#787 ... Passing Skills

Practising your rugby skills at Midland Park ... passing the rugby ball through the tyres ... a promotion for Friday night's rugby match between the Wellington Lions and Otago.

#786 ... Maori Language Week

Wellington Girls' College and Wellington College "kapa haka" group performing at Midland Park for Maori Language Week ... superb.

Whakanuia Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2009
Celebrate Māori Language Week 2009

Māori Language Week has been celebrated for over 30 years, so join in 2009.
The Māori Language Week theme for 2009 is "Te Reo i te Hapori - Māori Language in the Community."
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 27 Hōngongoi - 2 Here-turi-kōkā 2009
Māori Language Week 27 July - 2 August 2009

Since 1975 Māori Language Week has been an opportunity for us to speak it, or to show our support to speakers of te reo Māori. Join us in 2009 as we celebrate te reo Māori - the Māori language.

Kīanga tīmatanga
Basic phrases
Māori language can be fun and easily used in social settings. Here are some simple Māori phrases to use on social occasions. Most of these phrases have a Ngā Puhi Far North flavour, but there are also some used by other iwi to give you more choices.

Kua kai anō koe?
Have you had something to eat?

He aha māu?
What would you like?

He wai ārani māku.
I would like an orange juice.

He wai reka māku.
I would like a soft drink.

He wai noa iho māku.
Just water for me.

He aha tō mahi?
What do you do for a job?

Kei hea koe e mahi ana?
Where do you work?

He kaimahi ahau nā (place of work)
I work at (place of work)

Nō konei anō koe?
Nō konei tonu koe?
Nō konei ake koe?
Are you from around here?

Ae, nō konei anō.
Ae, nō konei tonu.
Ae, nō konei ake au.
Yes, I'm from here.

#785 ... Maori Oven

Early morning at Newtown School ... getting the oven heated up to prepare dinner. However instead of large stones these guys have used short pieces of railway iron. They had been up the night before preparing the baskets of vegetables and meat ... ready to be placed in the hangi.

Hāngi (pronounced [/hɑːŋi/]) is an ancient New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using super heated rocks buried in the ground in a pit oven. Modernised hangi methods are still used today and are often saved for special occasions due to the large amount of time and preparatory work involved.

Prior to colonization and the introduction of metals and wire, food was laid out on clean sticks, bark, large leaves and other vegetation to minimize direct contact with the super hot rocks and reduce burning. Carved bowls and flat rocks were also used for this purpose. Leaves, sticks and vegetation were used to cover the food and to prevent crushing from the weight of the earth on top.

These days, there are many different hangi methods used. Wire baskets became widely used in the early 19th century with sacking and cloth replacing leaves and bark as the covering of choice.
More recently, gas heated stainless steel "hangi machines" have attempted to replicate the style of cooking without need for a wood fire, rocks and a pit. It has become a contentious issue as to what constitutes a "real" or authentic hangi.
An examination of a traditional hot rocks open basket ground hangi reveals exactly how the food obtains the unique flavour that many Kiwis have come to love.
There are three main components to the cooking process, all of which can be affected by many variables including but not limited to earth type, amount of heat in the rocks, quantity of food and portion size, type of food and food placement.

Steaming: Water added at the start of the process creates steam instantly. Once covered, the pit oven becomes a low pressure cooker. Pressures in excess of 4 PSI have been measured.
Baking: Direct dry heat from the rocks creates an oven roasting effect. Temperatures in excess of 300°C have been measured. Smoke: Fat and juices from the meat drip onto the hot rocks and burn causing smoke which appears to be the key to hangi appearance, aroma and flavour. Often there is also ash and ember smoke that can add to the flavour and appearance.

Hangi "experts" have developed and improved methods that often, like the stones themselves have been handed down for generations. The following explains a common method.
To "lay a hāngi" or "put down a hāngi" involves digging a pit in the ground, heating stones in the pit with a large fire, placing wire baskets of food on top of the stones, and covering everything with earth for several hours before uncovering (or lifting) the hāngi. There are many variations and details that can be altered.

#784 ... Speaking Practice

Fai practising her english presentation ... studying in the winter sun ... and YES we have had some days like this during our wet and wild winter !!

#783 ... Arse Job

Well the little red beast ... the Honda Jazz got rear ended last week ... estimate of damage around NZD2000. Took the modified bumper panel off so that the panel beater could assess the internal structural damage. Weeks of hassle for seconds of dingle bingle ... and it was even one of the automotive family that did the damage .. a Honda CRV

#782 ... Bags of Joy

Charlie and Mikayla on there way north ... caught them relaxing at Wellington Airport while their Dad's struggled with the challanges of getting the morning coffee ... Have a good flight team!

#781 ... Full Up

Outside the micro-brewery pub on Taranaki St Wharf ... obviously a cold day so no one was dining outside or maybe the were already sufficed and did not need to eat!

