The Flying Kiwi - Hawaiian Edition part 3

Tuesday 24th November, 2015

Kia Ora whānau,

So - our plan for today was to wake up early and go to SCUBA SCOOTERING... it was pretty difficult because we’d had such a late night.. LoL!  Don’t regret either though.. LoL!!
One interesting part of our holiday is introducing ourselves to new people - Hi, I’m Pania & this is Hania.. the heck? I guess coz when we’d meet each of our friends they’d already know one of us - so we never needed to say ‘Hania & Pania in the same breath’... LoL..  AND, so that’s the first weird thing we’ve learnt on our holiday together - and second.. Oh, no Hania is my niece.. Coz I look so youthful you see.. LoL.. We’ve been mistaken for sisters - then we give the whole, she’s my niece and they’re like HUH? - FUNNY!

Needing the sun-glasses to hide the karaoke party effects from last night.. LoL!

At first, as your going down into the water, you need to blow your nose so your ears unblock - it was a little freaky for me, and I could feel myself starting to panic a little bit.. had to just NOT PANIC.. LoL!! Then I found the little metal ball with bread in it so that I could feed the fish and then my mind being taken off the panic started to feed the fish - they just came out of nowhere hungry for a kai!

At some points they would nibble on your fingers - Ouch - some of them had sharp teeth so it caught me off guard for the first time - as you’re diving the workers are circling around you making sure you’re ok - but as I saw Hania doing all good, and that I was actually all good - it was heaps of fun! When we took the pics holding hands I could see Hania mouth some words - she said ‘Don’t let go’ and out of nowhere I go ‘I”ll never let go!’... It was pretty funny!  Somehow we knew what each other were saying.... 

This is us knowing what each other had said.. LoL

This was an amazing experience!  Afterwards, we jumped in and snorkled - Hania didn’t last too long and she got out, but I was in my element and swam all around the place.
So, here are some of mine.. FUN!!

 Ready for snorkelling.. FUN!!

 SHAKA’s UP... Hawaiian styles...

 She wasn’t here for long.. then out.. LoL!!

 Scuba scooter!! Yeah!!

 It was a Hawaiian crab - or something...

 He saw that all the way from the top of the ocean - then dove a casual 10mtrs down

 to get it.. LoL!

 Just hanging out in the waters of Hawaii...

 Then this guy, sees a WHEKE from the top of the ocean and dives a casual 10mts down to get it.. The other diver reckons this fulla can hold his breath over 2minutes in the water...

 Then he put it on my arm!!! Little, but it clung quite tightly all around my arm.. FUN!!

 This was freaky!! And cool!! Check it out.. LoL!

 Yeah, just hanging out at the bottom of the ocean...

So cool!!

So, when the trip was over - the photographer was like showing people their pics and videos and we were like - we’ll have a look, not intending to like them - based on that we didn’t like how much they were charging for them.. LoL!! And, we blimin loved them!! LoL!!  So, we bought the pics - and so cool that  we did!!

Afterwards, we found ourselves at another ROSS - then off back to Waimanalo - one of the Aunties from the Hula Halau asked us to contact her if we had more free time to go and spend some time with her rangatahi she works with at an after-school group with rangatahi - so we just turned up.. It was such a humbling and uplifting experience - spending a SHORT time with these rangatahi -because we hadn’t called to let them know we were coming - they hadn’t planned to have us - which was fine, so they were at Waimanalo beach... We just went to meet them, corer with them and share some Whittakers chocolate with them...

 Rangatahi from ‘Hui Malama o Ke Kai’ in Waimanalo - Ataahua ngā rangatahi nei...

Me at this beautiful beach!! SHAKA - Hawaiian styles... I think Hawaii agrees with me..

 Thanking us for coming - it was our pleasure...

 Me giving one of the girls a hug - so beautiful!

 What a beautiful aina (whenua) and moana...

It was such an awesome experience to be able to spend some time with these rangatahi!  Some come from difficult backgrounds and this program is based on Hawaiian values, culture, reo and tradition.  It’s a small way to install these values in these rangatahi and how these are reflected in how they interact with each other.

Their kaiako asked if we could give a kōrero that would relate to the value they would be talking about that day - it was humility, so we each spoke about how humility and leadership go hand in hand.. that we lead because we must, but to do it under the instruction of those who know more than us - also, because Waimanalo is a small town, like Featherston size and just sharing with these rangatahi to make and have dreams because although they’re from a small town they can achieve these dreams - being a tourist gets TIRED - being with the tangata whenua and their rangatahi, giving them some words of inspiration & encouragement hoping that it helps to feed the seed the adults around them are already trying to instil in them.  So beautiful!

