Submitted by Amjed Hallak on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in New Zealand sponsored by the Department of Computer and Information Sciences…
Upon further exploration of New Zealand, additional cultural surprises continually become apparent. Among the Kiwis, or the native New Zealanders, they still exhibit their uplifted culture amongst each other through actions that most people would consider positive. They take wonderful care of their land here – so far, I’ve been able to count the amount of litter found with the fingers on my hand. The land is very well up-kept!
On another note, we had taken the opportunity for an immersive Māori culture experience. The Māori are Polynesian settlers that came to New Zealand around 750 years ago. The experience entailed kind of a “show and tell” of their culture. We learned about their language, their instruments, and their dances. Most of us took the opportunity to partake in a Haka, which is a ceremonial war dance. The experience concluded with a dinner involving Māori food – an assortment of soups, meats, and vegetables, followed by dessert! The photo below was my plate. Excellent food!