Snarky Brown Girl

As the end of summer approaches, I realize it’s time for me to refresh, refocus and restart.  It’s back to uni again soon, so it’s about time I crack down on things yea?  Well, upon cleaning and clearing out randomosities I’ve collected around my room, I found something I didn’t expect to encounter: My first list of potential universities

I look at this list now and laugh because it’s not at all what I remember way back when I was a naive (or rather, MORE naive) young lady.  It’s funny how we strive so hard to get somewhere and when you’ve finally completed all your tasks and trials, you’re nowhere near where you imagined you would be.  For me, it’s been a blessing and a curse.  The road’s brought me here, despite its ostensibly calm but often disasterous turns.  It’s more clear to me now that I enjoy the journey more than the destination.  Why?  Because in reality, I have no clue where I will be after receiving my degree and telling everyone that I’m going to peace on outta the place.  I suppose I’ll have another mission, let’s say graduate school, but I know I’ll take more pleasure in telling people how I got there than actually saying that I was there.

In other words, I enjoy the road trip more than the place.  For me it’s all about filling in the gaps and seeing how different people chose to color in the void.  Those are the stories I love to hear most: ones about people and what they are made of.

So there.  I’ve never really known where I’m headed, and yet I’m not lost in the world.  I guess that’s somewhat of a feat.  I’ve been accused of taking too many risks, but in retrospect, it must be because it’s easier to learn by doing.  Perhaps taking so many risks isn’t strictly due to impulsive or brash decisions, but just a desire to make the unknown known.

And with that, I’ll leave you to browse my amusing little list of universities I was seriously considering back in the day:

First Choices: University of Oregon, University of Hawaii (Manoa Campus) [N.B. I do not go to either of these schools...I only applied to UO, was accepted, then turned them down.]

Second Choices: California College of the Arts (SF Campus) [I didn't apply here either...Why? Because they wanted more "fine art" in my portfolio since my graphic design & digital photography material was not enough.]

Third Choices: Occidental College, Art Institute of California, Pomona College [WTF?! Why is Art Institute of California on the same level as Occidental and Pomona?! And why are those two my third choices?! Was I on crack as a high school teen?! I would probably love Occidental and Pomona now if I was there!  For the record, didn't apply to these schools either.]

Fourth Choices: Portland State University, Portland Community College [I applied to Portland State, toured and interviewed and met professors there.  I was convinced that I would be going there...until another scholarship came my way.  And now?  I kind of wish I was at a bigger university for the sake of having more opportunities for study and networking.]

I was sitting here watching TV and commercials when it occured to me that American ads don’t terrify me nearly as much as foreign ones.  Here are two examples I saw in New Zealand that come to mind.

The eyebrows creep me out…No lie.

This one I didn’t even think was a real commercial at first…Kinda laughed out of shock waiting for someone to pop out and say “PSYCHE!” but then I felt bad when I realized it was legit…

Anyway, I’m not sure you’d see these types of commercials in the USA.  The first one mainly because I’m not sure Americans are patient enough to sit through a commercial that long (and in my opinion, that creepy…lol) and because that second commercial is perhaps a bit more than they can handle.

Just another interesting cultural observation I thought I’d mention…

I spent a solid chunk of time away from my cozy niche in the Northwest and transplanted in the City of Sails.  However, now that I’m back to my hometown and had a considerable amount of time to reflect, I’ve come to a number of conclusions…some trivial, some not so much.  But here are a few I’ll mention:

• Portland and Auckland are like twin cities in my mind.  Fraternal twins, as both are born of the same type of volcanic earth of the same period but different in very complementary ways.  There’s no denying that both places feel like home to me.
• Being in New Zealand, I missed a lot of things Mexican.  I missed Mexican food, Mexican music, and even Mexicans speaking Mexican Spanish.  Now that I’m in the US, I miss all things Maori.  Funny how culture shock and reverse culture shock work that way, yea?
• I learned more about Germany and Norway being in New Zealand than I ever intended to.  And upon returning more, I learn that Portland is more haole than both places…Which leads me to my next point…
• The American education system isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  In fact, Americans are kinda sorta oblivious, especially in terms of geography.  However, the writing quality among first-year university students, according to a Canadian friend of mine teaching US History in NZ, is of better quality in the US.  Hooray for knowing the ins and outs of a five-paragraph essay!  (Thank you much, Catlin Gabel!)
• I learned more about myself being in New Zealand than anything else.  I know my hopes and fears better now than ever before, facing some of them while I was still in Auckland.  I understand now that I have a thirst for knowledge for the sake of learning and applying what I know for progress.
• Despite spending months abroad, something still feels incomplete.  I wanted to learn about myself, but also about my own history and heritage.  I hate that obstacles keep getting in the way of that for me, but I believe that most of my questions can only be answered by going to the source in Belau.

