Returning Home: First Impressions

3 flights and 25 hours later I'm back in the States. I feel like possum roadkill and I'm a bit overwhelmed with reverse culture shock, but I wanted to mention some things that I have noticed about being back in the US:

1. There is so much air pollution! Coming in for a landing in San Francisco I couldn't help but notice the gray-brown smog sitting over the Bay Area. New Zealand definitely doesn't have this problem. NZ skies are piercing blue and sparkling clean.

2. They drive on the other side of the road here! Every time we made a turn coming home from the airport, I got freaked out. I don't think I'll be getting behind the wheel anytime soon...

3. Speaking of driving...the roads here are wide and packed with huge, speeding cars, but no tailgaters. Yipeeee!

4. The hot and cold faucets are switched and water comes out of one spigot. I love this, especially when washing my face in the bathroom sink.

5. It's a bit cold out but my house is warm inside!

6. Hot water pressure actually exists.

7. I don't have to worry about how much Internet bandwidth I'm using. I can return to downloading podcasts to my heart's content!

8. There is no Tui song to begin my day.

9. There are lots of snakes, lizards, bugs and spiders. Ugh.

10. Clothes dryer = no more lint ball.

11. The land of plenty has become the land of too much. The consumerism is overwhelming!

12. I'm already missing all the things I said I would miss about New Zealand in an earlier post.

A Learning Experience

My time in New Zealand has been a huge learning experience. I've learned

sometimes you have to adjust your expectations

it's OK to ask questions about things you don't understand

how it feels to be foreign, new, strange, and different

that I don't like cold, rainy weather

to read more than the guidebooks before you move to a new place

that sometimes you have to give something up to discover something new

how to drive on the left-hand side of the road

that I like lamb more than I thought

that I need my friends and family closer than I thought

that it is possible to hear bagpipes in the South Pacific

when in doubt, always carry an umbrella

I'll Miss...

Beautiful sunsets
The scent of flax flowers
Grass-fed lamb & beef
The Tui's song
New wines
Maori TV
Maori radio
Southern hemisphere constellations
Hedgehogs
Crazy geological formations
Rainbows
Pasha's restaurant
Cabbage trees
Cider on tap
Summer sunsets at 10pm
No traffic
Bacon Butties
Sheep
Tim Tams
Nikau palms
Fresh feijoas
Apricots, peaches, cherries & plums in January
Thyme-covered hills of Central Otago
Knowing I can go curling anytime I want
Curious fantalis
UB spotting
Mountain beech forests
A wood pigeon's crash landing
Empty white-sand beaches
Fields of lupine in bloom
Podocarp trees
Beach combing
Kiwi words & phrases
Penguins

....and Y

Anzac Day

Red Poppy
Georgia O'Keeffe

April 25th is Anzac Day, a national public holiday in Australia and New Zealand that honors members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli, Turkey, during World War I.

The ANZAC forces landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish Army commanded by Ataturk. The aim was to capture the Dardanelles, the gateway to the Bosphorus and the Black Sea. However, it quickly became a stale-mate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915, Turkey still held Gallipoli and the Allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties.

Over 8,000 Australian and 2,700 New Zealand soldiers died at Gallipoli. The deaths of so many young men had a profound impact on Australians and New Zealanders. In 1916, April 25th became the day on which Australia and New Zealand remembered the sacrifice of all those who had died in war.

In New Zealand, Anzac Day is commemorated through memorial services through out the country. A typical commemoration includes a pre-dawn march by returned service personnel and an afternoon parade to the local war memorial.

The red poppy (above) has become a symbol of war remembrance all around the world. The red poppy was the first flower to grow in the battlefields after WWI. In many countries people wear the poppy, usually around Armistice Day (November 11), to remember those who died in war or who still serve, but in New Zealand the poppy is most commonly seen around Anzac Day.

Kate Morton

Kate Morton is a best-selling Australian author that I've recently discovered. Her extraordinary books are full of mystery, dark secrets, historic detail and unforgettable characters. She has published 2 books so far and is working on a third. Because the stories are too complicated for me to explain, here are the descriptions from the back covers:

The Forgotten Garden (April 2009 Best of the Month on Amazon.com)

A lost child...

