Wanganui and the final leg
After Taranaki, I made it to Wanganui to meet up with some activists that Hillary and Chris got me in touch with. Geoff and Luc are two kiwi anarchists who decided to buy a plot of land with a sheep shed on it, and begin a community art/political space. I arrived in town early and walked around. Again, amazing museums and galleries. The Sargeant Gallery had an incredible series of photographic exhibits, one which was a dramatization (done in the 70's) of a man recruited into a guerrilla resistance movement against an invasion of New Zealand. This piece was a comment on the Vietnam war, a war that New Zealand was pulled into at the time...and that the population still feels the effects of. It was a powerful piece and really interesting storybook medium. It made me think about using still photographs to tell fictional/political stories...very cool stuff.
The Wanganui history museum, again, had a fantastic Maori exhibition and history of the area. Wanganui is on a river and adjacent to a national park, so it's pretty isolated in terms of the rest of the North Island.
Geoff and Luc picked me up at the Red Eye cafe, a cool arts/diy coffeehouse that is kind of the artscenter of the town. We hopped in their car and they drove me into the country. They moved here about 2 years ago from Wellington after getting burned out from city life and wanting to take a pro-active approach to their activism.
On the way we stopped and picked up an old couch that the local apolsterer was going to throw out. The owners of the shop were real characters, Harley bikers, who seemed to appreciate what Geoff and Luc are trying to do. They threw in a beautiful old mirror with the couch and two chairs. We had to return the trailer we used to pick up the couch to Geoff and Luc's neighbors. When we did, about 12 kids were running around a beautiful river front, while their parents drank beer. They were lovely folks. Pete and Theresa were a lovely couple who are also very supportive of Geoff and Luc. Theresa is Maori and the mother of three girls. Pete is a tatooed engineer who has a springy and energetic personality. We sat with them into the night, talking and laughing. Pete brought out some fish that he caught and put it on the barbecue and later that night we ate. Dropping off the trailer was a 7 hour adventure, but it was so lovely to go with the flow and "meet the neighbors". Other folks were there who lived across the road, farmers...but not at all redneck. Just funny, intelligent working people. That's not to say there aren't red neck people on their road. I caught a little of the gossip, and from what I could discern, a Kiwi redneck was basically just a simple and somewhat unfriendly to outsiders kind of person. Nothing like the frieghtening violent gun-toting hick you get in the US.
Eventually we made it back to the house and there was an unknown car outside. "Who is that? I don't know that car!"Luc said. I began to get worried, because in the evenings discussions, it was mentioned that Geoff and Luc had been burgeled over a year ago. It turned out however, that it was friends of theirs up from Wellington. A lesbian couple, Miriam and Kiti with their pal Vanessa were going to WOMAD in New Plymouth, a big hippy concert basically. The next morning I awoke and had some interesting conversations with Kiti particularly. She is Maori, studying to be a lawyer, and really knowledgeable about the Maori situation in this country. She was describing one tribe on the east coast who has succesfully fought off the English and is still basically living a traditional life. It has been whittled down to about 10 people, but when the government recently tried to approach them about another treaty, they were greeted with an intense haka (war dance) greeting and basically told them to go to hell. Kiti had an indescribably big spirit, very strong and I could tell she was going to be doing some really powerful work in her life around Maori/Pakeha politics. Before the girls left, they sang a traditional Maori song for us (which I got on camera for the doc) and sped away in their station wagon. The rest of the day I hung out with Geoff and Luc and interviewd them for the documentary.
The house they live in is basically an old sheep shearing shed, built in the late 19th century. Covering the walls are political posters, art and spray painted names like "leith" and Maori names. These were the sheep shearing gangs that worked in the shed over about 100 years. Where the kitchen is, you can still see the sheep shoots where they were brought in, and the floor is still perferated for the sheep droppings. "It took us 3 days to hoze out the place, there was shit everywhere...it was disgusting" Geoff said. They put carpet down, but the place is still pretty cold. It's a long term plan to get the place insulated and liveable in the winter.
