Next Branch Meeting
Wednesday, 16 September 2015 at 5.45pm
Stevan Eldred-Grigg will speak on
White Ghosts, Yellow Peril – China and New Zealand, 1790 – 1950
Stevan Eldred-Grigg is an award-winning writer of novels, short stories and history. He has lived in Shanghai and Beijing. His novel Oracles and Miracles was the first major work of fiction by a living New Zealand writer to be published in China. Shanghai Boy, a novel published in 2006, explores a love affair between a New Zealander and a Chinese young man in Shanghai. His most recent history book is White Ghosts, Yellow Peril, dealing with the relationship between China and New Zealand from 1790 to 1950. The lives of Chinese gold diggers are portrayed in Diggers, Hatters and Whores: The Story of the New Zealand Gold Rushes. Find out more by visiting: www.eldred-grigg.com.
Connolly Hall
Guildford Terrace, off Hill Street, Thorndon, Wellington (see map)
(Car park up Guildford Tce beside Hall)
An optional Chinese buffet meal, supplied by the Fujiyama Café, will follow the meeting at 7pm. Orders for the $12 meal (please pay at the door) will be taken up till 6pm. If you think you may be arriving late, please let the Secretary know in advance.
(A full PDF of this newsletter is available at NZCFS Wellington September 2015)
ALSO COMING UP THIS MONTH
7-13 Sept New Zealand China Language Week, Wellington.
8 Sept Table Tennis on Tuesdays, 7pm, 26 Barker Street, Te Aro.
13 Sept Hanban Performing Art Troupe, Te Papa, free entrance.
20 Sept China National Day Dinner, 6.30pm, Grand Century Restaurant.
22 Sept China’s Development and Its Implications, 5.30pm, Hunter Council Chamber,
Hunter Building, Kelburn Campus
24 Sept The Story of Liubao Village (Chinese film), Committee Room One, WCC,
101 Wakefield Street.
MEETING DATES FOR 2015
The dates Connolly Hall has been booked for monthly meetings this year are September 16, October 21 and November 18.
NEW NZCFS MEMBERS
The NZCFS would like to warmly welcome John Lake, Lance McEldowney, Glenn & Jenny Bush and Margaret Hobbs. We look forward to your attendance at our events and meetings.
NEW COMMITTEE MEMBER
Welcome back Diwen Cao, a former branch member, who has recently returned to Wellington from Hamilton. At the committee meeting on 3 September Diwen was co-opted to the branch committee.
SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL REMINDER
Please remember that 2015 membership subscriptions renewals are now due. Please renew if you have not already done so – download form here.
WELLINGTON BRANCH MEETING (Report from Kirk McDowall)
On Wednesday 19 August 2015, Michael Powles, the President of the NZCFS Wellington Branch welcomed attendees to the monthly meeting. The speaker for the night was Madeleine Slavick, who lived in Hong Kong for 24 years as a teacher, fundraiser, campaigner, photo-journalist and editor. She has published several books of photography, poetry, and non-fiction, and travelled to Mainland China to document various anti-poverty projects. Madeleine has had two recent exhibitions in Wellington and Auckland: RED (photographic images of China) and Hong Kong Song (a retrospective of 25 years of living in Hong Kong). Her presentation focused on both her personal artistic work and professional work with Oxfam.
Madeleine first moved to Hong Kong in 1988 from Los Angeles when she was a 26 years old social worker, artist and photographer. She lived in a public housing estate with her Hong Kong born husband and inlaws in Northwest Hong Kong, in an area with few foreigners. Despite this, she felt very safe in the city and often walked alone at night, which was not as common in Los Angeles. During her time in Hong Kong, Madeleine expressed the society’s ‘can do, make do’ attitude, and the ease of interacting with institutions and companies. This included the ease of organising poem nights for local and international poets, and events around the city.
While in Hong Kong, Madeliene tried out a number of different callings. This included teaching English at an international school, being a campaigner for Friends of the Earth, writing and working as a social worker. It was through these experiences and interactions with locals that she was able to learn more about the culture and customs of Hong Kong. In 1995, Madeliene began work at Oxfam Hong Kong as the inhouse editor, which combined two of her passions; social work and communications. She was involved in a number of campaigns, including ones on anti-landmines, setting minimum wage, climate change and fair trade. She also helped produced the Annual Review of Oxfam Hong Kong and fundraised for the organisation, where the majority of funds came from donations.
In addition to this work, she travelled to a number of different countries to write pieces on Oxfam projects, including in Vietnam, Ethopia, India, Indonesia and Cambodia. She also visited Mainland China on a number of occasions. During this time, there was approximately 700 projects each year in Mainland China, focusing on ag
riculture, clean water, migrant workers and gender inequality. While visiting these projects in the rurals areas, Madeliene took a number of photographs and her experiences inspired a number of poems at this time. One small scale project that Madeliene helped establish was called ‘My Favourite Thing’. She talked to a number of people in Shimen, a tiny township near the crossroads of Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces, and photographed them with their favourite thing – this included a young boy wanting a satchel for school and a coal miner stating time. An exhibition was held in Hong Kong to present their stories, and a company in Shanghai called L.O.V.E, expanded on this idea and conducted over 120,000 interviews across Mainland China, focusing on the people’s favourite things.