It’s still strange being back and refamiliarizing myself with home.  I planned on hitting up some of my favorite places in Portland upon returning, only to find that some of the places had moved or even closed down while I was in Auckland.  Weird.  Home isn’t always the home you left, but there’s always something familiar about it…Whether it welcomes you back or not.

So my lectures are finally over and it’s soon time for me to face exams before departing the City of Sails and back to the City of Roses. But before I do so, it’s only appropriate that I explore a bit more of this beautiful place called New Zealand. I’m currently in Wellington, doing what I can to absorb the creative vibe here, but in a matter of hours I’ll be boarding a ferry to the South Island, or Maui’s waka in Maori mythology. Here are a few things I’ve noted in the past few days I’ve been in good ol’ Wellywood:

• Te Papa Museum may possibly be my favorite of all time. It’s like the place nerdy kids always dreamed of going when they secretly never wanted to go to Disneyland…So in that sense, it’s definitely my kind of place. In the few days I’ve been here, I’ve only seen about two floors of the place. It’s GINORMOUS and has heaps of things that I want to learn about and engage in. I’m glad to be coming back to Wellington at the tail end of the trip so I can finish up my Te Papa experience!
• There’s an amazing theater scene here, as well. I really wish I had arrived a day earlier because they did a Polynesian interpretation of Shakespeare’s “Othello” where they got one pakeha/haole guy as Othello in a Pacific Islander dominated society. Not only that, but the theater right next to Te Papa was also doing an English production of Federico Garcia Lorca’s “Blood Wedding.” How amazing is that?!
• Graffiti art is encouraged among youth, so long as it’s legal and in galleries. I just saw this great little exhibition at the Sataachi & Sataachi place where they had 14 and 15 year-old graffiti artists with their kickass pieces on display and selling for $500+ per piece.
• Although it’s called Cuba Street and they even have a cafe called Fidel, I have yet to find any form of Cuban or Cuban-inspired food here. It definitely makes me miss Pambiche back in PDX.
• Wellington is windy. And when it’s windy, it’s cold. And seeing as how I’m still in the North Island, I may very well turn into an icicle when I reach the South Island…where the REAL cold is.

Anyway, so those are my musings for now. I’ll leave you with these videos of “Ka Mate” from Auckland. This first video is from my orientation at Te Kiri Marae when we had just learned this waiata from Pete. And yes, we kind of ruined it because we were still very much in our naive new American phase…My apologies. Hopefully the good stuff from the Auckland War Memorial Museum makes up for it. :]

Singing \”Ka Mate\” at Te Kiri Marae

Ka Mate at Auckland Museum

I’ve been swamped with papers and projects and exams in the last few weeks.  And before that I simply didn’t take the time out of my day to let the interweb know what’s been going on here in my little part of the world.  Well, I know these photos are long overdue, but I figured now would be a great time to post them as Auckland gradually chills to a cooler climate this time of year.  That said, I present you with some photos highlighting my adventures in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.  Warning:  IMAGE OBESE!

Day 1:

Welcome to Rarotonga! This guy plays every time a plane lands.

A view of our Air NZ plane and the airport.

Looking about from inside out van after getting picked up from the airport. John & Teina were excellent guides!

The initial view from our accommodation, Paradise Inn.

Looking left, here's another view from the deck at Paradise Inn.

Moments after landing, we met some locals on the beach to learn about land distribution among family and sampled some local fruits!

Found these little critters crawling around the place. I call this one, "Priate Ryan."

My first Rarotongan sunset. Won't be my last!

Day 2:

We trekked across the island with Pa, the awesome guy with dreads in the middle there. He's older than my grandma, and therefore, a total badass!

After crossing the island, we did some paddling in an outrigger canoe. It was sweet!

Time to take the vaka (canoe) out of the water, finish up our sun worshiping, and head back. I loved getting more brown! ^_^

Spent a nice amount of free time at Muri Lagoon.  Great stuff!

Showing the group how to husk a coconut during our progressive dinner.

Our starter for the night, Ika Mata, which is like coconut ceviche...BRILLIANT! They served it with pawpaw, aka papaya.

Main course of the progressive dinner that night. SO much good food! I OM NOM NOMed it!

Finishing up the progressive dinner with a nice dessert of cake and hokey pokey ice cream.

