New Zealand At Its Finest

There are so many exciting things to take in as one enters another country. Some of my favorite things to discover are the little idiosyncrasies of the culture: what is the grocery store like? What candy do the kids eat? Where do the locals hang out? But by far, my most favorite thing (with eating the new candy of country coming in at a close second: current favorite is chocolate inside a raspberry licorice) are the cultural norms of people--ways people interact with one another, what makes people embarrassed or uncomfortable, what makes people laugh, what is okay in public, what gets you certain looks when you say or do things, etc.

Often times these are discovered by watching and listening, to what is spoken and unspoken. It is important to study people because in the learning comes the knowledge of how to value another human being. Why I am not an expert on the heart of a Kiwi, there are key characteristics that are beginning to surface with such great clarity. My friends have modeled strength, ingenuity, initiative, hope, fierce independence, and a calmness that is an underlying virtue. Not much seems to ruffle their feathers, so to speak, because if it does they know that they can do something to change it. There is always another way to accomplish anything. There are virtually no road blocks in New Zealand.

There is a encouragement silently whispered through the Islands of New Zealand: You can do this, you can accomplish that, you will not fail, and you will find a way. My sense during my journey towards this country and once I arrived has been that of great leadership, a forward thinking, a call to what humanity can accomplish. Kiwi's silently communicate to the world one simple word: perseverance. The word is full. Full of hope, disappointment, failure, success, frustration, exhaustion, exhillaration, peace, chaos, the known, and the unknown. One feels inspired and capable of taking on any size of challenge.

Much like the human soul, though, there is a dark side. Might that be true of this culture's personality? The beauty of humanity lies within its complexity. This complexity is as understated as a Kiwi. New Zealand is in the future, greeting each new day before the majority of the world. This ability to make life happen regardless of circumstances makes a Kiwi a Kiwi, but it also can hinder our world. With their insights into life and "never say die" mentality has also come a fierce individualism that has the potential to limit the leadership New Zealanders are capable of in our world.

We are in a new season with the age of the internet and technology at its highest; there are new ways to see humanity, so much so, I can talk to my friend's kid over the computer while looking at each of them on a Thursday and for them it is a Wednesday. But only seeing humanity with our eyes this will be our greatest danger as a society. What if we begin to see humanity with our ears as well? What will the Kiwi do with their persevering strength of a "never say die" attitude mixed with an individualistic mindset? What will we choose to learn from them? What will happen if we choose to learn from a part of the world that sits on the edge of time?

What sparked all these thoughts? I sat with Beks and Greg watching an ICON of New Zealand: What Rider


(http://www.whaleriderthemovie.com/start.html)

On the surface it is the story of a young Mauri girl, but really it is the story of the human soul. I HIGHLY recommend this film, not to just learn about New Zealand culture, but to learn from this film what sometimes only a film can teach us by its non defensive approach to story telling. It was brilliantly written and filmed, but more importantly it captures the conflict of humanity, the beauty of strength, the clash of the natural and the supernatual, and the hope of more. It allows an outsider into the heart of not only a New Zealander, but perhaps the heart of each person who chooses to be responsible. And for that I will ever be changed.