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!