So all my life, I didn’t save. I wouldn’t save. That word “save” was just not in my vocabulary.

Financial planners who try to convince me to invest in this and that would leave frustrated because I would stubbornly say ‘no.’

My personal monetary policy is simple - if I have it I spend, when I don’t then I wont.

Then the on-going global financial meltdown and a recent Mastercard survey got me thinking…

The survey reveals atleast 87% of respondents from all income brackets would save during these hard times. For precautionary or other reasons.

As far as I can see, I have no reason to save. My job seems stable. And I don’t have any other financial obligations.

But the survey got me worried, if high-income earners are saving for the rainy day, shouldn’t I be saving too?

The final stop on this whirlwind tour of small town New Zealand was the Maori enclave of Rotorua.

Here you get totally immersed in Maori culture, from sacred wood carving, weaving, extracting fiber from plants to learning about the edible plants and herbs in the town’s lush bush.

And this must also be the only town where locals perform the hongi to people they meet.

I dropped by a Maori village in the evening to partake in the Te Puai night cultural extravaganza and traditional hangi dinner.

And guess who was chosen tribal chief?

That’s also where I learn the traditional Maori Haka but I think I failed to intimidate anyone

We retreated to a very remote hunting lodge in the evening.

Treetops is inconveniently nestled among the Rotorua bush, but the drive up was well worth it.

The lodge was as luxurious as any 5 star accommodation in any city. Except this one is self sustaining, everything consumed here is grown in the farm or picked from the bush.

The lodge’s chef took me for a bush walk to pick herbs for dinner, and again I joined him in the kitchen to prepare our dinner.

But I couldn’t wait to retreat to our lodge at the end of the night, just because the rainy weather was perfect to light a fire and keep warm indoors.

Of course I had to take pictures of the stylish and thoughtful rooms too, apart from the usual toiletries found in many hotels, Treetops stocks its guestrooms with sunscreen, lip balm, eye cream and a bedside “sleep sniff” to help put guests to sleep.

It was truly very difficult to wake up the next morning for an early flight out of Rotorua to catch our Singapore flight from Auckland.

Who would have thought traveling through small towns in New Zealand would bring me face to face with a woman I grew up seeing on Philippine TV.

She calls herself the “Crazy American” and she operates a vacation house so ostentatious you might think you just walked into a Hollywood movie set circa 1940’s.

Karen used to live in Manila when her then husband was a diplomat. She did a tv ad for a popular milk brand back in the early 80’s and I can still recall it all. What a small world indeed.

She hosted an evening soiree at her home where me and my entourage stayed for the night, in glamorously extravagant bedrooms with names like Zsa Zsa, Marilyn, Isabelle and Esmeralda.

The highlight of the night was learning how to cook, with New Zealand’s Chef of the Year 2007.

The stay at Park Hill Estates showed me how it would be to live the glamorous Hollywood life of yesteryears.

The town of Napier is also well known for it’s Art Deco architecture. So the next day we hopped into a vintage 1930’s car for a drive by through the town’s busy streets and boulevards to have a glimpse of its well preserved art deco buildings.

It is probably the only town on earth where people not just drive their vintage cars but also dress-up in costumes of the era.

Charming town with its fair share of shopping venues and chic boutiques downtown.

But what we went for was the artists and the studios that dot every corner of the town.

Being in Nelson gave me the chance to blow some glass and make something out of all that shattered left-over. But I must admit, I only did the easy part and the expert in the studio did the rest of it.

I also met a famous artist Ana Leary who just so happened to be putting on an exhibit of her work right by the beach. Imagine that — an art installation curving along side the coastline at low tide.

I also met the guys who crafted the Lord of the Rings ring.

And that’s exactly where I am now, under a canopy of hundreds, perhaps thousands of stars.

My day started with an early morning Aqua taxi ride to the Abel Tasman National Park, the starting point of my day in the wilderness.

I am not a big fan of the wild, or of nature, but when I get to do it around a beach - I’m all for it.

I met my kayaking guide at the station and we both set out to hunt for seals. It was a two hour journey through the calm waters of the Tasman Sea to Tonga Island where seals usually sun themselves in a cold spring morning like today. But since we got there at the wrong time, there were only a handful of seals swimming about.

We paddled back to shore for a picnic lunch and then it was off to what is to be a highlight of this wilderness adventure I allowed myself to be part of.

