Lantern is all about reflection, human nature and family, regardless of race or culture.
Set in present day Auckland, the play which kicks off on Monday follows the fictional Chen family.
But what gives this play its lustre, is that as the story unfolds whole audiences recognise not just facets of themselves, but also snippets of their own stories played out on stage.
Lantern’s writer is Remuera-based Renee Liang, who is a poet, a playwright, and – surprisingly – a paediatrician. She is also working on her first novel.
While medicine is her calling, writing is her passion.
She is one of the organisers of Poetry Live, Auckland’s long-running weekly poetry gig and admits that she is always trying to get more people to write and read poetry.
A member of the Guerilla poets – who etch words in chalk on Auckland pavements – she’s done everything from random poetry readings at bus stops to chairing the poetry session at the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival.
Nor does she shy away from real things, and this trait contributes to her work’s fearless honesty and insights.
"I gave 18 years of my life solely to medicine, and then something happened. My partner died. I was in shock and couldn’t do anything for two days.
"What I eventually did though, was pick up a pen – and write a poem for him.
"And it was like that unleashed the floodgates. I wrote for about a year, poems to him," she says.
"Then one day, I was writing about other things. And then came the first love poem I wrote, that wasn’t for him, but was for my current partner.
"I believe very much that one thing leads to another, and with writing in particular that is the case. I’m still exploring fields, genres, formats – all the ways there are to express feelings, thoughts, ideas," she says.
She says her training in medicine has taught her to look at what’s beneath the surface, and that’s what she does in her writing.
"I’m curious about people and I let that show, and in their response to me, they give me insights into what’s really there, under all the surface stuff.
"What is really interesting is the disconnection that so many people feel, which has nothing to do with race or culture.
"Sometimes our isolation is what we actually share," she says.
Miss Liang has immersed herself in all aspects of play writing, a wide range of genres of artistic expression and collaborations and involvement in a dizzying variety of artistic groups from fringe festivals to Read Raw to Flip the Script, Smack Bang and other private collaborations.
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She says Lantern is at its heart, a play about family.
It involves two actors who play 10 characters over 85 minutes.
The actors are two of New Zealand’s best-known Chinese actors, Shortland Street’s Li-Ming Hu and Andy Wong from Ride with the Devil and No 2.
Audience members are invited to add their own poetry to a lantern installation in the foyer.
Lantern runs from Monday to June 13 at The Basement, lower Greys Ave, Auckland.
For ticket information go to www.the-edge.co.nz or call 357-3355.
Paediatrician's play all about the family
By KAREN KOTZE - East And Bays Courier
Last updated 05:00 05/06/2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
BUDDING SCIENTIST: Palmerston North student Jenny Wong
t was an extraordinary science trip for Palmerston North Girls' High School student Jenny Wong, 17, who was awarded a scholarship to the 2009 Professor Harry Messel International Science School.
Miss Wong, who plans to study medicine, spent two weeks in Sydney at the end of July learning at the School of Physics.
Only five scholarships were awarded to New Zealand students and 145 students attended the two-week-long trip.
Students were from all around the world including America and Japan.
Miss Wong said the trip was a great experience for her.
"I'm really into science. I know it is something I want to do. And I had never been to Australia."
Biology is her favourite science and although she went on a more physics-based trip everything she learnt can still be applied.
"Everyone is born being curious and science allows us to know more about life on earth and gives us a new and better approach to things."
Lectures were given by professors from Australia, someone from NASA and a French university lecturer.
One of the things Miss Wong liked the most about the experience was the people she got to meet and learn from.
"You definitely know that the people that are going are intelligent and work hard to get there. From some of the countries students had to take an exam."
Social activities were also included during the two weeks and Miss Wong was able to see the harbour bridge and the Opera House as well as attend the Beauty and the Geek disco.
Miss Wong received her $3000 scholarship through the Royal Society of New Zealand and was also given funds from her school.
By CAITLIN MADDEN - Manawatu Standard
Last updated 12:00 11/08/2009
Miss Wong, who plans to study medicine, spent two weeks in Sydney at the end of July learning at the School of Physics.
Only five scholarships were awarded to New Zealand students and 145 students attended the two-week-long trip.
Students were from all around the world including America and Japan.
Miss Wong said the trip was a great experience for her.
"I'm really into science. I know it is something I want to do. And I had never been to Australia."
Biology is her favourite science and although she went on a more physics-based trip everything she learnt can still be applied.
"Everyone is born being curious and science allows us to know more about life on earth and gives us a new and better approach to things."
Lectures were given by professors from Australia, someone from NASA and a French university lecturer.
One of the things Miss Wong liked the most about the experience was the people she got to meet and learn from.
"You definitely know that the people that are going are intelligent and work hard to get there. From some of the countries students had to take an exam."
Social activities were also included during the two weeks and Miss Wong was able to see the harbour bridge and the Opera House as well as attend the Beauty and the Geek disco.
Miss Wong received her $3000 scholarship through the Royal Society of New Zealand and was also given funds from her school.
By CAITLIN MADDEN - Manawatu Standard
Last updated 12:00 11/08/2009
Tony Wong-Kam. Fishing king lands more excitement
Fishing is far from peaceful for champion angler Tony Wong-Kam.
The newly crowned King of the Coromandel has often been in the headlines.
And he claims shots have been fired at him in the past by jealous rivals.
Even his latest success was marred by an incident which could have cost lives, he says.
"On the drive home from the Coromandel I had to stop six or seven times.
"The rig carrying my boat didn’t feel right, it weaved when I turned."
He says he found four bolts on his towbar were loose.
"On the motorway, that’s a life and death situation," he says.
Wong-Kam, 48, of Torbay says checks were carried out on his vehicle before the journey and he suspects that the fastenings were undone deliberately.
"A complaint has been made with the police," he says.
"I have a history with things like this, I’m a target."
With Mike Hiskens the pair dominated the annual King of the Coromandel competition bagging thousands of dollars in prizes in the process.
"Fish we caught on the first two days won first, second and third overall," says Wong-Kam.
"We didn’t go out on the third day to give someone else a chance."
Wong-Kam estimates a total prize haul, which included a new car, to be worth at least $30,000.
"We brought home two of the top three kingfish we caught. But the biggest one was stolen from the ice bins."
Excitement is never far from Wong-Kam. In December 2006 his face was slashed by a stingray while diving off Great Barrier Island and in March 2008 he claimed to be the first person to catch a manta ray in New Zealand waters.