Geoff and Luc bought the land (10 acres) for fairly cheap, and the plan is to put the estate into a trust so that it will be public land, available for living and doing similar community work. I found this to be a real eye opener. A really interesting approach. Basically to buy land for cheap, then make it public again. Of course, before the whites got here, this land was Maori, tied to the geneology of the families and tribes. It seemed to me that this was somewhat of an interesting cycle that activists should take note of. Land ownership is power, and without buying into the system, I wonder if there is a way to collectively purchase land and make it collectively accessible while protecting it from exploitation. Basically, if you wanted to come and park a caravan and live there right now, you could...they're that open. They said they haven't encountered anyone really who has manipulated the situation or anything. Everyone has been incredibly positive and supportive and they haven't had to ask anyone to leave or piss off. Luc is studying natural medicine and Geoff works with people with disabilities to pay the bills at the moment, but the idea is to eventually just live off the land, eat vegetables from their garden and get completely self sufficient. It was great meeting such wonderful peole. They were so warm and open. I only hope I can return the favor one day.
I made my way back to Wellington and stayed at Beethoven house again, where all the old faces from a week and a half ago still were. It was funny coming up the steps to a group of people hanging out on the benches saying "Hey!!You're back!
The last few days have been spent mostly thinking about the transition back to life in the US and if it should be long term or short term. It's all kind of overwhelming at the moment. I read CNN today with a headline that "Egypt sold arms to Iraq in the 80's". I can't believe that is even making the news.....duh...the biggest arms seller to Iraq in the 80's was the US!! But I guess the spindoctors need to prepare the public for another middle east invasion...more worthless facts and half truths. It is such a confusing place. Honestly, I don't know how people keep their sanity there....it's all so insane.
Two more days in this beautiful country. I've been thinking a lot about the trip...what it has all meant and what I've left with. It has been extraordinary, and I can now honestly say that I am fully addicted to travel. IT IS one of my great passions. I've also enjoyed documenting it on video and on this blog and it has meant so much to me that my dear friends have put up with my ramblings for all these months. Here are some points I'd like to leave "The Trip" with.
1. Travel is good. It is also a political act. If more Americans travelled to countries that the US had bombed in the past, they would demand fundamental change, stop buying stupid shit that gets them into debt and feeds the neo-liberal economics that drives it all. There is no way any sane person could go to Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam and honestly say "Yeah...America did a good job...we really belonged over there". You CAN travel cheaply. You CAN also work and travel which I plan on doing on the next trip.
2. Surviving hostels is challenging. Earplugs are important, so is a window to get rid of the smell. If you don't have either, it's better to sleep in the park by yourself.
3. Rice goes a long way. It's cheap, nutritious and feeds most of Asia. People in countries like Cambodia rely on it....they need it.... Rice is far more useful to that country than other countries have been...countries that bomb them, leave them to suffer from years of genocide...then FUND the perpetrators of the atrocities...give them a seat on the United Nations...and help them stay in power for over a decade. YEP! The US funded the Khmer Rouge, claimed them as "the legitimate government" after Vietnam invaded and kicked Pol Pot out. So if you ever get into an argument with an ignorant American (there's lots of them..even travelling) about the US being the purveyor of freedom, just bring up that one point. The US, in order to fund the "enemy of Vietnam" helped promote one of the worst genocides in human history...and then simply walked away to commit more atrocities. Cambodia still suffers from it. Khmer Rouge leaders still walk around the country like nothing happened, and the world forgets. It is unforgiveable.
4. There is beauty in the world. It is true, with all the ugliness, the violence, the materialism, the poverty, the environmental destruction, there are still beautiful people, beautiful places and cultures worth preserving. Morning Alms in the town of Luang Prabang, the nuns and Tam the dog at Wat Rampong, Mr. Soot and cooking morning glory in Chaing Mai, Sunset at Angkor Wat,the birds of Stewart and Ullva Island, the clown fish in Great Barrier Reef, the Flying Foxes of Port Douglas, Chris and Hillary and eating apple pie with slovice at Cesta, Geoff and Luc and drinking with the neighbors at Marama-Iti, oatmeal and sprinkle breakfast with Alan at Beethoven house, getting stranded on the Mekong river, swimming with the fish off the isle of Lesvos, the architecture in Prague, meeting the activists at Faslane Peace camp, walking the lion bridge of Budapest, slipping on fox glacier, kayaking the Banks Peninsula and the hector dolphins, and all those beautiful moments I would have never experienced without the support of my friends and family back home. Hurry and see them before they're gone..I'll help you if you need support! Make it a priority. It is indeed a race against time...if not the planet's, then our own. Life is short but travel is that strawberry and champagne that makes it all worthwhile. Eat it and wash it down quick!!!!!
