Auckland Museum Trip

For the year 7 trip while the year 8 were gone for camp, we went to the Auckland Museum. We went there to look at some Maori arts and Pacific art. While we were there we had split up into groups. There were a small amount of teachers, since the others were gone to camp. So thats why we had some parent helpers. For our museum trip there were nine groups. You are either with a parent helper or a teacher. I was with Shannon (parent helper) and our groups were only girls.

In the bus nearly all of the girls were at the back. That's when we decided to play Chinese whispers. It was really fun and mostly funny. We played the game through the whole bus ride to the Musuem. Some people were quite annoyed because we were laughing too much, especially laughing too loud. As we got there we hopped off the bus and all went inside.

Firstly, we went upstairs to have a morning tea just before we put our bags away. When we had finished, our teachers gave our parent helper an activity sheet as well a pencil to give us to work on. We headed back downstairs to put our bags in a crate and also to start our adventure.

Our group had walked to the Maori art section, and on our activity sheet it said to draw harakeke. Also anything that you choose. First I drew a harakeke and secondly my choice, which was a 'Para'. 
Then we walked to the Pacific. As we walked inside there were a lot of traditional things. Obviously I went to the Samoan part of the room. I drew one of the most valuable things in Samoa, and that was a 'Fue' (fly whisk). They use the 'Fue' on special occasions.

When we had finished our activity sheet, we went to the volcano and had a little fun. We went inside the volcano house to experience what it feels like to be in a volcano eruption. After a while everyone went back downstairs and again our teacher handed a list of things to take a picture of to our parent helper. We all went outside and started snapping. Everyone was having lots and lots of fun! So when we had finished the bus came and took us back to school.

   For my choice in Maori, I choose a 'Para'. If you don't know what 'Para' is it is not the bags. It is all the way on the side, it looks just like a coat. 

 This is of the museum.  It is really big in the inside and really interesting. 

   In Samoa there is this thing called siapo, and there it is. But I don't think its the Samoan siapo, because not only Samoans have it. The Tongans call it Ngatu.

Now this is an interesting one. It is from Papua New Guinea, the one in the middle is called a charm bag. I was asking myself if it is a charm bag or is it just the name?

Again in Samoa this is called a fala. We use this for special occasions. Mostly we provide it to someone or they give it to us. It is one of the most valuable things in Samoa.

Tatau

Symbol:

a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process, e.g. the letter or letters standing for a chemical element or a character in musical notation.

Symbolic:

serving as a symbol.

Symbolism:

the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

Tatau:

Back in the days in Samoa, there were only 2 families that were allowed to carry the tatau (tattoo) with them. The families were Suluape and Su’a. But years after, Su’a Suluape wanted to show other people how to do it. Now he is in NZ, he is a tattooist as well as a principal.

Falaniko Tominiko is a resident of Auckland University. One day he wanted to get a tattoo, but first he needed his parents permission. Falanikos mother was scared that he might not handle the pain, and also she thought that he was only kidding. But his father said that the tatau is all about bravery, especially service. Falanikos parents said yes.

So when Falaniko got it, he had a ‘soa’ (tattoo partner). During the tatau, they had to follow some rules. The rules were: You were not allowed to sleep with you partner (wife). You had to keep yourself warm, also can’t drink and could not walk around during night time. The last rule was you had to keep the tattooist comfort, so he can do the tatau in the most peaceful and not painful. But if hes not comfortable, he will do it in a way that you will not want.

After all I have learnt that when getting a cultural tattoo, some people have it for cosmetic reasons, but not for whats its about. Also I have learnt that it is pretty good that Sua Suluape taught other people how to do the tatau.

My art

This is a turtle that I have drawn for a tattoo. If I/you were to get this tattoo, you will have to get this on your back. In Samoa turtles are where tourists sometimes come and swim with it. There are turtles in Savaii, Namua Island, and more places. I drew a turtle because people in Samoa and around the world who comes loves swimming with them.

Immersion Assembly

At Pt England School, there is an Immersion Assembly held at every start of the term. Do you know why? So that everyone in our school knows what the topic is for the term. For term 3 our topic is “Art Attack”. In Immersion Assembly every team (team 1 - team 5 teachers) have an item to perform. I know how our whole school’s topic is ‘Art Attack’, but every team has different learning areas.

The first team to perform their items were the Team 1 teachers, Ms George, Mrs Lau, Ms Belt, Mrs Tuala, Mrs Moala. Their learning for this term is going to be about the environment. They will be going to the river to look at some places to inspire their art and while they are getting inspired they will have a picnic. So this term team 1  will be drawing/sketching/painting a lot of enviromental type pictures.

Next to perform were the team 2 teachers, Ms She, Ms Glaze and Ms Dwyer. They didn’t do an item, they had played a video. The video was about the primary colours, which was blue, yellow and red. Blue and yellow makes green. Red and blue makes purple. Lucky last red and yellow makes orange. So team 2 will be learning about the primary colours.

Later on was the team 3 teachers, Mrs Barks, Ms King, Ms Nalder, Ms Trimble, and Ms Walters. On the stage the three teachers after Mrs Barks were the artists. The first artist to be introduced by Mrs Barks was Leonardo Da Vinci. Leonardo Da Vinci was very good at building, loved music, was awesome at maths, and was obviously a professional at painting. His best painting was called the Mona Lisa, painted in 1517.

The next artist to be introduced was Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol painted 100 soup cans, 100 tomato sauce cans and also 100 coke cans. His paintings looked so realistic. After Andy Warhol was the artist Jackson Pollock. Jackson Pollock paints a lot of paintings, and abstract paintings. His paintings are not those brush strokes one, he splatters on his canvas, and people love it. Jacksons Pollocks best painting is called No. 5, it was made in 1948. That is a long time ago. The last artist was an artist who I forgot what his name was. But the painting that he showed was a face on a foot. Whatever he dreams about, he paints it. This term team 3 will be learning about artists.

After team 3’s item it was team 4. This term is the same as team 3, they will be learning about artists. Their item for us to choose the best paintings that the artists were holding up. The first painting to be showed was Fatu Feu’u. He is a Samoan artist who painted a lot of Samoan siapo, and he had shown us one of his siapo paintings. Next was Vincent Van Gogh. Well everyone knew who he was. Vincent Van Gogh is an artist who had cut his ear off for his girlfriend. On the stage he had shown us his best painting, ‘The Starry Night’. There was more after that. There was a French artist who drew a picture of a pink river with a bridge. Pablo Picasso was next, his paintings were of 2 people. There were more artists but the winner for that contest was a Maori artist who designed the Westpac cards.

Moving on to the last team, team 5, all the teachers went on the stage with black and white paint. They showed a video of someone painting a person, while they were painting three of our teachers upside down. At the end, they finished and turned the pictures around. It was Mr Jacobsen, Mrs Jarman and Mr Burt. All their pictures looked so cool!

Term 4 is going to be so exciting!