Mitchell - Fiafia Night Experience

Hey Bloggers! We just came back from our 2 week school holiday which was really fun for me! Anyways 3 weeks ago we had our annual school Fiafia Night! It was really amazing. The evening before the night the teachers had already set up the stage and more. Everyone had to arrive at a certain time which was at 6:00 pm. Families of the school had been hosting food stalls such as selling island foods, cakes, drinks, sausages and much more!

Fijian Group!

Then finally the night came! Every group had to get changed into their costumes for their Fiafia Group and had to sit in their lines. It was kind of raining so everyone was kind of getting wet! The first performances started with all sorts of groups including : Kapa Haka, Asian Burmese, Cook Island Group and heaps more.

My group was the 11th group to peform before the Ukulele Group. Finally it was our turn. Our costumes were perfectly on, had our fans in our hands and then the music started!
( if you didn't know i was in the fijian group :D ) We started dancing and it was so much fun!

The lights were shining bright as we were dancing. Also I dedicated my dance to my great grandparents who recently travelled back to Fiji after 33 years! After our really cool dance we headed off stage and celebrated! We went back to our dressing room and got changed!

We finally left school! It was a really cool night but it was worth all of the practice.

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M

30/04/18

Mitchell - Visual Mihi 2018 ( 400th Blog Post )

Hey Bloggers! Here is my visual mihi I created for this year! It includes the cross to represent Jesus and Christianity, two pacific island flags to represent my culture, items that represent that I love travel and to also show I love family.

Thanks For Reading!

By Mitchell.M

22/02/18

p.s - click on picture to see more, 400th blog post!

Summer Learning Journey - Day #17 : A Decade of Sport

Hey Bloggers! Today is Day #17 of the Summer Learning Journey Holiday Blogging Programme! Let's Begin. Enjoy!

Activity 1 : Chasing Great 

Over the past 17 years New Zealand has experienced a number of sporting highlights, perhaps none larger than the back-to-back Rugby World Cup victo

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ries in 2011 and 2015. In both competitions our national rugby team, the All Blacks, was captained by a man named Richie McCaw. He is arguably one of the best rugby players of all time. A movie called Chasing Great was recently created to document his incredible rugby career.

I have been asked to watch a movie trailer named " Chasing Great ". I have also been asked to state 3 things I didn't know about Richie McCaw.

• I learned that he trained hard and he was a guy who knew what he wanted!
• He was born in Oamaru, South Island, a small town in New Zealand.
• He has now considered becoming a Air New Zealand Pilot for the airline.

Activity 2 : Sporting Hero's

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In 2015, a kiwi golfer named Lydia Ko became the youngest woman in the world to reach the #1 ranking.  She was only 17 years old. Many people from here in New Zealand and overseas really admire her and think of her as a modern-day sporting hero. Who is your sporting hero? They can be a famous athlete, or even a member of your family or community. It’s completely up to you.

I have been asked to name on my blog who my sporting hero is and why. I also have to include a sporting picture of them.

My Sporting is : Waisake Naholo.

He is my sporting hero because he is a really good rugby player and I admire him. I'm not a really big fan of sports but I just like the way he plays. He is really good at playing rugby. Also he is Fijian like me!

Bonus Activity : Shake it Off

In recent years, many New Zealanders have embraced a new form of exercise called Zumba©. It was developed by a man named Alberto Perez who lives in the country of Columbia. He created Zumba by bringing together many different dance styles including: cumbia, mambo, hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, tango, merengue and mambo.

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I have been asked to choose 1 of the 2 dances : Tango, or the Mengurene and state 3 different facts about the dance!

I have chosen the Tango Dance!

• The Main Origin of the Tango Dance mainly consists of the regions : South America, and began on the border river - plate on the border of Argentina and Uruguay.
• This historical dance began to spread around the world in the early years of the 1800's.
• The " Tango Dance " is mainly danced in special events, traditional gatherings, family gatherings, parades or even high school ball dances.

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

19/01/18

Summer Learning Journey - Day #10 : Coming to an End

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #10 of the Summer Learning Journey and also my last blog post for 2017! It's been a really amazing journey blogging! Anyways, let's begin!

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Activity 1 : VE Day!

