Virtual walk around London and certificate/medal...

 

Since Monday, I've started a fitness regime which has been neat in competing in a 3 x Virtual Adventure challenge of walking/dancing 21 km's around London, Machu Pichu and then another.

My personal goal is to try and log on 10km per day through walking or dancing with the Pacer App. It's been fun so far as I've been able to dance my way through using YouTube videos of "Just Dance".

Plus I have the bonus of my youngest and younger sister joining in with the TV dancing as well. The neat thing is being able to complete the virtual walk etc. tours and then receiving a virtual certificate as well as a medal (if you register etc.)

So as with the certificate, I was able to complete the London leg of 21 kms and smashed it out in three days and now starting on the Machu Picchu one.

What's neat about these virtual tours is that it has land markings and tells about the history of landmarks and also some interesting facts that I would have been none the wiser. It only makes me want to go faster to learn more but don't want to overdo it and then sustain an injury.

So far, so good. Also neat to track my activity with a pedometer that then converts it to the kilometres that shows a virtual track around start to finish. Definitely a highly recommended activity if you're interesting in getting your fitness back up to speed and also with some rewards to boot...

"Reservation Dogs" new Netflix series...

 

Today, I got to watch the much anticipated new series of Netflix called "Reservation Dogs". Now I'm not going to go into the background with NZ's Taika Waititi as one of the Executive Producers as there's a lot of information already out in the Press but I did want to mention that it reminded me a lot of the 1990's NZ movie "Once were Warriors" that was a trailblazer in terms of Maori movie making coming to the fore.

"Reservation Dogs" is doing the same trailblazing as for some time it has been apparent to me as an 'Indigenous Scholar' (for a better term) in noting that there were many movies about African American experiences in the US but very little story telling was shown regarding Native Americans or First Nations Peoples of the US, Canada, Alaska or Hawaii.

This series begins to give Native Americans the platform to tell their stories and they're not like the often distorted stories of the early Westerns genre of  'Cowboys and Indians' written and shot by non-Native Americans. These stories are far more authentic of Native American film makers telling their own stories. It's also not the story of all Native Americans but it is authentic to those who wrote the stories from their own experiences.

I've only ever visited one Reservation in Seattle when I visited the US back in the 1990s and like many Maori had been displaced in many ways. This movie shares some of the attitudes and gems about their heritages, world views and attitudes towards them.

I'd highly recommend it to those who are interested in learning about contemporary experiences of Indigenous cultures (if you don't mind the swearing). In some places it may be a little raw but it is interesting and I'm looking forward to how the series unfolds after watching the first three episodes...

Māori language week moment...

Ngā mihi atu kia koutou katoa i tenei wiki o te reo Māori. Nau mai, haere mai, piki mai, kake mai...

(Translation: Acknowledgements to you all in this week of Māori language. Much welcome to you...)

Yesterday, I participated with members of my online morning class in an initiative during our Māori language week celebrations which is from Sunday 12th September to 18th September.

Working at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (Maori tertiary higher learning institution) has given me real insight and an appreciation of what NZ's indigenous people have survived through during colonization and with the revival of the language.

Our language moment took place yesterday at 12 noon when those who wished to participated were encouraged to enrol on the website and then take part in a reo (Māori language) activity be it a singing a waiata (song/s), saying a karakia (prayer/s) or whaikorero (saying speech/es) etc.

Our online class finishes dot on 12 noon and my chosen activity was to recite our usual karakia but another member of our class suggested a waiata of her choosing. So we did the countdown until 12 noon and then proceeded to sing our waiata of three verses and then finished our class with a karakia.

I took a photo of our class Zoom and then later uploaded it on the website as our registered activity. If I heard it correctly, I think the organizers were going for a record of over 2 million activities as last year there were some 1 million activities registered.

I haven't yet checked to see how it went but it was neat to play our part in participating and also in keeping the language alive. It's also neat because now I count it as my third language that I'm learning after my first language which is Samoan and my second language as English.

It's also been a real challenge for those of us who are non-Māori but who live in South Auckland to learn the language in being able to support our Māori cousins in their bid for 'tino rangatiratanga' which is self determining rather than the colonised view of assimilation.

