-Shimmering Sun-

Shimmering, scorching sore sun burn from the
Shining hot shimmers sun.
Effulgent sun that glistens on my
Soft brown skin.
The sun is like a big round fire ball that twinkles on my skin.
Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!
The sun lights up the whole world.
The sun is my light that beams through
My window every morning.
The sun wakes me up every morning gleaming on my window.
Glistening, Glittering, Gleaming
Sun will always be my friend.

By Lotomau Maifala

-Pasifika Festival-

When we first met were all trying to fit.
All of us were learning a new song.
All of us were learning how to Siva.
All of us feeling nervous.

All of us struggling to move on.
All of us smelling like fragrance.
Enjoying Life.
Having Pasifika Pride.
Having a Pasifika unity altogether
Coming together as one.

All of us smelling like Samoan oil.
Hairs tied up on a bun.
All of us having beautiful smile on our beautiful faces.
Tasting like sweet mangoes.

Both of us trying to search for a rhythm.
Both of us trying to make up a beat using our hands and leg and the floor.

All of us trying to find time
To To’olunga
To Meke
To Tamule
To Siva
To Taualuga
To Mauluulu
To Powhiri
Within ourselves.

By Lotomau Maifala

Pasifika Festival Poem

Pasifika Festival

Pacifika Festival
Pacifika Festival a time for Pacific Unity.
Pacifika Festival a day to enjoy.

See the girl going to Pacifika festival
See her going on the free bus

See everyone enjoying and watching different cultures dance
the Cook islanders-Hula,
the Tongans-Ma uluulu,
the Samoans-Siva, the Niueans-Aka,
Maori’s-Powhiri.
See her listening to the solid drum beats boom boom boom the sound of the pate

Pacifika Festival
Pacifika Festival a time for Pacific Unity.
Pacifika
Festival a day to enjoy.


See the cook islanders gracefully dancing to the beautiful drum beats, so better than the rest.
See her mouth watering for food like: doughnuts, raw fish, mussels, chop soy, chicken curry, roast chicken, pork, and taro.
See her stuffing her mouth with delicious traditional pacific food.

Pacifika Festival
Pacifika Festival a time for Pacific Unity.
Pacifika Festival a day to enjoy.


By Alana

Video Tagata Pasifika

Pasifika Festival

Pasifika Hard

Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo
Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo
Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo

Siva Samoa Siva Cook island see the Niue playing kilikiti with the Tongans

Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo
Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo
Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo

See the teine shaking her ass see the boys doing the sasa see the island eating they food like taro, raw fish and fresh niu

Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo
Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo
Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard

See heaps of people coming and watching see the boys shaking they hands and saying good bye to each other

Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo
Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo
Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo

See the boys doing haka and saying Manu Samoa hard

Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo
Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo
Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard, Pasifika hard
Choo hoo, Choo hoo, Choo hoo
See the Tonga doing the Mauluulu Kailo Taolaunga and saying
Tonga hard see Samoa take pride of their culture here
The island shouting with pride of they culture
Pasifika hard

By: Marben Tulia

Pasifika Festival 2010

I’m a lava lava life loving P.I.

I’m a lava lava life loving P.I.
I’m a faalavelave giving P.I.
I’m a Samoan sporty loving P.I.
I’m a faikakala bebo freak P.I
I’m a tautalatala tennis Tongan golden tooth loving P.I.
I’m a short sporty Samoan P.I.
I’m an atamai, alofa ai pisupo P.I.
I’m a choclate, caring, church girl P.I.
I’m a brown, beach brilliant loving P.I.
I’m a talatalanoa talented taro loving P.I.
I’m a pineapple poshy peach loving P.I.
I’m a fast worker P.I.
I’m a fast talker like a sewing machine working P.I.
I’m an elegant Siva Samoa P.I.
I’m a Samoan sister with my ie lava lava loving P.I.
I’m a Samoan hardcore P.I.
I’m a netballer for Papatoe Rangers P.I.
I’m a beautilious bebo baseball loving P.I.
I’m a faikakala faalavelave fobby P.I.
I’m a cricket cool charm loving P.I.
I’m as tough as coconut P.I.
I’m as soft as a banana P.I.
I’m a fiapoko fiafusu fia Tongan P.I.
I’m a proud persistence pua’a loving P.I.
I’m a librarian loving P.I.
I’m a never give up netball nachos loving P.I.
I’m a bee fin P.I.
I’m a usiusitai loving P.I.

By Lotomau Maifala

PE GEAR

Lotomau Maifala
S E H C M S
2 Franklyne Rd
Otara

Monday 15 February, 2010
Dear Mrs Lologa
I believe PE gear should not be worn because first of all, it’s not fashionable, It’s unattractive it makes me look fat. Secondly it’s too expensive for our parents who spent a lot of money on our PE gear. Lastly, blue not my colour, I don’t suit the it, It’s too dark. So I am writing this letter to you now about our PE gear.

