Week one, part two (still behind)

So, trying to catch up on my adventures before I have any more…

Thurs, Feb 11th – People of the Land

Today was brilliant! It started off with information sessions about our schools, some of the kids are headed with me to Victoria University, but others are going to three different schools around NZ. The sessions were a bit informative and we went over some of our IFSA-Butler trips, which sound exciting. But I won’t spoil what they entail!

After some kai (x2 or 3), we headed to Auckland City Museum, where we spent some time walking around. Honestly, nothing that special. Or purpose I was more focused on the fact that the Powhiri (Po-fir-e) was happening soon. The Powhiri is the traditional Maori welcome. After some more KAI outside, we headed to the Te Puea Marae, named after a famous Maori princess. 30 mins or so before we arrived, I received news that the speakers (including me, if you remember) were not allowed to use a sheet of paper for our English portion, just for the Maori. The three speakers, Jeff, Sean, and I met outside the marae to discuss what we were going to say. I was to go last and felt it my responsibility to really hit it home. What was I hitting? I wasn’t sure. But the night before we were told we really must speak from the heart.

So here we are at the marae and from the building at the end of the marae (as the term marae refers to the space in front of the hut; gosh this is confusing without pics, but no photos are allowed during and I didn’t take any later – perhaps I’ll add one from ze internet) a man emerges with a large staff or stick and grunts and whacks it. He approaches us and eventually offers the weapon to Sean, the man who is in front of our girls (as the other men are in the back to protect the women). Sean does not take the stick as if he reached for it, the warrior might bash him on the head. Eventually a Maori woman calling to us interrupts the exchange. Watera, the Maori woman who is with us and spoke to us last night, calls back. This happens all in Maori of course. We slowly cross the Marae and enter into the building. We sit, men in front, and the Maori elders speak in Maori. They welcome the spirits of those that recently died in our families into Aoteroa (New Zealand). Other things are said, but my Maori is not very good. Eventually he sits and Jeff, our first speaker, stands and introduces himself in Maori and then switches to English. After Jeff speaks, we all stand and sing in Maori to show that we support what Jeff has said. Sean stands and does his part, we again stand and sing a different Maori tune. Finally, it’s my turn. I stand and speak, “Ko Chicago taku awa. Na te whanau Wojcik ahau. No reira, tena koutou. Nga mihi ki te whare. Nga mihi ki te papakorerotanga. No reira tena kouto.” Maori introduce themselves by their rivers, seas, or mountains. Since Illinois lacks all but one, I only introduced myself by the Chicago River. Next I introduced myself as belonging to the family (whanau) of Wojcik. The rest is all a standard greeting in which I greet the people and the land. I find myself already at the end of my paper. I can’t remember exactly what I said but it was something along the lines of “and now I’m gonna switch to English, which is a bit easier for me” (they laugh, which makes me feel better!). I tell them how impressed we all are with Aoteroa and its beauty and its mountains, which my home state lacks. I also tell them how impressive their sky is. Then I let them know that we have come here not as tourists to just snap some pictures and leave, but we have come here as students to fully immerse ourselves in Kiwi and Maori cultures. I remain standing and the IFSA-Butlers students stand and after some awkward silence, we finally sing “America, the Beautiful”. After we sit, the chief stands and after some words in Maori turns to me and says in English that I should consider playing basketball for their team! After that we greet the Maori with the traditional pressing of the noses, though I was caught off guard when every Maori woman wanted a kiss on the cheek as well.

Feeling much more relaxed and elated by my peers praise over my words, we walk out and see our dinner being prepared. It’s a traditional hangi, which is food cooked in the earth via hot coals. It smells amazing and tastes even better, though there is quite a smoky taste in much of the vegetables! Dinner was great as was our dinner conversation. Somehow my table and I were discussing my old habit of eating bologna and jelly sandwiches as a child.

Oh, and before dinner we sat and enjoyed a performance of Maori music! I was very excited to hear it as I have pre-enrolled for Maori music as well as Intro to Maori. I think I might keep them both after today. After their performances the brought up the guys to do the infamous haka, which involves stamping the ground, a puffed up chest, noisy breathing/grunting/vocalizations, and of course, sticking out one’s tongue. As one can image, I had a difficult time doing this with a straight face, especially with the girls’ reactions.

After dinner, we got into our sleeping bags and Watera told us some stories. Then it was time for bed, though it was a bit hard to sleep in a room full of 50+ people and statues starring at you. In any case, this was the day that really feel in love with New Zealand or Aoteroa. The whole point of going to the Powhiri is to be fully welcomed into Aoteroa by the Maori and being recognized as people of the land.

Fri, Feb 12th – Wellington Bound

Friday greeted us with beautiful weather and a surprise from Butler, a wine tour and tasting at Villa Maria, which does import much wine to the U.S. The tour was pretty cool and the guy leading it was awesome as he held degrees in biochemistry! There is a lab in the winery that assessing so many variables; I was astounded. The bottling room was incredible efficient and entertaining to watch bottles being filled, labeled, washed, dried, inspected, and boxed. After the tour we sat down for a tasting of six wines; 4 whites, 2 reds. Much to my surprise I actually like one of the wines! Something I’ll have to work on while in New Zealand, I suppose.

After Villa Maria, we were dropped off at the airport and given our last orientation KAI! We separated onto our separate universities and headed through the easiest security of my life.

On board Air New Zealand again; though only for an hour. The flight safety video was very well done, informative, and entertaining. Leave it to New Zealand to insert jokes into their flight safety videos. Of course they served us a beverage and a cookie! United could really learn a thing or too from them.

We arrived into SUNNY WELLINGTON! Well not exactly, more like hurricane Wellington. It was raining and very very windy, some said the windiest city in the world to which Anna, a girl from Chicago, said impossible as she has just come from there. We were dropped off at YHA hostel in the city and left there for the weekend, something we weren’t that aware of. The whole week I’d been feeling a bit under the weather and that finally caught up to me.

So I spent my first weekend in Welly in bed…but my I was pretty relaxed and accepting. The way I looked at it, I may be sick in a bed, but that bed’s in NEW ZEALAND!

Mon, Feb 15th

Today I moved into my flat and was greeted warmly by Briar, Anna, Sophie, and Alan (though he has yet to move in). I was still not feeling well and slept most of the day after finding breakfast with Sophie in Welly. Briar made a wonderful chocolate cake.

Oh, and my flat is HUGE! One story and the disability flat, it comes equipped with extra wide entrance way and a no tub bathroom. But the best part of the flat is its view of Welly.

As I’m writing this all two weeks after the events happen, I don’t remember exact details…but I this concluded the first week of my life in New Zealand! Also please comment for more details, if anythings confusing, if you want to share something that's happened to you, or if you just want to say hi.