Winter is well and truly here! Right now, I’m picturing my maunga back home in Taranaki with a beautiful korowai mā, not really wishing I was there right NOW though, its blinken cold enough here in Tūranga!

Hōngongoi is our Māori word for July but like all words in our Māori language, each word tells a story and has a deeper meaning.

Hōngoingoi also means to crouch in front of a fire, which is fitting for this time of year as we huddle around the embers to keep ourselves warm. And this is the beauty of our tūpuna (ancestors) and how they thought, and this is the beauty of our language.
I was thinking about the importance of sitting around and having conversation, sharing with each other instead of watching TV or spending our time doing things that are not important. And I can imagine what it would have been like in my ancestor’s time. They would sit around and wānanga all the time, this is how our knowledge was handed down and it was such an important part of everyday living to socialise and share kōrero.
I think we don’t do it enough, just to talk with each other and have conversation is so important. I am always inspired and uplifted when I am in the company of great people sharing wonderful conversation and I need to do it more!
Arohanui,
Jo x
PS – and true to form this kohatu is in total contrast with what I’m actually talking about, but like our language, it’s a lot deeper than what’s on the surface! And the sun came out today so it’s a sunny photo!

And I know I use Māōri words now and then and forget about my international non-Māori speaking friends sometimes so… korowai mā talks about the beautiful cloak of snow that I’m sure my maunga back home in Taranaki is wearing right now and wānanga means to meet, share conversation, to learn, to pass on knowledge… and many more meanings!