AmeriNZ 90 – Kiwi Kustoms

Posted on May 20, 2008 by Arthur

Episode 90 is now available, and it’s free no matter where you get it from. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

Today I tell you some of what it’s like living in New Zealand. This comes from a question from a listener who asked about the character and pace of daily life in NZ compared to the US. So I tell you about a few small things you probably wouldn’t read in a book or article, and put those things into a larger context.

This is all in a lead-up to my episode about moving to New Zealand, which I’ll be recording next week. If you have a question about that, or about New Zealand generally, send an email to me at arthur(at]amerinz.com by the weekend.

I also have an update on the changes to my podcast hosting, including the new website/blog for the shownotes, though it’s too early to make any changes, like to bookmarks, etc.

After comments, I tell you about Episode 91, which will be a special episode.

Leave a comment. Or, you can ring my US listener line on 206-339-8413. Email at arthur{at)amerinz.com. You can also still use my other address, amerinz[at) yahoo.com.

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AmeriNZ 90 - Kiwi Kustoms [ 25:37 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

AmeriNZ 67 – Summer Holiday

Posted on January 29, 2008 by Arthur

Episode 67 is now available, and it’s free no matter where you get it from. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

This episode: Auckland had a holiday weekend. Thousands were amused, if only to have a three-day weekend in summer. Christian youth in New Zealand parachuted to music. New Zealand’s election campaign is underway, sort of.

First up today, I tell you about Auckland Anniversary Day, which was yesterday. That means talking a bit about why there are no provinces in New Zealand. But there’s also something about how the day is celebrated, and how our own holiday weekend went.

Some 27,000 youth took part in Parachute, a Christian, so-called, youth music festival. It’s the largest outside the US. TV News coverage of it was a bit creepy, I thought.

New Zealand’s 2008 election campaign got underway today, sort of. The Leader of the Opposition gave a speech today, and tomorrow the Prime Minister will do the same. This is unusual, and I tell you what’s behind it all. The real, official election campaign won’t begin until later this year.

A recently-passed law has given me pause. I tell you why, even though, on the whole, I think it’s a good law. This also means talking a bit about recent NZ political history.

In Australian news, the Aussie Foreign Minister is in the US and has said that his country’s leaving Iraq won’t harm US/Australian relations. Australia will also be keeping their citizenship tests. I’m not a big fan of such tests, and I’ll tell you why.

Comments create the opportunity for my podcast to be part of ArcherRadio. And more, of course.

Happy belated birthday to David Byrd of That Blue Jeans Guy and to “the Boyfriend” (as in Archerr’s boyfriend).

Leave a comment or you can email me at amerinz(at}yahoo.com or ring my US listener line on 206-339-8413.

Links for this episode

iSay iSay iSay

Blue Savannah by Erasure iTunes USA Store or iTunes NZ Store. You can also buy Blue Savannah through Amazon.com.

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AmeriNZ 67 - Summer Holiday [ 27:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

AmeriNZ 55 – Being an expat

Posted on November 20, 2007 by Arthur

Episode 55 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

Today I talk about being an expat, based largely on my own experience. I tell you some things a new expat can expect to feel, both good and bad. I also tell you how it resolves itself, eventually turning into “home”. I also share some of my general feelings about being an expat and what that all means. After comments from Episode 54, I say a little about my Kiwi Thanksgiving. Finally it’s a slightly revised version of my 30 second podcast promo. There may not be a podcast on Friday. We’ll see.

Leave a comment here or send an email to me at amerinz{at)yahoo.com. You can also ring my US listener line on 206-339-8413.

Mentioned in this episode, posts from my blog:

Twelfth Anniversary

Eleven Years an Expat

Ex but not ex-

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AmeriNZ 32 – More Expats

Posted on August 7, 2007 by Arthur

Episode 32 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

After a journey through comments, it’s today’s Tuesday Talk segment. Today’s guests are Dawn and Darren, an American Expat couple in Wellington. We had a lot of Skype problems, but persevered. I tried to fix some of it in the editing.

What made them move to New Zealand? What do they miss about America? What couldn’t they do without from New Zealand? They share some of their observations about New Zealand, Wellington, music, food, rugby and more. Will they stay in New Zealand permanently?

Dawn and Darren’s blog is called Kia Ora…Bitches!

Opening music segment—from the appropriately named song “Moving to New Zealand”—is by Spring Heeled Jacks Original Swinging Jass Band from the Podsafe Music Network. The entire song in on Episode 23.

Leave a comment, or send an email to me at amerinz[at)yahoo.com.

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AmeriNZ 32 - More Expats [ 29:13 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

AmeriNZ 30 – Tuesday Talk

Posted on July 31, 2007 by Arthur

Episode 30 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

I begin this episode with a brief look at comments, then it’s on to today’s main segment, a conversation with a listener, Yorky, who is neither a podcaster nor a blogger. He was back in New Zealand briefly so we took advantage of the chance to meet up.

