Monday, September 22, 2008
Valen's marae experience.
About a week ago we went on a marae trip to Waiariki and stayed overnight. On the day it was pouring with rain and I didn't really want to go, but I'm glad I did because it was really interesting and fun.
We made poi, learnt how to draw flax patterns, learnt about the marae and its carvings. Tiana's dad taught us strikes with the taiaha. We got to go to the art department and we had a beautiful dinner of steamed hangi.
I really enjoyed my marae experience. It was great.
Valen
We made poi, learnt how to draw flax patterns, learnt about the marae and its carvings. Tiana's dad taught us strikes with the taiaha. We got to go to the art department and we had a beautiful dinner of steamed hangi.
I really enjoyed my marae experience. It was great.
Valen
Sunday, September 21, 2008
My Best Marae Experience EVER - Rawiri
My favourite part of the marae stay was the taiaha training. Some of the boys were pulling funny faces. This is called the pukana. Tiana's dad taught us skills using the taiaha and we performed them in front of the girls. We looked fantastic when we performed our skills all at the same time.
Rawiri
Rawiri
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Paula's First Marae Experience
I am going to tell you about my exciting marae overnight stay. It was on the 11th and 12th of September 2008. The seniors, also known as the Totara Team of Glenholme School, went to Tangatarua Marae at Waiariki College in Rotorua. We were going there to experience the Maori culture. The lovely teachers Mrs Norton, Mrs Cato, Whaea Liana, Mrs Vercoe and Mrs James accompanied us on the splendid visit.
When we got to school we were jumping with excitement like frogs. Our bags were loaded with clothes, toiletries and blankets. We were to take our bags and put them into the boot of the waiting buses. I was so excited. I held onto my friend, Isabelle’s shoulders and gave her a slight shake. “We’re going now!” I said happily. “I know!” She replied back, grinning eagerly. My body was vibrating and shaking with excitement. Isabelle was doing the same. I felt as if excitement was bubbling away inside me, but I felt a little nervous too, because it was the first time staying overnight at a marae.
As we hopped on the bus I was squealing with delight. Soon the bus screeched to a stop in front of the marae. We were just so excited. Suddenly we were all silent. I could hear the kuia calling. “Haere mai! Haere mai…” Shania my best friend and I were holding hands nervously wondering what was going to happen. Totara Team all shuffled towards the calling kuia. We kept moving slowly. Finally we got to the smooth paepae. Everyone took their shoes off and strolled through the open doors. I sat down quietly and waited. The floor was very warm because the wharenui had heated floors. The kaumatua stood up and said a speech. It was all spoken in Maori so I couldn’t understand a word.
After that the kuia stood up and they both sang a beautiful song. Eventually a parent stood up and said a few words. He put down an envelope with our koha in it. We all had to give a dollar coin as a gift to the marae. The kaumatua accepted the koha. He picked up the envelope very slowly and nodded. Now it was our turn to sing. Whaea Liana played the guitar while we sang ‘He Honore’. It sounded outstanding. It was wonderful.
We did the hongi with the tangata whenua. The first man said ‘Ni hao’ to me, but I’m not Chinese! I’m South Korean!! I thought. The kaumatua stood up again and announced another couple of words. There was another waiata by the kuia and kaumatua. As the kuia sat down, the kaumatua spoke about Tangatarua Marae.
Soon after that he told us about the amazing carvings. I quite liked Abel Tasman’s carving. The kaumatua told the famous story of Ihenga. I didn’t like the part when his dog was sick.
Later we had morning tea in the wharekai. I looked around and saw dazzling art on the walls. When we finished Isabelle, Shania and I ran back to the wharenui.
We were all waiting for a very cool activity. There was a lady waiting in front of a whiteboard. I wondered who it was. I looked around at a table. It had flax ketes and a wonderful feathery korowai upon it. I turned around and said to Shania “Maybe…could it be…Tina Wirihana, the international weaver?!” Shania exclaimed “Oh yes! I think it’s her. I can’t wait!” We glanced at each other as Tina introduced herself, but she hadn’t even been halfway through her presentation when the hangi preparation children had to go! “Ooh” I whined, but went obediently.
Isabelle, Joyce, Odin, Sean and I had to peel potatoes. We all rushed and grabbed a potato peeler and started to peel. It was very frustrating. No matter how hard I peeled the tough skin of the potato it wouldn’t move. After about half an hour I was still on my first potato. Manaaki’s dad finished it for me. We were all laughing at each others’jokes except for Joyce. She was peeling furiously as if there was a motor inside her. Odin kept hitting everyone’s potatoes with his peeler. They fell in the bin when he did that. He did that 3 times to me. I glared at him. We were so noisy when we laughed, we were kicked out first. That wasn’t funny at all. It was actually quite disappointing really.
