I will never forget
My time in Lesotho can’t be easily summed up in a mere few paragraphs and I’m not convinced that I will be able to paint a worthy picture of all the sights, sounds, and feelings that I’ve experienced in the last month. But I will try to string together a few of the memories that....
Ngatiawa community
Sunday, October 14 Today we left Otuku Marae and traveled to the Ngatiawa (the g is silent) community. When we first arrived, the sparseness hit us immediately. The housing, mostly under construction, held no enduring touch of creativity, as if it slid off the symmetrical 90 degree angles and bare complexion. Small patches of grass....
Sustaining cultural tradition and the environment
October 3, 2012 Keeping Your Feet Staying on the marae was intriguing because of the contrast it offered to North American natives: maraes dot the landscape in New Zealand and you don’t have to travel far to find one. The Maori have a community base that allows for an effect on national politics, and despite....
A person is a person through other people
For better or for worse, an experience as new and anticipated as my cross-cultural makes me hyper-aware of what I am learning and how I approach both extraordinary and mundane events. I catch myself trying to analyze-to-death some insignificant piece of glass or trash on the ground, and I tell myself to relax and back....
Understanding legacies of the Maori and the kauri trees
September 18, 2012 A large part of our studies in New Zealand is looking at the Maori culture and their relationship with the Pakeha (non-Maori people). We recently were able to listen to Malcolm Patterson, a political activist for the Marae that he was a part of, where he was the culture and heritage officer.....
Visits to Schools and Churches
Each day is filled with new faces and new smiles. When we entered the primary school I watched as little eyes looked at us. Their smiles only showed after a friendly wave from someone in our group. Their dark eyes have so much wonder and warmth. They had a performance for us with dancing and....
Breathtaking Beauty
There and Back Again Friday August 31, 2012 New Zealand is seriously the most beautiful place in the entire world. We arrived at the airport and as soon as I stepped outside I was met by the crisp, clean air. It smelled like fall everywhere which was awesome because fall always makes me feel at....
“Rea Sechaba” – We are a Tribe
As we pulled into the airport, a buzz of excitement began to make its way through our group. The waiting was over, the anticipation gone, and we were finally on our way. Gradually the other passengers on the plane began to learn of our trip, and many expressed concern at our staying in Soweto Township. During apartheid, this....
Host families create a circle of warmth
Smiles. Laughter. Love through eye contact. Looking around the circle today showed me more about the group and bo mes (our mothers) than I could have asked for. Trevor’s Me looking so affectionately at him. With the same look of a newborn and his mother. Me Nora holding Kevin’s hand. Clearly there is more going....
Resting in the questions
June 7 I cannot believe that we are flying back to the U.S. in just three days – It is surreal! I have learned, and experienced so much during my time here in Bulgaria. I feel like I have a lot more to learn here, and I am not ready to leave. Processing these past....