complete translation of the song, please reply in the Comments below.

    This recording features Oleai School teachers and friends who sang together in a school classroom on a late Friday afternoon in June 1970. The singers were Canso Limes, Jack Ruben, Joe Olaitiman, Mariano Igisomar, and Tom Zink. The then-new Oleai School building located on the island of Saipan in the Northern Marianas had just opened one year earlier.
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Hagu Inan I Langet
​("You are the light of heaven")

Description:
Video created and submitted by Tom Zink:
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This recording of the Chamorro song, “Hagu Inan I Langhet,” features Oleai Elementary School teachers and friends who sang together in a school classroom on a late Friday afternoon in June 1970. The singers were Canso Limes, Jack Ruben, Joe Olaitiman, Mariano Igisomar. The then-new Oleai School building located on the island of Saipan in the Northern Marianas had just opened one year earlier. 

This is a Chamorro song from the Northern Mariana Islands. The title means, “You are the light of heaven,” according to a translation on the Minigahet Chamorro blog. 

HAGU INAN I LANGHET

Hågu i inan i langhet
O pulan klåru yan gåtbo
Ai na’silensio na puengge
Un alibia, un alibia i piniti-hu

Yanggen triste hao gi puengge
Atan hulo’ ya un li’e
Hågu siempre un konsigi
I minagof i alibio para siempre

Ayu na mineggai puti’on
Manma’lak yan ti tufong’on
Lao meggaiña ti li’e’on
Mas ki sien mit, mas ki sien mit miyon

Jai Bari Rua, a Marshallese song, recorded in Koror,
​Palau 1972 & on Saipan, NMI 1970 in Micronesia

Description:
Video created and submitted by Tom Zink:

You Tube description for “Jai Bari Rua”

This is a medley of two versions of “Jai Bari Rua,” a song from the Marshall Islands. The first version was recorded in 1972 at what was then known as the Micronesian Occupational Center (MOC), a post-secondary vocational/technical school in Koror, Palau, in Micronesia. The singers in this first version of the song were Marshallese students at MOC and were led by Liekman Robert. In 1978 MOC became the Micronesian Occupational College, and in 1993 it became Palau Community College. 

The second version of the song was recorded in 1970 at Oleai Elementary School on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. The singers were Canso Limes, Tom Zink, Jack Ruben, Mariano Igisomar and Joe Olaitiman.

If any viewers can help by providing a translation of the song, please reply in the Comments below.

Jai Bari Rua (Marshallese)

Jai bari rua, nah-nee nay zoh-ta 
Jai bari rua, nah-nee nay zoh-ta

Ah-ee, ing kai nim wah-rio,
Ah-roo, tahm baligi longa
Ah-ee riga wario, oh, oh, oh
Kang nanga wario, oh, oh, oh,
Jai rig go-lay, nang e-wang kud
Nah-tutu nah-tu kah-kay

Carolinian Christmas Carols sung
​by Oleai Civic Youth choir 

Description:
Video created and submitted by Tom Zink:

Here’s a medley of two Carolinian Christmas Carols, sung by the Oleai Civic Youth Choir of Oleai village on Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. One of the Civic’s favorite activities was the Christmas caroling bus tour of the island on the Friday before Christmas. In December 1968, more than two dozen youth, ranging in age from early teens to late-20s, piled onto the bus for a singing caravan around the island. You could be sure that at every stop, these two carols—“Igila Auarto Jesus” and “Eschai Et”—would be sung, one right after the other without missing a beat.

“Igila Auarto Jesus” can be roughly translated as “Now Jesus is arriving”. The refrain at the end is saying, “Let’s all hurry to see the baby Jesus.” The second carol, “Eschai Et,” has a call-and-response chorus: the higher voices sing, “Sibwe-lah,” (we’re all going) and the lower voices echo. The higher voices then sing, “Belen,” (to Bethlehem) to which the response is “ren Nino Jesus” (to the baby Jesus). All the singers join in on the final two lines.

The lyrics below are taken from a 1968 mimeographed hand-out of Carolinian and Chamorro Christmas songs. The spellings have changed since then, and corrections will be made when they become available:

IGILA AUARTO, JESUS

Igila auarto Jesus, ah-itiu meueilang
Alonger mal lugulug, rem rebue bwal faiog.

