OUR AMBASSADOR TO NEW ZEALAND JUST HAD HIS PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS, AND IT LOOKED COOL AS HECK

I always thought the haka freakin' ruled so hard, and that doing it before a rugby match was the coolest thing not just in sports, but in everything.  

Turns out, diplomats representin' in New Zealand get to bask in similar awesomeness.

That up there is our Ambassador at his pres cred, and what they're giving him is the pōwhiri or traditional Māori welcome. It involves a lead warrior dropping a spearhead in front of the Ambassador, who must then pick it up and return it to the warrior without breaking eye contact to signify he comes in peace. The ceremony ends with the traditional Maori greeting hongi where the visitors and hosts press their noses and foreheads together.

So cool.

Hey, remember the pres cred we had in the UK? That was also something.