NZed on Fat Kiwis

Here's a column in the Weekend Herald that caught my attention. Its about NZ's obesity problem but there's more to it than just obesity. Last week budget's announcement included a program to tackle the ever increasing problem of obesity. A number of kiwis are fat or obese, they look like sumo wrestlers. And ironically, they are from the poor and lower income demographics. ( He he he ,sa atin ang mga malalaki ang tiyan ang me pera. Dito baliktad ! )


Deborah Coddington: Calling a fatty a fatty is best way to beat obesity

Sunday May 28, 2006

In most people's language, "not succeeding" has the same meaning as "failing". Except Education Minister Steve Maharey, that is, who speaks his own special dialect with etymology from Planet Bureaucrat.

The Education Review Office, the last bastion of accountability in educational officialdom, reports one in five children are not succeeding. That's no surprise to thousands of parents who have corrected misplaced apostrophes, spelling mistakes and atrocious grammar - and that's just in the school reports written by teachers.

Nonetheless, the education select committee will conduct an investigation to tell us what we already know and Maharey has directed the head of the ERO not to interpret his finding as "one in five kids failing".

We're not allowed to mention the F word any more. Telling someone they've failed an exam might hurt their feelings, so we brought in the NCEA, and now kids leave school not having failed anything. Ever. They can trot off to a professional CV writer who'll type up a resume, run it through the spell-check and, on paper, we have thousands of perfect little graduates.

Until employers actually take them on and discover they think accommodation is spelled with one m; Hugo Chavez is the latest brand of menswear; paying no interest for 12 months on a purchase saves money; and the word "like" must be used at least six times in every spoken sentence.

The rude shock awaiting them is crueller than if someone had taken them aside years earlier and taught them failure is not a dirty word, but something to be used as a learning tool. Nobody succeeds without overcoming failure.

But anti-discrimination laws are coming back to bite us on our big fat bottoms - or at least those of more than half the nation. The Health Ministry says more than a third of New Zealanders over 15 are overweight and another fifth are obese. Health Minister Pete Hodgson, who warns of lives crippled by diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and crumbling hip and knee joints, will throw $76 million at "fighting obesity".

But hang on. For more than a decade, calling someone "fatty" has been viewed as emotional abuse. Employees' personal grievance cases have flourished. Since the Human Rights Act was passed in 1993, it's been illegal to discriminate on the grounds of "physical disability or impairment".

Parents, especially guilt-ridden mothers like me, have been told not to caution their children against over-eating lest they turn anorexic. In fact, we don't eat any more junk food these days than we did 50 years ago, it's just that we don't exercise as much - especially the kids.

This nation's ridiculous obsession for eliminating all risk from children's lives must take the blame for their decrease in physical activity.

Don't believe me? Take a look at a kids' playground these days, it's all soft landings, curving slides - nothing with any excitement, that's for sure.

Where once every kid at school had to do the cross-country, athletic sports or learn to swim, now they're excused if they have a sniffle, are getting their period, or just fat and lazy. One school north of Auckland decided, in order to be fair, the girl who won the cross-country actually came last, while the slow girl who panted in at the rear of the field was declared the winner.

In Otago, a rural school was visited by officials and told it must remove playground trees because children might fall out and break an arm and bad people might lurk behind them waiting to snatch children.

If you believe the ads, good mothers allow no germs near their children. They put antibiotics in the laundry, gel-wash little hands that pat dogs, and sterilise highchairs and benchtops to hospital standards. And then we wonder why kids can't build up their natural immunity.

Take risk away from kids and they'll invent their own. When our family moved from carefree Russell to live in Auckland, two of my bored-with-the-city children (I was horrified to discover years later) would sneak into the Newmarket train tunnel and flatten themselves against the wall when a train went through. I hereby apologise profusely to the justifiably furious train drivers.

A study is being launched on whether teenagers who play "chicken" on the motorway will move on to dice with death in souped-up fast cars.