The Wanganui history museum, again, had a fantastic Maori exhibition and history of the area. Wanganui is on a river and adjacent to a national park, so it's pretty isolated in terms of the rest of the North Island.
Geoff and Luc picked me up at the Red Eye cafe, a cool arts/diy coffeehouse that is kind of the artscenter of the town. We hopped in their car and they drove me into the country. They moved here about 2 years ago from Wellington after getting burned out from city life and wanting to take a pro-active approach to their activism.
On the way we stopped and picked up an old couch that the local apolsterer was going to throw out. The owners of the shop were real characters, Harley bikers, who seemed to appreciate what Geoff and Luc are trying to do. They threw in a beautiful old mirror with the couch and two chairs. We had to return the trailer we used to pick up the couch to Geoff and Luc's neighbors. When we did, about 12 kids were running around a beautiful river front, while their parents drank beer. They were lovely folks. Pete and Theresa were a lovely couple who are also very supportive of Geoff and Luc. Theresa is Maori and the mother of three girls. Pete is a tatooed engineer who has a springy and energetic personality. We sat with them into the night, talking and laughing. Pete brought out some fish that he caught and put it on the barbecue and later that night we ate. Dropping off the trailer was a 7 hour adventure, but it was so lovely to go with the flow and "meet the neighbors". Other folks were there who lived across the road, farmers...but not at all redneck. Just funny, intelligent working people. That's not to say there aren't red neck people on their road. I caught a little of the gossip, and from what I could discern, a Kiwi redneck was basically just a simple and somewhat unfriendly to outsiders kind of person. Nothing like the frieghtening violent gun-toting hick you get in the US.
Eventually we made it back to the house and there was an unknown car outside. "Who is that? I don't know that car!"Luc said. I began to get worried, because in the evenings discussions, it was mentioned that Geoff and Luc had been burgeled over a year ago. It turned out however, that it was friends of theirs up from Wellington. A lesbian couple, Miriam and Kiti with their pal Vanessa were going to WOMAD in New Plymouth, a big hippy concert basically. The next morning I awoke and had some interesting conversations with Kiti particularly. She is Maori, studying to be a lawyer, and really knowledgeable about the Maori situation in this country. She was describing one tribe on the east coast who has succesfully fought off the English and is still basically living a traditional life. It has been whittled down to about 10 people, but when the government recently tried to approach them about another treaty, they were greeted with an intense haka (war dance) greeting and basically told them to go to hell. Kiti had an indescribably big spirit, very strong and I could tell she was going to be doing some really powerful work in her life around Maori/Pakeha politics. Before the girls left, they sang a traditional Maori song for us (which I got on camera for the doc) and sped away in their station wagon. The rest of the day I hung out with Geoff and Luc and interviewd them for the documentary.
The house they live in is basically an old sheep shearing shed, built in the late 19th century. Covering the walls are political posters, art and spray painted names like "leith" and Maori names. These were the sheep shearing gangs that worked in the shed over about 100 years. Where the kitchen is, you can still see the sheep shoots where they were brought in, and the floor is still perferated for the sheep droppings. "It took us 3 days to hoze out the place, there was shit everywhere...it was disgusting" Geoff said. They put carpet down, but the place is still pretty cold. It's a long term plan to get the place insulated and liveable in the winter.
Geoff and Luc bought the land (10 acres) for fairly cheap, and the plan is to put the estate into a trust so that it will be public land, available for living and doing similar community work. I found this to be a real eye opener. A really interesting approach. Basically to buy land for cheap, then make it public again. Of course, before the whites got here, this land was Maori, tied to the geneology of the families and tribes. It seemed to me that this was somewhat of an interesting cycle that activists should take note of. Land ownership is power, and without buying into the system, I wonder if there is a way to collectively purchase land and make it collectively accessible while protecting it from exploitation. Basically, if you wanted to come and park a caravan and live there right now, you could...they're that open. They said they haven't encountered anyone really who has manipulated the situation or anything. Everyone has been incredibly positive and supportive and they haven't had to ask anyone to leave or piss off. Luc is studying natural medicine and Geoff works with people with disabilities to pay the bills at the moment, but the idea is to eventually just live off the land, eat vegetables from their garden and get completely self sufficient. It was great meeting such wonderful peole. They were so warm and open. I only hope I can return the favor one day.
