Euroasia: Language, Culture and Travel

It’s always good to see Kiwi businesses doing well. Which is why it’s really cool to have the CEO of a fledgling Wellington-based firm, Ponoko, appear on the cover of Inc Magazine.

I read Inc Magazine regularly, and it’s certainly widely read and respected publication. Probably this one article would do more to boost their image and valuation than all their marketing efforts over the past year combined.

I know at least one Ponoko investor who’s happy.

Ponoko is in the business of letting ordinary folk access a laser cutter via the internet and make whatever you want. Ponoko is so radical it’s difficult to imagine what they do. At first I thought they were in the business of selling laser cutters. But no, they actually sell you the process of making whatever you want (choose from their extensive list on the Ponoko website). After some playing around on their website, you have your own product and they will then have the parts cut up and shipped to you. You can then assemble this at home. Basically, it’s customise-to-suit IKEA if you want to have something that you can’t buy in shops.

This story illustrates what possibilities lie ahead.

Ponoko has also become a destination for undiscovered designers and inventors who use it to make and market their stuff. There is, for instance, the Bloom Lamp, which was created by a Los Angeles designer named Igor Knezevic and which you can buy for $160 on Ponoko. It’s a bedside lamp that resembles a delicate flower and is made out of 18 precisely cut pieces of plywood encircling a light bulb. Like something you might pick up at a big-box store, the lamp comes in a flat box and must be snapped together by the buyer.

But unlike a store-bought lamp, this one costs Knezevic’s start-up design company, Alienology, exactly nothing until someone pays for it. The lamps are stocked digitally and manufactured on demand. Ponoko cuts the parts and ships them to Knezevic; he inspects them, drops some instructions and a light fixture into the box, and ships the box to the customer. “Right now I’m making a couple hundred dollars here, a couple hundred there,” he says. “But five years from now, people will still be paying a couple hundred bucks, and I won’t have to do anything. That’s revolutionary.”

So if you’re keen to make your own line of necklaces, table-lamps or whatever, give Ponoko a try.

If they have their way, it would mean a radical shift in current supply chains. In the words of CEO David ten Have: “We’re trying to take Made in China and smear it across the globe…We’re designing a factory for the 21st century.”

Check out the Inc Magazine- Ponoko article. Well done guys. This will surely inspire many local businesses to keep going for it.

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.

The huge uproar over a Tongan man found barbecuing his pet dog is a demonstration of cultural insensitivity bordering on ignorance and hyprocrisy.  Paea Taufa was found roasting the pitbull terrier-cross in an umu at his Mangere home. “If we eat heaps of… pig you get a (sore) stomach. But when we eat … dog, it doesn’t matter how much you eat, nothing is wrong with the tummy,” Taufa told Sunday News. Major dailies reported this, and today CNN carried the story, citing “the case infuriated and repulsed many New Zealanders.”

The Tongan guy had decided to cook the dog because it was too skinny and had become unmanageable. He rendered the dog unconscious with a blow to the head before slitting its throat. Under the Animal Welfare Act it is legal to kill a dog in New Zealand if the animal is slaughtered swiftly and painlessly.

The SPCA is very upset with Taufa, with the CEO saying “Even though the law says you can humanely kill an animal, you should not be treating any animal like this.” Many people are now calling for a law change, led by the SPCA, petitioning for the eating of dog meat to be banned. Various editorials swiftly condemned the practice of eating dog meat. The Tongan guy was demonised and probably traumatised, and he has since told media that he wouldn’t bbq another dog.

I am opposed to any attempt to ban the eating of dog meat and backyard dog barbecues.

New Zealanders love their meat and is only behind Demark globally (and ahead of the Americans) in terms of per capita consumption, 3.5 times the world average. The average Kiwi eats over 90 kg of meat per year, 65% red meat vs 35% white meat.

What is the difference between sheep and dogs? Some argue that dogs are pets. But some sheep are pets too. So are some chickens. Why ban the consumption of one type of meat but not another?

It is more inhumane for most of the pigs in New Zealand to be locked up in cages for all their lives and then slaughtered for their meat, than for Mr Taufa to kill a free-range dog swiftly. Why did people not revolt against pig farmers, especially after Mike King’s expose on TVNZ’s Sunday?  When told that the cost of pork in supermarkets will rise significantly if farmers moved to free-range farming, people stopped complaining.

Some argue that cattle and sheep are raised specifically for their meat, and dogs are not.  By that token would the protesters be placated if enterprising individuals started dog farms in New Zealand? We export tonnes of horse meat offshore. This means we are killing farm horses in huge numbers. Would horse-killers be regarded as barbaric too?

The argument that we cannot kill dogs for food because they are cute/friendly/small/intelligent doesn’t wash. We don’t see our vegetarian friends getting all judgemental when we meat-eaters confess our love for meat (as long as it’s not from an endangered species). Why can’t meat-eaters afford the same courtesy to dog-eaters? No one is asking you to join them.

SPCA CEO says: “The slaughtering, roasting and eating of a dog or other companion animal is simply abhorrent to our culture as New Zealanders”.  Dogs were eaten in New Zealand long before the Europeans arrived. Taufa himself is probably a NZ citizen. The SPCA is venturing into dangerous territory by becoming an arbitrator of what is culturally right or wrong.

The main thing that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals should be worried about is exactly that, prevention of animal cruelty. As long as animals are slaughtered in a humane manner, then what people eat should be left up to them.

The law doesn’t need to be changed. It’s the hypocritical mindset of protesters coming from the second biggest meat-eating country in the world that does.