After six long years of fighting, World War II finally came to an end in 1945. The entire country was ecstatic and parties were thrown all over New Zealand to celebrate VE Day (Victory in Europe).

I have been asked to imagine that you were living in New Zealand in 1945 and you had to plan a VE day party at your house. Who would you invite? What would you do to celebrate?

If I had planned a VE party I would invite my family! My cousins, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunties, grandparents, great - grandparents, parents and more! We would have a BBQ, a huge swimming pool, sport games playing, music, cold beverages and food, and heaps more I would include!

Activity 2 : Making a Fashion Statement

In the years following World War II, things slowly returned to normal in New Zealand. Soldiers returned home and settled back into regular life; and national sporting teams, like the New Zealand cricket team, got back together and started playing matches again. In the late 1940s, men and women would go to watch these events, men wearing hats and suits and women wearing dresses, hats, and gloves.

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1940's Fashion!

I have been asked to compare clothes from the 1940's to 2017. Is there any differences?

The differences I see are the bright colours in the 2017 clothing fashion but there is lack in the 1940's fashion.

Also I can see that the difference with the shoes are very big. In the 1943 picture the shoes are very classic and basic but with the 2017 picture the shoes are very trendy.

I rather wear the 2017 style. It's really trendy and i'm used to wearing similar to the 2017 picture.

Bonus Activity : Sweet Tooth

Purini ( Steamed Pudding )

When World War II ended, a number of people from Europe moved to New Zealand looking for a peaceful place to live and raise a family. When they came, they brought recipes and foods from their native countries with them, including hamburgers, pizza and other delicious foods.

I have been asked to post my favourite sweet food/desert on my blog. Rachel's is a Chocolate Chip Cookie with Tea.

My favourite desert is Bread and Butter Pudding. Yum! My great - grand mother makes these delicious deserts sometimes when I go to her house. The name for it in my Fijian Culture is called '' Purini " - steamed pudding. We usually eat it alongside with Custard, Cassava Cake, Bread with Butter, Jam and also Tea.

Here is my great-grandmothers recipie I found in her cook book hiding in her kitchen :

You will need :

• 3 cups plain flour 
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 tin coconut cream
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground clove
• 2 litre pudding tin

Instructions : 

1. Melt sugar in a small saucepan on medium heat. Do not burn sugar. 
2. Put in some coconut cream slowly to the melted sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Stir well slowly. 
3. Stirring constantly, bring the syrup to the boil then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and the whisk ingredients together.
5. Fold the sugar syrup into the dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Pour the batter into the buttered pudding tin and steam for 1½ hours in a large pot over the stovetop.
7. Test if fully cooked with a skewer inserted into the middle of pudding and return to stovetop if necessary.

Thank you for reading!

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

31/12/17

Last day of 2017! How will you celebrate it? We are going to watch some fireworks in Auckland City! ,

Mitchell

Summer Learning Journey - Day #9 : Another World War

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #9 of the Summer Learning Journey Blogging Programme! Let's Begin!

Activity 1 : An Eventful Experience 

WWII was made up of many battles and events. I have been asked to follow this link to read more about the timeline of WWII.

Troops!

I have been asked to choose two key events about what happened on those days. On my blog I have to write a short summary of two events including the names of people involved and where the event happened.

• 24 July: Due to US assuming control in Fiji, 2 NZEF troops from Fiji return to New Zealand
• 28 July: Japanese troops move into southern Indo-China

These events took place in 1941 and 1942. The People involved were the troops from Fiji and Japanese Troops, and the events occurred on a war ground.

Activity 2 : A Call to Arms

Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa Ngarimu!

Over the course of WWII, approximately 140,000 New Zealanders were sent overseas to serve in the war. Many were sent to fight in huge battles, including the Battle of the Atlantic that lasted for 2064 days (over 5 years)! The Battle of the Atlantic came to an end in 1943, in large part due to the heroic efforts of people like Lloyd Trigg, a pilot from New Zealand. He was awarded a special medal from the New Zealand Government for his bravery. It is called a Victoria Cross (‘VC’ for short). A total of 22 New Zealanders have been awarded VCs.

I have been asked to click on a link to find a list of VC winners! I have been asked to choose one from the Second World War and tell you about him on my blog!