Wong-Kam says he does not understand the negative attention and will remain undeterred from fishing
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/2382820/Fishing-king-lands-more-excitement
By SIMON PLUMB - North Shore Times
Last updated 05:00 05/05/2009
The newly crowned King of the Coromandel has often been in the headlines.
And he claims shots have been fired at him in the past by jealous rivals.
Even his latest success was marred by an incident which could have cost lives, he says.
"On the drive home from the Coromandel I had to stop six or seven times.
"The rig carrying my boat didn’t feel right, it weaved when I turned."
He says he found four bolts on his towbar were loose.
"On the motorway, that’s a life and death situation," he says.
Wong-Kam, 48, of Torbay says checks were carried out on his vehicle before the journey and he suspects that the fastenings were undone deliberately.
"A complaint has been made with the police," he says.
"I have a history with things like this, I’m a target."
With Mike Hiskens the pair dominated the annual King of the Coromandel competition bagging thousands of dollars in prizes in the process.
"Fish we caught on the first two days won first, second and third overall," says Wong-Kam.
"We didn’t go out on the third day to give someone else a chance."
Wong-Kam estimates a total prize haul, which included a new car, to be worth at least $30,000.
"We brought home two of the top three kingfish we caught. But the biggest one was stolen from the ice bins."
Excitement is never far from Wong-Kam. In December 2006 his face was slashed by a stingray while diving off Great Barrier Island and in March 2008 he claimed to be the first person to catch a manta ray in New Zealand waters.
Wong-Kam says he does not understand the negative attention and will remain undeterred from fishing
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/2382820/Fishing-king-lands-more-excitement
By SIMON PLUMB - North Shore Times
Last updated 05:00 05/05/2009
Raymond Wong Tong: Green grocer had a twinkle in his eye
Raymond Wong Tong had a passion for China, but always returned to Wellington, and will be remembered for his fondness for a chat.
Raymond Wong Tong was always sociable. He loved flirting with the ladies who came into the family fruit and vegetable shop in Cuba St and even after his retirement he readily chatted with people he met on his walks or bike rides around Miramar.
Always cheerful, polite, considerate and well dressed, he was able to converse fluently in English, Cantonese and the Mandarin he continued to study in his later years.
Mr Wong Tong was born at 259 Cuba St above the shop set up by his father who had come out to New Zealand in the 1800s to work the Otago goldfields.
The oldest of seven - six sisters and a brother - he went to Mt Cook School and Wellington Technical College. He attended the Anglican Chinese Mission Church in Frederick St and learnt to play the violin.
When he was 16 the family returned to China to ensure the children had a Chinese education.
Mr Wong Tong signed on as a radio telegrapher with the British- owned China Navigation Company and sailed on the company freighters which plied the coast, up the Yangtze River and as far south as Singapore.
During this time he was introduced to and fell in love with Betty Chang, a New Zealand-born girl who had been raised in China since the age of three.
"I fell in love with her lovely dimples immediately and when she smiled at me, I knew I had to have her," Mr Wong Tong once recounted, remembering courting her on the cosmopolitan pre-war Shanghai waterfront.
They married in 1935, and their honeymoon was their voyage back to New Zealand on the Union Company Ship Taniwha.
Back in Wellington he rejoined the family at their second shop - Wong Tong and Sons - at 168 Cuba St (this is still a greengrocer but was sold by the family more than 50 years ago).
The extended family lived on the second and third floor above the shop and everybody contributed to the business.
During the war, Mr Wong Tong served in the home guard and every Sunday would get dressed in his army uniform and head out for training at Lyall Bay, but fortunately his appalling marksmanship never had to be put to the test.
For a time during the war, when Japanese invasion was feared, the women and children were sent over to Carterton while the men manned the shop.
As the children grew up they helped out in the shop if they weren't at school, attending Chinese classes or taking music lessons.
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Mr Wong Tong and his brother Ivan would go to the markets in Allen St each weekday morning where he would concentrate on vegetables while Ivan's specialty was fruit and flowers.
The shop's supplies were supplemented by spring onions and radishes grown on a small family plot in Nairn St and later from the large garden behind the home Mr Wong Tong bought in Puriri St, Miramar.
When his father sold the business in 1953, Mr Wong Tong moved the family to Nelson and opened another fruit and vegetable shop in Trafalgar St.
He and his wife sold the shop in 1966 after all the children left home and began what was to be their retirement with a two-year overseas holiday taking in Hong Kong and the United States, before returning and settling again in Miramar.
But Mr Wong Tong was just 55 and started working again - an office job with Philips Electrical in Lyall Bay, where he stayed on for about 10 years before finally retiring after suffering a mild heart attack. In 1983 he travelled back to China for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Mr Wong Tong - who was brought up to support the Chinese nationalists - later accepted that his homeland had become a communist state and he accepted invitations to functions put on by the Taiwanese as well as the Chinese diplomatic representatives in Wellington.
He was a stalwart of the Fung Tung Association which his father had helped found, and the Chinese Anglican Mission.
His only extravagance was the odd flutter on the horses and mahjong with his pensioner friends where losing $5 was a big deal.
Mrs Wong Tong died in 2006 and he spent his last few years in a rest home. He is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.
Raymond Wong Tong, green grocer: born Wellington, March 6, 1911; married Betty Chang 1935, 2 sons and 2 daughters; died Wellington, July 21, 2009, aged 98.
Sources. Ronald, Beverley, Mervyn and Fiona Wong.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/obituaries/2732503/Raymond-Wong-Tong-Green-grocer-had-a-twinkle-in-his-eye
Raymond Wong Tong was always sociable. He loved flirting with the ladies who came into the family fruit and vegetable shop in Cuba St and even after his retirement he readily chatted with people he met on his walks or bike rides around Miramar.
Always cheerful, polite, considerate and well dressed, he was able to converse fluently in English, Cantonese and the Mandarin he continued to study in his later years.
Mr Wong Tong was born at 259 Cuba St above the shop set up by his father who had come out to New Zealand in the 1800s to work the Otago goldfields.
The oldest of seven - six sisters and a brother - he went to Mt Cook School and Wellington Technical College. He attended the Anglican Chinese Mission Church in Frederick St and learnt to play the violin.
When he was 16 the family returned to China to ensure the children had a Chinese education.
Mr Wong Tong signed on as a radio telegrapher with the British- owned China Navigation Company and sailed on the company freighters which plied the coast, up the Yangtze River and as far south as Singapore.
