So Michael told me yesterday that he was going to change the blog name to "Mike in New Zealand with guest appearances from Laura" if I didn't actually post anything. Unfortunatly, I have been so busy with work that the last thing I want to do is come home and write about work but to appease my love and adoring husband and make my mom smile... Here it goes....
Starting a new job is always a challenge, starting a new job in a new country is one of the most exciting and exhausting experiences I have ever had. I am one of those lucky people who has always known what I wanted to do with my life. I have been working with kids and in the social service field since I was old enough to have a job. That being said, my first day at work in New Zealand was the most unique experience I have ever had in any role as a social worker thus far. In New Zealand, when any new worker starts at Child Youth and Family (the equivalent to Child Welfare or Child Protective Services in the State) they hold a ceremony called a Powhiri.
I am posting a link here which explains the powhiri because if you are like me you would have no idea what this is and I surely don't want to offend anyone by getting it wrong:
http://maaori.com/misc/powhiri.htm
The way it was explained to me is that a Powhiri is a way of welcoming a person, recognizing that they come from a family that holds unique traditions and customs, recognizing what they bring to the table (in this case the job), and bringing them in as part of the "family."
The idea behind this is quite a beautiful one especially if you, like me, have felt simply like a cog in the wheel in past work experiences.
That being said, If you could imagine me on my first day of work, being brought into a room with every single co-worker in my office, sitting through an entire presentation that is spoken completely in Maori, and then being hugged and kissed by every person in the room, this was enough to make my stomach tumble with nerves. To say the least, it definitely made the realization that I was in a different country truly set in... IN FULL FORCE.
Just FYI a Hongi is the term used for the nose to nose greeting that is traditionally done in Maori culture. It symbolizes the breath of life is being exchanged and intermingled between two people. Luckily for me, they explained this prior to me going into the powhiri, otherwise I am sure I would have looked like an awkward teenager embarking on their first awkward kiss. As this was being explained, I couldn't help but giggle just thinking about how most Americans would handle this situation. I have several co-workers back home that are huge germ-a-phobes. I can only imagine them putting hand sanitizer on their noses after engaging in this greeting. The thought alone made me feel a little more at ease.
One of my favorite things about the ceremony is that although every bit of it was spoken in Maori there was one word I understood intermingled into the rest.... " American." As the ceremony concluded and I was greeting all of my co-workers with the Hongi, one women whispered to me, "Don't worry, we all know you are really Canadian." I still laugh thinking about that moment and the look on her face when I told her... Nope, I am really American.