Euroasia: Language, Culture and Travel

Anyone keen to work in Shanghai next year at the World Expo? NZTE are looking for people at the moment.  These are PAID positions, NOT internships. Key things to note:  You have to speak Mandarin AND English well. Also have to have valid NZ work visa, permanent residency or citizenship. I just received this email so just thought we should share this opportunity with everyone. Those of you who did not heed our advice to learn Mandarin can still do so… we have a few spots available for tomorrow’s intake or the 10-week Mandarin course starting 12 October. This is  a brilliant opportunity and would suit those thinking of an unconventional OE. Spending 6 months in Shanghai during the World Expo would not just be great for your CV, but will also be a good business networking opportunity. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet a big shot who ends up offering you an expat package plus all the travel perks. That would be nice…

The World Expo to be held in Shanghai, China in 2010 will be the biggest in world history. During the six months the expo will be open – 1 May to 31 October 2010 – it is expected to draw 70 million visitors.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is now seeking a number of individuals who are enthusiastic about representing NZ on the world stage.  Positions available include;

Attendants (24 positions available)
The Attendants will be representing New Zealand with credit by making visitors feel welcome, and enhancing their experience through friendly and helpful interaction with them.

Receptionists (2 positions)
Based in the VIP entry to the pavilion, the Receptionist will be our first point of contact for guests and visitors and assist them around the pavilion as required.

Operations Manager
The Operations Manager will be responsible for managing the teams of attendants, and will co-ordinate the delivery of operational and technical support as required in order to maintain high standards of ‘host performance’ in the pavilion.

Relationships Manager
Part of the management team, the Relationships Manager will be responsible for the organisation of official visits including Ministerial and key sponsors to the pavilion.

If you are keen to be part of this landmark event, have a degree of fluency in both Mandarin and English and are available from April to October 2010 then please visit the NZTE Recruitment website for further information and to apply.

For information about New Zealand’s participation at the expo, please visit http://shanghaiexpo2010.nzte.govt.nz

Please note all applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand.

Applications close Monday, 12 October 2009 and must be submitted through the NZTE Careers Centre.  Late applications will not be accepted.

How many of you have tried pig’s blood cake? Or Durian? These delicacies are on VirtualTourist.com’s list of the Top 10 Most Unusual Foods in the World. In this Reuters report, they have explicitly stated that “Reuters has not endorsed this list”. Hmm… I suppose they don’t want to be seen as recommending the consumption of these foods…

Here’s the list:

1. Pig’s Blood Cake; Taiwan.

Also known as Ti-hoeh-koe, Pig’s blood cake is made of pork blood and sticky rice. steamed for a snack. You dip pig’s blood cake with a layer of peanut powder and spread some cilantro/coriander.  Apparently, the aroma of the chewy rice cake makes everyone’s mouth water. In case you were wondering, yes, the pig’s blood is literally that.

2. Live Octopus; South Korea – If anything this is fresher than the usual calamari so I don’t think I have huge issues with eating this. I wonder how long they stay alive after you cut them up.

3. Grasshopper; Uganda

4. Pigeon; France – yummy, but don’t think you can order this in a New Zealand restaurant.

5. Durian; Malaysia – my favourite fruit from my home country; I can never have enough of this. Just looking at the picture makes me drool…

6. Lutefisk; Norway – Marinated in lye, this gummy fish takes days to prepare and is described as one of the most vile-tasting foodstuffs ever created.

7. Grubs; Australia – These white, high-in-protein snacks are actually the larvae of moths and an important insect food of the desert, once a staple in the diets of some Aborigines.

8. Snake Wine; Vietnam

9. Donkey; Italy

10. Ostrich; South Africa – what so unusual about this? If ostrich meat is on this list, surely crocodile meat and kangaroo meat should be too…

This is an awesome video…viral ad from a Russian language school. Hit me baby one more time!

Vancouver

Economist Intelligence Unit just announced their list of most liveable cities in the world.  Vancouver came out tops. The City of Sails was ranked the 12th best city to live in. Wellington is ranked 23rd. This is a poor showing for Auckland compared to the April 09 announcement by Mercer that Auckland is the 4th most liveable city in the world. According to Wikipedia, the EIU and Mercer surveys are the most authoritative surveys of liveable cities.

When Mercer announced the list of most liveable cities for 2009, the Aussie paper Daily Telegraph headline was “Auckland beats out Sydney in Worldwide Quality of Living Survey“. If there is one thing the Aussies hate more than losing, it’s getting beaten by the Kiwis.  Anyway, the latest survey from EIU released this week will surely make the Aussies happy.  Their 3 major cities, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth all rank within the top 10 list.

These most liveable city surveys look at factors like stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, infrastructure etc in deciding the rankings.

I think most people choose to emigrate to New Zealand because of one or both of these reasons:

1) Clean and green environment, generally safe ie. great quality of life

2) Children’s education

Auckland

As more and more people get burned out living in the larger European and Asian cities, I’m sure the appeal of New Zealand will only increase. Most migrants end up in Auckland, largely because it’s a good compromise. Auckland may be the big smoke in a South Pacific context, but not really if compared to the major European and Asian cities.  1.4m is approximately the population of an average Shanghai suburb.

Living in Auckland is about getting the best of both worlds.  Easy access to some of the most beautiful spots in the world, reasonable climate, and generally good quality of life. These reasons will surely keep people coming.

Immigration policy should focus on facilitating easy access for skilled migrants. We also need to define skills pretty widely. Smart people may not have university degrees. In fact the majority of the self-made billionaires on the Fortune Magazine Rich List don’t either. Current immigration policy makes it difficult for people who may not be well qualified but could add a lot of value to New Zealand to be granted residency.

