Debate | Issue 24 | 2016

DEBATE ISSUE 24 | OCTOBER 2016

CONTENTS 4

Editor’s Letter

14

5

Prez Sez

6

Ugh, Yawn.

9

Fly My Pretties: Interview with Tiki Taane

24

In Short

1 6 Food Waste

26

Top Ten Films

19

Appreciation Through Realization

2 8 Fashion: Magic

20

First Aid Box for Mental Wellbeing

3 0 7000 Islands

Cool Shit

10

Go To Sleep

22

Problems: Accepting or Fixing?

3 2 Reviews

12

The Final Seven

23

Top Ten Summer Roadtrip Songs

3 3 Puzzles

C O V E R P H OTO B Y @ G AT H U M

EDITOR Laurien Barks lbarks@aut.ac.nz SUB - EDITOR Amelia Petrovich

CONTRIBUTORS Amelia Petrovich, Mitch McFly, Chantelle Cullen, Kieran Bennett, Reegan Hill, Ethan Sills, Shivan, Benjamin Matthews, Tyler Hinde, Jino Carl Pamittan

DESIGNER Ramina Rai rrai@aut.ac.nz

ADVERTISING Harriet Smythe hsmythe@aut.ac.nz

PRINTER Debate is printed by Soar Print DISCLAIMER

Material contained in this publication does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of AuSM, its advertisers, contributors, Soar Print or its subsidiaries.

Debate is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA)

This publication is entitled to the full protection given by the Copyright Act 1994 (“the Act”) to the holders of the copyright, being AUCKLAND STUDENT MOVEMENT AT AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED (“AuSM”). Reproduction, storage or display of any part of this publication by any process, electronic or otherwise (except for the educational purposes specified in the Act) without express permission is a break of the copyright of the publisher and will be prosecuted accordingly.

Inquiries seeking permission to reproduce should be addressed to AuSM.

PUBLISHED BY

www.ausm.org.nz facebook.com/ausmdebate

3

EDITOR’S LETTER Hey All, We’ve done it. We’ve reached the end of the Debate year. You’re holding the official last mag of 2016 in your hands (or in your metaphorical hands if you’re reading it online). We’ve got a solid mix of content in this final mag – some 2016 recaps, some summer articles, some random but informative articles, and a few pieces bringing attention to the fact that October is Mental Health Awareness Week.

We’ve talked about mental health quite a bit this year in Debate, and if any one point has been emphasized above the rest, it’s that every struggle with mental health is unique and individual. You’re most definitely never alone if you’re dealing with mental health issues, but there is also no one-size-fits-all formula to helping you cope. Don’t be discouraged if none of the advice you’ve come across works, don’t feel ‘unfixable’ if you’ve yet to find a list of ‘ways to cope’ that’s actually useful for your situation. Keep seeking help, keep seeking advice, keep turning to friends and family when you need a hand, and trust that there is a solution for you out there.

With exams around the corner, stress levels are multiplied considerably, so don’t forget to look after yourselves. Whether that looks like a thirty minute study break every few hours, or some comfort food now and again, or a quick session at the gym… whatever it is that keeps your stress levels in check – make sure you take the time to do it. And enjoy it! Despite popular belief, exams are not about sucking the joy out of your day to day routine. The higher your morale, the better you’ll perform, so prioritize your happiness like you would any other important daily activity.

It’s been an absolute pleasure piecing this mag together for y’all this year. We’ve had our ups and downs on this end, and I’m most certainly looking forward to a break, but all in all I love doin’ what we do. We’re already brainstorming for ways to make Debate better than ever in 2017, so if you’ve got ideas, contributions, or things you’d like to see more/less of, please get in touch! We’ll be here til December, so a few emails to keep us from feeling lonely would be hella appreciated.

Other than that, best of luck with your exams/assignments, have an amazing Christmas, New Year, and summer. Best wishes to those graduating, and we’ll see you again soon to those returning next semester!

Sayonara, Laurien

Kia ora guys, So this is the last issue of Debate this year. I know… why so soon? Because you still have a few weeks left of study and you need to focus on them. It’s nearly the end, so dig in and give it your all, then go party or relax afterwards! I won’t be going anywhere, so you’re welcome to come visit me or ask me if you need help with anything!

After exams are all done, it’s time to look for a job for over the summer, or go back to the one you already have. I always worked all of the holidays and study breaks so I could pay rent or even bus fare. A good place to start when it comes to looking for a job is Student Job Search. This service costs you nothing to use, and you only have to compete against other students, not the wider community. They have a range of jobs if you’re looking for full time, or a one off ….they’re the place to go.

U R S H U LA A N S E L L AuSM President

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Reward yourself for your year of hard working by doing something you haven’t done before, like skydiving or going on a road trip. Stay safe whatever you do, and keep in contact with AuSM.

09 356 1550

Ugh, Yawn.

We’re about to leave 2016 behind, and comments about women are still as boring as ever.

Amelia Petrovich As a journalism student, the phrase “never look at the comments” is thrown around an awful lot.

It’s extremely discouraging, apparently, for a young aspiring writer to proudly look upon their own work or that of their colleagues and see it being utterly ripped to shreds by people online who’ve probably never written a piece on anything their entire lives.

We’ve been told that there’s a massive amount of stupidity and bile in the comments section of sites like nzherald.com and stuff.co.nz, and for the most part I’ve blindly believed this. I started to wonder recently though, if my tutor’s warnings were really just exaggerations.

It’s 2016, people are surely far more progressive and eloquent than ever before, right? Online feuds and slander are surely things of a darker, more dingy New Zealand past.

Just kidding, people still suck. Maybe it’s not all that surprising that, upon actually sifting through the comment threads on The Herald’s Facebook page, I discovered that even in the new and enlightened world we live in, some Kiwi commenters are as mundane and tedious as ever.

So as 2016 draws steadily to a close, I bring you the accumulated revelation of both my bachelor degree and this week’s personal Facebook research: People who comment on news articles are so predictably horrible that they have bored me, officially, to tears.

If Sylvia had read the same article that I did instead of jumping straight into the comments, she might also now know that movements like ‘Free The Nipple’ aim to make nips okay in all contexts, including breastfeeding.

Boring Comment #1 (on the topic of feminism in NZ)

Boring Comment #2 (on the subject of uncensoring female nipples)

“Women who cry about gender inequality have no idea just how privileged they are. If you want to see oppression, go to the middle-east and see how those women are treated”. - Maryanne, Dunedin.

“Really? Mother feeding their babies forbidden, but free the freaking nipple is ok??? This world is going backward!” -Sylvia, location unknown

Nowhere in the article was there a comparison drawn between New Zealand and the Middle-East. Nowhere in the article did the author claim that Kiwi women are the most oppressed on the planet. Yet time and time again, this argument is brought up whenever just about any minority group complain about their lot.

People assume that those who read the news have a certain level of intelligence, but it’s probably worth pointing out that you need to actually read the stories before any grains of wisdom can be bequeathed to you.

Most of us know that we have it lucky where we live, and therefore can understand that there are always circumstances worse than the one we’re in. This does sweet fuck all to rectify anything though, for us or the scores of people overseas grappling with heavier burdens.