On the eve of the first world war, a little girl is found abandoned on a ship to Australia. A mysterious woman called the Authoress had promised to look after her - but the Authoress has disappeared without a trace.

A terrible secret...

On the night of her twenty-first birthday, Nell O'Connor learns a secret that will change her life forever. Decades later, she embarks upon a search for the truth that leads her to the windswept Cornish coast and the strange and beautiful Blackhurst Manor, once owned by the aristocratic Mountrachet family.

A mysterious inheritance...

On Nell's death, her grand-daughter, Cassandra, comes into an unexpected inheritance. Cliff Cottage and its forgotten garden are notorious amongst the Cornish locals for the secrets they hold - secrets about the doomed Mountrachet family and their ward Eliza Makepeace, a writer of dark Victorian fairytales. It is here that Cassandra will finally uncover the truth about the family, and solve the century-old mystery of a little girl lost.

The House at Riverton (Published in Australia and the UK as The Shifting Fog)

Within its four walls lay a secret that would last a lifetime.

Summer 1924: On the night of a glittering Society party, by the lake of a grand English country house, a young poet takes his life. The only witnesses, sisters Hannah and Emmeline Hartford, will never speak to each other again.

Winter 1999: Grace Bradley, 98, onetime housemaid of Riverton Manor, is visited by a young director making a film about the poet’s suicide. Ghosts awaken and memories, long-consigned to the dark reaches of Grace’s mind, begin to sneak back through the cracks. A shocking secret threatens to emerge; something history has forgotten but Grace never could.

Set as the war-shattered Edwardian summer surrenders to the decadent twenties, The House at Riverton is a thrilling mystery and a compelling love story.

Check out Kate Morton's website:
http://www.katemorton.com/

Do the Hokey Pokey

Hokey Pokey ice cream is a Kiwi institution and I embrace it whole heartedly! This yummy treat consists of vanilla ice cream with bits of Hokey Pokey (sponge toffee candy) mixed in. The toffee is made by mixing sugar and golden syrup (a baking staple in the Kiwi kitchen) with baking soda to create a frothy mixture, which sets like a crunchy toffee. It tastes sorta like caramel or butterscotch with a bit of crunch. Delicious!

Hokey Pokey ice cream has recently become popular in Japan and the South Pacific. Although, sadly, it's not available in the U.S. Guess I'll have to make my own!

Tuatara

No, Tuatara isn't another Japanese monster who battles Godzilla in some really bad B movie. The Tuatara is a lizard-like reptile that is found only in New Zealand. They are the only living members of the Order Sphenodontia, which lived during the age of the dinosaurs, over 200 million years ago!

My favorite part about the Tuatara is that it has a third eye on the top of its head! The eye has its own lens, cornea, retina and degenerated nerve connection to the brain, suggesting it evolved from a real eye. The eye is only visible in hatchlings, which have a translucent patch at the top center of the skull. After four to six months the eye becomes covered with opaque scales and pigment. Its purpose is unknown, but it may be useful in absorbing ultraviolet light to manufacture vitamin D or to help regulate body temperature.

Today the Tuatara only lives on a few islands around New Zealand, although there are many captive breeding colonies on the mainland. There is a large Tuatara colony at the Southland Museum in Invercargill where the public can see these amazing reptiles up close. Unfortunately when we visited, it was too cold for the lizards so they were all comatose in their burrows. Although we did get to see 11 hatchlings, along with their third "eye".

Maybe Godzilla vs The Three-Eyed Tuatara will be coming to a theater near you....

Villa Maria

I've found my favorite New Zealand winery: Villa Maria Estate

Founded in 1961, Villa Maria is one of New Zealand's leading winemakers. Villa Maria wine's have won numerous awards and the estate was named one of the world’s 50 great wine producers by Wine Spectator magazine.