But it is exciting to see our non-Māori news readers, particularly on mainstream news, learning and using Māori kupu (words) in their greetings and in transitioning between breaks. Even our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has learned to speak in te reo (the Māori language) and is modelling to many NZ'ers that it is an important part of our heritage plus it is our third official language as well as English and NZ sign language.

Kia kaha Aotearoa - (translated) be strong New Zealand...

"Cinderella" movie...

 

Last night, I got the opportunity to watch the new "Cinderella" Prime video with my lockdown family. It has been a much anticipated movie with lots of TV promos as the newest remake movie of Disney princess stories that have a European past.

The opening scenes of the movie included some interesting music drawn from the 1980s - 1990s such as Janet Jackson's 'Rhythm Nation' which happened to be my theme songs album during my Masters studies in the late 1980s at Auckland University (Geography Department). There was also the song by Freddy Mercury from Queen of "Bohemian Rhapsody".

The film set was interesting with a lot of people of diversity and lots of dancing. The main character of Ella (short for Cinderella) was performed by singer Camila Cabello with some beautiful singing throughout the movie. There were lots more 'stars' in the movie but I definitely won't spoil it for you.

As with many 21st century remade Fairy tales stories movies, the prince doesn't always rescue the damsel in distress and then whisk her away, after their marriage, to the distant sun setting horizon on a white stead. This movie's ending is no except...

Developing new art with markers...

 

Another one of the things that I've been really thankful for, during this lockdown level 4, has been the time to do the things that I usually wouldn't prioritize with work in tow and the many commitments that I have.

Today, I've been able to play around with some ideas that I've had for a book and using a new medium that my lil' sister introduced me to as Copic markers.

What's so neat about using these markers is that it gives another dimension to the art and also is much more bold in the variety of colours that are available to be used.

It did take some getting used to as I've been so used to painting in acrylics, having started in high school with oils. I've also recently enjoyed and understood using water colours having taken an art class at my workplace that helped me to understand the properties of water colour paints.

Now I feel more confident to try this new medium and it's brilliant in the way that I can apply it but it does take a little bit of getting used to its properties as an artist. It's also taken me some time to grow in confidence in order to be able to use it well with still a lot more development to come.

Looking forward to how this will pan out for future picture books as it takes the illustrations to another level with the developing books to come. I'll keep in touch, in this blog, on launch dates but at this time I'm just so thankful to have the time to be able to do what I enjoy as the silver lining to the lockdown...

Happy Fathers Day in lockdown level 4...

A very big HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the neat Father's out there on this special day that celebrates those special dad's out there who give tirelessly to their families.

This also includes single mum's and grand mum's who can often stand in the gap if dad's aren't around for some reason.

I'm especially grateful for my dad and I'm locked down with our youngest at my parents' place this time round, it was neat to be able to share this special day with him.

We started with a cooked breakfast and then started on the lunch meal as our main meal of the day with fresh salad and freshly squeezed oranges/lemons for lemonade. Followed by dessert for later on and supper. We decided on the menu during the week with my sister and then the rest was easy to follow.

So grateful to God for my extra-ordinary dad who over the years has really mellowed from walking with God and having grand children. He pioneered building church foundations and a community and extended family leader (matai with three village titles) who helped to build a firm foundation for our local church and also one in Samoa. He is dedicated, a man of integrity, well disciplined and a leader role model whom I've learnt a lot from over the years.

I'd even go as far as to say that I have learnt a lot from his leadership style and much of how he worked within our church and within our family as servant leader, I now model his ideals in my leadership style as well. I've learnt from him about being decisive, walking the talk and being active in leading, questioning when needed and not being afraid to confront if need be. 

I also learnt about working through consensus, being humble and having humility despite what my educational background might otherwise say. Not being arrogant or being people pleasing as you definitely cannot please everyone in decisions that have to be made and so much more.

A big THANKS to my dad who is my hero and role model and an even bigger thanks to my God who knew that I needed someone like him in my life of whom I could look up to and follow in his footsteps.  Although, I don't follow in his footsteps with his love of watching the All Blacks (over the decades) and today which is another story...

Act of terrorism in Auckland...

 

Yesterday, marked another day in New Zealand's history of an act of terrorism that was wrought on innocent people at a local supermarket out at West Auckland.

It was understood, from police reports, that the perpetrator had travelled to NZ as a student some ten years ago and came to the attention of Police due to the information that he was sharing on his social media page. It was reported that he spent the last 3 years in prison on various charges regarding his shared information etc. on social media but then was released a couple of months ago.