During this time he was introduced to and fell in love with Betty Chang, a New Zealand-born girl who had been raised in China since the age of three.
"I fell in love with her lovely dimples immediately and when she smiled at me, I knew I had to have her," Mr Wong Tong once recounted, remembering courting her on the cosmopolitan pre-war Shanghai waterfront.
They married in 1935, and their honeymoon was their voyage back to New Zealand on the Union Company Ship Taniwha.
Back in Wellington he rejoined the family at their second shop - Wong Tong and Sons - at 168 Cuba St (this is still a greengrocer but was sold by the family more than 50 years ago).
The extended family lived on the second and third floor above the shop and everybody contributed to the business.
During the war, Mr Wong Tong served in the home guard and every Sunday would get dressed in his army uniform and head out for training at Lyall Bay, but fortunately his appalling marksmanship never had to be put to the test.
For a time during the war, when Japanese invasion was feared, the women and children were sent over to Carterton while the men manned the shop.
As the children grew up they helped out in the shop if they weren't at school, attending Chinese classes or taking music lessons.
Ad Feedback
Mr Wong Tong and his brother Ivan would go to the markets in Allen St each weekday morning where he would concentrate on vegetables while Ivan's specialty was fruit and flowers.
The shop's supplies were supplemented by spring onions and radishes grown on a small family plot in Nairn St and later from the large garden behind the home Mr Wong Tong bought in Puriri St, Miramar.
When his father sold the business in 1953, Mr Wong Tong moved the family to Nelson and opened another fruit and vegetable shop in Trafalgar St.
He and his wife sold the shop in 1966 after all the children left home and began what was to be their retirement with a two-year overseas holiday taking in Hong Kong and the United States, before returning and settling again in Miramar.
But Mr Wong Tong was just 55 and started working again - an office job with Philips Electrical in Lyall Bay, where he stayed on for about 10 years before finally retiring after suffering a mild heart attack. In 1983 he travelled back to China for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Mr Wong Tong - who was brought up to support the Chinese nationalists - later accepted that his homeland had become a communist state and he accepted invitations to functions put on by the Taiwanese as well as the Chinese diplomatic representatives in Wellington.
He was a stalwart of the Fung Tung Association which his father had helped found, and the Chinese Anglican Mission.
His only extravagance was the odd flutter on the horses and mahjong with his pensioner friends where losing $5 was a big deal.
Mrs Wong Tong died in 2006 and he spent his last few years in a rest home. He is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.
Raymond Wong Tong, green grocer: born Wellington, March 6, 1911; married Betty Chang 1935, 2 sons and 2 daughters; died Wellington, July 21, 2009, aged 98.
Sources. Ronald, Beverley, Mervyn and Fiona Wong.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/obituaries/2732503/Raymond-Wong-Tong-Green-grocer-had-a-twinkle-in-his-eye
Festival light shines on patriarch
Percy Chew Lee has never shied away from a challenge.
The 96-year-old arrived with his family from China to an unfriendly welcome in New Zealand 88 years ago.
All Chinese arriving in the country then were subject to a hefty poll tax.
The 100 tax (the equivalent of nearly $8000 today) reflected the discriminatory attitude against Chinese arrivals, but Lee did not let it slow him down.
Yesterday, the Christchurch resident was checking preparations for this weekend's Chinese New Year lantern festival to welcome in the Year of the Rat, an event which reflects how far his adopted country has come.
"Ninety years ago the Europeans looked down on the Chinese," Lee said. "In those days you had to learn to fight for yourself to prove you could do as much as anyone."
Lee's colourful life certainly proves his point.
After becoming the first Chinese student in a European school in Christchurch, his list of achievements included becoming a South Island 80km cycling champion after training nearly 100km every day before breakfast.
He was the first Chinese person to take up competitive wrestling and became a South Island runner-up.
He also took up training racehorses, and won the Westport Cup two years running.
In the 1930s he was the first Chinese man to fly an aeroplane in Christchurch, although his father would not let him gain his licence.
But perhaps his proudest achievement was designing and building the large pagoda-style house where he lives with family in Cashmere.
From there he continues to sell vegetables from the family market garden. He gave up riding the tractor just last year.
Lee has nine children, 21 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
This year his services to the Chinese community were recognised with a Queen's Service Medal in the New Year Honours, and he is looking forward to going to Wellington -- where he arrived as an eight-year-old -- to collect the award.
Lee put his longevity down to no smoking or drinking, working hard and never saying he could not do it. "The main thing in life is you have to prove things for yourself, just like me. I had to learn," he said.
LANTERN FESTIVAL
Hundreds of lanterns will light up Victoria Square this weekend in celebration of the Year of the Rat. Thousands of people are expected to enjoy the evening entertainment with special performers from China and ethnic food stalls. The event starts at 4pm today and tomorrow, but dusk is the optimum time for lantern viewing.
The 96-year-old arrived with his family from China to an unfriendly welcome in New Zealand 88 years ago.
All Chinese arriving in the country then were subject to a hefty poll tax.
The 100 tax (the equivalent of nearly $8000 today) reflected the discriminatory attitude against Chinese arrivals, but Lee did not let it slow him down.
Yesterday, the Christchurch resident was checking preparations for this weekend's Chinese New Year lantern festival to welcome in the Year of the Rat, an event which reflects how far his adopted country has come.
"Ninety years ago the Europeans looked down on the Chinese," Lee said. "In those days you had to learn to fight for yourself to prove you could do as much as anyone."
Lee's colourful life certainly proves his point.
After becoming the first Chinese student in a European school in Christchurch, his list of achievements included becoming a South Island 80km cycling champion after training nearly 100km every day before breakfast.
He was the first Chinese person to take up competitive wrestling and became a South Island runner-up.
He also took up training racehorses, and won the Westport Cup two years running.
In the 1930s he was the first Chinese man to fly an aeroplane in Christchurch, although his father would not let him gain his licence.
But perhaps his proudest achievement was designing and building the large pagoda-style house where he lives with family in Cashmere.
From there he continues to sell vegetables from the family market garden. He gave up riding the tractor just last year.
Lee has nine children, 21 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
This year his services to the Chinese community were recognised with a Queen's Service Medal in the New Year Honours, and he is looking forward to going to Wellington -- where he arrived as an eight-year-old -- to collect the award.
Lee put his longevity down to no smoking or drinking, working hard and never saying he could not do it. "The main thing in life is you have to prove things for yourself, just like me. I had to learn," he said.
