I had my first test in Maori 101 this week, and it went surprisingly well! I'm amazed at how much I've learned in such a short time. We started taking our kapa haka class and I realized how much of the songs I understood without the English translations, which was really cool and exciting. For those who don't know what kapa haka is, here's one of the best examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g3QbH_i2VU We haven't actually learned any full-blown, intimidating hakas yet, but I'm hoping we will. Right now it's mainly waiata, a love song a more somber one. Still exciting though! Monday morning Terence and I ran to Mt. Eden, which is a great spot to look out on the city. Hopefully I'll get to see the sunrise from there soon! Anyway, after our Maori test we headed down to Devonport to go to a near-empty beach. (My favorite! People are the worst!) The tide was crazy low so you could walk out far enough where the shore was hard to see and still be in knee-deep water. It was awesome (though not prime for swimming). I'm trying to fit in as much time in the water as possible before our linguistics class starts up. While we were there I thought a lot about gratitude. (It's hard not to feel grateful sitting on a quiet beach in January.) There's been so much on my mind grapes this week though. Listening to other people's reactions, reflections, thoughts, and observances is both interesting and difficult. It's hard to shut out the noise when it's necessary - to go to a quiet little place inside yourself and check in. Am I spending my days meaningfully and well? (Right now, as I'm writing, I'm eating caramels from a chocolate shop and listening to 30 Rock episodes in the background. How's that for a meaningful evening?) Honestly, I think I need to make it a point to be alone more often. I like the ease of walking alone and not having to talk but instead just listen to what's going on around me. And *sometimes* that is an old woman on the street coughing very directly into my face. And then it's no longer a peaceful time. But I digress. Regardless, I'm happy to be here. The only things I really miss are Jacko meetings and the trails in Hanover/my house in Massachusetts/my family. I can deal with pretty much anything that comes my way if I have beach access more than once a week. We're heading to the Bay of Islands this weekend for a trip with our professor and it looks like we'll have a decent amount of idle time. There's a beach there where the Tasman meets the Pacific, which I'm really excited to see. I'm hoping I'll get to spend my downtime going for a solo run and finding some ways to disconnect + have a moment to breathe and get acquainted with the space on my own time. Who would've guessed I was such an introvert! Some Maori for your time: Inanahi, e aru ana tēnā ika i ngā kurī! ("Yesterday those fish were chasing the dogs!")
For some reason this is the sentence we've seen the most in our time learning Maori, yet I don't know how to do negations yet. Useful! SENDING LOVE FROM DOWN UNDER (do people call NZ down under? must find out, because I've signed all my emails to friends in Hanover that way) <3333
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