My favorite is the 2006 Reserve Syrah, but the Private Bin Riesling and Gewurztraminer are excellent too!

Check out Villa Maria Estate
http://www.villamaria.co.nz/home.php

Cheers!

Watching Grass Grow: The Sport of Cricket

Call me crazy, but I just don't get Cricket, and probably never will. I think you have to be born into the sport to understand it. I've watched a bit of it on TV here in New Zealand and heard the scores on the radio, but it all looks and sounds so complicated!

Here are some excerpts of recent scores:

"play was halted by rain 15 minutes after the lunch break with New Zealand struggling at 48 for three in their second innings, after being forced to follow on 326 runs behind Australia's first innings."

"stumps were drawn early on the fourth and final day with England A 158 for one in their second innings, with captain Robert Key and Jonathan Trott adding an unbroken 140 for the second wicket."

"McCullum's demise after he and Ryder crunched an opening stand worth 166 triggered an implosion that saw five wickets lost for 37 in the space of 53 balls."

"Harbhajan's first two overs cost 29 but the spinner atoned when Ryder chipped to long-off to leave New Zealand in dire straits at 188 for four."

"After leg-spinner Shahid Afridi took 6-38 to dismiss Australia for 168, Pakistan needed just 44.1 overs to cruise to 6-171."

"Afridi's heroics with the ball were capped by causing Australia more pain with the bat, belting 24 from 16 balls, including five boundaries, in the middle order."

"Indian opening batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir made a revised target of 54 in six overs look easy, with Sehwag finishing the match with his fourth six in an innings of 38 not out off 16 balls."

Huh?

The BBC offers a nice glossary of some of the more creative cricketing slang.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/skills/6100344.stm

My favorite Cricket term is Googly.

If you’re interested in learning more about Cricket, or you’re bored, or just plain crazy, check out the Bollywood film Lagaan. It’s 4 hour Indian musical about Cricket! It just might approximate the thrilling, edge-of-your-seat, experience that is a Cricket match.

New Music

I've discovered some great new music here in New Zealand and thought you might be interested. There should be something for everyone....

Bic Runga
http://www.bicrunga.com/
A young singer/songwriter from Christchurch. Her voice is beautiful and soothing. At different times her music reminds me of Jewell, Sheryl Crow, Beth Orton and Norah Jones. Her song "Sway" was on the American Pie Soundtrack and received lots of airplay in the States.

Moana Maniapoto
http://www.moananz.com/
A Maori singer/songwriter that blends traditional Maori song and chant with soul, reggae and hip hop. Her music is a wonderful crossroads of the past and present.

Black Seeds
http://theblackseeds.com/
A Wellington band that fuses reggae, funk and dub. Fun, easy, mellow music. Former band member Bret McKenzie is also a member of the comedy duo Flight of the Conchords. Favorite songs are "Cool Me Down" and"Good People."

Gurumuul
http://www.gurrumul.com/
My personal favorite: A blind Aboriginal singer from an island in Arnhemland, in northern Australia. He sings in Yolngu Matha, his native language. His voice is incredibly beautiful, you will melt! Reminds me a lot of Aaron Neville. I got his self-titled album on iTunes.

Scribe
http://www.myspace.com/scribedirtyrecords
A very popular rap/hip hop artist of Samoan descent. You can also check out his songs on iTunes. He's collaborated with Wyclef Jean and Talib Kwali. Top hits include "Stand Up," "Not Many" and "Dreaming."

Kommikal
http://www.myspace.com/conjurur
A bi-lingual (Maori/English) rap/hip hop artist. His music often includes traditional Maori chants, such as Haka war-cries. The Maori language seems to suit this music genre nicely.

Happy listening!

FYI

So there has been a change of plans and I am moving back to California on Sunday. Big surprise, I know. I am unable to find a job in my field and I need some sunshine in my life, literally and figuratively.

I will continue to Blog about New Zealand this week and about settling back into American life for as long I have something to say. After that.....we'll see where I am.

Thank you all for continuing to read my silly ramblings on my life in New Zealand!