Do we stop talking about the Auckland housing crisis because things are worse in other places? Do we ignore our kids who go to school shoe-less because kids elsewhere don’t go to school?

No, god damn, we can be equally engaged in global issues and dilemmas in our own backyard. Shut up, Maryanne.

This comment was, obviously, in response to an article about desexualising female nipples and challenging social taboos that deem them controversial. If Sylvia had read the same article that I did instead of jumping straight into the comments, she might also now know that movements like ‘Free The Nipple’ aim to make nips okay in all contexts, including breastfeeding.

And hey, while we’re on the subject, a tonne of people actually think ‘free the freaking nipple’ isn’t okay, hence the mention of it as a protest rather than just “another one of those things we all reckon is pretty chill.”

I t’s 2016 and now I know that there are still people around who think that intelligent women shouldn’t bang and sexuality is a looming threat.

Boring Comment #3 (also about nipples) “I’ll keep mine where they belong, thanks”.- Bex, Whangarei While we’re focussing on nipples, here’s an example of just about every second comment on this particular issue.

What with the occasional cries of “but we don’t need feminism anymore” that one hears strolling through the atmosphere of contemporary New Zealand, you’d think that we’d be past condemning ladies who’re keen for a bit of a bang and praising those who aren’t.

This is the online equivalent of a smug two year old fishing for praise on account of how “good” they’re being.

But hey, I’m just part of the “new generation” with the sultry gun of “over the top sexual” stuff held to my head, I guess my assumptions could be wrong.

Bye bye with your sanctimonious crap Bex, your nipples are irrelevant here.

Boring Comment #5 (on the subject of The Bachelor)

Boring Comment #4 (on the subject of being a 32 year-old virgin)

“Indeed as a red blooded male this show is a shocker… I would feel degraded if I was a woman watching this tosh and I am embarrassed that our TV editors consider this to be what we want to see! Talk about dumbing down” -Mark, Auckland

“She’s a rarity amongst the new generation today. Everything is so over the top sexual these days so to have an intelligent women like her stand her ground is a nice change to see. Each to their own and she defintely owns it”. -Sammie, location unknown This comment is incredible.

Not because it’s good or interesting, just because it’s 2016 and now I know that there are still people around who think that intelligent women shouldn’t bang and sexuality is a looming threat.

Sammie says “each to their own” but sort of only means it in a “no offense, but…” kind of way, clearly insinuating that to choose a life of promiscuity is the dumber avenue to take. We all know that smart men have sex but apparently not everybody realises that smart women do too.

He had my heart at “as a red blooded male”.

I think a 2017 resolution for me is to inform as many people as I possibly can that Reality TV is just a freakin’ genre like any other, with tropes and conventions that are contrived and thought about in great detail.

TV editors don’t just make uninformed guesses Mark, there are years of research and analysis proving that on a dating show as wildly successful as The Bachelor, “bimbo types” are actually exactly who “we” want to see.

And hey, a “bimbo” is a character, but someone who hops on an insanely popular show to up their own profile and future job opportunities is someone I’d be more likely to call a “genius”, so perhaps it’d pay to think a little, just a little, before you typed.

Fly My Pretties An Interview with Tiki Taane Benjamin Matthews Your summer has gotten a little bit cooler, with Fly My Pretties taking their new album on the road this January. A blend of reggae and dub grooves, the tour’s line-up includes Barnaby Weir of the Black Seeds, Tiki Taane, and some newer artists such as Bailey Wiley and Ria Hall.

Tiki joined the fold after a phone call from Barnaby. The Black Seeds frontman asked the singer-songwriter whether he wanted to join in for the group’s next tour. Tiki said ‘hell yeah’, and the rest was history. Tiki says he’d seen the group perform before and always wondered why he wasn’t asked to join in.

“I felt like that little kid outside a playground watching all these kids play on the jungle gym,” he explains. “So when [Barnaby] asked me, I was like ‘yeah, awesome’. So I was pretty easy, I just said yes.”

Tiki will be bringing the Maori flavour he’s known for in his solo career. One song he’s written for the new Fly My Pretties album is This Life, which attempts to understand the purpose of life. In the song, he compares the Maori creation myth with the Big Bang, which Tiki says are very similar.

Ria Hall also sings a song in Te Reo, which Tiki says is incredible.

“I love that experimentation of taking traditional Maori language music and be able to put modern production to it,” Tiki says. “Make it powerful, make it big and cinematic, it’s heaps of fun.”

Although his first tour with Fly My Pretties, Tiki has already done one show with the group in Christchurch. He says working with Fly My Pretties is different to playing solo.

“I generally do live things solo; just me on my acoustic guitar, loop pedals, drum machines. So it’s me – a one-man show,” Tiki says. “So for me to be able to go and make music - with two drummers, a bass player, five guitarists, and ten singers - is just incredible. It’s so much fun.”

Despite having never listened to the newer artists in the group, Tiki found it cool how they adapted to the flow of Fly My Pretties.

He says everyone left their ego at the door, stating how none of the parts are greater than the whole. Everyone in the group has the same goal, Tiki explains, which is to make the best music possible.

“It’s really cool seeing these younger

musicians come in and be pushed out of their comfort zone a little bit,” he says.

“It’s cool for me as a bit of an older dog to check out some never vibes.”

Tiki says the key to success is hanging around positive people who are pushing towards good things. He tells younger musicians to not get caught up in the scene, try to network as much as possible, and not wait for other people to do the work for you. Tiki also points out it is important not to piss others off while you’re making a name for yourself.

“You can’t fly like an eagle if you’re knocking around with turkeys,” he explains.

“It’s all about believing in yourself, getting off your butt. You got to keep on working, keep on doing it, and keep on pushing it.

You can’t sit back and relax because it’s one of those things. You got to stay on top of it.”

Once the tour’s over, Tiki says he will be touring Shapeshifters new album over the next year. He’s also working on a new solo album.

“Just the same old same old,” Tiki explains.

“In the studio, making music, and then you take it on the road, touring around the planet. Same old stuff.”

go to sleep Reegan Hill Sleep is important, sleep is very, very important. Writing this now, I am the most sleep deprived I’ve been all year, but to be honest, it’s not even the worst I could be. My spelling is all up the wee wop and I’m using words which should have been left back with my five-year-old self.

Not only does sleep refresh you, but it’s actually really good for your mind. You see, when you don’t go into what is called REM sleep, and don’t dream, you actually can’t wake up refreshed.

REM lets your mind work over everything that’s happened in the past day, It’s like when you press save on a document and it takes those few seconds to put everything into place, that’s what REM sleep does for us, puts everything into place.

So coming into exams and assignments needing to be done, the best thing you can actually do, is go to bed early, get up early, and do it in the morning. I know, such a novel idea it sounds almost crazy. Well, it probably is, seeing as it’s coming from someone who spent a lot of last night working on an assignment. Yes, I know, that is hypocrisy right there.

Let’s just work through this for a second, think about how tired you feel while working on that assignment or working on those study notes you need to have done. For someone who hates getting up early, the thought of staying up late and getting up at your usual time seems far more appealing. But if you think writing an assignment with eyes sore with sleepiness is wise, think again.

