WEBVTT - EP 40 - Doron Semu 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:02.160 The Flavor Podcast Network. 0:00:02.600 --> 0:00:05.040 Island Roots Auckland Ways. 0:00:05.440 --> 0:00:08.000 This one's for the Brown brothers and sisters who want 0:00:08.080 --> 0:00:12.840 to be one with themselves, their culture, their identity, their roots. 0:00:13.160 --> 0:00:15.640 This is Island Roots Auckland Ways. 0:00:19.160 --> 0:00:22.040 Tyler for lover and welcome back to Island Roots Auckland Ways. 0:00:22.280 --> 0:00:24.960 Hi girl, Hey girl, how are you? 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:26.239 We are very well. 0:00:26.320 --> 0:00:30.240 You've got fee with love from South Crew on today. 0:00:29.920 --> 0:00:31.920 Seven baby, let's. 0:00:31.840 --> 0:00:34.240 Giving six seven. How is the two six seven? 0:00:34.360 --> 0:00:35.600 The two six seven is so good? 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:37.280 I went for a run yesterday and it was like 0:00:37.320 --> 0:00:39.839 the perfect I mean it's not really spring yet, but 0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:42.919 it was like the perfect spring day. It was seventeen degrees, 0:00:43.280 --> 0:00:46.800 it was blue skies, and then the sunset was also incredible, 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:48.880 like it was just like the tippid weather. 0:00:49.120 --> 0:00:51.519 It was just like perfect. It was actually a perfect day. 0:00:51.600 --> 0:00:53.680 Okay, we're nearly out of the cult. 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:57.080 Yeah, quite literally, quite literally, quite literally. 0:00:57.520 --> 0:01:03.720 We are going into a really heartwarming salon was Doren Simle. 0:01:03.960 --> 0:01:07.240 Yeah, and he like goes in various places. 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:09.520 It does go on various places, but it's just one. 0:01:09.400 --> 0:01:13.480 Of those chats that was so seamless, and Darren is 0:01:13.520 --> 0:01:14.240 an amazing person. 0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:16.520 Yeah, Doren so much fun to be around, has the 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:19.600 most beautiful energy you'll hear. He's one of my best friends, 0:01:19.760 --> 0:01:22.600 and we've been through a lot together, including receiving our 0:01:22.800 --> 0:01:25.360 cell revealing our cell. Oh yes, so it was cool 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:27.080 to chat about that, and it was also just cool 0:01:27.080 --> 0:01:28.800 to have him in the studio because I feel like 0:01:28.880 --> 0:01:31.560 more people need to hear about his incredible work as 0:01:31.600 --> 0:01:35.480 a supple maker, as a just a community weaver. I 0:01:35.480 --> 0:01:38.160 guess you could say, yeah, he's pretty awesome. 0:01:39.000 --> 0:01:41.440 Yes he is, and you'll hear that awesomeness right now. 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:45.199 Hell everyone, welcome back to another episode of Island Roots 0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:48.000 Walking Ways. I am so excited for this episode, also 0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:51.400 very nervous because this is one of my best friends. 0:01:52.120 --> 0:01:56.120 I would count Doren as like my older brother, adopted 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:56.600 older brother. 0:01:56.640 --> 0:01:57.880 He's very very special to me. 0:01:58.000 --> 0:02:00.080 But he's more than just my friend. He's also you 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:03.920 will make a creative proud someone. Please welcome to the stage. 0:02:07.280 --> 0:02:11.280 Welcome to Welcome to the stage. I guess sorry about. 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:14.320 How are you today? I'm good. 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:17.760 I'm good. It's been a cruizy morning, yeah, sunny, like 0:02:17.880 --> 0:02:22.360 well wristed. Love washed my hair for this. 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:25.320 You know we're taking it seriously. 0:02:26.040 --> 0:02:28.160 It's just like, what, I'm really lazy when it comes 0:02:28.200 --> 0:02:30.959 to washing my hair, and I'm just like I don't 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:33.720 want to have gang online, and you. 0:02:33.760 --> 0:02:51.400 Know, it's straight into it. Every episode we share what 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:54.320 we love about home. So whatever homeers to you, dorin 0:02:54.360 --> 0:02:56.639 with a that's where you currently live, where you were born, 0:02:56.680 --> 0:02:59.119 where you feel most grounded, it ever feels like home? 0:02:59.280 --> 0:03:01.080 What is home and what do you love about it? 0:03:01.120 --> 0:03:04.240 We'll start off first what I love about home? Is? 