Us at Waimanalo Beach...

So, by the time we left to go home it was POURING down raining again - but they asked us to go back to the centre and they gave us a t-shirt each and some of their calendars - they were so grateful, but we were the ones who were blessed - looking at each of these rangatahi and hoping the best for them, they could’ve been our KURA kids, you know... Wish only the best for them.

So, of course - on our way home we stopped in ROSS at Kaneohe before heading home to Waikiki.  However, before going home to sleep we ended up at Korean BBQ for dinner - YUM & the a little bit of salsa before sleep.. 

A couple, killing it on the dance floor!! Jealous...

Because we have an early morning off to Laie... and we still didn’t end up GETTING to sleep until like 3am - I was stressing about my presentation, but let it go and thought - it’ll be all good.. LoL!! Was it though??

Wednesday 25th November, 2015

Yeah, so we should have left Waikiki by 7am, but of course we didn’t - we left a little later... AND, have I told you already about the rain... we got out of Waikiki quite slowly because of the traffic, but the idea was that once we got out of town that it would be pretty good because everyone should be coming IN to town, well traffic was pretty consistently busy BOTH ways and with the rain we were 15minutes late.. Which was ok because she (the kaiako) was doing some admin stuff with her students when we walked in - and she gave us these beautiful leis.. so NICE!!

  I mean, what the heck am I wearing?! It was already pretty warm and then in the classroom it felt like the heaters were on?! And of course coz I had this sleeve-less dress on I put on the jacket and couldn’t take it off could I - to make it worse because it was warm, there were a couple of students in each class fighting not to go to sleep.. LoL! Well, at least they were fighting it and not just giving into the temptation to sleep during my kōrero.. it was funny!

So, we had two classes and they were pretty good - got some feedback from Hania after the first one and did some re-jigging for the second class and it was cool - because during my presentations the kaiako would add what chapter in their text-book would be useful for the discussion points I was raising...

 Our new friend Angel - who was an angel and acted as our tour guide for the day.

So, I covered like FOUR points in my presentation:

1.  Mihi/Whakawhanaungatanga - favourite/worst memory of school; experience on 

     practicum

2.  Treaty of Waitangi - Native & Mission Schools <-- these linked with their curriculum

      Sharing experiences of Uncle Bay, Aunty Mabel, Wikitoria Davidson (on the netball 

      court) and Matariki

3.  Education today with Ka Hikitia & Tataiako - ‘Māori achieving and enjoying educational 

     success as Māori’ being a direct contrast to old beliefs about Māori ability...

Dr Kathy Latham & I - she’s the kaiako for the class

Us standing outside BYU School of Education - it was really warm.. LoL!!

I had to change my outfit.. lucky I had one... LoL!

So, we were HUNGRY by mid-day since we’d been awake for many hours and without kai - it’s funny, coz both Hania and I show signs of ‘hangry-ness’ symptoms without kai for too long - I think Hania gets it slightly worse than myself.. LoL! Angel didn’t have much to do today, so we invited her to come along with us 1. To show us around; 2. To have a good kōrero; 3. She can help us eat the kai.. because we went on a food tour..

Before I left home - Ming suggested a few places for us to eat in Laie, and we managed to hit a couple of them.
1.  Hukilau Cafe - we just got a shared plate and we all ate it..
2.  Kahuku Superette for Poke
3.  Teds Bakery
4.  Giovanni’s for Shrimp & Funnel Cake

 First stop... Hukilau Cafe...

Although we were starving, we just got one plate to share amongst the three of us... that was lucky because we had a TOUR ahead of us.. LoL!!

Giovanni’s for Garlic Shrimp - we’d call PRAWNs!

They were that BIG.. Yummy!!

 Only a couple of slices from the famous ‘Ted’s Bakery’... Eh, not bad - not great either.. LoL!

It was just as well there were three of us there to eat the kai... it was a fun way to spend the hours before we went to PCC...

Then we went back to Laie - PCC to get our tickets and head through PCC...

Angel walked through with us then left to go home - and we were on our way, we decided to go straight to the marae, because we had the kai to give out to the whānau who would be at the marae.. and what do you know - who is the first person I see that I know Brother Tarawhiti.. was so cool!  We said ‘kia ora’ next minute, he grabs my hand to find a missing wedding ring... Lol!! He goes ‘Kei head tō tāne?’ I replied ‘Kei te rapu ton ahau i a ia’.. LoL!! 