You’ll definitely miss things, like I probably am right now.

Sleeplessness makes you slow, it’s almost like being drunk. You know those ads on the TV that tell you not to drive tired, they should apply to uni work as well. Honestly, it’s a valid point. Your

mind slows down, you miss things here and there, and after a while of no sleep, you actually end up having these sort of mini naps, where your mind falls asleep for a second or two at a time.

Also - we’re talking more than 24 hours of no sleep here - you can start seeing things. Yup, you will actually hallucinate. Any guesses why? Well, that is your mind trying to dream while you’re awake, not day dreaming, no, that’s just your imagination running wild, these hallucinations are your mind trying to file everything away to make more space for all the new things coming in.

You can think you’re moving super-fast - sort of like getting high - you can think you’re working fast, getting things done in record time, but actually before you know it, two sentences actually took you a whole hour because your mind was going to sleep on you!

That is probably what’s happening to me right now, my fingers look like they’re flying over the keyboard, who knows…maybe they actually are.

Here’s another weird thing, power naps no longer than 45 minutes work far better than an hour or two hours’ worth of sleep. That’s because if you wake up just on the edge of your REM cycle, or during, you’ll feel ten times worse than when you actually went to sleep, you see, your mind uses those first 45 minutes to calm your body, to get you ready for REM sleep, if you wake up during that period, it’s actually alright.

So boys and girls, from someone who is verging on mild madness from lack of sleep, take it from me, have your power naps and look after your mind by getting a good amount of sleep each night, even if you have that assignment due! Go to bed early, do not, and I repeat DO NOT spend the whole night working on it. A refreshed mind is far better than one lacking such a vital component as sleep.

THE FINAL SEVEN

Chantelle Cullen ‘My eyes flashed before my eyes’.

I have heard this expression many times before.

It’s where your life flashes before your eyes (whaaaat) in a dreamlike sequence. Usually triggered when you encounter a near-death experience. There are scientific reasons behind why this happens, including electric discharges in the memory part of your brain and euphoric endorphins being released into the brain which starts the life flashbacks.

Imagine if you were like the knitting chicken in the animated film Chicken Run, and it took until you almost died to have a realization of how boring your life actually is?

I spend a ridiculous amount of time thinking about my past and my future, both by myself and with my friends. I love the nights where I find myself with friends, sitting under the stars and talking about life. Either sober, or on in a drunken slur. The nights where we are

sitting on a roof, on the beach or in a car. It seems to happen a lot in the movies too, with the main characters sitting around and talking about futures and such. We can spend hours discussing where we want to be in a week’s time, in a year’s time or even in 10 years’ time.

The possibilities feel endless and so exciting. I feel like I can conquer anything, be anybody I truly set my mind to. The story is mine to write, and mine to control. But then the reality hits and suddenly we have boundaries. Some we can push through, and some we have no chance of overcoming. The mistakes we made, the wrong paths we took, the place we live - it all ends up becoming a huge list of things to overcome.

We end up applying for jobs that ‘pay the bills’, but create a hole in your soul from the burning hatred of going into work on Monday morning? Why spend your time doing something you only do to earn money, when you can do something that makes you leap out of bed every morning? Why spend your life waiting for Friday to come around?

We set our sights on people we wish to be and things we wish to become. We aim for the highest branches, only to land a few branches down and to the left. The goals to be something very specific are great, and keep us motivated. But the realization that not everything works out perfectly is a realization we need to make.

Shit happens. Would you cross a river where a bridge has fallen because that’s where you planned to go six months ago? Or would you try to rebuild, or walk a few miles down the river to the next bridge?

Look at where we were a year ago. Did we think we would be where we are now? No, I am not an A student, I do not have the ability to time manage perfectly, and my mental health is most certainly not in check. But looking at where I have come from has made me feel a little proud. The skills I have learned, the people I have met, and the jobs I have opened up by doing the things I have done, have sculpted a path that I couldn’t even imagine a year ago.

that our country reads in the morning paper. At the same time, what have you achieved? You have completed a game and gained the ability to pull an all-nighter? No, you have achieved much more than you really think.

Coming into the final hurdle of our last half-semester of the year feels like the most stressful and ridiculous final few weeks of our existence. Sometimes it helps to look back at the good, the bad and the ugly times.

Shit happens. Would you cross a river where a bridge has fallen because that’s where you planned to go six months ago?

Or would you try to rebuild, or walk a few miles down the river to the next bridge?

Becoming the person you dream of being is difficult. You cannot become a person that already exists either. Use your time to create memories that are your own and learn skills that set you apart from everybody else.

Looking back at what you have done for the past few years can be difficult when you take into consideration what other people have achieved in the same timeframe. Some friends may have gotten decent jobs, created incredible works and featured in huge stories

Think of the people you have met, and the things you have done. Try new things, stop putting off stuff you want to try, and love large.

Recently, I’ve spoken to a few people about what they want to do after uni: ‘I don’t want to study anymore, but really I should do post grad in case I need it one day’.

‘I haven’t accomplished much this year, so I don’t think I will be good enough for the job’.

‘I want to try something new, but I’ll wait until next year so I can do it as a New Year’s resolution’.

The comments made me sad. Apply for that job, you never know if you are good enough until you try. Even if you aren’t, you will then know what to do from there to be good enough. Do the thing you want to try now, why wait when you can do it now?.

We’re all going to die at some point in our lives anyway. Why don’t we make the final seven minutes of our brain activity interesting at the very least?

COOL SHIT Rhythm And Vines The first line up for Rhythm and Vines 2016 has been announced with Chance the Rapper, ZHU, and RÜFÜS in headline spots for the three-day festival! Debate wants to bid you farewell for 2016 by offering up the chance to win a double pass to Rhythm and Vines this summer!

These are GA festival Tickets+Rhythm Camping, and you could be walking away with the key to happiness in no time! Just Facebook message us your name, campus, and a 10 second max voice recording rapping about why you deserve this double pass. facebook.com/ausmdebate

Crystal Clear Drops of Crystal Beautifying Bi-Phase Oil is the first of three products in this new and exciting Drops of Crystal range from Manuka Doctor. This nourishing oil, with the

Light Up AUT’s Music Club, Light Up, is proud to announce that they will be hosting a gig in the WSA lounge (Wellesley Student Apartment of AUT). All are welcome to attend - especially if you’re keen on taking a small break from your studies! Head on over and check them out on October 15th. For more information, hit up their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LUAUTMN/?fref=ts

lightness of a serum, is designed to brighten, plump and leave your skin with a gorgeously radiant complexion.

The dry-finish facial oil allows no waiting time between application and absorption which makes it easy to add into your daily skincare regime. It also contains botanically derived lightening blend to even out skin tone.

This oil retails at $49.90 and is available online or at The Manuka Doctor concept store, 1 Quay Street, Auckland, selected pharmacies, Farmers stores and department stores nationwide.

Debate has one to give away this week to the first person to email lbarks@aut.ac.nz with their name, campus, and your best beauty hack!