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:08.560 What do I love about home? Okay, so there's a 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:10.080 park right next to my house? 0:03:10.200 --> 0:03:13.240 Yes? Is it next the. 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:16.280 Yes? 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:18.320 I know the part we're not saying the. 0:03:21.000 --> 0:03:24.600 Park. The park is such a good park. I think 0:03:24.600 --> 0:03:26.720 I've known that park all of my life because I 0:03:26.760 --> 0:03:29.200 was raised in a house not too far away from 0:03:29.240 --> 0:03:32.160 where I currently live, and so we would often go 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:35.240 there for gungai. So like we never it was. 0:03:35.200 --> 0:03:38.920 Easter Christmas time, after everyone had done their hours and 0:03:38.960 --> 0:03:40.920 cleaned up, after the food was served, and we would 0:03:40.920 --> 0:03:41.880 walk over to the park. 0:03:42.200 --> 0:03:43.320 We will play basketball. 0:03:43.760 --> 0:03:46.560 I mean, just the weekend gone, we were at two 0:03:46.640 --> 0:03:51.040 seven five Kai, which is like a local eatery kind 0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:52.119 of soul food. 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:56.840 And it's just been a constant in my life. So 0:03:56.920 --> 0:03:58.200 That's what I love about home this week. 0:03:58.280 --> 0:03:59.680 Beautiful the part. 0:04:00.480 --> 0:04:02.640 We will have to go to the park, Yeah, one 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:03.320 time please. 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:05.560 I love that it's quite cool at that park because 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:08.200 like over summer they do they try to like engagement 0:04:08.240 --> 0:04:10.600 with it and so like every sing a random day 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:21.359 where they have like Bounty Castle, I know the. 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:24.880 Hmm. 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:28.800 Okay, what I love about Home this week. I've recently 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:30.600 gained a little. 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:32.840 Bit of an affliction, I guess you could say for 0:04:32.920 --> 0:04:33.680 raw fish. 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:36.680 I'm a big fan of at the moment. 0:04:37.080 --> 0:04:40.200 I've never liked raw fish before, or maybe I've just 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:44.039 had bad raw fish, or maybe I've just never really 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:45.920 adventured into the world of raw fish. 0:04:46.360 --> 0:04:49.320 But there's just something about raw fish. It's just doing 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:51.080 it for me at the moment. I just want it 0:04:51.120 --> 0:04:52.080 all the time. 0:04:52.000 --> 0:04:52.360 And I don't. 0:04:53.160 --> 0:04:54.360 I'm hooked on raw fish. 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:56.520 I don't really know where to get it. It just 0:04:56.680 --> 0:04:59.800 is always there at like family things, where it just 0:04:59.800 --> 0:05:02.920 will like turn up just when I need it. When 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:05.920 I go somewhere, I'm like these raw fish. Thank fuck 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:07.559 for raw fish. I love real fish. 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:11.160 Was there raw fish at your graduation celebration? 0:05:11.279 --> 0:05:13.080 Yeah? But I didn't don't think I would have eaten it. 0:05:13.120 --> 0:05:16.120 I don't think that was the start of the era. 0:05:16.320 --> 0:05:17.160 Not too long ago. 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:19.400 It's really recent. 0:05:19.560 --> 0:05:24.599 It's very very very recent, like around the time we 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:25.479 got our to tell. 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:28.800 It might have been. 0:05:29.720 --> 0:05:37.000 Because there was just good food generally because I organizing that. 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:39.440 Talk about that. 0:05:41.120 --> 0:05:42.960 I'm so excited to talk about to tell. But what 0:05:42.960 --> 0:05:44.040 do you look about home this week? 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:47.440 Don't I love so? I love in manga, love it, 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:49.880 love it, but like something not MANGI like adjacent to 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:53.680 manga Carns. Have you been to Khans restaurant? So, like 0:05:53.760 --> 0:05:56.880 there are two carns. So we have Can's Buffet. I'm 0:05:56.880 --> 0:05:59.080 not talking about that one, like that's that's for other people, 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:01.159 but for me, it's the Car's restaurant. 