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(Photos: www.wonderfob.com) |
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NEW ZEALAND: Its time
to get SUPER FRESH
Source:
Kila Kokonut Krew Press
Release
The Kila Kokonut Krew are back this year with
their brand new show SUPER FRESH.
Following on from the sell out success of Once
Were Samoans in 2007, the Mayor of South
Auckland Vela Manusaute and his gang are back to
say the things you are thinking, but to afraid
to say to your brown mate, in case you get the
bash.
Super Fresh promises to be energetic, raw and
hilarious as Vela dissects the elements that
make up south Auckland and ponders the Pacific
Islanders place in exciting Aotearoa.
Expect new island sounds, it by the boat load
and enough cheek to get you a h ding as Super
Fresh takes aim at culture, sport stars,
politicians and more!.
In fact, nothing is sacred. Its just SUPER
FRESH!
Herald Theatre
Tuesday April 29-Sat May 3rd
Bookings: (0800 842 5385) TICKETEK.
Adults $25
Concession: $20
GroupBookings 10+ $20
Show duration : 1 hour 15 minutes
Starring:.
VELA MANUSAUTE (The Brownies, The Tattooist)
ANAPELA POLATAIVAO (My Name is Gary Cooper;
Where we Once Belonged)
FASITUA AMOSA (The Millen Baird Show, The
Tattooist)
STACEY LEILUA (Once Were Samoans, Shortland
Street)
JXN (Niue's Singing Sensation!, Once Were
Samoans, The Tattooist)
And Introducing:
ASALEMO TOFETE (NZ Drama School, ANGELS IN
AMERICA)
MORE INFO:
http://www.wonderfob.com
"Nothing is sacred" (John Smythe, on Once Were
Samoans)
"The point is this is classic comedy with bite,
culturally specific in its focus, yet timeless
and universal in its application and
implications." (The National Business Review,
The Taro King).
Photo Caption:
KilaKokonutKrew Presents Super Fresh. Anapela Polataivao - The Market.
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(Photos: EPC) |
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SAMOA: EPC improves Customer Service
Source:
EPC Media Release
The Electric Power Corporation (EPC) continues
to improve its customer service to the public
and its business partners, by setting up a more
customer oriented division. The new Retailing
Section has tied together all units of EPC,
which deals directly with its customers, such as
Customer Service, Disconnection and Recovery,
Cashiers, Metering, Inspection, Meter Reading
and Communications.
These units were formerly under the Corporate
Services, Engineering and
Distribution/Utilization Sections. “Having this
section to deal specifically with our customers,
has been a great achievement for EPC, to better
improve efficiency and productivity within the
workforce,
and at the same time, meet customer
satisfaction” said EPC General Manager, Muaausa
Joseph Walter.
EPC also welcomes on board the Manager
Retailing, Mrs Jeena Jacob-Koshy, who will
manage and lead the newly established Unit. Mrs.
Jacob-Koshy was formerly employed as the
Manager, Corporate Services at KVAConsult Ltd
before occupying this post. She brings with her
a wealth of experience in not only in dealing
with the local business community and the
Government of
Samoa, but also with overseas organizations such
as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank,
European Investment Bank, United Nations
Development Program, and many other
organizations during her past 11 years at
KVAConsult Ltd.
Since her appointment at EPC late last month,
Mrs. Jacob-Koshy has been working closely with
her Section Heads, to ensure a smooth and
successful start for this newest Section.
The Retailing Section has been developed to help
EPC provide enhanced service to our customers
and to better address their various needs.
According to Muaausa, “Delivery of good service
depends on internal team effort as well as
working together with customers. That is a
fundamental attribute of this new and thriving
Section”.
With this new development, EPC Management and
staff congratulate and wish Mrs Jacob-Koshy
every future success.
Photo Caption:
EPC General Manager, Muaausa Joseph Walter, Mrs Jeena Jacob-Koshy,
new EPC
Retailing Manager. Meter readers sorting out invoices for their meter
reading routines.
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(Photos: The Blue Palm Tree Market) |
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AUSTRALIA: Australia’s first Pacific Island
style market opens in Sydney
Source:
The Blue Palm Tree Market
Press Release
Regret not buying that carving on your Pacific
Island holiday? Wish you could experience
Pacific Island hospitality, food and culture in
the heart of Sydney?
Then head to the Blue Palm Tree Markets at
Sydney Olympic Park. Open every Saturday,
commencing 3rd May 2008, from 9am to 4pm at the
Paddington and Downes Pavilions, Sydney
Showground.
“The Blue Palm Tree Markets bring the rich
cultures of the Pacific, New Zealand and
indigenous Australia to the heart of Sydney
every weekend,” says Tongan Alex Fineki, who
conceived and established the markets.
Products include art, craft, music, traditional
foods, fresh produce and seafood. Carvings,
didgeridoos, jewellery, floral-print fabrics and
tapa cloth are available along with island
floral arrangements and traditional tattoos.
See music and dance performances and meet
Pacific Island sporting greats, musicians,
actors and visiting celebrities.
Special Opening Day Celebrations: An Aboriginal
smoking ceremony precedes the official opening,
followed by 2 hours of cultural performances and
a live performance by “Pop and R&B singing stars
Paulini and Emily”.
Rugby League stars Willy Mason, Anthony Tupou
and a host of others will be there signing
autographs and getting photos taken with
visitors.
When: Saturday 3rd May. Smoking ceremony
commences 10.30am.
Where: Paddington & Downes Pavilions with
performances on Hordern Lawns, Sydney
Showground, Sydney Olympic Park.
Access: Olympic Park Station. Driving - entrance
Gate 4, on Olympic Boulevard, across from Acer
Arena. Use parking stations P1, P5 & P6.