The Letter R

The letter "R" has a strange status in New Zealand. Kiwis add an "er" to the end of words that end in "a" (called an Intrusive R in linguistics) but they don't always pronounce the "r" in words that already have one at the end.

For example:

I'm from AmericeR and our president is Barack ObameR

The ca I drive is a Subaru Justy

The koaleR bear lives in AustralieR

Many cheap products in New Zealand come from ChineR, in AsieR

I ordered a vodkeR martini at the ba last night

I have a great ideaR

I need to buy a ja of pasta sauce for the lasagne

The Pavlova Wars

The relationship between New Zealand and Australia is something like a sibling rivalry: each country jokes about the other but rely upon one another at the end of the day. Much of the rivalry comes from sports, although there are many disputes over the nationality of famous people and rock bands, and even the origins of some foods.

The most famous sporting incident that Kiwis will NEVER let the Aussies live down is The Underarm Bowling Incident which occurred on February 1, 1981 when New Zealand was playing Australia in the cricket World Series Cup in Melbourne, Australia. In order to prevent New Zealand from scoring to tie the match, the Australian bowler delivered the last ball underarm, along the ground. This action was technically legal, but seen as being against the spirit of the game.

The Underarm Bowling Incident of '81 continues to fan the flames of rivalry between Kiwis and Aussies. I've heard it argued about between my Kiwi and Aussie friends, especially after a few beers. New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, recently said the Kiwis were ready to forgive Australia the underarm bowl, explaining that "we've certainly stopped the counseling sessions."

Another sporting rivalry is Phar Lap, a thoroughbred horse that was born in New Zealand and raced in Australia, winning two consecutive Melbourne Cups. Both countries claim him as their own.

The actor Russell Crowe is also claimed by both counties. Crowe was born in New Zealand and his family moved to Australia when he was 4 but he did not become an Australian citizen until 2006. Kiwis were recently annoyed when Australia put Crowe on a series of postage stamps recognizing great actors and actresses of Australia.

Actor Sam Neil is disputed across the Tasman Sea. Neil was born in Ireland to a Kiwi father and English mother, grew up in New Zealand, lives in Sydney Australia, and runs Two Paddocks Winery in New Zealand. Figure that one out.

In fact, many Kiwis move to Australia and the large continent is often referred to by Kiwis as the "brain drain." Former New Zealand prime minister, Robert Muldoon, once famously quipped that "New Zealanders who emigrate to Australia raise the IQ of both countries."

The rivalry rages on in the kitchen as well. Both countries claim to have been the inventors of Pavlova, a baked meringue dessert topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit and named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who visited both countries in the 1920s. Although, recent evidence from a Kiwi food historian suggests that the Kiwis did indeed develop a recipe for Pavlova first....

New Zealanders and Australians also argue about the origins of the Lamington, a sponge cake coated in chocolate icing and dried coconut. I'm still not sure why any country would want to claim this bland dessert as their own.

And then there are the sheep jokes. I won't go into detail about them, but I'm sure you can imagine....

If your interested in making a truly Antipodean dessert, here is a simple recipe for the perfect Pavlova:

*Preheat an oven to 150C (300F).

*Whisk five egg whites into stiff peaks, adding 225g caster sugar and a pinch of salt.

*Fold in two teaspoons of cornflour and one teaspoon of vinegar. Then spoon the mixture on to a baking sheet, or into a lined cake tin.

*Cook for 45-60 minutes.

*Whip 275ml of double cream with a teaspoon of Kirsch. When the pavlova is cool, top with the cream, soft fruit (such as raspberries, strawberries, kiwi fruit, or passionfruit), sugar and serve.

Boy Racers

The term "Boy Racer" refers to a phenomenon that has spread through out New Zealand in the past few years. Boy Racers are teenage or twenty-something boys who modify their cars and drive irresponsibly, illegally, and generally disturb the local community through noise and vandalism.