Actually, the first thing done after a kiss hello... classic!! It was so good to see him, and Sister Tarawhiti - what a DUMB! I didn’t have a photo with them OR give them any blimin kai from home.. I made up for it a little later, but still.. DUMB!!

The next face I see is Shannon Galea’i (Niania) from CCNZ & Uawa... she’s still the same LOVELY and beautiful person as always!!! Not long enough to hang out, with them all being at mahi and such.. just had to make the most of the time we all had together..

Shannon Galea’i (Niania) & I - those were the days e hoa!

CCNZ reunion picture... well, the 1997 whānau.. 

So, when we were about to sit down for the show in the marae, they had these reserved seats for us and 3 other Māori girls who were there for the day - I don’t think they spoke Māori though - coz one of the Matua at PCC came over and just started having a good yarn i roto i te reo Māori with me and Hania - but they had us right up front.  Oh, I have to say KA RAWE PCC marae day show - the quality of the show was awesome! 

The performers were awesome and were mostly Māori and seemed to ‘know’ what they were doing on the stage - just beautiful really - the matua needed a volunteer to show the ‘hongi’ so, he pulls me up to hongi with him - that was cool..

Before the show though, I see Mr Iraia Bailey - from CCNZ and Hania goes, there’s Iraia - I go, yeah - I know him from school turns out they’ve got some good links between them.. small world.

Hania and Iraia were on panikeritanga together and Miriama (nee McDonald - Iraia’s wife) 

is a whanaunga to Hania on the McDonald side of the whānau... Small world!

Group pic - in the marae...

So, the plan - because I didn’t get a pic with the Tarawhiti’s was to go back to get Hania her ‘dole-whip’ pineapple ice cream, but tasted like pineapple fruju.. then to slowly make our way back to the marae and give the Tarawhiti’s some kai and a picture - yeah, we sat down and didn’t move for a while... LoL! Sorry, I missed out on seeing you further the Tarawhiti whānau - it was probably a good thing, because it would’ve just been an in-depth conversation about my marital status (or lack thereof..) LoL!!

It was when we sat down, we weren’t going back.. LoL!

 So cute! This worker saw me & goes ‘OH, I was in your class today’... 

Felt a little famous.. LoL - I said, I hope you enjoyed it and learnt something from attending it.  She said she did - she was really lovely!

 But then, THIS worker goes to me ‘I was in your class today’... He saw and recognised Hania first, then he goes to me ‘You changed your clothes’.. LoL!! Observant much - and still kind of feeling a little stand-out-able.. LoL!! Funny...

 Yeah - THREE times lucky! This worker goes - ‘I really enjoyed your class today’.. LoL!! 

Wow, I just hit the tri-factor with this trip to PCC - it was pretty awesome.. LoL - being recognised all over PCC... So cute and funny!

So funny - this tour guide, was being all funny, rocking the boat etc. 

Then he fell in - secretly I think he meant to so that he could have an early break to go and get changed - funny!!

 Lucky the buffet dinner we went to wasn’t any good - so we didn’t eat much - just Hania’s rīwai that she’s been wanting ever since she got to PCC.  Otherwise, probably could have done without that whole experience.

Uh, can I just say ‘HĀ’ was really amazing - I mean, mum and I went to watch it last year (http://masterdorty.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-flying-kiwis-epistle-10.html) and I thought it was ‘ok’ then, but for some reason this year - I was like ‘this is AMAZING!!!!’... Not sure what the difference was, but mate - the finale fire-dance was SPECTACULAR - I think I forgot how attractive that is, the fire-dance (it is..) but this was just awesome!!!

The EXTREMELY talented fire-dancer.. AMAZING!!

After the show, we went to get Angel again - coz we needed her help finding Zandria’s (Sister Ram - for her earrings) - she came with us, then we also went to see Kirby Ormond - to get Angels kai for her - in the meantime Kirby jumps in with us and we all go together to find Sister Ram and the Tarawhiti’s - I just wanted to go for a catch-up.

So, instead we found Seamus’s whare...

Turns out again, Hania’s has hono to Seamus on the McDonald side of the whānau.. so it was really cool to meet and kōrero tahi with him - Sister Ram came over and gave us Zandria’s tāonga and all was well - by the time we left of course it was 11pm so we didn’t get to the Tarawhiti’s because it was so late.. engari what an awesome day! Anō... LoL!

And off we go, back to Kuhio Ave... such an awesome day!!