I'm on a train that just won't stop

We have been packing and sorting for has felt like weeks. But it is only today that things have started to feel very real. So far all the things we've sold or gotten rid of haven't had a huge impact on us. Our slow cooker is gone, the clock I bought when we lost our phone went today and so has the plastic storage shelf we had in our bathroom. But today I had to empty out the drawers of our dressers (referred to as 'low boys' and 'tall boys' on Trademe) as they were being picked up tonight. And now our room, with clothes all over the place and a big empty space where the dresser should be, looks as though someone is either coming or going. Is the room being set up or being taken down? It's funny how objects that are so meaningless in our everyday lives become so meaningful in light of our current transition. We bought these dressers from a store in town. I can't even remember what the store was called. I'm SURE it did not survive the earthquake as it is in a building that is similar to all the other old buildings that have crumbled. I hope the weird lady who worked there (sold us our bed as well) is ok. I think the weird lady was partially the reason we went back there to buy other furniture. The dressers weren't even that nice! Not nice in that they weren't any special family heirloom or made of solid wood. Nice in that they were new, did the job, and their colouring matched our bedroom floor. And now they are special enough to be mentioned in a blog post.
Other events today has made our departure feel very real. The Junior school today put on a farewell assembly for me. Well, it was far more than a farewell assembly. It was more like a farewell event. The smell of pancakes wafted through the air as early as 7 in the morning due to the fact that 360 pancakes needed to be prepared for the special breakfast being held for me. Parents and kids greeted me as I roamed around the school chatting with people (I tried desperately to suppress the tears that were about to be unleashed...sadly I failed) I felt like I was in a dream, not really wanting to believe all the playground shouting, "Miss Brown I'll miss you!" could be directed at me. Had 3 and a half years really gone by already?
Following the pancake breakfast was the actual assembly. I would try to explain it all but a written description would not do it justice. I still can't believe how much thought had gone into the creating such a beautiful moment.
However, one part I will endeavor to explain is how they started the assembly. The entire junior school and guests waited for myself, Mrs. M and Room 7 outside. It was bitterly cold out, most of us were covered in maple syrup and pancake bits, but we formed a front line so there were about 5 of us standing holding hands. The rest of my class huddled directly behind me in a group. We stood outside the hall, and with the thumbs up started to walk in. As soon as we started walking I could hear chanting and I immediately knew what was being done. Two teachers of our school were performing a karanga , which as the link explains is an exchange that occurs between two people as a group moves onto a formal meeting place.

It is normal for both kaikaranga (women who carry out the karanga) to address and greet each other and the people they are representing, to address and pay tribute to the dead of each other’s acquaintance (especially those who have recently died) and to refer to the reason the groups have been together.

Usually you see this done as a group walks onto a marae.



This is a little video of the formal protocol for entering a marae and it gives you some idea as to what goes on. The calling and answering by the two women is what happened for me today. I heard the call, I got my goosebumps, choked back my tears and entered the hall. I was so incredibly proud of my class (very high off of the maple syrup) who composed themselves so well. I know it couldn't have been easy for them. That will be one of the most special moments I will have had in New Zealand. I have to give an enormous thank you to those who planned it, and to those who performed it. You cannot know how much it meant to me.

It is 10:10pm, my eyes are puffy and I'm so tired. I need to go to bed. But I knew I had to write something so in a few months I could look back at this post and hope to remember how special I was made to feel today.

Kia ora New Zealand.