Lying back in my tent, the songs of those Maori children and the welcoming ceremony echoing in my ears, I felt a wave of shame—just moments ago, I had suspected their performance was only for money…
Upon arriving at the holiday park where we planned to camp, we were setting up our tents, ready to shed a day’s hiking fatigue, when suddenly several children with distinctly Maori features appeared in front of our tent, laughing and saying they wanted to sing for us.
They’ll probably ask for money after the performance, right?” I thought, drawing on my experience from traveling in Europe. My American companion beside me seemed equally startled and agreed, though with some hesitation.
One pop song after another, they lined up standing on the grass while we sat facing them on the ground, creating a stage and audience separated by space. Then they sang songs in te reo Maori, somewhat shy yet genuinely hospitable, wanting to give us a wonderful performance.
“Welcome to our place, we hope our performance brings joy to your evening here,” these elementary school children said. It turned out this wasn’t their first time spontaneously running over from the primary school next to the holiday park to perform at the campsite. They simply wanted to bring happiness to everyone passing through this small town—so innocent and adorable—and yet I had assumed they might be trying to earn money. What a presumptuous, mercenary thought on my part!
In the middle of a song, an additional voice appeared from beyond the fence—their te reo Maori teacher had arrived. Under her guidance, the children performed a traditional Maori welcoming ceremony for us, shouting with all their might. Each cry shook me, my heart stirring with emotion, yet also conflicted.
In the end, I gave each of them a big hug, encouraging them for their enthusiasm and courage, while also secretly trying to wash away my own vulgar thoughts. That night, these children taught me a lesson.
(Revisiting diary entry from 2016/12/14)
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