Reporters discussed that he was under surveillance because of his extremist views that included violence against people. It's sad that there are people who through their ideology would look to harm or even kill other innocent people who would have been innocently going shopping during lockdown Alert level 4 at their local Countdown supermarket.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the 7 victims of the stabbings. Much of NZ is in shock that this could happen when people are trying to keep safe under our COVID 19 lockdown conditions. It's even sadder that a trip to the shops to buy groceries a few days before Fathers day could end up in a hospital care in having been at the right place but at the wrong time.

The perpetrator was shot dead on the scene but the devastation that he wrought on families and the trauma that many are going through now is felt as we also mourn the loss of one who died today from COVID 19 complications. 

Life is precious and acts such as this only prove to bring people closer together than to tear apart...

1st day of September/Spring...

 

In this first day of September or Spring in the Gregorian calendar, I've been doing doodling and sketching for a book that I hope to release by the end of the year. It's been a long time coming and just checking out some ideas to draw.

Last year, I took a break from publishing as with the COVID 19 outbreak, I thought there were more important things to concentrate on i.e. family and what the future holds.

This year, it's been good to have a break and now ready to consider several different books for editing and publishing in the next few months.

With this lockdown Alert level 4, now in it's 15th day, it's been sad to see what's happening around the world in Fiji with spiraling COVID cases and also what's happening with the hurricane devastation in New Orleans, USA.

However, Spring brings hope with bird songs in the early morning and daylight hours stretching out with our daylight savings times changing on Sunday 26th of September which happens to be our eldest's'birthday. Never a dull moment...

Sia's 'Snowman' song...

This weekend, in hanging out with my lil sis and youngest in our 12th day of COVID-19 lockdown alert level 4 (leaving our parents in peace) we listened to some of our favourite music and my littlest shared this as one of her favourite songs last year.

 The song was particularly restful to listen to after having been masked up and dashing for an early shopping trip at the local supermarket (it seemed as if many people had the same idea) and it was good to only be waiting for some 15 minutes in a queue although it started 100 metres out on the road.

So now I'm drawing and listening to music on our lil' boom box. We're having turns listening to our fave songs (for me including the ones that I've just finished blogging on). Sometimes music can be cathartic or cleansing and this song was nice to listen to too...

Disney's new movie 'Jungle Cruise'...

 This weekend I got to watch Dwayne Johnson's (a.k.a. the Rock) new Disney movie called 'Jungle Cruise' with Emily Blunt. I must say that I wasn't expecting it to be anything like it turned out to be as it certainly action packed.

It's interesting in that it is set in the early 1900s during World War I and it brings together different stories about a quest to find hidden treasure as in Aztec Gold in the Amazon i.e. the Jungles of Brazil. There's a little geography lesson in the places that they need to go to, to get to the treasure.

Without giving anything away (no spoiler alerts), I would definitely recommend this movie as a family movie during this lockdown period. It happily allows you to suspend your disbelief and takes the worries and cares away as it transports you to another time and place in the magic of Disney...

Baking up a storm in level 4 lockdown...

In locking down at my parents' place, my lil' sister has started her backing frenzy with making 'keke pua'a' (literally cake of pork) or steamed buns with a chicken filling as well as deep fried.

This time around I've decided to take it easy and have only started slowly in the lockdown alert level 4 baking. I've only just made deep fried panikeke fa'i or banana pancakes and chocolate pudding with some more baking expectations on the horizon.

On the flip side, my lil' sis' has made churros complete with chocolate sauce, cinnamon sugar and cream and contemplating to make fried doughnuts.

All comfort food and spaced out so that we get some time to recover as well as enjoying the time together in not being able to buy our usual baked goods from the bakery.

Making meat pies is also on upcoming menus with coconut buns and even dumplings that are both steamed and fried. I know, lots of calories that need to be walked off with lots of exercising needed from YouTube clips and outside walks away from the other walkers.

Sparing a thought for those who are sleeping rough and needing a lot of support this time around with the lockdown as we slowly head into Spring with warmer weather just around the corner.

I'm also aware that there are also many who have been affected by the virus with positive swabs who are isolated in their homes and trying not to spread the virus out to other communities.

