Nicenicenice

My Dear Princess and Dear Fellows,

Three main items of news today.

1. Waiata
So "waiata" is a Māori song, often a greeting. A new member of the BA team at Kāinga Ora had asked to get a traditional welcome, or mihi whakatau so we all had to learn a song called Te Aroha and then to sing it to her after a blessing. 

I was extremely relieved to learn that the song consists of just three short lines. So it wasn't too challenging. And I really enjoyed the mihi whakatau. It feels quite special to be part of something like this. Of course, someone just had to comment to me that it was costing Kāinga Ora to have all the BA's together in a room singing songs for an hour. 

There always has to be a dick, doesn't there? And as I am a middle-aged white guy, they gravitate toward me. Eff's sake. 

Another lady told me she hoped we wouldn't have to do the traditional touching of noses, the hongi. "Not after that Australian with the delta variant was in Wellington," she said. I laughed politely.

2. Pickle Riiiiiiiiiick!
Yeah. About that. I left the mihi whakatau to join in with a Gromit Workshop. The very first thing I hear? That the VERY LADY who didn't want to do the hongi has been sent home to self isolate because she had been contact-traced to a location where that Australian with the delta variant had been.

"I was JUST talking to her! Like thirty minutes ago!" I said.

I noticed people rippled away from me. Just a little bit.

The Gromit Workshop was actually very good, as always. And again, I find myself marvelling at saying things like this out loud. At ANY previous point in my career, the phrase "all day workshop" sounds as painful as being pegged with a box jellyfish. But Gromit workshops are FUN! And PRODUCTIVE!

It amuses me that we've all started to talk and act like each other. We talk extra-fast like a Federal Express advert. 

LEANNE: Ifwegettheposterdatatotheprintertomorrowwecanhavethembytheendoftheweek.
SHENEE: Nicenicenice.

Actually, "nicenicenice" has become a thing. I note that everyone says it now. Naturally, it started with Shenée. 

We also had fun playing games. Some of which were organised by Sam, who is a mischievous fellow, delighted with himself. His game was actually great - and even relevant to what we do. 

In previous meetings, he has referred to the crappy video conferencing technology we are ditching by a series of nicknames, like "Wall-E" or "The Terminator" or "The Sausage". So today he had us match the nickname to the thing. It was heaps of fun.

He's also started naming the new kit. Including one audio unit which Sam has dubbed, the Pickle Riiiiiiiick. It's this sort of thing which makes the day go quickly.

Meanwhile Shenée brought in some peacock feathers to explain the fact that - as individual strands - people can be kind of dull and uninteresting - but when we are all together that we can make something beautiful. 

She's a bit of a poet, our Shenée. 

But as I mused on this, I think while she was referring to the work we do, the project - I think the beautiful thing is all the friendships and the trust and the genuine respect. 

And- while I was ruminating on this -  Shenée tickled me with the feather. 

3. Level 2
However, the day kind of wrapped up quickly with the news that, as a result of Delta Variant Aussie, Wellington will be going to Level 2 lockdown until Sunday night. 

(This level of lockdown is hardly severe, but the people from outside Wellington wanted to get home in case it got suddenly escalated). 

So our workshop ended with Fazzi, Shenée and me saying goodbye to each other at the railway station. None of us will be going to work for the rest of the week. And while I like the idea of sleeping later than usual, I will miss them both. 

S.