Firstly, I believe that PE gear should not be worn because it’s unattractive, unfashionable. It makes me look strange and it doesn’t help lift my self-esteem. I’m at an age where my self-esteem is fragile and needs to be strengthened.

Secondly, it too expensive for our parents who spent a lot of money on our PE gear. I don’t want my parents to spent more money on it and then someone steals it. It very expensive but it can easily get dirty. Come on Mrs Lologa can we wear mufti for PE? There are good reasons so we can wear mufti for PE. Please Mrs Lologa can we not wear PE gear? It’s just another expense for our parents. Money pressure for parents means unhappy families.

Lastly, I don’t smell because I’m not going through puberty and I’m a girl-girls don’t smell. I don’t smell because right after fitness I put on a deodorant. And I don’t suit blue-blues not my colour it’s too dark. Blues unattractive.

In conclusion I believe that PE gear should not be worn because First of all, it’s not fashionable, Second of all, it’s too expensive, Last of all I don’t smell.

Thank you, Very much for your understanding.

Yours Truly
Lotomau Maifala

Fitness in The Middle School

Girl

See the girl.
See the girl challenging.
See the girl growing in Otara, South Auckland.
See her go to school going to Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate Middle School in Otara.
See her go to school with other Samoans, Tongans, Cook Islanders, And Niuens.

See the girl do a siva Samoa in a beautiful puletasi.
See the going to church every Sunday.
See the parents give money to the church.

See the girl celebrate Samoan Independence day at school every year.
See Vaipouli and Norma run.
See her play for Papatoe Rangers at Papakura.
See doing homework every nights.
See her completing all her incomplete work every night.
See the mirror.
See me.
By Lotomau Maifala

See the Boy

See The Boy
see the boy
growing up in New Zealand
see the boy in Otara hanging in his hood
see the boy going to school
see the boy get into trouble
see the boy very angry
cause he didn’t have breakfast


see the boy go home
see the boy struggling to live, he thinks he’s better off dead
see the boy going to his boss
see the boy selling drugs
so he can have a feed and feed his family
see the boy, see the boy


see the boy at the old kindy, next to Clydemore Primary in Otara
Then Weymouth Primary, Weymouth Intermediate in Rewa
Finally back to Otara
Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate Middle School

See the boy shipped away from Manurewa
From the street trouble

See the boy trying to find a family on the streets.

Boy

Boy





see the boy
see the boy growing
see the boy growing in Otara South Auckland
in the 21st Century
See him going to school
Fresh from Tonga
No English-just a FOB

2006 St Mary Avondale, West Auckland
2007 Fruitvale, West Auckland
2007 Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate
Home at last in Otara
In a multicultural school
Going to school with other Samoans, Tongans, Niueans, Maoris and Fijians


See the boy
See him playing rugby
See the boy singing
See the boy


See the boy coming to New Zealand
The land of milk and honey
Never seeing a fresh and clean land
See the boy coming to get a better education

See the boy playing sport being the odd one out
See the boy saying to himself
“Never ever give up!”

By Sione

See the Fafa

See the Fafa


see the fafa
see the boy become more girlie
see the boy wear a dress
see the boy sneaking his mother’s lipstick
see the boy wearing girlie shoes
see the palagi say, “it’s dress up!”
see the fobs say, “he’s a fafa!”


see the boy going to school,
wanting to wear a
skirt
see the boy being told by the teacher you are not a girl
you’re a boy

see the boy bringing a Barbie for show and tell
see the boy never fitting in
always the odd one out with lipstick and the girls
see the boy getting teased because of his girliness.


By Muipu

Girl

Girl
by Selina Tusitala Marsh

see the girl.
see the girl growing.
see the girl growing in Avondale, West Auckland,
in the 70’s and 80’s.
see her going to school.
Going to school in Avondale, in West Auckland,
in the 70’s and 80’s, in multi-cultural suburb,
in a multi-cultural school.
Going to school with other Samoans, and Tongans, and
Niueans,
and Fijians, and Tuvaluans,
see the girl
never seeing herself
or her mates
in books
in stories
never seeing herself
or her mates
in books
in stories
never seeing her face
in the “literary mirror”
see her “see Jack and Jane run”.
never Siligi or Tavita
never Pua or Ioane
never Lelei or Luka-Fa’amanu
see the girl
see the mirror
see me.

Thank you Letters to Hayden

Dear Hayden
Thank you Hayden for spending your time with us in the Collegiate gym. Thank you for showing us some of your tricks. One of the skills I learnt was how to dribble the ball with my finger tips. Before I used to dribble the ball with my whole hand. This will improve my game.

My favourite game was called shoot and sprint. I like trying to stop the other team from getting home. This game reminded me of Lape. My team lost because we were not too good at shooting properly.

Thank you Hayden for spending your time with us.

Vaipouli

Basketball with Hayden from the Breakers

Video: Introducing Room 10