The cars driven by Boy Racers are extremely modified and extremely ugly. Typical modifications for a boy racer include:

• Hideous paint jobs, often including patterns, words or images
• Ridiculously large spoilers
• Huge, earth-shattering exhaust pipes
• Engine modifications
• Neon lights underneath the car (this is my favorite)
  
• Lowering
  
• Wide race tires
  
• Loud sound systems

In fact, Boy Racers have become such a problem in New Zealand that 5 % of road deaths are caused by Boy Racers. In 2003 the Land Transport (Unauthorised Street and Drag Racing) Amendment Act, also known as the "Boy Racer Act," was signed into law. The Act is aimed at street racing and burnouts in public places.

Under the law, illegal activities include driving a car in an illegal street race or accelerating in an unnecessary way. Other infractions include wheel spins, "donuts" or driving a car in a way that causes the car to lose traction. There are heavy penalties for breaking the law, such as jail time, car impoundment, and fines.

Apparently, the law has helped police collect and impound many cars, but the Boy Racers continue to be a problem. A hospital in Christchurch has to move their patients on the weekends because the noise caused by Boy Racers on the street below is so bad. In January, a Christchurch policeman was ambushed by 300 Boy Racers who threw bottles at his car and shot at him with air rifles. The policeman just drove away, leaving the Boy Racers to their own destructive devises.

After the incident city officials and the public called for more aggressive laws to deal with the Boy Racer problem, including crushing their seized cars to get them off the road. The Boy Racers responded by threatening the Christchurch Mayor for his tough stance against them. They parked their cars outside his home, yelling and revving their engines.

Hmmm, so much for law enforcement.

Dunedin definitely has its share of Boy Racers. A walk down George St (the main street downtown) is not complete without engines revving, tires screeching, and music blasting from tinted windows. Grassy areas and parking lots often have tire marks from a cars doing donuts. The other night, I laid in bed listening to Boy Racers driving all over Dunedin until the wee morning hours. Every time I see these cars I have to shake my head and laugh. The cars are so ridiculous looking! And then I sprint across the street to avoid getting run over.

The Cadbury Easter Bunny

Did you know that the Cadbury Company has a factory in Dunedin? Yeah, I didn't either before I moved here. Some days the air smells like chocolate and you know the factory is making up a big batch of goodies! You can take a tour of "Cadbury World" and learn how their chocolate is made. I haven't made a visit yet, but I'll report back when/if I do.

The Dunedin Cadbury factory opened in 1930 and now produces some of New Zealand's favorite candies including Pinkys, Jaffas, Perky Nana, Chocolate Fish, Freddo, Wine Gums, and Pineapple Lumps. And now that Easter is upon us, the shops are filled with all the Cadbury Chocolate Bunnies and Creme Eggs you could ever want. (Alas, there is not a colorful, sugar-coated marshmallow Peep in sight....)

I always wanted the Easter Bunny to leave some of these eggs in my Easter basket, but it's probably better that they never appeared. Honestly, I've never actually managed to have more than one bite of these sickly sweet, gooey eggs. I'd rather eat a box of Peeps!

You can check out Cadbury New Zealand here:
http://www.cadbury.co.nz/

And just for fun, check out the Peeps webpage!
http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/

Hope everyone has a Happy Easter!

NZ TV

On some cold and rainy nights we drag out our "entertainment system" (which includes a bulky soviet-era TV and a set of rabbit ears that extend 4 feet in the air) to watch some of the spectacular offerings on New Zealand TV. Reality shows are extremely popular here, including many from the U.S. and England, and there are some ridiculously bad drama/soap operas that we just can't bring ourselves to watch.

Some NZ-produced reality shows gems:

Border Patrol: This show tracks people, mail, and goods entering the country through Auckland International Airport and the Auckland Harbor. New Zealand has very strict customs policies and the inspection of items entering the country is taken very seriously. This includes drugs, weapons, pornography, terrorists, food, animals, fake medicines, insects and even illegal fossils! Some of the more "creative" goods brought or sent to NZ have been meth (known as "P" here) disguised in hot chocolate packets, illegal honey, an alligator head, live fish sent through the mail, and even a whale penis bone. Quite fun to watch actually, humans sure are crafty when it comes to smuggling!