Tuning the Community The New Zealand Music Foundation has announced the launch of its latest initiative to support Kiwi music people: The New Zealand Music Foundation Wellbeing Service. A world first, the service offers 24 hour online, on the phone, and in person counselling, specifically tailored to the music community, in order to provide support for those who are experiencing emotional, physical, and mental health challenges. The New Zealand Music Foundation Wellbeing Service can be accessed now at: www.nzmusicfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing, via email at wellbeing@nzmusicfoundation.org.nz, or by telephone on 0508 MUSICHELP.

Deals on the Cards

Hot Diggity Dog!

We have three Student Cards to give away this week!

These bad boys are worth $20 each, and possess a ton of saving potential. Get discounts on food, workouts, movies, and more! To be in to win, simply Facebook message us your name, campus, and a soulful haiku about what saving money means to you.

We’ve got two free hot dog or crepe vouchers to give away this week, and they’re redeemable at the Real Deal stand set up in the AUT quad on our Wednesday Market Days! To be in to win, email lbarks@aut.ac.nz with your name, campus, and favourite hot dog or crepe topping.

15

Waste Not

Laurien Barks | Illustration by Tyler Hinde During the Olympics this year, chef Massimo Bottura tackled a cultural project. Dining at his usual establishment in Rio will most likely put you back $250 a head, but for the restaurant he set up for this particular project, not a cent is needed for fine dining. The only requirement is that all guests must be homeless.

Taking the leftover food from the Olympic Village, and preparing it for the homeless in a restaurant complete with waiters, is reflective of Bottura’s calling. It’s not a new concept to him, similar projects have been tackled in the past, and one could guess that he’ll have more surface in the future. Bottura wishes to bring dignity to the homeless, granting people the opportunity to have a fine meal, with service and atmosphere. His work is incredibly noble, and as well as helping the homeless, projects such as this shine another spotlight where it truly matters. Food waste.

Bottura was using only unwanted food from the Olympic Village to feed his diners every day. There was enough unwanted food to allow him creativity, a diverse menu, and the full, satisfied bellies of every customer. That’s crazy! If that’s how much food one small area is wasting, just how much food is going unused at a national level? I brought things a little closer to home this week, and had a chat to Deborah Manning, Founder and CEO of KiwiHarvest, to talk about what they do, how they do it, and the importance of cutting way back on food waste in New Zealand at a commercial level.

It’s impossible to accurately measure just how much food in New Zealand goes to waste. According to Manning, “It’s a bit like, how long is a piece of string?’. There are no hard metrics for commercial food waste, and the only insight we have is through the tiny snapshot food rescues like KiwiHarvest can give us. According to the website they’ve already saved nearly 159 095 kilograms of food across their 55 participating businesses.

And Manning reckons this is only ‘hitting the tip of the iceberg’ when it comes to just how much waste is happening nationwide.

As much as KiwiHarvest would like to expand and delve even deeper into the problem, the resources just aren’t available at this point in time. Manning says that there are a number of other businesses interested in working with KiwiHarvest, but with a lack

of financial resource, they simply cannot supply the jobs and vans needed to transport all of the food.

We know there is a demand for commercial food rescue, but just how big is it? Manning says the rate at which the demand for KiwiHarvest has grown in the last eighteen months speaks volumes about the greater issue at hand. In KiwiHarvest’s first month, they collected 817 kilograms of food. However, this past August, Manning reported a huge increase of 18 000 kilograms collected under the name of KiwiHarvest. The growth is incredibly apparent, it’s just about finding the financial resources needed to meet the demand.

The businesses they do have the resources to work with, however, provide them with food to redistribute to various charities across Auckland. Manning says some food makes it’s way to larger, more well-known social services, such as Women’s Refuge and Auckland City Mission, whereas some is given to smaller organizations who only require five or six small parcels a week. For a lot of people benefitting from these services, Manning says the meal they receive from KiwiHarvest will be “the most nutritious meal they’ll have all week”. There are no rules when it comes to the benefits of rescued food, other than it must be for people in need, and no money may be exchanged.

But what kind of food is KiwiHarvest collecting? Where do you draw the line? Manning explains that their main guideline for food collection is simply “Would you eat this yourself?” If a sanitary seal has been compromised, or there are foods of a particularly high risk, they don’t make the cut. So no half bottles of milk, no sushi, rice, fish etc. Because KiwiHarvest is rescuing perishable and nutritious foods, as opposed to canned goods, there’s extra measures that need to be taken when it comes to collection and transport of the food. “You have to understand food”, Manning explains. Refrigerated trucks are used to carry the goods to their destination, seals are checked, and everyone takes care to transport the food ‘safely and suitably.’ The team aims to transport as evenly as possible, with two to three donors’ contributions going to two to three organizations. “If we do our job right, the van should come back empty at the end of the day,” says Manning.

There are no rules when it comes to the benefits of rescued food, other than it must be for people in need, and no money may be exchanged.

As well as delivery, KiwiHarvest allows for agencies to come and collect food directly from them. They often send out a message to state what they have available, and will hold it for any agencies that respond saying how much food they need. This way, Manning explains, people are only receiving what they need, saving KiwiHarvest money, and providing a service every agency can be a part of.

With a food rescue service appearing to be so necessary, it’s hard to think of reasons why businesses wouldn’t want to come on board and partner up with KiwiHarvest.

Manning says hesitant businesses always give her the same four reasons to not wanting to partner up, and she assures me she’s able to eradicate every concern.

1) Worried it’s illegal Manning says section 352 of the Food Act provides immunity of food donors. If businesses donate food, the law actually protects them.

these stores. However, the more these people are fed, the more they are able to work, and the more money they are able to make. This allows them to be able to shop in these stores down the line. It’s a butterfly effect that doesn’t seem obvious until it’s said out loud.

4) Businesses say they have no waste Manning admits that this is fantastic if it’s true, but often requests that businesses who say this do a waste audit for one week. Often what is considered compost could be rescuable and okay for human consumption.

It’s apparent through Manning’s confidence that the only real obstacles holding food rescue back are resources. Community support, volunteers, and donations are the true solutions. The need is there, it’s simply about finding a way to meet it. KiwiHarvest is in need of volunteers of all kinds, Manning emphasizes, not just heavy lifters. Anything from graphic designers, to business students, trade workers…if you have a skill and would like to help them out for any amount of time (could be as little as two hours a week), get in touch. Their KiwiHarvest website has more information on how to get involved.

2) Worried people will bring food back for a refund Manning says this is easily fixable by simply marking the barcodes of the food donated to state that it’s been exactly that: donated.

Thus making it impossible to get a refund. Or, alternatively, businesses who haven’t already, can issue a store policy that doesn’t allow refunds without a receipt.

3) Worried it will cut across their customer base This worry is easily alleviated as Manning is able to explain that the people receiving donations aren’t able to afford shopping in

While commercial food waste is in a completely different world than household food waste, a lot of us could be doing more to reduce the amount of food that goes into the bin each week.

Manning suggest checking out the Love Food Hate Waste website for more information on how you can cut back and prevent food waste in your household. If we’re tackling this issue from every angle, and running businesses and households mindfully, we’ll be one step closer to going beyond the tip of the iceberg, and eliminating the entire gosh darn thing.

