Tag Archives: Like it

New Zealand

Basketball: A brief flurry in the NBA as former New Zealand Breakers star RJ Hampton got caught up in Steven Adams’ reported trade | Instant News


Sports

3 minutes to read

Steven Adams and RJ Hampton. Photos / Getty and Photosport

Steven Adams is is set to head to New Orleans – and, for a few minutes, it looks like he’s not the only player with New Zealand ties on the deal.

The reported deal – which will see Adams move from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of a four-team trade centered around the Jrue Holiday being trafficked to the Milwaukee Bucks – is, as you might get from the previous pedantic, somewhat complicated.

So even the man who reported on the trade, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, had a little trouble explaining it, leading fans to believe RJ Hampton was part of the deal.

Hampton, who played for the New Zealand Breakers last season as part of the NBL Australia’s Next Stars program, was picked this week by the Denver Nuggets as their 24th pick in the NBA Draft.

The Nuggets got the pick from the Pelicans in exchange for a 2023 lottery-protected first-round pick, and the Pelicans decided to send that 2023 pick to the Thunder, along with two second-round picks, in exchange for Adams.

However, Wojnarowski’s reporting left some desirable clarity, with the words on his tweet leaving many confused.

After another attempt to clear up the confusion, even Hampton began to wonder if she had been trafficked, before finding out that she was living with the Nuggets.

So the short odds of having two players with Kiwi ties in one NBA trade are gone, as Hampton worries.

When the trade is confirmed, Adams will not be New Zealand’s first ever basketball presence in New Orleans, with Sean Marks playing 79 games over two seasons from 2008-2010, when the franchise was known as the New Orleans Hornets. New Zealand Breakers keeper Corey Webster also spent pre-season with the squad in 2015.

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New Zealand

‘They put it on toast’: Americans are telling the ‘truth’, a habit of life in New Zealand | Instant News


“Fish and Chips, mostly delicious … and they put eggs on their hamburgers.”

An American who spends time living in New Zealand has been open about life down below absolutely loves it.

In a video posted online, the man from California details the variety of cuisine between the US and New Zealand, as well as how Māori and Pacific Island food are represented in the nation’s culture.

The tourist vlog also alludes to cultural differences and how friendly the Kiwis are,
Māori and Polynesians compared to people back home.

“There were far better people than the people in California. I was so shocked. I was like this couldn’t be real,” he said.

“They’re very humble. They don’t yell at us. It’s like heaven.”

She said the pace of life while living in New Zealand was slower and was impressed by how much we value the family unit.

He also said the Māori and Polynesian communities were always singing and cheerful compared to Americans.

“They like to sing. They don’t always sing the same note but they sing a lot. They sing loud.

“The culture in New Zealand is slower than the US. They are more family oriented.

“The Samoans and Tongans are very lovely people. They are very friendly. They like to laugh, and they like to eat. If they like you, they like you very much.

“Then the Kiwis, their European Kiwis are good. There are a lot of parents. There are several retired communities.

“You want to get shoes that are easy to take off and take off before you get in. Head to the dining table first.”

When it comes to food, the tourist is fascinated with some items but is somewhat skeptical of some delicious Kiwi food.

He revealed that he was surprised at how good quinine was delicious, but described Marmite as “bad”.

“They put a lot of fat on everything. In America, we love our sugar. In New Zealand, the food will be fatty but not sugary.

“There’s one crazy food I like, the Maori eat it. It’s called kina. It’s like sea urchins and they grill it. Really good!

“Marmite is so disgusting, don’t try it. I once ate raw squid or mussels. Very bad. Strange.

“Fish and Chips, mostly delicious … and they put eggs on their hamburgers.”

One important difference between American and Kiwi diets is the freshness of dairy products.

'They are very humble. They don't shout at us. It's like heaven. '
‘They are very humble. They don’t shout at us. It’s like heaven. ‘

The tourist is fascinated because our dairy farm animals are in the wild. He said the ice cream in New Zealand was the best he had ever seen.

“The ice cream and milk products are so fresh … when you eat ice cream, you’ll say ‘this is the best ice cream I ever had!’

“Milk is better than in America.”

She goes on to detail how she enjoys Weetbix, which she eats with honey or brown sugar, while explaining what shepherd’s pie tastes like.

He described taro as “very tasty” while referring to kumara as a dessert you would eat at dinner.

One quirky treat that took him by surprise was a petrol station meat pie, and said he called soda “fizzy” “interesting.”

One discovery he made while in New Zealand was Milo.

“You put it in boiling water and a teaspoon of sugar. And that’s great. Once you get back to the US, you’ll never want hot chocolate again!”

The big adjustment that tourist has to make is to pick up our Kiwi slang.