Piha Rescue: This show follows the daily routine of the lifeguards that patrol the famous surf beach, Piha, on the North Island. Swimmers (and non-swimmers apparently) are constantly being rescued just minutes after entering the water, often after ignoring the lifeguards' warnings. But without the skimpy bathing suits and slow-motion running of Baywatch fame, just how many times can you watch lifeguards run into the water and drag in some poor swimmer?

New Zealand's Next Top Model: Like America's Next Top Model, except without Tyra, or Miss J, or good hair and make-up, or even good-looking models....Yeah, it's that bad.

Another interesting discovery on NZ TV are the commercials. There are lots of creative beer commercials (of course), but there are also lots of commercials that warn about the hazards of drinking. These are often very graphic, and involve car accidents, children and/or violence. I'm always surprised by these commercials, even when I've seen them before.

Interestingly, there are lots of commercials for male depression. Apparently depressed men in New Zealand aren't getting the help they need.

My favorite commercial is a tampon commercial about a woman and a beaver. The woman "takes care" of the beaver, taking it to the hair salon, the beach, out to lunch....I find it hilarious!
You can watch the commercial here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxkUE5TtOFQ

And then there is the language and nudity on TV. Lets just say that some things are best left unsaid, or seen, for that matter....

No Mo' Moa

Reconstruction of a Moa
Credit: Zoological Society of London

The Moa was a huge, flightless bird that once roamed all over New Zealand but was hunted to extinction by the Maori. In fact, research suggest that it took only 300 years for the Maori to hunt the Moa to complete extinction after the Maori arrived in New Zealand around 1200 CE.

The Moa was an herbivore that thrived in New Zealand for thousands of years, living in forest, shrub land, and sub-alpine environments. It was once widely accepted that there were 10 species of Moa, however recent DNA evidence suggests that there may have only been 2 or 3 species. DNA testing also shows the Moa's closest relatives are the Australian Cassowary and Emu. The largest Moa stood over 12 feet tall and weighed over 500 lbs!

The Moa was a great source of food for the Maori. Archaeological evidence shows that the meat was cooked in large, outdoor ovens, the bones were fashioned into hooks, pendents and tools, skin and feathers were made into clothes, and the eggs were eaten and the shells used to carry water.

There are thousands of Moa remains, including recent bones, fossil bones, feet, feathers, soft tissue, eggshell fragments, footprint tracks, gizzard stones and even coprolites (fossilized poop)! Many caves have large deposits of Moa bones, including complete skeletons that allow scientists to accurately recreate the Moa's body structure.

Interestingly, although it is widely accepted that the Moa is extinct, there are some speculations that Moa still exist in extremely remote locations, such as Westland on the South Island. Every year there are sightings, but no strong evidence has been put forward to suggest that the Moa lives on.

To learn more about the Moa and see images, check out
http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/NativeBirdsAndBats/Moa/en

Fall

Fall has arrived in Dunedin, with crisp blue skies, and yellow leaves. Take a look!

Bacon Buttie!

I've discovered something that makes the 8:30 am Saturday morning Farmer's Market worth getting out of bed for (besides the excellent fresh fruits and veggies, of course): The Bacon Buttie.


A Bacon Buttie consists of 2 slices of white bread (as in Wonder) packed with hot, salty bacon, caramelized onions relish, mustard and ketchup. The Bacon Buttie is extremely popular and there is always a long line to order one. I think I'll have to start making them at home during the week....

Mmmmm, bacon!

Can You Repeat That Please?

OK, I've been here almost 6 months and I still can't understand Kiwis sometimes! Not only does the accent make it hard, but Kiwis talk fast and often mumble. My friends for whom English is a second language joke that successfully ordering a sandwich at Subway with the all ingredients you actually want is the gold star of understanding the Kiwi language.

Some things here also have a different name than we are used to in the US, making communication even more difficult or possibly embarrassing!

