New Post-graduate Office space at TWOA...

 

Here's a pic of my work desk moved into our newly refurbished Post-Graduate office here at TWOA Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Loving the new space and looking forward to the window treatments to come.

I'm all for windows in any rooms that I occupy as I've been in teaching classrooms where there are no windows and it's just not the same.

I also like a bright and airy room with lots of space as I've also been in cramped working conditions with offices spaces where people are almost on top of each other. Definitely not cool!

As you can see, the first thing I put up after sorting out the desk were the artworks. I've got my lil' sister's art piece that she created for me last Christmas which was such a joy and also smaller art canvases that I painted a while back.

Having double screens is a real plus too because I can work on my documents and also check on my emails and multiple other sites too. So I guess I'm not so minimalist as some people are in there workspace. I'm definitely all for making the space mine i.e. you can tell it's mine with all the artworks around and almost always a lot of colour i.e. that's my bright Samoan side :)...

"Heartbreak Anniversary" song by Giveon...

 

I heard this song on the radio and thought I hadn't heard this tone before. It's a song about heartbreak, and it's around three years old, but I still thought I would share it, especially for those going through difficulties with relationships at this time.

I also heard the radio announcer speak on the artist's name, Giveon. She said that when he was named, his mother chose it for the purpose that he would "give," and he's definitely lived up to his name with this song.

I also found it really interesting with his music video setting that apart from the bedroom setting, the music video looks like it's set in an urban industrial area where there's a lot of barrenness in terms of greenery and I guess that echoes the barrenness in his soul...

"Mini Challenge" changing lives...

 

Have you ever had an unexpected conversation that changed the trajectory of your life? That happened to me almost 10 years ago, on January 23rd, 2015. 

I had a conversation with a business mentor called Maria and it was my sister Maria's birthday. The conversation was only supposed to take a 30 minutes but a couple of hours later I walked out with a plan in my mind and determined to make my dream come true in throwing caution to the wind and self-publishing my first book.

It was a 'mini-challenge' but it had an astronomical effect on me and it cut through all of the years of self doubt and considerations that had held me back for years. In fact, it's hard to believe that I'm coming up to the 10th anniversary since self-publishing that first book.

I blogged about it, at the time, because three months later, I launched my first book of the bilingual picture book series called "Samoan Origins series". Now I've published 20 books in several genre of: bilingual picture books, poetry, short stories, plays, non-fiction and now I'm considering novels.

My first book sold out twice with the small print runs that I started and on its 10th Anniversary next year in March, I'm looking to re-launch it again using markers as the art medium. The book itself is the most popular in the series and its been distributed all over the world in University libraries and in local community libraries and with families too.

As I move into completing my thesis, I'm interested in moving into a new space in supporting and coaching other women of colour to throw caution to the wind and go for their dreams. If this sounds like you and you'd like to consider me as your coach then drop me an email for a free "discovery session" via a virtual meeting and we can go from there.

At this stage, I want to grow it organically and am not interested in putting out ads. I believe that if you've been reading my ad-free blog over time, you probably understand what I'm about and my interests in supporting people in my teaching, and with friends and family.

If you think this is for you? then email me on: helenftauau@gmail.com and we'll go from there. The graphic that this blog leads with is some artwork that I'm considering for the virtual coaching platform and I'm using with my maiden name in honouring my late father who was my first mentor and believed that I could achieve anything I put my mind to...

New Māori Queen ushers in great expectations...

 

Yesterday, at the tangihanga or funeral of the late Māori King, Te Arikinui, Kīngi Tuheitea Pōtatau te Wherowhero VII before he was laid to rest atop Taupiri maunga (mountain), it was interesting to note that he was taken by a flotilla of Māori waka or canoes to the maunga.

It would have been such an amazing experience to observe this occasion and I learned that some of my students and colleagues were going with their families to be present at the tangi or funeral.

It was also interesting to note that upon the passing of the King that an announcement was made by the Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage that all New Zealand flags be flown at half mast until the day of his funeral which was yesterday.

I remember over the last few years of teaching tikanga (Māori cultural practices and protocols) I learned more about the Kingitanga movement and the prospects of who might become the next successor with many believing that it would be his youngest daughter and not her two elder brothers. Now she has rightfully been honoured by the privilege yet saddened in the passing of her father.

The new Māori queen has been given the title of: Ngā Wai hono i te Pō it's an interesting name and would have been given after much deliberation. She is second to the only other Māori Queen who was her grandmother.

At 27 years old, she has a lot of expectations to meet as her late father and Māori King was seen as a person of kotahitanga (bringing together as one). He earlier invited iwi (tribes) to come together for discussions at his Marae of Turangawaewae in Ngāruawahia.

