[February 7th]

Our spot in the press today:

Tags: dunedin, otago, ordinarystorm.

Labels: dunedin, music, newzealand, theatre, travelling

[February 6th, Waitangi Day]

Today is Waitangi Day in New Zealand — a public holiday, which used to be known as "New Zealand Day" until the 1970s. It is still a source of some controversy, mainly, I learn, in the north of the country. Some of the controversy apparently concerns the payments that Maoris receive from the state (in a similar way to, for example, German minorities in Italy). Opposition comes from some Maoris, who view the subsidy as patronising, as well as some settlers, who view it as unfair.

In the midst of these largely civilized disagreements, I read the following very sober leader piece in the Otago Daily Times today. Surely those arguing about multiculturalism in Britain could consider the words of former Prime Minister Norman Kirk:

It was Norman Kirk who promised, during the 1972 general election campaign, to create a national holiday set down on the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, on February 6, and to be called New Zealand Day. It was a step along the road of nationhood, the beginning of a self-conscious embracing of a bicultural entity in which each contributing culture was to be respected for its inherent qualities. As he put it in 1974: "We are not one people; we are one nation. The idea of one people grew out of the days when fashionable folk talked about integration. So far as the majority and the minority are concerned, integration is precisely what cats do to mice."

Tags: dunedin, newzealand, waitangi, waitangiday, travelling.

Labels: dunedin, newzealand, politics, racism, travelling

[February 3rd]

Maoris and Music

Urgh. I went to bed at 5pm yesterday for a "snooze", and slept through till 2am. I thought I'd avoided the jetlag, but obviously not. I spent the small hours practising on the ridiculously antiquated keyboard I've installed in my room, sent a few text messages, and then decided to head back to the botanic gardens at 6am for the dawn chorus and sunrise. The birdsong was really beautiful.

At 10am I went to the Eucharist at St Paul's Cathedral in The Octagon (the central "square" in Dunedin). It reinforced an impression that has already been made quite strongly upon me: that New Zealand as a nation has done a very good job of reconciling and integrating "white" and "indigenous" "cultures".* And what's more, they seem to have done so without the patronising romanticism in which "outsiders" try to "preserve" (sometimes by cynical, even forceful, methods) "native" traditions. Such a romantic outlook often pretends that there was some time of pure, "unspoilt", heritage. But indigenous traditions can only be understood as "heritage" once there is some kind of threat -- and threat did not originate with Western colonial invasions. We are never without threats -- but without threats there is no change, and without change there would be no life. New Zealand seems to have got the balance right: a balance, that is, between the dignity of freedom and respect for the history people want to live from.

How is this achieved? Maori culture and history has a constant public face here. In the cathedral, many of the liturgical lines are delivered in English and Maori together. On the doors in the university, all the room names are translated into Maori. There are postcards of "traditional" looking Maori families, but they are photos set against the backdrop of a modern nation state, not some ridiculous hut put up for gawping tourists. New Zealand seems to me to be setting an example here far superior to anything I've experienced before. Of course there are problems here, more pronounced in the north of the country, but there is nevertheless a genuine difference in attitude: a welcoming of your friend and neighbour on his own terms.

After the morning service, I was cornered (in a pleasant way) by a member of the choir. The cathedral is a very open place -- perhaps because they seem to be a community of English and Australian ex-pats themselves, and perhaps, also, because the cathedral community experienced its share of unrest about ten years ago. Somehow, though, they figured out I am a musician! We went for coffee and they've invited me to go and sing at Evensong tonight, which is kind. They were also trying to persuade me to stay and be their organ scholar (their last one apparently went back to Britain (or was it America?), got a girlfriend and never returned). But I suggested the commute to university in Manchester might be a little difficult.

* Eventually every utterance on this blog will be "in" "inverted commas".

Tags: dunedin, newzealand, music, cathedral, stpauls, maori, integration.

Labels: dunedin, music, newzealand, politics, travelling

[February 2nd]

After arriving yesterday and checking in to my accommodation, it immediately began to rain. Auckland was hot, heavy and humid at 6.30am, but Dunedin by midday was pretty cold. I wandered off towards what I thought was the Humanities building, but I was actually going in the opposite direction. Happy accident though, as I found the city's beautiful botanic gardens instead, full of New Zealand's amazing, diverse, and very noisy birds. I phoned home, hopefully quite cheaply thanks to Vodafone having an NZ service, then got more and more lost and soaked by the rain. (At least I'd had the sense to take my sandals off before I set out.) Eventually found my way back to campus, and into a cafe, looking completely ridiculous.

Crashed to sleep at 7pm, woke up today at 5am and went wandering around the city. Was surprised to find some dodgy streets ("LOCALZ ONLY" graffitied down a 300m stretch -- I walked quickly). Spent the rest of today working on music, about which I am still very apprehensive...

Tags: dunedin, newzealand, auckland

Labels: dunedin, music, newzealand, travelling

Due to an official secrets pact, these posts are only being released now.

[February 1st]

It was an epic journey, but I've arrived in Dunedin. This was my itinerary, after a missed connection in Auckland:

Wednesday January 30th

• 0644 Train from Stockport to London Euston
• 1010 Train from London Paddington to Heathrow Airport
• 1425GMT Flight to Los Angeles

Thursday January 31st

• 0200GMT Arrive Los Angeles
• 0400GMT Flight to Auckland

Friday February 1st

• 0545 NZ time Arrive Auckland
• 0800 NZ time Flight to Dunedin via Wellington
• 1100 Arrive Dunedin Airport
• 1130 Shuttle to Dunedin City
• 1215 Arrive

That's a good forty hours of continuous travelling. The worst part was the effect of cabin air on my already deteriorated skin; I'm frantically covering myself in emollients and steroids and things are beginning to improve. The second worst part was, on reflection, the airline food, although I had thought it fairly okay at the time. The third worst part was the chaos at Auckland domestic departures. The fourth worst part was opening up my free Air New Zealand bag on the Dunedin flight (which contained: Red Bull, bottle of water, indigestion tablets, mints, safety information, adverts, sunscreen, sunscreen lipstick, and... A SACHET OF TOMATO KETCHUP) only to realize that the tomato ketchup had exploded, covering everything. (They had no more bags, but did give me some tissues.)

The best part was chatting to a Year 12 exchange student from Lübeck. He was good fun - he broke a seat on the final connection to Dunedin, to which the flight attendant's response was to give him more Red Bull and a children's comic. He had a very good sense of humour, considering his age and the fact he's spent his whole life in a very quaint upper-middle class town in northern Germany. The second best part was swapping seats with a seven foot tall guy on the flight to Auckland. I only realized once I arrived here and saw him in the newspaper that he is an American basketball star, whose name I can't remember. But why was he flying economy?!

Tags: dunedin, newzealand, flight

Labels: dunedin, newzealand, travelling