LANTERN FESTIVAL
Hundreds of lanterns will light up Victoria Square this weekend in celebration of the Year of the Rat. Thousands of people are expected to enjoy the evening entertainment with special performers from China and ethnic food stalls. The event starts at 4pm today and tomorrow, but dusk is the optimum time for lantern viewing.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Chinese Moon festival
Chinese Moon festival: 3 October
The Chinese Moon Festival, also known as the mid-autumn Festival, is one of the most important traditional events for the Chinese. It is celebated in 2009 on 3 October. It is also celebrated by the Vietnamese, though they celebrate it differently.
There are many variations on the legendary stories around the moon festival. Legend says that Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since. You might see her dancing on the moon during the Moon Festival. The Moon Festival is also an occasion for family reunions.
Moon cakes are often eaten at the festival. The Chinese eat the moon cake at night with the full moon in the sky. Lovers spend such a romatic night together tasting the delicious moon cake with some wine while watching the full moon. Even for a couple who can't be together, they can still enjoy the night by watching the moon at the same time so it seems that they are together at that hour.
The Chinese Moon Festival, also known as the mid-autumn Festival, is one of the most important traditional events for the Chinese. It is celebated in 2009 on 3 October. It is also celebrated by the Vietnamese, though they celebrate it differently.
There are many variations on the legendary stories around the moon festival. Legend says that Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since. You might see her dancing on the moon during the Moon Festival. The Moon Festival is also an occasion for family reunions.
Moon cakes are often eaten at the festival. The Chinese eat the moon cake at night with the full moon in the sky. Lovers spend such a romatic night together tasting the delicious moon cake with some wine while watching the full moon. Even for a couple who can't be together, they can still enjoy the night by watching the moon at the same time so it seems that they are together at that hour.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Supermarket change marks end of an era
4:00AM Tuesday Sep 22, 2009
By Beck Vass
The first Foodtown supermarket was opened by Tom Ah Chee in Great South Road, Otahuhu, in 1958. Photo / Supplied
* Grocer marks 50 years of ringing tills
The legacy of Foodtown - the small South Auckland supermarket that energised the grocery trade in Australasia - is set to become lost in a rebranding exercise that will see all Foodtown and Woolworths stores renamed as "new generation" Countdowns.
The first Foodtown, opened in Otahuhu by Tom Ah Chee on June 28, 1958, was the first American-style supermarket in New Zealand.
Mr Ah Chee's widow, Molly Ah Chee, could not be reached for comment yesterday but a family member said the rebranding marked the "end of an era".
The original Foodtown, owned by Mr Ah Chee and his friends Norman Kent, John Brown and Brian Picot, opened to so much excitement that traffic blocked the main road and the street was shut off. Radio announcers appealed to would-be customers to come back the next day, but that only attracted more interest.
The store, which also had the first automatic doors and air-conditioning, proved so popular that a second one was opened nearby in Takanini in 1961.
supermarket change marks end era retailing consumer information shopping history progressive enterprises legacy foodtown small south auckland energised grocery trade australasia set lost rebranding exercise see woolworths stores renamed generation
By last year, 50 years later, New Zealand had more than 30 Foodtowns.
When Foodtown first opened, supermarket trolleys were a new concept. Specials included a 6lb (2.7kg) bag of Chelsea sugar for the equivalent of 49c, an 11oz bottle of Watties tomato sauce for 27c and toilet rolls for 14c.
A large package of Weet-Bix was 31c, a 26oz can of spaghetti was 20c and Choysa teabags (8oz) were 33c.
Eggs came in paper bags and boys took customers' shopping to their cars.
By Beck Vass
The first Foodtown supermarket was opened by Tom Ah Chee in Great South Road, Otahuhu, in 1958. Photo / Supplied
* Grocer marks 50 years of ringing tills
The legacy of Foodtown - the small South Auckland supermarket that energised the grocery trade in Australasia - is set to become lost in a rebranding exercise that will see all Foodtown and Woolworths stores renamed as "new generation" Countdowns.
The first Foodtown, opened in Otahuhu by Tom Ah Chee on June 28, 1958, was the first American-style supermarket in New Zealand.
Mr Ah Chee's widow, Molly Ah Chee, could not be reached for comment yesterday but a family member said the rebranding marked the "end of an era".
The original Foodtown, owned by Mr Ah Chee and his friends Norman Kent, John Brown and Brian Picot, opened to so much excitement that traffic blocked the main road and the street was shut off. Radio announcers appealed to would-be customers to come back the next day, but that only attracted more interest.
The store, which also had the first automatic doors and air-conditioning, proved so popular that a second one was opened nearby in Takanini in 1961.
supermarket change marks end era retailing consumer information shopping history progressive enterprises legacy foodtown small south auckland energised grocery trade australasia set lost rebranding exercise see woolworths stores renamed generation
By last year, 50 years later, New Zealand had more than 30 Foodtowns.
When Foodtown first opened, supermarket trolleys were a new concept. Specials included a 6lb (2.7kg) bag of Chelsea sugar for the equivalent of 49c, an 11oz bottle of Watties tomato sauce for 27c and toilet rolls for 14c.
A large package of Weet-Bix was 31c, a 26oz can of spaghetti was 20c and Choysa teabags (8oz) were 33c.
Eggs came in paper bags and boys took customers' shopping to their cars.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Chinese reflect on colonial roots
Chinese reflect on colonial roots
4:00AM Friday Sep 18, 2009
By Bernard Orsman
David Wong (left) with Barry Wah Lee, whose grandfather opened a store around 1900. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Most Aucklanders associate the Wah Lee general store in Hobson St with fireworks for Guy Fawkes. What they probably don't realise is that the store is owned by one of the four founding Chinese families in Auckland.
Barry Wah Lee's grandfather opened the store in about 1900 at the old Chinatown in Grey's Ave, or Grey St as it was then known.
The area became home to boarding houses, opium dens and gambling houses.
Auckland's first and only Chinatown was replaced by multi-storey flats and later the Auckland City Council Civic Building, and Wah Lee's moved to Hobson St in 1966.
The history of the Chinese community in colonial Auckland is the subject of a talk tomorrow by a member of the Chinese community, David Wong, as part of the Auckland Heritage Festival.
The festival, the sixth held by the Auckland City Council, starts tonight with a display of historical images projected on to Shed 10 at Queens Wharf.
There will be a public viewing from behind the "Red Gates" on Quay St from 6.30pm.