0:06:01.360 --> 0:06:02.400 Mixed to the forty five. 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:05.520 Yeah, yeah, that's exactly the one go through the back insurance, 0:06:05.600 --> 0:06:09.240 you know, and this beautiful tiled restaurant and they just 0:06:09.279 --> 0:06:12.080 have real beautiful food. They do, like this massive bowl 0:06:12.120 --> 0:06:14.039 of hammers. I don't honestly get that on its own, 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:16.760 with like sex bread and then that's my dinner. 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:21.760 Yeah, the rice meat them yeah, so good. It's good 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:24.279 value for money. Don't even get me started on carns. 0:06:24.360 --> 0:06:27.680 Now, So we tried getting into it. Oh, like my 0:06:27.680 --> 0:06:29.520 partner and I really got into it like a year 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:31.360 maybe year and a half ago, okay, And we tried 0:06:31.360 --> 0:06:35.839 to go there during Ramadan. Not a good idea. They 0:06:35.880 --> 0:06:38.640 were booked, like everyone had made bookings to be there. 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:39.520 Wow. 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:42.799 Yeah, it's just it's the one. It's it's my favorite. 0:06:43.160 --> 0:06:45.840 It's Middle Eastern food, beautiful. 0:06:47.360 --> 0:06:49.280 And they've got the spout store area at the back 0:06:49.320 --> 0:06:52.039 that like has like she shirt yes, yeah yeah, not 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:53.719 my thing but other people's thing. 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:56.320 You know. Absolutely, the music is pumping. 0:06:56.800 --> 0:07:01.240 Yeah, the food is so on, like like wow, I 0:07:01.279 --> 0:07:03.680 think when you see Carns that touched my heart because 0:07:03.720 --> 0:07:05.000 it's just so good. 0:07:05.360 --> 0:07:06.400 We should go there, okay. 0:07:06.440 --> 0:07:09.720 I well love and like it's right by my favorite camp, 0:07:10.960 --> 0:07:15.720 which is because like you know, it's not the Flashes 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:17.480 came out, but it always has everything in stock. 0:07:17.720 --> 0:07:20.920 It's literally everything in stock. It's the best came out. 0:07:21.240 --> 0:07:23.760 It truly is the best cap Yeah. 0:07:23.480 --> 0:07:23.880 I love that. 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:26.760 For us, Corns is good because it fills you up, 0:07:27.440 --> 0:07:30.400 Like you could honestly get a bucket of chicken and 0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:34.400 chips and you wouldn't feel as satisfied as getting cans 0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:35.000 for the same price. 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:37.640 But I think it's rice, Like, it's just it's. 0:07:37.480 --> 0:07:37.920 Just a car. 0:07:38.920 --> 0:07:41.480 So we're going to the one that's not the buffet. 0:07:41.480 --> 0:07:43.960 We're going to the real restaurant. 0:07:42.720 --> 0:07:46.880 I haven't gone to it myself. I'm not a buffet 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:52.080 guy because I'm just fat and we need control. Yeah, 0:07:52.120 --> 0:07:54.200 so I need something to be like, this is enough done? 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:59.240 There is your plate. Oh I love it. That's so fun. Okay, 0:07:59.320 --> 0:08:01.360 let's go to car shut. 0:08:01.000 --> 0:08:09.760 Out three minutes award winning podcast to your eatery. 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:11.920 So if you would like to sponsor, remember my name 0:08:12.000 --> 0:08:21.760 is dark like because I'm. 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:26.760 Actually okay, sorry, I'm going going to change it now. 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:29.560 I don't like it when I get recognized by like 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:33.080 cafe workers, Like it's different. There's a cafe by my 0:08:33.160 --> 0:08:36.360 work with it every day, Hi, Lissa, Like are you usual? 0:08:36.480 --> 0:08:38.160 Like I don't mind that because I do go there 0:08:38.160 --> 0:08:41.520 every day. But if I go somewhere maybe like once 0:08:41.559 --> 0:08:46.720 a week, like sometimes across the cafe, I like that 0:08:46.800 --> 0:08:48.880 they don't go, oh what can I like? You know, 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:51.479 they don't they don't make an effort to be too familiar. 