Loyola takes Leigh

March 19-20, 2016. 

After a night with the girls, we woke up on Saturday morning to join the van of Loyola Uni Hall Apartment girls and Luke to go to Leigh Area for our Marae weekend.
We were a bit early so we stopped at the local farmers market, where of course I had to get a smoothie. Sorry to disappoint; it appears I did not take a picture of my smoothie, but rest assured it was good. A bit small, but it was fine. We then headed to the Marae (the Maori ceremony building on sacred ground) where we met up with the rest of our Loyola group before participating in a welcome ceremony - a powhiri. We even got to hongi! A majority of you reading this most likely aren't here with me, so you don't know, but hongis are my favorite. It is the Maori formal greeting and I'm probably not supposed to because I'm not Maori but I do it with my friends all the time because it's fun (shout out to Justin, Sarah, and Emily for embracing my weirdness). So clearly I was excited. But I messed it up all 3 times lol so there's that. The last time the lady kissed my eye because she was kissing cheeks and I turned my head on accident lol. But it's whatevvvver. All that stuff is like sacred though, so no pictures were taken so use your imagination, k thanks.
After we became their family and no longer the visitors, they treated us to some kai.
Rant time.
So I have a friend name Kai. Even though he's clearly not here with me I'll include a picture because we're super cute so see the picture to the left. Anyways, he's always like "Kai means wave in Hawaiian" (turns out it actually means ocean/sea but close enough), but in Maori it means food! At first I was obviously a little confused because when we first got here to Auckland the Maori lady that was teaching us culture (and she taught us the hongi, shout out to her!) said that Maori and Hawaiian, and all the Pacific Island languages really, were so similar that they can all be talking in their own language and still understand and communicate with each other from different places in their own languages because the languages were so similar. (I hope you understood that, it was super rambley but I don't feel like trying to translate myself into proper words and thoughts.) Therefore I thought the words would be like the same but the only similarities between the ocean and food is that I couldn't live without either. So I guess what I'm sayin is it's just interesting how although the languages claim to be so similar and interchangeable, they do have different words, well the same words with totally different meanings.
But the food was super good. All the meals that weekend were made by the Maori hosts and were totally edible. So at least I didn't starve to death.
After lunch we broke into two groups for our afternoon activities. Luckily (or so I thought), I was in the first group to go snorkeling! I love snorkeling! Here in Auckland I even have my own pink mask and snorkel (because we all know I look good in pink!). But anyways so like the weather was looking like it might not hold up for long so I was glad to go first, plus I couldn't wait to get in the water (naturally). By banging two rocks I attracted fish, but they were behind me so although Lin and some of the others got to see them, I only saw two fish the whole time. Kinda a bummer but it's okay because I was still having fun in the (not sun) water.
It definitely looked like it was about to pour, so we were all glad that we got to go snorkeling and have the beach part first. But the second group claims they saw so much, but maybe they're just saying that because they know we didn't see much. But oh well. I'm going back April 9-10 with the Underwater Club for some SCUBA Diving so I'll probably see more then.

My feet were all red from the flippers, now I know why booties are so important. But snorkeling isn't that intense to need booties haha.
After snorkeling, we switched with the other group and had our hand at Flax Weaving. It was Palm Saturday and usually on the weekend of Palm Sunday (well, in high school) I would go on the Pilgrimage in Wilmington, Delaware, with church to prepare for Easter. There I would get to see my all time favorite priest Father Carroll and I would get my palms for Palm Sunday. I would always have to have someone make it into a cross for me because I don't know how. Here in New Zealand, I'm obviously missing Palm Sunday, being on a Loyola Maori retreat, so I thought of the Flax Weaving as the equivalent of the cross-making of my palms.
We made Flax Flowers. Once we actually started the weaving, it was really simple. The preparation needed in order to finally get the flax ready to weave though was a bit difficult. Megan (I think her name was?) even showed us the proper way to cut our own flax down so that we can weave some on our own if we wish (many flax plants grow all around campus and Uni Hall Apartments). I almost cut down some to show Justin how to make (once I got back) but the preparation deterred me from doing so. But maybe one day I'll make another one, at least now I know how.
I was actually, not studying, but like having an intense look at the grass while I was in Australia this weekend (don't worry, posts coming soon), and grass is basically a mini flax. Like it grows differently but the actual grass strand was just a miniature version of the flax leaf we wove. Also, fun fact, they can't cut the flax in the rain because it's a sacred plant. See, sacred plant, it really is almost like a substitute for my Palm crosses.
Once everyone was done and the groups were back together, we still had time before dinner, so we went into Leigh. There was a fish comp that day, so we were to go to the weigh in. Okay, okay, so I know, summers in Ocean City. White Marlin Open. How have I not been to a fish weigh in before? Well they're on TV and they're always so crowded, and honestly, why would I want to go? But I don't think this (what we went to) was a fish weigh in so much as a fish auction. (Sorry I couldn't pick just one pic; it was AMAZING.)

The fish just kept coming. There were so many! And they were so big! And they were going for so cheap! If I had any money with me, bet I would've bought enough fish to last me the rest of my time here in Aotearoa. I would just need to find someone to clean and cook them for me. Or I guess I could learn, but only so I could guarantee my survival on a deserted island. But I didn't have any money on me anyways, so the point is mute. But seriously it was like the coolest thing ever. This year I'm totally gonna go to a weigh in just to see if it's nearly half as intense as this one was. The money went toward the expense of the competition because the winner received a boat as a prize. 

After dinner, we went back for the night life of the competition. 

There was a live band and everyone knew everyone. It kinda reminded me of a honky-tonk but definitely not the one I've been to so I'm not sure why it reminded me of that haha. Anyways, there was this drunk guy (Chris maybe?) who kept trying to go on stage and take the microphone and the police in a trench coat just came and fixed the microphone and it was totally funny lol. He also tried to body slam me but I think he just fell because ya know, he was drunk. Like totally and completely wasted. Like control your beer; you're a grown man. But hey, you do you, just don't die.
We jammed a bit but we didn't stay very long but that's okay.
This post is starting to look super long, so I'm gonna put the next day in another post. Hope ya'll don't mind, and if you do, who cares? Not me.

Until next time,

xoxo,

Tasha