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March & April 2019
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Kia Ora, hello and Haere Mai
It’s March now which officially marks the start of autumn.
A frequent conversation topic is the question whether we had a
‘good’ summer. Well, what’s a good summer? Some people told
us they were looking for shady spots most of the time whereas
others actually had the heaters going…
This shows once again that everybody’s definition of ‘good’, ‘bad’ and ‘normal’ can be
very different. At our New Coasters gatherings, we frequently talk about our individual
‘normals’ which are often based on our cultural background.
This is an exciting conversation topic, but we know that it can also be exhausting if you
are new to an area (country) and almost everything is different from your ‘normal’.
It can be confusing, stressfull and confrontational for both parties and make newcomers
feel like their world has been turned upside down.
We therefore want to encourage further conversations about ‘multicultural customs’ as
well as gatherings where we learn about and from each other. We are planning to offer
more Intercultural Awareness Trainings for individuals, workplaces and organisations in
2019. Please get in touch if you are interested!
In the meantime, we look forward to sharing stories and more at our upcoming social
events.
We look forward to seeing you soon Birte, Cassandra & Radha
Welcome Newcomers! We are an informal social network for people in Greymouth,
Hokitika and surrounding areas. ‘Newcomers’ can help you get in touch with others, meet
local people, find out about clubs & organisations, provide support and make you feel at
home in your new environment.
Feel free to come along to our activities or contact us to arrange a time to meet.
Contact us: New Coasters Newcomers Network Greymouth 38 Albert Street, Greymouth Email [email protected]
Tuesdays and Wednesdays 11am – 4pm Call 03 7686580 or 021 2547767
New Coasters Newcomers Network Hokitika Heartlands Office, 49 Tancred Street, Hokitika
Wednesdays 10.30am – 12.30pm Call/ message 027 4070302 Email: [email protected]
www.newcoasters.org.nz www.newcomers.co.nz like New Coasters Inc. for local information
What’s new at New Coasters: We are pleased to welcome Radha into our team at New Coasters. She will be the Coordinator for Greymouth and looks forward to meeting many of you. Here’s a first introduction:
Hi everyone. My name is Radha Nambiar, but people also know me as Radha Sheppard. I was born
in Malaysia, grew up there and was educated there. I then moved to Singapore for my university
studies and then got a job as a teacher at a high school there. I was an English language and
Literature teacher.
I met my Kiwi husband while on holiday in New Zealand and four years later we got married and
moved to New Zealand in 1991. I have got two step children Simon and Sarah. Sarah has two boys
Cole and Mason and they live in Tauranga.
I didn’t have any problems getting a job as I was trained as an ESL teacher. I worked in Auckland,
Taupo, Tauranga and in Rotorua. It was the best thing I ever did as I met people from all over the
world, learned about their culture, food, customs and many are now my good friends.
My job enabled me to help young and old people from all over the world adjust to life in New
Zealand. I would like to say I was like a bridge between the dominant Kiwi/Maori culture and
their culture. I hope to bring this experience to my new job as
Greymouth New Coasters Coordinator.
I love cooking and have held regular cooking classes in
Tauranga and Rotorua. I was also a member of The Orange
Table and we held regular cooking classes in Rotorua. I
specialise mainly in Indian and South East Asian cuisines. I
also do card making and scrap booking. At the moment I’m
learning how to knit. I also like learning languages.
It will be my pleasure to meet all of you. Radha
Brand new on the job and already in the paper: Radha with newcomer Maeve and Hokitika
Coordinator Birte at a recent Tea Tasting session
Special events and celebrations: 8st March marks International Women’s Day. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic,
cultural and political achievements of women. It also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Make sure you show some appreciation to an important woman in your life!
17th March marks St. Patrick’s Day which is celebrated widely in Ireland. The shamrock (colour
green) and Leprechauns (mischievous little bearded fairies which originate from Irish folklore and mythology) are inseparable symbols for this celebration. Join us for an Irish themed BRUNCH on the day!
21st March marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It is also
World Poetry Day. We’ll get together for a social night around a bonfire on the beach (weather
permitting) and read out our favourite poems 😊
25th April marks ANZAC Day. This is the solemn day of remembrance of those Australian and
New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who have fought and died for their country. Check out the local papers for dawn parades and other activities.
March & April 2019
Group activities: The ‘In Stitches’ Knitting group has organised a ‘Knit-a-thon’ with the quirky title
“A Hard Day’s Knit”. This means Saturday 16th March will be dedicated to
knitting (and other crafting) from 9am to 5pm. At a cost of $10 they provide morning & afternoon tea, lunch, and a range of mini workshops at CoRe in Greymouth! New people are very welcome to join in and learn as well as experienced crafters who want to spend time working on their projects. Registration is essential, so get in touch with them via facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/2085778761713017/ or contact Maureen 021 0626429 .
It’s been almost two years since we started making Boomerang Bags and our local libraries gratefully receive them as an alternative to plastic bags. They are very popular among community members which means that some people get quite attached to them… The good news is that they tell us they use far less plastic bags! We are also fortunate to receive lots of donations of fabric and appreciate that a diligent group of sewers meets twice a month in Greymouth to make more bags. We are planning to run more sewing sessions in Hokitika in collaboration with Westland District Library. The first one for 2019 will be held on Global Recycling Day 18th March from 5pm. Come along with your scissors and sewing machine (if
you have one), bring others who can help, and we’ll have a fun bag-a-thon together!
There are many different names for it – re-designing, upcycling, re-purposing, etc. It happens in many places all over the planet and we can keen to join the movement of RE-MAKING clothes instead of buying new ones. A great opportunity to reduce waste, socialize with others and get you creative juices flowing. We are in the early stages of planning some get-togethers and we’d love to hear from you! Are you in??
