The Real Waitangi Day : NZ's National Day

Kia Ora.

New Zealand's national day "Waitangi Day" is upon us again!

For those of you who do not know, Waitangi day is the yearly celebration where Pakeha New Zealanders and Maori New Zealanders come together to celebrate their common / shared nationhood.

In 1840 both Pakeha and Maori first came together as one to hunt the Waitang.

The Waitang is a small furry animal native to Aotearoa New Zealand which lives underground in much of the upper North Island (Northland). They can grow up to 17 inches in length and have a light black coat and distinct pale green skin. After long periods of hibernation, small groups of Waitang come out from their burrows in search of food supplies on February 6th every year.

Native Maori have enjoyed the Waitang as a delicacy for centuries. In the late 19th century, European Pakeha (colonists) also tried eating the the Waitang and found it to be a "sweet, tender and juicy" treat, which makes up for it's unappealing look.

Activists from Pakeha and Maori have, in recent years put the spotlight on the annual hunt, where knives, guns and cricket bats have been used to kill the defenceless Waitang.

Overall however, Waitangi day is a day to be cherished and although very few people get to hunt or even see the Waitang, most enjoy the day for the warm weather and relaxation.

I am looking forward to Waitangi day 2010 and I'll be sure to clean the blood and green skin off my cricket bat from last year.

Ka Kite Ano.

You Can Read about the Actual Waitangi Day Here >>

If you find the above article offensive, go and jump in the lake.

Its Auckland Anniversary Weekend !

Auckland Anniversary weekend is back!!

After a few beers down at my local Devonport pub I will be off to the Wharf to see the fireworks over the harbour.

Thre are also concerts on at the Visaduct but to be honest I am really only interested in seeing the fireworks display which should be exploding over the city sometime between 2100 and 2130.

I reckon a good spot would be the Devonport wharf. I will be there with my camera and tripod.

If you google this page today, come over and say hello!

details : aucklandcity.govt.nz >>

Muzzerino.

President Obama the Icon

I was delighted to see that the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of the USA went off without a hitch, well almost.

I highly suspect that Obama's presidential oath was memorised, yet the guy who conducted it appeared to get his words all mixed up.

What impressed me was the calm demeanour of Obama at what could have been a real embarrassment. However this small issue ended up as nothing more that just a bit of a mix up, possibly aided by the cold Washington DC air.

4 million people attended they reckon? that's the entire population of New Zealand!

Obama as an Orator is simply a champion. The way he commands the English language and delivered such a rousing speech is nothing short of genius. To be honest I never thought I see anyone as good as Winston Churchill (before my time of course) delivering such inspiring words to a population but in my opinion, Barack Obama is right up there with the wartime British Prime Minister.

As I was watching the speech I couldn't help but think about the Frederick Forsyth book "Icon" and the theme where is says that Russians need an Iconic leader to take them into a prosperous future.

I would say that this is true of many countries and Barack Obama as an "Icon" of American leadership alone may deliver such prosperity for the future. The fact that he is also an experienced politician may be just a bonus!

About OBAMA, From the Whitehouse.gov

Barack H. Obama is the 44th President of the United States.

His story is the American story — values from the heartland, a middle-class upbringing in a strong family, hard work and education as the means of getting ahead, and the conviction that a life so blessed should be lived in service to others. Read More >>

Muzzerino

Good Luck OBAMA

Well the world is watching and I really hope that this historic inauguration for the 44th President of the United States goes smoothly.

I guess in a way, this would be the last big, public chance for anyone who wishes to send a message to the US in a violent way. I sure hope that they have all the security in place and this whole event goes without a hitch.

In these troubled economic times, the world needs something optimistic to look forward to, what better than a Black African American running the worlds most powerful economy.
C'mon Barack Obama, make America appealing again!

Muzzerino.

Barack Obama : Widescreen Desktop Wallpaper >>