Appreciation Through Realization New Zealand’s Biggest Scandal

Food waste commonly refers to edible food products, which is intended for human consumption but has been discarded, lost, degraded or consumed by pests, and does not include the inedible or undesirable portions of food.

The system of industrialised production results in edible food being wasted in abundance, resulting in a vacuum of supply and demand. This ‘throw-away’ culture consumers’ needs increase, thus food producers over saturate the market with goods and as a result forming habits of over purchasing, negligence of smart storage, subsequently producing a large amount of spoilt food which is then thrown away.

In 2011, the UN secretary noted that there is enough food produced to feed the globe, yet millions are still starving.

Something needs to be done because 30 percent of the world’s food supply being wasted is a global shame (Think.Eat.Save Reduce Your Footprint, 2014).

Here in New Zealand, food waste is a growing environmental and economic issue that the food industry has trouble dealing with in an effective manner. Not only is food waste expensive for our country, it is also bad for the environment. What we don’t see when we throw food in the rubbish bins is the harmful greenhouse gases, specifically methane that is released by our landfills.

Food waste can be categorised into two groups, which are household and commercial food waste.The reality is, the average New Zealand household throws away nearly 80 kilograms of food every year, which equates to approximately $563. Last year, the most wasted household food items included bread, potatoes, poultry and a variety of fruits and vegetables (wasteminz.org.nz, 2015).

Commercial food waste comes from manufacturers, retailers, companies, restaurants and supermarkets. Supermarkets will not sell food that has gone past the expiry date due to legal reasons, and as a result, safe to eat food (even though it is expired) gets

thrown out into the dumpsters.

So, what can we do to combat this alarming issue?

Instead of throwing away ‘bad’ food, there are so many ways that could prevent and reduce food waste, by planning ahead, cooking the right portions to avoid leftovers, proper food storage to prolong product freshness, making use of leftovers and parts that people tend to throw away. To combat this issue, Auckland City Council formed a national campaign “Love Food Hate Waste” (lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz). This was established to support families in reducing food wastage by encouraging behaviours and ideas to use leftovers.

By cutting down on food waste, not only do we minimise harmful greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, but also think about all the money that could have been saved by adopting a smarter way of doing groceries. There are numerous ways to tackle food waste, The best is through awareness and education. The more people who are educated about food waste, the easier it is for us to change together. We cannot fight this battle alone, we need everyone on board.

To highlight this issue, the graduating culinary students are hosting ‘FOOD FOR THOUGHT’, a provoking 5-course degustation event focused on bringing attention to 5 of New Zealand’s major food issues. This event will be held on the 28th October, 2016 at 6pm in AUT Four Seasons. Moreover, it will be designed in a way to encourage conversation about the significance of food issues that New Zealand is facing such as food waste. After three years of hard work, we are excited to share our accomplishments and insights with all of you in the hope to inflame critical thoughts about our place in the hospitality industry and in the improvement of the country that we all love; New Zealand.

This is the final article in a series collated by the graduating class of the Bachelor of Culinary Arts 2016. As chefs, we nourish your body, but feed your brain.

Search for : ‘Food for Thought’ Follow us : @Autfoodforthought

First Aid Box for Mental Wellbeing Have you ever had one of those days where you know you should do something to make

of paper and pop it in your box to prompt you what to do and where to go

you feel better but you can’t conjure the energy to decide on what, let alone follow through on actually doing it?

to access it i.e.: “sounds of the ocean” on my Ipod.

Just like having a first aid box to hand for physical injury where you might have plasters, pain relief or a bandage, a mental wellbeing first aid box has a variety of things in it to help on those days when you need a little extra assistance in picking yourself up.

Most of us have “down days” and for some depression and anxiety are mental health issues that can make days more of a struggle.

Whatever the reason for having a day that feels more of a struggle, a variety if things that you can access for immediately that will help is fantastic.

There are numerous suggestions about what can go in a mental wellbeing first aid box, but ultimately ANYTHING that makes you feel better and has no negative consequences can be considered useful. Some recommend trying to put things in the box that appeal to all your senses, touch, taste, smell, sight and hear so as to appeal to as many ways to help as possible. Some people take comfort in holding something where another may take more comport in listening to something.

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Somebody’s voice – call a family or friend who make you feel better to speak with. Put their number in the box to prompt you to call them.

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Something comforting to hold – for some this can be an old teddy, or a soft scarf or a squishy rubber ball form the $2 shop! An old sweater or a blanket can feel comforting. The use of something weighted like a heavy blanket can help (lots of research done into using weighted objects to help promote calmness, look up sensory modulation if you’re interested!).

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Here are some ideas about what can be put in a box but really the box will be unique and personal to you.

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Music – a cd, a playlist or a list of music/ songs that you can call up on your device to make you feel good. Download an App with sounds of nature, remind yourself to use it by writing on a piece

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Look! – photos of loved ones, animals or places or even a dream board with pictures that make you feel totally happy or at peace. A postcard, a painting anything visual that enhances a sense of happiness or calm.

Yum – a tasty morsel to eat, small piece of chocolate, a favourite biscuit, chewing gum or a toffee are great.

Something chewy can be helpful as the ongoing repetitive act of chewing can help promote calm. Don’t eat too much, the whole point of it is to make you feel better not to feel guilty for over doing the scorched almonds!

Smelling something that reminds you of a nice experience or a person is powerful. Put a drop of a perfume or

essential oil in a small pot to gently sniff can provide comfort and calm.

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Self-affirmations – write down those statements that are based in fact and you believe are true. Such as “I am a kind, caring person” “I passed all my first semester papers” or ask loved ones to write short sentences about you that make you feel good.

These are some ideas to get your creativity started but there are no limits to what can be put in your box. If items are big like a pair of running shoes to encourage you to go for a walk, then you may want a bag. Think about where you want to store your box. Maybe you want it hidden or somewhere obvious, you may want to tell those close to you that you have one so they can prompt you to go and use it on those down days.

Do not put something in the box that sometimes makes you happy but can sometimes make you sad, it must be something that promotes happiness, the feeling of comfort and calm.

TIP: Set your box up on a day when you feel good. This will help with your creativity and it is often a fun activity.

Have fun, go well and don’t forget if you need mental assistance there are people you can turn to NOW. Health, Counselling and Wellbeing at AUT have Mental Health Advisors and Counsellor’s, call 921 9992 or 921 9998 Youthline - 0800 37 66 33 Lifeline - 09 5222 999

Does Your Problem Need Fixing or Accepting?

Fact - Life is full of challenges. We cannot stop difficult events and emotions from coming our way – they are part of life; they are part of University life.

The question is how do I face these problems – how do I fix them?

Another question is ‘does my problem need fixing? Or does it need to be accepted?’

But why would you want to accept a problem instead of fix it? Well you wouldn’t – providing the problem is ‘fixable’. The tricky nature of reality, however, is that not all the problems we face can be fixed. By us anyway.

So if the problem can’t be fixed, and is going to stick around, what are we supposed to do?

Often, we continue to try and fix the problem. We do everything we can think of. We try the same things over and over. We think “if I just keep trying I must be able to sort this out…” …but you can’t.

