(MUSIC BECOMES ELEGANT JAZZ) Captions by Cameron Grigg. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020 (BELL TOLLS) (LIGHT PLUCKED STRING MUSIC) Nona? Yes? Yes? We've got to go meditate quickly. Come on. Last year, the staff and I ` we enjoyed some meditation and some yoga, which, was, you know, um,... really eye-opening for us. Francis has tried to do meditation. Um... Yeah. I don't know if you'd call it meditation. This is our second session here. Now, what happened ` I just want to let you know that since our first session, my meditation at home with my app on my phone has been going really well. It's helped me to go to sleep at night, you know, cos there's a lot going through my mind before bedtime. What about you guys? How's your sleeping? Normal. Good, eh? No. Oh, I see. What about you, Fehi? How's your sleep at night? Good? Oh, good, always. (PHONE CHIMES) Just trying to keep off that Messenger ` that ding-ding. All the, you know, boo-boos. KAIORA: Francis is so serious about this. He really is trying to get everybody engaged in the moment, in the world that he is meditating. So, anyway, we close our eyes. Now? Now, yeah. Yep. And we're just gonna just` We're gonna have some deep breaths. (CHUCKLES) So hard not to crack up. I just know I'm gonna laugh. Now, we're gonna go to an island. (UPBEAT UKULELE STRUMMING) And we're gonna imagine that we're on this island together, and we can hear the crashing waves. (WATER SLOSHES) (BOTH LAUGH) What the...? What are you talking about? Shh! (LAUGHTER CONTINUES) When he starts pouring the water in the cup, in my head, I'm thinking, 'What the hell are you doing?' (CHUCKLES) It sounds like someone peeing. (UPBEAT UKULELE MUSIC) (FEHI WARBLES) (LAUGHTER) We` We- I think we have to have another deep breath. We're not in the` (LAUGHTER CONTINUES) This is your island, for you all. What island? Why is it... (LAUGHTER) It doesn't have a name. (LAUGHTER INTENSIFIES) Everyone's having a little bit of difficulty focusing on the sound of the water and the waves, so I'm trying to move from there into the drums. You can hear the natives with their music. (RHYTHMIC DRUMMING) (FEHI CHUCKLES) I don't think I found any natives. (LAUGHS) I'm thinking upstairs that I've got so much work downstairs, and there's deadlines. Maybe I want to use the water to splash it on his face. The next session we have, I think I'll just reduce the number of props and maybe use some sounds from the YouTube app possibly just playing in the back, and then focus more on the korero with the staff, you know, to whakatau, to settle their wairua. (DREAMY PLUCKED MUSIC) (CONGREGATION SINGING IN NIUEAN) (GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC) Tonight, we're caring for the late Tapolene Matangi, who is of a Niuean descent. (MUSIC CONTINUES) Mr Matangi is 88 years old, and he passed away from acute respiratory problems. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me. Earlier this year, Mr Matangi's wife passed away. This whanau had been through a lot, you know? They've lost their mother and their dad in one year, and so, they're grieving. They've got a lot of mamae. (CAR ENGINE WHINES) Tonight, Denise and I are transporting Mr Matangi back home. Got it? Get up here. And up. Polynesian funerals are different to Maori funerals. With our Polynesian families, we tend to have family service, and then back home again. All right, whanau? Yeah. Mm-hmm. I know. Thank you. (SPEAKS IN TE REO MAORI) Whanau, thank you very much for giving us the privilege to care for him and your whanau this evening. I'll let you fellas have your final evening with Dad, and we won't be in your way any longer. Thank you. Mr Matangi will be laid in his state at home for one last night, and then tomorrow will be his funeral service, and Denise and Barbie will be funeral directing the family tomorrow. (DREAMY PLUCKED MUSIC) (BOTH SPEAK IN TE REO MAORI) (BOTH LAUGH) Who is your whaiaipo? Who is your whaiaipo, Fehi? (CHUCKLES) Nobody. Everyone is interested in Fehi's life ` in Fehi's personal life. No, you can say here, 'kei te takakau.' Kei te takakau... I am single. Sorry, Fehi. We're in your life. How do I say, 'Are you sure?' Kei te noho tahi ma wa ko taku whaiaipo. Aue. Say that to your mum, and you'll be kicked out of home! (LAUGHS) 'I live with my boyfriend!' (BOTH LAUGH) Fehi is a very traditional Tongan young lady. Loves her church, loves her family. Oh, I like this one. (SPEAKS IN TE REO MAORI) I think everyone in our office is trying to find Fehi a, you know, a date, or maybe a partner. Francis wants Fehi to date his... hairdresser. And I thought, 'What a great compatibility ` both hard-workers, both good-looking. 