> Ikaia Chu < On a more fun note, I thought it would be interesting to document everything I ate down in Aotearoa (excluding all the boring food we cooked or made ourselves). Unfortunately I didn't have the presence of mind to take a picture of what was my favorite meal the entire trip: my massive New Zealand, grass fed cattle steak. But anyways, here are the rest of the things I ate down under. > Ikaia Chu < Over the last few weeks since we got back home, I’ve been reflecting upon and this experience, just trying to put my feelings into words (an impossible task it seems). There was just so much that we did and learned, it seems surreal as if it were all just a dream. And even now, three week since we returned home, I can still remember vividly everything we did in Aotearoa as if it were yesterday. We (30 or so Hawaiians) chanted in front of over two thousand Maori students, greeting each and every single one after! We worked on the Hikianalia as though it were our home! We even SAILED the Hokulea! I don’t think I’ll ever have another experience that even comes remotely close to this one. I would first like to thank all three of our teachers, Mr. Blake, Mr. Kamalu, and Ms. Arce for giving me this experience in the first place. I am very thankful to have been one of the ten students selected for this trip, and I am very glad I decided to go. Before the trip, I guess I didn’t really know much about the trip at all; I just thought, “Hey, I’ve never been to New Zealand before. That would be kinda cool.” But after coming home and finally settling down again, I can now see how great of an experience this really was. I’d also like to thank each and every one of you students who went on the trip with me. I may not have known all of you at the start, but by the end of the trip, after growing together, we were truly one family. The trip wouldn’t have been the same if even one of you were absent. Now first of all, let me say that I have never recognized myself as a very cultural Hawaiian in any way. I speak the language a tiny bit, but I never really cared much about the culture. For me, it's was just something I learned about to pass classes. However, this trip has truly changed me as a person and as a Hawaiian.
As a person, this trip has helped me find myself again, after years of going through the motions. Participating in the welcoming ceremony of the Hoku and visiting Te Reo schools showed me the pride the Maori people take in their culture and the power with which they perform songs and dances. As Mr. Blake would say, “we traveled all the way down to New Zealand in hopes of becoming better Hawaiians.” Watching the Maori for a whole week has really inspired me to change who I am as a person. It has inspired me to take pride in my culture, and to be proud of who I am. As well as helping me find myself, this trip has given my life direction in this very crucial time before I head off to college. Unless you’re one of those very driven kids who know exactly where they’re going in life (which I’m not), it’s hard to figure out which direction to head in. For me, I know what things I like and don’t like, but I have absolutely no clue what I want to do for the rest of my life. The most significant thing that I have taken from this trip was not specifically about voyaging, but rather about the PVS’s mission and how important it is, as future leaders of Hawaii, to give back to Hawaii and my people. This experience has given me peace in the sense that I realize its really not so important what exactly I decide to do with my life. I realize that it doesn’t matter whether I become a doctor, an engineer, a pilot, or even enter the military; what’s important is that I find a way to give back to Hawaii in whatever I do. Now, although the trip has come to an end, our journey has just begun. Now, our mission is to take what we learned, whether it be about voyaging, physics, or sustainability, and use it to educate others. Because we were given this opportunity, we carry the responsibility of spreading the mission and vision of the Worldwide Voyage and the Malama Honua project. On a final note, I would like to again express just how grateful I am to have been a part of this experience. This trip has given me two things I didn’t initially expect to find: pride in my culture, and a purpose in life. Coin stack version 2... Well here we are, finally at what seems to be the end. It's been a few weeks since we said goodbye to Aotearoa, and I am still missing it. Anyways here is my final reflection. Kainoa Ah QuinAs I sit here in Hawaii thinking about all the things we've experienced, I am still baffled. My thoughts keep racing without allowing my mouth/body time to catch up. I feel like I have all these things that want to come out but it's so hard for me to say them (that is partially why this has taken so long). But I guess I will just have to try my best. I believe that things happen for a reason. I don't really know if it's true, but it feels like it is for me. Everything leading up to this trip has helped to prepare me in some way for it and now that it has come to an end, it seems as if the trip has prepared me for something even bigger - as if going to New Zealand wasn't big enough. At first, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that our main purpose of going to Aotearoa was to help out on the two wa'a: Hokule'a and Hikianalia. The things that we actually did were definitely not what I imagined - in the best ways possible of course. For example, sailing Hoku. We didn't just sail on Hoku, we sailed Hoku! How many people, other than crew members, can say that they've done something like that?! We have literally experienced something that is a one-in-a-million type experience, maybe even one-in-a-billion. But seriously it was such a special time. We are now a part of Hoku, and Hoku is now a part of us. On the trip, Mr Blake kind of introduced us as, "Hawaiians who came to Aotearoa to learn how to be more Hawaiian". Totally makes sense: yes, no? Well, if you ask me, it makes total sense. We went to Aotearoa not necessarily to learn how to be Hawaiian, but to gain a pride for our own culture. It is the hope that the pride we have gained on this trip will help us to be better Hawaiian people. I don't mean that you can't find Hawaiian pride in Hawaii, but for me, seeing the passion and centered-ness the Maori people have in their culture makes me want to have that too. Now, with recent events, I feel like this trip has come at the perfect time (things happen for a reason).
