{"id":9562,"date":"2013-04-04T16:12:00","date_gmt":"2013-04-04T06:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theguamguide.com\/?p=9562"},"modified":"2015-10-08T02:21:30","modified_gmt":"2015-10-08T02:21:30","slug":"the-planet-kyle-guide-to-babies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archives.theguamguide.com\/ja\/the-planet-kyle-guide-to-babies\/","title":{"rendered":"The Planet Kyle Guide to Babies"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kyle Mandapat<\/em><\/p>\n

Hafa adai and what’s up to my peepsquad! Welcome back to The Guam Guide and the third installment of\u00a0Planet Kyle Presents Welcome to Guam!<\/em>\u00a0My name is Kyle Mandapat, and I am from Guam. My dad is retired Armed Forces, but I have spent the majority of my life on this island.<\/p>\n

Simply put, I don’t have a degree in Guam-erican Studies, I do not have a doctorate from the University of Australia or anything close to it. I know what I know about Guam based on the way my family raised me and from the countless Zorries I have had thrown at me in my day. I’d like to see you try and tell my Grandma that she is not accredited to teach Guam ways.<\/p>\n

This month’s feature actually comes from a conversation that I had with a woman who had just moved to Guam. I met up with her at the Micronesia Mall food court as she and her new born baby were attempting to grab some grub. She mentioned that when she went to get her hair done at a locally owned salon the older Chamorro and Filipina women had tons of advice for her regarding superstitions and general baby care. She asked me what was up with that. It is with that in mind that I bring you\u00a0The Planet Kyle Guide to the Babies!<\/em><\/p>\n

Cover Up<\/h3>\n

Simply put, Guam may be hot as heck during the day but at night, according to the elders I know, the night wind gets really cold. We call this night air \u201cthe sirenu\u201d and throughout my life it has been credited with making babies and children alike sick. Not ,\u201cI just looked at a picture of Hulk Hogan in a bikini sick,\u201d but like, \u201cNow I am congested and have a cold sick.\u201d To prevent this, I have always been told that when bringing a baby out in the open air at night to cover them up. Whether with a hat, a cap, a blanket or a towel. Covering up the baby’s head will keep them healthy, which is something we definitely can’t say about The Hulkster in a thong.<\/p>\n

Scent Up<\/h3>\n

Secondly, if you live on Guam, you probably already are familiar with the concept of the Taotaomona. They are the ancient spirits of our ancestors who supposedly still roam the land. Now this next piece of advice is put into place in respect to them. When leaving your house with your baby, make sure you spray them down with cologne or perfume. Don’t go overpowering on them so that they smell like a old lady’s car, but spray enough on them to make the scent evident. This practice is to make sure that the taotaomonas are warded off and steer clear of your baby. I assume the same thing will happen if you never shower your baby and it stinks superbad, but I would suggest the spray method. I’ve never heard of CPS being called because someone’s baby smelled like Victoria Secret’s Melon Blast.<\/p>\n

Pinch Them<\/h3>\n

Finally, possibly the most important baby rule\u00a0ever<\/em>\u00a0on Guam — I call it “The Mago’dai Rule.” Okay, let me lay it out. It’s that feeling you get when you see a fat baby and you want to pinch them. That’s called\u00a0mago’dai<\/em>\u00a0in our Chamorro custom. The rule on Guam is, if you ever feel\u00a0mago’dai<\/em>\u00a0towards a baby, whether they are yours or not, you have to touch them. Whether you pinch them a little, or simply pat them on the head, getting rid of the\u00a0mago’dai<\/em>\u00a0feeling is the key. Word is, if you don’t your energy could make the baby sick in some way. At the same time, if you are out and about with your chubby hunk of baby and notice a person getting\u00a0mago’dai<\/em>, it’s totally cool to say, \u201cHey, Tyler say ‘hi,’ and give them a high five,\u201d to help the process along. Personally, on numerous occasions, I have straight out asked, \u201cHey, can I pinch your fat baby’s leg a little?\u201d Nobody’s said no to me yet.<\/p>\n

Having a baby is awesome and these are just some ways the Guam people protect their kids, culturally. Overall, you also have to remember the universal language of common sense. Don’t leave them unattended, don’t give them soda in their bottles, and don’t you dare leave then in front of the TV watching\u00a0Basketball Wives<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0Bad Girls Club<\/em>… Ohhh, I’ll call the cops on you myself for that one. Until next month, see you on the radio!<\/p>\n

\"KyleAbout Kyle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since his stage debut in 2006, Kyle Mandapat has been on the move with no plans of slowing down. Starting off in the entertainment scene on Guam as a Stand Up Comic, Kyle headlined over 20 locally sponsored comedy shows.\u00a0It was his comedy show performances that lead to him being cast in the Fox6 Guam show, \u201cThe Buzz\u201d where he started as an \u201cOn the Street\u201d correspondent and later progressed to the co-host spot.\u00a0In October of 2007, Kyle was introduced to radio audiences on Guam as an extra member of the Power 98 Morning Show.\u00a0Kyle is currently a co-host on the rebranded morning show, \u201cThe Morning Blender with Kai and Kyle.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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