He highlighted the use of the terms “sweet as bro”, “heaps”, “hard ace” and “straight away”.

But one of the stumbling blocks was when she was asked to “bring a plate”.

“When they say they bring a plate, that means bringing something to eat, not your plate. I’m confused about that one. It’s so funny.”

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New Zealand

The workforce looks like contemporary New Zealand, National is still male and pale | Instant News


Jacinda Ardern has a diverse caucus that includes a large number of Maori and women MPs, such as Nanaia Mahuta. Photos / Files

The new Labor caucus is far more representative of contemporary New Zealand than the National, says a Massey University sociologist.

Professor Paul Spoonley said there was a stark difference between the Labor and Green and National and Acting Parties on diversity.

More than half of the 64 MPs from the Labor Party are women, have 15 Maori MPs, one in six are Pasifika and have a good ethnic mix.

The Greens’ 10th Caucus consists of three Maori MPs, seven women, Iranian refugee Golriz Ghaharaman and Latin American Ricardo Menendez.

National has only two Maori MPs – Simon Bridges and Shane Reti – in a 35-member caucus, one Asian MP in Melissa Lee and 11 women. Otherwise, it is mostly European men. This party does not have Pasifika MPs.

National's Parmjeet Parmar is a victim of National's bad luck. Photo / Doug Sherring
National’s Parmjeet Parmar is a victim of National’s bad luck. Photo / Doug Sherring

National did, however, lose some diversity in its ranks with MPs Kanwalijt Singh Bakshi, Parmjeet Parmar, Alfred Ngaro and Harete Hipango losing their seats.

The 10-member caucus in Act has three Maori lawmakers – David Seymour, Nicole McKee and Karen Chhour – and four women – Brooke van Velden, McKee, Chhour and Toni Severin.

Spoonley, an expert on changing the face of New Zealand society, said national leader Judith Collins made it clear from the start that ethnic and cultural differences were not important to the party in this election.

He said 27 percent of New Zealanders were migrants, and 50 percent were migrants or migrant children.

Since 2013, Spoonley said New Zealand has experienced the highest net migration rates and gained 330,000 people. The two largest groups came from China and India. In the next decade “one if five of us may be Asian”.

The new Green MP Ricardo Menendez is Latin American. Photos / Files
The new Green MP Ricardo Menendez is Latin American. Photos / Files

Spoonley said Labor’s caucuses reflect the diversity of contemporary New Zealand – on one condition.

“Maybe it could be better in terms of the Chinese and Indian communities – two very large communities,” he said.

With Raymond Huo’s resignation, the Labor Party has only one member of the Chinese parliament with Naisi Chen, two members of the Indian parliament – Priyanca Radhakrishnan and Gaurav Sharma – and Sri Lankan MP Vanushi Walters.

Other ethnic MPs in the Labor caucus include Eritrean refugees Ibrahim Omer and Ayesha Verrall who have Maldivian ties.

Spoonley said it would be interesting to vote to see how large ethnic communities, such as Chinese and Indians, voted and whether they blocked the vote.

National Party MP Melissa Lee. Photos / Files
National Party MP Melissa Lee. Photos / Files

The Election Commission estimates the turnout at 82.5 percent, the highest turnout since 1999 if confirmed.

As of Sunday morning, nearly 2.4 million votes in New Zealand’s general election had been counted.

The Labor Party has 49.1 percent of the vote and the National 26.8 percent. The Greens have 7.6 percent of the vote, while the Law has 8 percent. New Zealand First is well below the threshold, at 2.7 percent.

About 480,000 special declaration votes were still counted – representing around 17 percent of the total votes.

Nearly 70 percent of the votes were cast in advance – up from 47 percent in 2017.

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New Zealand

Cruising returns to New Zealand as the Antarctic ship sails for the Kiwi special season | Instant News


Travel

2 minutes to read

Prof. Khromov / Spirit of Enderby on New Zealand’s Antarctic dependence. Photo / Provided, Sherry Ott

Marine expedition ship Spirit of Enderby has been granted entry to New Zealand waters ahead of summer. This will allow cruise ship operators Kiwi Heritage Expeditions to continue domestic cruises, opening up exotic parts of the country such as New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands to tourists.

“This decision has allowed us to continue doing what we love,” said commercial director Aaron Russ. “Share New Zealand’s farthest reaches of spectacular backyards with curious Kiwis.”

The 50-passenger ship with an ice capacity has been quarantined near Finland, along with its Russian crew. The former research vessel, also known by the Russian name Professor Khromov – has been in limbo since the end of the northern season and New Zealand’s cruise ban.

“For the voyage we have undertaken, no New Zealand ships are capable,” Aaron told the Herald, so this is good news.