The problem with this is that it tends to make the problem worse.

We end up with all the feelings (pain, frustration, anxiety and others) that go with the original problem, and then we add another layer of feelings that come from us not being able to fix it.

Pain goes to the next level and becomes suffering. This layer of suffering often comes from thoughts like “it’s not fair”, “why me?”, “I should be able to fix it…”, “If I was stronger/smarter I could fix it” etc. So all this demanding and fighting actually adds to our difficulty and creates suffering.

The equation looks something like this: PAIN + NON-ACCEPTANCE = SUFFERING. So if we can learn how to “do” acceptance, it can reduce our suffering. We may still have the original problem, but we won’t be making it any worse.

So, how do you learn acceptance?

The first thing to do is check out if you have any aversion to the actual idea – many people do. This is usually because they have some false ideas about what acceptance means.

Some of the common myths about acceptance are: · Acceptance is a sign of weakness · Acceptance is the same as approving or agreeing with the situation · Acceptance is passive / quitting / giving in. · Acceptance is an invitation to get taken advantage of.

So it’s important that we know the facts about acceptance.

The facts about acceptance are: · Acceptance just means acknowledging reality as it is; it is not about ‘liking’ the situation. · Acceptance is an active skill – we choose to do it when it is the best course of action. · Acceptance is to stop fighting reality. · Acceptance is to stop having tantrums because reality is ‘not the way we want it to be’. · Acceptance of reality is the first step in changing reality.

(Rejecting reality does not change reality).

So if you would like to give acceptance a try. What are the first things to do? · Notice when you are fighting reality. You might notice anger, frustration, wilfulness or stubbornness. · Remind yourself that the unpleasant reality cannot be changed – “it is what it is”. · Stop fighting reality with your body and actions. o Relax into it o Let go of tension in the body. o Stop scowling & swearing. o o

Use accepting self-talk.

Remind yourself that acceptance is a wise and valid choice.

Good luck! Remember that acceptance is not the answer for everything – but it’s a good option to have up your sleeve when the problem you’re facing is one you can’t change or control.

Top Ten Summer Road Trip Songs Amelia Petrovich

Freebird - Lynard Skynard

In New Zealand, your selected radio station turns to white noise fuzz pretty much every time you pass through another small town, so for summer road trips, you need a solid playlist.

Enjoy singing along to the best guitar solo of all time. And heck yes, you can sing a guitar solo…

California - Phantom Planet Any song can be played on a road trip, but not every song is a road trip song. Be not confused however, dear reader, because I have thoughtfully compiled for you a quick list of the best summer road trip songs in existence. This is in no way subjective, it’s science… and it’s right here:

April Sun in Cuba - Dragon A Kiwi classic for when you’re tired of the city life and you’ve got to have your fun.

Send Me on My Way - Rusted Root Probably better known as the walking song from the original Shrek movie. I figure if it’s good enough for Shrek’s travels, it’s sure as hell good enough for yours.

Closer - The Chainsmokers Mainly because the song mentions ‘Rovers’ and almost everyone really, really loves it right now.

Mother and Father - Broods Just a really chilled out, magic sounding song with a good vibe.

Take some time to appreciate your fam as you hurtle down the Desert Road.

This was the theme song for The O.C… need I say more?

Fast Car (Radio Edit) - Jonas Blue The original Tracy Chapman version is obviously also incredible, but this version is upbeat and updated and I kinda like it.

Hotel California - The Eagles It’s the road trip essential that even your Dad will love.

Especially your Dad. I mean it, your Dad will flip his damn lid.

Old Thing Back - The Notorious BIG feat. Ja Rule Just a warning, this gets pretty explicit and gross in parts but the whole thing is done in just a feel-good way I still sort of get into it… I’m sorry. It sounds groovy.

1955 - Hilltop Hoods This one is just as groovy and way less explicit. Just some smiley, vintage, happy-good times.

IN SHORT

Auckland Still Doesn’t Give A Shit

Magazine News Satire Lowest Form Of Comedy

Kieran Bennett

Kieran Bennett

After an incredibly tight and oft times expletive-filled mayoral race, the results have been counted and Auckland still does not give a shit who the mayor is and cares even less about the local boards.

A new report released by the New Zealand Institute of Comedy has conclusively proven that snarky news-based satire in student magazines is, indeed, the lowest form of comedy.

The result of the mayoral, ward, and local board elections was counted last Saturday and then immediately placed in a trash can and set on fire. Election New Zealand spokesperson Jennette McPherson said that this was the appropriate place for the result considering that no one they knew actually gave a crap about how the election turned out. Speaking to press, she acknowledged that going through the entire process only to scatter the ashes of the result was something of a waste, but felt it was less of a waste compared to yelling the result into an uncaring void. She then added “the result isn’t actually important to anyone, least of all the people of Auckland”.

For several years the question has been repeatedly posed as to what the lowest form of comedy is. The New Zealand Institute of Comedy launched a study into comedy as a whole, and after careful analysis, determined that comedy that professed to mock the news was “simply the worst”. It also concluded that the production of such comedy was a stain upon the country and that resources would be better spent elsewhere.

This immolation of election results has been criticised as a waste of perfectly good lighter fluid and many lobby groups are saying that the results should have been shredded and used as lining for rabbit hutches. However, the collective response has been agreement that Aucklanders do indeed give no shits about the election result and that the brief warmth provided by the cheery burning of the slips was far more valuable than any election result.

The head researcher of the study, Jonathan Wilson, said that identifying the worst cultural outputs of the country was an important step in developing comedy that was less shit. He then went on to say that mildy tongue in cheek news satire was “almost exclusively terrible and often blatantly left-leaning. It never hides its political bias and to top it off, it’s not even that funny”.

News satirists around the country have surprisingly agreed, saying they are, indeed, all terrible and not worth the ink used to print them.

erade ade

Crate Day Top 3 Mitch McFly So with the end of semester fast approaching, and summer essentially around the corner, it’s about time someone did a crate day recommendation. So, if you’re the type of dickhead who doesn’t drink their crate of origin (like me), then here are my top three crate day brews to get you ready for summer.

3) Lion Red, my crate of origin: The Auckland lager is honestly pretty shit, but with nine litres of the stuff, who’s really complaining? Goes nice with a Maccas run and Dunhill blues. I give it a 2/5, as it will lead to inevitable white trash antics.

2) Tui: Honestly, probably my most frequent purchase on crate day. Due to my number one always being sold out. Beautifully crisp, delectably cheap, and just trashy enough to celebrate summer without feeling like one of those Ponsonby dwelling pricks. Pairs well with driving around in your mate’s thrashed Holden or starting a beach bonfire. 4/5 - might start fights with their neighbour.

1) Speights. Mate. Nothing beats the pride of the South. A solid ale. Easy to drink and doesn’t leave you feeling bloated as fuck like other beers on this list. Goes great with sausages on white bread, stubbies, and a touch of the old wacky tobacky. 5/5 – almost as Kiwi as Richie McCaw and Dave Dobbyn playing beach cricket.

TOP TEN FILMS Ethan Sills When film historians in the future look back on 2016, it is a year that is likely to be remembered more for its misfires than for any memorable additions to pop culture.

