Te reo classes pop up
Relaxed lessons start at cafe
Ma¯ ori Language Week may be just behind us, but the resurgence and renewed interested in te reo Ma¯ ori is all around us. And Napier woman Louise Booth is making sure one of New Zealand’s three official languages gets an extra boost in Napier.
Louise has recently returned to Aotearoa after living in Brisbane for seven years and says when Mo¯ rena Espresso Bar in Munroe St opened, she started going there each day.
“I soon spotted a small lounge space inside the office of the Finsol business owners’ premises. So a few weeks ago, I asked Gareth Dobson if we could start a te reo ‘pop-up’ language class, on the first Friday of each month — he loved the idea.”
Two weeks ago Louise hosted the first event.
“Nine beautiful ladies turned up, from all walks of life, and they thoroughly enjoyed it,” she says.
Kaiako Ma¯ ori and Anglican minister Leo Te Kira will take classes — beginners for an hour from 9.30am, followed by a class for fluent speakers from 10.30am-11.30am. Leo prints out a sheet each session and classes are free, although it will help to have a few coins in your back pocket. Local Ma¯ ori kai truck Wichman’s Kitchen will park up from October and Louise says language learners are asked to “buy a delicious drink from Mo¯ rena Espresso”.
“There’s a large area outside as well if we get more than 12 for the inside space.”
Louise is no stranger to new ideas, starting up Koru Enterprises when she lived in Australia, an online boutique Aotearoa tour and artisan gift E-commerce company, specialising in Ma¯ ori tourism. “Koru Enterprises was originally created back in Australia as I was a homesick mumpreneur, and it was always about creating interesting pop-up events.”
Louise says the main impetus for the informal te reo classes is for customers to be confident in pronouncing the bilingual drink menu. Koru Enterprises is currently designing a Napier Cultural Walking Tour, departing from the Pania statue and taking manuhiri to the Waiapu Cathedral, the ASB building and ending at Mo¯ rena Espresso Bar.
“I feel that these language classes will help people who have always wished to learn our native language but have been too busy in the past, or who need to brush up their pronunciation in a safe, and relaxed setting. There’s nothing to bring except a big smile and a warm heart.”
■ Visit www.facebook.com/koruenterprises