1 Captions by Alex Walker. Edited by Glenna Casalme. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2015 RELAXED MUSIC Naenae lies to the eastern side of the Hutt River Valley and is home to about 8000 people. When Lower Hutt expanded after the Second World War, Naenae was singled out as the perfect location for the 'designer' neighbourhood ` a model suburb, if you like. State-of-the art state housing wrapped around a shopping centre. It was considered the perfect place for the nuclear family to flourish. PENSIVE MUSIC Unfortunately, not a lot of that came to fruition. Today, Naenae is in decline. Poverty, crime, unemployment, demoralised young people. Despite these challenges, Naenae is home to a diverse and vibrant community, including myself, which, for the most part, live successfully side by side. We'll discover what a former Japanese pop star loves about the neighbourhood. I think Naenae's community is, uh, really colourful,... (GIGGLES) very friendly. And if you're walking past, and sometimes, from far away ` 'Konnichiwa!' A young man from Tuvalu tells us how the Naenae Boxing Academy has helped him turn his life around. Made me feel, you know, important ` that there is something for me. Just a feeling, eh. It's just` It's like your second home. It's, uh` It's another side. We'll share some traditional treats, Colombian-style. And now we are making the arepas. You just squish, squish, squish, squish. And a local woman lays out the treasured tapa that symbolises a reconnection with her culture. I think, probably as time has passed, like another generation or two has passed, there's now that` that desire to try and capture the culture again and to actually rebirth it within homes. I'm Geraldine Brophy, and this is my neighbourhood. UPBEAT MUSIC RELAXED GUITAR MUSIC My family moved to this area about 32 years ago from the UK, and it suited an Irish Catholic working-class family trying to escape tough economic times in Britain. Of course, as a teenager in Naenae, I only ever remember wanting to get out. (CHUCKLES) I've got some quite colourful ancestors, actually ` tinkers, who, of course, were people who were pushed off the land and walked into the cities and mended tin pots and pans along the way for a bit of food and shelter. And then there were family members who fought to preserve the Irish language when it was banned ` revolutionaries who fought for a united Ireland. All of this, I think, is very useful lineage for an actor. Miyuki Utsumi ` whose CD I have and I love ` her parents were both musical. And from a little girl, she knew she wanted to sing. But who could've predicted that that talent would take her from the top of the charts in Tokyo to a small cafe in Naenae? RELAXED MUSIC This is my first concert pamphlet. Because the first thing for me, big things for me, so, um, staff made a very nice pamphlet for me. And the colour is a little bit faded. It's quite old. (CHUCKLES) '80s, I think. Mid-'80s, I think. Yes, this is like my diary, uh, since I was debuted. So every time I look at photo, I can remember many things. This is just, like, a debut year. At that time, karaoke start booming, so people make songs, like, uh, easy to sing in karaoke. Yes, so, mm. Many enka singers doing that kind of a campaign, actually. Many visit karaoke bar to sing and teach song, own song and, uh, ask people to sing my song. Yes, very tough to break into that world, and, uh, also very difficult to become a success. When I released that song called Yopparacchatta, it took about three years for people to know about my song. But, uh, kind of, karaoke booming at the same time, so quite good timing to my song on top of that. I don't know when this break, but, uh, first time I can feel like maybe become hit is, uh, one day I went with my` with my staff walking around the night-time in, like, a bar, night town area, and somewhere, uh, I've heard my song ` someone singing the karaoke. So this is the moment I kind of feel, like, maybe coming, came. Yeah, finally came. Yeah, this is moment. My most, uh, success song is called Yopparacchatta ` is, uh, in English 'I got drunk'. (LAUGHS) 'YOPPARACCHATTA' PLAYS (SINGS IN JAPANESE) Unfortunately, didn't make a second hit. Only` I have only one song, but still people sing karaoke that one. That one is, I think, uh, you know, for me, very proud of that song. I met my husband in Tokyo. I start to learn` I wanted to learn English, and he was my English teacher. Yeah, starting` started going out together, and then, uh, we married in Japan, in Tokyo. And