Dear friends, family, and other people who have stumbled across our humble blog somehow,
Sorry that this post is a little late. It was meant to be posted after the farm and before Blue Mountain Adventure Center, but I was caught up in exploring the amazing cities we have been in and kept pushing it off. Better late than never though, am I right or am I right? Im right.
So, lets get bloggin…
Bula! Oh wait we’re not in Fiji anymore.. Kiora! (Thats hello in Maori for all of you who havent spent a week at a marae which is probably most of you.) After we left the farm we began our journey down to Porongahau for our stay at the Marae with the local Maori people. We were welcomed on Sunday afternoon with a traditional ceremony in which we were introduced by a mountain, the rockies, and a river, the mississippi, that represented us. We also shared an exchang of songs where they sang a Maori song and we sang “This Land is Your Land.” I know, I know, but it was the only one we all knew! Throughout the short four days that we were there we participated in many amazing activities: visiting local elementary schools, weaving flowers with Flax, making homemade jewelery from local materials, learning traditional music and dances, and most importantly emersing ourselves in the Maori culture. The people we had the pleasur of meeting there were so incredibly caring, welcoming, and eager to us about their lives. We were only there for a short time period, and only got a small taste (which we all thought was mind numbingly delicious), but it felt like we were at home there by the time we left. We were all very sad to go, but of course our journey must continue on. And as Dr. Seuss would say, “Dont be sad because its over, be happy because it happened.” Next we spent a week at BMAC and to read about that you can read the blog before this one written by the wonderful, fabulous, and most certainly unique Brian Hallberg.
As a group we ar continuing to get closer each and every day. We make each other laugh and smile regularily, but we also enjoy serious discussions and debates about gender roles, the environment, and risk assessment. We fight sometimes, but fighting just shows we care, and if one things for sure- this group cares a lot about one another. We are like bread and butter, pb and j, cheese and crackers, cucumbers and pumkins. (wait what?)
Well anyways I hope youve enjoyed my crazy ramblings. My name is Ori by the way. I think its always nice to know the author of the fine literature that you read, and this my friends, is most certainly fine literature (and yes that is self proclaimed).
Goodnight and Goodluck.
Ori Gutin