Different cultures in New Zealand

A Splendidly Pot Pourri Day !!!

                    Today was a glorious pot pourri day; one of those days you simply want to share with the whole world ! (*and according to the sitemaster there are folk in Canada, USA, UK, Sweden, Europe, Aussie, South Africa and New Zealand who have read my blog.)














It's the universality 
and cosmopolitanism of Auckland that I love. I work with colleagues from various cultural backgrounds, and likewise have clients of different cultures. These include Maori, Kiwi, Pasifika (Samoan, Tongan and Cook Islanders) Indian, Asian (Chinese, Korean, Filipino,Taiwanese and Japanese) British, German, Dutch, Turkish, Argentinian, Zimbabwean, South African and more.

'Culture
	Auckland is the melting pot of the Pacific, a blend of the modern laced with the traditional beauty  of Maori culture, spiced with flavours from the Pacific Islands, Asia and Europe. Don't expect the  rich history and architecture of the Old World, but rather be open to absorbing a fresh and vibrant  culture which draws its strength from the beauty of the land and its warm friendly people.  Recently there seems to be a distinct Hobbit and Orc influence. Auckland’s large student population brings a buzzing vibe to the city. Festivals of art and culture,  such as the Chinese lamp festival are all well advertised and a great events to enjoy. You can  find live music playing at venues throughout the week - from jazz to rock to hip hop there's always somewhere to go that will leave you with a big smile and a happy buzz. Visual arts are on show at the city’s numerous galleries, the largest of which are the Auckland  Art Gallery. More modern art-works can be found next door at the New Gallery. To get a feel of  New Zealand's past the Auckland Museum is a must. Exploring around Auckland you will find that  you constantly stumble across private art galleries, studios and arts & crafts shops with very  distinctive flavours. You could say that New Zealand is pretty sports mad. When it comes to rugby, well lets just say  that you get strange looks from locals if you’re not up to play with latest games. Always  worthwhile to check out a sporting event, be it rugby, cricket or netball. New Zealand has a  number  of top fashion designers, many of which are gaining international reputations. You can  see much of the latest fashions displayed in central city stores, or if you're up for an adventure  and a unique experience you can head to Onehunga or the Otara flee markets. Always a great  experience for Pacific-flavoured crafts and good bargains.'   quote from www.auckland-life.com/culture

I co-ran my Parents' Group today. We have parents of Maori, Kiwi, South African, British, Irish, German, Malaysian, Indonesian and Japanese in our group which makes for a rich interchange of ideas about parenting. What I have valued about these parents is their warmth, tolerance and non-judgemental philosophy, as well as for some, their courage or resilience in the face of adversity.
After the intensity, combined with the thrill and adrenalised emotions of the course, I toddled up to the 'South Africa Shop' just up the road (easily identifiable, with its SA flag proudly waving in a gentle pavement breeze), and came home laden with authentic and tasty rare salted biltong, Mrs Ball's Peach Chutney and Royco Bobotie and Malay Curry sauces. Oh, and my yummy Wilson's toffees that I used to eat as a child.                                 
                A Kiwi lady walked in and asked for those 'twisted sisters',  farmers' sausage and red tea.... (koeksusters, boerewors and rooibos !! )


The shop's manageress, who hails from Krugersdorp, said that the locals love the Saffer food, especially the boerewors, which they're currently running a competition about in order to give it a special name, as they feel it is becoming renowned. I entered the competition and called it 'Lekker'. What other word could better describe really good Saffer boeries ? (Your're welcome to leave a comment below, with your name,email and a Boerie name for me to leave at the shop !  If you win the competition, we'll keep it in the freezer until you arrive :) )
     Travelling home I was suffused with love for the world and all the planet, and was humming Michael Jackson's song about the whole human race...I arrived home to my wonderful  Saffer husband and Kiwi dog, (the latter who is actually British cross Chinese, being a Jack Russell cross  Shitzuh), called my Saffer/Kiwi daughter and emailed my Saffer sons and Saffer, Brit and American sibs.
And then I thanked our universal gods for universal love and ubunthu.


And I reflected, and thought that that was 
what one calls a day well spent.

QUOTE FROM WIKEPEDIA (dated ?)  ' The Demographics of New Zealand encompass the gender, ethnic, religious, geographic, and economic backgrounds of the 4.4 million people living in New Zealand. New Zealanders, informally known as "Kiwis", predominantly live in urban areas within the North Island. The four largest cities are Auckland (with one-third of the countries population), Christchurch, Wellington and Hamilton. Few New Zealanders live outside the main North and South Islands. Waiheke Island (near Auckland) is easily the most populated smaller island with 7,689 residents, while Great Barrier Island, the Chatham and Pitt Islands and Stewart Island each have populations below 1,000. New Zealand is part of a realm and the most people born in the realm's external territories of Tokelau, the Ross DependencyCook Islands and Niue are considered New Zealanders. In 2006, more people who identified themselves with these islands lived in New Zealand than on the Islands themselves.

The majority of New Zealand's population is of European descent (69 percent), with the indigenous Māori being the largest minority (14.6 percent), followed byAsians (9.2 percent) and non-Māori Polynesians (6.9 percent). This is reflected in immigration, with most new migrants coming from the United Kingdom and Ireland, although the numbers from Asia are increasing. In 2001 an estimated 460,000 New Zealanders live abroad, mostly in Australia, representing nearly one-quarter of the highly-skilled worker force. The largest Māori iwi is Ngapuhi with 122,211 people or 24 percent of the Māori population. Auckland is the most ethnically diverse region in New Zealand with 56.5 percent identifying as Europeans, 18.9 percent as Asian, 11.1 percent as Māori and 14.4 percent as other Pacific Islanders. The ethnicity of the population aged under 18 years is more diverse (72 percent European, 24 percent Māori, 12 percent Pacific and 10 percent Asian) than the population aged 65 years or older (91 percent European, 5 percent Māori, 4 percent Asian and 2 percent Pacific). Recent increases ininterracial marriages has resulted in the more people identifying with more than one ethnic group.'