THE INTERNAL - NEWSLETTER 12/04

Last Thursday we had a last drink with Kristina at Ponsonby Rd und she will be home by now. However, according to her plans she will be back in some month for doing her teachers training in Auckland.

Don’t you think that a weekend of rain can be quite relaxing? One is getting more sleep than usual, social contacts with flatmates get refreshed, one is actually having time to read a book, or rent a video without having a bad conscience.

Roul was pretty lucky, or better successful, in hunting ducks and pheasants. How was the dinner???

However, Henrik, Kristian and Frank seem to have had a trouble weekend with a towed away car, forgotten cell phones and stolen jackets…..

What do you think about going to the Retro Night next Wednesday (12.05.2004)? Have a drink and join the crowd of students? The bar is called “code” – more info about that next week.

WOX INTERVIEW

This time – the first time – with Fanny, the angel of the Woxa House.

WoX:              What do you like most about New Zealand?

Fanny:            Oh god. Smile. Hmmmm. The landscape, friendly people and                    the curled leaves of the silver fern, before they become big                           leaves.

WoX:              In what ways is New Zealand better than Germany?

Fanny:            More laid back – no stress – easy living.

WoX:              What don’t you like about New Zealand?

Fanny:            The Link bus is never on time. One day, I was waiting for 45                                    minutes.

WoX:              What suggestions do you have for people to find a girlfriend/                                    boyfriend over here?

Fanny:            Giggling …. go to Globe Bar or Kuja Lounge …..

WoX:              What places did you like best (until now)?

Fanny:            Northland, Bay of Islands and Mt. Victoria in Devonport with                          great view at the skyline of Auckland.

Wox:               How do you think the interns will get on in the “boys only Woxa                   house”?

Fanny:            Big laugh – I guess, the cleaning plan will take a back seat. And                 second, the big fridge will be there for beer and the small one for               food.

WoX:              Please name one item you would bring to Germany to represent                New Zealand.

Fanny:            Seeds of the silver fern

WoX:              Is there anything you would like to say or recommend to the                                    other interns?

Fanny:            Enjoy you time here! Use all possibilities for gaining new                             experiences, testing and crossing your own borders! Just make                 the best of your time in New Zealand!

Thanks Fanny!!!

WHATS ON IN AND AROUND AUCKLAND

AOTEA SQUARE MARKETS

Every Friday and Saturday from 10am – 6pm

This is when Aotea Square is taken over by the colourful and bustling Aotea Square Markets The Markets offer a range of stalls from Pasifika arts and crafts to pot plants, flowers, underground designer clothes, jewellery, vinyl and CDs. In addition there is a range of fine food stalls Every Saturday from midday to 2.00pm the Aotea Square Markets are "keeping real" with an ever-changing line-up of bands and DJs adding to the atmosphere

TAKAPUNA MARKETS

Every Sunday from 6am till noon

That is when Takapuna’s Central Carpark (corner Anzac Street & Lake Road) transforms into an eclectic market that offers fresh produce, flowers, crafts, furniture, foods, antiques and more.

OTARA MARKET

Saturdays from 6am till noon, Newsbury Street, Otara

For an excellent Pacific experience, definitely visit the Otara Market, which is a pretty large Polynesian market offering exotic foods and smells, wonderful tapa cloth, flax mats and baskets and bone carvings.

NBL BASKETBALL

01, 09, 22, 29 May, North Shore Events Centre

08, 21, 28 May, ASB Stadium, Kohimarama Rd

To know who is playing check out www. Aucklandstars.co.nz

SUPER 12 RUGBY

8 May. Eden Park

Blues v Highlanders. Fans can meet players at Skycity after the game

WORLD CINEMA SHOWCASE 2004

Until 12 May 2004, Academy Cinema, Lorne Street

The sixth annual World Cinema Showcase is in Auckalnd, featuring a lively programme of outstanding films, both old and new. Highlights include Shattered Glass, Open Hearts, Gloomy Sunday, The Spanish Appartment (L’auberge Espagnol), The Station Agent, capturing the Friedmans, Interstella 5555 and a lot more.

For more info visit: www.academy-cinema.co.nz and

for film reviews try: www.rottentomatoes.com

THE NEWMARKET/ PARNELL HEART OF ART FESTIVAL 2004

10 – 24 May, Parnell Community Centre and other venues

The suburbs of Parnell and Newmarket will be set alive with a huge variety of artistic events this month. This includes exhibitions, talks, competitions, fundraising arts auctions and opportunities to try your hand at various arts and crafts. Especially during the Arts in action Weekend (15-16 May), the Parnell Community Centre will be bursting at the seams with artists, craftspeople and performers, as well as wine tasting and food stalls. Also local galleries and studios will be open to public all weekend, so that people can view artists at work.

Check out: www.heart-of-art.org.nz

NZ INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL 2004 – THE BEST OF BRITISH

Until 22 May 2004

Featuring Ross Noble, Lee Mack, Russel Howard, Andy Parsons ....

The Classid, 321 Queen Street, Auckland

Check out www.comedy.co.nz

OUT TAKES, GAY AND LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL

27 May – 07 June, Skycity metro and Academy Cinema

Check out www.outtakes.org.nz

MISSY ELLIOT

2nd of June, doors 7pm, Supertop Ericsson Stadium

In what can only be described as possibly THE biggest Hip Hop/R’n’B Event to be staged in New Zealand this year, the undisputed Queen of Hip/Hop Missy Elliot will be touring New Zealand for the very first time with 17 dancers, DJ’s, and live band, for a memorable 90 minute performance.

SONIC YOUTH – the world’s greatest punk rock jam band, and more!

26th of June, Saint James Complex, Auckland

One NY Roch writer discribed the band as “a roller-coaster ride of distortion, flange, strobe lights and rapid-fire drumming that sounded like an acid-rain storm on a hot tin roof“. Also on thebill is former Dinosaur Jr-man J Mascis and Wellington’s one man noise machine Birchville Cat Motel.

MESSAGE FROM JONATHON

Hi Guys! Hope you’re all well.  If you’ve been in Auckland over the weekend, you will be familiar with one of the features of life in Auckland in winter.  Yes, I’m talking about the rain!  If you think this is bad, just wait because it gets worse!  I remember when I first moved to NZ, sometimes it took 12 days to get laundry dry – just when it was almost finished there was a torrential downpour and it was dripping wet again.

One of the major changes to NZ society in the past decade has been caused by me.  Well not by me specifically, but by people like me – people who have become involved in the private education sector, providing training and courses for students from Asia coming to NZ to study.  As you know, WoX Auckland is based at NZ College, which teaches English but also Business Studies to many students from China, Thailand, Korea, and other Asian states.

This has meant that in the last 10 years, thousands of Asian students have come to live and study in Auckland.  The proliferation of exotic restaurants is one of the obvious benefits of this influx of students.

It’s also forced shops and services to stay open later (when I came to NZ, shops shut at 5 PM, every day but one, and most weren’t even open Saturdays, let alone Sundays!)

So if you like Asian food, or think you might like it, there are dozens of Chinese, Thai, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indonesian and other ethnic food restaurants and food courts.  Very cheap, easy, and exotically tasty!  Definitely worth checking out, if you haven’t yet!

And one more thing, Anna has written a little bit about the Otara markets on Sundays in Otara.  This is a VERY interesting cultural experience, if you want to see some REAL Pacific and indigenous culture!!

Jonathon

PS – stay away from Globe bar.  Some strange German people hang around there after dark.

THAT’S IT FOR TODAY!