Life + Style 4 March 2016

21 August, 2015

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The better the story, the better the moko See page 2 Photo: Tracy Hardy THE WEEKEND

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Art & creativity | Food | Fashion | Health & wellbeing

life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August,2016 2015 4 March,

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Ink and blood Tā moko: Stories carved into flesh Karam Hood points to the photograph of Rangiwhakaehu Walker hanging on the wall in Moana Moko. As he motions to her his eyes grow larger, softer, as if a happy memory has come to mind. “˜ at’s my grandmother,” he says, and his voice drifts o° . “She got her kauae [chin tattoo] when she was 80. She was the be all and end all for us, she holds a huge place in my heart.”

Karam is a t˛ moko artist, a teller

of tales who uses skin for pages and a tattoo gun for a pen. ˜ e 34-year-old self-taught artist has practiced t˛ moko since the age of 18 and is one of eight cousins who established Moana Moko in the Historic Village back in 2010.

T˛ moko is a taonga that Karam treasures greatly, and one that o° ers him an opportunity to connect with people, to receive and learn their stories, to translate them into ink carved in ˝ esh. “˜ e better the story the better the moko,” he says. “It has to tell a story, it has to mean something, that’s how I would deÿ ne the dif-

Photos: Tracy Hardy

ference between moko and tattoos that use M˛ori designs.

“I love what I do and I do it every day. In the past I’ve worked factory jobs, kiwifruit, AFFCO, the-nine to-ÿ ves, all of that.

Tattooing and t˛ moko is what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Karam’s facial moko is “the blueprint of who I am” and will continue to grow as Karam does.

For Karam it’s been a journey which began four years ago in Omataroa Forest near Te Teko in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

“I was tattooed in a tent in the middle of the bush, we took a small generator to power the tattoo gun,” he remembers.

“It felt really natural and 50 minutes later my nose was on.” ˜ ere are three creatures which adorn his nose – a kiwi on the bridge of his ihu, a wˆt˛ on one nostril and a spider on the other nostril – which represent Karam as a father, husband, and artist.

“With kiwi, after the mother lays her egg she’ll leave the nest to look for food, so the father stays behind to protect the egg. ˜ at really resonated with me, I just want to be the best dad I can be.

“In M˛ori culture, spiders are the epitome of the perfect artist, the way it spins its web. But their web also provides protection and sustenance for its family.

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“The better the story, the better the moko. It has to tell a story, it has to mean something. That’s how I would define the difference between moko and tattoos that use Māori designs”

“And wˆt˛, when they burrow into wood or dirt, they create perfect spirals. ˜ at’s the ultimate test for an artist, to create a perfect spiral.”

Up until the age of ÿ ve, Karam was raised by his grandmother Rangiwhakaehu, a respected educator and founding pillar of the Kˇhanga R eo Movement in Tauranga during the 1980s.

He was one of the ÿ rst students to attend Te Kˇhanga R eo o Hairini which his grandmother helped to establish, adding he was as ˝ uent speaker of te reo M˛ori during this time.

After turning six he moved to Te Puke and would attend mainstream primary and intermediate schools. But from full immersion to “M˛ori classes maybe once a week” took a toll on his reo.

It was during high school that Karam says a ÿ re reignited inside of him.

“I went to T˘pene (St Stephen’s) in Auckland which was a M˛ori boarding school. It was there I started asking myself who the hell am I? Why can’t

I speak my own language? All those bloody questions.

“It was these years that sparked my search for identity, culture and language.”

A multitude of meaning are layered upon on each other in Karam’s moko.

He points to the patterns on his chin, saying they represent his whakapapa down his mother and father’s side, his physical characteristics, the balance of the masculine and the feminine residing within him.

One of the big meanings his moko holds is the revitalising of Karam’s reo, he explains.

“It’s kind of like me reclaiming my language. It’s also about the stu° that comes out of my mouth, that it should be truthful and when I say something do it; all those kind of things.”

His moko also pays homage to his grandmother and her hapū Ng˛i te Ahi whose marae is in Welcome Bay, explaining how the marae’s wharenui has burned down and been rebuilt several times over the years.

“One of our proverbs is ‘We

shall always rise back from the ashes’ and I used the phoenix to represent this in the patterns on my cheeks,” says Karam, as he extends his arms out like wings.

“Like the phoenix, my language shall rise from the ashes.”

David Tauranga

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4 March, life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August,2016 2015

New Season Fashion Autumn has arrived and so has new season fashion trends.

Spice up your wardrobe to keep warm when things turn cool and morning darkness starts to creep in.

New Autumn range arriving daily at Maggie J Shoes, 35 Grey Street, Tauranga.

See the stunning range of clothing available at Repertoire.

Pictured: Repertoire Minimalist Dress Ketz-ke’s Autumn range is laid back, casual and carefree. Come and meet the designer this Saturday at Wallis, 425 Maunganui Rd, opposite McDonalds, just down from Blake Park. www.wallis.co.nz

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WALLIS 425 MAUNGANUI RD, MT MAUNGANUI opposite McDonalds, just down from Blake Park

4 March, 2016 2015 21 August,

life+style The Weekend Sun 5 Loobies Story, Trelise Cooper, Verge - just a few of the designer treasures at The Changing Room.

Finish off your look this Autumn with beautiful nails by Allure.

Planning an Autumn wedding?

See Bridal Solutions for the latest styles and designs.

Kelly’s of Katikat have a wide range of winter knitwear to suit all ages and sizes.

Winter stock arriving now.

Stunning colours on this Modapella leather painted bag available at The Changing Room.