When we got back in the wharenui, the weaving activity was nearly finished. We felt the korowai’s lovely down-like feathers. Tina told us that they were pheasant feathers. She left soon after that. That was a lot of fun, even though we had to leave for the hangi preparation.
Later, we were going to make some poi. Whaea Liana taught us the instructions and we had to go and do it by ourselves. Mine kept falling to bits, so in the end Mrs Norton fixed it up for me. The boys went outside with Tiana’s dad to learn taiaha, while the girls learnt some poi actions. We showed the boys our poi skills. The boys showed off their taiaha skills.
We soon went to the wharekai for dinner. I saw plates piled with chicken, pork, pumpkin, potatoes, mixed vegetables and stuffing. My mouth started watering. We said a karakia and we were led to tables. I sat down and began to eat. It was beautiful! It was irresistible. That was my first taste of hangi and I loved it.
When we finished we went to the wharenui and sat down. I wondered what was going to happen next. A crowd of students walked in. They lined up. They looked like a kapa haka group. They were children from Mokoia Intermediate. Mokoia Intermediate’s kapa haka group started to sing. They had fabulous voices. The kapa haka group did 3 items and our kapa haka boys did their haka.
Soon it was bedtime. I was going to share a bed with Aimee and Irihapeti. I couldn’t sleep for the whole night because everyone was talking. Mrs Norton kept shouting “Be quiet!” Mrs Cato had a good sleep because she had ear plugs. Lucky Mrs Cato!
When we got up I found out that my brother, Jun had woken up at 4am and got ready. I got up and went to the toilets to get dressed.
We had breakfast. We had left over hangi, toast and cereal. It was tasty.
Later we did Maori games rotations. Mrs Norton held hand games, Mrs Vercoe: poi, Mrs Cato: string games, Mrs James: knucklebones and Whaea Liana: ti rakau. I liked hand games, knucklebones and ti rakau.
Meanwhile we had lunch. We had bacon and egg pie, fruit, sandwiches, biscuits and cakes.
Next we went to the Waiariki Art department. We saw flax weaving and screen printing.
Following that we learnt the parts of the marae.
We had a little play time and Mrs Norton taught us a hand game ‘Timi Tame Hare’. Soon it was time to go home. The kaumatua said a speech and we sang ‘He Honore’ again. We retrieved our bags and walked miserably back to the patient buses. I wished we had a bit more time there. It was an electrifying and exciting stay. It was an experience to remember for the rest of my life.
By Paula Lee
Year 5
When we got to school we were jumping with excitement like frogs. Our bags were loaded with clothes, toiletries and blankets. We were to take our bags and put them into the boot of the waiting buses. I was so excited. I held onto my friend, Isabelle’s shoulders and gave her a slight shake. “We’re going now!” I said happily. “I know!” She replied back, grinning eagerly. My body was vibrating and shaking with excitement. Isabelle was doing the same. I felt as if excitement was bubbling away inside me, but I felt a little nervous too, because it was the first time staying overnight at a marae.
As we hopped on the bus I was squealing with delight. Soon the bus screeched to a stop in front of the marae. We were just so excited. Suddenly we were all silent. I could hear the kuia calling. “Haere mai! Haere mai…” Shania my best friend and I were holding hands nervously wondering what was going to happen. Totara Team all shuffled towards the calling kuia. We kept moving slowly. Finally we got to the smooth paepae. Everyone took their shoes off and strolled through the open doors. I sat down quietly and waited. The floor was very warm because the wharenui had heated floors. The kaumatua stood up and said a speech. It was all spoken in Maori so I couldn’t understand a word.
After that the kuia stood up and they both sang a beautiful song. Eventually a parent stood up and said a few words. He put down an envelope with our koha in it. We all had to give a dollar coin as a gift to the marae. The kaumatua accepted the koha. He picked up the envelope very slowly and nodded. Now it was our turn to sing. Whaea Liana played the guitar while we sang ‘He Honore’. It sounded outstanding. It was wonderful.
We did the hongi with the tangata whenua. The first man said ‘Ni hao’ to me, but I’m not Chinese! I’m South Korean!! I thought. The kaumatua stood up again and announced another couple of words. There was another waiata by the kuia and kaumatua. As the kuia sat down, the kaumatua spoke about Tangatarua Marae.
Soon after that he told us about the amazing carvings. I quite liked Abel Tasman’s carving. The kaumatua told the famous story of Ihenga. I didn’t like the part when his dog was sick.
Later we had morning tea in the wharekai. I looked around and saw dazzling art on the walls. When we finished Isabelle, Shania and I ran back to the wharenui.
