Exams, libraries and celebrations...

Today is the first day of our youngest daughter's exams for her NCEA National Certificate of Education Achievement (Level 1) Maths exam.

It is also the first time that she has sat external exams at her school, and I decided to drive her in to calm her nerves and pick her up afterwards.

I also decided to do some work at a local library, which I hadn't visited before because, as a young fledgling student.

The library was one of my havens to study and to read books that opened vast bodies of knowledge to me, as my parents had brought me up in fa'aSamoa and this world of academic knowledge was very new to me at the time.

It's now passed on to our next generation, with our youngest now taking her turn at understanding the curriculum for her various six subjects, having already passed the 80 credits that she needed for attaining Level 1 NCEA.

I'm also having a celebratory dinner as my last class with my current cohort, and my colleagues' cohort is also welcome to join us at our sister campus in Henderson (out West), TWOA Te Wānanga o Aotearoa campus.

We will be going across campus to a Mongolian family restaurant where we will enjoy each other's company and with lots to celebrate as I continue marking 4,000-word essays. I also look forward to next year's graduating class and more celebratory results in the new year with our youngest...

 

A busy fortnight and walking...

 

It has been crazy busy these last two weeks. My class has completed their final in-house conference presentations that I am now marking through.

I was invited to join an ethics committee to preside over a number of first-year master's students' intended projects for 2027.

Now that was a real privilege to be a part of, as it reminded me of my own academic journey of completing two different master's projects for the geography department at Auckland Uni and the creative writing department at AUT University.

Then I was given an opportunity yesterday to present my 13-minute presentation that I intended to present at the IIRC International Indigenous Research Conference at the University of Auckland on the 19th of November, where a number of us (approx' 10 people) from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (my workplace) will be presenting at.

Today I went for my usual weekend 5 km walk but the only thing was that I had to walk for longer as my steps on the phone were accidentally paused and to make up I had to walk a different route. This is a pic of the new route I took, which shows two local bridges, the old and the new....

A busy long weekend and week ahead...

 

This long Labour Day (Monday off) weekend, I was able to go to our local markets to pick up some fresh fruit and veggies from the family, and I came across some neat earrings that feature my fave Samoan motif in the middle of the design.

It was only $10, so of course I had to get a pair of the studs, and it was a group of local boys from De La Salle, a Catholic boys' school, who were featuring their entrepreneurial skills by selling their Samoan designs on custom-cut or probably laser-cut, wood.

I was able to talk with them but didn't discuss my fascination with the design of which I've used in all of my Samoan picture books borders and so great to see the next generation utilising this important measina (cultural treasures) design.

It was also a neat weekend as I got to spend time together with my family. We had our annual BBQ, which my late dad would also indulge us in when he was alive. We continued the tradition with our usual potato salad, sapasui (vermicelli, cooked meat with soya sauce and veges).

We finished the meal with my self-saucing chocolate pudding, which always goes down a treat with French vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

Then back to a very busy working week for me, with attending an Ethics committee meeting of presentations from Pasifika students in our Applied Masters of Indigenous Knowledge. 

However, on the weekend, it is my classes and my colleague's classes' in-house conference with students presenting their 20-minute presentations that they've been working on all year.

Wow! I think I'm gonna need a holiday after this week, but my work doesn't close until the 18th of December, so there's a lot more marking to do, with a 4,000-word essay from students due on the 6th of December. Never a dull moment...

NZ ShakeOut happening today...

 

Today is our NZ ShakeOut, where organisations, families and individuals can sign up to participate in the annual Earthquake awareness campaign. It's an important information awareness campaign, especially for areas of NZ where there are earthquake fault lines and volcanoes or areas that have been prone to earthquake activity.

At 1.30 pm across the nation, people will be holding drills in schools, groups, and organisations to consider what they would need to do in order to support their communities in meaningful and safe ways. This is also especially important for children who might be away from their parents so that the caregivers can make plans if such an occurrence were to happen.

Back in 2009, I was staying with my family, visiting my husband's family, and they lived on a mountain in Samoa, and when the Tsunami hit after the earthquake there, it had devastating effects. I have had first-hand experience of how it can happen at any time and having a plan that has been practiced is important for people and especially children to know what to do...

Stan Walker - "The Lord is my Light"...

 

When I heard Stan Walker (my fave male artist) sing one of my favourite gospel songs, "The Lord Is My Light", originally composed and sung by the Samoan duo Adeaze, I almost cried. I chose it to walk down the aisle with my parents at my sunset wedding to my beloved on Saturday the 24th of November, 2001, at Sonaisali Island in Fiji.