Versatile 100% merino made in New Zealand, one size, variety of colours available from I Love Merino.

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March, 2016 life+style The Weekend Sun 214 August, 2015

Smashing the superfood smoothies Ingredients for a happier, healthier you We’re a nation that is growing in size, with one in three New Zealanders categorised as obese.

Photos: Bruce Barnard

With increasingly demanding jobs, a 24/7 mentality to our day and more processed foods, getting nutrients, vitamins and minerals into our diet has become the exception, not the rule.

As a result, two Mount Maunganui men are looking to change this, one smoothie at a time, using superfoods and a smile.

Dave Wylie and Aaron Pearson are passionate about the organic industry, wholefoods and nutrient-dense superfoods and inspired by what they saw overseas are bringing these ‘super’ ingredients to the Bay through Vitality Organics.

“We’re looking to change the way people eat, we want to introduce nutrient-dense superfoods into people’s diets,” explains Dave.

“These foods have been around for hundreds of years – from places such as Peru, Brazil, Mexico, and Japan, so we’re bringing all these superfoods from around the world into one trailer in the Mount.”

Made from 90 per cent recycled materials, the trailer was built by both men during a period of six months while working full-time, and is now situated at its new home on Maunganui Rd. Their logo, a bold black and white triangle, is hard to miss for passersby and as Life + Style visits Dave on a wet, wild Monday afternoon, business is booming.

The idea was, in keeping with the theme, developed in the wild rainforest of Cape Tribulation, Queensland, where Dave was working, living off the land for six months. Having also recently completed a year-long backpacking stint through South America, he was

inspired to learn more about the land we live in and about the exotic superfoods, such as chia seeds, cacao, ayahuasca and acai, he’d been exposed to.

With limited reception in the jungle, and few visitors from the outside world, Dave was filled with inspiration.

At this same time, Aaron, a qualified builder, had also woken to the idea of a healthier lifestyle and had started work at Wild Earth Organics in Tauranga.

“The skills developed in my building trade helped the trailer build immensely.

“We brainstormed the best kitchen design, then spent six long months working on it every day. We had a dream, and we chased it.”

Regulars to the trailer can also vouch for the

power of the superfood.

Smiling faces like to stop in and have a chat with the friendly duo, who is not only knowledgeable but happy to chat about their passion for raw food smoothies, treats and salads – and encourage people to explore their own superfood research.

“We live in a world where food industry is paying no attention to health industry and vice versa.

“We aren’t doctors, but we feel good and everyone who comes back is on a good vibe, so we like to think that these smoothies are changing people, giving them a positive outlook on life.”

On the subject of change, Dave and Aaron are developing their own product range which is on sale at their trailer.

Laura Weaser

2 FOR 1 VOUCHER BUY ONE SMOOTHIE or COFFEE TO RECEIVE ANOTHER FREE Conditions apply.

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Stretching the boundaries “If we are going to do anything, it needs

From yoga class to young entrepreneur

to be benefiting the earth”

Eyes shut, she stares beneath her eyelids out to the ocean. Face calm, legs crossed, hands on her knees – Maxine Orange is a picture of peacefulness.

But meditation for this yogini is not just relaxation – it’s when she feels most inspired and beneath those closed eyelids is a whirr of “colour and beauty” that’s led her on a journey she never expected.

The 23-year-old entrepreneur is the founder of Littlebabe Eco Yoga Mats, mats made from sustainable materials and with an earth-conscious focus. It’s a culmination of passion projects for Maxine, who “got serious” about the practice of yoga when she was 20.

Photos: Bruce Barnard

“I have tinkered with it in my teens and it helped me feel fit, but in my twenties it brought a whole new peace and calm into my life – and now I feel like I am yoga.”

She practises every day, be it a 10-minute session while the washing is on, or a threehour intensive session. Her goal? To be in the moment, to find “mindfulness”.

“Once you adopt that idea, you are aware of your actions and transcend into the moment. Every way you are moving your body is intentional. I like to do things well and with purpose, and yoga allows both.”

At this moment finding the calm has been important for Papamoa-born and based Maxine. As well as being in her final year studying occupational therapy, which she hopes to incorporate with yoga, her small business has increased at record pace.

Currently sold out of all her eco-conscious yoga mats, she’s embarking on the next phase with new designs and state-of-the-art sustainable materials in her new line.

The idea began as a conversation between herself and partner Dave Wylie, who owns Vitality Organics.

“If we are going to do anything, it needs to be benefiting the earth – we don’t eat meat, dairy products, don’t use plastic bags and that may all seem extreme but we are living our lives in a way that isn’t doing harm. So what is an eco-conscious yoga mat? Maxine explains: “Traditional plastic mats, or PVC, are filled with nanoparticles of plastic that will

never break down. “Ours are made from plant-based materials, with bases that are 100 per cent tree rubber.

“The trees are grown in a renewable farm that just need to be tapped, which is great because they don’t need to come down.

“The tops of the mats are made from either a vegan suede or microfibre, with inspiring, colourful tops that use waterbased ink.”

Although currently made in Taiwan, with materials sourced from the most sustainable origin through Maxine’s dedicated team on the ground, she’s got big dreams for the future of the business in New Zealand – provided it is the most earth-conscious way.

It’s a step in the right direction for those who practise yoga, she says, and are passionate about protecting our world.

“I think it is in all of us to protect what we know to be true – the wonders of the natural world around us, and it’s innate to want to protect and live your life in a way that hundreds of years from now our future generations can look at and admire those same things.

“It’s a respect that was born inside me and will always inspire my work.” Laura Weaser

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