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:53.800 Like I don't think I like being recognized. You like 0:08:54.880 --> 0:08:56.959 the ymity of it all, especially because I come in 0:08:57.000 --> 0:08:59.600 all the way to Central Auckland. I don't want them going, 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:03.680 oh Son, Like you know, I like when people don't 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:04.320 recognize me. 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:06.280 I used to work as a barrista. 0:09:07.040 --> 0:09:08.400 And would you do the thing when you were like 0:09:08.400 --> 0:09:08.880 you usual? 0:09:09.160 --> 0:09:11.640 No, no, no, no, like I was quite happy to pretend 0:09:11.640 --> 0:09:13.760 that I knew no one perfect and so. But there 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:17.040 would be people that really wanted to be regulars. 0:09:18.600 --> 0:09:27.640 Like I wouldn't know about that either. 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:29.839 I don't know. I'm just doing this for the money. 0:09:30.080 --> 0:09:39.280 I don't want to be here Auntie's Cafe. She gets 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:42.160 me so hard, get away with it way too much. 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:51.559 But who are you? That's so funny? No sponsorship. 0:09:55.080 --> 0:09:56.360 Let's get into this chat. 0:09:56.960 --> 0:09:58.679 For those of you who don't know, Dorina is like 0:09:59.400 --> 0:10:05.680 a PREMI Yeah, incredible supple maker, incredible simon creative, like 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:12.440 literally revitalizing in this country. Like you probably know his work, 0:10:12.480 --> 0:10:14.120 but you don't really know him. It's kind of that 0:10:14.200 --> 0:10:16.240 kind of situation. So Dren, can you tell us how 0:10:16.240 --> 0:10:19.480 you found yourself in making Seapple, what prompted you to start, 0:10:19.480 --> 0:10:21.880 and what that journey looks like, because when you've explained 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:23.840 it to me before, I'm like, it's a bit too simple, 0:10:24.000 --> 0:10:26.840 like I feel like you just made it happen. And 0:10:26.840 --> 0:10:30.360 I'm like, what, like what, I don't know he tells 0:10:30.360 --> 0:10:30.719 me about that. 0:10:30.880 --> 0:10:34.800 Yeah, yeah, of course I really stumbled into it. So, 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:38.520 I mean maybe five or six years ago now, I 0:10:38.640 --> 0:10:41.040 was really wanted to do something to be a better Simon. 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:45.360 I was just trying to find a way. 0:10:45.200 --> 0:10:46.439 To be able to connect to my culture and the 0:10:46.559 --> 0:10:50.079 actively participate in it. Having to learn the language because 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:59.040 I'm real, I'm problematically dyslexic and like abow, yeah, and 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:01.040 like it's just far into my till like it's just 0:11:01.120 --> 0:11:03.920 it's really and I think it's a lot more there's 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:07.520 a lot more emotion charged in learning language, and you know, 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:12.640 it's really public learning. Get to learning anything else. And 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:15.160 so I made a point of trying to find something 0:11:15.400 --> 0:11:16.959 to be able to engage with my culture, to be 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:21.640 able to preserve practice. And a friend suggested to me 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:24.400 to be able to learn making tappa and so I 0:11:24.440 --> 0:11:27.319 mean the word that I use is because it's the 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.320 salmon manner of making up and taper isn't a real word. 0:11:30.480 --> 0:11:34.760 Let's have some education is kind of a broad word 0:11:35.480 --> 0:11:40.400 that's like accepted within European places to mean barck cloth 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:44.320 and talk about individual islands. Man, I'm way off topic already. 