I still like the original in its simplicity, but this rendition elevates the song with Stan singing it in English, Samoan and Te Reo Māori to another level. I chose the song for our wedding as it captured and acknowledged the presence and essence of my relationship with God and my understanding of the Christian faith that my parents had brought me up in.

I also like the orchestral instruments that give it breadth and depth, but I still love the original best. I'd be interested to see what you think when comparing the original, which is over 20 years old, with Stan's version.

The other important thing was getting the opportunity to thank the two Adeaze singers for their song, whom we met at a function some years ago. I think they were surprised to hear us share our story but we mustn't have been the first as it's such a special song...

Toa Samoa vs France - Rugy World cup 2026...

 

It was good to watch the first official match of the Rugby World Cup for 2026, last night with my beloved - an avid fan with Australia winning against NZ by only a two-point difference. Tonight I'm watching Samoa play against France, with Samoa dominating.

It's so good to see our small nation doing so well against other International teams, and especially as they were runners-up last year. Samoa is currently dominating the game for the first half and looking forward to seeing if there's any way that France can catch up.

This is so promising because there is so much support going out to them from diaspora Samoans all over the world. This is with the pride of Samoans worn on T-shirts, Samoan flags on cars, lots of merch, parades, and that's just the beginning.

Wishing Toa Samoa all the best for the Rugby World Cup for 2026 and not forgetting New Zealand as well...

Term 4 starts...

 

The last term of the school year starts today, and our youngest is preparing for external exams starting next month and also completing internal assessments.

This is a pink/purple rose that she fashioned with play dough during the holidays. It reminded me of how the creative DNA has been passed down to all my children through their interests in art and creativity.

I think with the rise in mental health awareness, creativity has been underrated in many respects, be it handcrafts, journaling, scrapbooking, crocheting, knitting, etc.

I have seen an upsurge in creative digital platforms such as Etsy, Canva and Pinterest (just to name a few). I like how there has been interest in people being able to sell their creative products so that one does not have to be the 'starving artist' because there is always someone out there who would be interested in purchasing good-quality creative arts.

I think pf my eight Samona bilingual picture books are an outlet for me to continue my creativity of not only by sharing the knowledge that I've gained through indigenous research but also in translating the stories into art for readers to share in my imaginative journey. With more books to cameo...

Holidays and Term 4 starts...

 

It's been a very busy two-week holiday, with our youngest chilling the first week and then having a friend sleepover the second week. There were definitely lots of things to keep them busy for the whole week, including going to watch the Spider-Man (2026) movie at the cinema with popcorn and drinks.

Unfortunately, I had a virtual meeting that I needed to join, so I had to sneak out before the end of the movie, but I'll probably catch up with the ending when it comes through on a streaming platform. It was interesting to watch because the last Spider-Man movie was a few years ago, and it brought the story up to date.

Another excursion that they went on was to 'Spookers' on the final night, with the entertainment (that's what they call it) sessions starting at 9 pm for the R13 session. I'm not into horror movies or such because I don't know why I'd pay someone to scare me, but anyway, they enjoyed themselves, with our middle child joining the fray too.

Now there's one more sleep before Term 4 starts again, and I have an end-of-year in-house conference to prep for and organise. But more on that at the end of the month, as today was the annual White Sunday or Lotu Tamaiti (Church for children), in performing plays, speaking memorised Bible verses and a to'ona'i or feast, at the end of church and until next year...

Rocky and Rani - Bollywood movie...

 

Today I got to watch an 'epic' 3-hour movie about a love story, Bollywood style, with two characters named Rocky and Rani. It was really interesting because it's been a while since I've watched such movies, and it surely didn't disappoint.

What was so interesting was the intergenerational exchanges that took place and the cultural and religious aspects of the film. Of course, I loved the dancing, the bright colours, costumes and the weaving through of the traditional versus the contemporary and the changing views towards what a woman's place is within the family.

Even as a Samoan watching this movie, it was interesting to consider the similarities between the different perspectives of malel/female, young/old, traditional/comtemporary, religion/no-religion, educated/life experience, and the bright colours didn't disappoint.

I mean, what man likes to dance around in a full suit coloured fuchsia pink? First of all, not all men could carry it off, and it takes a special kinda guy to wear that colour without making a fuss; that of all the colours in the rainbow, you've gotta be super-confident to make it rock - that's Bollywood style!...

Anticipating upcoming movie 2027 'The Resurrection of the Christ'...

I'm very interested in and quietly anticipating watching Mel Gibson's upcoming movie 'The Resurrection of the Christ', coming out in theatres next year. I've learned that it is a two-part movie, with the first movie released early next year and the second around mid-year.