This was especially in the wake of the new coalition government's policies that have been confronting to Māori and many people who have lost jobs, or had their government jobs restructured under the tight economic squeeze of this present government's fiscal belt tightening. This comes at a time when NZ's unemployment rate has soared with new government policies.

We wish her well, as this will not be an easy time to ascend as a young Māori women steeped in tikanga of which she has a Masters degree with the expectations of many for her to rein similarly to her paternal late grandmother and late father.

Aotearoa New Zealand now ushers in a new monarch, although not constitutionally recognized, she still holds great mana (esoteric power) and prestige in her position. I believe that she will carry her role with dignity and the high expectations of her people in this post-modern age...

"The Forge" recommended movie for men...

 

I'm loving this first official week of Spring as the mornings are lighter and the days stretch out into the night. During the week, I got to watch the movie "The Forge" and would highly recommend it, especially for men. It is a faith based movie with some good wisdom for our times.

I've always enjoyed viewing the Kendrick brothers films, over the years, ranging from: Fireproof (2008), Courageous (2011), War Room (2015), Overcomer (2019) which is currently on Netflix and their current offering.

No spoiler alerts here, except to encourage mom's to take their sons, women to take their partner / husband, young women to take their boyfriend / fiance and especially for young men to see. I think it's particularly hard for women to understand the battles that men face on a daily basis and it's better for men to tell men how to be good men...

Upcoming Ah Siu Family Reunion in Samoa...

 

This year, I'm looking forward to attending our Ah Siu Reunion which is set for 19 - 22 December in Samoa at a Marist Brothers school with details still to be confirmed.

It will be our second reunion but already there are many who won't be attending as it was just announced around April but many had already made travel plans with families a year ahead.

Last week, I was asked to be a guest speaker at a class at our neighbouring Wānanga (that I happen to be a student at) called Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi translated as the house of higher learning of Awanuiārangi.

The class was a Zoom class and there were about 20 adult students attending. My topic was on genealogy and indigenous research methods and I shared my story about my search over 30 years on my family tree.

In starting with only knowing the names of 1:16 of my great, great grandparents and now I know 10 of them. The pic on the left is a pic that I just recently found that was shared on a family reunion Facebook page. It's a pic of my great, great grandmother Asia Ah Siu who was married in an immigrant to Samoa from Shanghai, China named Shing Ah Siu.

It was really interesting because in joining the first Family Reunion, I was able to find out so much information about her and her husband and the homestead that they had in Samoa which is still standing and I hope to be able to visit the grave sites of my ancestors as well as the places of significance.

Interestingly enough, their eldest son was named Aialaisa George Ah Siu and he was the eldest of the children. His daughter was my grandmother and she was named after her grandmother Asia and my brother, George, was named after our great, grandfather, in his memory.

I'm quite looking forward to the Family Reunion, as I'm hoping to learn more about my ancestors and the lands they were guardians of and lived upon. I did stay in Matāutu, near Apia in 1989, with my grandmother and got to safe on our ancestral lands there at my great, grand uncle Paulo's house. He was my great-grandfather's brother and the last of his generation...

Happy Father's day in commemoration of my hero, my late father...

This Father's Day, I commemorate my hero and late father Faalavaau Aiolupo Fasavalu Uilitone Tauau. He's my role model who taught me many things about life not only in fa'aSamoa but also about living an authentic Christian life and caring.

Today as I went on my usual weekend 5km walk, I walked past a car that was parked outside a home and the lady that was standing beside the car asked me to stop. I turned around and she recognized me as her English teacher when she was a teenager many moons ago. It was such a lovely reminder of making a positive impression that she stopped me to tell me.

It reminded me of my dad whom I thought was very strict, growing up, but now I realize that he was trying to protect me from the unsavoury things of this world that are harmful (including people). He taught me about what's good and healthy and strong and I'll always be thankful and grateful to God for giving me such a dad as he was to me.

In fact, we went over today to visit his grave as many families were visiting their loved ones, with three generations including my mum, myself, my sister and youngest. We remembered the great times we had together. It didn't mean that he was perfect but the memories we had of him were perfect, lighthearted and beautiful.

To all those beautiful dads out there who love their children before themselves and who often sacrifice for their childrens' dreams and just love on them, I wish you the best. There are some uncommon men out there who I've been told are great men (in the words of Steve Harvey) "they love their wife and take care of their children". They love with unconditional love and they inspire people to do good in their own humility. 

Those are the men that aren't intimidated by their wife's success and encourage their children to live out their dreams and when they are older, their wife/partner and children want to be around them as well as their grandchildren. These are the uncommon men who other men strive to be like and I'm glad I got to meet my dad, my hero in life (of course my mother is my heroine)...