I have chosen Sir Moana - Nui - A - Kiwa Ngarimu the first Maori Soilder to win a VC! He got awarded this reward on the 4th of June 1943! He earned it by shooting alot of German fierce men who tried to attack their several machine gun posts!

He was a very brave hero!

Bonus Activty : Women at Work

Both men and women served in World War II. Many women chose to enlist as nurses and be stationed overseas caring for wounded soldiers. Rachel's nana was one of those nurses. She (Dorothy) spent much of World War II working on a large Red Cross ship that was stationed off the coast of Cairo, Egypt.   

Medical Nurses ( WW2 )

I have been asked to imagine if I were a nurse like Dorothy on a large medical ship. I also have to carry on this 8 - 10 sentence long paragraph ! Let's Go!

One day you are walking along the deck of the ship when you hear a loud bang. You start to run as you see smoke coming from the far end of the ship. You run towards the room where your patients are waiting to receive treatment from the doctor. Just as you arrive at the door to their room you hear another loud bang and you…jump. I raced to the corner of the room inside and hid. The Nurse was carefully caring for another patient. As I saw her injecting medicine into the other patient and he yelled " Ahhhh" she was an undercover nurse. She covered his nose and mouth as he couldn't breathe. I shriecked and tried not to make as many noise as I could. He stopped breathing. " No " I thought. I mustn't make a sound. She walked out the room and I was relieved. I broke the window and she saw me. I ran and jumped into the real medical boat. It seems like it was a haunted one. It sank and was never to be seen again.

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

29/12/17

 

Summer Learning Journey - Day #3 : It's All In A Family

Hey bloggers! Today is Day #3 of the Summer Learning Journey. I was really busy today so I'm posting it now! Let's Begin.

Activity 1 : The More, The Merrier?

My Family!

In the 1800's most families were pretty big. In fact, many parents had an average of seven to nine children. I have been asked to imagine that I was a family member of nine and I have been asked if I would like it and how would I feel. Well first of all I have a really big family loving cousins, protective uncles, caring great - grandparents and heaps more family, So I wouldn't mind. So yes, I would enjoy it. I love FAMILY!

Activity 2 : Acknowledging Ancestry

A Traditional Dance performed
by Native Lauans from Lakeba, Fiji

Now all of us are family members! Members of a big family or even a small family. In Te Reo Maori sometimes people use a way of Acknowledging Ancestry. I have been asked to write my own pepeha. It's included with my special mountains and rivers and islands that are important in my ancestry. Here it is!

Kia Ora!
Ko Lakeba,Fiji te Maunga 
Ko Lau, Fiji - channel te River
Ko Sema Makawa te Waka
Ko Niumataiwalu toku Tipuna
Ko Vuanirewa toku Iwi
Ko iTaukei toku Hapu
Ko Levuka,Lakeba toku Marae
Ko Viti & Tonga Ahau
Ko Winifereti raua Ko Fisilau oku Matua
Ko Mitieli ( Mitchell ) toku ingoa.
No reira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena ra tatou katoa. 

That is my pepeha! It's really important once you realise you have a lot of ancestry like me! I hope you enjoyed reading it!

Bonus Activity : Fun Family Facts

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On my blog I have been asked to interview three family members from my family and ask them what are their 2 favourite things to do in summer!

My Mum :

1. She likes to go swim at the pools and the beach!
2. She likes to go camping at camp sites!

My Sister ( Levonah ) :

1. She likes to go out to places such as : arcade, theme parks, city ( etc.
2.She loves to eat! Her favourite foods are Pancakes!

My Sister ( Leonora ) :

1. She likes to go Ice Skating!
2. And she likes going to the pools!


Thank you for reading today's blog post!

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
20/12/17

P.S - 5 more day until Christmas!

Travel Blog Post - Day #4 (Hawaii) Wedding Day!

Getting ready some pig!

Me at the wedding!

Hey bloggers! A few days ago it was my uncles wedding! It was very fun to attend! Let's talk about it! So I and my cousins, and uncles went to my uncles friends house who is also Fijian and we did/made a lovo. (a underground oven). We helped grate some komala (sweet potatoe) some cocnut and more. After that we cooked it and bought it to the wedding!

Uncle and Aunty!