we lived there for a long time. And, um, my children, two children, were born in Japan. SOFT PIANO MUSIC I came here 2002. It's big different from Tokyo to Wellington. Wellington quite big city, but compared to Tokyo,... um, no. (LAUGHS) We bought cafe 11 years ago, and we keep doing and keep busy ourselves. In Naenae, no Japanese food at all. Then we started Japanese food about four years ago. At the beginning, didn't sell much and, uh, took quite long time. Unfortunately, we decided to close the cafe. I think Naenae's community is, uh, really colourful,... (GIGGLES) very friendly. And if you're walking past, and sometimes, from far away ` 'Konnichiwa!' ` in Japanese. Tonight, we do last gig our shop,... (CHUCKLES) our cafe. Uh, a gig, so I expect about 40, 50 Japanese lady come to that gig. (SINGS IN JAPANESE) KARAOKE TRACK PLAYS Oh, that's her song. I'm singing with her! (LAUGHS EXCITEDLY) We're celebrating. BAND PERFORMS 'YOPPARACCHATTA' We don't hear much music` Japanese music here, um, so it's really nice to hear. Just going back to the old days, and` yeah, enjoy music. Yeah, that's good. BAND PERFORMS 'YOPPARACCHATTA' My song ` very old song. (CHUCKLES) 1983 release. So young people of course don't know` don't know my song, but, uh, sometimes, 'Oh, this song. My mother sing this song!' OK, I'm your mother's age. (LAUGHS) Domo arigato! AUDIENCE APPLAUDS Thank you very much. RELAXED MUSIC My parents were bemused by my choice of career, and I think they always thought I should get a proper job. But they had precious little chance of changing my mind. Being an actor and a writer isn't just what I do; it's what I must do. In 2012, demographic profiling ` terrifying phrase ` revealed that Naenae had a problem with crime and youth unemployment. Well, they could have just asked. But as a result of this, police have become more actively engaged with the community, and I think it's helped. There's less crime and less graffiti, and there's more of a sense of security. But there are other factors that have contributed to turning this neighbourhood around. The Naenae Boxing Academy has encouraged hundreds of young men to take their frustrations off the street and into the ring, and in so doing, has given them a shot at a whole new life. REFLECTIVE MUSIC My biological mother gave me to my grandmother when I was young. My grandmother passed away when I was 6 years old. My name is Latu Talu, and I was born in Nauru. Moving to NZ, I was excited, but I did not know what was NZ or where we were going. I thought we were going for` to another place in Tuvalu, cos I was very young, but when I got here it was` it was freezing, and going to school was very hard for me cos I did not know how to speak English. Teachers would tell me what to do; I have no idea what they're saying, what they're talking about. So, yeah, I got into a lot of trouble, eh, by` from fighting, from not controlling my temper, you know, just beating any kid up, whoever comes and mess around with me, gets smart to me. That's how I answer back, is, uh, using my fist. And never` you know, never solve it, because I never knew how to speak English. I was about 15. I was a teenager when I found Billy's gym. Um, it was in the newspaper, an article saying that he's opening a gym. He made me feel real good, made me feel, you know, important ` that there is something for me. So that's what kept driving me there, is, um, feeling important and feeling that you've got friends there. A really good environment, eh. A really good, um, like, um, feeling around. Just the feeling, eh. It's just` It's like your second home. It's, uh, it's another side. The cops love us. They've even named a wing after us out at the Police College ` 269 Naenae Boxing Academy wing. They've named it after us, cos we've done a lot within the town with the crime rate. And, um, you know, if the kids are busy they're not looking for trouble, and I know I could` I got in a lot of trouble when I was younger. I wasn't busy. Soon as I got busy, the crime rate went, you know. My life changed ` friendships, the style of people I mixed with changed. I'm always telling the guys, 'Don't mix with dropkicks. You'll become one very quickly.' It's a place to turn young boys into men. That's really what happens. That's what` That's what our goal is ` make 'em grow up. Nice quick left hook. Latu, he came to us when he was only a young kid. He was still at school. When I first met him, he was strong, fit and could fight. We didn't have to teach him too much. He loves to fight. We