During her presentation at the NZCFS meeting, Madeliene shared with us a number of poems and images from her time in Hong Kong. The photographs were taken around the city, including during the Mid-Autumn Festival and at Victoria Park during the 4 June Memorial. She also spoke on her experiences and talks with the people of Hong Kong. To learn more about Madeliene and to see her work, please visit her online blog at: http://touchingwhatilove.blogspot.co.nz/. Below is the opening of one of her poems, Sheung Wan, 3 a.m, from the book, Something Beautiful Might Happen (2010).
Rain falls like flowers at my feet,
runs down the window of a parked car, effortlessly. I turn the
corner, every road has the shadow of a season I once loved.
CHINA NATIONAL DAY DINNER – SUNDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER AT 6.30PM
NZCFS Wellington branch is jointly hosting the China National Day dinner with other Wellington Chinese organisations. This will be held at the Grand Century Restaurant, 84 Tory St. Cost is $32 per person including wine and juice.
Seats are limited and will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. If you would like to attend please contact Bing Fon, email [email protected], phone 021 215 5550. Payment can be made by direct credit to NZCFS ANZ Bank Account 11-7200-0080836-11 (include name and “Dinner” in the reference line), or by cheque to the Treasurer, NZCFS Wellington, PO Box 5423 Lambton Quay.
NEW ZEALAND CHINA LANGUAGE WEEK
The New Zealand China Language week will be held from 7-13 September 2015. The week is about promoting the wonderful work that is already going on in our communities to support the relationship between China and New Zealand as well as encouraging ordinary New Zealanders to give Mandarin a go. As a result, there are a number of events held around the country, including in Wellington. Below are details of some of the events:
– Te Papa highlight tours in Mandarin, Te Papa, 11am and 2pm 7-13 September, bookings essential
– Library tour in Chinese, Wellington Central Library, 10-11am Monday 7 September, 2.30-4pm Thursday 10 September
– Basic Mandarin lessons, Wellington City Library, 1-1.30pm Tuesday 8 September
– Chinese film night, Wellington City Library, 6-8pm, Wednesday 9 September
– Chinese story-tome for children, Wellington City Library, 10-10.30am Thursday 10 September
– Tai Chi lesson, Wellington City Library, 12.30-1.30pm Friday 11 September.
To find out more information, please visit http://nzclw.com/events/.
Hanban Performing Art Troupe – Te Papa
To celebrate New Zealand China Language Week, on Sunday 13 September at 2pm in the Soundings Theatre at Te Papa, there will be a Chinese cultural performance by the Huazhong University of Science & Technology Art Troupe – The Far East Yangtze River. The performance includes dance, traditional Chinese instruments, and folk songs. Entry is free and there is no need to book, but arrive early to avoid disappointment.
NZCFS-AIESEC EXCHANGE TO CHONGQING
This year, the NZCFS Wellington Branch and AIESEC, the world’s largest student run organisation that sends university students on internships and exchanges around the world, called for applicants who wanted to go on a 6+ week AIESEC exchange to China. Funding to support the exchange for successful applicants was to be provided through the Simon Deng Li Fund. In July, Tess Pilkington, who is studying Health Science and Business at the Auckland University of Technology, was selected for an internship in Chongqing, Southwest China. During her time in the city, she worked for a ‘Special Care’ project, which focuses on children with autism, and included visiting local hospitals, and raising funds awareness in the city.
When Tess first arrived in Beijing, she attended a Global Community Development Seminar in Beijing, with 360 people from 51 countries and territories. The seminar focused on experiences from previous AIESEC exchanges and how to make a different while volunteering in China. Following this, she went on a 25 hour train ride with a number of international interns to Chongqing city, where she spent the first week at the People’s Hospital of Chongqing to learn about autism. She then spent the next week helping children at the autism centre to interact with one another and society, including taking the train and going shopping. During the third week, they sent up an event at a local shopping mall to raise money for autistic children in China, followed by organising a concert that raised over 80,000 yuan.
Tess is having an amazing time in Chongqing, and her host family is very friendly and welcoming. Her host mother is a doctor, which is very beneficial as Tess is studying biomedicine. “I couldn’t have gotten luckier staying with a Chinese family who love my three favourite things; food, health and music. It is funny, I tell them they need to come to New Zealand as they have a very Kiwi lifestyle, they don’t take much seriously, are very down to earth and love beer and fishing. I know I have a second family now, and that I am always welcome in Chongqing”.
