Captions by Jake Ebdale. Edited by Tracey Dawson. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2015 ELECTRONIC MUSIC PEDESTRIAN CROSSING BEEPS Welcome to Newmarket in Auckland. This suburb was named in the 1850s because it was a site for farmers to sell their cattle from down south all along Remuera Road. 160 years on, there's still a lot of buying and selling that goes on here, with over 400 stores, movie theatres, bars and cafes. But tucked behind the glossy retail facade, this area is home to a diverse mix of students, families and young professional people. ELECTRONIC MUSIC CONTINUES I live here and I love it. I'm still amazed to walk around my neighbourhood and smell the different kinds of foods on offer. And to hear the various different languages all spoken in one place makes me realise that, indeed, this world is becoming one big melting pot. Let me introduce you to some other newcomers to NZ who also call Newmarket home. We'll sample some succulent Peking duck... Really yum. Really yum. Sometimes, I make for lunch for her, take a Peking duck to school. So her friend, 'Oh, so yummy!' Yeah, they're all really jealous. Yeah, they're all really jealous. < (LAUGHS) ...and indulge in some traditional Russian fortune telling. I have some antique spoons here tonight that I, um, got from my grandmother, and we're going to use them to try and predict our futures. We'll meet a man from Croatia who has dedicated his life to sharing his passion for music,... ORCHESTRA PLAYS Can't escape that I'm bringing my European background to what we do. That sensitivity of my background, I suppose that's what I bring to my rehearsals and my performances. ...and we'll trace the journey of a man who left Iran to follow his dreams in NZ. I can't understand why some people are so greedy and just collect money when we can with 50c feed a kids a day in Iran or in India. My name is Tawanda Manyimo, and this is my neighbourhood. ELECTRONIC MUSIC REFLECTIVE GUITAR MUSIC I arrived in NZ from Zimbabwe at the age of 22. My brother and his family had come here two years earlier in search of a better way of life and for greater opportunities. Also, my niece was about to be born, so I wanted to be here to watch her grow. I got accepted into Toi Whakaari, the NZ drama school, and I've tried to make my living as an actor and musician since. Storytelling and music are a big part of the African culture, but the last 12 years in NZ have helped influence the man I am today. But beyond the culture you are born into or live in, I believe in a world culture that's formed on the basis of being good and kind to one another. Babak Sarfarazi came to NZ as an asylum seeker after fighting in the Iran-Iraq conflict. It is his dedication to the most vulnerable members of society that sees him going back to his homeland these days. I born in Iran in a small town down south called Darab. Summertime, we had watermelon, cucumber. And I remember my dad had a Jeep, and every evening when he was coming home, the back of it was full of watermelon, cucumber. And the neighbour used to come and just collect because there was plenty, and my dad used to bring it and distribute it between the neighbour; just give it away and they being happy. (CHUCKLES) I got married on 18, and I had my two kids by the age of 20. I think it was 1980 when Saddam Hussein from Iraq, the leader of Iraq, invaded our border. Because the army was falling apart after revolution; the revolutionary army was just very new and fresh, so I think they found the right time to invade the country. I opened my own business. But it didn't last long, because in the heat of war, um, they needed more soldiers, more people to go. So they would stop any cars, ask the young guys to provide the certificate from release of the army. If you didn't have that certificate, they would put you in a bus off to the training to the war. So I couldn't go to work, so I just closed the shop and I went to army when I was 22. We went to a training for three months as an anti-aircraft gunner. Maybe that's why I'm still alive sitting here today, because we'd been on the second line of the war where they're protecting their ground troops from the aeroplanes. I was in the war for 22 months. The peace treaty had been signed, so the army didn't need all these soldiers that serving the country. So they said, 'Who is married? Go home.' So that was my happiest moment in life. (CHUCKLES) This is a can opener that we used to open can of ammunitions at the army base or where we'd been in the war. So I brought this one with me. You know, every can had one, so we'd throw them away. I brought one to remind myself of the bad time and to remember how fortunate I am in NZ. Every time I hold it, a feeling goes through my body with joy. I came to 1990 as asylum seeker in NZ because we had under lots of pressure back at home at that time. And it was very easy. The police officer was very kind and cooperative at the airport. It was very easy at that time. I assume it's much harder in these days after all these 9/11s and the terrorists moving around. I wanted somewhere peaceful, and this is the land. This is heaven here. My kids` My daughter was 5 and my son was 