Why we use Maori words and phrases
Kia Ora people! New blog, new beginning, new blog name. Huanui, meaning "path" in Maori. I experience my life as a journey on a long and winding road blah blurb. Yes exactly like all the stereotypes in the world. Like in many pop songs, cheap movies and books.
But thinking of life as a journey allows me to look back at the tracks I made. At the muddy potholes I fell into and the nice scenic parts of the road I enjoyed. And it also gives me a feeling to look ahead and see many more (more or less) muddy potholes coming up and intersections with and without signs etc. So how is that for a metaphor? As good as any other image you might chose if you ask me.
But back to the original question. After I decided I tried the blog thingie again I had to come up with a name. And as so often I looked up some Maori word. Why? I do this a lot. Just recently I bought a boat with the name "Aquaholic". Yeah I know! So I want to change her name and thought about a good name for the boat. I love Gannets and the way they fish. And since she will be mainly used for fishing I decided to call her "Taakapu", the Maori name for the Gannet. It is the same with finding a name for our farm. So why is this?
I found this quite a common thing with a lot of our friends as well. And I mean our immigrated friends. and to be more precise our German friends who migrated to New Zealand (or should I say Aotearoa? ). So is it a touristic or exotic thing? Like people buy Maori carvings which will look completely out of place right beside the painting of the guitar playing Gypsy queen in their dining room? Or is it to show how multi-culti we are? And that we accept the indigenous people? Or is it just purely exotic?
I think with us it is a mix of both. We are fascinated by the Maori culture, my partner got into flax weaving and was a member of the Maori community where we lived before. In general I can say that I feel comfortable with most Maori people around us. More comfortable than I feel with a lot of pakehas. We love Maori music, Maori art and Maori cooking.
But it is also an exotic feeling. When we were looking for a new place to live every time we discovered that the property in "Weber Road" or "Sturmfel Road" wasn't what we were looking for we were almost glad. Eventually we bought a place in Mangatoetoe Road and this satisfied our idea of living at an address which sounds exotic. Looks good on an envelope if you send mail to Germany. This reminds me of one of these reality TV hows we got sent from Germany about people moving to New Zealand. There was this person who said "Now we will try to settle in Nelson. It sounds nice and clean. Who would like to live in a place called something like tutukaka?" This made me very angry and I don't want to have anything to do with these people right up to this day.
I try to look at this from this perspective: In New Zealand we are in the position to have a choice between different languages. I can chose the name "Gannet" or "Taakapu" for my boat and I think it is wonderful. I have a choice between two cultures and I am in the situation where I can actually pick the best of both worlds. Some people may say that's selfish. I say it is great because it also helps to make me understand both worlds and it supports both worlds.
So how about my German culture. Well that's an interesting one. I really struggle sometimes to see the good things from it. Where are the good and positive things about our German culture and mentality? I would never call my boat a German name! I know many people who would. Just the idea of having a boat called "Seemoewe" (Sea Gull) makes me sick. Why is that? Because it is so German and it brings up everything about Germany which made me leave this country and look for a better life. A lot of people say "But it is your culture. You will always stay a German!" But I never was a German! And that's what most struggle to understand. If I would have been a German, if I would have felt and behaved like a German, if I would have enjoyed the German way of life and how they community functions there I would have never left. I would have stayed there and would be happy. But I wasn't happy. Because I wasn't German. Does this makes sense? It does to me! But I know it is difficult to explain and difficult to understand for someone not knowing how life in Germany is. It isn't bad. No not at all. But it is so different to what we have here in New Zealand.
Now the thing I wonder about is, why did the people from Hawaikii left for New Zealand? Weren't they on the look for a new, a different life as well? Didn't they eventually feel and behave like New Zealand Maoris? Although this is a poorly chosen expression because New Zealand wasn't named then. But they still must have been different to the people who stayed on in Hawaikii, Is there a similarity between German immigrants and Pacific Island immigrants?
But back to the original question. After I decided I tried the blog thingie again I had to come up with a name. And as so often I looked up some Maori word. Why? I do this a lot. Just recently I bought a boat with the name "Aquaholic". Yeah I know! So I want to change her name and thought about a good name for the boat. I love Gannets and the way they fish. And since she will be mainly used for fishing I decided to call her "Taakapu", the Maori name for the Gannet. It is the same with finding a name for our farm. So why is this?
I found this quite a common thing with a lot of our friends as well. And I mean our immigrated friends. and to be more precise our German friends who migrated to New Zealand (or should I say Aotearoa? ). So is it a touristic or exotic thing? Like people buy Maori carvings which will look completely out of place right beside the painting of the guitar playing Gypsy queen in their dining room? Or is it to show how multi-culti we are? And that we accept the indigenous people? Or is it just purely exotic?
I think with us it is a mix of both. We are fascinated by the Maori culture, my partner got into flax weaving and was a member of the Maori community where we lived before. In general I can say that I feel comfortable with most Maori people around us. More comfortable than I feel with a lot of pakehas. We love Maori music, Maori art and Maori cooking.
But it is also an exotic feeling. When we were looking for a new place to live every time we discovered that the property in "Weber Road" or "Sturmfel Road" wasn't what we were looking for we were almost glad. Eventually we bought a place in Mangatoetoe Road and this satisfied our idea of living at an address which sounds exotic. Looks good on an envelope if you send mail to Germany. This reminds me of one of these reality TV hows we got sent from Germany about people moving to New Zealand. There was this person who said "Now we will try to settle in Nelson. It sounds nice and clean. Who would like to live in a place called something like tutukaka?" This made me very angry and I don't want to have anything to do with these people right up to this day.
I try to look at this from this perspective: In New Zealand we are in the position to have a choice between different languages. I can chose the name "Gannet" or "Taakapu" for my boat and I think it is wonderful. I have a choice between two cultures and I am in the situation where I can actually pick the best of both worlds. Some people may say that's selfish. I say it is great because it also helps to make me understand both worlds and it supports both worlds.
So how about my German culture. Well that's an interesting one. I really struggle sometimes to see the good things from it. Where are the good and positive things about our German culture and mentality? I would never call my boat a German name! I know many people who would. Just the idea of having a boat called "Seemoewe" (Sea Gull) makes me sick. Why is that? Because it is so German and it brings up everything about Germany which made me leave this country and look for a better life. A lot of people say "But it is your culture. You will always stay a German!" But I never was a German! And that's what most struggle to understand. If I would have been a German, if I would have felt and behaved like a German, if I would have enjoyed the German way of life and how they community functions there I would have never left. I would have stayed there and would be happy. But I wasn't happy. Because I wasn't German. Does this makes sense? It does to me! But I know it is difficult to explain and difficult to understand for someone not knowing how life in Germany is. It isn't bad. No not at all. But it is so different to what we have here in New Zealand.
Now the thing I wonder about is, why did the people from Hawaikii left for New Zealand? Weren't they on the look for a new, a different life as well? Didn't they eventually feel and behave like New Zealand Maoris? Although this is a poorly chosen expression because New Zealand wasn't named then. But they still must have been different to the people who stayed on in Hawaikii, Is there a similarity between German immigrants and Pacific Island immigrants?
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