November 07, 2007
Royal generosity
Not that I have been THIS lazy, the blog software was broken for a couple of weeks... Don't get out of habit reading this, ok?
Before leaving NZ I wanted to buy a tapa (painted bark cloth). It is a uniquely Pacific thing that I've never seen anywhere else, but NZ (not even in Samoa, as apparently they don't really do it there). It is a fantastic thing to have on your wall, tapas look both very crafty and modern.
When I started looking for tapas at Trademe online auction, little did I know that I will end up with a huge elaborated amazingly beautiful tapa piece the very same night!!!
Yes, I still can't believe that we were actually given this piece of Tongan tapa (painted bark cloth) by Nicoletta and Owen!!! In Tongan culture, you are given tapas at key moments of your life (weddings, funerals, important occasions, etc) and they have acquired quite a few. I was so touched by their generosity, I thought it must have been the best thing that ever happened to me in NZ! Jeez, I still look at it with a one of my eyes as I write this and I can't believe it!!! I don't think we'd have had a smallest chance to get anything like this if we were trying to buy one...
And conveniently I can also claim in the future that it was given to me by a Maori and Tongan princess (which Nicoletta really is!!!!)
I just had to make this entry, I'm pretty speechless otherwise... WOW!
Posted by gkligyte at November 7, 2007 08:38 AM