EIU’s list of most liveable cities in the world 2009:

Auckland ranked 12th

Drake Jazz at the Rotunda
From Auckland City Council, this is a series of 12 weekly jazz concerts performed at the Auckland Domain band rotunda. All concerts take place on Sundays between 2pm and 4pm on the following dates:

Sunday 1 February: Kim Patterson Quartet
Sunday 8 February: Carolina Moon Vazz Group
Sunday 15 February: Pete Barwick Quartet
Sunday 22 February: Foghorn
Sunday 1 March: Grant Winterburn Experience
Sunday 8 March: Brian Smith Quintet
Sunday 15 March: David Edmundson
Sunday 22 March: Neil Watson Three
Sunday 29 March: Grand Central Band

For further information on this concert series look here.

Culture Garden series
From Auckland City Council, The Culture Garden is a series of concerts with a number held at the Wintergarden in the Domain, from 4.30 – 6pm on the following dates:

Sunday 1 February: Nigel Gavin
Sunday 8 February: npme
Sunday 15 February: Baroque on the Rock
For information on this concert series look here.

Summer Tea Dance - Parnell Thursday 26 March, 2-4pm
Dove-Meyer Robinson Park, Gladstone Rd. Featuring Bretts New Internationals. Be dazzled by a 16-piece jazz and dance orchestra with nifty beats from the 1920s, get in the groove to ‘Trad jazz’, or warm up to well-loved tunes by greats like Duke Ellington and Paul Whiteman.

Upon closer examination, Christchurch turned out to be "Chrisichurch"

Following my previous post on the importance of getting translations done right, I have included some photos to further illustrate my point. I was in Shanghai last year, and at a glance saw someone wearing a t-shirt that said “Christchurch” on the back. Perhaps an ex-international student, I thought.

Upon closer examination, I cracked up in laughter.

Chinese police car

And then there was this police car I saw outside a McDonald’s restaurant. For a moment there, I wasn’t sure if they are for real, but I can assure you they are driven by real cops. My mum could have done a better job with the spray paint. Why can’t they get something so basic checked? All they needed to do was to open up a word doc and see if there’s a red underline.

police warning

It’s endless. I came across another sign at a restaurant (with English menus, not a roadside stall).

In verbatim, the text reads:

The police warned Please use the “Auti-Theft Hook” under the table. Take care of your belongings. Shanghai railway station rigilance police station.

My wife (fiancee at the time) asked what sort of system this is. I was also wondering what kind of sophisticated anti-theft system they installed under the table. My curiosity paid off. I didn’t have to look long to discover this most effective albeit primitive theft-prevention device.

Chinese anti theft system

OK in the same way that we laugh at the Chinese who make all these “stupid mistakes”, they do the same with Westerners with silly tattoos and t-shirts. The difference is that the Chinese are just simply too polite to tell you

Spanish classes are very popular amongst Kiwis. Many choose to kick off the year with some Spanish lessons, in preparation for an upcoming trip to South America or Spain. Some choose to learn Spanish because of business reasons. At Euroasia, we are often asked why Spanish lessons are so popular. Here are some reasons.

• Spanish is unquestionably one of the world’s most important languages, spoken not only in Spain but also in most of the Americas, from California to Cape Horn!

• The Spanish-speaking countries are exciting places: the cities offer a round-the-clock buzz, while the great outdoors has huge potential for adventurous outdoor activities.

• Within the Spanish-speaking world, there is an enormous range of exciting places to visit: in Mexico and Central America, the cities of the Maya and the Aztecs, and resorts such as Acapulco and Cancún; in South America, the cities of the Aztecs (including Machu Picchu), the colourful Andean cultures of Peru and Bolivia, the strikingly varied landscapes of Chile and Argentina, and the cosmopolitan excitement of Buenos Aires.  Although some English is spoken, getting around is much easier with a little Spanish.

• Spain itself is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, famous not only for its Mediterranean beaches, but also for its stylish cities, its well-preserved small towns, and, in the south, its unique Moorish heritage.  Not to mention Ibiza, with the hottest nightclub scene in Europe, if not the world!

• The Spanish language has been the vehicle of great writers, from both Spain and Latin America.  Both areas have also been the home of world-renowned artists and, more recently, film-makers.

• New Zealand is increasingly looking to South America for trade links, especially Chile, the most prosperous of the South American states, and the one closest to New Zealand.  Spanish speakers will be in demand in the future (in fact right now we have Kiwi businesspeople doing business in South America learning Spanish at Euroasia).

• Young Kiwis can work in Argentina, Chile or Uruguay for one year under a working holiday scheme.  A knowledge of the Spanish language would obviously make a huge difference to anyone’s job prospects.

Find out more about Spanish lessons at Euroasia.  Or to enrol for a Spanish course, check out the Spanish timetable!

2-week intensive Spanish language courses start this week (20 January intake) and the once-a-week option kicks off early Feb. Enrol now.

The team at Euroasia has put together a short video message, wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. You’ll have to guess who’s saying what. If you’re playing this at the office, try not to laugh too hard ok. We don’t want to get you in trouble.

p/s:If you can’t see the video here, check out the youtube clip at http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=tzGqluc0kNs – Don’t miss the outtakes ok

Our office closes on 19 December, and will reopen on 5 January for the 2-week intensive programme (2 weeknights + Sat half day).

At the start of next year you have 3 intakes to choose from:
5 Jan and 19 Jan for Fasttrack programmes
2 Feb for the standard courses.

Enrol online now, or talk to us about buying a gift voucher for a loved one. Looking forward to having you back next year.