Day 3:

On a boat! Chillin out on Captain Tama's Lagoon Cruise...Glass bottom, too!

A shot of some island from the boat.

Beautiful island.

This looks like it was stolen from a calendar. But it's just another island shot I took on the boat!

An Island guy complete with tattoos, ukelele, kukui lei, machete, and tools for coconut husking. Where can I get one?! haha! jk, he was one of our guides.

The Island guy showing us different ways to tie a pareu.

Dinner at Nu Bar before heading back to Paradise Inn for downtime.

Day 4:

We learned about energy on the island by visiting the power plant.

This shows where electricity for the entire island goes. Yup.

"OH GOD, DON'T PRESS THE BUTTON!!!" They didn't actually say that to anyone, but I pictured it happening. LOL

How sweet is it that the power plant logo is all rastafied and cool?!

The dance group also had a feast for us! Nothing like Island Soul Food!!

Cook Island Dancing 101 with the kids from the nearby village.

Hanging out with the Island kids!

There was a youth group dance/music competition among the villages, so we checked it out!

The costumes were great!

Jesus at the end of the dance. Church and faith are important in the Cook Islands, so the theme and dances were all over that.

A shot of the group singing as others danced on stage.

We were on our way back when some locals invited us to a jam session/rehersal! These guys were amazing! Video to come soon!

Day 5:

We took a tour of the dump...

This is me taking a picture of the dump while at the dump. No lie.

Enough with the rubbish already...

After the landfill, we went to the prison on the island...

Just like in Palau, prisoners do arts and crafts to sell to tourists!

They make boats and ukes and drums and carvings!

Cute little prison kitten! I think it was full grown, but so tiny and had the most unique coloring. And funny eyes, too!

I've developed an addiction to tropical sunsets.

Day 6 – Good Friday, so everything was closed:

Sam and I volunteered to help Nan Hauser and the Whale Center by painting something pretty!

Not much happening on Friday, but can someone explain the wall at this Indian restaurant we ate at?! LOL

Day 7:

As you can see, I'm super BEACHED AS. I was on that beach for at least 6 hours...and got hella dark!

Pre-dinner drinks at Aroa Beachside Inn. The cocktails came in cute jars!

The view at dinner. Palm trees, hammock, the open sea and a sunset...I love it.

Day 8 – Easter Sunday:

Took a group shot before going to church in Avarua for Easter Sunday and boarding our plane back to NZ.

I just got back from seeing Katchafire perform live at Shadows, my campus bar, and for free!  I must say, I’m loving Auckland more and more.  I’ve been waiting to see Katchafire live since I first heard them years ago when they were fairly unknown outside of New Zealand.  I’m more than happy to say that I’ve finally seen them put on a live show.  I’m pretty much starstruck by the performance, but also touched by their humble demeanor off the stage.

They started off the set with “Who You With,” which is great since that happens to be my ringtone!  Anyway, they really do put on a great live show with lots of energy to keep the crowd going.  I may end up sore from all the skankin I did tonight…

These two fellas right here were amazing tonight, displaying their range as musicians.  Haani took over the vocal stylings on “This World” which is a good contemplative track.  Jordan left his usual spot on the drums to take the mic on “J Dubb”, one of my top 3 tracks on the “Say What You’re Thinking” album and yet I didn’t realize he was on the lead vocals for that cut!  Anyway, it was great to see the Jordan and Logan jamming together on stage side by side and getting really into it!  Nothing like a live brotherly jam session on stage to fire up the crowd!  I’ll have to see if I can get a clip of that on here later!

And you can’t deny that the lead singer was on his A game tonight.  They ended the set with a cool little mix of “Reggae Revival” but then re-ended/”hana hou”ed it up with “Get Away”, which I thought was fitting since most of those belligerent people in the audience will probably have to call in sick tomorrow morning.  Nonetheless, it was amazing to be right up front and center for this show because I got the best view in the house and got to skank with the bouncers up there.  Actually, I was really impressed by how Logan just came down into the crowd after they ended and shook my hand.  I really wasn’t expecting it at all and thought the whole group would disappear into the obsurity of the dimly lit corners, but it was refreshing to see them get out there into the crowd and show some extra love to the fans.  Big ups and major points for that, Katchafire!  Way to build a fan base with this Snarky Brown Girl, that’s for sure!  ^_^

So basically, I just had the bestest night ever.  I’m really quite pleased with how the night went, even though I endured some crazy folks in the crowd and had to yell, “back the **** up!!!” a few times in the bar to get people to stop pushing up like they do.  But that’s life right?  We all need to make sacrifices for what we desire now and then.  After missing out on Katchafire in the States quite a few times,  I’m really grateful for the chance to see them in the land they call home.