just put some skill factor into him and let him go, and` and it wasn't long before he was the NZ champion for his age in the country. Billy? Oh man. First time I met him, I was actually going, 'This guy's funny. Is he a boxing coach?' Well, he's a funny guy for a boxing coach. But then I realised` Then I started knowing him a bit more. Uh, he` He's just a loving person, eh. He accepted me into his family and just made me a part of this family, you know, and said, you know, 'You're my` You're my son. And so, you know, if you love me this much, 'show me this much love, I'll return it as well.' This what you're after? He's still one of the best fighters in the country, but he's got vision to be a coach. So that's why we opened up Cannons Creek ` because we wanted to duplicate it into another area like Naenae, and Latu is the perfect person. He's been with me for 10 years. ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC Now I'm running a boxing gym, and I'm loving it. I'm enjoying those kids. You know, they're my young brothers, my little kids, and I want them to do the best ` as I grew up, you know ` as Billy tried to change my life. He changed my life, and I'm trying to do the same to others. Keep your hands up. That's good. Almost there, almost there! Keep it up! What I do in Cannons Creek Boxing Academy? Oh, I do a lot. I change kids' lives around, you know ` try and give them better life skills, you know. The life skills that some of them don't even have from their own parents. Um, teaching them the right attitude. We have a notebook called, uh, Passport to Success, and we give those kids for them to learn. And it's got kindness, honest and truthfulness, respect, duty, obedience and compassion. No swearing and no foul-mouthing in here. Cos if they start to foul-mouth, get out. We don't want you in here. Hardly hear any swearing in here. Um, that goes to no bullying, cos mostly, you know, you don't wanna get bullied. Uh, it's` It doesn't feel nice when you get bullied. I believe that all` everyone deserves a chance. Everyone deserves opportunities, to be in a place like this. And it's a place that some people are missing out on, and I reckon they should give it a try, cos it's` it's life-changing, and it's good for their kids. ANTICIPATIVE MUSIC My first role on the stage was playing the archangel Gabriel when I was 7 in the UK, and I remember being really disappointed that I didn't get to play Mary. But of course, since then, I've based a whole career on playing the archangel Gabriels rather than the Marys and found them to be much more interesting. SOFT FUNKY MUSIC People need entertainment like they need food. To make them laugh, to think, to lift them from their everyday troubles every now and then is an important occupation. I firmly believe that my love of language and storytelling is a direct inheritance from my Irish culture. Naenae local Jodie-Ann Webster grew up without a deep appreciation of her Samoan culture, but these days, as a mother, she's discovered it's more important than ever to make a connection with the past. SOFT GUITAR MUSIC Being a NZ-born Samoan, I actually don't have a lot of things that have been handed down to me. A lot of things in our family line have been lost along the way, or, because we've got such a big extended family, things have been` have gone in other directions. My mother is, um, a NZer, so she's a Palagi. Um, she actually grew up on a farm in the Waikato, and my father is a Samoan, but he also too has, um, German and NZ blood in him. My upbringing was a mixture of Palagi and Samoan, so island food was in the house at least every Sunday. Um, we learnt how to dance; we learnt the basics of the language. It was a real mixture, even growing up. I went to Newtown School in` back in the late '70s, early '80s. It was just a massive melting pot of Pacific Island cultures. So, um, I think if anything, there was probably a bigger Pasifika demographic than European. I think, probably as time has passed, like another generation or two has passed, there's now that` that desire to try and capture the culture again and to actually rebirth it within homes and keep languages, especially, alive within their whanau. SLOW PIANO MUSIC This siapo was actually given to me by my godmother. It was given to me as a gift for, uh, my baptism. Both my daughter and I were baptised on the same day. Uh, there was no formal ceremony for it, cos my godmother is a Palagi. Usually, with gifts of this grandeur, there is usually a ceremony process that's actually