'Fehi's beautiful. He's handsome.' (SIGHS) What's a phrase to tell Moeps off in Maori? I mean, if there's anything more that I would love about Fehi is that he should go with him cos I'd get more free haircuts. No boundaries means I can be whatever I want to be. No boundaries between... ..my skin and... ..my foundation. True Match Foundation by L'Oreal Paris, available in 36 shades. Now infused with hyaluronic acid. No boundaries, because... ..we're worth it. We're worth it. * (EERIE STRING MUSIC) Today is the final service day for Mr Matangi. (WOMAN SPEAKS IN NIUEAN) Denise is the funeral director today, and Barbie will be assisting her. (MOURNFUL STRING MUSIC) (SIGHS, SNIFFS) Whanau are saying their final farewells to Dad, who will be joining their mum today. (MUSIC CONTINUES) (INDISTINCT CHATTER) Last year, Denise lost her father, and not long after that, she also lost her mum. And, you know, this is a situation where she can assist this family. She can share in the same grief. Do you want me to help take out the flowers? Yeah, cos there's just those few flowers that are in there. So, we'll pull those out first, and the kids can... Yep. OK. Mr Matangi had a big family, and they're all here today ` his children, his mokopuna, his great-grandchildren. One of his great-granddaughters is wearing his hat today and his gold watch, and I think that's beautiful. (ALL SING IN NIUEAN) (MOURNFUL ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) Our dad loved to fish, he loved to cook, and he loved having his grandchildren around. We'll miss him. We love him. (HUSHED CHATTER) (SOLEMN PIANO MUSIC) Mr Matangi will be laid to rest at Waikumete Cemetery, interred with his wife. (ALL SING IN NIUEAN) We do see this often. Mum or Dad passes away and not long after, the spouse will follow. I'm unsure why, but I sense a possibility of loneliness,... and they just want to be back with their darling. (DREAMY PLUCKED MUSIC) (HUMS TUNEFULLY) Today, we are having some chicken and salad for lunch. Vanessa's prepared a beautiful salad. (PRAYS IN TE REO MAORI) The staff are on a bit of a health kick at the moment. They're all mindful of what they're consuming. I think it's a good change. The cranberries are lovely, dear. Oh, you can taste them? Mmm. Vanessa's salad looks quite, um, beautiful, really, with the cheese and cranberries and tomatoes and everything like that. But, you know, the big leaves ` they remind me of the rau that we use to do the karanga, and I just couldn't help but think that someone's gonna do a karanga. They were massive. Put some lettuce in. No. I'm not into the leaves. So, who's the good basketball players? Fiona, Vanessa, Fehi. Lync. Lync. Vanessa has instigated us to have some physical activity. Harmony ` she'd be really good. They're so competitive. They might even get their siblings to play. Mm, to play. So, it will be the funeral directors against the embalmers. I do love doing things as a staff, but a basketball game? I feel sorry for us already. (PHONE RINGS) Shorts. We could just do black shorts. (BABY COOS) (CHUCKLES) (PHONE CHIMES) Who is it, dear? Nobody. (LAUGHS) No one! Dear, I thought you were committed to my hairdresser. Oh, boy. Francis! What? (LAUGHS) I think it will be pretty tight, but I think the embalmers will know which organs to pierce and to get us down with. (DREAMY PLUCKED MUSIC) (MOURNFUL STRING MUSIC) (SPEAKS IN TE REO MAORI) (CONGREGATION SING WAIATA) Whaea June was 77 years old, and she died due to fluid overload on her body for the last two to three weeks, and she had a lot of underlying issues as well, like hypertension, heart disease, and she had cancer as well. So there were lots of things she was battling with. (EXHALES DEEPLY) (CHILDREN GROWL, LAUGH) (LAUGHTER) (MOURNFUL STRING MUSIC) Whaiora Marae is a beautiful marae. It's fully carved on the inside. Back in the old days, all our wharenui were carved, but upon the arrival of the Christian missionaries to Aotearoa, they were made to strip the marae of carvings, or to burn the wharenui, as it was thought that we could possibly be praying to more than one god. Up together, nice and slow. (PERFORMS KARAKIA IN TE REO MAORI) As we're leaving the marae, the kaumatua ` he performs a waerea, or a protective karakia, or an acknowledgement to our tupuna and to the gods to ask them to be near us and to protect Whaea June in her passage through to the next world. (PERFORMS KARAKIA IN TE REO MAORI) Whaea June's being buried at an urupa about an hour out of Auckland, and so, we're going for a little road trip from Auckland down to Taupiri Maunga. (GENTLE AMBIENT MUSIC) First of all, the family wanted to do a drive-by past her home. (HORN HONKS RAPIDLY) Here you are, Mum. (HONKING CONTINUES) Here we are, Mum. * (DREAMY STRING MUSIC) Taupiri Maunga is a very significant maunga to Maoridom. On that maunga and in that urupa are buried Maori kings and a Maori queen. We arrive at the foot of Taupiri Maunga, and it is very, very windy down