I asked my friend Verpal Singh to pen a few thoughts on what he thinks are the latent resources in New Zealand. My views on the economic and social benefits of cultural diversity is well-known as I regularly talk about harnessing New Zealand’s cultural diversity.  As such, it is good that Verpal can add some of his thoughts here:

1. Cultural diversity is not unique to New Zealand as the whole world is becoming culturally diverse and those countries which are resisting this movement are gradually acquiring an image of being out-of-sync. Sure this diversity should be harnessed to benefit NZ. However, when other diverse societies also seek to use their diversity for their own benefit, we reach a situation where NZ is competing with others for a piece of the diversity cake.

2. As I did during the World Cafe discussion, I would list the following three aspects of NZ as our latent resource:
a) As members of the developed world, we are the insiders. However, due to our geographical location, smaller population and relatively small-sized economy, we are also the outsiders. This puts us in a unique position of an outsider while being on the inside. We, thus, provide an outsider’s perpsective to problems facing the developed world, while experiencing these same problems first-hand. The tradition of providing leadership to the world, set by people like Sir Ernest in Physics and Sir Ed in pushing the limits of human endurance is being eminently followed by New Zealanders like Dr John Hood (Vice Chancellor of Oxford University), Chris Liddell (CFO, Microsoft) and Helen Clark (head of UNDP) amongst many many others, and bears testimony to the fact that New Zealanders’ unique perspective is being appreciated by the world. The only possible equivalent in these aspects (that I could find) is Iceland.

b) The ease of contact between the rulers and the ruled in the New Zealand system of governance. This empowers the people and provides them the opportunity to show their leadership in areas that they hold dear, whether it is environment protection, opposition to Nuclear arms, or a more equal world.

c) A long history of technological innovation — which is the most important part of Ray Avery’s work. Combined with a) and b), an innovative idea has greater potential to be turned into a great enterprise in New Zealand than even in USA (where the power enjoyed by established commercial entities to influence government decision-making in their favour seems to have killed off Americans’ innovative streak — their car industry being a prime example of this).

The French language is certainly one of the most popular languages that Kiwis learn. Here are some reasons why you should consider learning French:
• Together with English and Spanish, French is one of the most international of European languages, spoken in all the continents of the world.
• French was for centuries the international language of diplomacy and culture; it’s still important in those fields.
• The French-speaking world has contributed an enormous number of great artists, writers, philosophers and scientists.
• France has a large economy with a huge international presence.
• French cuisine is world-renowned, and French is still the international language of cooking, so at least a smattering of the French language is useful for chefs and food enthusiasts.
• Young Kiwis can go and work in France, Belgium or Canada for one year under a working holiday scheme.
• If France seems a long way off, New Caledonia and French Polynesia are more accessible holiday destinations. Even a limited knowledge of the French language can enrich and enliven your tropical holiday.
• Much like speakers of English, French speakers tend not to be very enthusiastic about speaking other languages. There is no guarantee you will find someone prepared to speak to you in English!

You can learn French and other languages at award-winning Euroasia Language Academy. Over 2500 Aucklanders have attended one of our courses. Come check out our free taster lessons next week.

Economist: China vs US capital spend

The Economist this week reported China’s fixed-asset investment leapt by an astonishing 39% in the year to May, or by a record 49% in real terms.

This year China’s domestic investment in dollar terms is likely to exceed that in America (see chart).

There are concerns that a lot of the investment is directed by the Chinese government, and hence a lot of it would be wasted in pushing out overcapacity.

Investment amounted to 44% of GDP last year (compared with 18% in America), which many economists reckon was already too much. Worse still, as well as forcing state firms to invest, the government is directing state-owned banks to lend more, despite falling corporate profits.

The fastest expansion in spending has been in railways (up by 111% this year). As a developing country, China still lacks decent infrastructure; railways, in particular, have long been an economic bottleneck. Investment in roads, the power grid and water should also yield high long-term returns by allowing China to sustain rapid growth.

Further evidence that increasingly New Zealand will be engaging more with China as reliance on our traditional Western markets wane. The Americans will struggle with maintaining market dominance, and the developing economies will no doubt emerge stronger as a result of this recession.

If you’re like me, you would be thinking why the heck would people stand in line to pay $500 to some scammers in return for automatic approval of New Zealand residency.

Apparently, the story is that some guy has been going around the country selling visa stamps like how people peddle club memberships.

You stand in line with $500 cash in hand. You pay $500 and they stamp your passport, and voila, you’re now Maori, and hence granted automatic permanent residency.  It’s open to all applicants, as long as you have 500 bucks cash to fork out.

Hundreds of people turned up at a marae in Mangere last night. And a thousand the night prior at Manurewa. The people scammed are mostly desperate Islanders eager to get residency.

It’s shameful that often the most vulnerable members of society get scammed. Usually the most vulnerable ones are also the most guillible. You might be thinking this only happens to dumb people.  But just because you went to university and hold a respectable job doesn’t mean you’re immune to scams.  I came across another story recently, where a Kiwi businesswoman gave away $680,000 in 10 weeks  to some fraudster who claimed to be an American-born geologist who lived in New Zealand but was overseas on business. They met on some internet dating site, and he professed his love. He managed to get her to send progressively larger amounts before the scam unravelled. Obviously she’s not dumb if she has $680K cash to send overseas.

The point is we need to have some level of empathy with what people are going through.  In the meantime, I’ll be warning desperate immigrants that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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