I don't consider myself, in any way, one of those "Ku'e" Hawaiian activist type people. But since coming back from this trip, I have gained a grander sense of pride for my culture and I feel a little bit more grounded. With the telescope situation going on at Mauna Kea I feel like this Aotearoa trip has come at the perfect time to help me discover who I am and what I stand for. Honestly, I don't know how to react to the telescope because there are pros and cons for both sides but having a better understanding of what it means to be Hawaiian to me, is really helping me to answer some of my own questions. Having been blessed with this wonderful opportunity to travel with this wonderful group, I feel that I now have a responsibility to share all the things I have experienced. Although nothing beats actually going to New Zealand and living the experiences, I feel like our whanau that went on this journey can still help teach others. No matter if it's physics, water quality, or trying to help people gain a better understanding of what being Hawaiian means to them, we now have the responsibility to be there and to help. BUT, we can only hope we do the job justice. Quick video "reflection" shortly after saying goodbye A big mahalo to everyone who was a part of this trip. For Katie's part I meant to say a really smart person rather than another smart person. I swear. Good News! The GoPro works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that our adventures have come to an end, our journey has just started, the journey to take what we have learned from this trip, and apply it in everything we do. On this trip I have incorporated all of my subjects I am in and have gained understanding in each. In Speech, we are taught to be effective public speakers. I met so many new and important people and had to show who I am and how I was feeling through the words I spoke.
By observing the way the Māori language is, I make connections to these two subjects by distinguishing between the Hawaiian language, and the Māori language of Te Reo. For example, the "k" in the Te Reo translates to an ʻokina in Hawaiian, the "t" (just like in the Tahitian Language) translates to "k". When applying all of these different similarities, the meanings and contexts are the same. It is amazing how a land so far away could have such an identical language, which takes us to the subject of History.
Our History conntects to one another beginning in the Origins of our two different people. We all came from Kahiki and branched off into different lands and cultures but still stay connected and somewhat the same. While at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, there wasn't just history of Aotearoa, but of the World Wars, Holocaust, and the different methods they used. I could relate it to the previous learning I have done and make observations from their point of view in the wars compared to the United States. Connecting a bridge with the Māori and my Hawaiian Culture was incredibly easy. Especially how our History is similar to theirs up until the different countries that took us over. They get the chance to get back what they lost, unlike us.
And the last subject is Math. Though Math is VERY difficult to apply in real life, we still used numbers to count off for attendance if that counts? Just kidding, I had to use math and numbers to read voltages and amps and see the direction of the currents in the wires. Those were just the classes I am taking this year. I also was able to learn things about other classes I had in the past such as Chemistry, Biology, Health, Hawaiian Culture, etc. Overall, I have learned to be a better Hawaiian. I hope other students get the chance to apply their learning in such a PURE HAWAIIAN way. I know I did. I want to thank Mr. Kamalu, Ms. Arce, and most of all Mr. Blake for believing in me and my education. It was an honor to go on this trip. The lessons I learned, the friends I made, and the experiences I lived will stick with me for the rest of my life. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself right now for living through a 48-hour Tuesday and for actually getting to experience Wednesday, April 4th twice. Happy April Fool's Day! Haha except it's no joke. We did some pretty neat time travel to get back home. But now that I am sitting here back at home, I'm going through MAJOR New Zealand withdrawals. It's weird for me to not be busy doing something, and its even more strange that I'm not surrounded by 12 of some of the most awesome friends I've ever made. I feel lonely right now, but I guess that's just a sign that I really enjoyed my time in Aotearoa.
