My father and mother met at a blue-light disco. My nan went to primary in Ngaruawahia before moving to Auckland. My koro left Maatauri when he was 16. My nannies were part of the Maaori women’s liberation movement. My tuupuna, Matire Toha and Kati Takiwaru Te Wherowhero, brought peace to Ngaa Puhi and the Waikato…Continue Reading The Cave That Sings
Okay, get your bucket list out right now. Grab a pen, and add ‘attend an Indian wedding’. From the colours to the music, the dancing and the food, an Indian wedding is a whirlwind of vibrant energy you don’t want to miss! I feel incredibly fortunate to say that I had the privilege of attending…Continue Reading Wedding Time!!
The title is not an exaggeration! Arrival 🛬 Arriving here, I was expecting a city a bit busier than Auckland — noisier too. I was expecting the weather to be slightly warm (even though it is winter in Mumbai) and public transport to be easy to manoeuvre. But I was off target on so many…Continue Reading Keeping Pace with Mumbai’s Heartbeat
Since arriving in Mumbai 8 days ago, I’ve taken 182,212 steps, spent 434 minutes on trains, ridden in 12 taxis and 14 tuk-tuks, spent 24 hours at my internship, handed out just as many bars of soap, tried at least 1 new food at every meal, attended 2 hockey trainings, and visited 4 forts. Like…Continue Reading Numbers Tell a Story – But Not the Whole Truth
After leaving my heart in Aotearoa, my body and soul boarded a plane to begin a new adventure in Mumbai! With the feeling of nervousness, excitement, and perhaps dread for the unknown, nothing would have ever prepared me for what was in store. Noise, heat, and colour are only a few words to describe the…Continue Reading Big City, Bigger Dreams: Navigating the Mumbai Madness
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…Continue Reading From Manurewa to Mumbai: Maaori ki Te Ao
To say that Mumbai is an overload on the senses would be an understatement. From the spices and aromas, the hustle and bustle, the vivid colours, to the diversity of Indian culture – I am blown away! I’ll kick off with one of my favourite aspects…the food! It quickly became apparent that food sits at…Continue Reading Week 1: Food, Trains, Human Trafficking Prevention, and an Indian Wedding!
I am not invincible. Envision this: you hop onto your second to last train home; it’s pretty busy, so you and your friends have to stand. No big deal; you do it all the time. However, while you are standing, suddenly your vision goes black. Next thing you know, you are on the train floor…Continue Reading The Biggest Lesson so Far (and some smaller ones on the side)
100 days. That’s how many days I had from when I finished my last UOA exam for semester one to the day I flew to Japan to start semester two. 100 days to get excited, to get nervous, to reassure me, to overthink, to relax, and to freak out. 100 days to do nothing but…Continue Reading 100 Days
I visited several spaces offering and facilitating education for youth and adults in India. My main takeaway is that education is the key to empowerment and uplifting families. This highlights the importance of removing educational barriers, such as but not limited to location, income, and nutrition. I was born in Wales and educated in a…Continue Reading Education in India