It has been an exciting week...
The first couple days we have just been hanging out. In both directions of our campus there is a road along the beach that we can run or bike along. The only down side is that we have to wear the protective gear erikka is modeling in the picture to the left.
Our first field work experience was in the Hanua Ranges which are right near our campus. We did about 8 miles and moved from beautiful dense forest to this clearing on a mountain with an amazing 360 view of ocean and mountains. We learned how to use a compass and map in a variety of settings and about some of the species in New Zealand. At the end we opened up into a field with tons of sheep! The instructors were very amused by our fascination with sheep. After the hike we stopped off at a nearby beach and took a quick swim.
The next day we had class on the beach. We had to hike over some rocks and up some ladders to an isolated beach were we had a lecture and did some group activities.
Everyone in our group is active, and always looking to have a good time. The night after the beach we set up some polish horseshoes on campus and then went to the local pub for karaoke night. It is a pretty rural town so our group of 25 took up the whole place. We got to talk to some of the locals and some of them took pictures of us as they were fascinated by our dance moves; especially when we broke out the robot to Mr. Roboto.
This week I also got the chance to have a really awesome cultural experience. There is a Marae, which is kind of a community center for the local Mauri people and our program traditionally does a lot with the people of the Marae so we are always welcome for a visit to the Marae to learn about their culture. Our visit was scheduled for today but it turns out that there was a death in the community and the tongi (funeral) was to be held today. Although it would not be appropriate for us to attend the service, they did invite us to come to what would be somewhat similar to a wake. Even during a time of grieving the people of the Marae were extremely welcoming and the chief of the local tribe even took some time after to explain some of their traditions.
We had to abide by all the traditional protocol when on the Marae. First we stood at the gate and waited until they were ready for us to enter. The women walked in the front and we were called in by the song of one of the Maori women. Women entered first and the Maori woman cried out for us to enter because women are the first thing a child sees when they are born. We entered a huge building covered in carvings and sat down across from the people welcoming us. Everyone was dressed in ordinary clothing and they wake seemed to be set up similarly to the ones I am used to. The Chief then gave a speech in Maori and then translated it into English for us. The speech acknowledged the mountains, sea, ancestors, the living, and the recently deceased. They then sang us a song to welcome us known as a Wiata. We then reciprocated with the same, a speech by our president and a Maori song we had learned earlier that day(hopefully I did not offend their culture too badly with my singing abilities). After that we went up and payed our respects and met everyone with a traditional Maori Greeting called a Hongi in which you shake hands and then press your nose and then forehead gently against their nose and forehead.
It was truly amazing how welcoming and excited to share their culture everyone was, especially during such a personal, grieving time.
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