it ain't all good.... but most is :)

So I have gotten a bout of negativity within all my glorious traveling and this time it came in the form of 5 teenage boys while soaking in a natural hot spring with my new friend Mina. I will just paint the scene for ya'all: After our hot and festive day at the Matatini, we ventured to Mina's lovely lakeside house; Mina asked Jack (her boyfriend) Zandra and I if we wanted to go for a soak in the nearby hot spring. Now I was so excited about this because one of my main explorations on this voyage is to look at healing waters. So I jumped at the chance while the others declined (they are used to soaking in hot springs I guess...did I mention that the exchange rate here is great and lakesides houses are affordable... relatively :) Anyway Mina and I drove the 2 minutes to the natural hot pool, which ain't much to look at but whatever. So we pull up alongside a group of young men about 18 years old, we get out and go in for a soak, they do the same, their group and Mina and I are in there for almost an hour. And we are both having our own conversations, not once did they speak to us but we were about a meter or 2 from them. For a second I looked up at them and thought "I wonder if they are gay and if the environment here is accepting and open to gay lifestyles" yep these are the thoughts that go through my mind. Anyway I was thinking that from what I see, most of the people I have encountered seem so relaxed and progressive that that would be great if it generally is an open and accepting community in that way also. So this random thought floats through my brain for a second; then Mina and I continue on talking about ethnicity, communities, racism, history blah blah blah, well the boys get up and leave the pool, they are all in the car and about to drive away when one screams from the window some hate filled comments about gays. I couldn't make out what they were but the intent behind them was something familiar in other words they were full of rage, the only words I could make out were "Gay Locals!!!!" Now at first I thought, oh that really sucks that someone is yelling at those boys like that (I couldn't tell yet that the one yelling was one of them), now you know my ass, I was about to yell back for them to leave the boys alone, when I realized that the boys were yelling at us. I looked at Mina and she looked really worried; but really I was so shocked realizing the irony that I began to laugh. I mean really laugh. Mainly at the fact that I thought they were being yelled at and that these fools sat next to us the entire time and didn't say shit till they (all 5 of them) were driving away in a car. Crazy, anyway I shared with Mina that situations like that have happened to me in the good ole US of A too many times to count, if a bunch of ignorant scared fools aren't screaming about race then its sexuality. Anyway, we stayed there for a couple seconds, realizing that we were alone in the woods, (I had ancestral flashbacks to Mississippi so figured we should haul ass out...though I do tend to feel that it is more of a passive aggressive vibe...but why take chances, Mina likely had some flashbacks of her own) and then we thought it best to leave. We chatted about prejudice and then drove up the road and ended the night with a much needed swim in the lake under a sky full of stars. After we swam in the cleanest lake I have ever see we went back to Mina's house. We shared our tales with Jack and Zandra who were both really surprised. We then watched Matchpoint, which is a good movie but wow what an ending huh; anyway just thought I would share :) Oh and on another note, I made it into the local paper, isn't that a hoot it was for volunteering at the Hui. And I was also happy to assist Zandra with making the sign for her Hapai Te Teko project. It's great to meet so many people, funny, many assume I am a relative visiting or part of a different marae until I open my big American mouth. A kid asked me for the time yesterday and when i spoke he looked at me with such wonder.

I just can't get enough!

So I just could not help myself, when I was invited to go see the dolphins again I jumped on it and this time Zandra was coming with me. She had never gone. So we boarded the bigger boat, Blue Sky, and cruised out with our skipper Shane and our guides Sam and Nino (awesome company Whale and Dolphin Watch, owned by a Maori Trust) We saw hundreds of them. To attract them to you it helps to squeal or squeak and I was squeakling away, Nino and I were really close to them, and when we squealed or squeaked they would squeak back, it was like we were speaking, anyway truly beautiful creatures that are supposedly very promiscuous and also like us have sex for pleasure (many animals don't apparently) the following should be a direct link to a short video of them swimming near the boat. http://s552.photobucket.com/albums/jj346/playakua/?action=view&current=MVI_4089.flv

Te Matatini "the many faces"

I have had an amazing time on my journeys, beyond amazing, I just can't think of a word right now, and I am only about at my month mark. So there are more thinggs to come of course. The last 4 days have been exceptionally special for various reasons but one is that I was invited my friends in Te Teko to attend the Te Matatini Kapa Haka Competition http://s552.photobucket.com/albums/jj346/playakua/?action=view&current=MVI_4028.flv.