A frequent question from newcomers is how to find out about local sports clubs and groups. We all know that exercise is good for us, but on top of that joining one of those regular groups offers great opportunities to meet others and make friends. We have put together an overview of all regular activities we know about in Hokitika for a start. The plan is to update this and add any missing information to it. And this is just the start – we are also gathering information about other regular interest groups (hobbies, music, crafting, social clubs, etc.) and other areas. Please send us the details of groups YOU know about, so we can add them to
further overviews 😊
March & April 2019
PECHA KUCHA is the Japanese expression for ‘chit chat’. It is also a presentation
format devised by two architects in Tokyo in February 2003. PechaKucha Nights are now happening in over 1000 cities around the world. They are informal and fun gatherings where creative people get together and share their ideas, works, thoughts, holiday snaps -- just about anything, really. The PechaKucha 20x20 format means that each presenter shows 20 photos and talks for 20seconds each. New Coasters and Westland District Library have collaboratively organised a first
‘Powered by Pecha Kucha’ night on the West Coast. It will be held on 17th April. You are most welcome to be one of the presenters (give it a go!!) and of course to join in and enjoy the speedy presentations!
CULTURE FEAST 2019: after the successful inaugural event in 2018,
Westland District Council has secured funding for another Cultural Festival which will be held at Seaview Hall. They closely collaborate with New Coasters to organise another celebration of our local diversity. We are now looking for stallholders who represent their culture & sell food as well as performers (dancing, singing, etc.). Please get in touch with us soon to book your spot & space for the
celebration on 25th May. Email [email protected]
Community Noticeboard - what’s happening locally: Red Cross HK is looking for new members to join the group and help out at
events. They meet every third Wednesday of the month 5.30pm at Hokitika RSA. We can provide a ‘buddy’ to go along with you and further information – just get
in touch with [email protected] for a start 😊 The Left Bank Art Gallery in Greymouth has re-opened after nearly a year of
being closed for earthquake strengthening. If you would like to volunteer for the
gallery - now is the time! They need Gallery assistants and all kinds of interested
people. Keep a space for art in our community! Contact
[email protected] or message them through Facebook.
Midwinter International Night Market - June 21st... Have you been to a midwinter
night market in Europe? A Weihnachtsmarkt? Or how about a night noodle market
in Asia...? This Market could be a cross between all these and more... we will rug
up and head on down to Greymouth’s town square for some spiced hot chocolate
and Dumplings...fairy lights under the marquis... If you would like to be
involved...contact [email protected]
Do you know who makes TOFU locally? Let us know!!
March & April 2019
Event info - click on posters to enlarge them...
Do you want to be a presenter? Contact Natasha
Interested in coming along to this?
We can organise transport, contact us!
Regular activities at & with New Coasters Thanks to our wonderful volunteers & tutors we offer a variety of activities which provide great opportunities to meet others who share similar interests, find out about local information & develop new friendships! Anyone who wants to get involved can start an interest group– talk to me about your ideas & we’ll make it happen!
Social activities are free of charge; a fee applies for language classes. Registration is essential
Conversational English Language classes Good English language skills open the
doors to new friends & job opportunities… Learn with friendly teachers to improve your
vocabulary, pronunciation & knowledge of local phrases. Join our groups any time ($50 per term) ‘Easy English’ on Wednesdays 8.30am in Hokitika and ‘Conversational English’ on Wednesdays at 9.30am in Greymouth and 1.45pm in Hokitika …– contact us for details.
Coffee morning Anyone who wants to meet new people and find out what’s happening in the
community is welcome to join us once a month from 10.30am for a cuppa & chat at Ramble & Ritual, 51 Sewell St, Hokitika (usually on the 3rd Thursday, occasionally on Saturdays, too ☺)
Book Club meeting All ‘bookworms’ are invited to come along and discuss BOOKS in
Hokitika on every first Tuesday @ 7.30pm; contact Kathleen 021 1414851 for details.
‘In Stitches’ Knitting group Go with the new global trend: knit/ crochet/ stitch in company
and enjoy ‘crafty” conversations with others Contact Maureen for details: 021 0626429
Every Monday 10am-12pm at Ali’s Café and 6-8pm at New Coasters venue, Greymouth
Explore and discover the West Coast with others Get to know interesting local short
walks & enjoy company! Every 3rd Sunday. Meet 1.30pm at Trinity Centre, walk starts around
2pm. Contact Christina if you need a ride, want to car share or have any questions: 021 1188138
Writers’ group welcomes writers of all genres to talk about all things 'writing' & get feedback on
their work, in a respectful, encouraging environment. The group meets on the first & third Sunday
of the month, 11 am – 1 pm, at CoRe, Greymouth. Contact Katrina Brown [email protected]
Project sewing Project Sewing every 2nd and 4th Wednesday evening at 5:30 - 7:30. A chance to work
on your own project and share skills and inspiration with others. Contact [email protected] or
phone 021 254 7767 ( Annie and Angela) at New Coasters/ CoRe, Greymouth
Boomerang Bag sewing group Join others every first and third Thursday from 5.30pm to
create reusable fabric bags – our planet will be grateful 😊 meet at New Coasters/ CoRe, Greymouth
Youth Hub An opportunity for young people between 12-17 yrs to meet others and try new things in a
supervised environment. Parental consent required. Gold coin donation. meet at CoRe, Greymouth A
collaboration between the Grey District Youth Trust, CoRe, New Coasters & Snapshot Youth Services.
Conversational Language sessions
Want to learn important phrases & expressions to communicate in French, German or
Spanish from native speaking tutors? Or even take individual 1:1 lessons before your next overseas
trip? We keep a list of interested people to start classes once we have enough people and we can
also refer you to native speakers…