0:11:46.120 --> 0:11:48.480 When we talk about individual islands. We each have our 0:11:48.480 --> 0:11:52.720 own manner or way of creating topper cloth. So I 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.200 mean within some more we talk about and it refers 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:57.360 to how we make it, the process we do, and 0:11:57.360 --> 0:12:00.719 then the finished product and refers to two pieces of 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:04.720 a clock together and painted like actually marked. We have 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:07.920 new wehear they have they have tongua, not to hwai. 0:12:08.000 --> 0:12:11.360 They've got kappa. You know, there's all these different words 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:14.880 shared through the Pacific. So anyway, I a friend suggested 0:12:14.920 --> 0:12:19.040 for me to be able to learn to make I 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:23.720 ran into on Facebook Cora Allen. She's as she had 0:12:23.760 --> 0:12:27.880 her first exhibition, probably wasn't her first exhibition. First exhibition 0:12:27.960 --> 0:12:30.480 I found and I was a bots and I showed 0:12:30.559 --> 0:12:32.240 up to it and I was like, hey, do you 0:12:32.240 --> 0:12:35.920 want to teach me how? That'd be nice? I mean, 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:37.439 she kind of gave me a few breadcrumbs. She was 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:39.319 just like, oh, well, yeah, you should make your own 0:12:39.360 --> 0:12:41.719 tools first. It's like okay, And so I went down 0:12:41.720 --> 0:12:43.280 to Bunnings and I got me some wood and I 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:44.920 made some Darren is a handyman. 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:47.240 Let me just tell you, Darren will put anything together. 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:49.120 So I love the fact that you made your own tools, 0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:50.240 but they're. 0:12:50.120 --> 0:12:54.440 Real crusty eye Like I'm ambitious that I think I 0:12:54.440 --> 0:12:58.840 can make anything very good. Ambition takes over, so we 0:12:59.400 --> 0:13:01.920 I these tools, go in contact with core Ellen again, 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:05.640 and then she sent me to some more to go 0:13:05.679 --> 0:13:09.920 meet up with someone. Uh, Lissa, I tell you who 0:13:10.200 --> 0:13:12.120 taught me how to mix you up all the simone way? 0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:14.280 And it's just been something I've been doing since. 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:18.680 Geez it's too easy, right, I feel. 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:21.040 Like you just did what you were told and. 0:13:22.280 --> 0:13:24.240 The thing yeah, I think also like the fact that 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:27.240 you did what you're told, Like we've talked about this before, 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:29.680 like core Ellen was like, oh my gosh, like you 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:30.679 actually did it. 0:13:30.760 --> 0:13:32.240 Like I feel like some people. 0:13:32.320 --> 0:13:33.719 I could go to Mas and be like, hey, you're 0:13:33.760 --> 0:13:36.040 an excellent journalist and what should I do? 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:38.800 And Mas is like, go right, five pieces, and I'd. 0:13:38.640 --> 0:13:42.400 Be like, ah, I can't really, it's like making my 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:44.560 own tools. Oh, I haven't really ever picked up a drill. 0:13:44.559 --> 0:13:45.560 It's probably not going to do that. 0:13:46.280 --> 0:13:48.679 Like these tools were rusty and they still are. Like 0:13:48.720 --> 0:13:50.920 I'm still trying to make my own tools and everyone 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:54.480 else more beautiful. But like, I mean, there are some 0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:56.560 people who refer to making new tools and they're like, yeah, 0:13:56.600 --> 0:13:59.800 I use some shark's teeth and I used do you 0:13:59.880 --> 0:14:01.760 know like these rare hard woods and all the stuff, 0:14:01.800 --> 0:14:06.840 And I was like, well, I have a circular saw, 0:14:08.080 --> 0:14:10.480 and I can buy some planks of wood for seven 0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:14.960 dollars from Bunny and I can try sand and so 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:18.320 like they're crusty, but they do their job and you know, yeah, 0:14:18.360 --> 0:14:20.400 so you just you use what you've got, and that's 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:21.240 really what it was. 0:14:21.640 --> 0:14:21.840 Yeah. 0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:24.080 Yeah, I had someone holding my hand along the way 0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:26.120 and I tried my best. 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:27.600 Yeah, that's really cool. 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:30.720 One thing I also love about Dorian's like creative process 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:35.320 is the painting aspect and the kind of It's something 0:14:35.320 --> 0:14:38.280 that I'm always trying to like teach kids like creating 0:14:38.480 --> 0:14:40.400 art or even just drawing a picture. 