And so, the date was nearing—the 11th of January. The air was a little tense late into the night before flying out. Everyone was laughing at my jokes more than usual, I got an extra serving on my plate during dinner, and I could feel the “I’m going to miss you so much” tears coming a whole six hours before my departure.
To briefly set an image in your head: when I arrived at the airport, my father was wearing his new tribal roots “Tainui” shirt, my mother couldn’t leave my side until I had been checked in, my brother was just… there, and my sister and Theo arrived late but just in time.
The goodbye was the hardest, as this was the first time I was leaving the Pacific—and by myself at that. I gave my whaanau a kiss and a hug, turned my back… and the tears came streaming down.
I linked up with my friend Caitlin, another PMSA scholar. We were the last two to pass through the gates, and our families were cheering us on from a distance until we were no longer in their line of vision. We were two students, born and raised in South Auckland, leaving the nest for six weeks to voyage to new lands and create new connections.
Before leaving, I visited my nan at the Piriti urupa in Maangere and went up Te Arapueru for one last moment at home. Looking out at the ocean, I thought of how my tuupuna voyaged to these once-new lands—and, in some way, I felt a strong sense of pride knowing I was following in their footsteps and taking them with me. Maaori ki Mumbai was officially on ways!
Think traffic, heat, and hospitality… because those three words best describe this beautiful city. Arriving in India taught me about the ignorance of most people residing in New Zealand and the narratives we blindly choose to accept about countries different from our own. The people here are the kindest, most giving people you will ever meet, and they will continuously feed you even if you can no longer eat a single bite!
An example of this is the TRANSFORMATION salon in Dadah—a salon that has become many people’s livelihood, community base, and safe space. The workers here are from the “community” and exemplify grace, hard work, and hospitality. This salon is dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups. Behind its walls, the space also functions as classrooms to upskill workers and community members in beautician work—nails, hairdressing, and waxing. However, their doors are open to everyone, no matter their walk of life or their story.
This week has been the most rewarding and eye-opening week ever. Just the other day, I was sitting at the Southmall station in Manurewa waiting for my train, and now I’m sitting at the Churchgate train station in Mumbai writing this piece before work. Week one of India is officially finished, and I will see you next week (in the mean time if you want a visual there’s a video below).