This experience was truly once in a lifetime. The impressiveness of our work and activities is not lost on me. I mean, we got to sail Hokule'a, we got nearly unrestricted access to work on Hikianalia, we got to make Maori friends, we got to explore Auckland by foot, van and wa'a, and the list goes on. I learned so much about Aotearoa, the Maori culture, and most importantly, myself as a Hawaiian. I have always been proud of my Hawaiian heritage, but I feel like I truly connected with who I am as a Hawaiian on this trip. I realized that you don't even have to have Hawaiian blood to be Hawaiian. We seem to get caught up in the notion that having lots of Hawaiian blood or "looking Hawaiian" automatically makes you more Hawaiian, so for someone like me, it can be pretty daunting to feel comfortable identifying with and practicing my culture. But as I watched the Maori kids perform for us, as I talked to the uncles at the comment garden we visited yesterday, as I worked with my new friends to sail ka wa'a, I learned that it's what lies in our na'au that makes us Hawaiian. If we can find that connection, that identity deep within ourselves, and if we have the courage to let it shine through, then and only then are we able to be Hawaiian. The Maori people already got this down. Getting to see how proud and rooted they are in their culture was truly inspiring. They live their culture 24/7. Being Maori isn't just some check-list, complete-20-hours-a-year sort of chore for them. It's a part of life, just as much and perhaps even more than any Western customs and traditions are parts of their lives. They are completely comfortable with expressing their culture because they have found their identity. They know who they are. They are Maori. Just like I am Hawaiian. This trip and all the things I got to do and see helped me to truly find who I am. I am Hawaiian. and that makes me want to be more Hawaiian. I've decided that I will start by continuing my Hawaiian language studies as well as by taking the knowledge I learned on this trip and applying it. I want to give a huge mahalo to all of the people who accompanied me on this trip. First of all, the teachers who guided us (and sometimes lost us on the motorway) and organized our days leading up to the trip as well as our days down in Aotearoa. I know it took lots of intense work, high stress levels and extra time devoted to make this trip such a success, and I am so appreciative of all the work they put into this trip. Mr. Blake, you offered me a once in a lifetime experience, and I learned so much about physics, Hawaiian culture, and most importantly, Hawaiian identity. I don't think I'll ever be able to say thank you enough. Mr. Kamalu, I'm glad that I got to learn about physics in such a unique way. My classroom was literally a hull of a wa'a, and that's one of the most awesome school experiences I've ever had. You're a great teacher, and I'm glad I got to know you better on this trip. I'm so excited to continue learning about electricity in physics class. Ms. Arce. I didn't know you before this trip, but I'm so glad you came and that I got to get to know you. You were an awesome street guide, and you took such good care of us. Whether it was making sure we had enough sandwiches to eat, making sure we got back to the apartments safely, or just making sure our laundry got dry, you were amazing to us! Besides, you cooked dinner for us, and home cooked food always wins my approval. -Katie K. Sakys On our last day here in Aotearoa, we got to spend time driving around the suburbs, visiting new places. We got the awesome opportunity to give back at a community garden. It was really fun to get to talk to the matua and learn about how Maori are slowly gaining back their lands. I enjoyed getting to work in the dirt pulling weeds, and the matua were extremely kind to us, as they shared some freshly harvested veggies, fresh-baked bread and oh-so-ono New Zealand butter with us. I got to try an apple cucumber, which is really sweet, and feijoa, which is green and similar to guava. We got to see the beautiful landscaping they've done at Bastion Point. We also got to go to Unitec and see their Marae. It was beautiful and represented a kakou effort on the parts of the entire community. The carvings were extremely intricate representations of a timeline of Maori history. We were invited by the university elders for tea and biscuits afterwards, which was pretty fun. I love Earl Grey tea. When we drove back to the city to pick up our bags, we took the long way back (in reality, I think we had a hard time following the GPS) but it was fun. We got to drive on the motorway and see lots of sights, including an L&L BBQ, the Auckland tower from afar, and One Tree Hill (which the girls visited on our first night in Auckland). We had a lot of fun reminding Mr. Kamalu to drive on the left side of the road too! Today was a pretty chill day, and I had fun adventuring. I'm sad to be leaving, but I have tons of pictures and memories to remember this trip by. -Katie K. Sakys
