.

.
.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Photohunt: Fur



Nicky, the wannabe couldn't afford real fur,

http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/

17th ~ Fur

ABC L for Leis and My ESOL student/friend GeorgePetelo Fa'apoi.


 











SIA KO VEIONGO R.F.C. 1966
George in front of the coach.

A distinquished George now.


These are synthetic leis, not the frangipani ones you see wore by the Pacific Islanders.




 Here I am with my ESOl srudent/friend George and his daughter Sita infront of his stall selling Tongan craft. See my Pasifika hat? I didn't like the feeling of the lei, so I wound it round my hat.
 On Wednesday mornings, I go to Mt Albert Baptist Church. The kids in school ask me why I go there. I tell them, I teach big people to learn English. I tell them there mums and dads can go and learn English and about New Zealand Culture.  I tell them about George. He is the best example to an immigrant to New Zealand.


Mālō e lelei - hello

I always greet George "Mālō e lelei" because these are the only Tongan words I know. My students in Pt Chevalier school taught me to say that and assured me that it is enough when I greet a Tongan person.

This is George Petelo Fa'apoi. He is 75 and comes to Mt Albert Baptist Church ESOL classes as a senior student. He is a very regular attendant and is such an inspiration. I don't teach him, so I regard him as a friend. He is what the proverbial phrase, tall, dark and handsome man and soft spoken that any woman, me inclusive, would want for her boy friend.

In his younger days, he had traveled the world with the Tongan Shipping agency and had been to Borneo. George's extensive CV was high lighted when he was the security guard on duty during the French bombing of the Rainbow Warrior. He was an eye witness.

George is one of the few surviving Tongan rugby players that first played against the Maori All Black in 1966.

Now as a retiree, he doesn't twiddle his thumbs. He attended numerous courses including alcoholism seminars, Pacific Islands sexual abuse counselling course, interpreting in English and Tongan, to help his people.

Instead he volunteers with the Friendly Islands Wardens Incorporated, and with 7 ex policemen. He provides security for Auckland City, Balmoral area, Sandringham and Avondale area. George is the manager. He is a friendly grand pa to many of the Polynesian kids.

He is one of the initiators of the Pasifika Festival Celebration in Western Springs. He holds a stall with his wife. Their stall won the best dressed stall in Tonga village in 2010. Such is the dedication and passion for his culture.

After more than 40 years in New Zealand, he can show the kids a thing or two. Life doesn't need to be a useless bum as is the stereotyping prejudiced ideas perceived of immigrant people from the islands.

George lives with his wife, has two children, and seven grand children, (6 boys and a girl). He attends church service every Sunday, and is an encouragement to those who know him. He is held with the highest regard among the Tongan community.

Mālō e lelei - hello (lit. congrat. on being well, the being in good health is worthy of gratitude)

Fēfē hake? - how are you? (fēfē means how, hake is idiomatic with fēfē)

Sai pē - just fine


http://youtu.be/H8Gbk4i41_M

Tonga might well be that island in the sun.

Island In The Sun lyrics
Songwriters: Belafonte, Harry; Burgess, Irving;

Oh island in the sun
Built to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest waters, your shining sand

As morning breaks, the Heaven on high
I lift my heavy load to the sky
Sun comes down with a burning glow
Mingles my sweat with the earth below

Oh island in the sun
Built to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest waters, your shining sand

I see woman on bended knee

Cutting cane for her family
I see man at the water-side
Casting nets at the surfing tide

Oh island in the sun
Built to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest waters, your shining sand

I hope the day will never come
When I can't awake to the sound of drum
Never let me miss carnival
With calypso songs philosophical

Oh island in the sun
Built to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest waters, your shining sand

[. From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/h/harry-belafonte-lyrics/island-in-the-sun-lyrics.html .]




http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz


Monday, December 12, 2016

PhotoHunt for today is Boots

http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/

The PhotoHunt for today is Boots ~

Just as I was wondering why boots when I remember it is winter in the northern hemisphere. I have learned to wear flat boots, because heels hurt my calf muscles.

closing ASB Pt Chevalier Branch





Just as I am posting these photos, the bank which I have been using for almost 40 years is closing my branch and a near by satellite branch in a senior citizen home.
I don't think that it provides services to a senior citizens home by closing the branch.
In my Book, Playgroup Club, I wrote about senior citizens living in a rest home.
ASB will close two of its Auckland branches by the end of the year.
ASB's Point Chevalier branches on Great North Road and at Selwyn Village retirement home will close on December 23.
The closures come after the Australian-owned bank closed its Mt Eden branch on July 29 and its Karangahape Rd branch on March 18.
Get more out of Auckland, sign up for the So Auckland Newsletter
It follows a wider trend of big banks closing branches around the country as more people do their banking online.

magic tricks and peanuts.

 

Entertaining with magic tricks and peanuts.


When Dad went to England, in 1956. I was twenty months. We moved back to the village in Lanang Road.


We did not have electricity, radio and TV. So we made our own entertainment. A favourite game the older kid used to make magic tricks. 
Once an uncle demonstrated by putting a peanut, it would appear in the armpit. Impressionable me, I was just four  years old, copied. It did not appear in my armpit. Instead it was lodged in my nose. 
All efforts to get it out failed, and Grandfather Chan said to leave it alone because digging it would only get deeper. 
I did not go to hospital. It remained inside my nose for months until one day I jumped from the jetty to the boat to Grand pa Kong’s house. As I jumped, the peanut came out. 
I was so happy to show everyone. The peanut had turned white. I am allergic to peanuts, the only one of 9 to have it. Was the peanut in my nose the culprit?
I told Father about forty years after. He said he was never told of this situation. Of course they should have taken me to hospital, if not, the peanut might travel up to my lungs and I would asphyxiate and die. 