I made my way back to Wellington and stayed at Beethoven house again, where all the old faces from a week and a half ago still were. It was funny coming up the steps to a group of people hanging out on the benches saying "Hey!!You're back!
The last few days have been spent mostly thinking about the transition back to life in the US and if it should be long term or short term. It's all kind of overwhelming at the moment. I read CNN today with a headline that "Egypt sold arms to Iraq in the 80's". I can't believe that is even making the news.....duh...the biggest arms seller to Iraq in the 80's was the US!! But I guess the spindoctors need to prepare the public for another middle east invasion...more worthless facts and half truths. It is such a confusing place. Honestly, I don't know how people keep their sanity there....it's all so insane.
Two more days in this beautiful country. I've been thinking a lot about the trip...what it has all meant and what I've left with. It has been extraordinary, and I can now honestly say that I am fully addicted to travel. IT IS one of my great passions. I've also enjoyed documenting it on video and on this blog and it has meant so much to me that my dear friends have put up with my ramblings for all these months. Here are some points I'd like to leave "The Trip" with.
1. Travel is good. It is also a political act. If more Americans travelled to countries that the US had bombed in the past, they would demand fundamental change, stop buying stupid shit that gets them into debt and feeds the neo-liberal economics that drives it all. There is no way any sane person could go to Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam and honestly say "Yeah...America did a good job...we really belonged over there". You CAN travel cheaply. You CAN also work and travel which I plan on doing on the next trip.
2. Surviving hostels is challenging. Earplugs are important, so is a window to get rid of the smell. If you don't have either, it's better to sleep in the park by yourself.
3. Rice goes a long way. It's cheap, nutritious and feeds most of Asia. People in countries like Cambodia rely on it....they need it.... Rice is far more useful to that country than other countries have been...countries that bomb them, leave them to suffer from years of genocide...then FUND the perpetrators of the atrocities...give them a seat on the United Nations...and help them stay in power for over a decade. YEP! The US funded the Khmer Rouge, claimed them as "the legitimate government" after Vietnam invaded and kicked Pol Pot out. So if you ever get into an argument with an ignorant American (there's lots of them..even travelling) about the US being the purveyor of freedom, just bring up that one point. The US, in order to fund the "enemy of Vietnam" helped promote one of the worst genocides in human history...and then simply walked away to commit more atrocities. Cambodia still suffers from it. Khmer Rouge leaders still walk around the country like nothing happened, and the world forgets. It is unforgiveable.
4. There is beauty in the world. It is true, with all the ugliness, the violence, the materialism, the poverty, the environmental destruction, there are still beautiful people, beautiful places and cultures worth preserving. Morning Alms in the town of Luang Prabang, the nuns and Tam the dog at Wat Rampong, Mr. Soot and cooking morning glory in Chaing Mai, Sunset at Angkor Wat,the birds of Stewart and Ullva Island, the clown fish in Great Barrier Reef, the Flying Foxes of Port Douglas, Chris and Hillary and eating apple pie with slovice at Cesta, Geoff and Luc and drinking with the neighbors at Marama-Iti, oatmeal and sprinkle breakfast with Alan at Beethoven house, getting stranded on the Mekong river, swimming with the fish off the isle of Lesvos, the architecture in Prague, meeting the activists at Faslane Peace camp, walking the lion bridge of Budapest, slipping on fox glacier, kayaking the Banks Peninsula and the hector dolphins, and all those beautiful moments I would have never experienced without the support of my friends and family back home. Hurry and see them before they're gone..I'll help you if you need support! Make it a priority. It is indeed a race against time...if not the planet's, then our own. Life is short but travel is that strawberry and champagne that makes it all worthwhile. Eat it and wash it down quick!!!!!
posted by Mr. Sophie at 11:29 AM
1 Comments:
Sabrina...your trip sounds amazing!I am transfixed by what you are writing...looking forward to the next installment.
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