Isu pay, siya pa, atbp.

BIG spender leaves generous tip, leaves the restaurant table, followed by entourage. Last to leave table is driver. He quickly pockets his boss’s tip and just as speedily puts a smaller bill in place of original tip, a trick the waiter, but on one else, catches. Bodyguard sees waiter has caught on, swings by waiter, and winks. Bodyguard to waiter: “Isu pay.”

Two women in a cab, which has stopped at their destination. Younger woman hands bill to cab driver, alights cab without waiting for change, tells older woman, her aunt, “Tara na, Auntie.” Aunt waits for change before leaving cab, catches up with niece, hands her cab change. Niece (with some surprise): “Kinuha mo payung sukli?” Aunt: “Op kors. Siya ka pa.”

Two Filipino students in the U.S., one a Fulbright scholar, both studying at university. Both standing in front of dorm bulletin board, scholar posting sign that says “Research assistance: call Letty,” with a phone number tacked on. Non-scholar: “Ikaw na yung gumagawa ng buong paper ano.” Letty: “Hahahaha. Oo. Guaranteed grade pa, kaya mahal.” Non-scholar: “Sus, may allowance ka na nga at lahat.” Letty: “Hay naku, siya pa.”

The terms “Isu pay, kailala met, and and sayang” were last week presented at a lecture as terms that are indicative of Ilocano thrift. However, as I pointed out then, “isu (ka) pay” has a Tagalog counterpart in “Siya (ka) pa.” As I did not point out then, “kailala met” has a Tagalog counterpart in “Nakahihinyang naman” and “sayang” means the same in Tagalog.

This whole Ilocano thriftiness thing, though valid and validated, must not be seen as being just particularly Ilocano. There are, after all, Tagalog counterparts with counterpart contexts. There is even the very Tagalog “masinop” – an adjective that refers to the good use of, say, money: “Masinop siya sa pera.”

Incidentally, that very Malay word “sayang” can also mean “love” as in “I sayang you,” as a Malaysian once told me. Also, there is such a thing as “Yankee thrift” – early European settlers into what is now the U.S. New England area wasted nothing. The hardy apple was made into apple pie, yes. But even the apple peel was made into candy. The seeds were planted.

We should just celebrate the value of wasting nothing and thus wanting nothing, a value of timeless relevance we find worldwide.