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Detailed travelogue on Australia and New Zealand

Detailed Travelogue on Australia and New Zealand

Larry
2006-05-27 03:23:16

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the volunteer du jour. The demonstration was on how a
Maori tribe would greet visitors in days of old, and my job was to watch,
stone-faced, as a half-naked Maori man started acting crazy, moving all
about, screaming, yelling, and sticking his tongue out at me (a traditional
symbol of Maori strength/defiance). He then began approaching me, tongue
wiggling, acting absolutely crazy, and suddenly, I found it very hard to
keep a straight face. I couldn't HELP but but start cracking up, and the
Maori lady standing next to me kept saying "don't laugh... don't laugh... he
might kill you if you laugh at him..." I kept thinking "dead puppies...
dead puppies..." or any other horrific thought I could imagine to keep me
from losing it. I sucked in my mouth, still trying to keep from laughing,
but when someone is standing inches away, screaming and wiggling his tongue
at you, I assure you, it's not easy keeping a straight face. Thankfully, I
somehow managed it, and the Maori "tribesman" set down a peace offering (in
this case, some leaves), which I was to pick up and accept. I did so, the
Maori tribesman nodded, and the demonstration was over. The rest of the
show consisted of traditional Maori music and dancing, and altogether, was
quite enjoyable.

Outside the museum, I caught the United Explorer Bus to continue on. The
double-decker bus had been replaced with an old, one-story bus. One of the
younger Maori dancers got on board (it was her ride home), and of course,
off-stage, she's as average a New Zealand teenager as anyone else. The
show's just a job, and when it's over, life goes back to listening to rock
music on the walkman and talking rugby with the driver.
I decided not to make any more stops (they didn't seem that interesting),
and just took the bus back downtown. I sat in front, and the bus ...

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