These last couple of days in New Zealand have been unreal. Being here I not only strengthened my connection to PVS, but now with this opportunity I was able to gain the experience of a life time. Thanks to the will of our founder Pauahi and Kamehameha Schools for opening the doors and providing me the incredible chance to be apart of the voyage, I was able to make all these lasting relationships and gain a better sense of my culture. The last days on the wa'a were mostly spent finishing up the final touches of the science kit procedures and labeling all the wires on the Hikianalia. It's hard to believe we were sent here not knowing what to do or what to expect, and yet we as a new hanau we were able to accomplish a lot. Saying our goodbyes on our final days on top Hoku and Hiki were tougher than expected. Because of all the work put into helping the voyage move forward, leaving it felt like leaving apart of myself with it to. It was as if all the mana we put into helping the voyage made us more apart of it than we realized. Being able to sail and work atop both vessels has been such an indescribable experience and has given me more of a drive now to be more active within the voyage. To finish off our final hours before heading home we were able to work on a farm and visit one last marae. Being on the farm was a lot different than I expected, since it seemed more like the farm our sustainability class had visited in Kalaupapa a couple months ago. More of a plantation/gardening place rather than an animal farm type style. Much of the work done is mainly centered around weeding since the farm is largely revolved around producing organic produce, so much of their work is doing a lot of hands on maintenance. It was definitely a life experience to be able to contribute our time to the farm. The last eventful thing of the day was visiting a marae at Unitec. This by far had to be one of the most beautiful ones I've seen out of all that we've gone to in New Zealand. All the intricate carvings from inside out was nothing like I've seen before. Everything was just so beautifully done, and it's crazy to see this as a place that keeps all the history. An elder mentioned that each pillar in the marae not only serves as a story of the past, but also as a foundation that holds up the structure. To me I saw it as a kind of metaphor that basically relates to the history carrying out the culture, which is what the marae seemed to be symbolizing. It was pretty neat reading all the different representations of each item and getting to know the culture's history. Overall a great way to end the day. I am so thankful and blessed to be apart of such an experiential trip and to be able to share it with such an incredible group made it even more worth while. Words can not even explain how our many experiences have created lots of unbelievable memories that we can take as we each set off on our different journeys. All of what New Zealand has offered to my Ohana these past 10 days has given us an unforgettable experience of a life time. -Kealohi S.
Our sail with Hōkūleʻa was shared on Khon2 News. We are so blessed and hope to be able to continue to share our journey with others. Our ten voyagers found ways to grow together, work together and bond into a crew that will always be together, even when apart. Our journey continues. #eatsleepwaa #ourvoyage
March 30, 2015 Today was our last workday on the Hikianalia, and I feel like we got a lot accomplished. All we really did was simplify our procedures for our experiments to make it as easy as possible for the crew to perform our tests and collect data from around the world on their voyage. They will be testing water temperature, salinity, pH, UVA and UVB radiation, and gamma radiation once a day (hopefully) on their worldwide voyage. Honestly, I was feeling pretty emotional when it was time to leave the boats. We spent 3 entire days of this trip on the Hikianalia figuring out how we were going to set up our experiments. We put a lot of our time and energy into this boat, and leaving it felt like saying goodbye to a friend that you know you probably won’t see again. It was sad to say the least. Next we chilled on the Hokule’a one last time, which felt even more emotional. We are some of the very few people in the entire world who ever have or ever will sail the Hokule’a and that is something I will always remember and always be extremely proud of. Saying goodbye to the Hokule’a was hard. It’s such a big deal just that we were one it, but it was more than that. We sailed it. We were the crew. We set up the sails. We took down the sails. We helped pack food for the next voyage. We loaded water onto it. We set up experiments for the crew to perform not their voyage. We had a connection with the actual crew that will be sailing on it. In only a few days we made such a big connection to this wa’a, and saying goodbye was a very hard thing to do. -Noeau Machado March 29, 2015 Besides the day when we sailed on the Hokule’a, today was probably the most fun day of the trip. It feels like we did so much in just one day its crazy. First we took a train out of the city and into the mountains. IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL OUT THERE. We went to a forest observatory place and the view was absolutely incredible. There is something about being in a place so high up that I just find amazing. I could have stayed there looking out at the trees and hills and ocean and sky all day, but our day was only getting