“There are approximately 100,000 people of
Pacific Island origin living in NSW and they
value their community links, culture and
traditional way of life,” says Fineki.
“They are often disadvantaged when they arrive
in Australia and can’t buy traditional foods or
clothing. The markets offer them the chance to
open a small business and purchase traditional
goods. But the markets are for all Australian
families and tourists; they’re a vibrant place
in which to celebrate and enjoy our
multiculturalism.”
Cultures celebrated include Aboriginal, Maori,
Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, Papua New
Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Hawaii and
other Pacific Islands.
For more information and photos please contact:
Alex Fineki on 9824 5471, or Email info@bluepalmtree.com.au.
See www.bluepalmtree.com.au
Photo Caption:
Cultures celebrated include Aboriginal, Maori, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa,
Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Hawaii and
other Pacific Islands.
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HAWAII: SJSU students keep Pacific Island
culture alive at Luau
Source:
Spartan Daily
The smell of slow roasted pork and the sound of
Hawaiian music filled the Student Union Barrett
Ballroom on Saturday. Over 400 people turned out
for the Pride of the Pacific Islands' 8th Annual
Lu'au.
Students, family and community members who
entered the ballroom around 5 p.m. were greeted
with shell necklaces and Polynesian Lu'au CDs.
Once they were, seated club volunteers served
Hawaiian-style barbecue catered by L&L Hawaiian
BBQ.
The Island Riddim Band covered hits associated
with the islands such as, "Still the One" and
"Little Grass Shack," while guests ate their
meals.
Students from the club demonstrated the culture
of several Pacific Islands through dance
performances choreographed by volunteers.
Anastasia Doan, a junior kinesiology major and
president of the club, said the enthusiasm of
club members is always high.
"We always have tons of old members who come and
want to be choreographers," she said.
Danielle Lisec, a senior conservation biology
major and vice president of the club, said she
was pleased with the arrangement of
performances.
"We always find different songs and
choreographers," she said. "They show up and we
ask them to teach us something new."
The dancers performed a variety of traditional
and modern dances from Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, New
Zealand, Tonga and Tahiti.
The stage shook and the metal supports rattled
as the male performers did the "Haka" from New
Zealand. The Haka is a war dance performed by
warriors and has multiple meanings such as
"ignite the breath" and "fierce words," to
energize the body and inspire the spirit within,
according to the event program.
The Haka is the same dance that the University
of Hawaii Warriors like to perform after their
football games. The dance is an intimidating
display of grunting, chest beating and stomping.
The performers chests were red from hitting
themselves several dances after.
Dana Lisec, a graduate student getting her
teaching credential and Lu'au chair, said there
was a lot of preparation that went into learning
the dances.
"We have been practicing since the beginning of
the fall semester, she said."
Her sister Danielle said, "We practiced all last
week from 7 to 10 p.m., sometimes later - 11 or
midnight."
Other dances included traditional and modern
types of dance from Hawaii. Performers dressed
in attire that reflected the islands' individual
cultures.
The dance the club members preformed to
represent Fiji was called "Teivovo Teivovo,"
which is a traditional Fijian fan dance.
To represent the Independent State of Samoa,
dancers performed the "Pipa Pipa," which told
the story of a young man who fell in a love with
a young woman who moved away and returned many
years later to see that he had aged and had a
family.
After the finale, family members and friends
congratulated the performers, offering flowers
and taking pictures, commemorating the event.
"This year we had a few difficulties with the
administration and restrictions placed on us,"
Doan said, "but even though we had all that
stuff, we still pulled through and it was still
a good show. We got a bunch of compliments."
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NAURU: Forum mission to
monitor Nauru's Elections
Source:
Pacific Island Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum will send two
observers to monitor the general election in
Nauru.
This follows a request from the government of
Nauru.
"The Forum is committed to working with Nauru
towards a peaceful and lawful resolution of the
present political crisis," Peter Forau, Acting
Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat said
today.
"The deployment of Forum election observers
provides a demonstration of the region's support
for a credible election and the return of stable
parliamentary government in Nauru," Mr Forau
said.
The Forum mission will consist of Mrs Makurita
Baaro, former Chief Secretary and Secretary to
the Cabinet of Kiribati, and Ms Shennia Spillane
from the Forum Secretariat. Both were members of
the Forum Election Observer Team to the August
2007 general elections in Nauru.
The return mission will observe the election and
the formation of government with a view to
offering any revised or additional
recommendations to those made by the Team in
2007.
The mission arrived on Nauru on 25 April and
will remain until 2 May.
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TONGA: 48% turnout for 2008 General Election
Source:
Matangi Tonga
The results of the 2008 General Election were
decided by half of the people who are registered
to vote when 32,000 Tongans turned out to vote
on Thursday, April 24,
This is less than half of the 68,000 registered
voters, and in Tongatapu down on the numbers who
turned out in 2005.
Tonga's Electoral Officer Pita Vuki confirmed
today that nationally 48% of voters turned out
to vote on Election Day April 24.
"The most important thing is the results of the
election and those who participated in the
voting got the results they voted for," said
Pita.
Vava'u voters were the most enthusiastic with a
72.58% turnout with 7,258 voters, out of 10,000
registered voters.
While in Tongatapu 16,796 (56%) turned out to
cast their votes out of the estimated 30,000
voters who registered. This number was 464 down
on the 17,260 who turned out for the previous
general election in 2005.
There was a low turnout in the other islands
combined with 4,305 voters in Ha'apai, the
remaining 3,600 voters were divided between 'Eua
and the two Niuas.
Pita said after visiting the various polling
stations throughout Tongatapu on election day
everything went smoothly.
No date has been set for the opening of the 2008
Session of the Tongan Legislative Assembly but
it usually opens either in the last week of May
or the first week of June.
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