October Newsletter

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DISTANCE FAMILIES NEWS

​He kupu mō te whānau — words for family
 
Last month New Zealand celebrated Māori Language Week. Our indigenous language is justifiably enjoying a rightful permanence and visibility after decades in which its place in everyday life was diminished.
 
Today, people from all walks of life are actively learning te reo Māori, with waiting lists for some courses. Street signs are increasingly bilingual, and many new buildings, institutions and organisations are choosing a te reo Māori name alongside, or instead of, an English or Western name. The landscape of our country is changing incrementally every day.
 
And many Māori words have become part of everyday life for New Zealanders. When I hear from New Zealand 

​Distance Grandparents and their overseas children and grandchildren, I notice how often these kupu — words — are sprinkled throughout their messages. They are words that speak beautifully to the relationships at the heart of Distance Families.

​Whānau
Family, extended family and those connected to us through relationships and belonging.
 
Whakapapa
Knowing who you are and where you belong. Having a sense of identity and belonging, and understanding the relationships and responsibilities that connect us to others.
 
Aroha
Often translated simply as “love”, aroha encompasses so much more: compassion, empathy, affection, sympathy, kindness and caring.

​Mana Manaaki
Being the best you can be while lifting others up. Actively supporting, caring for and giving service to whānau.
 
Kōrero awhi
Speaking with kindness and compassion. Being courageously honest, and following through on your word.
 
Tikanga
Doing what is right. Keeping whānau strong, safe and protected. Living by values and challenging what causes harm.

​Perhaps that is one of the beautiful things about language: words don't simply describe our relationships — they can remind us how we want to live those relationships. For Distance Families, where relationships stretch across countries and generations, these are powerful ideas to carry with us.

To explore more Māori language and resources, visit Reo Māori.

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BOOK SERIES NEWS

A hard copy gal
 
In book-reading circles, I refer to myself as “a hard copy gal.” I have a Kindle and use it plenty, but I still love and prefer a physical book. For me, the reading experience is more enriching. I can easily revisit the blurb on the back cover, read about the author again, or simply stroke the cover and ponder the decisions around its artwork and design. And then there’s the pleasure of seeing a much-loved book sitting on the shelf alongside other treasured titles.
 
My books are available on various platforms. All are available as paperbacks and ebooks, and the grandparent book also has an audiobook version, narrated by me.
 
But what sells the most? The paperback editions. I have to admit, that reassures me. It suggests that many of my readers might be hard-copy people too — people who enjoy the opportunity to touch and feel a book, turn its pages, and perhaps treasure its spine as it sits alongside other much-loved books on their bookshelf. There’s something rather lovely about that.

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ON THE HOME FRONT

A weekend away — and a trip back in time

We’ve had a couple of brief holidays recently, visiting friends and family, and they’ve prompted two thoughts.

First, it never fails to amaze me how a weekend away can feel like several days. What is it about a break from routine, a different bed, different surroundings and a change of pace that seems to stretch time?

I’ve recently started following Katie Blake, PhD on Substack, where she writes about the psychology of travel. She recently commented: “Ever notice how vacations feel long yet short? New experiences stretch our perception of time, making travel feel richer.”
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Research into our perception of time broadly supports this idea. Calendar time and experienced time aren't necessarily the same thing. Researchers have found that our perception of time during holidays can be influenced by unfamiliar experiences, changes in routine, emotional engagement and the particular circumstances of a trip. So perhaps a few days away really can contain more experienced time than a few ordinary days at home.

My second thought transported me much further back in time. We visited Christchurch, where I lived during my Intermediate (middle school) and high school years. We went to an orchestral concert at the stunning Douglas Lilburn Auditorium in the Christchurch Town Hall. I hadn’t been to the venue since 1973.

I was a pupil at Villa Maria College when the Christchurch Town Hall opened in 1972, Six months later I found myself on its brand-new stage, singing Mahler’s enormous Symphony No. 8 in the school's choir, Schola Cantorum along side two adult choirs and the NZBC Symphony Orchestra. It was a thrilling experience.

While researching the concert, I discovered some wonderful archival photographs from the rehearsals here. But those photographs are out done by some glossy, colour photographs that appeared in a 1975 coffee-table book called The New Zealander, by Smith, Jacobs and Billing — a copy of which I have owned since that time. And there I am... three from the left, second row from the bottom, with my two white ribbons.

​Revisiting the Town Hall felt very special. A stunning piped organ was a welcomed addition 1997. Later the building was seriously damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes and remained closed for several years while extensive repair and restoration work was undertaken.
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It was special to find myself sitting in the same auditorium where, more than fifty years earlier, I had ​​​​sung Mahler as a teenager.

A short holiday can stretch time in unexpected ways. Sometimes a few days feel like several weeks. And sometimes walking back into a familiar place can make half a century feel like yesterday.

​Take care until next time
Helen Ellis
 
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