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WheresCherie.COM Quote
"Earth's crammed with heaven." -- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Culture

341--New Zealand: Greetings from the Ngapuhi Warriors
@ CherieSpotting Feb 02 2006 - 14:30 PST

Cherie became a part of the Ngapuhi tribe on Motu Maire in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. (I need to work on my bulgy eyes.)

cherie writes: The Ngapuhi believe that all things have a vital essense or "maori." To learn more about the beliefs of the Maori inhabitants of New Zealand I jumped aboard a waka (canoe) with a local Ngapuhi tribe. After meeting the chief and getting paddling lessons, I headed for the sacred island of Motu Maire to watch the "friendly warriors" perform a ritual welcoming ceremony.

After I was welcomed to the Ngapuhi tribe, the warriors greeted us with songs, prayers and chants. They waited patiently as a few tourists and I tried to come up with something to give them in return. We ended up singing "You are my sunshine" (since we didn't know the words to any another song except "row, row, row your boat".) Our poor singing skills may explain why the Ngapuhi warriors are sticking out their tongues in many of the photos. Click on Taiamai Tours to find out more.
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275--Bali: Who's that Masked Man? Balinese Dancers
@ CherieSpotting Jan 17 2005 - 09:33 PST

His feet don't stink! The mythical Barong dances in a traditional Balinese performance.

cherie writes: Bali is famous for its amazing dances. Each one is a display of extreme color and energy. The town of Batubulan puts on a wild Barong and Rangda dance. The mythical Barong (half dog, half lion) battles the Rangda (a scary thing with great fangs and long hair.)

At night, Margaret and I watched the Kecak & Trance Dance performed by our friend Nyomen’s village. The entire village participates in the weekly dance. The village, made up of about 140 families, is called Desa Pakraman Taman Kaja.

Over a hundred bare-chested men in matching table-cloth skirts circled around a fire and chanted while other masked performers acted out the story from the Hindu epic Ramayana. Nyomen played Rahwana, the demon King who lusts after Sita.

After good conquered evil in the Kecak Dance, we watched a villager perform the Sanghyang Trace Dance. The villager was put under a trance that enabled him to dance on a blazing fire of coconut husks. The kicked the flames up and flew around the fire on a fake horse while the gamelan suara (the bare-chested chanting villagers) threw their arms up in the air and swayed to the beat of their own voices. Margaret and I had front-row seats…after all we knew the star of the show!
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260--Thailand: Trekking in the Hill-Tribes
@ Where`s Cherie? Dec 10 2004 - 11:08 PST

Cherie hanging out with some of the men from the Karen hill-tribe in Northern Thailand.

cherie writes: Diane, Hilda and I were ready for our 3-day trek amongst the hill-tribes of Northern Thailand. Our new friend Hannah got all dolled up for the trek. She’s the type of gal who considers her make-up a necessity—but will never actually call it make-up. During the day Hannah’s lip-stick is “SPF 15”, while at night, the very same lip color is “moisturizer.”

Note: as I make fun of Hannah’s propensity to apply cosmetics, she is also the type of lady who trekked her own pack on her back for 3-days (while I hired a porter to carry my things for $5 a day.) Note: Diane also packed her things the entire trek!
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178--Swaziland: Dancing with the Swazis
@ CherieSpotting Jan 27 2004 - 14:33 PST

Cherie doing the Sibhaca dance with the Swazis in Swaziland. *Photo by Renee.

cherie writes: I had my fortune told by a sangoma in Swaziland. The spiritual healer took me in a hut and asked me to repeat my name until she could master the strange syllables. Soon she was chanting “Cherie, Cherie, Cherie” and I was so entranced that it wouldn’t have surprised me if a thousand copies of me had fell from the sky.

I sat on a rug on the dirt floor of the hut looking at the preserved head of a growling lion. Then the sangoma threw a bunch of rocks, shells and bones onto a mat and examined their positions. According to their spacing, she informed me that I am “unsettled.” I wanted to say "Duh", but I didn't know how to speak bantu. Plus, "duh" isn't so polite. Then she said that one day I am going to have three children!

I raised my eyebrows. Three kids!!! I asked the translator to ask the sangoma to throw the rocks again. Maybe she’d get a different answer. The rocks said three kids. Who can argue with the rocks?
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107--Panama: Life in the San Blas Islands
@ CherieSpotting Dec 20 2002 - 18:00 PST

Another way to keep in shape! Greg pulls me behind the dinghy on my wakeboard. (Mac got me a great deal on it!)

cherie writes: Many people ask me: "What is your favorite country?" I have an new answer now. Panama.

When you look at these pictures, you will see why.
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