rotorua v1.0

welcome to "sulphur city," where geothermic areas are as prevailant as the smell of rotten eggs. mud boils, gysers shoot out, pools steam. george bernard shaw quipped while visiting that "it reminds me too vividly of the fate theologians have promised me." interesting fact: the ground is so warm that birds do not need to nest; all graves have to be above ground for fear of digging down and unearthing a hot spring.

the night of our arrival lyds and i spent the evening at a maori concert and hangi dinner. it is in rotorua that the maori are the most visible, composing 1/3 of the regions population. as such there is greater tribal integrity and connection to their traditions. before the concert we were able to walk through a re-created traditional village, but not before an elaborate welcoming ceremony. once inside the walls you could wander about the different stations that showcased different aspects of traditional maori life including cooking, crafts, and tats. then came the concert of traditional song and dance, finishing with the famous hakka. after the concert was a huge all you could eat buffet hangi dinner that had been cooked in the ground with hot stones.

speaking of music - new matt good albumn, hospital music, is due out at my return.