I'm so grateful, as many others have said, that our government has taken a hard and fast approach as I hear/see news from Australia and the many who are COVID positive and some still dying from the virus.

It's a timely reminder for those of us who can, to be grateful for this time of being able to stay home with loved ones. To be kind, to be safe and to not take this time for granted. Perhaps for some, baking helps them to keep sane, be kind and to stay safe with the comforts of home and full tummy whilst the war is raging outside against the virus...

 

To vaccinate or not?....

 

I've had some very interesting conversations over the past week regarding vaccinations and the concerns that many have over quickly made vaccines that did not go through the usual rigorous testing regimes of earlier vaccines that were developed over years.

Particularly for some indigenous peoples, the weariness of having to again be dictated to by the hosts or colonist communities who first brought viruses into their homelands has not been an easy conversations and poses dilemmas by decision makers as to what to tell their family groups.

I had a great grandfather who died in the 1918 epidemic in Samoa and I wrote a book about it but I never thought that some 100 years later, I would have a similar experiences in my own lifetime. The only thing that I know about him is his name, his village and where he was buried. Nothing else.

The decision to vaccinate was easy for me as I often visit my parents, who are in the Group 1 vulnerable category, and wanted to ensure that I had taken every precaution that I could to keep them safe as with my own family now that I am encouraging them to also get vaccinated.

My great grandfather didn't have a chance against the deadly virus that killed him. All of the arguments and conspiracy theories in the world will not help you if you catch the deadly Delta variant that is currently in our community and easily transmissible in being airborne.

If I lived remotely in a rural area, island or a space away from people then I would have the luxury of not vaccinating but as I live in a suburban centre where the virus has already infected over 100 Pasifika peoples in Auckland alone, then it is my duty to ensure that I do whatever I can for my family, my gafa (genealogy) so that the next generation survives.

I'm definitely not interested in the marches and riots that are happening around the world with anti-vaccers wanting their freedoms and many not wanting to be in lockdowns. However, they also carry the responsibility and consequences for their actions regarding the vulnerable people around them who could be infected due to their decisions.

I do believe that each person has to take responsibility for their own actions and decisions about whether to vaccinate or not but when you are putting other peoples' lives in danger then that's crossing the line.

To vaccinate or not? I don't really believe that we have a choice if we want our next generations to survive. I've called it an unnecessary evil that is life threatening and for me and we are privileged in having the 'choice' to be vaccinated or not. However, for me, it's not a choice anymore, it's a responsibility...

Alo i au faiva 'row/paddle to your fishing/goal'...

 

Here's another beautiful contemporary Samoan song that I picked up on Radio Samoa (1593AM) last year (and found on YouTube) in hanging out with my parents during the various lockdowns. It's sung by Livingstone Efu from the group Lani Alo.

The Samoan lyrics are thoughtful in sharing about the title 'alo i au faiva ia manuia' which translates as row/paddle to your fishing or metaphor for goal to do well. It continues by saying don't be down hearted with difficulties come.

It's a beautiful song about the Christian principles and values of Samoan culture about: about staying close to God; not giving up when this world brings about its difficulties; with advise to sons/daughters to take care of important matters and listen to the wise counsel of parents for a better future etc.

It would be nice if they also had an English version of this song for those Samoan youth who would benefit from learning about Christian and Samoa principles such as these. Often these songs are only heard in churches and hope it gets widely shared. There's so much that our diaspora (living away from the homeland) Samoans could learn and discuss from this song.

Here's my attempt to translate the lyrics for non-Samoan speakers (not including the rap). The official lyrics translation is on the YouTube clip comments:

Row/paddle to your goal to be successful

don't be downhearted when difficulties come

you'll be together with God in any path you take

My son, listen to me, to my words that I'm saying

Be prepared, don't go backwards to the goal that you've set.

This world is full of negative things

there are a lot of temptations to weaken your feelings.

be strong of heart, don't be fearful, 

go with happiness, my son, may you be successful.

CHORUS

Paddle to your goal to be successful

don't be downhearted when things get difficult

you'll be together with God in any path you take

My daughter listen here

to our words that we will be saying

in case you don't take it seriously

in the tears of your mother

when you travel in the vast ocean its difficult

you provide shelter to this family

My daughter, in you love, do it well

put away the mats

put away the pillows

be strong until we get to the completion.