Pasifika patterns on pavement...

 

In trying to walk a 5km route around my neighbour last week, I spied some Pasifika patterns that had been painted on the pavement outside a local high school with accompanying bus stop.

What I thought very interesting about this is that I incorporate some of these patterns into my books and to see it on the pavement was quite a surprise.

To me it shows that there is now an appreciation of Pasifika art publicly that wasn't understood some 20 years ago if not 10.

It also goes to show that within this multicultural society of South Auckland that there now a better appreciation of Pasifika culture allbeit still on the surface for many who are still learning about the various ethnic diversities i.e. Samoan, Cook Islands, Niuean, Tongan, Tuvaluan etc. but we have come a long way from where we used to be.

Valentines day at Denny's...

 

Earlier this week my beloved and I went to Denny's for our Valentines day lunch and saw our elder two children then decided to have pick up our youngest to join in too.

With the whole change in having to wear masks, social distancing and showing our COVID vaccine passes at restaurants, it does make one want to sit well away from others - just in case.

However, it was a pleasant day and we enjoyed the meals and time together whilst reminiscing on past events and how fast time flies past.

A big thank to my beloved for the neat time we had together and it was a timely reminder that we need to make time to enjoy these special occasions and take a moment to be grateful and thankful for our health and what we have at this time and moment...

Studying Indigenous Research (level 4) a game changer...

It's another new year with new learning opportunities for prospective students with the Indigenous courses that are offered at Te Wananga o Aotearoa. There is still availability for those who are interested in an introduction to indigenous research with my online fees free 'Te Kunenga o te Ao Tikanga' level 4 course that I am currently teaching.

It's a course that I've been teaching for the past few years and it is a game changer. Not only has it been useful and helpful for many professionals and community learners who have taken this course and engaged better with students as a whole but it's also informed and solidified my understandings and practices as being brought up by my Samoan indigenous parents who passed on a lot of important teachings that I carry with me today and informing many others as a PhD candidate and tertiary educator in Aotearoa, NZ today.

In teaching and learning from this introductory course on tikanga (Maori protocols and practices) it has allowed the space for indigenous research to grow with many of my Maori and non-Maori tauira or students to also reflect on their own cultural protocols and practices as well as their personal and nuclear family's practices.

I would definitely encourage teacher practioners to take this course as I wished that I had done so when I was teaching in high school as when you have a better grasp of te Ao Maori (Maori worldviews) and have had the time and space to consider your own cultural principles as well as others in the class then you are in a better position to work with students from multi-faceted cultures and engage with mutual respect.

If you are interested to know more information about this course and how to enrol for the class of 2022 then you can email me on: helen.filisi@twoa.ac.nz or if you are interested in having a similar course in your country then you can contact me on my personal email at: helentauaufilisi@gmail.com

 

Pacer App & healing...

 

It's been over a month since my dear father passed away and one of the greatest supports that I've had in helping me, during this time, has been the Pacer App and Virtual challenges with locations around the world.

My own personal target is for at least 10,000 steps per day and this is completed through dancing to my own beat i.e. YouTube playlists or my own or daughter/sister's playlists, TV Zumba sessions or walking around local streets as well as local parks and walkways.

This has also assisted me in being more fit and healthy with my family's 8 week challenge of losing weight and eating more healthy.

As a family we've talked about it and reflected that somehow my father's passing brought us together by sharing daily evening devotions through Messenger and including my brother's family in Melbourne, Australia. We were also able to support family members who caught COVID-19 whilst they were isolating at home which was a real bonus.

Now each family (there's five family groups) takes a day to lead our evening devotionals with Catholic, Presbyterian, Samoan, English, Maori etc. prayers, songs, scriptures, discussions, with lots of laughs along the way.

It's been a real blessing and although I miss my dear dad very much, his passing brought about the opportunity for us to come together, unite and be closer in the knowledge that the passing of a loved one within our family is a natural part of life as taught through our faith.

There's been so much that's happened that I'll get back to blogging more, in having had some time off to reflect on life and to take the time to mourn the loss of my father who had such a great impact on my life. I miss him much and believe that he's legacy will live on through what he taught us...