The wedding was at the Botanical Gardens in Hawaii! It was really beautiful! It had nice rivers, waterfalls, japanese shrines and bells, animals and heaps more. At the wedding ceremony it was very short! They just came up : sang some songs, said some words the poof they were husband and wife!

The layout!

My uncle and his baby!

After the ceremony we went to the reception where everyone ate, drank, danced, sand, and did heaps of exciting things. Me and my cousins, and my friends all went down to the river when it got dark and were hunting for pigs. There were 3 black pigs and my little cousin got scared so we started chasing. It was really fun!

Anyways chasing pigs we went to go look for soe fish in the Koi Fish Pond. I saw lots of koi fish in the pond near the waterfall and it was amazing. After all those adventures we had we went back to the reception to drink kava and eat a little bit.

My cousins and other family members were dancing lots! It was really crazy! Anyways after all the partying and fun we went back into the truck and loaded it with the leftover food and started to head back home!

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
06/09/17

Mitchell's Speech - My culture is important

Good Morning! Here is my speech about why culture is important!

Reason 1: I think culture is important because it’s really important to remember your ancestry.

Culture! Have you ever wondered about your culture? I’m pretty sure you’ve been wondering about where you originate from right? Well you probably do know your Samoan,Tongan, Cook Island and Maori, but it’s time to think back. It’s pretty important to remember your heritage. Like what if you have royal blood, that’s something really important to cherish.

Did you ever wonder about where your great grandmother’s mother is from? They may be from Russia, Tahiti, or even Kenya! That’s meaning that you’re ancestors are from different places!

Reason 2: Another reason why culture is important is because your Family Tree and Ancestors may have different origins.

Did you know? - that your many of your ancestors have all came from different origins. For example let’s say your great,great,great,great,great grandmother from Tonga married your great, great, great, great, great grandfather from Germany! That may mean you have German traces in your DNA, if your grandparents have German DNA.

Reason 3: The last reason why you’re culture is important is because your language is important too.

If you’re fluent in your native language you have a very special talent! I think learning your native language is important because what if it dies out. Imagine one day the native language of your country has died out because people have forgotten or lost the traditional ways. It also represents your identity and culture and also your family!

Reason 4: My culture!

Finally let me tell you why my culture is important! My ethnicity conclude of Fijian and Tongan descent with some German. On my Fijian family I am a descendant of the Vuanirewa Dynasty that has ruled the Lauen Island since it first has been discovered so that is a big part of my culture! With my Tongan Family I am from the Islands of Ha’apai and from the Village of Pe’a on Tongatapu.

Thanks for reading!

By Mitchell.M

07/08/17

Mitchell's Statistical Literacy - Data Collection

Hello bloggers! Here is my Statistical Litreacy presentation. We have been answering questions around Pie graphs and Bar graphs and using the graphs to collect data. My question was based on which culture you are. My class answered and here are the results: 5% Maori, 5%Tongan, 11% Samoan, 1% Cook Islands, 2% Niuean, and 5% other which includes Fijian and NZ European. Even I was in this too.

Thanks for reading!
By Mitchell.M
11/05/17

Mitchell's role model writing - My great grandfather!

My role model I have chosen is my great-grandfather. His name is Pita. I have chosen him because he is inspiring and he is a hard working man. He is a loving and caring man and he is very dominant. So let me explain why my great grandfather is my role model!

Whenever we go over to his house he hands us fresh fruits and healthy yummy things to eat! He always wants us to be fit and healthy so we can have a g

Me and my great grandfather mowing the lawn.

ood life. Also me and my cousins play heaps of sports on his front yard.

He is also a cultural man and uplifts us to do and be strong in our own culture. He knows a lot about our traditions and culture and also knows what we have to do to be respectful and proud of our heritage and culture. We love the stories he and my great grandmother tell about our ancestors and their adventures and journeys. Some stories also lead up to some of the most popular places in Fiji.

Did you also know that he used to be a teacher? That’s right my great grandparents used to be well known teachers in Melanesia. They have taught in Papua New Guniea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and of course Fiji. They expect us to do good in school with literacy (English) and Mathematics too.

So there it is my role model Pita. My great grandfather who is really loving and kind. So who is your role model?

Thanks for reading

By Mitchell.M

13/04/17