Peanut allergy can be serious, people can die. I am only mildly allergic to it. When I have eaten peanuts, I feel a reflux, I feel like vomit coming out of my mouth. I feel the peanut have got rancid. If there is peanut oil in the food, I feel terrible the whole day.

http://mondaymellowyellows.blogspot.com.au/
http://rubytuesdaytoo.blogspot.co.nz

Our World Tuesday Graphic


I wrote part of this in my book,"From China to Borneo to Beyond."

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

The music box and Deborah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N_tmH6y7ng 
This is my favourite piece of music. I first heard it in my hospital room when I gave first to Deborah. The radio station called it tranquility. When she grew up, she played this piece for me.

Today is her birthday 

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Saturday, November 19, 2016

photohunt: Tame


These pigeons are tame enough to eat bread crumbs right where you are standing.

http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Monday Yellow: salt



when salt loses it's saltiness, it is useless.
When is used at the wrong place, it is terrible.
Every Thursday, we meet at our home group, and I always make a white coffee with sugar for our revered 80 plus member. I had re-organised my Homegroup bag where I keep my supper things. My friend told me, there is salt in the coffee.
In deed I had, I have no idea why I had the jar of salt in that re-cycled coffee jar where I normally put sugar in. Luckily we are very good friends.




http://mondaymellowyellows.blogspot.co.nz/

Saturday, November 12, 2016

photohunt: Hair



Cut and style and shampoo.
I once was a shampoo girl in my aunty's salon.
All to do with hair. I saw the barber's pole.
A barber's pole is a type of sign used by barbers to signify the place or shop where they perform their craft. The trade sign is, by a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, a staff or pole with a helix of colored stripes (often red and white in many countries, but usually red, white, and blue in the United States). The pole may be stationary or may revolve, often with the aid of an electric motor.[

http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/

Thursday, November 10, 2016

My latest Book:The Playgroup


The Playgroup, paper back. ISBN 978-0-473-37871-4
Available at: Wheelers Books or from me, annkschin@Yahoo.com
eBook: Kindle Amazon ASIN: B01N0AWTOL

This book talks of a hotchpotch SAHM (Stay At Home Mums) jelled by a common denominator, the Playgroup. This book will resonate in women who went to Playgroup with their children or grandchildren. This hotchpotch include mothers of nuclear families, single families, bereaved parents, widowed, widowers, cancer survivors, volunteers, and so on. Issues like death, bereavement, cancer, adoption, fostering, and remarriage are sensitively discussed.


weather clouds






The weather forecast is wet wet wet. I looked up the sky yesterday afternoon. It was full of globs of clouds like cotton wool puffs. It looked like they were soaked with water ready to blast us with water bombs. Today, we have rain the whole day.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Photohunt: Pop up life surf guards



The patrol season officially begins this Labour Weekend Oct 22nd.
 Men and women in Yellow and red pop up on the beach after the cold winter.
http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Photohunt: Travel to Borneo to see the orang utans


http://newstara.com/…/berita-1763-kaltara-menjadi-wisata-ho…
My younger brother Dr Henry Chan Chok Khuang. He is the leader for the Heart of Borneo (HoB) for WWF in Malaysia and Indonesia
Hi Ann, here's your bro at a recent ecotourism workshop in Indonesia. He is seated with the VIP, the governor. Unfortunately, its in bahasa Indonesia
Kaltara Menjadi Wisata HoB Bersama Serawak dan Sabah


http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Photohunt :Tea




Just wait for the kettle to boil heheheh
http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/
The PhotoHunt for today is 'Tea'

Photohunt :Tea




Just wait for the kettle to boil heheheh
http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/
The PhotoHunt for today is 'Tea'

Monday, September 5, 2016

Yellow: sunflower seeds


Every spring, a local real estate drops a pack of sunflower seeds in the letter box.
http://mondaymellowyellows.blogspot.co.nz/

Saturday, September 3, 2016

photohunt : fruit



Did a public service. Last year, we had the horrible fruit fly infestation. I spoke to my New ESOL student from Spain who works with fruits. She suggested I report it. And I did.



http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/

Sunday, August 28, 2016

photohunt: Clouds

It is my Kai Ma/God mother's birthday. I went to see her last year.



The PhotoHunt for today is 'Cloud'


http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/

Friday, August 19, 2016

photohunt: Flame



Moxibustion is a form of heat therapy.



Dried herbs, like a giant cigar  are lit.


I had a sore leg, and the practitioner burn a 


stick and went round my leg.

http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Disposable Potato plates

Ngarimu on his red scooter as he went around the grounds to see if we were working well.


Zero-waste Strategy Management: Here's the Volunteers at work. Dressed in our official crew kowhai/yellow or kikorangi/blue T-shirt and cow boy hat, we trudged our kikorangi/blue and kakariki/green bins to our different stations. By chance, I got involved in Ngarimu's Zero waste program. Ngarimu also sourced cutlery and plates made of potatoes which is 10-0% biodegradable.




Sometimes, it is inevitable that we have to use disposable cutlery and crockery. The convenience outweighs the tedious job of washing up like a big picnic or party.

I am very proud to be associated with Ngarimu and his Ngati Whatua Maori people in leading the zero waste movement in New Zealand. During our Waitangi Day, Ngarimu led a whole army of volunteers to teach tens of thousands of festival goers recycling.

To walk the talk, Ngarimu supplied cutlery and crockery made of potato. These special disposable forks, spoons, knives and plates went to the worms at the worm farms on the Marea.

These food fed the army of workers and volunteers. The yummy food came in big containers at lunch time. Ka Pai aka good job. No need for too much washing up and harmful detergent.

Can you see the beige colour forks, knives and plates?


http://www.potatoplates.com/