Marae Madness

Last week our nui syndicate stayed a night at our school marae; Te Poho o Rawiri. We learnt a lot about our ancestors and were told a lot of interesting stories. We arrived at the marae by car early in the morning. We were fidgeting like we had ants in our pants by the time almost half the kids had arrived. After everyone came and we finished our kapa haka practice we were ready to enter the marae.

"haere mai, haere mai, haere mai," Aunty Buba and Aunty Charlotte called to us from across the rough concrete. They walked backwards and we followed until we were deep inside the marae. I noticed these amazingly detailed carvings and tukutuku panels embellishing the walls of the wharenui. This was where we would be sleeping. The carvings on these walls were more than just art and I was excited to hear their meanings. After we sang our school song; tu mai ra, Papa Albie spoke some words in te reo and Aunty Bubba taught us about kowhaiwhai and tukutuku. We then sat on the grass and had some yummy kai. Finally were sent out to teachers to learn about traditional maori games and crafts. We first went to harakeke weaving where we learnt how to make placemats. 

With the sun setting over the Kaiti Hill it was time for dinner: chilli bean nachos. Mmm reka. I entered the dining hall and almost bumped into the bench because I was so starstruck by the delicious aroma from the nachos. I exited the kitchen thinking of why dinner was always before desert. I sat down next to Maddie and Lily and dug into the steaming pile of scrumptiousness. The room was a buzz of loud chatter, forks clinking their glasses and the horrible noise of plastic chairs scratching across the polished concrete floor. I knew that soon after dinner it would be showtime so I wiped the nacho sauce of my face with a napkin and and walked into the kitchen reading indeed for an ice block. I was already excited for what was up their sleeves for tomorrow.