Back to Wellington

Well, I'm back!

It's as windy as ever. 

I was driving with Nisarg in Hamilton once and he mentioned how comfortable it felt... to be in Hamilton.

Now, I understand what he meant.  It is a comfortable place to be.  Peaceful, worry-free, easy to navigate, easy lifestyle...sky everywhere.

Wellington is different.  It is hilly, bold and stands out.  Its wind whips your hair, its hills strengthen your legs and all around there are buildings and houses so that the sky can't be seen. 

Perhaps there are moments when you want to be in Hamilton?

Many Asians in NZ suffer racism - study

Many Asians in NZ suffer racism - study

14 September 2005
From having bottles or stones thrown at them, to being passed over for promotion, many Asians living in New Zealand are subjected to some form of racism, a new study has found.

The Asia New Zealand Foundation report, Engaging Asian Communities in New Zealand, revealed the most common form of racism was verbal abuse and rude gestures (such as "the finger") - often by teenagers or children.

[http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3410385a11,00.html]

"It's up to parents to inculcate tolerance into their children, and help them understand that being different is okay and prejudice is not."

Well it's easy to shift the responsibility to parents but what about society and the education system's responsibility to educate people about prejudice? Where does it begin?

Where do you put the responsibility when parents are the ones who begin to sow the seeds of prejudice like the example in the article:

"Some Asians reported being deliberately misunderstood in shops, cafes or a supermarket "in order to humiliate", being snubbed by other mothers in schools when greeting their children and being avoided in public places, like a swimming pool."

If children see their mothers snubbing other children or other mothers because of their race, what are they going to think??

Children's education about prejudice starts at home. But it's not enough; adults need to be educated on the issue in general.

India

Before I forget I shall list them down:

• Auto rickshaws
• Pink city markets
  
• Haggling
  
• Elephants
  
• Camels
• Shanty towns
• Palaces
• 5 Star hotels
  
• Drinking water -/12
  
• Yellow dirt roads
• Mosquitoes
  
• $4 (NZD) hotel restaurant meals
• Ripped notes
  
• Stapled notes
• A/C buses (A/C is queen)
  
• Glittery bags
  
• Fake pashminas
  
• Real pashminas
  
• Dangly earrings
  
• Sun rise over the Taj Mahal
  
• Beautiful multi-coloured saris
• Sandals
• Ripped off at the airport
  
• Ripped off at the hotel
  
• Getting ripped off.
• Blistering, blinding heat
  
• Tiny coffee and tea paper cups
  
• Bicycle rickshaws
• Tobacco stands
• McDs' Maharaja burger
• Cold coffee
• Mini power cuts
  
• Malaria tablets
  
• "Come in, have a seat. Everything possible!"
  

The list. It goes on.

I didn't take many photos, I will go back!