started. The next thing we did was going on a small nature walk in this forest trail, which was pretty cool. It reminded me a lot of Hawaii with all the greenery. The trees surrounding us were pretty amazing, but the highlight of that short walk was Kamalani saying “koru koru”. I know this word doesn’t look like much, but when spoken correctly, produces the most amazing sound ever known to mankind. After that we went to… PIHA BEACH! That was one of the best parts of this trip so far. It was so beautiful and the sand was so fine and the water was so clear and reflective it mirrored the sky. I climbed up a hill a little bit and just sat for a few minutes and just looked out at the beautiful landscape in front of me and all my friends running around taking pictures and all the people in the water, and it was just one of the most peaceful moments of my life. -Noeau Machado One of the most relaxing days we've had by far, we got to venture outside the city today. After us girls trekked the mile to the boys' apartment building in pouring rain while avoiding the bike race coursing through the middle of the city, we started the day with a fun breakfast at a little cafe. I had a refreshing plate of seared lamp and Mediterranean rice. We walked to the underground train station (sorta like a subway except not because the majority of the tracks are above ground) and boarded a train to Henderson. It was fun watching the scenery flash by in the windows of the train. When we got to Henderson, Auntie Megan picked us up and took us to her niece's netball game. The easiest way to describe netball is a game played by girls who pass a volleyball-like ball and attempt to throw it into a backboard-less basketball hoop. It's...interesting. Apparently netball is New Zealand's biggest autumn sport. We left the netball courts and drove up into the Arataki Mountains to the Waitakere Forest Reserve, where we got to see stunning views of the forests. It was so relaxing to stand on the observation decks and look out onto the river and trees below while listening to the loud hum of the tree beetles and the songs of the birds. I never realized how loud silence can be, but when you're out in nature with the noise of humans toned down to near nothing, nature itself is quite vociferous. I enjoyed getting to learn about the effort put in to preserve this place and its native species. We took a stroll through a plant ID garden-type area, and it was really cool to listen to Ms. Arce point out the Aotearoa counterparts to our Hawaiian species. We continued our adventure outside the concrete jungle by heading to the beautiful, sparkling black sands of Piha Beach. The expansive views were stunning, and there was so much so explore at the beach. The water was kinda chilly and the wind was pretty strong, but I still had fun splashing and running around in the water in my street clothes. We did some mild hiking up the huge rock mountain on the beach, and the views were incredible. This is the Aotearoa I wanted to see on this trip, and I finally got to experience it. I'm so glad we took this chance to connect with nature because there's nothing comparable to standing 200 feet above the waves, gazing at the long white clouds that give this land its name. We ended the day with a trip to a local shopping center for our procurement of hokey pokey ice cream and lolls (chocolates and other sweets). The ice cream was interesting. Vanilla with little bubbles of candy that taste like something between caramel and toffee. The candy aisle at the grocery store was impressive. Cadbury and Whittakers as far as the eye could see. It took a lot of self-control to not spend all of my money on Crunchies, Cherry Ripe and Turkish Delight. Our last stop of the evening was dinner at a restaurant hotel only a few blocks from the girls' apartments. Finally! No treacherously long walk back to our apartments after a long day's work! -Katie K. Sakys
March 29 I am incredibly thankful for a woman named Megan and her friend who took time out of their day to literally spend all day with us. Because of her I had the best time checking out some things outside of the hustle and bustle of a city that felt a little too much like home. The day started on a train. It was a fairly nice train station and was different than our usual days of walking. The ride was nice and reminded me a bit of a public bus ride. Nevertheless it was an experience I will remember. We disembarked the train in the town of Henderson and met up with Megan. She teamed up with her friend and they were willing to take us places that we probably wouldn’t have gotten to seen if it weren’t for her. First we went to her nieces’ net ball games and saw a little bit of what that was all about. It was interesting, basically it is similar to ultimate Frisbee and basketball combined into one game. There is no backboard on the basket making it more difficult to score. It was fun to watch and the keiki were kiuke in the way they played. It reminded me of my little cousin playing tee ball. After that we headed to the Arataki visitor centre somewhere in the mountains. The view from the top was astonishing. It over looked what appeared to be a reservoir and the ocean. It was very green and lush. I wish I could have just chilled out