there. Tawhirimatea is sure making a scene today. Please, dear. Thank you. Just give them to the children. Kia ora. Beautiful, darling. And the ripeka ` the cross. There's a little baby there, darling. Here, baby. Do you want to hold the... Putiputi? All right. This maunga is tapu. Tapu meaning 'very sacred.' On three. One, two, three. Up. Come back. Huri. Huri, matua. You'll be in front. Ae. Ae. All right. (SOLEMN STRING MUSIC) When we take Whaea June into the urupa through the gate, we stop there for a moment as the kaumatua pays homage to the past kings and the queen who are laying on the maunga. (MAN CHANTS IN TE REO MAORI) Whaea June is of the Ngati Maniapoto iwi, and in this urupa on Taupiri Maunga, her mum and her dad are buried there, and her sister and many of her whanau are buried there as well. So, this is the reason we're bringing her home back to her whanau urupa ` to be near her family. (DREAMY PLUCKED MUSIC) We're gonna have two lines ` lay-ups. MAN: What's a lay-up? Right-hand, right side lay-ups. So, from halfway. We don't really want to give it all away. No, we're not giving it away. Well, everyone will see our skill. (SCOFFS) It's the big day. It's the big game, and it's all on. Let's go, guys. Shot, Barbie. It's the funeral directors against our embalmers, and we have absolutely every plan and every thought to win. OK. Ready? Run to half-court and back. Ready? Let's go. In charge of our basketball team is Vanessa. She's a star basketball player. OK. High knees. High knees. Ooh. (GROANS SOFTLY) Catch up! Catch up! We do warm-ups, and she's got us running back and forth, and I'm just mindful of our energy levels. I didn't really want to waste energy that we'll need later when we need to run during the actual real game. Come on, Freddy! Shakers! Ivan, who is my son, will be playing for me today. I've got a bit of arthritis on my knee, so I'll be on the sideline, screaming. (WHISTLE TRILLS) (SPECTATORS YELLING INDISTINCTLY) I'll wait here! Up, up, up, up! Pass, pass, pass. Whoo! Take it! Shot, Waylon. Whoo! (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) Our secret weapons are Denise's sons. So, we've got Waylon playing with us today. We've got Dominique. They are... They are sporty. (SPECTATORS YELLING INDISTINCTLY) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) We start this basketball game awesome. I mean, we are on the winning streak, and we're gonna take this trophy home, or whatever it is we're playing for. (SPECTATORS YELL) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) I don't want the ball. Don't give it to me. Keep it down there. (LAUGHTER) If someone wants to throw it to me, I ask them not to pass it to me, eh? What am I gonna do with it? Ref! - (YELPS, LAUGHS) - (CROWD ROARS) (LAUGHS) I'm sorry! Oh! I think I'm on the court for about six and a half minutes. Do you remember` What was it? I forgot what the chant was ` the one that we practiced at work. 'When we're on the sideline, we still need to be supporting, and so, I need to gather 'all the tamariki and the whanau together so we can chant' and help our points on the scoreboard lift again. # Kia kaha, TF. ALL: # Kia kaha, TF. # Ki te poitukohu. # Ki te poitukohu. # Hi ha. # Hi ha. # Aue ha. # Aue ha. # Let's win # Let's win # the game. # the game. # Aue hi! # Aue hi! # Aue ha! # # Aue ha! # Pakipaki! Yay! Whoo! (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (GROANS) It's not working. Push it out! Yeah, the other team are doing pretty well. I mean, um, they've got a good chant, they've got good uniforms. They're very fast. They're getting lots of goals. (SPECTATORS YELLING) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) KAIORA: This game is going so fast. They're just scoring and scoring, and... Yeah. (SPECTATORS YELLING) - (BUZZER BLARES) - Yeah! Whoo! - (CROWD ROARS) Man, Vanessa is amazing. I would like it if we had a whole team of Vanessas. Go, Vanessa! (CROWD CHEERING) Whoo! Nice! CROWD: Seven! Six! Five! Four! Go, Vanessa! Yes, Vanessa! Three! Two! One! (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) All of a sudden, the game finished, and it was full-time, and I thought we were gonna carry on, you know? So that we got a chance to build our score back up. (APPLAUSE) Wait, was that half-time or was that full-time? I don't know. Is that full-time? Ah, really? Is that the end? OK. I thought we were doing four of 20 minutes! No. No, no, no. (LAUGHS) Two! No, no, no. Now that we've lost, I think the aim of the game was not really about winning. It was about whanaungatanga, whakawhanaungatanga, and bringing us all together. You're as good an embalmer as you are a basketballer. Eh? (LAUGHS) Embalmers, funeral directors, whanau, and just having a wonderful occasion, finishing off with some kai. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020