Kiwaha: Maori and Kiwi

Tree of Life


Kia Ora koutou!

Today I had my usual Maori-filled day. Starting with Art History learning about rakau whakairo or carved meeting houses. Snoozefest. Then we learned about Colonization of Indigenous Peoples in my next class and saw super gruesome pictures of horrible genocides. Yuck and sad. Then! In Maori, I had an amazing class. Not only did I feel like I was finally caught up, I also felt like I got the vowels down pat. Ok, for example, there are 5 short and 5 long vowels but there are words like "mauiui" which would be super helpful in Scrabble, but still kind of a pain. You have to parse it actually, "ma-wee-wee" to actually get over the initial shock of 6 vowels together. Also, the "ou" and "au" combinations are fine for the Kiwis here b/c they have those vowel combinations, but I have to channel my Francophile alterego and pretend I can create those vowel combinations, like in "koutou" So hard to say.

Everyday in class we learn a Kiwaha, or slang. This is what I have so far:

Ehara, ehara: Not even, Bull!!!
For example, at a bar, this Maori bloke was talking to me and I had to ask, "I'm sorry, how old are you?"
"22..."
"Ehara, ehara!" He was DEFINITELY 17/18
Then he walked away...SUCCESS!!

Karawhiua (ka-ra-few-a): Go big or go home!
For example, while getting ready that same night, we were debating heels or not...
"Karawhiua" If you're gonna do it, do it big...(and remember everyone here is barefoot, so nbd if you take 'em off :) )

E iro, e iro: You filthy maggot!
I haven't gotten a chance to use that here. Generally Kiwis are very polite, but I promise I'll keep you posted :)

Ka mau te wehi: That's amazing! Mabruuk!!

But today in class, we learned a proverb, or Whakataui:
Moe atu nga ringa raupo: Marry a man with calloused hands
:) :) :)
Dear Maoris, I agree. Love, Gracie

So some Kiwi Kiwaha?
Sweet as: Awesome, cool!
Basically, they chop off the rest of their similes and leave them incomplete, which for a lingy nerd, kinda bugs me. But! It's adorable when people say it. Just the first time I heard it was in a noisy room so I heard "sweet ass" and I was like, "....thanks? that's pretty bold, mr. kiwi....i'm awkward...."
You can also say: Hard as, steep as, pissed as, knackered as...

Oh! Knackered= tired

Nectar= sweet, but apparently only colloquially in a city, Blenheim (blen-um...not blen-haym. I made that mistake)
Maggot= sick drunk...b/c apparently you look pale and yucky. And the next day you crawl around like a maggot all day... Also a Blenheim-ism

Wag= skip a class
Unco=abbrev. for uncoordinated
Wops or Wop wops= boondocks, way out in nowhere
Chilly bin=cooler
Jandals=flip flops. Oh! Word of caution, you can't go out past 9 in NZ wearing jandals. They wont let you into places b/c it's some hazard. But before 9, karawhiua and be barefoot! :)
Pissed=drunk
Taking the piss= making fun of...
Boot= trunk
Heaps= tons, lots and lots
Singlet= muscle tee
Tea=dinner
"Gracie, what time are you having tea"
"...isn't that always 4pm?"
"Wow, Americans are weird. That's early as"

There's definitely more, but it's Linguistic heaven. I have Kiwaha coming from both ends!

Also, the seasons don't swap easily down here. March 1st is the start of Autumn (don't say Fall, apparently that sounds stupid as :( ) This week was beautiful. I walked barefoot 3 of the 4 days around campus. Actually yesterday I walked out of my flat without shoes on or near my person. Didn't even notice until I stepped on an acorn and squealed. Today, Mother Nature decided enough was enough of this beautiful weather. It was...oh, 50 today? Which after 70s-80s is f-f-f-freezing. It surely wasn't 50 when I left my flat this morning, but by the time I got out of class at 6pm, it was pouring, freezing, and slippery. Grr. Still gorgeous when it rains. But dude. I'm gonna miss summer, I can feel it. My freckles are starting to fade. Boo!

Earlier this week I was writing in my journal under my tree or the "Tree of Life" and I had a realization. I'm. In. Love! This place is just magical. The past couple of weeks I felt as though the world was happy for me. The sun was shining but also a sweet breeze. The cicadas were humming, the birds were chirping, and the grass was perfectly smushy under my toes. I was in heaven. Clean air, quiet streets, beautiful, friendly people, amazing landscapes....it's just ridiculous!
I know I'll definitely be ready to come home in three months, but right now, I can't even think about it. I've made such great friends here and luckily a lot of them are from the States/Canada, but what about my Kiwi friends?!?!

So again, I know I'll be dying to come home in June, but it's not easy getting to this place! I'm gonna have to come back...
This is what I've been planning for the past few weeks tho. I've been thinking about it heaps and I really want to come back for my Masters. NEU doesn't offer a kickass Masters in Linguistics, so why don't I come back to Canterbury to get a Masters in Indigenous Studies in 1.5-2 years!?
Ok, ok, ok, I know it's ridiculous to think about leaving when I've only been here a month, but seriously, come here and you'll see how I'm digging my heels in for June to come. June. Don't do it. Please!?
Also, I'm a planner, this is how I work things out. So I'm gonna talk to my sweet as Profs and ask them if it's feasible for a Pakeha (non-Maori) to major in Indigenous Studies and then UNPFII here I come! Ok, I'm done. I promise :)

Alrighty loved ones! My weekend is jam-packed with intense tramping back to Kaikoura at Mt. Fyffe. Apparently the views are incredible, but also pretty windy, so hopefully my new intense tramping gear (expansive as) will weigh me down :)

Kisses and aroha (love)

Cheers!