You know its going to be a awesome night at Carpe when it starts with trying to put pasta sauce into a milk carton. Only fun can ensue after that. For a little context it happened while we were staying on a Marae for the week. A Marae is sort of like a community center for the Maori people who are the indigenous people to New Zealand. They have a rich history filled with struggles but also many triumphs. This week was dedicated to immersing ourselves in their culture and the Maori people welcomed us with open arms. We worked hard, learned a lot, listened to beautiful music and made close friends. You maybe wondering how this all leads to pasta sauce and in order to explain that we have to go to Friday night. This was our last night on the Marae in Whaingaroa and to commemorate that we all made skits about our time there. Also since it was our last night we wanted to use up most of our food so we made an ecletic range of thing for dinner. This included, pizza toast, eggs, rice, beans, sausage, pancakes, french toast, popcorn, oatmeal, bacon and fruit. Now after dinner a new problem was posed on how we transport the leftovers. Hence putting pasta sauce into a milk carton. After this journey we continued the night with some dance moves. I got low to Low by Flo Rida and we jammed out to some Fergilicious. Laughter ensued when the skits were put on then our expressions changed to pure amazement as we saw a Haka performed by true Maoris. A Haka for those of you who don’t know is a ceremonial dance that is meant to instill fear in enemies and also bring peace.The skits really caputred how much we had learned on the Marae, the connections we created and all the fun we had. Then we got the amazing opportunity to watch out new Moari friends perform some native songs. I was in awe of how beautiful the songs were. Each one of new friends was musically talented and wanted to be there sharing their love for their culture. This was one of the most powerful moments in the whole week for me. It made me realize how incredibly lucky I am to be here having this experience with all of these amazing people. The Maori culture puts a big emphasis on inner happiness and simplicity and I feel this moment captured those ideals. I was fully present and I wasn’t worrying about what was coming next or what was going to happen tomorrow. Instead I enjoyed the music being played and the company I was in. If there is one thing I want to take with me from the Maori culture it would be Matewa which means all in good time. I think everyone could use this idea to there advantage. Being there in the moment was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am so privileged to be a part of. I am so thankful to Maori people for including us in their lives and allowing us to see that life can be much more than money and objects. The Maori are an amazing people and I hope I can spread my knowledge of their culture to continue their revitalization. Putting pasta sauce in a milk container is not an easy job but if that was the price to pay for this amazing week on the Marae I’ll put pasta sauce anywhere I’m asked.
Fondly,
Bilbo Bloggins
a.k.a Kalie Hirt