Following her exchange in Chongqing, Tess will travel around China, including visiting Chengdu, Xi’an, Beijing, Hangzhou and Hong Kong. She will then travel around Southeast Asia before returning to New Zealand. For more information on Tess’s exchange, please visit www.nzcfsyouth.org.Tess is having an amazing time in Chongqing, and her host family is very friendly and welcoming. Her host mother is a doctor, which is very beneficial as Tess is studying biomedicine. “I couldn’t have gotten luckier staying with a Chinese family who love my three favourite things; food, health and music. It is funny, I tell them they need to come to New Zealand as they have a very Kiwi lifestyle, they don’t take much seriously, are very down to earth and love beer and fishing. I know I have a second family now, and that I am always welcome in Chongqing”.
NEW ZEALAND CHINESE LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION CHINESE FILM
中国电影 – Thursday 24 September 2015, 7.15pm
Venue: Committee Room One, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield Street. Gold coin donation. With support from Confucius Institute, VUW.
(Please note that you need to press the buzz to the left of the Wakefield Street entrance, asking the security to let you in if no one is at the entrance. Txt 0210306853 if you cannot get in.)
柳堡的故事 (The Story of Liubao Village)[1958 movie, 80 minutes]
Director:王苹Wang Pin, 黄宗江 Huang Zongjiang. Cast: 廖有梁Liao Youlin, 陶玉玲Tao Yuling.
Li Jin, a solider of the New Fourth Army, stayed in Liubao village with his Army. During Lin Jin’s stay, he fell in love with a local girl – Ermeizi. But he had to leave Liubao with his troops for years. Lin Jin and Ermeizi lost contact during the war. Several years later, Jin returned to liubao and met Ermeizi again and they lived happily ever after. [Its theme song “the Sunny Day” is probably the best known love song in China in the 1950-60s.
NZCFS PROMINENT PERSONS DELEGATION, OCTOBER 11-17
The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries have invited NZCFS to select a delegation of 8 to go to China in October. This delegation focus is medical and will include a visit to Anguo, where the hospital continues to commemorate Kathleen Hall, and where the current He MingQing scholarship is being implemented as a community health project (https://nzchinasociety.org.nz/he-ming-qing-kathleen-hall-memorial-scholarship/). It will also include activity that provides an introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, general health delivery in China, some hospital visits, and one or two lectures on Chinese approaches to health care.
We are pleased to announce that all three nominations put forward by Wellington branch have been accepted. Congratulations to Debbie Chin, Ann Chapman and Ben Gray. We wish them a successful tour and look forward to hearing their impressions on their return.
NZ CONTEMPORARY CHINA RESEARCH CENTRE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
China-US Relations in Global Perspective
8-9 October 2015, Hunter Council Chamber, Kelburn Campus, VUW.
An international conference with world-class scholars from China, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and other countries to discuss issues related to the bilateral relationship. The conference will take place immediately after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first state visit to the United States in September 2015. It will also offer an opportunity to examine the bilateral relationship from third parties such as countries in the Asia-Pacific Region and the Oceania. For more information and registration please see http://www.victoria.ac.nz/chinaresearchcentre/programmes-and-projects/wellington-conference/2015-china-us-relations-in-global-perspective
China’s Development and Its Implications
22 September 2015, 5.30 pm, Hunter Council Chamber, Level 2, Hunter Building, Kelburn Campus.
Madame Fu Ying, Chairperson, Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), will be giving a public lecture on China’s Development and its implications, in conjunction with NZ Institute of International Affairs. China is a country of contradictions. On the one hand, China is the most populous country in the world with the second largest economy. On the other hand, China is also one of the developing countries in the world with the per capita GDP at a relatively low level. Currently, China is faced with daunting tasks of comprehensive reforms in all areas of economic, social, and political systems to pave the way for more sustainable development. For more information, please visit: http://www.victoria.ac.nz/chinaresearchcentre/about-us/events/chinas-development-and-its-implications.
MANDARIN CORNER 汉语角 Saturdays 3.15-5pm
Seminar Room, 20 Kelburn Parade, Victoria University of Wellington.
Mandarin Corner (Wellington), established in 1995 by NZCFS, is a weekly event where students learning Chinese meet with native speakers of Chinese for conversation and cultural activities in a friendly, relaxed setting. Mandarin Corner is currently run by a core team of Mandarin Language Assistants. If you wish to improve your Chinese language skill, share your China experiences or talk to someone who has been or lived there, this is a great place to go. Snacks and drinks are provided. Mandarin corner does not run during school holidays. For more information contact Zhang at [email protected].
NZCFS SOCIAL MEDIA
Remember to check out the NZCFS Youth Website www.nzcfsyouth.org and Wellington Branch Facebook page www.facebook.com/NZCFSWellington for more information on the Society. It contains articles, upcoming events and information. If you would like to learn more or contribute, feel free to contact Kirk McDowall at [email protected].