We were all waiting for a very cool activity. There was a lady waiting in front of a whiteboard. I wondered who it was. I looked around at a table. It had flax ketes and a wonderful feathery korowai upon it. I turned around and said to Shania “Maybe…could it be…Tina Wirihana, the international weaver?!” Shania exclaimed “Oh yes! I think it’s her. I can’t wait!” We glanced at each other as Tina introduced herself, but she hadn’t even been halfway through her presentation when the hangi preparation children had to go! “Ooh” I whined, but went obediently.
Isabelle, Joyce, Odin, Sean and I had to peel potatoes. We all rushed and grabbed a potato peeler and started to peel. It was very frustrating. No matter how hard I peeled the tough skin of the potato it wouldn’t move. After about half an hour I was still on my first potato. Manaaki’s dad finished it for me. We were all laughing at each others’jokes except for Joyce. She was peeling furiously as if there was a motor inside her. Odin kept hitting everyone’s potatoes with his peeler. They fell in the bin when he did that. He did that 3 times to me. I glared at him. We were so noisy when we laughed, we were kicked out first. That wasn’t funny at all. It was actually quite disappointing really.
When we got back in the wharenui, the weaving activity was nearly finished. We felt the korowai’s lovely down-like feathers. Tina told us that they were pheasant feathers. She left soon after that. That was a lot of fun, even though we had to leave for the hangi preparation.
Later, we were going to make some poi. Whaea Liana taught us the instructions and we had to go and do it by ourselves. Mine kept falling to bits, so in the end Mrs Norton fixed it up for me. The boys went outside with Tiana’s dad to learn taiaha, while the girls learnt some poi actions. We showed the boys our poi skills. The boys showed off their taiaha skills.
We soon went to the wharekai for dinner. I saw plates piled with chicken, pork, pumpkin, potatoes, mixed vegetables and stuffing. My mouth started watering. We said a karakia and we were led to tables. I sat down and began to eat. It was beautiful! It was irresistible. That was my first taste of hangi and I loved it.
When we finished we went to the wharenui and sat down. I wondered what was going to happen next. A crowd of students walked in. They lined up. They looked like a kapa haka group. They were children from Mokoia Intermediate. Mokoia Intermediate’s kapa haka group started to sing. They had fabulous voices. The kapa haka group did 3 items and our kapa haka boys did their haka.
Soon it was bedtime. I was going to share a bed with Aimee and Irihapeti. I couldn’t sleep for the whole night because everyone was talking. Mrs Norton kept shouting “Be quiet!” Mrs Cato had a good sleep because she had ear plugs. Lucky Mrs Cato!
When we got up I found out that my brother, Jun had woken up at 4am and got ready. I got up and went to the toilets to get dressed.
We had breakfast. We had left over hangi, toast and cereal. It was tasty.
Later we did Maori games rotations. Mrs Norton held hand games, Mrs Vercoe: poi, Mrs Cato: string games, Mrs James: knucklebones and Whaea Liana: ti rakau. I liked hand games, knucklebones and ti rakau.
Meanwhile we had lunch. We had bacon and egg pie, fruit, sandwiches, biscuits and cakes.
Next we went to the Waiariki Art department. We saw flax weaving and screen printing.
Following that we learnt the parts of the marae.
We had a little play time and Mrs Norton taught us a hand game ‘Timi Tame Hare’. Soon it was time to go home. The kaumatua said a speech and we sang ‘He Honore’ again. We retrieved our bags and walked miserably back to the patient buses. I wished we had a bit more time there. It was an electrifying and exciting stay. It was an experience to remember for the rest of my life.
By Paula Lee
Year 5
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Beginning of A2's First Blog!
Hi A2
This is the beginning of our first class blog. A blog is where we can share our thoughts and ideas with each other. We can post pictures on our blog. We can comment on what other people in our class have got to say about experiences or issues they would like to share.
We will start our blog by reflecting on our marae experience. I enjoyed so many parts of our marae stay, which included the fabulous hangi meal, poi making with Whaea Liana, learning about different parts of the wharenui with Mrs Vercoe, the korero about the wharenui from Koro Ken and the amazing performance from Mokoia Intermediate.What were some of your highlights of the marae stay and why did you enjoy that experience?
This is the beginning of our first class blog. A blog is where we can share our thoughts and ideas with each other. We can post pictures on our blog. We can comment on what other people in our class have got to say about experiences or issues they would like to share.
We will start our blog by reflecting on our marae experience. I enjoyed so many parts of our marae stay, which included the fabulous hangi meal, poi making with Whaea Liana, learning about different parts of the wharenui with Mrs Vercoe, the korero about the wharenui from Koro Ken and the amazing performance from Mokoia Intermediate.What were some of your highlights of the marae stay and why did you enjoy that experience?
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