on the lanai and just relax. It was a wonderful experience and as I read a few exhibits I learned a thing or two as well. After that we went on a short hike into some forests that reminded me a lot of home. There was an abundance wildlife and it was evident that this place was taken care of. We got to see some of the native plants of Aotearoa and learned the names of a few of them. It was a fun hike and I had a good time. After we went mauka, we went down to the beach. It was a long windy road and it was kind of narrow but after all that we arrived at a beautiful beach called Piha. It was a little different than the beaches back home. First of all it was a large beach. Also the sand was super fine grain and darkish grey in color. It was a windy day but the sun brought warmth. I touched the water and initially I thought it was cold, but after a while it wasn’t that bad. There was a huge rock on one side of the beach and there was a staircase scaling the side of it. A few of us climbed it and got a birds eye view of the beach. When we came to the beach, it felt relaxing as if time just stopped and we could have stayed there all day. Although it was a little different than the beaches I am used to it was fun. After the beach we had even more adventures. Megan was going to take us to a friends house who sells pounamu and other jewelry representative of the Maori culture. We were able to go to her house and pick out some of the nicest pieces of art I have seen. The woman was so nice and she basically welcomed 12 strangers into her home. She displayed pure aloha and that’s a great example of how we should treat our guests in our own homes. Megan also took us out to a nice little ice cream shop and to the super market where we were able to buy a lot of candy. Next we all ate dinner together. Megan and her friend drove us all back into town along with their children and we had a nice dinner together and we were able to meet and converse with some kids our own age. Overall this day has been incredible. The hospitality that Megan and her family showed to us was an example for me of how all guests should be treated. I felt welcomed like I had known her for so long. I cannot thank them enough for the time they took to spend the day with us. I am extremely grateful that we were able to get together with them and have an absolutely amazing day. Keenan > Ikaia Chu < After watching the Lord of the Rings and seeing the shire scenes, I just expected all of New Zealand to look that way. Flying into New Zealand, I expected to see lots of grassy hills and lush valleys. Well, when I got to the hotel and this was my view, it was safe to say I was a bit disappointed. Today, however, we were lucky enough to go explore the New Zealand I expected to see. Our day started with a early morning subway ride from Auckland to Henderson. Once there, we were picked up by Aunty Megan, our guide, who was a parent of two kids at Waiorea (the school we visited). After stopping to watch some local netball (similar to basketball, but without the backboard), we drove up to a small museum at the top of the nearby mountain. From there, you could see all the way down to the shore. It was really relaxing to finally escape into nature after being stuck in the heart of the city for most of the week. Then, after stopping for a picnic lunch, because we were short on time, we were forced to decide whether to go shopping for pounamu (carved stone necklaces) or to go to the beach. Although we collectively decided to get pounamu, we were surprised when they decided to take us to the beach as well. Now, living in Hawaii, I have seen many beautiful beaches, but this one was something I have never quite seen before. And although I was dressed like a complete tourist in jeans and shoes, I decided to make the most of my time by running around and playing in the sand and water. You see that mountain to the right of the pictures above? Well, after we were through playing in the sand, we actually discovered a stairs leading to the top of the mountain. Of course, being the adventurous kids we are, we climbed it to get a better view. After literally being dragged away from the beach, we were taken to Aunty Megan's friend's house where we could buy pounamu. Unfotunately, upon arrival everyone took the nice pounamu, leaving me with the leftovers. I decided to wait to buy a nicer one later. Following that, we picked up our guides' kids for a nice dinner together.
All in all, it was a really good day (one of the most fun and relaxing, in fact). After so many days of working hard on the wa'a (I'm not complaining, but we did have to work quite hard for 8 hours a day), it was nice to have a full day for the sole purpose of exploring New Zealand. Today really brought my trip together and made it feel complete because now I can say that I truly got to see the New Zealand I came to see. I’ve gotta say today was a pretty awesome day. Even though I had no idea where I was going it all turned out to be amazing. First off, I got to go on my first train ride, which was great! It’s actually pretty much like taking the regular bus, but it was a cool first time experience anyways. As we arrived in Henderson, we met up with our host, Mega, who took us around for the day, which was awesome!
