He aha te mea nui o tea o? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.
How long does it take for strangers to become whānua (family)? Sometimes, as quick as a camera flash. I am writing this blog post as we start our 10-hour bus trip from Pondicherry to Isha Ashram in Coimbatore. It is surreal that the 2024 IndoGenuis cohort only met one week ago. I had only met the other Victoria University students once before, and I had not met any of the other students. Once the Wellingtonians landed in Auckland, the rest of the cohort found each other by searching for other lost but excited-looking young people. It became instantly clear to me after we found each other that I was among a group of greats. Each person was more impressive than the last. However, of more importance was each person’s kind and inquisitive nature. It was terrific how quickly the small talk was over, and the conversations with meaning took place. The flash of the first team photo at Singapore Airport is when I realised the unbreakable bonds of whānua were growing. It has been an honour to see and be a part of the growing aroha (love) amongst everyone since that moment.
The bus journeys from place to place are a highlight for me. I did not expect this, but they say it is about the journey, not the destination. Humans are naturally territorial. People usually sit in the same seat every bus ride on past university trips. It makes my heart smile that this has not been the case. Each trip has a different seat pairing, which means each trip is an opportunity for a deeper understanding of a new brother or sister. We have discussed politics, religion, spatiality, and life. The bus journeys are an opportunity to ask life’s hard questions or recall forgotten memories. At this moment, I hear laughter from Jack and Adela next to me, conversations between Michael, Aria, and Josh behind me, and everyone else resting peacefully. A motif of the trip has been the power of music to bond people to themselves and each other. Several of us will play a game where one person asks a question or creates a scenario, and everyone else must choose a song that they feel fits in that question or scenario. I am excited to discover the symphony of songs that speak to different people in the same situation.
This bus has physically connected us to different locations in India. The bus conversations connect us across each other’s minds, hearts, and souls. It is hard to believe that it has only been a week since the great Indian adventure! We may not know what is next, but I do not doubt that this whānau will only grow in aroha over the coming five weeks.