Could it be they're unchallenged watching telly, playing spacies and skateboarding in OSH-approved parks? Or maybe, like success and failure, they don't know about cause and effect.

I'm not advocating we all go round being gratuitously nasty to each other - there's enough of that on the internet and National Radio. But isn't it time to be more honest? Isn't a little hurt now - telling Mum her kids are too fat - better than a big hurt later when obese young adults with no self-confidence console themselves with more pies and chips?

Steve Maharey can fudge the language as much as he likes but antonyms and synonyms will always be with us. Just like success and failure.

NZed on Most Trusted Kiwis

We trust sportspeople - but not our neighbours

Friday May 26, 2006
By Derek Cheng

What do Destiny Church bishop Brian Tamaki and Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia - or all politicians, for that matter - have in common with car salespeople, credit card companies and your boss?

They cannot be trusted, according to the Reader's Digest 2006 Trust Survey.


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Well, no surprises there. Kiwis just love their sportspeople, somehow reflecting their nationalistic pride. Sportspeople are rarely involved in scandals and controversies. They admire people who punch above their weight. A country just above 4 million people, New Zealand probably has the most number of world champions if you consider the population. They just love slugging it out with the Aussies, its like David and Goliath. And nothing exemplifies this more than during the rugby matches.

Media has probably got something to do with it too. If its a sporting achievement, its newsworthy. But very rarely do you read something about a politician unless it involve scandals or controversy.

NZed on Weather

If my memory serves me right, its rain rain rain for the last week and a half. And weather reports are predicting more. Sigh....well at least it doesn't flood out here in North Shore. Unlike back home, an hour of rain and you're stuck wherever you are.

Lots of rain means we're in the tail end of Autumn. It signals the coming of winter. Brrrr....Luckily it doesn't snow in Auckland. I can't imagine myself living in the South Island during the winter. I remember one time when I was growing up, someone asked this man who used to work in Saudi Arabia. Which does he prefer, the cold or the heat. He answered, well if its hot you just have to look for a shade and you'll be comfortable. When its cold, everywhere you go, it will be the same. No escaping the cold. Correct ka dyan !

If you're immigrating to New Zealand and you have the luxury of when to go. Choose your departure date very wisely. Its hard enough coming to a foreign country. Don't let the winter weather add to your list things to adapt to. You can delay yourself for that for six months if you arrive in summer. Arriving in summer means you don't need to pack winter clothes. And wander around easily, more convenient if you'll be looking for accommodations and shop around for more stuffs. The peak of summer down here is around December - January. I would imagine you would want to spend your last Christmas there so January should be your tentave departure month. And it should be perfect, new year, new country, new life.

NZed on PC

That's PC as in political correctness, not personal computer. If I have five things I don't like about New Zealand, political correctness will be one of them. And I guess its going to take a couple of blogs to rant on this issue. PC crap as what most kiwis call them.

This morning while driving to work, I heard on the radio that the RAV4 commercial was pulled out. The complaints, seventeen of them, was upheld by Advertising Standards Complaints Board. And you can see the ad here to see for yourself what the hell is wrong it. Reminds me of Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in War of the Roses. Or more recently, Brad and Angelina in Mr & Mrs Smiths. The commercial was obviously meant to be funny. With some exaggerations just to be sure you do not take it serously. Well, lo and behold, some killjoy thought otherwise and complained and they got their wishes. Sheezzz ! I like what the other lady said on the radio: "New Zealand is such a nation of whinger".

The gist of their complain is that its not appropriate for kids to see couples hurting each other and fighting over a car. Give me a break, for chrissake ! Kids are not as dumb as these people. I'm sure my kids aren't. I've seen the three stooges when I was a kid and I know then that its not right to poke people their eyes. Or bite someone else's hands. But they sure were funny. In contrast to these pathological complainer. Mind you again, 17 complaints. That's all it took. I would say the number of people who wouldn't mind the ad is way way higher than that. But nope, this is New Zealand. A loud minority trumps the silent majority. Political correctness over common sense.