On Friday, Ross told the New Zealand Yachting Association that the ship had received permit and exemption requirements, including those from the Ministry of Health, and Spirit of Enderby could begin sailing south.

New Zealand Shores: New Zealand Harrow Sea Lions on the Sub-Antarctic Island of Auckland. Photo / Provided
New Zealand Shores: New Zealand Harrow Sea Lions on the Sub-Antarctic Island of Auckland. Photo / Provided

All going according to plan, the ship will carry its first passengers to sail to Fiordland and Antarctica claims from November 24, according to a TRAVELinc memo. The company said it would carry Kiwi passengers as far as Antarctica for January.

Aaron said the proposal to the New Zealand government was based on “Kiwi-only seasons in New Zealand waters including the Ross Sea Dependency – New Zealand’s claim to Antarctica.”

“It is great to see that the government has given permission to start domestic shipping, something the New Zealand Yachting Association has been pushing for months,” said Kevin O’Sullivan, NZCA Chief Executive Officer.

Heritage Expeditions, operated by Aaron and his brother Nathan, were founded when their parents left New Zealand Wildlife Service.

Co-owner of Heritage Expeditions, Aaron Russ, in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand. Photo / Derek Morrison, Given
Co-owner of Heritage Expeditions, Aaron Russ, in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand. Photo / Derek Morrison, Given

“We are proudly owned and operated by New Zealand and we have been operating in the Southern seas for over 30 years,” said Aaron.

Now considering the trip, Aaron says this southern itinerary will appeal to Kiwis who have “their wings cut by Covid”, want to “mark that wish list adventure and explore the furthest reaches of our amazing backyard.”

After a 14-day quarantine period, 22 Russian crew members will now begin their 29-day voyage to Bluff.

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New Zealand

New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Award announced | Instant News


Chief judge Charlotte Connoley sniffed out one of the winning oils before tasting it. Photo / Provided

When you think of olive oil, you probably don’t imagine stirring it in a glass, sniffing it, and stirring it in your mouth like fine wine.

But during the competition, Charlotte Connoley did it at least 60 times a day.

Connoley is the chief judge for the New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Award which, as of now, I knew nothing about.

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I sat with Connoley as we shuffled the little blue olive oil glasses in the palms of our hands, preparing to take a sip.

I’ve been to a few wine tasting, and it’s a similar experience, but I’m not used to downing a glass of olive oil straight away.

When I was first told about the olive oil award, I thought maybe it was tested by dipping a piece of bread in it, and eating it. But Connoley insists that even the simplest bread still has a taste, and that taste can disguise the true taste of olive oil.

“There are three components that we value,” he said.

Aroma is the first. The oil must be warmed to 34C on a heating pad before pouring into a dark blue glass – so that the jury is not affected by the color of the oil – twirl, then inhale.

Chief judge Charlotte Connoley holds the winning Olive Black Extra virgin olive oil from Wairarapa. Photo / Provided
Chief judge Charlotte Connoley holds the winning Olive Black Extra virgin olive oil from Wairarapa. Photo / Provided

I’ve never been very good at identifying tones in wine, and it turns out I’m just as bad at distinguishing odors in olive oil. Ripe bananas are the best I can take out of the six oils we tried.

The scoring sheet has much more detail: coffee, caramel, cut grass, tropical fruits, meadow hay, capsicum. The list seems endless. I believe Connoley said the smell is there.

The next point of judgment is how it tastes in the mouth, and tastes. How bitter does it taste? How sharp? Is it spicy?

Unlike tasting wine, the judges then swallowed the oil to assess “retroasal” quality. How long has it been in your throat?

“You don’t want one-dimensional oil, you don’t want that kind of oil dripping in your mouth,” Connoley said.

It’s hard to get used to the idea of ​​drinking oil, but Connoley points out that the oils they value are much different from the cheaper ones you buy at the supermarket. They are lighter and easier to consume. But I still don’t want to drink it.

“Most people wouldn’t even dream of going and tasting it, never mind a glass.”

Judges in competitions typically taste about 60 oils a day on increasingly intense “flights.” They clean their roofs in between every oil by eating apples, drinking sparkling water, and sometimes plain yogurt.

This year the judging was held remotely because of Covid, so Connoley found herself tasting only about 20 oils per day.

The oil rated in the competition must be of the highest quality – and should have a label that shows the month of pressing and the best date before.

Winner of the 2020 NZ Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards

Best show: Olive Black extra virgin olive oil, Wairarapa

Best reservation in the show: Loopline picnic, Wairarapa

Best boutique: Juno Olive Oil Pikual, ​​Wairarapa

Order the best boutiques: Acid Glen Blend, Kapiti Beach

Best tasting oil: Leafyridge Olive Chili Peppers, Wairarapa

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