Student reconnects with Whangārei visit after 14 years – Gwendolyn Needham

In arranging the visit, I explained that Whangārei is a small city.

My phone rang a while back to a small non-English accent, and a few nervous giggles.

“Is that Gwendolyn? Do you remember me? It’s Mars, from China.

“You stayed with us when I was 6 years old. You gave me a storybook. I still have it! I want to come to New Zealand. Can I visit you?”

Me: “Mars, how wonderful to hear your voice! Yes, of course, of course!”

So last week Mars, now 20, flew alone into Auckland, slept the night on the airport floor, then arrived the next day in Whangārei by InterCity bus.

My China visit in 2012 was as leader of 15 Whangārei members of the Friendship Force, (“A world of friends is a world of peace”) to be home-hosted by Chinese citizens, in Luizhou, South China.

In arranging this visit, I explained that Whangārei is a small city. “Yes, we are a small city too,” I was told.

This small city proved to have 3,000,000 residents.

Mars is three years on the way to becoming a veterinarian.

“I love all animals. Cats. Dogs. Lions and tigers. Snakes and spiders. I have a pet snake,” she says.

Avid to improve her spoken English, she uses the (incomprehensible to me) wonders of internet technology to record my chatter, speak it back, and transcribe my emails at a finger touch into Chinese.

“I want to learn more, every day,” she says.

This charming girl has lived my life this week, with the interesting, good folk I mix with.

Gwendolyn Needham

Mars has protested her shyness and poor English, but blossomed amongst attendees at coffee mornings for travel, fellowship, Stay Strong for Seniors, Trefoil Guild Leaders; waiata joy at Pehiaweri Marae with a special welcome to her from Joby Hopa – ebullient champion of Māori hospitality, culture and music at his weekly gathering for all ages. She had a brief visit to Whangārei Choral’s rehearsal for their concert Celebrate! on May 23.

Back home Mars sings at karaoke sessions – “only songs about love and peace, nothing about wars and violence”.

A highlight was our visit to Glenbervie School where deputy principal Donna Clarke with her pupils exemplified all that was best in Māori culture and the school’s values of kindness, confidence, and resilience.

We were greeted by the children’s pōwhiri; their shining faces reflected their words, meanings, and songs.

Mars, small in stature, was an instant hit with these 10-year-olds, wearing her stunning full-length black pleated dress lavishly embroidered in silver motifs, and her two-colour long hairstyle, with silver face-studs to match, not to forget her 2-inch long artistically painted fingernails – which to my surprise did not restrict her constant use of her cellphone to take pictures and record.

The school’s modern technology at a finger’s touch enabled us to instantly see world maps, the details of China and New Zealand.

Donna teaches and inspires via order, discipline and respect. The importance of teachers to societal change is second only to the importance of parents.

The children in the class we attended were at least 80% Pākehā children. The value of Māori culture’s principles to the whole of New Zealand cannot be over-estimated.

We need a better culture, now, which teaches these human principles.

Columnist Joe Bennett (Advocate, May 2, A Dog’s Life) derides the use of AI – artificial intelligence. “Two thousand years of pen and paper have been swept aside. The typewriter is obsolete. The printer is all but obsolete”.

AI is taking over the world. Our hope is in the teaching of HI – human intelligence. A local plan in Whangārei is ready.