4 when they arrive in NZ. They are good. One of them is a dentist and another one is a doctor. So we've done good here in NZ, and we're putting back into the community. They're happy here. They always thank me for bringing them here in to NZ, still. After a while, I decide to do my own business, the organic store. The name of the shop is called Wise Cicada, and it's in Newmarket in Auckland. The name coming from the fable, if you remember, from the ants and cicadas. Ants been just working hard and cicada's been singing, and when the winter came in, the cicada had nothing and died from hunger. We are stepping into a new era. We need to look after our planet and our resources. We need to leave something for our next generations. This is Wise Cicada, established in 2008 and, uh, going strongly. And, uh, we have around 22 staff, part-time and full-time, and, um, from all nationalities. So it bring a different vibe to the place, and our customer like it. They're coming from all corner of Auckland. My name is Amarjit Kaur, and I'm working at Wise Cicada from past five years. Uh, Babak is very nice and he's like my father. He treats us like, uh, his own kids and he's very easy-going. He helps us in every situation. Even if I wanted to buy a house, a car, anything, he helps me in everything here. We set up a Wise Cicada charitable trust for kids. We call it Charity Without Borders. We start in Iran in my hometown, which we need badly a facility for disabled girls. There is a facility for boys, but there is nothing for a girl. They are left on the street or handed in to an organisation because the parents cannot look after them or simply, they don't want them. Our motto is 'Five Orphanages in Five Continents', and we start with there and we can copy that formula anywhere else that we need, like Vietnam, Cambodia. But in meantime, we help a couple of place in Iran and we fundraise here. So we try to speed it up and get the momentum going because time is too short. This is where I hanging my apron, next to my mum's photo. That's my mum and I when I was really really young. > REFLECTIVE MUSIC It's fact that we're all gonna die, and it's fact that nobody take anything with them. I can't understand why some people are so greedy and just collect money when we can with 50c feed a kids a day in Iran or in India; avoid them going to bed hungry, and having some water to drink. You know, it's not a big thing to ask, is it? I go to Iran once every two years, normally. But I'm not looking at a big picture that overwhelm me. I do one small things at a time. This is my mission ` one step at a time, one small step at a time. God knows where we're gonna land, and leave the rest to universe. And I'm so happy. I don't want to be anywhere else apart from here. And I hope one day, I die happily here. REFLECTIVE MUSIC KEYS RATTLE My mother faced a lot of hardship growing up as a young African woman in Zimbabwe. Her parents passed away when she was very young. Mum overcame all odds and had a successful career as a nurse in the UK. This made me aware that your background, race or culture doesn't have to define who you are or what you want to achieve in your life. But sometimes it would be nice to have a crystal ball and get a glimpse into the future. The old Russian tradition of fortune telling is alive and well in Newmarket. It is a way for local woman Elena Brady to stay connected to her culture. ELECTRONIC MUSIC It is definitely a lot harder to just become successful in Russia on your own terms. You have to know someone. You have to know someone who knows someone. You have to really be very well-networked and well-connected. To even get into a good university, you have to pay a lot of money or be just an extremely talented, super-smart person. It is an extremely corrupt country and it's not a secret, you know, it's a well-known fact. And I guess my dad didn't want me to live that life. He wanted me to be surrounded by honest people and not just because they are someone's son or daughter, but just because they are good at it. My life has changed dramatically since, you know, 11 years ago when I first came here. I now live in a beautiful apartment in Newmarket with my husband, Niall, who is actually from Ireland, and we met here in NZ. The Russians are very superstitious. You know, every third person in Russia still believes in paranormal and they won't, of course, admit to that. You know, even small things like leaving the house and forgetting something, you can't return back home to get what you left without looking in the mirror and sticking your tongue out. Here's my grandmother. It's the grandmother that gave me the spoons that we're going to use for fortune telling today. ALL: Hi! Mwah. Merry Christmas to you. Mwah. Merry Christmas to you. Merry Christmas. So, there are hundreds of different methods of fortune telling. In Russia, it's more of a girls' thing to do. Unmarried girls and women would get together and try and find out the answers to very important questions, such as who was going to be the first one to get married and how soon it was going to happen. Tonight, really, we're doing it just to have some fun and, uh, relive the tradition, but I