We talk about a lot of things, including how he and his partner, who’s an American, tried to live in the US but had to come up with a creative solution to be together. Yorky also offers a listener’s perspective on podcasts. Special mentions go to Matt Blender’s Okay So Radio and, of course, to Archerr (ArcherRadio). Will Yorky and his partner return to New Zealand some day?

Being new to recording using my digital recorder, I neglected to put in fresh batteries, so quite a bit was lost. Sorry. Are you a listener who’s always wanted to be on a podcast? Send me an email! We can work something out.

Special congratulations to Archerr on 500 episodes of ArcherRadio!

Leave me a comment at or send an email to me at amerinz{at)yahoo.com.

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AmeriNZ 30 - Tuesday Talk [ 27:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

AmeriNZ 28 – Language

Posted on July 24, 2007 by Arthur

Episode 28 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

It’s a short episode today. It’s Maori Language Week this week, an annual event celebrating and promoting the Maori language. This year is special, celebrating 20 years since Te Reo Maori was declared an official language of New Zealand, alongside English.

I begin by talking a little bit about the language from my perspective as a Pakeha immigrant, including talking about how relatively easy the language is to pronounce, if you try—and everyone should. The effort, even among tourists, is appreciated. But I don’t go into cultural details because that’s a topic in itself. For more information, you can go to the site of the Maori Language Commission. For even more, see “100 Maori words every New Zealander should know”.

Comments are next, and, of course, I expand on things in earlier podcasts. A new guest will be on my podcast soon, possibly Friday, maybe Tuesday.

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AmeriNZ 28 - Language [ 16:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

AmeriNZ 26 – Good and Bad

Posted on July 17, 2007 by Arthur

Episode 26 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

So far, I’ve talked about good things about New Zealand (and I think there are a lot). So, maybe, out of balance, I should talk about the bad things. Trouble is, to me there really isn’t anything that’s all that bad. Maybe I could mention the negativity among some people. Or maybe news media sloppiness, or the weird crusades of NZ’s biggest newspaper, Auckland’s New Zealand Herald. For me, that’s about it.

New Zealand’s Parliamentary sessions are now streamed on the Internet at www.parliament.govt.nz (or the direct link here).

I catch up on comments from the past two episodes, and tell another new story, this time centred on San Francisco. The final air conditioning update.

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AmeriNZ 26 - Good and Bad [ 35:34 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

AmeriNZ 23 – Get Thru

Posted on July 6, 2007 by Arthur

Episode 23 is now available. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of this post, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page.

Today I talk about preparedness for an emergency, which is important in a geologically active country like New Zealand. This was prompted by a mailer from the government we received the other day. The “Get Ready, Get Thru” campaign is designed to help people prepare for natural disaster. I talk about some of what that means for ordinary New Zealanders. As it happens, some unusual tornadoes struck New Zealand this week. I also talk a bit about how it was for me, coming from the Midwest of America where tornadoes and winter storms were the main threat—apart from the New Madrid Fault. A theory about problems with uploading. Incidental music at the beginning is by Nick Murray from the Podsafe Music Network, and the closing song is by Spring Heeled Jacks Original Swinging Jass Band, also from the Podsafe Music Network. Leave a comment or send an email to ameriz[at}yahoo.com.

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AmeriNZ 23 – Get Thru [ 27:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

AmeriNZ 14 – Every Queen’s Birthday

Posted on June 1, 2007 by Arthur

Episode 14 is now available. You can also listen to it through the player on the right hand side of my blog, or on my MySpace page.

I recorded this episode early so that I could post it on Friday. I’ll talk about comments on Episode 13 and this episode next time.

Monday is Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday in New Zealand, even though her real birthday is April 21. It’s the only public holiday between Easter Weekend and Labour Day at the end of October.

Queen Elizabeth, as Queen of New Zealand, is Head of State. She’s the only person in the world who is monarch of more than one independent nation. Parliament actually runs the country, which is a constitutional monarchy. The Queen is represented in New Zealand by the Governor General, who is appointed by Parliament.

It’s probably inevitable that New Zealand will become a republic, but the new head of state is unlikely to be a US-style president. There’s no urgency to any change however, which is probably many years away

Queen’s Birthday was a kind of gay holiday, a kind of second birthday for everyday queens. That’s probably less common than it used to be. But it’s still a day off for everyone.

Matt Blender’s AIDS Marathon donation page.

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AmeriNZ 4 – Poppy Day

Posted on April 20, 2007 by Arthur

It’s Poppy Day in New Zealand in preparation for Anzac Day. I talk about both and other things, like more on language, some “shout outs”, and heating homes in New Zealand. I did a pre-recorded thing about ANZAC Day at end, and the sound is a bit wonky. I’ll get better.