0:14:40.800 --> 0:14:42.800 It never it doesn't have to be perfect. 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:44.920 This is something that Darn actually taught me that I'm 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:47.280 trying to pass on to the next generation. Yes, it 0:14:47.320 --> 0:14:51.200 doesn't need to be perfect. There's no such thing as perfect, 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:54.360 and the imperfections and a piece of art are actually 0:14:54.360 --> 0:14:57.080 what makes it like really interesting and like really cool 0:14:57.440 --> 0:15:00.640 and so like if something's a little bit off, like 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:05.080 maybe you had spaced out your pattern a certain way 0:15:05.280 --> 0:15:07.120 and then you've got a bit over zealous and it's 0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:08.920 not quite measured up appropriately. 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:10.280 Who cares? 0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:13.920 Like it actually kind of adds to the character characters, 0:15:13.960 --> 0:15:17.200 to the character of the piece, And like, I don't know, 0:15:17.280 --> 0:15:19.400 I just think that's such a cool way to look 0:15:19.440 --> 0:15:21.560 at creating art, Like it doesn't have to be perfect. 0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:24.760 But would you say you're like an artist? Would you 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:25.720 claim that title? 0:15:26.640 --> 0:15:29.600 No, because I think with being an artist you have 0:15:29.720 --> 0:15:32.000 to it comes with I don't know, like people go 0:15:32.040 --> 0:15:35.440 to art school, yeah, like you know, like they study, 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:39.320 like they got even for four years to become artists, 0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:41.880 and there's I feel like there's an expectation to do 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:45.240 things perfectly when you're an artist. I would call myself 0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:49.720 a maker nice like the map yeah, and you know yeah, 0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:52.360 But I mean like in saying that, like I'm applying 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:54.400 for like art grants and I'm applying to do like 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:56.560 an art exhibition and stuff like that. But here and 0:15:56.560 --> 0:16:00.040 be like, no, that's not me. I'm a make I'm different. 0:16:01.320 --> 0:16:04.479 But I feel like the two have quite different connotations, 0:16:04.560 --> 0:16:07.200 right man, Would you agree like your makere is just 0:16:07.240 --> 0:16:11.240 like constantly not constantly like producing work whers an artists, 0:16:11.240 --> 0:16:12.680 like that's your job almost. 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:13.040 Yeah. 0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:17.760 I also think that as you have room to make mistakes. Yeah, 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:20.520 and there's a lot more grace and forgiveness out there 0:16:20.800 --> 0:16:23.200 with within your practice. Where is that? 0:16:23.560 --> 0:16:23.920 I don't know? 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:25.560 And they're like, this is this is just me what 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:28.160 I perceived, like maybe the artists who have the same 0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:30.920 sort of attitude towards the word being an artist, but 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:32.240 for me, it's it's scary. 0:16:32.560 --> 0:16:36.080 Yeah, I want to ask about that trips Samoa. 0:16:36.560 --> 0:16:40.360 Yeah, how was it learning from knowledge holders in the 0:16:40.400 --> 0:16:40.800 mother lit? 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:46.320 Yeah? So, I mean they didn't know I was coming, Okay, right, the. 0:16:46.280 --> 0:16:47.920 Thing is just to rock up and hope they're home, 0:16:48.040 --> 0:16:48.600 isn't that? 0:16:48.600 --> 0:16:49.000 That was it? 0:16:49.080 --> 0:16:52.440 That's exactly what I did. So, I mean I booked 0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:55.280 a flight. It was on special four hundred dollars return, okay, 0:16:55.880 --> 0:16:59.280 and then you know went from you caught the theory 0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:00.200 over so. 0:17:00.200 --> 0:17:01.240 This was that Yeah. 0:17:01.320 --> 0:17:03.480 Yeah, yeah, I didn't even have like I don't have 0:17:03.560 --> 0:17:05.840 family there, and so they're like, caught a taxi to 0:17:05.880 --> 0:17:08.320 the lady's house and then just rocked up. I was like, Hi, 0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:11.640 I'm Dorian, I want to learn how to do this, 0:17:12.400 --> 0:17:14.560 and then we sat down and started making straight away. 0:17:14.600 --> 0:17:16.280 There was no hesitation. 