don't think we have any desperate girls here wanting to, you know, try and predict the future. REFLECTIVE MUSIC I've learnt the spoon method from my grandmother. That's something she'd do growing up with her friends. You know, they're beautiful spoons, and I do feel like they are a treasure of sorts. I don't have many things from back home that I've brought with me to NZ. Well, thank you for coming, guys. So, uh, cheers, merry Christmas. ALL: Rozhdestvom! ALL CHUCKLE So, here we are on Christmas Eve. Are you guys ready to find out what the future holds? Definitely. (CHUCKLES) Definitely. (CHUCKLES) Can't wait. Natasha, what are you hoping to find out tonight? > I just want to find out whether we're gonna finish building our house. Been a long journey for us. Been a long journey for us. It's been a while! Yeah. Katrina, what are you hoping to find out tonight? Never played a Lotto before, so might as well try my luck this year. I just wanna find out if Kat is gonna win that Lotto ticket or not. And if she's gonna share it. And if she's gonna share it. And if she's gonna share it, yeah. That's two questions. Can we do two-part question? And 100` Can I live to 100 as well? Yeah, all that. So I have some antique spoons here tonight that I, um, got from my grandmother, and we're going to use them to try and predict our futures. I'm going to give you some strips of paper here. So one for each. All we need to do is just fold the strip in half and keep thinking about your respective questions ` that Lotto ticket ` then hold it at the tip and keep wrapping around. MYSTICAL MUSIC So we now need to place the spoons on the table. They have to be all touching. If the strip of paper comes off easily, then your answer is yes. ALL LAUGH Oh no! Ah no! Kind of` Kind of` I had difficulty` Kind of` I had difficulty` Renovations is a difficult thing. The Lotto ticket, come to me. The Lotto ticket, come to me. (GIGGLES) The Lotto ticket, come to me. (GIGGLES) WOMEN: Oh! Might be rich. LAUGHTER MYSTICAL MUSIC < Whoa! < Whoa! Yes! (GIGGLES) Yes. What did I wish for? Um, it's very private. WOMEN LAUGH I'll keep it to myself if that's OK. (LAUGHS) Fortune tellings keeps us connected to our culture, and it's very easy to really forget your roots, so staying together and keeping that friendship going really helps us stay true to ourselves. These spoons, to me, are incredibly valuable, just because I did get them from my grandmother, and that's one thing that I'm going to always keep and I, um, know will keep me connected to her. (PLAYS BONGOS) My parents never forced me to be what they wanted me to be. They always encouraged me to do what I wanted to do and what felt right. It wasn't until my early 20s that I decided what I wanted to focus on. As well as acting, I play percussion for various bands around Auckland. Local man Antun Poljanich was born in Dubrovnik, historically one of the most cultured cities in Europe. And the music he listened to as a child has guided his career to this day. PIANO PLAYS (PLAYS PIANO) Nobody knows how conducting works. Nobody knows how really conducting, teach conducting, because many conductors, many ways of communicating. And I think comes to personality and background and ideas and` and so on. (PLAYS PIANO) My name is Antun Poljanich, and I am born in Dubrovnik in Croatia. ACOUSTIC MUSIC Particularly my mother was interested in all of us` all three of us, uh, brothers being involved in music, and she would take us on a concert that were very frequent in` in my town. So as early as age of 5, I was going to concerts, seeing some of the greatest musicians of that time. ACOUSTIC MUSIC CONTINUES In age of 17, I entered, uh, conducting study at university. Yeah. That's my first concert ` one of my first concerts. I don't think it's the first` very first one. How old were you here? I think I was... 24. 24. Yeah. That's singing at cathedral. Mm-hm. This is you? This is you? That's me, yeah. This is you? That's me, yeah. You look exactly like Sam. Really? Really? Like Sam, yeah. I got a scholarship from the Republic of Croatia and they sent me to Leningrad, which is now Saint Petersburg again, where I studied a little bit more than three years with, uh, Professor Dimitri at, uh, famous Rimsky-Korsakov conservatorium, which was incubator for probably most greatest conductor of our time. And so everybody wanted to come to Russia and perform because it was end of the Soviet Union practically, and everybody kind of recognised that. So it was a fantastic time. REFLECTIVE MUSIC End of '95, '96, we came to NZ. Why NZ? You know, the perception of NZ in the world, and in Europe particularly, is open, kind country that's, uh, little oasis of, um, peace and prosperity. I work at St Peter's College in Newmarket, and that's where I am working as Music Director. My main function there is to animate young people to be involved in music and find a love for music through many different, uh, forms. This is first 2015 Auckland Youth Symphony Orchestra, or Auckland Youth Orchestra rehearsal. We're starting our programme today with, uh, new music, some new people. ORCHESTRA PLAYS CLASSICAL MUSIC I think NZ has potential resources to grow as a` as a very