Some academics are saying this is the result of a nanny state, looking after its people, that has gone overboard. Couldn't agree more. In looking after your welfare they'll decide what's good and bad for you. Little by little they'll take away that decision for you.

NZed on OZ Tax Cuts

The news that greeted me this morning was the "generous" Australian tax cuts announced yesterday. There are speculations right away this is going lure more Kiwis across the tasman specially high income and highly skilled professionals. Working in Australia means higher wages but will also now allow them to keep more of their income. Tax cut is one of the most hotly debated issue during last election. With the government sitting on a couple of billions of dollars in surplus, you can't help but wonder why can't they give away some of it? Well according to Labour, they are anticipating a slowing down of the economy in the next couple of years. As well as the weaking New Zealand dollar. They decided, keeping the surplus is a smarter choice for a softer landing. Rather than borrowing later on and cutting on social services spending.

However, there are those who disagree, including me. Hence I voted for National, and they almost won ! Six months after, the tax cut issue has been resurrected. Thanks to the brilliant minds of the Australian.

NZed on population

New Zealand's small population is by and large, both a blessing and a curse. There are 4,343,782 people in New Zealand and....errr...let's make it 4,343,462 because another planeload of Kiwis just landed in Sydney airport. And they're not coming back, well at least not for long. That relatively small population affects almost everything, both positively and negatively. And I'd want to touch on that in my next few blogs in the next few days while waiting for my program to compile.

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bugger !
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another syntax error !

NZed on Citizenship

Last night my wife and the kids attended the citizenship ceremony. Its their turn this time, I've had mine years ago as I arrived in New Zealand a year ahead of them. You need to attend the citizenship ceremony for the oath taking and to get your citizenship certificate. No excuses. If you can't make it, tough luck. You're going have to wait for the next schedule. And it can be a long wait, possibly months.

There's a a three years waiting period before you can apply for citizenship. We were lucky because as of April 2005, the waiting period has been increased to five years. I guess its in response to those who are using NZ just as a backdoor. Once granted NZ citizenship, they move to Australia or some other countries where there is visa-free entry if you hold a NZ passport.

You might ask, what's the difference between being a permanent residence and being a citizen. One word, "PASSPORT" :) Well, aside from being able to represent the country in an international sporting events for example or if you want to serve in the military, there's not that much. You have basically the same rights as a permanent resident anyhow as with being a citizen. But having the NZ passport is such a huge convenience if you want to travel, say to OZ or US.

NZed on NZ

I've been browsing for similar blogs of Filipino living here in New Zealand. And most of them, telling stories about differences and alikes compared back home. Typical, I would say. Prospective NZ immigrants frequently visit these blogs to get a glimpse as much as they can with regards to living here. Thanks to internet, these fellow Filipinos now don't have to rely on hearsays and what their (immigration) agents told them. Have to admit there are dodgy agents out there who would paint a "very bright" image of NZ just to get desperate Filipinos to sign-up for their services. Mind you, they're not particularly wrong. Just that, not particulary accurate either. And more often than not, there are some critical informations being left out. Either intentionally or just plain misinformed too. And well, you can't blame them for that, they're out there to make money. Not some public service to improve other people's lives. OK, probably not all of them.

With regards to pinoy's blogs, I reckon for the fun of it, in the spirit of "gaya-gaya", jump in as well....hehehe. However, I'll keep it original as much as possible by focusing more on current events and issues facing New Zealand. By telling the other side of New Zealand to help a fellow kababayan a greater understanding of their adopted country. And not the "sugar coated" version all the time. Reality check to say the least.

Here we go....

A$$

(_!_) a regular ass

(__!__) a fat ass

(!) a tight ass

(_*_) a sore ass

{_!_} a swishy ass

(_o_) an ass that's been around

(_x_) kiss my ass

(_X_) leave my ass alone

(_zzz_) a tired ass

(_$_) Money coming out of his ass

(_?_) Dumb Ass

This one would be me...
(_E=mc2_) a smart ass