Upclose with Ngahihi o te ra Bidois
May 16th, 2009 by Steven
Walking on the streets of KL, Ngahihi o te ra Bidois would certainly draw attention to himself … to be more precise, to his partially tattooed face. He’s full-blooded Maori from Rotorua, New Zealand.
I’d the opportunity to listen to this internationally acclaimed speaker. mentor and author at the recent Asia HRD Congress held at the Palace of the Golden Horses. In his introduction, Bidois spoke of his lfe events that led to his decision to have his face tattooed with the traditional Moko (tattoo). Having worked for various multinational companies, this former hedge fund manager (who’s married to a woman from outside his indigenous community) found himself being arrogant and ignoring his roots. He told the audience of his frustration and unfulfilled life, and the inner need to reconnect with his roots and culture.
On 1 March 2004, he embarked on his personal journey to re-connect with his tribal identity; spending 8 hours under the needle for the Ta Moko. The permanently-rebranded Bidois meant that he could “never turn his back on his Maori heritage”. He now walks with his tribal identity wherever he goes.
You can get more insights into Ngahihi o te ra Bidois (which means The Rays of the Sun) at www.ngahibidois.com.
<Photo above cropped from an original image taken with Canon 50D with EF 50mm f1.8 / ISO 400; f/4; 1/60 sec>