cultural, um, nation. We are a small nation here, but we have diversity of cultures, and I think looking at my orchestras and my schools and youth orchestra which you have such incredible variety of races and ethic origins, it's so exciting. ORCHESTRA PLAYS A pantomime actually reflects their dreams and what's happened; why they` why they're falling asleep. We` We talk about it, we taught about it because we think it's very innocent. Can't escape that I'm bringing my European background to what we do. That sensitivity of my background, I suppose that's what I bring to the` to my rehearsals and my performances. If I can contribute to inspire some young people here to follow my dreams or what I wanted from music, that would be` that would be great. UPBEAT MUSIC This is my favourite spot. The best laksa in the neighbourhood, I reckon. UPBEAT MUSIC CONTINUES In recent years, Newmarket has become a real destination for people to sample the different cuisine of the different cultures. People come from all across Auckland, for instance, to buy charcoal-roasted duck from Carol Jin so that they can make one of the most famous dishes of all from her hometown of Beijing. ACOUSTIC MUSIC ...because my neighbours all in Chinese shops. I like the environment. We can help each other. If I can't find something, my neighbour can tell me, and if I have some problem, they tell me how I can stop the problem. So I like this area. When I arrived in NZ, so exciting. The view is so beautiful; the air is so fresh. My first word is, 'Oh, it's heaven.' When I was a child, I most like my mum make food for me. And another thing is I like Peking duck, because when I was a child, Peking duck is not so popular because expensive. Not every family can eat Peking duck, but my mum always trying to get some Peking duck for us. In my memory, Peking duck is my favourite food. I work with my husband and sometimes my daughter. After school, she sometimes come here, help us, especially some holiday. Christmas, Chinese New Year is very busy. Thank you very much. Thanks. Bye. Thank you very much. Thanks. Bye. Thank you! Have a good night. We get our duck from farm. Farm is from, uh, Cambridge. We have secret recipe for our duck, but this is, uh, most important for us, so I can't tell you so many. But I just can say some five-spice flavour; another one, some sugar. Something else, I can't tell you. It's secret. Sorry about that. (LAUGHS) Peking duck come from Beijing. It start from several hundred years ago. At the beginning, normally cook for king; Chinese king. Peking duck actually is luxury food, so family, they normally have somebody birthday or some important friend come, they serve these Peking duck. Before cook, we need to, um, put duck here for the fan and, uh, make a little bit dry, and then we are go into the oven. My husband cook every morning around from 6.30. After duck go into oven, it take around one hour. REFLECTIVE MUSIC Yeah, not too bad. So it looks the skin is very crispy. I like this one. Little bit brown. Brown colour is, uh, most crispy, and they're looking very delicious. Hello. How are you? Hello. How are you? Hello. How are you? Good, thank you. Could I have a whole duck, chopped, please? Chop it up? Chop it up? Yes, please. Chop it up? Yes, please. Yes, no problem. Thank you. I can see in my customer many Chinese, but also, we have many local Kiwi customer. Normally, they say our Peking duck is, uh, best Peking duck in the town, in Auckland. They're very happy to say to me, so I'm very happy. See you. Have a good night. See you. Have a good night. Good one. Will do. See you. Have a good night. Good one. Will do. Thank you. Bye. Today, uh, not too bad. Quite busy. So sold out a little bit early, so we can go home earlier. ELECTRONIC MUSIC Tonight, I will prepare Peking duck and the duck salad. Duck and avocado, some vegetables, make delicious salad. And I will make duck soup. UPBEAT MUSIC So I slice duck breast part. We will eat with pancake, spring onion and cucumber, and some sauce. Cheers. Cheers. BOTH: Cheers. Cheers. BOTH: Cheers. Uh, have a nice dinner. Delicious. Yeah, really good. Yeah, really good. Mm, do you like it? Yeah, really good. Mm, do you like it? Yep. So good. The part about the Peking duck, the way we eat it is quite fun as well. Like, you roll it up yourself; so you have it semi-prepped on the table, and you do it` the rest yourself. Really yum. Delicious. Really yum. Delicious. Sometimes, I make for lunch for her, take a Peking duck to school. So her friend, 'Oh, so yummy!' Yeah, they're all really jealous. Yeah, they're all really jealous. < (LAUGHS) Gloria always say, uh, it's very lucky we are doing this business. She says, 'Oh, not my friend can eat Peking duck so often.' So I think, yeah, also, this is` our family's lucky for make Peking duck by ourselves. REFLECTIVE MUSIC I love living here. It is the centre of everything for me. I feel like I am in the city, but when I go home, I feel like I live in a neighbourhood which is an actual community, and a diverse, vibrant one too. I'm very happy to call Newmarket home. Captions by Jake Ebdale. Edited by Tracey Dawson. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2015