I recently had the pleasure of meeting Georgie Parry, the founder of The Coromandel Youth Mentors Programme (CYM). Georgie, a young woman who emigrated to New Zealand in August 2019, struck me as a deeply passionate and caring individual dedicated to her community.
They say it takes a village to raise a child – but it also takes a village to raise a mother.
From the moment she discovers she is pregnant to the day her child leaves the nest, it is the community surrounding the family unit that supports and guides them.
I attended a private high school in Auckland at which the students were all white except for one Māori boy called Ben, so obviously there was no whānau room and no te reo Māori taught. Most of us had little experience of Māori culture.
I look at pregnancy as nine months of mental and physical exercise in preparation for birth, similar to how the frequent toilet visits throughout the night seem like preparation for the frequent waking and feeding once baby is earthside. It’s all hard work and every woman or seahorse dad (Google it) has a different journey in pregnancy and birth.
The first time I left NZ was in 1973, off on the required OE, bound for Southeast Asia. Boy, was I excited. During the flight I sat next to an effeminate guy. We chatted away and before touching down in Bali I woke up and realised my sleeping head had been resting on his shoulder. I apologised profusely but he was very nice and patted me on the leg and suggested I go and stay with him in a flash resort at Nusa Dua. I politely lied to him that I already had accommodation booked at Kuta Beach, and thanked him for his kind offer, despite the fact I was sure he had ulterior motives. Tip number 1: have some plausible stories ready for unforeseen situations.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Georgie Parry, the founder of The Coromandel Youth Mentors Programme (CYM). Georgie, a young woman who emigrated to New Zealand in August 2019, struck me as a deeply passionate and caring individual dedicated to her community.
They say it takes a village to raise a child – but it also takes a village to raise a mother.
From the moment she discovers she is pregnant to the day her child leaves the nest, it is the community surrounding the family unit that supports and guides them.
I attended a private high school in Auckland at which the students were all white except for one Māori boy called Ben, so obviously there was no whānau room and no te reo Māori taught. Most of us had little experience of Māori culture.
I look at pregnancy as nine months of mental and physical exercise in preparation for birth, similar to how the frequent toilet visits throughout the night seem like preparation for the frequent waking and feeding once baby is earthside. It’s all hard work and every woman or seahorse dad (Google it) has a different journey in pregnancy and birth.
The first time I left NZ was in 1973, off on the required OE, bound for Southeast Asia. Boy, was I excited. During the flight I sat next to an effeminate guy. We chatted away and before touching down in Bali I woke up and realised my sleeping head had been resting on his shoulder. I apologised profusely but he was very nice and patted me on the leg and suggested I go and stay with him in a flash resort at Nusa Dua. I politely lied to him that I already had accommodation booked at Kuta Beach, and thanked him for his kind offer, despite the fact I was sure he had ulterior motives. Tip number 1: have some plausible stories ready for unforeseen situations.
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