First off on our mystery adventure, Megan took us to this museum in the mountains. This was so exciting for me because I wanted to finally see the greenery in New Zealand. Once we arrived, it was absolutely breathtaking. When we were up there, upon gazing at all the scenery, all of what I was seeing was all that I imagined of New Zealand. Lush tree’s, big lakes, and the natural aspect that really topped it all off. I felt I could just sit there all day and take in all the vegetation and be at peace. There’s just something about seeing the landscape that really gets me. It was like taking in all I needed to take in of New Zealand. Next mystery adventure was to the beach! If theres something that needs to be known about me, it’s that I love the beach. Maybe just as equally as I love being in the forest, but I don’t know, both are very whimsical. Immediately upon arrival I literally ran out of the car into the sand. Partially because I’ve never had much of an open space to spread my legs, and two because I was just so darn excited. Feeling the water was also cool too. At first I anticipated the water would be super cold because I seen a bunch of people wearing full suits, but upon contact it was great. The scenery was again a breathtaking sight. Words cannot even describe how incredible a sight this beach was. It was just incredible how the water just reflected the sky and all its entirety that just created THE MOST BEAUTIFUL scene I've ever laid eyes on . It was all so mind-blowing that for once my spiritual self felt complete!!!! -Kealohi S. March 28
Our Saturday consisted of another work day on the Hikianalia. Today we were able to refine our data collection process. It is still incredible to me that we get to work aboard the legendary vessel. We also did other work as well besides just working on experiments. We got to help pack the food for the voyage. This job was incredibly tedious but honestly it was kind of cool. I was touching the food that would be sailing miles and miles and they put their trust in a couple of high school students to make everything right. The process was very long however it made me appreciate what they are doing even more. Being able to see the behind the scenes of the voyage and all the preparation that goes into it makes me realize the passion that these people have for their job. They have the utmost respect for the things they do and all those that came before. Aunty Moani and her crew are some of the coolest people out there. I didn’t get to talk to them all that much but being able to work with her and pack food with them was a lot of fun. I can see the love they have for helping others and that inspires me. I can see their passion for this voyage and all it represents. Shout out to them for showing me some of the things that go on before a voyage and the hours of work they put in to make this thing happen. Keenan Today was pretty much a workday since most of it was spent in the harbor. A lot of the time was spent organizing the Hokulea’s and Hikianalia’s food, which takes surprisingly long. It’s actually pretty interesting to know that the crew orders a mass majority of their food because I thought much of it was either caught or somehow grown on the vessel. I mean I guess it does makes sense in hindsight since it ensures that everyone on the wa’a will get food and not starve to death, but I just thought the Hokulea was just a super sustainable boat that didn’t rely on outside food sources. Anyways, I was pretty impressed with the kind of food they get on the wa’a. They eat super well for a voyaging cone, but yah I really under estimated the amount of time and work that needs to be put into the boat. Packing alone already took 6+ hours and that was some tedious labor. It’s not just putting whatever into taxes. The crew organizes it in a good fashion to where they base each container of food for the day off a certain calorie count and nutritious plan. At the same time they also had a lot of food to package anyways and so trying to dins everything was also pretty challenging. Additionally we also did a little science work and did some work miscellaneous things back on the Hokulea. Overall a pretty productive day.
Once I got back to work, the five of us physics kids worked really well as a team as we traced and labeled the wires and connections between the panels. It was hard, intricate work, but we did a pretty good job. Mr. Kamalu taught us a lot more about electricity and especially current flow. I think we're gonna do pretty well when we get back to school and have to do our electricity unit in class. It's kind of exciting to think that we'll be the alaka'i for this unit back at school, especially because we have first hand experience working with Hiki's electrical system.
