*Note this story is in Ilocano
Nabayagen nga makurkuriro dagiti panpanunot ti nalaing ti siyensya kadagiti bumblebees. No usarem laeng ti immune-una nga pammati aggapo ti aerodynamics, haan da koma dapat makatayab. Ita, naipakitan nga dagiti bumblebees ket agus-usar ti brute force approach tapno makatayab. Diay panagtyab da ket haan a kasjay kasiaya-at, kaslang koma jay insekto ket magudwan. Jay kannigid ken kannawan nga pay-yak na ket agpaypayak-pak nga haan agsinnurot ken jay panagayos ti angina jay aglaw-law ti pay-yak na ket haan pulos agsabat tapno koma matulungan a nalaklaka a makatayab etoy a klase ti uyukan (bee).
Etoy talaga ket mesa a misteryo iti siyensiya ingana idi maysa dekada manipud ita, ngem siyak ket maburburiburan no ana ngata met ti panunutem dagiti siyentipiko no maamwan da ken makita da met ti nakitak.
Diay mesa nga agmauyong nga baket ket agpayso, isudan ket umay to ditoy. Ammok nga no usarek ket surutek daytoy marikriknak isudan to ket masarakak. Ado a tawenen ti ururyekon ken pagpanpanunutakon ket itan maibigak met laengen ken lolo kon nga isuna ket agpayso. Amin nga insar-sarita ni Handiong a paam-amluyen na dagitoy ken no kasano nga nagpukaw da ket agpaypayso. Ni lolok ken dagijay kakadwa na ket haan nga agkatok. Dagijay ngatwen na ket agpanpanunot nga dagiti istorya da nga agpagarup iti tumaytayab nga yu ket mesa lang a pammati nga awan payso na. Mandiak makaurayen nga makita dagiti langlanga da no ipakitak kanyadan iti Tiburones.
Daytoy a klase ti yu ket maidumduma. Mandiak maibaga no ana ti mangtultulong kanyada nga kaslang koma tumayab. Swim bladder ngata iti rason na? Kitkitaek a nalaing tapno maamwak ti gapo na. Dagiti batbato daytoy a parte iti baybay ket natirad, nasugat ken naiwa toy sakak idi umululi nak, ngem beybey-ak latta. Para ana daytoy bassit a dara nga rumwar no ti sukat na mesan to a rebolusyon pan-siyentipiko?
Nakadanon nak met laengen ket nakaasidegak a nalaing kadetoy danom tapno makitak no ana talaga ububraen na dagitoy a Tiburones. Kaslang ti kankanen da ket dagiti bilbil-lit ken dagiti ik-ikan nga asideg sadiay ayan da. Ti panagtiliw da ket haan met nga naidumduma kadagiti dadduma nga yu ken sada lan makatayab a rumwar ti danom no addan to dagiti bil-lit nga tumayab ket umadayon.
Dagiti normal lang a sharks ket agdepende jay panagangot da jay uneg danom iso a siyak ket nasyaat latta basta haan nak matinnag sadiay danom. Napansin ko met a diay kadakkelan kanyada ket isu ti umas-asta a lider da. Daytoy a banag ket maidumduma no kitkitaen ken mamati nak met nga ti kinalaing da dagitoy ket haan maipada ket adayo sadiay ipakpakita dagiti specimens. Isuda ket kaslang koma dolphin no buybuyaem.
Umas-asideg nak jay igid ti dirra-as tapno makaala nak ti namaymayat a picture da. Daytoy nga ebidensiya ket makatulong kanyak para kadediay kompleto a panagilahad ken panagipakitak kadagitoy. Ngem dagitoy a Tiburones ket adda sabali a plano da. Kaslang maangot da pay iti angin haan lang sadiay uneg danom. Baglaengen ta nalasatak isuda ket simrekak jay uneg ti asideg a kweba.
Adda nak palang toy uneg ti kweba. Dagitoy a yu ket tuloy-tuloy latta ti panaglikos da diay ruwar, sadiay angin. Siguro mabannog danto latta ket mauma da ken kayak to metten ken isun to ti oras a panagtakas kon.
No haan, sadino man a makabasbasa kadaytoy a surat, agpakpakaasi nak nga irwar yon to a kadwa yo ti kapaysuwanan. Isuda ket adda lang ta ruwar. Haan mo kadi babay-an dagitoy sakripsyok a kas awan laeng. Ϫ
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English Version
Scientists have been baffled by the bumblebee for years. Using old aerodynamic theory they shouldn’t even be able to fly. Today, it has been shown that the bumblebee adopts a brute force approach to flying. Their flight is inefficient, as if the insect has been split in half. The left and right wings flap independently and the airflow around the wings never joins to help the bee slip through the air more easily.
It was a scientific mystery until only about a decade ago, but I wonder what those scientists would think if they would be faced by what I saw.
That crazy old woman was right, they would be here. I knew that if I followed my instincts that I would finally find them. Years of waiting and wondering and I can finally tell my lolo that he was right. All those stories of Handiong taming these things and how they were never seen again were true. Lolo and his platoon weren’t crazy. Their superiors thought that stories of flying sharks were silly superstition. I can’t wait to see their faces when I show them the Tiburones.
These sharks are incredibly interesting. I can’t tell what keeps them in the air. Is it a swim bladder that they somehow evolved and adapted? I have to get closer to find out. The rocks along this cove are very sharp, I managed to cut myself on a steep part of the climb, but it doesn’t matter. What’s a little blood if the prize is a scientific revolution?
I finally got close enough to the water to see what the Tiburones are doing. It seems like their diet consist of the birds and fish around the area. Their hunting pattern isn’t any different from regular sharks and they only fly out of the water when there’s a bird that’s attempting to get away.
Normal sharks rely on their sense of smell in the water so I was safe as long as I didn’t fall in. The largest shark in the frenzy seemed to be exhibiting leader behavior. This is different from regular sharks and I don’t think these things are anywhere close to the intelligence exhibited by those specimens. They seemed to be acting more like dolphins in their outward behavior.
I was by a cliffside to get better shots. This evidence can help me get the support I need for a full expedition. But the Tiburones have a different plan. They seem to be able to smell in the air as well as they do in the water. I barely escaped to a nearby cave in time.
I’m still inside the cave. The sharks are circling outside in the air. Maybe they’ll get tired and I can have a chance to escape.
If I don’t, to whoever’s reading this letter, please let the truth get out. They are out here. Don’t let my sacrifice be in vain.
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*Ilocano is the third most-spoken local language of the Philippines.An Austronesian language, it is related to such languages as Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian), Tetum, Chamorro, Fijian, Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Paiwan and Malagasy. It is closely related to some of the other Austronesian languages of Northern Luzon, and has slight mutual intelligibility with the Balangao language and the eastern dialects of the Bontoc language.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Tagalog translation by Jerald James G. Montgomery
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jerald James G. Montgomery
Story inspired by the Ibalon (A Bikolano epic).
Pating na Pakpakan Illustration by Leandro Geniston
FB: That Guy With A Pen
Watercolor by Mykie Concepcion
Tumblr: http://mykieconcepcion.tumblr.com/