kiwis For The Summer 2011: June 2011

Translate This!

Kia Ora. You might consider us like oldies, but we are going to kick off our jandals, throw on our jumpers, grab our anklebiter, and show you a really great time (as we would our cuz) through the wop-wops of Aotearoa. We’ll even let you use our loo and serve you up some pav and a cuppa when you arrive. Sweet As!

Study up on a wee bit of Kiwi slang, safe travels, and see ya soon mates.
-m&m

Anklebiter - toddler, small child 

Aotearoa - Maori name for New Zealand meaning land of the long white cloud 

Chips - deep fried slices of potato but much thicker than a French fry 

Cuppa - cup of tea, as in cuppa tea 

Cuz - cousin, family 

G'day - universal kiwi greeting, also spelled gidday 

Good on ya, mate! - congratulations, well done, proud of someone 

Good as gold - feeling good, not a problem, yes   

Jandal - thongs, sandals,flip-flops

Jumper - sweater, jersey 

Kia Ora – Maori general informal greeting of hello

L&P - Fizzy soda water 

Lift - elevator 

Lolly - candy 

Loo - bathroom, toilet 

Mate - friend

Oldies - parents 

Pav - pavlova, dessert usually topped with kiwifruit and cream 

Rattle your dags - hurry up, get moving

Ring - to telephone somebody, as in "I'll give you a ring" 

Rubbish - garbage, trash 

Serviette - paper napkin 

Ta - thanks 

Take-aways - food to be taken away and eaten, fast food outlet 

Togs - swimsuit, bathing costume  

Wop-wops - situated off the beaten track, out of the way location 

Poi-E, A Kiwi Classic

In New Zealand, the Maori culture is deeply integrated within the Kiwi culture. Throughout New Zealand, you will find both English and Maori signs, and even the government run television here has a dedicated station just for Maori programming. While there have been struggles between the Pakeha (non-Maori) and Maori (just as in the United States between whites and both Native Americans and African Americans), and the Maori struggle to help their youth retain their culture, the Kiwis seem to have done a decent job of trying to be inclusive and promote the Maori culture throughout the country.

Poi-E is a classic Kiwi song that became a hit in the early 1980s. What is significant about this song, is that it is viewed as part of what helped kick start renewed interest for the Maori youth in their roots.

Poi balls were originally used by men and women alike to strengthen wrist muscles for battle. Today they are used by girls and women in traditional Maori performance dances.
-Meryl