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Monday, April 25, 2005

ANZAC

Today is ANZAC day.
It's a significant day for many New Zealanders and Australians. I went to the "dawn" parade with Tim and we had a conversation (at 10:00am, in the sun, looking from the memorial over the town to the spectacular scenery beyond) about national identity. Since he was actually born in Holland, his take is different... but I still think we ultimately agreed that one of the unifying aspects of the country for New Zealanders is the land itself - and our relationship with it. We also decided that we're a migrant nation. I'm not sure exactly what effect that has, but I think it's significant nonetheless (what do you think it means to be a New Zealander?). Fighter planes and helicopters flew overhead.. and there were hundreds of people in attendance. Commemoration is alive and well in rural New Zealand.
Michael King has a lot to say about all this too in his rather thick "Penguin History of New Zealand". It's definitely worth a read if you haven't already.
Here is another migrant's take on the 'land' (thanks Stephen for alerting me to this site).
It was this day last year that I became single again. It's been a big year. I think I've done well and feel as if I'm at last getting onto an even keel again. I keep looking at little cribs around the place and wondering what it would be like to own one.. I keep seeing nice cats in other people's houses and thinking it would be nice to have a cat. I know it's early days in this new life of mine, but it's unmistakable nonetheless: I'm starting to feel settled.
It's getting cooler now - I'm fixing the heater in Heath, the car. It's fun - and wonderful to have the time to spend hours fiddling around with tools, screws and car parts.
What did you do today?
posted by Christopher Waugh at 10:34 PM
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swimmer responded:

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/culture/haka-feature/haka.cfm

Here in non-ANZAC-ville, New York, I learned the haka - the site above includes a brilliant little teaching device.

And I introduced it to a group of foster care children in New York City. The boys as you might imagine were beyond thrilled and immediately set their new skills to work after watching the computer simulation twice. It's quite remarkable how at age 5 and 6, you need see something only twice to securely parade your blithesome skill before others. So within about 5 minutes you had a bunch of little black and Puerto Rican American foster care kids in Manhattan haka-ing [???] all over the room.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005  

 
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