#780 ... Literary Cabbage

A grove of cabbage trees outside the Wellington City library. For further information on the iconic "cabbage tree"

#779 ... Office with expansive views

The penthouse office on the "spooks" building site opposite Wellington Girls College. The hew building for the Secret Intelligence Service (NZ version of the CIA)

#778 ... Kayaks on "Kweens" (sic)

Kayaks on Queens Wharf ... outside Ferg's Kayaks ... yesterday on a calm sunny winter's day the Harbour was the playground for many of these.

#777 ... Taranaki St Wharf

The quiet still waters beside Te Papa ... a tad unusual for Wellington !! ... the marina and the Overseas Passenger Terminal beyond

#776 ... Good Morning

On the way back from an early morning drop off of one daughter at Wellington Airport ... this was the start of a new day ... looking east across the harbour towards Eastbourne

#775 ... Concrete Man

Waiting for grass to grow ... or waiting for concrete to set ... all the same really ... this guy was actually having a momentary pause while he was floating off the latest concrete pour on the Telecom building between Boulcott and Willis Street.

#774 ... Winter Fashion

Stylista Sean ... displaying an alternative fashion for the winter in Wellington ... well done

#773 ... Evening Massage

At the entrance to the Wellington Railway Station ... a great way to end the day ... a massage on the way home !!!

#772 ... Slip sliding away

We went up the mountain on Monday to Whakapapa ski field and this proves that everyone can have some fun without having to spend lots of money ... these two kids were sliding down the sledge slope on tough plastic sheets.

#771 ... Jet Stars

Going for a spin (literally) on the HukaFalls Jet boat ... hence the apparent sideways movement of the jet boat ... Sitanun (holding onto her beanie) and I (red CanTeen beanie) are in the front seat next to the driver ... oops ... "look mum ... no hands" and with his tounge poking out !!!
We all had a great ... and safe ride!!

#770 ... Replete by numbers

Replet Cafe, Taupo .. always a great place for food, coffee, utensils, and most things to do with preparing food. We all ordered individually ... hence the the mass of order numbers on the table ... at least you can see that we liked to eat here!!

APOLOGY

Hello Wellington Daily Photo followers ... I have been away to Rotorua and Taupo ... in the middle of the North Island ... tiki touring for a few days with our two Asian students .. hence the spasmodic nature of postings ... but as a bonus here are some daily photos of Wellingtonians on tour !! ciao... Jeremy

#769 ... Biker Law

Eyes Right!! ... Two motorbike cops outside Parliament ... part of the cavalcade for a State visit by the Spanish King and Queen

#768 ...Waring Taylor Street

Saturday's post ... Looking east Waring Taylor Street towards the harbour

#767 ... Panda at Parliament

promotion at Parliament grounds ... school children learning about endangered species ... and what they can do about it ... very appropriate at Parliament ... as there are some endangered species there!!!

#766... Yachts & Shares by Degree

View from the Chaffers marina by the Overseas Terminal looking along the pier towards the NZ Stock Exchange Building on Tranaki St wharf. On the hill in the background are buildings of Victoria University ... new ones under construction.

#765 ... Taxing "ching - ching"

The Tax Man's new home opposite the Railway Station ... maybe Inland Revenue need a bigger building to store all the money !!

#764 ... Very Graphic

Graphic design display at the Victoria University "School of Architecture" ... explore + stimulate

#763 ... Still Life

Evans Bay ... looking south towards the Wellington Airport ... centre background is where the pilot's find the runway !!

#762 ... Wicked

Another "wicked" camper van with a very appropriate statement for travelling the back roads of New Zealand

#761 ... Prints Charming

Well this is waht ahappens at the Police Station when your finger prints are taken. Well not always as most times your finger prints are scanned electronically. Sitanun, our delightful Thai student needed to get her fingerprints done for her Thai immigration documents, and the authorised place to do this here, is a NZ Police Station ... this is Wellington Central. Your fingers are individually inked then rolled onto the official document ... note that the image picks up the sides of the finger as well as the central zone of the print. The finished signed, authorised document is then posted to the government authorities in Thailand.

#760 ... On any given night

On any given night at the sports grounds around the city you will likely see people training and practicing for the weekend's match. This is Nairnville Park in Khandallah, where rugby and netball practices are taking place.

#759 ... Wet repairs

Repairs on a wintery morning ... there were dead trolley buses all akong Victoria Street waiting for the overhead electricity supply wires to be fixed. Wellington City Council offices to the left (tan building) and the Lido Cafe in the building behind (the man inthe white hat)

#758 ... EMPTY

empty but waiting to be filled
creative useful porcelain
symmetry in motion
a massive relief
liquidity
U & Al
... ready & waiting for the intermission stampede at the Michael Fowler Centre Wellington. I walked in for some relief and the place was empty ... "empty" .. now that rings a bell ... but no my mind was blank (aka empty) ... empty ... YES the Daily Photo theme day ... ahhhh, the speed of the human brain!!!

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