The adventure continues! This time, in the North Island. On the 10th of May I fly up to visit my family in Tokoroa, which is almost two hours from the city of Auckland. It has been twelve years since the last time I was here. I have been holding out on this trip since I have been here because my massive family would be trying to pull me in all directions since we havent seen each other in ages. The first day that I got in I spent a night at the Univeristy of Auckland where my cousin Hana goes to Uni. I love the city! It is so different from Dunedin. Auckland and Dunedin are both beautiful in their own ways but Auckland is certainly more of a concrete jungle. Flying into Auckland there was so much farm land, it was hard to tell that there was a big city.
When I arrived in Tokoroa, I was invited to visit a Cook Island immersion school, called Tokoroa Central School. At the school, children from different ethnic backgrounds learn Cook Island language and culture. In one of the classrooms that I visited, children were learning the art of authentic Cook Island druming. They greeted me with a warm Cook Island tangi kaara (welcome drum beat). They told me that in order for them to drum, they needed the guest to dance…so dance I did! They took a video and put it up on their facebook page, “Tokoroa Central School.” So, if you’d like, go check it out! It was so awesome and enlightening to see young children perpetuating the Cook Island culture and have a passion for it.
At TCS (Tokoroa Central School), the children also did a dance item for me as a welcoming back to my homeland. This has been one of my favorite moments so far on my journey here in New Zealand. It has been such a heart warming experience back with my family and I have received so much joy spending time with them. I have met countless family members and have had a blast playing with all of my nieces and nephews! This week my family has a lot planned out for us. It has only been two days here in Tokoroa and I have already seen so many places and people that I love! …Oh, and don’t fret! I did all of my school work ahead of time!
