Maori

The climbing wall is so sick....haha it will do i suppose.



a panoramic view of campus where I live. The big white building in the center is the bathroom/laundry/showers. Off to the left, the little blue buildings are dorms and so are the ones to the right. The garden in the front is where we grow most of our veggies!!! you cant see it, but on the left of the drive way is our classroom/eating area.


so most recently, we got the opportunity to observe a Marae Funeral. A Marae is a meeting place for the native people of New Zealand, or Maori. Before entering a Marae you must first be welcomed through a ceremony where songs are exchanged between the two groups (Maori and new comers). Our group of students learned a song called Te aroha which goes alittle something like this:


Te aroha
Te whakapono
Me te rangimarie
Tatou tatou e

Translates as..
Love,
Faith,
And peace
Be amongst us all

after we were formally greeted, we shared a meal together in the Wharekai (wh is pronounced as the "f" sound) (dining hall). We also were given a tour of the carvings on the wharenui, which is the building where the the ceremony was held.We were not allowed to take pictures, but the carvings were incredible and tell stories of past ancestors. The Maori believe that when you enter the wharenui you bring all of your ancestors and people who have supported you with you.

Being able to observe the funeral practices of the Maori was such a unique experience! The man who passed had not been living on the Marae, but wished to return to his homeland when he died. The family stays in the wharenui with the person until the burial, because they believe the person is still present even though their body is no longer functioning.

This weekend I'm planning my frist climbing trip to wharepapa!!!! I can't wait :-)