March 8, 2010

Kia Ora (Hi)! Greetings from New Zealand! Sorry for the delayed start, but I was just waiting for the opportune moment, waiting for a variety of things to report on to keep you all happy. It’s going to be a long one, so bear with me.

Today marks the beginning of my third week in this new and exciting country. It’s funny looking back on it, because it honestly feels as though I have been here for at least two months. So the first few days was a lot of me getting over the ridiculousness that is jetlag when you are traveling to a country that is 18 hours ahead of yours. I left LA on a Tuesday and arrived on a Thursday…what the hell? I have no idea where my Wednesday went, and I was somehow in the future…talk about a mind trip.

That Friday my group went to the town of Leigh, which is North East of Auckland. We visited a marae, a traditional Maori sacred meeting place. They hold most of their ceremonies in the marae, anything from birthdays to welcoming visitors to weddings and deaths. It’s typically a beautifully structured building filled with artwork depicting the Maori ancestors inside. So when we got there, we were welcomed in the traditional Maori way, with a Powhiri, a welcome ceremony.

The tangata whenua, or host, wait in front of the marae while the manuhiri, guests, wait at the gate entrance. A Maori warrior known as a wero or taki approaches the visitors with a spear to investigate whether the guests are coming in peace or are enemies. This is what was and I guess is still done, but it was so interesting when it was done to us. Because clearly we were coming in peace; we came with a Maori tour group who bring tons of students to this Maori (It’s kind of like the staged bedoin tents in Israel, for those of you who have been there). But they went through every formality anyway. And the warrior who approaches doesn’t just walk up to the visitors. He kind of ceremonially dances his way, chanting and doing all kinds of funky with his spear. It’s one of the most intimidating ways anyone has ever approached me.
Once the warrior reaches the guests, he places a special plant in front of the guest. If the guests do not accept this, it is an indication that they come in war and wish to attack the marae. But as soon as the guests pick it up, which we did, the Maori know that we come in peace. Once this is over and done with, we the visitors wait for the karanga, the traditional Maori call. A woman from inside calls to us with a Maori chant, indicating that we can finally enter the marae. Without this call, no one can go inside.

So as this woman chants our way into the marae, we approach the meeting house, where we take our shoes off and move to the right of the house, opposite our hosts. They make a speech (in Maori) welcoming us and accepting us into the marae. Now, I have heard my fair share of languages in my life, with or without understanding them. And I think I’ve come to the conclusion that there is nothing like spoken Maori. I can’t really explain it, but it’s probably the most powerful language I have ever heard. It kind of takes you on a journey without understanding a single word. But every word and phrase is filled with so much emotion that you feel as though you do understand them. Their faces, especially their eyes, speak as loudly as their words. And it’s no bullshit either. You can tell that they are speaking from the heart, and they mean every single word that comes out of their mouths. While I sat there listening to the speech, I felt like crying, and I’m not really sure why. I guess it’s just the power of language; although we can’t always understand it, we can feel it, and that sends you on a crazy ride.

So after they make a speech, all the guests move to greet their hosts with a hongi, a greeting. This is my favorite part. Where we shake hands or hug or give each other a kiss on the check, the Maori choose something way more invasive: You walk up to the host and you press your noses together for a few seconds. So here we were, a bunch of American college students, walking up to elderly Maori men, pressing our noses to theirs. I think everyone was a bit nervous at first, but it’s actually quite beautiful. The idea is that when you press your noses together, you hold the third eye, and you share the breath. According to Maori tradition, it’s the highest tribute one can pay to another human being; you are breathing together, acknowledging the presence of another human breath. And that’s how they say hello, to people they are meeting for the first time as well as to old friends.
It was so interesting to gauge everyone’s reactions. Like I said, people were very nervous, especially the boys. It’s funny, because I think we come from a society where intimacy is somewhat of a taboo. We shake hands for crying out loud, can there be a more distant way of greeting someone? The whole notion of pressing your face against a stranger’s is unheard of to us, because we just can’t get close to another human being. Why are we so afraid of real human connection? I don’t know, but I would love to see Western politicians honging each other.

So that was my first but not my last encounter with the Maori. One of my classes is called Kapa Haka, which is all about Maori tradition and the importance of ceremonies and performances. And yes, I will learn how to do the haka. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s the chant the All Blacks did in ‘Invictus’ before playing the South African rugby team. You should YouTube it…there is absolutely nothing like it.

So I’m slowly falling in love with Maori culture. I’ve also found that although everyone says that Kiwis are the friendliest and most welcoming people in the world (which is pretty accurate), I have found that it is actually the Maori who should take that title. I have never met more genuine people in my life. If I had to choose a universal leader, a president of the world, I would choose a Maori, and the world would look pretty freaking different.

OK: I know that was long, I’m sorry, but that has been one of the most meaningful experiences so far. Besides that, I have been going to the beach and exploring Auckland and its surroundings. NZ is really breathtaking…I have never seen water so blue in my life. I climbed a volcano (Rangitoto) and have just been walking all over the city. Auckland reminds me a lot of Buenos Aires, to all those Argentines out there reading my post.

Also: Because of NZ’s geographical location, there is a HUGE Asian population here. And when I say huge, I mean that sometimes I don’t know whether I’m in New Zealand or in an Asian country. Downtown is filled with sushi places, Thai restaurants, all that good stuff. Half of the smaller supermarkets are full of Asian products, and it seems as though half of the city is like a huge Chinatown. I’ve never experienced anything like it, but I like it. It’s confusing and exciting and bustling and just great.

Also, the toilets flush straight down, to all of you who were wondering.

I joined the tramping club at the university. Since prostitution is almost legal here, the university wants its students to contribute to this rising profession, so they fund a tramping club. They teach you methods and techniques, best positions, all that stuff. So I am an honorary tramp…

JUST KIDDING! Ha I’m hilarious. Tramping in NZ means hiking (Sorry pops, I couldn’t resist ☺). I went on a tramping (hiking) trip this weekend with them, which was awesome. I think I’ll be hiking a lot, a great way to see this country.

ALso! (Sorry, one more thing) When we were driving to the marae we passed a special kind of town (forget the name) where it's absolutely and completely prohibited for any corporation to open any kind of store. It's all local, no multinational investment...how great is that?? Take that Strabucks.

Ok, I think I’ll give you all a break.
I’ll post a bit more regularly, as cooler things are beginning to happen to me.
Also, I love getting mail, so don’t hesitate to write! It’s only 98 cents!

Micaela Bronstein
71 Fisher Point Drive, St. Mary's Bay
Auckland, New Zealand, 1010

I miss everyone! I hope everyone is doing well.
Mickey