Now I will try to upload a video because if you have never seen Kapa Haka then you really will appreciate a glimpse, of course you could always youtube it:) the above should be a direct link to my photobucket account but i will try to uplaod also directly on here. Well this competition (Te Matatini) only comes every 2 years; so I was so glad to be here during it. Anyway I went with Zandra and Mina, who are the main organizers of the Te Teko Community Upliftment Project that I volunteered with. They are such fun! So we made our way to the crowded stadium (about an hours drive away) and found a snug spot to settle in near the cameraman pretty close to the stage, the families around us actually made room for us too. Now one of the first things I noticed was that there were free tubes of sunblock available!!! and that there was no smoking or alcohol. And the performances were so moving, the strength and clarity in the voices was profound and really gave me the chills. Though there are many groups performing, each group still seems to captivate the audience. And the poi dancing is spectacular, very different from what I have seen and what I do- I taught myself how to poi dance off of the internet in 2002 after I saw it done at Burningman, and when I thought that I would need another hip surgery; I wanted a way to exercise and specifically dance, at least with my upper body, well I didn't end up getting the surgery but now I have a new fun usually crowd pleasing skill) Zandra's adorable niece tried to show me some traditional moves the next day but I was having some trouble . But these dancers were flawless. I was left in awe at the Te Matatini event. The performances are done by various Kapa Haka teams from NZ and Aus. Kapa Haka is a powerful and creative form of dance and song that conveys stories, histories, issues, victories, concerns ...that impact the Maori community. I still struggle with finding the words to describe it. oh it looks like the video worked, the link to the other video is above and that is the one with men performing.

Teteko and Dolphin luv

So a couple days ago I helped out at the Teteko community meeting. Teteko is a small town near Whakatane, it is where Waaka one of my hosts is from. Anyway first I cut about 60 large rolls of paper, then put jam on 1000 pieces of bread while chatting away. I even ate a fishhead (okay just part of it, i had to share because i just couldn't eat one all by itself), yep can you handle it. This lovely woman Queenie made fishheads (smoked) and I couldn't say no, and she saw me struggle to find the meat and not the brain (though she says the brains and eyes are the best), so she helped me out and really it was tasty :) I helped her outside also shuck corn, she told me about her life some, she had 9 kids and is the oldest of ten; I couldn't imagine ten babies, many people here have a bunch of kids or are from large families, lack of TV back in the day, is what they say here :) man I love older people, so much history, anyway we set up for a community upliftment meeting. The entire town was invited and about 250 showed up but Waaka says that he could feel the presence of many more. 250 was a really good turn out. I put on an apron and I served up coleslaw (I have never liked it but hey I wasn't eating it...and here, they put it on top of the burger...i made the mistake of putting it to the side on a few plates, opps) and I wore the signature cowboy hat ..which I later gave to a girl that really wanted it and was also helping out. I had a great time and it was inspiring to be a part of the event. The community seemed really excited to be there and came up with some great ideas mainly concerning how to inspire the youth and become more self sustaining. You see gangs have made their way here into various communities, I forget the names but they are also using the colors like red, blue etc...but it was really nice when after the meeting the people that were so helpful were these young men, teens that prior to the meeting were seen as a bit of "gangsters" so it was cool to have that notion explored more. Also I have to say that was the quickest and most efficient clean up I have ever seen, people really came together and hauled ass! amazing. The entire meeting was really nice. And I spent the night at one of the organizers houses, I slept in a bed with Hannah Montana pillows and Bratz posters. Oh the power of the media.

Dolphins!!!! Oh I got a call early in the morning while I was snuggling up on a Hannah Montana pillow. (and yes I surrendered and got a cell phone, making my life much easier) "Akua we are going out to swim with the dolphins this afternoon, do you want to join us?" Now I was groggy and hung over a bit (yes Dad, hung over...I was bonding with people okay :) So basically one of the last spots I could imagine my self on was a boat rocking to the beat of my stomach. But of course I went!!!! And they are the best company by the way, such nice chill folks, Maori owed and run too!!! Whale and Dolphin Watch in Whakatane. So I hung out in Teteko for a bit and helped put away all the uneaten food, then got a ride to Whakatane and binged on water to cleanse my system...which didn't totally work:) then headed out to Whale and Dolphin Watch. We boarded a boat and searched for the dolphins. We found a school..or is it pod...of about 100, and they are a sight to see!!! truly beautiful! So when our guide Megan gave the word we tried to quietly slip into the water, hope my photos come out, I had an underwater camera(these pics don't include those shots), but anyway they didn't play with us or do any socializing like that see these are wild dolphins so they just do their thang and they were doing it. So as I dove down and gazed into the expansive blue around me I could see them swimming away following their own path. It was such a great experience, and we continued following them and jumping into the ocean several times. Eventually we went to Whale island where we just swam with fish and I failed to see the elusive stingray that most others saw. What a great day I just love boats (I am thinking about crewing on a boat for my trip to Fiji....but don't worry i plan to do my research about it Dad) and the ocean, especially being in it, it is a pain free world for me, weightless, free, and occasionally even fast...oh I love water and plan to jump in some fairly soon!! oh what a great day it was, and even more so because I did not get sick.

I love whakatane!