I can’t help but be a little down when I realize that studying abroad this term means that I’ll be missing all the multicultural events at my university back in the US.  Granted my university isn’t renowned for it’s ethnic or even socio-economic range, it’s always exciting to see young people make the extra effort to share everything they know about their culture and heritage with others.

However, I’m a bit saddened by the approach taken by some clubs at my university back home.  Although I’m a member of the Hawaii and Guam clubs, I’m puzzled by the ways in which the club promotes the big cultural events.  We have a Hawaii Club that puts on the annual luau while Guam Club waits around to hijack the decorations to put on Guam Night.  I surely appreciate the efforts to share the cultural richness, and this is in no way an attempt to knock on what people work so hard to put on, but I’ve had a hard time wrapping my head around certain ideas regarding these particular cultural events on my campus.

I believe both clubs would see more success in their stated constitutions if they merged into one club.  It also makes sense to do so on such a small campus.  Unlike other universities, there is no Pacific Island Student Association or Alliance or whatever you want to call it.  And why shouldn’t there be an overarching Pacific Island group?  We all tend to congregate together on and off campus, our social circles overlap quite often, and to be honest, it’s just so much more efficient to merge into one and collaborate on how to present our cultures to those who simply don’t know anything about it.  Since each club only puts on one large event per year, why not expand our networking capabilities instead of limiting it based on your island association?  It seems counter-intuitive to me.

But let me get back on track here with the point I wanted to make.  The Luau.  It’s the largest student run production on my US campus meant to educate people on Hawaiian culture.  So why is it that Tahitian dancing and the Haka are the two biggest reasons people show up?  Despite Hawaii’s large gradient of diversity and vast cultural influences, it isn’t fair to bill these types of college shows as traditional Hawaiian luaus when things like the Haka, or Otea, or Siva Afi are unique to another culture.  Not only is it misleading to an audience that doesn’t know any better, but completely disrespectful to the people who preserve and perpetuate these beautiful forms of performance.

It’s been a while since I was last at a dance rehearsal for luau, but after learning the history, song, dance, and story of Ka Mate, the most famous haka in New Zealand, I began to wonder how many universities out in the world are taking the time to teach the culture and not just the choreography.  It’s rather difficult to portray a story through dance when you don’t know the story at all.  And it got me questioning contemporary Pacific dance forms, as well.  For instance, does everyone back home know the story of a Palauan song when they hear it playing on the radio?  How much of that oral tradition are we keeping alive?

In terms of putting on an event like a college luau, are we in the wrong for calling it a luau when it isn’t?  And if so, when did we adapt this European habit of labeling ourselves when we can’t just accept what’s before us?  It almost feels like in calling an event a luau and performing other dances like the Haka, or Siva Afi, or Otea, it’s comparable to an ignorant person who takes the word “Chinese” and applies it to everything that’s remotely Asian.  Will we really allow ourselves to consider anything and everything that’s Polynesian and call it ”Hawaiian”? When it comes down to it, most college luaus are celebrations of Polynesian culture. So why aren’t they billed as what they really are?

I’ve done informal dance with Hawaiian and Tahitian styles, but often hesitate to call it true hula or true otea.  Mainly because for me it’s a privilege to even have someone willing to teach me something that’s such an embedded and strong part of their culture.  Music & dance are probably the closest things I’ve had to a religious or spiritual experience, so maybe that factors in greatly to how much admiration I have for various dance forms.  But once it gets into the world of Pacific Island dance, that admiration intensifies into this greater reverence for every single detail.

If dance forms were people, I’d have a mad crush on the Haka because it’s found a way to bridge the modern world and traditional ways.  It may be disputable and surely not the perfect way to bring together both worlds, but everyone else seems to have a hard time attempting to do the same.  The ability to weave together the past and the present so we can preserve the future is a special one, even sacred.

In truth, I am a music appreciator.  Although I have my favorite genres here and there, I can’t deny that there’s nothing I love more than music with a message.  Perhaps that’s why I’ve always possessed such a great affinity toward reggae music.  The idea of creating change through music is a powerful one.

