Recipes: Island Styles!

I'm keen to give these a go, as soon as I can afford the ingredients, and it warms up a little more to make me some chutneys!

http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/8301/mango-and-kiwifruit-chutney.aspx

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

6 cardamom pods

700g mangoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

700g kiwifruit, peeled and cut into small chunks

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

100g sultanas

200g soft brown sugar

300ml cider vinegar

In the meantime here's a little something that should be easy enough to find and cook:
http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/11175/polynesian-chicken-stew.aspx

20g butter

1/4 cup (70g) chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (250ml) coconut milk

2 cups (500ml) water

1 1/2 cups (230g) uncooked long grain white rice

500g skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 2 cm pieces

1 (250g) packet frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/3 cup (30g) dessicated coconut

http://www.earthyfamily.com/FJ-recipe.htm
Fijian recipes collection.
For more, why not fly to Fiji?
It's a beautiful country, a heap of wonderful islands, amazing people... and a culture you won't be forgetting in a long time!
Don't forget the lei wrapped around your neck upon arrival means you'll return. (I got one when I flew there a few years ago, and I can't wait to return!)

Pacific Literature; Some examples:

Some of you are probably wondering what makes something Pacific Literature?
Well I think I have an idea of what Pacific Literature could be. First of all, I am not sure there is a concrete idea of what it is exactly. This is my representation of what I think may be some ways of thinking about it.

1. Pacific writers/artists etc have to be born there to be Pacific.
2. The topic has to be related to the Pacific. If there is one Pacific character in the story it is Pacific./ If the subject is the Pacific in a painting, it must be Pacific art.
3. To be a Pacific person you have to be brown.

The arguments for each point, with pro's and con's where possible.
1. Born there to be that culture. OK, so that means because I have parents from a certain place but they bring me up (ie I'm born away from their native land) in a different place I can't be a native to the same land as my parents. For example an Italian person who is brought up in the middle of New York city, speaking no Italian.. does that make that individual any 'less' Italian? Or any 'more' American? I think it is to do with the culture you are brought up in/ live in. I consider myself to be a Kiwi, born and raised in New Zealand. That said, when I travel I know I am a Kiwi. Even if I were to leave New Zealand (heaven forbid!) and live elsewhere, I'm sure my accent, along with mannerisms would tell others I am not native to that new place. I'm too Kiwi for my own good!

2. Topic related to the Pacific, hmmm. That invites a whole lot more people to claim themselves to have Pacific works. Katherine Mansfield has stories written about native people (of the Pacific), through stories like "How Pearl Button Was Kidnapped". If the subject is Pacific: This sort of goes with the previous question. It is all to do with perspectives of topic and genre.

3. To be Pacific you have to be brown.
I consider New Zealand to be part of the Pacific. That said, over 3/4 of the population here (not including the migrant families or those who consider themselves to be of other cultures.) are white skinned. Many Maori people I know (personally) are not brown skinned. They consider themselves to be Maori (and therefore people of the Pacific).

This ties in nicely with my next example. Please click the link below to read the blog by my lecturer (at Victoria University of Wellington) Alice Te Punga Sumerville.
We would like to think that people are becoming more culturally sensitive and less racist, but as you will see this is not the case.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/13/new-zealand-maori-intermarriage

As a bit of background you may want to read this article: it is the basis for Alice's piece:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10662429

and this one:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10663202

There is plenty of comments to be found online about his statement: "I wouldn't feel comfortable. Like all Pakehas would be happy with their daughters coming home with a Maori boy - and the answer is they wouldn't. That's just the reality of the world. Let's not cry about it. Let's just live with it and move on."

What do you think of his words?
By the way it is a little humerous to know his family name was changed to "sound more Maori" yet he seems very anti-Maori culture in his views of the world.



Here's an extra couple of links for an amazing movie: See it if you haven't already!
A great Kiwi film: Boy:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boy-the-Movie/109907055687205#
http://www.boythemovie.co.nz/

The Pacific What makes Pacific What It Is?!

I've been taking a class at Victoria University in Pacific Literature as part of my undergraduate studies for the last 5 weeks and it has led me to question, what is the Pacific, what makes it unique and who belongs to the Pacific?

Firstly then: What is the Pacific?
The Pacific is the area of ocean in which many land masses are present. These land masses more commonly known as Pacific Islands, are home to the 'friendly cannibals' of folk tale, and Pacific based literature. Some 85% of the worlds islands are in the Pacific Ocean area. Native 'Pacific Islanders' come from many places scattered throughout Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia, French Polynesia, and many, many other islands. Some of these islands are well known, for their history, arts (both visual, performance, tattoo etc) and literature. Yet some islands we believe may be unexplored by non-natives to those lands. (Please note I have not attempted to name every place.)

What makes the Pacific unique to other places?
First of all the Pacific is made up of a variety of cultures, languages, and people. If you think there is approximately 1250 languages each linguistically different. A mixture of 25000 islands, although not all islands are inhabited. (Due to effects of the nuclear testing by the USA and France.)
It could be said that each island is unique in itself, although this would very much be a geographical statement, not so much one of the culture or people. Some islands are governed by countries outside the Pacific area. One of these governing countries (on the cusp of the Pacific Ring) is New Zealand. New Zealand is one country that has been governing some islands on behalf of England and the British Empire. Through colonisation in the early 1800's (and prior) literature and written (as well as spoken) English became one medium through which literature and history of the island began to be recognised and published, to be shared world wide. Why is it then, that even countries such as New Zealand are still coming to grips with a range of amazing stories, arts (both visual and performance), and histories.

Who belongs to the Pacific?
The Pacific 'Ring' (the cusp of the Pacific and the 'rest' of the world) is made up of countries such as New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and South America. All the island nations situated anywhere between these are part of the Pacific. These countries on the cusp are counted by some academics as being part of the Pacific as well. (Some include New Zealand, more so than the Americas or PNG.) It is of interest to note here, that the first text translated into Maori was of Robinson Crusoe as the British empire thought the little Maori people would like to hear a story in their own language about a white man coming to an island and upon becoming shipwrecked there finding a native brown man there who he makes into his slave. Hmmm, makes you wonder now what sort of idea that would be now and how it would not be accepted so easily!

Some quotes to think about, of the Pacific:
Albert Wendt: (Pacific Writer) "The idea of smallness depends on what is included or excluded..."

Albert Wendt: (Pacific Writer) "There is a vast difference between islands in a vast sea and a sea of islands."

Wilfred Burchett: (Australian Journalist) "In this first testing ground of the atomic bomb I have seen the most terrible and frightening desolation in four years of war. It makes a blitzed Pacific island seem like an Eden. The damage is far greater than photographs can show."

Jenny Shipley:(New Zealand Prime Minister 1997-1999.)"It is important to remember that the Pacific Ocean covers a quarter of the world's surface and that each Pacific country has its own cultural, historical and ethnic identity."