The blockbuster season was full of critical and financial flops, seeing the death of several franchises and trends, and putting a slight dent in the superhero domination.

No mainstream comedies have managed to hit it big, and even the independent film scene was mostly slim pickings.

Despite the dreary outlooks, a number of films emerged glorious atop the steaming pile of crap they were surrounded with. A mix of musicals, comedy, animation, and one lonely blockbuster, these are the best that made it to our screens this year, and will be remembered as the few bright spots on an otherwise dark and dismal year at the movies.

Sing Street Musicals used to dominate cinema, but as a genre it has mostly slid out of popularity.

Oscar hopeful La La Land hopes to reboot it, but it will be hard to dethrone Irish dramedy Sing Street as the top musical of the year. The unpolished music really plays second fiddle to this emotional story of a young boy trying to find himself in a time of personal upheaval. It is a relatable story full of heart that hits you in the face with hopefulness and sentimentality, but never once is heavy handed in its approach.

Forget all the terrible blockbusters: Sing Street is the one 2016 movie you must see.

Weiner Anthony Weiner is a man in a strange position where, despite being a fairly successful politician, the most anyone knows about him is his penis. Weiner seeks to go beyond the dick pics and unravel the strange mind of the politician

as he seeks a comeback in the New York mayoralty. A promising beginning descends into scandal after scandal, and Weiner has unprecedented access in a way few documentaries get. You may not know his face, but by the end of the movie, you will certainly know every side imaginable of Weiner – and not just his lower half.

Zootopia While Finding Dory had a bigger box office and the benefits of nostalgia behind it, its Disney cousin Zootopia was easily the best animated film of the year. Turning trademark animal cuteness into an extended metaphor for racism and police brutality could have been a risky move, but the care given to the central message, as well as the talented leads and ample amounts of humour, turned what could’ve been a simple kid’s movie into one of the most intelligent films of the year.

The Lobster You could debate its inclusion here as it premiered at last year’s film fest, but since it went straight to DVD earlier this year, I’m sneaking it in solely to marvel once more at this brilliantly bizarre film.

Colin Farrell leads in this dark dramedy about a world where people must find love or else be turned into animals.

The idea alone is enough to make the movie worth seeing, but then you’ve got the array of talented performers, Yorgos Lanthimos’ brilliant direction, endless blunt and unnerving humour, and a strong but subtle message about love, which all comes together to make an unabashedly strange but oh so tantalising offbeat movie.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople While it was a bad year for American cinema, New Zealand has enjoyed perhaps its most successful year at the box office ever thanks entirely to Taika Waititi’s latest and greatest. The odd couple comedy, led with perfect performances by Sam Neill and rising star Julian Dennison, is a charming, hilarious and heartfelt take on the Barry Crump novel. Complete with Waititi’s trademark humour and typically glorious shots of New Zealand countryside, this low-grade action flick could potentially be the best local film of the decade, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you might have to start rethinking your citizenship.

Captain America: Civil War In this year’s instalment in the evergrowing battle between Marvel and DC, one film clearly reigned supreme. Civil War may not have been as good as Winter

Soldier, but given the immense amount of characters and world building the Russo brothers had to include, it is a miracle this turned out as good as it did.

With some excellent Marvel action and stellar performances from the cast, all building up that perfect final act, Civil War was easily the best blockbuster of the summer season.

Tickled No piece of investigative journalism this year will be able to top David Farrier’s Tickled when it comes to general ickiness around what’s being discussed.

What begins as a harmless look into ‘competitive tickling’ quickly becomes something much darker and more bizarre as the company behind the homoerotic films begin to attack Farrier. In a story that doesn’t stop when the credits roll, what’s captured on camera is still a shocking look at the power and influence one man can hold over the lives of many.

It may not be the most important story of the year, but it is still one worthy finding out about.

Spotlight Putting the Oscar winner for Best Picture is an easy choice to make on lists like this, but you cannot deny that Spotlight is an immensely powerful, well made film that deserves all the awards it got and more. The story of how Boston Globe exposed the global reach of abuse within the Catholic church is a story that needed telling, and Tom McCarthy and his talented cast did so in a understated manner that lets the gravity of the situation shine through. It may not be the most amazing movie ever, but Spotlight is

a textbook example of great, competent filmmaking not to be ignored.

Eye in the Sky Drone warfare is one of the most hot topic issues at the moment, and makes up the central debate of Eye in the Sky, one of the many great films to have emerged out of modern war. Helen Mirren shines in a rougher-than-normal performance as an army lieutenant deadset on getting several names crossed off her hit list, but must deal with politicians passing the buck in an intriguing take on the morality of the issue. It’s suitably tense and the diverse cast give brilliant performances, especially given since few of them ever share the screen, and if you never thought much about drones before, you definitely will be forming an opinion once the screen turns to black.

Love and Friendship On paper, Kate Beckinsale in a Jane Austen comedy sounds like the sort of dodgy attempt at a comeback that might harm rather than save an actor’s career.

Thankfully, and perhaps surprisingly, this witty period piece from Whit Stillman is practically faultless. Beckinsale commands the screen as Lady Susan, who has been recently widowed and is now scheming to find wealthy husbands for her and her daughter. Her performance is the main attraction here, delivering quip after quip as though in an 18th century version of Mean Girls, but the cast works wonderfully as gormless players in her grand plan. A charming take on the period comedy, if Beckinsale used it as a comeback, then all I can say is I can’t wait for what comes next.

Magic

Photography: @gathum (www.gathum.co.nz)

Model: Lauri @62models

Hair & Makeup: @madeupbyruth

Styling: Lauri

7000 Islands An Exploration of Asia’s Little Known Culinary Paradise

Jino Carl Pamittan The history of the Philippines can be read in its food. For centuries it has been invaded, colonized and visited by a host of very different cultures. Native tribes, Chinese merchants, Arab missionaries, Mexican viceroys, and American GI Joes have all played their part in creating the rich, multi-layered cuisine of the Philippines today, a cuisine which is very different from their SouthEast Asian neighbours. Filipinos have not resisted these influences but embraced them wholeheartedly. The history of their food, as much as their cultural history as a nation, has been one of assimilation. Using local ingredients and their own zest for cooking and life, Filipinos have added their own twist to dishes and cooking techniques inherited over centuries from around the globe.

Chinese immigrants from as far back as the tenth century married locally, and their culinary heritage seeped its way into the very fabric of Filipino life. They brought the wok (kawali in Tagalog), they brought the soy sauce (toyo) without which no Filipino table today would be complete, and they brought noodles. The Tagalog word for noodles, pancit, is derived from the Hokkien pan-i-sit, which literally means “in a hurry”. Noodles are, after all, the original fast food! Filipinos put their own stamp on the humble noodle with dishes that use, amongst other things, the abundance of local seafood. Pancit palabok, for example, is a favourite dish that can use either prawns or smoked fish together with the pork that is ubiquitous in the Filipino diet.

