I am now about 4 weeks in and about half way to getting completely settled in. My mind is still trying to catch up with the foreign school system and the challenging school topics. I have never taken an industrial design class before and it is proving to be quite challenging....but well worth the time. The other classes are great. The Maori class is super interesting. I am learning several things right now. We are learning about the traditional creation story of the Maori people and how it is portrayed in Kowhaiwhai, Whakairo, and Tukutuku. (painting, carving and weaving). Second, we are learning the structural properties of the Marae (Maori meeting house). It is fascinating to learn that the actual structure of the Marae house is made to embody the shape of the Iwi Waka (traditional tribal canoe) flipped over so that all who enter are in a safe place away from the tides of life. The Marae also is constructed to embody the old ancestors specifically named Whare Whakairo. With the building possessing the koruru (head), Mataphihi (eyes), Whakawae (Mouth), Maihi (arms), Amo (legs), Raparapa (hands) , Tuhuhu (backbone), Heke (ribs), and Pou Tokomanawa (heart), all who enter into the house are symbolically entering the bosom of the living ancestor herself=sacred space. Standing at the foot of an actual Marae now knowing this stuff is humbling to say the least. It's a little like the scene in Beasts of the Southern Wild. I stand much like the little girl staring into the face of something much larger than I.
This past week has been great, I have grown closer to my flatmates Todd, Brittany, Amanda and Brendan. They are pretty funny people to hang around, in fact we just finished an ice cream eating challenge where we had to fill up a roof gutter full of ice cream and eat away. It was fun. It was free.....I feel sick. But hey, its over and whenever food is free, I am there.
I am eating ok on my own. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is proving to be a dear friend of mine. But recently I have been learning a few Indian style delicacies from my flatmates. All is well.
I frequently go for walks up to Mt. Victoria. It is a place away from the city. It is a forest full of trees like I have never seen before. Here are some pics that I took:
Here is the face of the Marae house (note: in the mind of the Maori person you are looking at the face of the Maori ancestor)
Interior (note: ancestor insides, ribs, backbone, and heart of the tribe visible)