The theme of this year's festival is living heritage and features more than 100 diverse and interactive events. They include an Auckland Heritage pub quiz night, cruises on the historic William C Daldy steam tug and a concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of the liberation by university students of Albert Park in 1969.
Mr Wong said the first Chinese arrived in Auckland from the Otago goldfields in the 1860s. Among them was Thomas Quoi who had a stall in the city markets behind where the Civic Theatre was later built.
Early Chinese settlers turned their hand to market gardening, among them Mr Wong's great-grandfather who named his area at Carlaw Park "the garden of prosperity".
The Chinese also opened laundry and fruit shops.
Mr Wong said the Chinese population throughout New Zealand in 1900 was about 3000, of which there were only eight or 10 women. Auckland's Chinese population was between 112 and 120.
Today, there are more than 130,000 Chinese in Auckland, of which about 25,000 were born in New Zealand.
Mr Wong will be giving two talks at the Auckland Art Gallery tomorrow - at 1pm in English and 3pm in Mandarin. Bookings can be made on 307-7700.
For more details on the festival, which runs until October 4, go to: www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/events
4:00AM Friday Sep 18, 2009
By Bernard Orsman
David Wong (left) with Barry Wah Lee, whose grandfather opened a store around 1900. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Most Aucklanders associate the Wah Lee general store in Hobson St with fireworks for Guy Fawkes. What they probably don't realise is that the store is owned by one of the four founding Chinese families in Auckland.
Barry Wah Lee's grandfather opened the store in about 1900 at the old Chinatown in Grey's Ave, or Grey St as it was then known.
The area became home to boarding houses, opium dens and gambling houses.
Auckland's first and only Chinatown was replaced by multi-storey flats and later the Auckland City Council Civic Building, and Wah Lee's moved to Hobson St in 1966.
The history of the Chinese community in colonial Auckland is the subject of a talk tomorrow by a member of the Chinese community, David Wong, as part of the Auckland Heritage Festival.
The festival, the sixth held by the Auckland City Council, starts tonight with a display of historical images projected on to Shed 10 at Queens Wharf.
There will be a public viewing from behind the "Red Gates" on Quay St from 6.30pm.
The theme of this year's festival is living heritage and features more than 100 diverse and interactive events. They include an Auckland Heritage pub quiz night, cruises on the historic William C Daldy steam tug and a concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of the liberation by university students of Albert Park in 1969.
Mr Wong said the first Chinese arrived in Auckland from the Otago goldfields in the 1860s. Among them was Thomas Quoi who had a stall in the city markets behind where the Civic Theatre was later built.
Early Chinese settlers turned their hand to market gardening, among them Mr Wong's great-grandfather who named his area at Carlaw Park "the garden of prosperity".
The Chinese also opened laundry and fruit shops.
Mr Wong said the Chinese population throughout New Zealand in 1900 was about 3000, of which there were only eight or 10 women. Auckland's Chinese population was between 112 and 120.
Today, there are more than 130,000 Chinese in Auckland, of which about 25,000 were born in New Zealand.
Mr Wong will be giving two talks at the Auckland Art Gallery tomorrow - at 1pm in English and 3pm in Mandarin. Bookings can be made on 307-7700.
For more details on the festival, which runs until October 4, go to: www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/events
Sunday, August 30, 2009
20 November 1908
20 November 1908 - Ten Chinese were charged at the Auckland Police Court "that on Sunday, October 18, at Avondale, they did work at their trade of market gardening." The men were not doing ordinary gardening, but pulling carrots for supplying a ship next morning. They admitted that there had been a technical breach. Sergeant Hendry, who appeared for the prosecution, said that at Avondale there were European as well as Chinese gardeners, and the former were in the habit of working six days per week and the latter seven days per week. The Chinese had previously been cautioned, and he submitted that the Court should "show these aliens that they must comply with the laws of the Dominion." The Bench fined each defendant £1, and costs 13s - "Papers Past Hawera & Normanby Star"
Saturday, August 15, 2009
More on Chinese Winemakers in NZ
More on Chinese Winemakers in NZ
Received an email from Raymond Chan, a New Zealand-born Chinese and wine judge, wine retailer and wine palate extraordinaire. Raymond has been juding wines in New Zealand since 1989.
"We have a family story when we first started getting interested in wine in the late 1970s. Then, Totara SYC was of course highly respected for its white wines – Riesling Sylvaner and Chenin Blanc especially sought after, being medal winners. My Dad said that one of the Thames family came to our family living in Dunedin, asking if he could board with us while studying at university, our family names being the same, and that our families came from the same area of China. Dad, and our family not having the room turned him away. So our vinous journey could have possibly had an earlier start!"
Raymond also said, "Don’t forget Albert Chan". Albert Chan was the younger son of Stanley Young Chan and sometime after his primary and high school education in Thames he went to Australia to study at Roseworthy. He became Chief Winemaker at Lindemans in 1983 and went on to become one of Australia's most respected white wine winemakers. Albert met an early and tragic death, but his memory lives on with the Albert Chan Memorial Trophy for Best White Wine of the Show, presented at the Sydney Royal Show each year.
Received an email from Raymond Chan, a New Zealand-born Chinese and wine judge, wine retailer and wine palate extraordinaire. Raymond has been juding wines in New Zealand since 1989.
"We have a family story when we first started getting interested in wine in the late 1970s. Then, Totara SYC was of course highly respected for its white wines – Riesling Sylvaner and Chenin Blanc especially sought after, being medal winners. My Dad said that one of the Thames family came to our family living in Dunedin, asking if he could board with us while studying at university, our family names being the same, and that our families came from the same area of China. Dad, and our family not having the room turned him away. So our vinous journey could have possibly had an earlier start!"
Raymond also said, "Don’t forget Albert Chan". Albert Chan was the younger son of Stanley Young Chan and sometime after his primary and high school education in Thames he went to Australia to study at Roseworthy. He became Chief Winemaker at Lindemans in 1983 and went on to become one of Australia's most respected white wine winemakers. Albert met an early and tragic death, but his memory lives on with the Albert Chan Memorial Trophy for Best White Wine of the Show, presented at the Sydney Royal Show each year.
Who was really NZ's first Chinese winemaker?
Who was really NZ's first Chinese winemaker?
Followed a newslink today that took me to an article about New Zealand's first Chinese winemaker. According to the article at the Indian Wine Portal, his name is Johnny Leung - and he is alive and kicking and working at Twilight Vineyard* in Clevedon.
