Really looking forward to this Christmas holiday break in spending time with family chillaxing and taking time for some well deserved R&R i.e. rest and relaxation. Have currently got this Afro beats song on speed dial.
With only a few days before my work closes for the year, there's still a lot of paperwork to complete to close my class ready for graduation next year. It's been quite a busy year and so thankful that we were able to finish well.
Now still to put up our family Christmas tree...
This pic is of the end of year secret Santa (gift sharing) and shared cultural lunch that we had yesterday. It was such a neat last day to spend with my class and my lil' sis (who's been working with some of the students in my class to support them in their assignments) and my youngest who was able to accompany us too.
It was neat to start with our usual karakia or blessing (prayer) for the day and then some introductions to guests who had arrived to join us.
I was then able to share a few Ice-breakers that I had learnt and taught when I was back in high school which brought a few laughs too.
We then went onto sharing some highlights of the year but more about summarizing (in three words) what the year had meant to each person. I must say that this year was an interesting one in coming out of the COVID-19 environment into new norms with our renovated campus as well.
I was also gifted with some precious taonga (treasures) that I'll share about in an upcoming blog as it was such a special gift that I will treasure from my students. Perhaps one thing that I've learnt this year was that with all the pressure of management on us getting our information in a.s.a.p. (as soon as possible) it was important for my students to not feel that pressure although there was a deadline to work to.
Now looking forward for graduation with them as they definitely deserve the accolades of finishing the course despite the disruption of not having a campus open for them, being online most of the time and also having to drive some kilometres (15 min drive) to the alternative campus that we were given for class.
But all in all, now they can have a good well deserved Xmas celebrations with their families, knowing that (most) of them have completed within the time frame that was warranted and with the beauty of knowing that they will graduate in the new year. Definitely never a dull moment...
I'm really interested in this movie that will make its debut next year in January 2024. Hopefully, when I get back from Samoa, I'll be able to catch up with it as from a brief sojourn into the storyline of the movie, it's about a African American who makes journey around the world in search of connections.
I'm not sure that's the right storyline but you'd have to read the best selling book and then watch the movie to see where it leads too. But what I found really interesting was that they selected Stan Walker with his powerfully moving singing and storytelling to share his music on an international stage.
Not only does the music have lyrics that are both indigenous Māori and English but also the setting of the video are in different parts of New Zealand with Rotorua (steaming rocks) and other iconic areas of moana (seas), ngāhere (bush) and features contemporary Māori tattoo etc.
I'm definitely interested in watching the movie but even moreso that it features New Zealand icons at its best. It also puts New Zealand tangata whenua or peoples of the land as in indigenous Māori at the forefront despite our current NZ MMP government trying to take the Māori language out of the government buildings. Definitely a step backwards in time...