It comes on the tail of his first movie, which was produced for screens in 2004 and which I watched and was very moved by it. It definitely was not a movie for the faint-hearted, and these next movies, I think, will be interesting to see what the reactions will be.

It sounds like very ambitious movies that bring into view stories and scenes from the Bible that have only ever been read and/or imagined. I don't think I've ever watched on the screen scenes depicting the epic battle in heaven between fallen angels and those who stood their ground before humanity existed.

This movie, however, promises to bring to light the story, for another generation, of what the Resurrection of Christ was about and its importance, whether or not one believes it. I think it will call on people globally to consider which side you would side with. It definitely would not be an easy answer for some...

 
 

Faletui Family Reunion 7 - 9 Jan 2027, Samoa...

 

Looking forward to our Faletui Family Reunion, set to take place in Samoa from January 7 - 9, 2027. It will be hosted at Return to Paradise Resort & Spa in Lefaga.

We've started booking our accommodation there, with flights already booked for three of us to travel from NZ.

It's going to be very interesting, as it's my paternal late dad's side that I know some of the stories about and looking forward to learning a lot more.

We're also hoping to visit the island of Apolima, where my dad was born, which is a little way off from the island of Manono that my youngest and I visited earlier this year (earlier blog).

My aunt (my late dad's sister) in Samoa is organising and arranging transport to all of the sites that we will be travelling to and following the various villages that our ancestors lived in, spanning from Matautu close to Apia, where I stayed with my gran in 1989, to Savai'i on the big island.

I'm also looking forward to visiting with all our cousins from overseas, with visitors coming from not only NZ but also Australia (where my brother is travelling from) and within Samoa itself. No doubt there will be many stories to share and much to learn at this Faletui Family reunion.

Faletui is my dad's grandmother, who lived in Fasito'o-uta, where our family house is on our ancestral village lands. I remember my dad telling me that he would meet with this gran when he would be running errands and she would call to him to come visit her.

Now, with more descendants descending into Samoa in the new year to share more ancestral stories, travel to ancestral villages, and to find out about the ancestral land, stories, people and places. I'm also hoping to source some information for a book that could be helpful for next generations...

Celebrating our eldest's birthday as a new graduate...

 

Yesterday, we celebrated the birthday of our eldest with lunch, presents and a cake. This particular cake was chosen by her beloved and her sister. 

The flavour was red velvet, and the frosting was quite decadent, but that didn't stop us from enjoying it, with chunky chocolate bars as decoration.

Now that she's newly graduated, I'm glad that she can chillax, as her law assignments would have her up for days reading and researching.

She is considering continuing next year by pursuing her master's degree in law, but will see how it goes next year and take one day at a time. I did similarly by continuing my postgraduate studies straight after graduating from my first degree with the support of my parents, especially my mum.

It's really important to have that support, as it can be a lonely journey in postgraduate studies. I know this from teaching a course for postgraduate students whose studies often take them away from their families once a month for 8 months.

Wishing her well for her future endeavours, and that the world is now her oyster in making decisions for what her career will look like and where she wants to work. It's exciting but quite daunting to know that she has fulfilled her wish in graduating from her law studies and now looking forward to what the future holds for her...

Ice cream celebration and mourning...

Last week, I was able to attend a Scholarship luncheon for some of the students in our postgraduate diploma course (from my colleague's class) who had received scholarships.

I offered to be the designated staff driver to support the celebratory group. However, I missed the turnoff on the motorway and had to drive in a roundabout way to get to the venue on time.

It was a very happy occasion that helped to distract me from some very sad news about the sudden death of a work colleague who had passed away that very same morning.

There are now plans for many to pay their last respects, and I found it so sad that I had blogged about the 65th birthday gift that I had given to her, only for her to pass away a few weeks later from a suspected aneurysm.

We will dearly miss her, and so driving down to Hamilton for the celebratory occasion kept me busy and in good spirits with the group and afterwards I was 'shouted' to an ice cream at Pokeno, which is known for its amazing flavoured ice creams, as can be seen in the photo.

The particular flavours I chose were a scoop of rum and raisin (I like the raisins but not so much the rum), and the top scoop was deluxe ambrosia on a fresh cone. It was definitely worth the trip, and then we returned to Auckland, and I took the weekend to mourn before returning back to marking student work.

It was also a reminder to cherish the times that we have with our loved ones and to take the time to celebrate the little ones as well as the big ones. She reminded me of the 'salf of the earth' kind of person who got along with everyone and didn't let her circumstances affect her outlook on life. She was also super-fit and I'm glad that I got to know her as a friend and colleague...