I also got to try a meat pie today. I had one with peppered steak and one with steak and potatoes in it, and both were really really good! I'm glad I got a chance to try these New Zealand staples! This trip has exposed me to a lot of different things, and I'm glad for it. I think the greatest exposure I had was yesterday when we visited the school. We got to meet kids who were extremely proud of their culture and very connected to who they are as Maori people. The pride and honor that I saw in their faces as they chanted, sang, and just spoke with us inspired me to try to connect with my own culture and my own identity as a Hawaiian. -Katie K. Sakys March 28, 2015 Today was another workday on the Hikianalia. Well, it was supposed to be a workday, but it ended up mostly being a day of putting together and organizing boxes of food for both Hikianalia and Hokule’a on their upcoming journeys. Even though this wasn’t exactly what we were supposed to be working on today, it felt really cool knowing that I was helping people. These people are going to be sailing for a long time, and the least I could do to help was assist packing their food (which by the way looked really good). As far as the actual science part of our contributions to the PVS goes, we are almost done with the procedures for our experiments we will be having them perform on their voyage. All we have left to do is make it look more presentable and find a place to store it on the wa’a. After the work was done at the harbor, we ate dinner at the Crab Shack… I am allergic to shellfish… That’s cool. The picture you see here is of a chicken, which had a price to size ratio that was very much lacking. But it was still good. We've been eating a lot of good food lately, and I'm loving it. Eating is definitely up there as one of my favorite parts of this trip. -Noeau Machado
Today we went to the waʻa again and basically learned about the breaker and the solar panels. We figured out how the solar panels connect together and labeled them and the wires. But Katie went onto the seat that goes underneath the solar panels and she almost fell into the jelly fish infested waters.
The highlight of my day was CRAB SHACK though! It was so good. I ate super great crab. Anyway, this whole trip is about laughing until your stomach hurts enough to pee, and making inside jokes that eventually will turn into hashtags on kama's instagram posts. -Ashley Lee March 27, 2015
Today was an experience. We went to Waiorea college, which is like high school for us. At the start it was incredibly intimidating. We waited outside to be welcomed in, and when we entered the sound of their voices was literally shaking the room. They were so loud and strong and passionate and good. That was a wake up call that we really need to step our game up. What I though was funny was that these kids all seemed so serious and angry when they performed, but then we had lunch with them after and they completely changed. They went from these loud, angry voices to normal kids with lots of questions about what Hawaii is like. It was a really fun experience. The kids were super friendly and welcoming of us, complete strangers to them. The main thing I saw was how proud these kids were of their culture, and how they weren't afraid to show it at all. It's inspiring to me, because it makes me want to feel that sense of pride about being Hawaiian. -Noeau Machado Yesterday we went to Waiorea School and met a bunch of middle schoolers and a couple of high schoolers our age. When we entered during the Powhiri, I chanted Oli Kamehameha as the reply to the call that the Māori student chanted. I observed that the chanter needed to be a woman and needed to have a skirt in their culture. We had to walk slowly onto their grounds and it was honestly really intimidating walking into their meeting house to their welcoming scary dance sort of thing. But after that, their singing was very beautiful and harmonized without pitches. When we went to their kai and ate fish and chips, we met a lot of them and talked story. We even distinguished between “hot” chips and “packaged” chips and their grading system and how they name the grades differently. Next, it was our turn to present something for them. I already was nervous from their great dancing and voices and when I stepped up by myself in front of them I was freaking out. Trying to look calm, I started to dance and chant. After messing up a couple times and repeating lines that weren’t supposed to be repeated, I stopped the entire dance. I was so disappointed in myself that I apologized. I knew that stopping a hula was not how I was taught to do when I messed up. I kind of felt like crying because they were so evident in their knowing of who they were and what their culture was and displaying it with no problems. I looked up at Mr. Blake and one of their teachers and they smiled at me with reassurance so I kept going and finished the song. Eventually I got into the mindset to continue and made it up with another kahiko, and a beautiful auana with Kainoa singing amazingly. When we went into the Science classes it felt like only 10 minutes. They were basically doing the same thing like we were doing in 8th grade but we had a little more technology into the microscope. Also, everything they had was labeled in Te Reo Māori and it was amazing how centered their education was around their culture. They told us stories of how they prove their traditional myths and moʻolelo with science. I thought it was super interesting and inspiring. In closing, I saw some pretty amazing things that day and I am so glad I got to see how proud they were in their culture. I always used to watch the videos from the other Aotearoa trip in November and seeing them in Kaʻiwakiloumoku when they come to visit but it was amazing in person in their own environment. It inspires me to want to do better in hula and with everything I do, to entwine all I do into my culture. -Ashley Lee |
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May 2015
CategoriesContributorsThe members on the Mālama Honua journey will maintain this area to document their experiences. |