THE INTERNAL - NEWSLETTER 22/04

MY FIRST TIME

Hi everybody! How are you all doing? This is going to be my first newsletter for WoX, and I must say, I am quite excited about it. You have all met me, and we have talked a bit, so I do not need to write all that much about me here. But just the basics, in case you have forgotten them: I am half German, half Nigerian. I went to Germany about five years ago and I am currently studying Business Administration in Lueneburg, a sweet town about 45 Km away from Hamburg. In March next year, I will be going over to Bali, Indonesia, and will be studying there for a semester. All quite exciting! After that, it’s back to good old Hamburg, where the rain will unfailingly keep me company.

So, that’s about it.

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

Having heard that the interviews with the arriving and departing interns were quite popular, I decided to do one too with Anneka.

Anneka, who you all know, - and if you do not, you should be ashamed of yourselves – has left us. We found some time to sit down together and talk a bit about her impressions and experiences in New Zealand.

My first question to Anneka was what impressed her most in New Zealand. After a few minutes of thought she said, “The friendliness of the people, and the nature”. I had the feeling that there was a lot more that she just could not describe with mere words.

To my question about how she found her stay here came without hesitation just one word, Awesome!

It was afternoon when she arrived, the sun was shining and it was raining, and this she found strange, which is understandable. She had a very nice and warm welcome, which made her at once comfortable though it was all terribly exciting and confusing for her since it is quite different here from Germany. One of the first things she noticed were the palm trees, waving gently in the summer breeze, the people, a different mix than she was used to, the intensity of the sun, and the grasshoppers in the garden of the WoXA house, which she assured me, were pretty loud.

For her what represents New Zealand the most is the red Christmas tree. (Having never heard of this, I set about finding a picture and some information on it. Under the heading “Did you know?” is a short article about it). And the fern, which I guess is meant to represent NZ

Anneka went on a lot of trips, trying to see as much of NZ as she could in her short stay here. I therefore thought to ask her what trips she would recommend. The south island! And this outburst was followed a few seconds later with a piece of advice: take enough time to do this trip, at least four weeks, because you can’t get the feeling, see and experience everything as you should when you are rushing through. So, let’s take her advice!

She loved the bay of Islands, the East Cape and Cape Reanga, and barbecuing at the Shakespeare national park. She said it was a lot of fun. We should do it sometime too!

I thought it would be interesting to find out if NZ wrought a change on the interns who came here, Anneka included. Definitely it did, she told me. “We have all become more open, we’re better at getting to know people, making small talk, and we have learned not to be as serious about a lot of things as we tended to do. To generally be more laid back, and not plan every minute of the day, but just more or less let things happen. I hope to be able to live for the moment as the kiwis do and that is the advice I would like to give to Germans too. Live a bit more!”

I placed a question that should interest the newcomers quite a lot. “Where can one meet kiwis?” She laughed and said, “In a pub or bar during a rugby game, or at the game itself.”

Anneka will be coming back to NZ because she loves it here. The people, the feeling, the music, the bars, everything! She wants to experience all this again, and will. She emotionally added that one should try to meet as many kiwis as possible, see as many things as possible, travel around, und open up to the music.

Anneka, you will be missed. See you in November!

DID YOU KNOW?

The New Zealand Christmas tree is called Pohutokawa and its flowers are a brilliant scarlet throughout the Christmas season (Nov – Jan), so is often called the New Zealand Christmas Tree. Since Christmas occurs in summer, New Zealanders do not have a tradition of snow and ice. That, however, doesn't stop Santa who still visits the cities and towns while dressed in his red and white outfit.

No one would think Christmas complete without a fluffy Pavlova -- an airy meringue confection made of whipped egg whites and sugar, cooked in a slow, low-heated oven and then decorated with fruit, such as kiwifruit and strawberries, and then piled high with whipped cream. Although Australia claims Pavlova for its own, it was created by a "Kiwi" who worked as a chef in Australia. Therefore, this fabulous creation is also claimed by New Zealand.
Because so many people from the Northern hemisphere now live in New Zealand, it has become the tradition to have two Christmases, one on the 25th of December and the other in July, which is mid-winter. Many hotels, restaurants and homes put on the full Christmas celebration, complete with tree, gifts and of course all the foods which were just too heavy to serve in the heat of summer. In many small towns and villages, Santa visits all the children on Christmas morning riding on a fire engine. They hear him coming because the siren warns them to come out of their homes and stand by the road so he can toss candy to them.

WELCOME TO MIDDLE EARTH

We’re getting a new intern in Auckland! Her name is Rebecca.

So, Rebecca tell me, what are you thinking coming to NZ in the middle of winter?! Oops, forgot, I did that too. J.

She will be arriving on Wednesday and will be doing an internship in Douglas Pharmaceuticals.

Welcome to Auckland Rebecca!

WEEKEND SUGGESTIONS

Paintball

Paintball is located in Swanson, west Auckland in New Zealand.
From the main centre of Auckland, you can expect to take about twenty minutes, travelling out along the north-western motorway (SH16) taking the Lincoln Rd exit. Those from the Northshore can travel across Upper Harbour Drive (SH18) Greenhithe.

Prices:

Starter pack Semi-automatic,VForces Goggles, Gloves & 100 paintballs 40 $

Terminator pack: Semi-automatic, VForces Goggles, Gloves & 300 paintballs – 100 $;

Mega-Hose-Monster Pack: Semi-automatic, VForces Goggles, Gloves, Harness system & 500 paintballs. Harness system carrys an extra 400 paintballs for speed reloading – 100 $;

Reign of terror pack: Semi-automatic, VForces Goggles, Gloves, Harness system & 1000 paintballs. Harness system carries an extra 400 paintballs for speed reloading – 160 $.

Extra paintballs – tube of 100 18 $.

Overalls – 4$

Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World

See colonies of King and Gentoo Penguins, watch them swim and plunge beneath the ice cap, then travel deep beneath the ocean and come face to face with the awesome predators of the deep – SHARKS – only centimetres away.
General admission prices: $26 for Adults, or $20 for Students with valid ID Card.
Address: 23 Tamaki Drive, Orakei, Auckland

Comedy

Classic comedy & bar: 321 Queen St.
Local and international stand up comedy acts from Wednesday to Saturday. Late show, Friday and Saturday.

Rugby

NPC Pre season, North Harbour v. Waikato on the 30th of July
North Harbour Stadium, Oteha Valley Rd., Albany

Te Papapa Titans vs. Ponsonby Stormers – Western Springs Stadium, on the 31st of July by 1.00 pm

THE DUTCH FILM SHOW

The best film installations in recent history
Marijke von Warmerdam
Martha Colburn
De Rijke / De Rooij
show their absolutely great, fantastic, funny, intelligent and amazing film installations. Some on film, some on video - but always concerning the basics of the medium film. A loop installation like never seen before in New Zealand. CIRCLE a 16mm film loop on a moving turntable. A slow 16mm film installation about beauty, development and growth. And ghosts, horror and sex. A show you can’t miss!!!!
Visual Art in the true sense of the word.

9 – 31 July, New Zealand Film Archive, 300 K’Road. Phone: 3790688
Admission free.

THAT’S IT FOR TODAY!

Auckland Sky tower