Jess - This is Aotearoa

Jess | Springlands, Marlborough

“I went to a coffee group with my church, and I met an older lady who was from a different country. She was really lovely. I can’t remember where she said she was from, but she was really lovely. She was sweet, and she had a disability. She had a little scooter that she used to get around.

No matter where everyone comes from, we’re all still the same deep down. We’re still human, and we all still have feelings and things like that.

I think that it’s important because then we get to know more about their story and where they come from. We get to widen our horizons. It may open us to traveling to where they lived in the past, and it even makes us more open to help others as well. So, if you see someone struggling, like say a lady walking home with shopping bags, you help her. It’s just easy.

I got my nose ring when I was 15. I did piercings for me, two of my brothers and my partner, for Christmas. So, me and my older brother got my nose pierced and his nose pierced, and I made him go first, because he’s older than me, and I was paying, and my partner got his eyebrow pierced, and my other brother who’s younger than me got his ear pierced with the bar across there. So, I’ve also got my tongue pierced. I don’t really know why I get them. I just like getting the piercings. They hurt a lot at first, but the healing is the more painful stage really. The actual piercing doesn’t hurt that much except for the nose. The nose ones are definitely the most painful.

I grew up here. I lived with my mum till I was about 13 or 14. Then, with my grandparents till I was 18. My grandad taught me how to do a lot of stuff at the farm. That handy knowledge that I have now. My mum’s taught me how to crochet, and my nana’s taught me how to knit. There’s a lot of different skills I’ve learned from all these people. I don’t work at the moment. I’m looking for work, but at the moment it’s not the most important thing, really. I feel like spending time with my family is a little bit more important, making sure that everyone’s okay.”

What, if anything, have you done differently after visiting this site?

Bruce

Bruce

Bruce | Maungatapere, Gisborne - ""I worked in a place called Nauru. Nauru was the offshore processing centre for all the refugees trying to seek asylum. I have seen no real difference in our cultures and how we engage with each other and how we do things, physically and spiritually."
Marge

Marge

Marge | Māngere, Auckland - "Ia tau ka kite au i ngā tamariki rerekē, i ngā tamariki haututū, ngā tamariki pai. Ko ngā tamariki tino rata ana ki a au ko ngā tamariki haututū. Koinei ngā tamariki kaha ki te kōrero me te mea hoki he auahatanga rerekē tā rātou. Every year I see different kids, cheeky kids, good kids. The children I really like are the cheeky ones. They’re the ones who are very verbal and they are creatively unique."
Ralph

Ralph

Ralph | Kaitī, Gisborne - "I’m meeting a lot of people who are different to me, but because of my background, I can relate to many of them, because the thing we share in common is that I’m very Māori, but I look like this, because my father wore a kilt. My mother wore a piupiu."
Ivor

Ivor

Ivor | Ōpōtiki, Bay of Plenty - "Life is all about understanding different perspectives. That’s one way of growing, is walking in another person’s shoes, and trying to understand their circumstances, their life, and why they are the particular way they are."
Al

Al

Al | Te Hāpara, Gisborne - "I think it shows that it doesn’t matter what walk of life we come from, all different diversities, everyone has something to offer, and if you’re willing to, to listen, you can learn."
Benn

Benn

Benn | Blenheim, Marlborough - "They’re different mates. They all do different things, and they always go out partying and things like that. When it’s a party I don’t even know about, then I get to go, too and that’s awesome."
Pera

Pera

Pera | Elgin, Gisborne - "One of the things that I’m passionate about is the music industry in Gisborne, East Coast, Tairāwhiti there’s so much talent, and so many artists, that it’s amazing to see the creativity, the positivity and everything that comes out of the music industry."
Tipene

Tipene

Tipene | Te Kaha, Bay of Plenty - "We’re on a continual learning trip, that’s the journey all our lives. We never stop learning, but it’s connecting with people and finding out what forms their worldview. What makes them think, what makes them tick."
Keri

Keri

Keri | Māngere, Auckland - "When you then spend immersive time in other environments, you kind of get to understand what it’s like to not be in the majority which I think is pretty healthy, to not always be comfortable."
Laukau

Laukau

Laukau | Māngere, Auckland - "It was the time when the Christchurch attack happened; the Muslim community was going through such heartache and pain. There was a day where they allowed us to wear their cultural-wear over our heads, in show of support, and it really brought like a connection."

Jess | Springlands, Marlborough

“I went to a coffee group with my church, and I met an older lady who was from a different country. She was really lovely. I can’t remember where she said she was from, but she was really lovely. She was sweet, and she had a disability. She had a little scooter that she used to get around.

What, if anything, have you done differently after visiting this site?

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