"New Zealand's first Chinese winemaker - that ain't right," I thought. "There have been Chinese winemakers in New Zealand before him".
One who had a lot of media attention is CP Lin - not so much because he is Chinese, but because he is blind. For a long time CP was winemaker at Mountford in Waipara but he is now making wine in the Hunter Valley in Australia.
There is also Johnny's name sake, Edward Leung, whose wines bear the label, Ma Maison.
But the one that immediately sprang to mind is Stanley Young Chan. His initials were part of the name of his winery, Totara Vineyards SYC, at Totara, between Kopu and Thames (click for map) in the Waikato. We called into the winery many times on summer holiday trips to the Coromandel Peninsula, not only for wine but for his famous Totara Kiwifruit Liquer. The winery buildings, winery shop and vineyard are still there. Cuisine magazine lists Gilbert Chan as the current winemaker.
But a quick search tells me that Stanley wasn't the first either. That honour goes to Joe Ah Chan (Chan Hock Joe), who, according to the Dictionary of New Zealand Bibliography, was not only the first Chinese winemaker in New Zealand to make wine, but quite probably the first in the Southern Hemisphere.
Joe (1882 - 1959) arrived in New Zealand around 1905, working in Wellington selling fruit and vegetables. He returned to China for a short time in 1916 but came back to in New Zealand in 1917 to settle in Matamata. In 1925 Chan began to grow grapes at Totara near Thames, the first Chinese New Zealander to do so, and in 1929 he produced his first batch of wine. He was reputed to be the first Chinese wine-maker in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1950 the vineyard was sold to a distant cousin, Stanley Young Chan, who changed the name to Totara Vineyards SYC.
The Encyclopedia of New Zealand records the first man from China arriving in Nelson in 1842. By the late 1860's Chinese were working the Otago goldfields. There have waves of Chinese immigration ever since. Many new Chinese immigrants arrived from 1987 onwards but there are also Chinese New Zealanders who parents and possibly grandparents were born here. So if you know any other Chinese winemakers in New Zealand, please email me.
*Actually the Twilight Vineyards website doesn't make the claim that Johnny is the first Chinese winemaker in NZ. Perhaps an over-exuberant reporter simply got the facts wrong.
http://www.wineoftheweek.com/blog/blog200906.htm#20090629
Followed a newslink today that took me to an article about New Zealand's first Chinese winemaker. According to the article at the Indian Wine Portal, his name is Johnny Leung - and he is alive and kicking and working at Twilight Vineyard* in Clevedon.
"New Zealand's first Chinese winemaker - that ain't right," I thought. "There have been Chinese winemakers in New Zealand before him".
One who had a lot of media attention is CP Lin - not so much because he is Chinese, but because he is blind. For a long time CP was winemaker at Mountford in Waipara but he is now making wine in the Hunter Valley in Australia.
There is also Johnny's name sake, Edward Leung, whose wines bear the label, Ma Maison.
But the one that immediately sprang to mind is Stanley Young Chan. His initials were part of the name of his winery, Totara Vineyards SYC, at Totara, between Kopu and Thames (click for map) in the Waikato. We called into the winery many times on summer holiday trips to the Coromandel Peninsula, not only for wine but for his famous Totara Kiwifruit Liquer. The winery buildings, winery shop and vineyard are still there. Cuisine magazine lists Gilbert Chan as the current winemaker.
But a quick search tells me that Stanley wasn't the first either. That honour goes to Joe Ah Chan (Chan Hock Joe), who, according to the Dictionary of New Zealand Bibliography, was not only the first Chinese winemaker in New Zealand to make wine, but quite probably the first in the Southern Hemisphere.
Joe (1882 - 1959) arrived in New Zealand around 1905, working in Wellington selling fruit and vegetables. He returned to China for a short time in 1916 but came back to in New Zealand in 1917 to settle in Matamata. In 1925 Chan began to grow grapes at Totara near Thames, the first Chinese New Zealander to do so, and in 1929 he produced his first batch of wine. He was reputed to be the first Chinese wine-maker in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1950 the vineyard was sold to a distant cousin, Stanley Young Chan, who changed the name to Totara Vineyards SYC.
The Encyclopedia of New Zealand records the first man from China arriving in Nelson in 1842. By the late 1860's Chinese were working the Otago goldfields. There have waves of Chinese immigration ever since. Many new Chinese immigrants arrived from 1987 onwards but there are also Chinese New Zealanders who parents and possibly grandparents were born here. So if you know any other Chinese winemakers in New Zealand, please email me.
*Actually the Twilight Vineyards website doesn't make the claim that Johnny is the first Chinese winemaker in NZ. Perhaps an over-exuberant reporter simply got the facts wrong.
http://www.wineoftheweek.com/blog/blog200906.htm#20090629
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Dragons rose and bananas soared at conference
Dragons rose and bananas soared at a conference celebrating the past, present and future of Chinese in New Zealand and overseas.
The fourth Going Bananas conference, entitled Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas (www.goingbananas.org.nz), was held over the weekend of Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July and saw scholars and artists from around the country and as far afield as Russia, Hong Kong, and the US discussing the role of the Chinese throughout the globe.
Vote Yes for Children in the 2009 referendum
3.60% p.a. On-Call: Apply Online
New Zealand Chinese Association Auckland Inc chairman Kai Luey was sure the last conference in 2007 would be the final one but a strong demand proved otherwise.
The conference itself has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2005. From one room at AUT to three at the University of Auckland’s Business School with over 40 international speakers and, as always, a host of local stories from a New Zealand perspective.
Stories from high-flying bananas such as real estate mogul Don Ha, commercial entrepreneur Rodney Wong and former kiwi Olympian Robyn Wong inspired and amused an audience happy to witness success within the Chinese community.
The conference no doubt celebrated the Chinese, but also raised questions about the difficulties of being Chinese in New Zealand today.
Questions about whether to teach your child their native tongue in a time when China is becoming increasingly important within New Zealand and on the global stage and the growing economic importance of Chinese business were prominent throughout the weekend.
The latter question was answered in a presentation by Professor Paul Spoonley on the back of a recent Asia NZ Foundation report about Chinese businesses in Auckland.
Among the findings, the report found a lack of attention given to this area of Auckland’s economy in the Royal Commission’s report on Auckland governance.
These businesses are becoming a major source of interest as Chinese immigrant communities play an important role in business innovation, entrepreneurial activities and international trade.
Once again the conference challenged perceptions of what it means to be Chinese and, according to Professor Manying Ip, was an opportunity for the community to reflect on “where we’re positioned in society, in politics and in history”.