Faiogusch rebue seletag, mal isao me malepat
Ila mille alongasch, Sibwe mesaig, ual alongal inamoia
Faliu meta schal ueilang pagapagala.

Siafatob sibue ueri, sibue tong ren Nino Jesus,
Siafatob sibue ueri, sibue tong ren Nino Jesus.


ESCHAI ET

Eschai et relaili meual Belen,
Lal eu imual mal le igil roschapung,
Aule ito ausibuela asotub rel,
Bue I asch chala melau Nino Jesus.

Sibwe-lah 
(Sibwe-lah) 
Belen
(Ren Nino Jesus)
Sibue-la asotub rel
(Tingar sangi melauasch)

Sibwe-lah 
(Sibwe-lah) 
Sibwe-lah asotub-rel Nino Jesus,
Metingar sengi asch melau faschafasch.
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​O Come, All Ye Faithful

Description:
Video created and submitted by Tom Zink:

“O Come, All Ye Faithful” sung in 4 languages on Saipan, NMI, 1968

In this video the Oleai Civic Youth Choir sing the familiar Christmas carol, “O Come All Ye Faithful” in a continuous flow from English to Chamorro to Carolinian and finally to Latin. As the language changes happen, the slide will show the first words of the song: “Fan-mato manhengge” (Chamorro), “Auito Malugulug” (Carolinian), “Adeste Fidelis” (Latin). The Chamorro and Carolinian lyrics can be found below.

The Oleai Civic Youth Organization (known as the “Civic”) was started in the late 1960s at San Jose Church in Oleai village on Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. One of its many activities was the Christmas caroling bus tour of the island on the Friday before Christmas. In December 1968, more than two dozen youth, ranging in age from early teens to late-20s, piled onto the bus for a singing caravan around the island.

These lyrics are taken from a 1968 mimeographed hand-out of Carolinian and Chamorro Christmas songs. The spellings have changed since then, and corrections will be made when they become available:

FAN-MATO MAN-HENGGE (Chamorro)

Fan-mato man-hengge fata I minagof
Fan-mato fan-mato giya Belen
Atan i patgon, rai i anghet siha,

Tangingi ta-adora, Tangingi ta-adora
Tangingi ta-adora si Jesus.
 
Atan i patgon, rai i anghet siha,
Tangingi ta-adora, Tangingi ta-adora
Tangingi ta-adora si Jesus.

AUITO MALUGULUG (Carolinian)

Auito malugulug, aumeseig aukanta
Auito, auito ual Belen.
Aupipi malemak ar anghet Samol.

Auito aumeleitai, Auito aumeleitai
Auito aumeleitai, ngali Samol.

Aupipi malemak ar anghet Samol.
Auito aumeleitai, Auito aumeleitai
Auito aumeleitai, ngali Samol.

Puengen Yuus ("Silent Night"),
​sung by Oleai School children

Description:
Video created and submitted by Tom Zink:

“Puengen Yuus” is the Chamorro language version of “Silent Night.” Here the upper grades choir (grades 5-7) at Oleai Elementary School on Saipan, CNMI, sing both versions of this beautiful Christmas carol in 4-part harmony. The recording was made at the school’s Christmas concert in December 1968.

Puengen Yuus, puengen Jesus,
Umatuna si Yuus,
Ya ufato gi taotao siha,
I hatatanga na paz-niha,
Gigigo yan si Yuus,
Gigigo yan si Jesus
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Christmas Medley sung by Oleai School
​children on Saipan, NMI

Description:
Video created and submitted by Tom Zink:

The primary grades (1–4) at Oleai Elementary School on the island of Saipan in the Northern Marianas sang three Christmas carols in English at the school’s Christmas concert in December 1968. Here is a medley of “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas,” and “Santa Claus is coming to Town.” In the third photo where the children are spelling out “CHRISTMAS”, the two teachers leading the children are Maria Fitial in the center and Stephane Rabauliman on the left.

There’s a bit of Oleai Elementary School history in these photos. The title slide shows the building that housed the school from 1958 until 1969. It was a Japanese communications building through to the end of World War II. It also served as a typhoon shelter for Oleai village. The fourth photo of seven boys and a bicycle shows the concrete skeleton of the “new” Oleai school in the background. It was built during the 1968-69 school year. That building has since been replaced by a newer Oleai school building.