On Friday we were able to go to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. My favorite part about it was when we got to see the Maori Cultural Performance. The dancers performed many traditional Maori dances and songs. They danced with their long and short sticks, poi balls, and even did the famous Haka at the end. Throughout the program there was a narrator who explained the significance of the different dances they do and words they say.
It was cool for me to see how much of this culture I already know. I remember getting on the plane here to New Zealand not knowing ANYTHING about the Maori culture, and now in just a short couple of months, I already knew a lot of the information the narrator was explaining to us.
After their performance, the dancers came out for us to take pictures with them. It was a lot of fun. I love how the Maori men stick out their tongues (called the whetero, pronounced "fetero") for intimidation during the Haka, while the women just buldge their eyes (called the pukana, pronounced "po-kauna"). We still stick out our tongues though when we take pictures, but technically we shouldn't since Maori women would never do that.
After the museum we went to eat at a yummy Burger place that Phil and Nisha loves called Burgerfuel. I don't know if I am just missing hamburgers from back home or what, but I thought it was an amazing burger (even if it was $10 just for the burger, fries and drink NOT included). Straight from our dinner we went to a RUGBY game.
Rugby is like the national sport here in NZ. It is like their football but 10 times more popular and bigger. The famous team for New Zealand is called The All Blacks. There are flags, posters, pictures...etc. EVERYWHERE in NZ with The All Blacks logo and name. The hat my teacher has me wear everyday at school is an All Black hat from the world cup that they won last year.
The game we went to was not an All Black game, but the teams we saw had a total of 15 players that are on the All Black team. The teams were the Auckland blues vs. the Christchurch Crusaders. It was fun being there with everyone and it was a CRAZY game to watch. I cannot believe how HARSH, BRUTAL, and INTENSE Rugby games are. The players wear NO padding or protection and literally just plow and tackle each other like crazy. By the end of the game their faces were all bloody and puffy and gross. I don't know why you'd ever want to play such a fierce game, but it sure made our football players (with all their pads and covering) look pretty WIMPY! haha
Here is a movie I made of little video clips I took from each of the dances performed during
the Maori Cultural Performance.
The Haka starts at minute 5:13 to the end and is definitely worth watching!!
The museum
Kia Ora
I love the Maori carvings
Here we go!
Me and Amanda
Poi balls
This is the stick passing thing that we got to do in our literacy class
a while back :)
I LOVE THIS PICTURE! Look at their whetero (sticking their tongues out)
Marae
I really do love the carvings that this culture makes. I think they are so
intricate and beautiful.
NZ Volcanoes
Closest thing I better get to a shark....I was scared and
it was fake.
I thought this was so gross looking! Those are real and
reminded me of A Bugs Life.
Huge, preserved, spider....gives me the willies.
Nemo and Dory!! :)
Yes this fake Penguin was the same height as me.
Look at that cute Mr. Penguin though :)
New Zealand......NZ.......EN Zed
The All Blacks Rugby team room in the museum
They perform the Haka before the start of each game
I took this picture for Kyle. No wonder people were scared to go to the
dentist back in the day!
NZ and all the other Islands that a lot of the people living here
come from.
In my class I have students who are from Tonga, Samoa, Tuvalu (up at
the very top left corner), and the Cook Islands.
Burgerfuel...yummm :)
Rugby Game...here we come!
Go Blues!
Look I support both the blues and reds with my flag and shirt haha!
It would randomly rain during the game. One time it came down pretty hard
and I got a good soak :)
Here come the players onto the field
dog pile anyone?
I thought it was cool how they would lift up the players to get the ball
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