As for the next conference, Mr Luey was reluctant to repeat history saying another one may not be ruled out.
Scoop was a media sponsor of the Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas International Conference. Friday, 31 July 2009, 9:59 am
Press Release: Simon Wong
28/07/09
By Simon Wong
The fourth Going Bananas conference, entitled Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas (www.goingbananas.org.nz), was held over the weekend of Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July and saw scholars and artists from around the country and as far afield as Russia, Hong Kong, and the US discussing the role of the Chinese throughout the globe.
Vote Yes for Children in the 2009 referendum
3.60% p.a. On-Call: Apply Online
New Zealand Chinese Association Auckland Inc chairman Kai Luey was sure the last conference in 2007 would be the final one but a strong demand proved otherwise.
The conference itself has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2005. From one room at AUT to three at the University of Auckland’s Business School with over 40 international speakers and, as always, a host of local stories from a New Zealand perspective.
Stories from high-flying bananas such as real estate mogul Don Ha, commercial entrepreneur Rodney Wong and former kiwi Olympian Robyn Wong inspired and amused an audience happy to witness success within the Chinese community.
The conference no doubt celebrated the Chinese, but also raised questions about the difficulties of being Chinese in New Zealand today.
Questions about whether to teach your child their native tongue in a time when China is becoming increasingly important within New Zealand and on the global stage and the growing economic importance of Chinese business were prominent throughout the weekend.
The latter question was answered in a presentation by Professor Paul Spoonley on the back of a recent Asia NZ Foundation report about Chinese businesses in Auckland.
Among the findings, the report found a lack of attention given to this area of Auckland’s economy in the Royal Commission’s report on Auckland governance.
These businesses are becoming a major source of interest as Chinese immigrant communities play an important role in business innovation, entrepreneurial activities and international trade.
Once again the conference challenged perceptions of what it means to be Chinese and, according to Professor Manying Ip, was an opportunity for the community to reflect on “where we’re positioned in society, in politics and in history”.
As for the next conference, Mr Luey was reluctant to repeat history saying another one may not be ruled out.
Scoop was a media sponsor of the Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas International Conference. Friday, 31 July 2009, 9:59 am
Press Release: Simon Wong
28/07/09
By Simon Wong
Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas
I was intrigued by the soaring bananas but quite afraid to ask.
Since when could a banana even think about getting airborne?
One of the first speakers at the Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas conference soon answered the question in my head.
The aforementioned fruit was a derogatory term for someone who was 'yellow' on the outside, but 'white' on the inside, often applied to Chinese by people both within and outside the community.
Hence the clever title of the conference - surely the best way to defuse a potential insult is to embrace it?
As a forum it aimed to "celebrate the journeys, stories and identities of leading local and overseas born Chinese personalities".
Across the weekend there was a huge variety of sessions to attend from the standard "Yellow Peril - Early Chinese In New Zealand" and "Cracking The Glass Ceiling" to the unexpected like "The Unique History Of Chinese In Cuba" and "Chinese Immigrants In Equatorial Guinea".
Advertisement
There was even the slightly bizarre "Chinese Culture And Dental Behaviour In Wellington" and "Manipulating Loyalty - Chinese Americans And Taiwan's Canned Mushroom Export".
There was plenty of inspiration to be had over the weekend, but it was always accompanied by a fair degree of sadness.
On the periphery
A fifth generation Chinese New Zealander told of a tough childhood where she always felt an outsider, completely on the periphery of all things 'Kiwi'.
At the age of 23 she visited China for the first time and felt an immense sense of pride in her ancestral home and culture.
But the feeling of social dislocation and isolation remained, as she couldn't speak Mandarin and struggled to relate to her relatives.
This appeared to be a common thread that ran through the entire conference.
People who felt too Asian to be a 'real' Kiwi and far too European to ever feel accepted as a local in China.
But such dissonance, confusion and isolation can produce remarkable drive and resilience as was epitomised in some of the tales.
Prominent public lawyer Mai Chen told of arriving in 1970's Christchurch along with her three other sisters.
The marching quartet caused a car crash on the very first day, so astounded was the male driver at the novel sight of these Asian faces.
Years of struggle
Chen spoke of years of struggle, desperate to fit in despite knowing she probably never would.
It was only when she stopped trying to be like everybody else, and started to see her ethnicity as a potential strength that she began an incredible journey that now has her as one of the most well-known legal faces in New Zealand.
This was a story with a happy ending, but Chen was quick to dispense lavish doses of realism into her presentation.
She reminded the audience that their ethnicity will continue to be a disadvantage in New Zealand and they will have to work harder, be better and more persistent than everybody else if they want to succeed.
Real estate mogul Don Ha shared his classic rags to riches tale, delivered with an engaging personal style.
He came to New Zealand (from Vietnam, via China) as a 12-year-old in 1980 and spent the first few months in a Refugee camp.
The young Don had an amazing work ethic and a real entrepreneurial streak.
Noticing a local liking for Watercress he collected it from a nearby creek and sold it by the bunch to a nearby New World. When the Council cleaned out his supply he began a lawn mowing round, later taught Karate (elevating 35 people to Black belt level) before going to work in the family bakery.
Tiring of the 72-hour weeks, he got a start in Real Estate and was soon the top salesperson at the branch, before opening his own company which quickly began to dominate the local market and now employs 100 agents.
Ha seems to constantly be looking for new challenges - recently he bought a $2 million racehorse "to see what it felt like" - while also being aware there would be a major publicity payoff.
He is constantly striving to improve and sees potential in everybody to be better, happier and more successful.
To sign off he broke a roof tile with his bare hands which certainly added some real punch to his 'nothing is impossible' message.
Self-awareness
Across the weekend the level of self-awareness, and willingness for self-analysis by the various delegates was quite pronounced.
The speakers told of constantly questioning who they are, who they should be and who they would be.
It is a fight that the vast majority of Kiwis never have to contemplate but one wonders if we are poorer for not having embarked on such a crusade.
There was a sense, through the pain, confusion and struggle, that the Chinese are richer for the journey.
There is no doubt that as a race they have developed an incredible resilience and an ability to thrive, to survive and to flourish in communities in every corner of the globe.
While it is common to reflect on your culture and national values when living overseas it is hard to envisage Anglo-Saxon Kiwis anywhere managing this level of introspective honesty and self awareness - at least without the help of alcohol!