The Chinese also brought ducks with them, and although duck nowadays is not prepared much outside of Chinese restaurants, one byproduct has firmly lodged itself into Filipino life. This is the infamous hangover cure most commonly known as ‘balut’, the duck egg that is eaten at least 18 days after fertilization,

when an embryo has fully formed. For many foreigners it defines all that is unusual, exotic and even bizarre about Filipino food. But those who see balut as a uniquely Filipino oddity would be surprised to find it is actually Chinese in origin.

This is the infamous hangover cure most commonly known as ‘balut’, the duck egg that is eaten at least 18 days after fertilization, when an embryo has fully formed.

The other major contribution to the Filipino palate was, of course, the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1521. The new colonial masters needed a taste of home, and brought with them items that were to change the face of Filipino cuisine forever. Foremost amongst them was the pig. It remains at the centre of Filipino cuisine today. In the early period of Spanish colonization Spanish priests would use the town festival called fiesta to lure farmers into the village to Christianize them. But nowadays fiesta is an excuse for indulgent feasting and celebration that often lasts a whole week. The centerpiece of the fiesta is the famous lechon, a whole pig slowly roasted over a charcoal pit and which is, according to famous American chef Anthony Bourdain, the best in the world. Spanishinfluenced food retains its position as special occasion fiesta food.

No Filipino meal would be complete without sawsawan, little bowls of dipping sauces that derive from the Chinese habit of seasoning

essentially bland food with chilli, soy and vinegar. But sawsawan go much further than this, a classic example of how Filipinos have received an influence, embraced it, run with it, expanded it and ended up with something uniquely Filipino. Favourite sawsawan dishes include several different types of vinegar, the juice of the kalamansi (a small local citrus), patis (fish sauce), soy, and bagoong (a fermented shrimp paste similar to the Malay balachan. With sawsawan the individual diner can choose exactly how sour or salty to make their food.

This flexibility is hard to pin down and codify into recipes. By Western standards, Filipino cuisine can seem improvised…especially when such an important part of it, the sawsawan, is largely left to the individual taste of the diner.

It is perhaps for this reason that Filipino food has not travelled well outside the Philippines.

In addition, the essentially communal, sharing nature of Filipino cuisine does not easily translate into a Western restaurant situation with its one-dish-per-person mentality.

But anyone who has actually sampled this richly colourful food with its vibrant, bold flavours will be hooked for life. Adobo is perhaps the best-known Filipino dish outside the Philippines. Like most Filipino food it comes in many varieties but the essence of the dish, which is chicken or pork cooked in vinegar and soy with some herbs, remains unique in world cuisine. Once you’ve tasted it, it may well become your favourite Asian dish! And there is nowhere better to sample it than in Pampanga, the province that is widely regarded as the culinary capital of the Philippines. Fiesta time in Pampanga is a joyous celebration of life through food: food that is uncomplicated and generous, designed to be shared amongst friends and family. It reflects the warmth and zest for life of the Filipinos, and its unique mixture of influences will keep you coming back for more.

Reviews

M I S S PEREGRINE’S HOM E F OR PECULIAR C HILDREN

T HE F IR S T M ONDAY IN M AY

Directed by Tim Burton Starring Asa Butterfield, Eva Green, Samuel L. Jackson Reviewed by Ethan Sills

Documentary Directed by Andrew Rossi Reviewed by Ethan Sills

Just when you thought adaptations of YA novels had had their day, Miss Peregrine’s has come along to test if there is still life left in the formula. What is pretty much Tim Burton’s mashing up X-Men and Harry Potter, the family film does manage to be enjoyable even when rigidly following the YA movie checklist.

Unless you are the type of person who rushes out to buy Vogue every month, a 90 minute doc about the Met Gala may not sound like your cup of tea. However, First Monday is a fascinating glimpse into the mysterious world of fashion that has more to it than just pretty clothes.

Asa Butterfield puts on a very distracting American accent to lead as Jake, the dull everyman who thinks his life is boring, but when his grandfather dies in mysterious circumstances, he learns of a secretive home for children off the coast of Wales, and becomes the key to saving them because that’s what has happen to every YA movie that’s ever existed.

The film focuses on the Met prepares for its 2015 exhibition, China: Through the Looking Glass. The curator wants it to be their biggest ever exhibition, but must deal with multiple issues, from construction problems to whether or not it will celebrate or stereotype Asian culture. These scenes are punctuated by discussions about whether fashion can be classified as art or not, and the varied answers lift the film beyond simply showcasing extravagant clothes.

Throw in the unnecessary romance, quirky villain (Samuel Jackson is wasted in the role) and a friendly antagonist and you’ve got a plot weighed down by every cliché in the book. For the most part though, the imagination of the villains and the powers the children wield helps lift the movie above those tropes. The child cast work wonders, and Eva Green is the standout as Miss Peregrine, a role perfectly suited to her own peculiar charms.

As it’s a Tim Burton movie, there are some quite terrifying moments with the Slender-Man-esque monsters that don’t seem very kidappropriate, though the final third plays it safe and goes for laughs rather than scares. It does make it an odd mix as to who would really enjoy this, but Burton’s flair and the wonderful cast make it better and less obviously cliché than it could have been. Very enjoyable if rather forgettable.

At times, it does feel promotional. The criticisms around the potential racism are limited, and there are random chunks spent praising Anna Wintour and how lovely she really is. The scenes about the installation drama feel tedious and reality show-esque. First Monday works best when looking at fashion’s place in the world and the minimal discussions on orientalism in the West. The scenes of the Vogue team organising the gala is a hilarious and brutally honest look at what goes into making the show, while the gala scenes are beautifully shot, with an intimate look in the world of celebrity and fame.

It’s not necessary viewing, but First Monday has something for the fashionable and unstylish alike. As tenderly constructed as the clothes it showcases, the film manages to turn what could have simply been a PR piece into a pleasant and eye-opening look at a world most of us will never experience otherwise.

TH E REHEARSAL Directed by Alison Maclean Starring James Rolleston, Kerry Fox, Ella Edward Reviewed by Ethan Sills

In a year where the conversation around local cinema is still dominated by Hunt for the Wilderpeople, The Rehearsal has come out to offer a very different style of movie for New Zealand audiences.

Unapologetically dramatic and gorgeous to watch, this is about as different to Wilderpeople as you can get, but works just as well.

James Rolleston stars as Stanley, who has started at a prestigious drama school known as The Institute and finds himself struggling to make an impression on his teachers. After befriending and becoming romantically involved with the very young Isolde, Stanley ends up using their relationship to get specific details about her sister and the affair she had with her tennis coach in order to make a play about it.

With an American director, this doesn’t feel like most other local films, with its low-key vibe more akin to Sundance than New Zealand. It is different but welcome, with the stylish direction, cinematography and editing the best part of the movie. There are some great character dynamics, mostly between Rolleston’s Stanley

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and his teacher, played to icy perfection by Kerry Fox, and the acting is amongst the best of any local film I’ve seen.

Parts of the script rather lets things down. Some of the characters fall into tropes a bit that dilutes their impact, while the ending is particularly indie in that it doesn’t really resolve anything, choosing instead to completely avoid any actual resolution. Still, it remains enjoyable and intriguing throughout, and a suitable addition to our local cinema legacy, though not as memorable as many that have come before.

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