Day Four: June 9th, 2011

         Today was a day for getting to know the New Zealand culture, especially that of the Maori people. First we went on a duck tour of Rotorua, but the steam from the springs covered the water and we unfortunately didn't get the chance to see much. Next, we visited Whakarewarewa, a geothermal village that houses only about twenty families. We saw how the Maori people living there fully utilize the land, using it for cooking as well as bathing. They have communal baths, which we got to put our hands in. The minerals in the water made my hand feel so dense, but when it dried I felt as though I had lost all of my dead skin. Bathing in that would be just like going to a spa. After the Whaka village tour, we visited Mountain Jade, a New Zealand jade factory. It was fun to learn about how they shape and carve jade for jewelry, and how the carvers are inspired by Maori symbols, such as a swirl symbolizing new beginnings.

We then moved on to the Agrodome, where we got to play with baby goats and lambs, and then we saw a sheep show. Different breeds of sheep were showcased, one was sheered, and a cow was milked. It was a nice taste of typical Kiwi life. After that, we went to do the Ogo, which is like a Zorb or a giant hamster ball. While I didn't do it down hill, Zoe, Morgan, and I went in the stationary machine one, and I had the time of my life! It was filled with warm water, and it was so fun to get tossed around and soaked, falling all over each other. I absolutely loved it. We finished off the day by going to a hangi feast at our hotel, in which we tried traditional Maori dinner and desserts. I really liked getting to taste Maori food, even if it wasn't exactly up my alley. I also had a great time trying the poi, which is explained below, and watching the boys dance the haka. My only complaint was that the performers were not very authentic and took away from my experience.

Prompt: Describe the culture of this morning and afternoon, then compare to the USA and Native Americans.

                This morning’s tour of the Whaka village was not at all what I expected. We were given the background history of the Maori people and Whaka guides. I did not expect the actual village to just have these beautifully colored sulfur and mineral deposits and “clear as” pools sitting in between everyday homes. I thought it was incredible how they tied bags to a string and left food (like corn) to cook in the hot, boiling pools. The “microwaves”, or boxes made of wood that were heated by the ground they were placed on, were another resourceful idea that shocked me.
We don’t have anything like that in Grayslake; the closest thing is probably an actual microwave. Seeing a demonstration of the poi, balls attached to string that are used for song and dance, by our guide gave me some insight of what the hangi dinner would be like later that night. Although the performance at dinner seemed much more artificial than that of our guide, mostly due to gossiping performers and the use of black lights, I did take away a taste of Maori culture from it all. The food was cooked in the thermal area and tasted great, yet interesting because it really was so different. Learning a poi dance was great fun and also a very unique experience; I am very glad that I tried it because I got to attempt something that the Maori women have mastered and perform at their ceremonies. The boys really seemed to enjoy learning to dance the haka, and the entire day’s experience taught me so much about the Maori culture. I saw how rich in tradition they are and how they continue to live fairly simply. They utilize their surroundings and resources to the fullest, just like the Native Americans did with buffalo, using every part they could to its full potential. The Maori keep their ceremonies alive as a way to keep their culture alive as well. This reminds me very much of the Native Americans because both people are this way. However, the Maori culture is so much better preserved in New Zealand than the Native Americans because they are not confined to preservations if they want to practice their culture. I believe that the Native Americans should be allowed to spread their traditions freely, and not have to live on preservations if they want to live around other people like them who share their beliefs and culture. Sure, many do participate freely in society, but they could easily flourish if their culture’s spread was being aided, and their preservations were being well taken care of.