At one point it was seriously debated as to whether Chinese in New Zealand should be doing more to gain an understanding of Te Reo Maori - as well as English and Chinese.
Surely this is not a realistic question until somewhere close to the majority of Maori and Pakeha exhibit a propensity to learn Maori.
But the willingness to think outside the square, to question and to challenge accepted wisdom was an overriding theme of this conference where Dragons roared and Bananas definitely soared.
Published: 6:31PM Thursday August 06, 2009 by tvnz.co.nz's Michael Burgess
Source: ONE News http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/rising-dragons-soaring-bananas-2891142#
Since when could a banana even think about getting airborne?
One of the first speakers at the Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas conference soon answered the question in my head.
The aforementioned fruit was a derogatory term for someone who was 'yellow' on the outside, but 'white' on the inside, often applied to Chinese by people both within and outside the community.
Hence the clever title of the conference - surely the best way to defuse a potential insult is to embrace it?
As a forum it aimed to "celebrate the journeys, stories and identities of leading local and overseas born Chinese personalities".
Across the weekend there was a huge variety of sessions to attend from the standard "Yellow Peril - Early Chinese In New Zealand" and "Cracking The Glass Ceiling" to the unexpected like "The Unique History Of Chinese In Cuba" and "Chinese Immigrants In Equatorial Guinea".
Advertisement
There was even the slightly bizarre "Chinese Culture And Dental Behaviour In Wellington" and "Manipulating Loyalty - Chinese Americans And Taiwan's Canned Mushroom Export".
There was plenty of inspiration to be had over the weekend, but it was always accompanied by a fair degree of sadness.
On the periphery
A fifth generation Chinese New Zealander told of a tough childhood where she always felt an outsider, completely on the periphery of all things 'Kiwi'.
At the age of 23 she visited China for the first time and felt an immense sense of pride in her ancestral home and culture.
But the feeling of social dislocation and isolation remained, as she couldn't speak Mandarin and struggled to relate to her relatives.
This appeared to be a common thread that ran through the entire conference.
People who felt too Asian to be a 'real' Kiwi and far too European to ever feel accepted as a local in China.
But such dissonance, confusion and isolation can produce remarkable drive and resilience as was epitomised in some of the tales.
Prominent public lawyer Mai Chen told of arriving in 1970's Christchurch along with her three other sisters.
The marching quartet caused a car crash on the very first day, so astounded was the male driver at the novel sight of these Asian faces.
Years of struggle
Chen spoke of years of struggle, desperate to fit in despite knowing she probably never would.
It was only when she stopped trying to be like everybody else, and started to see her ethnicity as a potential strength that she began an incredible journey that now has her as one of the most well-known legal faces in New Zealand.
This was a story with a happy ending, but Chen was quick to dispense lavish doses of realism into her presentation.
She reminded the audience that their ethnicity will continue to be a disadvantage in New Zealand and they will have to work harder, be better and more persistent than everybody else if they want to succeed.
Real estate mogul Don Ha shared his classic rags to riches tale, delivered with an engaging personal style.
He came to New Zealand (from Vietnam, via China) as a 12-year-old in 1980 and spent the first few months in a Refugee camp.
The young Don had an amazing work ethic and a real entrepreneurial streak.
Noticing a local liking for Watercress he collected it from a nearby creek and sold it by the bunch to a nearby New World. When the Council cleaned out his supply he began a lawn mowing round, later taught Karate (elevating 35 people to Black belt level) before going to work in the family bakery.
Tiring of the 72-hour weeks, he got a start in Real Estate and was soon the top salesperson at the branch, before opening his own company which quickly began to dominate the local market and now employs 100 agents.
Ha seems to constantly be looking for new challenges - recently he bought a $2 million racehorse "to see what it felt like" - while also being aware there would be a major publicity payoff.
He is constantly striving to improve and sees potential in everybody to be better, happier and more successful.
To sign off he broke a roof tile with his bare hands which certainly added some real punch to his 'nothing is impossible' message.
Self-awareness
Across the weekend the level of self-awareness, and willingness for self-analysis by the various delegates was quite pronounced.
The speakers told of constantly questioning who they are, who they should be and who they would be.
It is a fight that the vast majority of Kiwis never have to contemplate but one wonders if we are poorer for not having embarked on such a crusade.
There was a sense, through the pain, confusion and struggle, that the Chinese are richer for the journey.
There is no doubt that as a race they have developed an incredible resilience and an ability to thrive, to survive and to flourish in communities in every corner of the globe.
While it is common to reflect on your culture and national values when living overseas it is hard to envisage Anglo-Saxon Kiwis anywhere managing this level of introspective honesty and self awareness - at least without the help of alcohol!
At one point it was seriously debated as to whether Chinese in New Zealand should be doing more to gain an understanding of Te Reo Maori - as well as English and Chinese.
Surely this is not a realistic question until somewhere close to the majority of Maori and Pakeha exhibit a propensity to learn Maori.
But the willingness to think outside the square, to question and to challenge accepted wisdom was an overriding theme of this conference where Dragons roared and Bananas definitely soared.
Published: 6:31PM Thursday August 06, 2009 by tvnz.co.nz's Michael Burgess
Source: ONE News http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/rising-dragons-soaring-bananas-2891142#
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Ching Ming April 5 2009 - Wellington Tung Jung Assn
A picture of the Tung Jung Memorial at Karori Cemetery in Wellington where we congregate for the Ching Ming and Chung Yeung festivals. In the 1950's, the Tung Jung Association bought about 50 grave sites near this memorial for the use of their members. This memorial was erected in their honour in 1965 as it was far more practical to congregate in one place to pay homage than to go from grave to grave!
I have all the names of the TJ members who are buried near here but all
names are only in English spelling.
The Makara location has been in use since the 1980's as Karori is fully
occupied!!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
"Ellis Island" reopens February 15, 2009
Our "Ellis Island" reopens February 15, 2009, after more than three years of restoration and preservation work.
You might find their website of great interest and might be moved to donate to help further restore the site.
On this page of their website are three YouTube interviews of men who were detained on Angel Island when they first came to America many years ago.
http://www.aiisf.org/?option=com_content&view=article&id=85:detainee-stories&catid=64:about-articles&Itemid=85
You might find their website of great interest and might be moved to donate to help further restore the site.
On this page of their website are three YouTube interviews of men who were detained on Angel Island when they first came to America many years ago.
http://www.aiisf.org/?option=com_content&view=article&id=85:detainee-stories&catid=64:about-articles&Itemid=85
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