But growth, evolution, and revolution is all a part of that change.  It isn’t enough to create a powerful message within one medium or one area, but to branch out to whatever may appeal to the people.  If we’re talking music that’s gone a little more mainstream, take a look at Gym Class Heroes, which has brought together alternative and underground hip hop in a bit of an unorthodox manner.  I also have to say that different forms of conscious hip hop has really grown on me over the past few years.  From Talib Kweli to Immortal Technique to Atmosphere to the Blue Scholars…They’ve all brought their own unique styles and flavors to the table, yet what I love most is that their verses aren’t limited to a focus on “gettin crunk” or “tappin that ass,” but are quite introspective and contemplative when discussing more substantial matters.  Personally, I think Immortal Tech’s “You Never Know” discusses a lifestyle every bit as difficult as your average ghetto thug.

But this isn’t about who’s got it harder in life, because that in itself is an argument with no victor.  This post is about bringing change to the forefront of our lives by utilizing music as an instrument of hope.  It’s brilliant o use music as a grounds for planting the seed from which change emerges since rhythm is the the same in any language.

While in Auckland the other day I heard this song blasting from someone’s car stereo as I was at the crosswalk.  I caught this line before finally seeing the music video on TV back at my hotel, but it was enough to strike a chord with me:  “A generation’s hope / Well it starts with you and I…”

And then I proceeded to wander around the city looking for a place to buy the album…or two.  hehe.  I like to consider it my “happy birthday/haere mai” present to NZ.  ^_^

This cut’s been running through my head since I first heard it.  I guess it hits me more knowing that it’s put together by other Pacific Islanders who want to bring the same positive changes in their communities as I do.  I would love to start something progressive among Pacific Islanders back in the US, but I must admit it’s hard when people only associate us Islanders with playing football and the occasional tourist trap luau performances.  :[  I think it’s important that our people are seen as so much more than that, because in truth we are.  I also believe it’s vital that we strive to better ourselves instead of settling for less than our full potential.  Perhaps it’s a strain of that relaxed Pacific Island lifestyle that goes awry and allows our people to believe that having less than what we deserve is okay.  It would explain why isn’t a huge percentage of Pacific Islanders in the US that finish high school, let alone college.  I’m sure anything that can address these matters is better than remaining stagnant and hoping someone else notices the hardships.  It’s all about being PROACTIVE!

Well before I go off on some socio-politically motivated rant or something, I’ll just leave you all with this bomb track my Nesian Mystik that I’m sprung on.  The best conscious hip hop I’ve heard in quite some time!

My apologies for the lack of updates, there’s been a lot going on.  Mainly things that involved preparation to depart my beloved Oregon in United States of America and to begin a journey to Auckland, New Zealand!

You heard me.  AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND.

So what should you know about this city?  I’ll tell you some intersting things I learned that I feel you should be aware of:

• It is the largest Polynesian city in the world.
• The sheep to human ratio is 10:1.
• Gay marriage is legal.  (GET ON THAT, AMERICA!!)
• The geology and terrain is very similar to Portland because it’s built upon ancient volcanoes, just like home!
• Sails are to Auckland as Roses are to Portland. (Auckland = “city of sails” whereas Portland = “city of roses”)

Anyway, those are all things that you can find out while reading any tour guide or basic summary of the place.  In my short time here, I’ve discovered a lot about transitioning and adapting to a new cultural setting.

Lessons Learned By This Snarky Brown Girl:

• I need to re-learn common pedestrian courtesy, how to cross the street, how to go up and down escalators, and which side of an automobile to board on.  Coming from America, everything here is ass-backwards for me because I’m used to walking/driving/getting on the bus on the right side of the road.
• Cell phones are mobile phones.  And the plans take some getting used to, as they’re priced differently from US plans.  You’re charged by the minute and I’m going to miss my free weekends and nights, since that’s not an option here for me.
• Free public WiFi must be a unicorn or something over here because everyone’s heard of it, but no one can tell me where to find it.  Rather, public places that offer wireless internet do so with a time limit or sell by the megabyte.  This is something I’m quite frustrated with because I could always count on Portland to have free wireless somewhere WITHOUT having to purchase anything.
• Rugby, from all 5 minutes of whatever match I saw on tv, looks quite interesting.
• This one’s just kind of sad, but I’m quite excited to see so many Pacific Islanders who AREN’T related to me. 

That does it for this quick little update seeing as how my internet connection with run out in a few…More soon, hopefully with some visuals for you lovely readers out there!  ^_^

I’m sitting here in Washington DC preparing myself for a week of great times and, of course, plenty of misadventures to come.  This is the furthest east in the US I’ve ever been and so far it’s great!  I’m about to do some very tourist-esque things, so I’ll be posting photos of that soon.  And footage, as well!  We’ll be working on some guerilla documentary inspired clips once we’ve got them polished up, so brace yourselves for that!  WOOT!

This is change I can believe in!  ^_^