0:17:16.359 --> 0:17:21.480 Crazy like when you say it was it was too easy. 0:17:21.000 --> 0:17:22.800 I just fell into my lep. 0:17:23.400 --> 0:17:25.760 But I think also like our knowledge holders know who 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:28.399 they want to pass the knowledge on. I since that 0:17:28.560 --> 0:17:30.840 maybe for saw something in you and was like. 0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:31.680 Yeah, you're right. 0:17:31.760 --> 0:17:34.919 That's the one period. 0:17:37.760 --> 0:17:39.720 I went back to see if another time and I 0:17:39.760 --> 0:17:43.600 took a friend with me, and halfway through the process, 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:46.080 she was like, she's not a top maker, she's. 0:17:46.000 --> 0:17:51.560 Weak society exercising discernments. 0:17:52.960 --> 0:17:54.240 Okay, there you go. 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:54.680 See. 0:17:56.680 --> 0:18:01.080 Oh my gosh, I think that a very generous word. 0:18:02.240 --> 0:18:05.080 What is it like revitalizing? What does Corey Allen say 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:07.240 about you? Darn but you wouldn't say about yourself. 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:08.879 You're like something. 0:18:11.600 --> 0:18:14.399 I wouldn't even say we're revitalizing because I think I 0:18:14.440 --> 0:18:17.520 think at a few years ago, we would have been 0:18:17.560 --> 0:18:20.840 at a phase where was a really endangered practice. It 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:24.760 was it was sleeping. But I mean last year alone 0:18:25.119 --> 0:18:29.600 with the workshops I taught, around about five hundred people 0:18:29.640 --> 0:18:38.000 attended the workshops. See and from these workshops onwards more people. 0:18:38.400 --> 0:18:40.800 I would say, it's revitalized, it's alive. It's living now 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:44.000 because from there there are so many people who have 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:46.520 their own independent practice. They're making their own tools, making 0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:50.000 their own pieces, they're introducing it to their families, and 0:18:50.000 --> 0:18:52.879 it's become such a normal way of life now that 0:18:52.960 --> 0:18:55.879 I think we're beyond revitalizing. You know, it's not dead, 0:18:55.960 --> 0:19:00.080 it's not sleeping, and it's taking on a new journey. 0:19:01.000 --> 0:19:01.800 That's so special. 0:19:01.920 --> 0:19:04.400 But also I feel like more than that, darn like you, 0:19:04.560 --> 0:19:07.440 I mean even just me, obviously I'm your fucking biggest fan, 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:11.360 but like you have helped me tap into a creative 0:19:11.359 --> 0:19:14.119 side of myself. I didn't really know that I had 0:19:14.280 --> 0:19:18.119 or because obviously big nerd big in the books, reading 0:19:18.119 --> 0:19:21.040 writing one hundred percent. But you've helped me really understand 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:24.000 like my writing is a really creative process and just 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:26.240 helped me become a more creative person in general, and 0:19:26.240 --> 0:19:28.639 like not thinking so like black and white and linear 0:19:28.680 --> 0:19:29.240 about things. 0:19:29.280 --> 0:19:31.080 And I think that's really special. 0:19:31.119 --> 0:19:33.760 Like the se Upper workshops do more than just help 0:19:33.880 --> 0:19:36.120 with culture, Like you're helping with that self confidence. 0:19:36.119 --> 0:19:38.359 Well, I think the thing for me is with the 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:41.000 So the workshops originally happened for the MVP. The frame 0:19:41.040 --> 0:19:44.600 of pacifica community. So we're we were really focused on 0:19:44.720 --> 0:19:47.280 bringing the queer Pacific community together to be able to 0:19:47.840 --> 0:19:49.040 create tangible culture. 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:49.640 Nice. 0:19:49.720 --> 0:19:53.040 Ohangible culture, No, that's the wrong tangible community. 0:19:53.200 --> 0:19:55.040 So that weird and material culture. 0:19:55.160 --> 0:19:58.040 Yeah, and material culture and so like, while the goal 0:19:58.119 --> 0:20:01.160 behind it was to be able to help people learn 0:20:01.160 --> 0:20:02.840 how to mix you up, but it's also just connecting 0:20:02.880 --> 0:20:07.239