involved, but, no, this was just hand-gifted to me by her. All the patterns do mean something different. Um, for instance, these triangles actually resemble the, uh` the sort of conch-style shell that we have in the islands. We also too have these, which represent either the palm trees or the breadfruit. And everything else just is` It's kind of that whole... what binds us all together, what brings us all together. So, um, a lot of the other patterns... For me, because it came from someone that's very dear to me, it's incredibly special. It's` It's not something that I bring out often, but it's always a good talking point with the children. I feel very blessed to have actually received something like this, cos in Samoan culture it` it's actually a pretty big deal if you've actually got a siapo mat. Um, it's... Yeah, it's` I guess it's just that strong connection to your culture. POIGNANT PIANO MUSIC I was 16 years of age when Mum passed away. So, yeah, right at the beginning of sixth form year, and, um, unfortunately she passed away. She had multiple sclerosis, but she ended up passing away with complications of, um, pneumonia. There's not a day that goes by that she's not a part of our life. Even my children know who she is, and we talk of her often. Um, so, no, she's still very much alive within our household. PLAYFUL GUITAR MUSIC I work for Pacific Health Service here in Naenae, so my job is to run the Healthy Lifestyle Pasifika programme, which is a exercise programme that has been running for approximately 13 years now. Mum was a huge inspiration for that. She had it so bad that she couldn't be mobile any longer. Being a Pacific Islander as well, having, uh, diabetes and obesity is, um, a high risk, um, you know. As a demographic, we're actually at really high risk for that. I'm really passionate about just keeping people moving, basically, and just making small changes ` they don't have to be big, dramatic changes ` and just reminding people that you actually don't need an expensive gym to actually keep active and` and be a part of something that's actually really really fun. So, um, with the classes that I do, they're actually free to our community. It's good to see that they come in and that they're actually attempting to make changes in their life. Obviously, I can't be there every step of the way and slap the food out of their hands,... (LAUGHS) but, I mean, at least they're there at the classes two or three times a week, so, I mean, that` that in itself is` is massive. Best thing about Naenae? It's` It is, actually, probably the people, I would have to say. There are, you know, a lot of happy people out there and people that are actually wanting to see our community get to a better place. 1 Now, I've always wanted my own cooking show. As you can see here, I've got examples of my bread I've made this morning. But my little piece de resistance for you is an Irish recipe. And, of course, it's a very important Irish recipe ` (IRISH ACCENT) how to make the tea. Now, first of all you've got to take your jug to the sink. And luckily, cos we're in Naenae, we're going to put in artesian water. Then we use real tea leaf,... top it with the just-boiled water. And... of course, the other Irish tea secret ` milk goes in first. And because I'm making tea now for my sister, who likes it very weak indeed, we won't let it draw. There's no underestimating the power of a taste of home. A local Naenae family are a long way from the streets of Bogota, but the act of sharing simple Colombian food has helped them all feel at home. SOFT PIANO MUSIC SOFT GUITAR MUSIC SOFT GUITAR MUSIC CONTINUES ALL SING IN MAORI ...and Venezuela, as well. I'm from Colombia. This is the reason we love the arepas ` it's easy. They're so lovely. How do you know when they're cooked? Ah. When it's a little gold here, that means it's almost cooked. LIGHT-HEARTED MUSIC I have two homes. That's lovely. (CHUCKLES) REFLECTIVE MUSIC Even after all of these years in this country, I only became a NZ citizen last year. I still identify as an itinerant. I suspect it's blood, but it's also probably inclination. I think of myself as a citizen of the world. Nevertheless, here I am back in Naenae, and I like it here. I like the memories. I used to come up here, smoke cigarettes and write poetry behind the gravestones. (CHUCKLES) I like the people, their vibrancy. They're vocal on the street. Best of all, I like Naenae's potential. Captions by Alex Walker. Edited by Glenna Casalme. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2015