Pania is the legendary Kaitiaki (guardian/protector) of the reef in local Maori legend and her wairua (spirit) is connected strongly to the moana (ocean) close by to the town of Napier. Legend has it that Pania was a shimmering and iridescently beautiful maiden who lives in the sea and following a human encounter and a brokenContinue reading “The Māori legend of Pania: Kaitiaki and taniwha of the reef, retold as street art”
Category Archives: Blog
Words and Music: A Homage to Tangaroa
I speak forward to the spirit of the great sea To the waves to the sea foam to the sea’s many children The children are singing the drifting songs of the ocean They are the children of Tangaroa and the ocean of Kiwa! Kōrero atu ana ahau ki te ia o te moana Te Hukatai,Continue reading “Words and Music: A Homage to Tangaroa”
Kaumātua wisdom: I’m a seed scattered across the Pacific
Kua rongo ake au… Kia tau te whakaaro pai Aroha tētahi ki tētahi, āhurutia ā tātau tamariki Ki te aroha, nā, he aroha pai ano hoki mōu ake I have learned that… It makes good sense to say We are here to learn to love one another And for the sake of our children, acceptContinue reading “Kaumātua wisdom: I’m a seed scattered across the Pacific”
E Pii, e Paa: A poem by Haare Williams
This week is Māori Language Week/ Te wiki o Te Reo Māori. So I will be sharing some beautiful poems, proverbs and words in Māori and English for you to enjoy. Here is a poem by Haare Williams from his incredible book of wisdom: Words of a Kaumātua. E Pii, e Paa tiny bees swarmingContinue reading “E Pii, e Paa: A poem by Haare Williams”
Wāhanga o Te Rā/ Times of the Day in Māori
Learn some new words in Māori during Mahuru Māori/Māori Language Month. Here are the various times of the day…enjoy! Waenganui pō – Midnight Te Pō – Night Atapō – Before Dawn Ata Hapāra – Breath of Dawn Atatū – Just after sunrise Awatea – River of Light Ata – Morning Poupoutanga o te rā –Continue reading “Wāhanga o Te Rā/ Times of the Day in Māori”
Book Review: Words of a Kaumātua by Haare Williams
A compelling, rich and lush blend of essay, poetry, reflections and personal stories by one of New Zealand’s most preeminent Māori writers. I have to admit that I didn’t know much about Haare Williams before picking up this book in Te Papa Museum in Wellington. This is a definitive collection of Māori wisdom that isContinue reading “Book Review: Words of a Kaumātua by Haare Williams”
Comforting Thought: Ep’humin et ouk ep’humin
Ep’humin et ouk ep’humin (from Greek) Things that are under our control and things that are not under our control. Of things that exist, some are in our power and some are not in our power. Those that are in our power are conception, choice, desire, aversion, and in a word, those things that areContinue reading “Comforting Thought: Ep’humin et ouk ep’humin”
10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #36
Yo-Ho-Ho and a mug of Horlicks, I hope you are all going well and are safe. Here is installment 35 of weird stuff from the internet, I hope you enjoy it. Tally Ho chaps and chapettes. Concentrates of place by Tanya Shandrick #ConcentratesOfPlace: even before the lockdowns, I rarely had the health to travel oftenContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #36”
Otherworldly and Abandoned Soviet Monuments
These sculptures and old buildings before the end of the Cold War era look futuristic and strange. Some structures demonstrate the military might of Russia. While others are scintillating, harshly modern, and located in beautiful forested landscapes. These monuments are artistic and architectural wonders. Could these lost and forgotten objects ever be revived and resurrected, albeitContinue reading “Otherworldly and Abandoned Soviet Monuments”
Film Review: Sensitive
Are you someone who blocks your ears when you hear the emergency services drive past? Are you someone who gets freaked out in crowds? Do you seem to intuit and understand other people and all of their problems in a very sophisticated way, without really trying? Do you easily take on the energy of otherContinue reading “Film Review: Sensitive”
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