As I said in my post yesterday, colleague Queenie Rikihana set my mind at rest over the ’sitting on a table’ incident. Anyway, she added this comment today:

Kia ora Dave, I am the (as you know) the colleague aforementioned in the story. Yep, I took those photos of you being photographed (weird I know) by Robert Kitchen of the Dom Post. So ofcourse I saw you perched – with the photographer’s encouragement on the edge of the computer desk. Maori protocol is that we do not sit on tables where people are going to eat a meal. Our class protocol is we do not let anyone eat food in the class room… result no kawa (protocol) being broken. Actually there is something else in play here. You are my manuhiri tuarangi (important visitor from afar) and was(at the time) not aware of our kawa. So no – no offence was committed. It is great having you around – fantastic class involement today – we are very happy to host you short as it will be…  tino nui arohai ki a koe – (lots of love to you)  na Queenie

So there we go … a little more explanation of the whole affair!