So Much Things To Say...

Apologies for not blogging yesterday - main reasons are busyness and needing beauty sleep!
Wednesday was ABBACADABRA - our ABBA celebration.
It was great fun, and a varied programme, and a slick one (relatively speaking).
I will possibly give an account of the evening in more detail later.

Last night I wended my way west to catch my great-niece, Esther, as one of the lead roles in her school show - The Mikado (she was Nanky-Poo - she's at a catholic girls' school - it's complicated!).
Of course she did well!
And so did the rest of the cast - everyone had a great time!

Today was the tree-planting ceremony at my school.
William, Head of Maori, gave me his korowai (ceremonial cloak, usually woven with many feathers) to wear - in fact, there were quite a few sections in Maori, which was great (as you may know, Maori is actually, officially, my first teaching subject! - it's...complicated!).

Set list for the songs that were presented were:
Rimu Rimu, a beautiful, short waiata tangi (song of lament) that I came across when I was studying Maori music - this was sung by all of us, tho mainly by William and me.
"On Eagles' Wings" - a "church song", sung by The Dreamers (Chris, Losa and Sulieti) with their typical flair, precision and expression...
"Here Comes the Sun" (Beatles - George Harrison specifically) sung by the Super Twelve, with congas and guitar accompaniment.
"Ehara i te mea", a very well known Maori song (very Euro tune), started by the PPTA field officers).
"Bathe in the River" sung by my ex-student Sa'o, who sang it with the A.P.O. earlier this year, but this time had yours truly on guitar backing her up (forgot some chords)...
"Honore. Korooria" (Honour and Glory - a church song), sung by Starzya, after a very moving speech.
"In My Life" - Beatles - Theo and me on guitars and YT on vox (Theo played the harpsichord solo on guitar - amazing!) (this is the song that accompanies the end credits of the last episode of series 4 of Boston Legal).
"Ua Fa'afetai" (a Samoan song of thanksgiving), sung by the students and YT as YT shovelled soil into the hole round the tree...
I think that was it!
Thanks to ALL the people who were there, and particularly to Jonathan J, who dreamed the dream first.
The sky was blue, the sun was shining, the birds were singing...what a wonderful gift of a day!

G.