I went to a Hangi

A Hangi is a traditional Maori feast. It involves an entire day of preparation, and here in Rotorua they provide an entire cultural experience for those who come.

I went alone to the Hangi, and had those few awkward minutes sitting at my table with no one else and just staring around with no one to talk to. Eventually my table began to fill up, and next to/across from me were two older couples: one from Ireland and the other from Vancouver, Canada. They spoke to each other very openly about the U.S., about Obama, and more. They discussed how Americans are whiny, how our economy is messes up, and how Washington politics are so screwed over for the next several years. They went on about all of these things for a solid ten minutes, and only then did they turn to me to ask my name and where I was from. "Washington, D.C." I said. "Ohhhh" was the reply by each of them, followed by a long silence when they all looked extremely awkward/embarrassed and weren't sure what next to say.

I assured them that they were not totally in the wrong, but I did explain a few things to them about to current situation so they didn't think all Americans are crazy or our system a waste. The wife from Canada was particularly funny. She would not--and I mean would NOT--stop complaining about the noise a group of kids were making. Her husband obviously was embarrassed by her constant whining, and tried to point out that they are children about ten times. Later, after telling me about how she enjoyed this country and that country, I pointed out that they seemed to travel quite a lot. "Yeah, we're in a bit of debt." well maybe you shouldn't go to Turkey every year for three weeks only because "the people there are so nice." Just a thought.

Anyway, we were then brought to the attention of our guide for the evening. He asked where people were from (only American there, shocking) and explained the events of the evening and asked for a volunteer to help him out with everything.

First on the list of to-dos was to check on the hangi, out feast. A hangi works by digging a deep hole in the ground and heating it up with hot rocks and gathering steam and smoke. The gold is then placed in the hole and covered in cloth, and then the hole is covered. It cooks all day, and no spices are added. Pretty awesome how it works. So we checked on it, everything looked good, and so we moved on to a small creek to see some native Maori chants done while in a canoe on the water. Also pretty cool, fire was involved, and they wore indigenous clothing and artwork on their bodies/faces.

The final part of the cultural performance happened in an auditorium setting. There was singing, dancing, a female peace offering and presentation to all of us who were guests for the evening. Fascinating stuff to see the ancient practices of the Maori people and how they are still used today. They did their haka dance as well, equally as impressive as everything else shown that night.

An finally it was time to feast. Like I said before there is no seasoning on this food, but the chicken and lamb just falls off the bone. Rice, potatoes that melt in your mouth, and so much incredible food. I could have eaten ten plates, but while pacing myself dinner was over so while I was disappointed in trying to eat ten plates it was probably a blessing in disguise. I was full, and it was an incredible meal. Overall an incredible evening of culture, food, and interesting company.