Here are some of those words:

Serviette=Napkin
Napkin or Nappy=Diaper
Torch=Flashlight
Boot=Trunk of the car
Bonnet=Hood of the car
Fringe=Bangs
Root=To have sex (Yeah, don't say you "root" for a sports team here...)
Braces=Suspenders
Capsicum=Bell Pepper
Coriander=Cilantro
Courgettes=Zucchini
Aubergine=Eggplant
Chips=Fries
Crisps=Chips
Flannel=Washcloth
Jandals=Flip-flops/thongs
Jersey=Sweater
Jumper=Wool sweater
Lolly=Candy
Nought=Zero
Zed=the letter Z
Petrol=Gasoline
Rubber=Eraser
Sticking plaster=Band-aid
Valet=A person who cleans cars, NOT parks them

Poolside Haka

The other night we went for a swim at the community pool and witnessed 2 swim teams perform the Haka before their swim meet.

The Haka is the traditional Maori dance that includes shouting, postures, and facial expressions and is performed by a group. The All Blacks, the New Zealand rugby team, has popularized the Haka through their performances before a match. However, the team's war Haka is only one version of Haka among many, and not all Haka are exclusively war dances or only performed by men.

Here is a video of the All Blacks performing the Haka before a match against England in 2004. It also has translations of the song's words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdMCAV6Yd0Y

Every time I see the Haka performed I get goosebumps. It's such an intense, passionate dance that rattles me to the core. It's quite intimidating!

However, the skinny, white, teenage swimmers performing the Haka on the pool deck were a different story.

Death by Cold

Oh boy, the days are becoming shorter, darker, and colder here in the southern hemisphere, a reminder that winter is fast approaching. Winter in Dunedin means a bitterly cold house, and just in case you still weren't convinced about the severity of cold New Zealand homes......

Last week, one of Dunedin's weeklies published a story about HomeSmart, a research program designed to investigate how to help Dunedin home owners keep their houses warmer during the "bitterly cold" winter months. Research shows that because of Dunedin's location and a high number of old wooden houses without insulation, homes here are even colder then others in New Zealand. The research team leader said that she had heard stories of people waking up to "frost on the duvet covers and ice on the inside of their windows" (Jones, Pam. March 26 2009 Dunedin Homes in Winter to be Studied. The Star. pg 4). Friends of mine have warned me that during the winter months, houses are often colder than the refrigerator!Brrrrr......

Previous studies have also looked at cold New Zealand homes. A 2006 study by the Commissioner for the Environment, showed more than one million people were living in cold, damp New Zealand homes below the minimum temperature of 18 degree C recommended by the World Health Organization.

In a presentation made to the NZ Government Treasury, Otago University researcher and healthy-housing expert Philippa Howden-Chapman demonstrated that New Zealand has low building code standards and there is high level of deferred maintenance, leading to poorly built homes that are cold and damp (Howden-Chapman. 2006. Housing in New Zealand: private assets with public consequences).

But that's not all. Recent studies also suggest that there is a relationship between cold homes and poor health. A 2007 study at the University ofOtago found that 1600 New Zealanders die every winter, more than during other season (Davie GS, Baker MG, Hales S, Carlin JB. 2007. Trends and determinants of excess winter mortality in New Zealand: 1980 to 2000. BMC Public Health 7:263). The researchers suggested that warmer homes could help keep people healthier during the winter.

So what's the problem? Why don't we just crank up the heater? Well, energy is extremely expensive in New Zealand and central heating doesn't exist. There is no gas main so most homes are heated with a heat pump, a heater/air conditioner contraption that converts outside air to warm/cool air inside your house. Heat pumps are becoming more and more popular as a "greener" alternative to coal (yes, coal is still used here!) and wood stoves.

We have 1 heat pump in the living room/dining room/kitchen. It works OK when the door to the rest of the house is closed, but this means that only one room is warm while the rest of the house is frigid, including the bedroom. And for some reason it's mounted by the ceiling, and heat rises, right......?

Anyway, here is a link to a good article about these studies and the consequences of a cold home.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/461848

Hope you are warm and healthy!