I can't believe it.

I have another account on which I have put posts about my (slightly) crafty adventures. Not a lot but I have decided this is the way to go to keep my sanity intact. I am slowly going insane. But now I can't access the damn account because I have no idea the email associated with that account. So I suppose it shall be buried in the cemetery of all the blogs I have managed to start and then lose hope in.

It has been 2 weeks now since we moved into the new place. This place is lovely, the house is awesome. It is so modern and warm. BUT I have no friends. How do you make new friends? I feel I am stuck at home all day long, everyday, with the 3.7 year old who at most times try to drive me up the wall unless I put on the idiot box from morning to night, which will in turn turn him into a couch potato, which wasn't the original idea. Nor will it ever be an intention.

I haven't done any sewing either. Easily the past 6 weeks has not been about me. It has been all about moving, packing, unpacking, tidying, cleaning, babysitting, laundry, cooking. cooking. cooking. I feel like I have no time for me. My brain is screaming ME! ME! What about ME!

Sigh.

Wha*karewarewa Thermal Vi*llage

 

No trip to Rotorua is complete without a trip to a Maori village. There are two main village attractions in Rotorua, but we decided to go with Whakarewarewa Thermal Village. There is an hourly guided tour of the village, which is largely done by the locals to the area, and most importantly, the marae itself. It is also a working village which means that people in the village goes about their daily lives while we tourists look around in awe of their lifestyle.

 

The tour starts at the main gate, where the guide will explain briefly the history of the village and then proceed to bring visitors in. Common sense dictates that visitors respect the village as a place of abode for the people who reside in it, and although they are allowed to explore the place they should take all necessary precautions to also be aware of what they are doing. When we went, it was a cold winter day so thank goodness we were dressed for the part.

This is wharenui or meeting house, a familiar building in any marae. It is built with the symbolism of a human being in mind, the top most part being the head. This is what was taken from the 100% New Zealand website:

[Quote]

Te Wharenui

The most important of the buildings within the marae is the wharenui or carved meeting house. A wharenui resembles the human body in structure, and usually represents a particular ancestor of the tribe.
The tekoteko (carved figure) on the roof top in front of the house represents the head, and the maihi (front barge boards) are the arms held out in welcome to visitors. The amo are short boards at the front of the wharenui representing legs, while the tahuhu (ridge pole), a large beam running down the length of the roof, represents the spine. The heke (rafters), reaching from the tahuhu to the poupou (carved figures) around the walls, represent the ribs.
Many wharenui contain intricate carvings and panels that refer to the whakapapa (genealogy) of the tribe, and to Māori stories and legends. It is also common to see photos of loved ones who have passed away placed inside.
If you are lucky enough to step inside a wharenui, remember to remove your shoes before entering, do not consume food or drink inside, and always seek permission before taking photos. [Unquote]

Rotorua is well known for its geothermal activities. When we arrived we were greeted with the smell of rotten eggs -- something that definitely needs getting used to. Whakarewarewa is not spared from this natural activity, you often see smoke coming out from the cracks and water, which is almost always hotter than hot. The locals use the water around their village for everyday use, from cooking to bathing. Everyday interactions and experiences have taught them the right temperatures to cook vegetables, using a method similar to blanching in a pot. They also share a communal bath and there are exact times in a day where they go and bathe, when the temperature is just nice. Or they take a dip in the river that runs through the village. 

The locals also cook their food in the most traditional way, using the hangi, which is a space created by digging a pit into the earth and heating rocks until red, before putting baskets/tins/aluminium foil casings of food in it recovering the pit before leaving the food for several hours to cook. This will create heat and steam in the pit which in turns cook the food. Meats and cakes can be cooked at the same time, which is a big no in normal modern ovens.  This is proper cool as you very very rarely get to see something like this when you travel. Whakarewarewa does offer hangi cooked food to its visitors, which can be paid for in advance at admissions.

As part of the tour, we also had a chance to see a Maori performance, which they had at scheduled times. (I can't remember the times, you'll have to look at the website) When we were there, they sang the most famous Maori song, Pokarekare ana and told us the lovely history behind the song.  They also did the Haka and also danced using their  poi balls, which had me amazed because they not only twirled them around, but also passed them from person to person mid dance. 

Overall, it was a really great experience. To top it off, we were greeted by a beautiful rainbow on our way back to the hotel.