Okay so I have just finished staying with the second Servas couple. I have been having a great time!!! They live in Whakatane which honestly, I could move here! It is a cute active town on the water with great art, music, and cheap hostels (which I am staying in presently...Servas allows you to stay with guest only a few nights) So they stay right near town and he is Maori and she is Pakeh (I don't know if thay is the correct spelling but it basically means European, and from what I can tell it is not offensive, but I could be wrong ..oopps faux pas if that is the case) Anyway, they are retired and really lovely people. Very interesting. It seems that many of the folks I stay with are teachers. Roselind was also a teacher, and her husband was an economist. He also is a chairperson of various groups and Maori trusts. They drove me around and showed me various sights. I went swimming in the ocean a couple times, to their more rural house about 30 min away, and to a Marae, he has introduced me to so many people, I just ran into a girl that wished she knew I was still in town so I could have gone with her to a reggae show the other night...shoot I wish I ran into her sooner because I would have gone!. Anyway he invited me to attend a community meeting in a small community nearby, so tomorrow I offered to assist them in planning a hui (community gathering). Sounds interesting. And, since he is affiliated with the dolphin swimming company we went out on the boat but the seas were too rough so we did not get to swim with them. ( I even had a dolphin dream the night before...a weird dream where the dolphins had grey mohawks and actually semi attacked me---so maybe it is a good thing that I didn't get to swim with them yet...and what is up with the mohawks:)). Well Waaka (my very gracious host) is am amazing story teller; I hope he writes a book. I heard wonderful stories about eels, ghosts, you name it, he had a tale. He told me a fascinating one about a African man that showed up on the beach walking out of the water nearby Whakatane, he said that maybe over 100 years ago a strong handsome African man walked out of the ocean, local Maori men saw him and brought him to their chief. The chief asked the man who he was and where he was from. The man said that he did not know his name and that he was a slave from America that had escaped to Canada and boarded a boat in the town of Duncan, he was due to work on this boat but the conditions were so bad and they treated him so horribly that he jumped ship when he saw land and swam to shore. He ended up in Teteko. The chief liked the man and also noticed his muscles and strength. The chief prompty gave the man a wife. The man was called Duncan and his photo hangs in a Marae here (we didnt have the key to get in so I could take a photo), Duncan was to be the father of a future chief. Waaka told many good stories and all of them true. Anyway I am having a really special time here. And really it is also so moving how the people here also share in the joy of a "Black man" being president. It is really moving how proud and supportive they are of President Obama. It seems like all of NZ is behind him. When I said that to a man that Waaka introduced me to, he replied "the world is behind him". So far in my experiences here, I feel that there is a social cohesivness that I can't really explain, maybe we all need a marae to gather at and share ideas? till next time

a day ahead

Okay so it may say Sunday to you all but it is Monday here, I flew over that dateline thingie so just so ya'all know....not like it matters. Anyway I was supposed to go swimming with dolphins today but not enough folks signed up to go out on the boat. So I will be back to this cute little town to do it again, likely in 3 weeks or so. I have met some great people and the SERVAS organization is truly amazing. I stayed with two couples. Both have grown children so I slept in their old rooms which was sweet. The first couple I stayed with is Maori and I learned some Maori words and customs.
Kohanna (hopefully I am spelling this correctly, sorry if not, but they are likely phonetically spelled) is what they call a preschool, which really means nest. Moanna is beach. Ko Akua toku ing oa - my name is Akua, No California ah how - I am from California , Mo rain na- good morning. Brenda took me to a preschool where she used to work and the kids sang me a song. The preschool is Maori speaking only, then when the kids go to first grade they learn English, though many know some English (some of their parents speak English, and are learning Maori also), they learn their own language first in a school setting. I was really thankful to get to see into the preschool, and the kids were very sweet. English is really not supposed to be spoken in the school so I was limited in what I could say to them, the phrases above were about it :) My Servas hosts had a lovely home and were really welcoming. I stayed in a cute girls room complete with a mosquito net!!! When Brenda met me at the bus stop I immediately noticed that we both have freckles; actually it seems that many Maori women seem to have freckles. Anyway it poured rain (much needed rain!) for a few days so we stayed in and watched Maori TV; which I really enjoyed. Their were cultural shows, documentaries and the news. There was a really cool documentary about a teacher that was instrumental in bring the Maori language back into the New Zealand classrooms.

being free

So I am feeling that so many things have happened, not big ole events just nice little moments, the kind I appreciate most. So anyway, my days out with my little girl power group was really sweet. When I think about it I can't help but laugh. One little girl is going to Fiji to visit family, and I asked her if they have social rules there about bathingsuits (togs they are called here, no one seems to know why) and what she thinks if girls have to wear a t-shirt(covering shoulders and knees) and shorts to swim, her energetic response was "my momma says I am free" she was so spunky and cute, I told her that I will say the same thing too "my momma says I am free" . Seeing that the missionaries brought over the custom of covering up in places (mainly in the Pacific) where heat and humidity is insane (lord knows the sight of boobs would send them into a frenzy) ; I feel a bit less guilty if I show a little shoulder while in Fiji. But I dont plan to be there for another month so who knows if that will change?