The Awaroa Lodge at Abel Tasman National park. It is only accessible by boat or kayaks making the journey something really unforgettable. My arms were just in pain by the time I got to shore.

The lodge is more modern and chic than what I had expected. My room was a split level unit with the bedroom on the upper level and the living area and bathroom on the lower. The balcony faces the wilderness that is Abel Tasman National Park.

The Awaroa Londge is self sustaining and very environmentally friendly, so much so that I got lost just listening to it’s development director spell out the effort the company puts in to make sure Awaroa Lodge is number one not just in meeting it’s customer’s needs but also of the environment around it. In fact there are reminders everywhere to conserve water and energy because the supply is limited.

There are no TVs in the room and the best internet connection I can get is intermittent. Forget about your mobile phone, there is zero reception up here.

In a way the lodge really forces its guests to re-connect with nature…with nothing else to watch in the room, I found myself staring at the skies trying to count the stars and see if they match the number of sheep I counted on my way to the lodge.

There will be plenty of firsts for me in this trip. I accepted the assignment because I know I wouldn’t be doing some of the things we’ll be doing if it wasn’t for this project.

I accepted because I’ve never been to the southern hemisphere before.

I accepted because I love discovering new places. And I had a feeling it will be a fantastic road trip.

Day two began with a 2 hour drive to Kaikura, the coastal town along the west coast of New Zealand.

This maybe a small town of no more than 4 thousand people but there is plenty of activities to keep me busy.

This is where I got my first taste of cow dung all over me after a 2 hour All Terrain Vehicle tour of a real-live working animal farm.

We drove the quad bikes up and down the hilly terrain up to the coast and back. Along the way, close encounters with cows, sheeps and seals.

At the end of it all, i was covered in dust and dried up dung.

More firsts on m second day in Kaikoura. I hopped abaord my first helicopter ride for an eagle eye’s view of the mighty sperm whales that feed in this part of the pacific. The helicopter ride was thrilling enough with the blistering winds bumping us all over the place. But the bumpy ride to the middle of the bay was well worth it when the mighty sperm whale surfaced for a breath of fresh air. That moment was just priceless.

I also had the chance to meet the native Maori people to talk about their unique culture. Lesson number one, the Hongi. Which is a traditional greeting of pressing your noses together. It symbolises the exchange of breath.

And there was crayfish everywhere…as one would expect. The town of KaiKoura literally means “A Meal of Crayfish” in the Maori language.

]]> http://blogs.channelnewsasia.com/timothy-go/2008/11/18/18/feed/ http://blogs.channelnewsasia.com/timothy-go/2008/11/16/the-kiwi-experience-vol-1/ http://blogs.channelnewsasia.com/timothy-go/2008/11/16/the-kiwi-experience-vol-1/#comments Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:51:15 +0000 timothy-go http://blogs.channelnewsasia.com/timothy-go/?p=17 What happens when you un-pluck a city boy and ship him over to experience country living in New Zealand?

Well, that’s what I am about to find out in the next 10 days.

Not so long ago, Channel News Asia shipped me to Chirstchurch for a self-drive adventure that will take me through the heart and soul of New Zealand and it’s Maori people.

It was easy on paper, all I had to do is follow instructions and a map and make my way to a dozen or so small towns and check out charming accommodations and attractions for visitors.

First stop is Hanmer Springs. A 90 minute drive from Christchurch International Airport.

So I grabbed my pre-arrange SUV, drove to the nearby grocery store and stocked up for the drive ahead.

The road was fabulously scenic, rolling hills, farmland, cows and a whole lot of sheep. A hint of things to come for the next few days down here.

Soon as I reached Hanmer Springs, I checked in at the bed and breakfast booked for me.

I was given a charming suite with everything anyone will need for a one night stay.

Soon after dropping of my travel gear, I made a beeline to the town’s main attraction. The thermal pools.

The brochure says travel weary visitors will find the mineral rich pools relaxing and rejuvinating.

I thought, what a perfect way to get my body aches repaired. A great way to ease jetlag.

The inn keeper served a wonderful three course breakfast. Breakfast is the pride of the inn and I was encouraged the night before to order what I want so everything will be ready when I get up.

I drove off after breakfast for Kaikoura 2 hours away…

And the adventure continues…

And it warns “the public cannot trust what they’re hearing from ABC, NBC and CBS about the GOP vice-presidential nominee.  The networks have been so intent on assassinating Palin’s character that they have turned for added ammunition to sources they normally ignore – conservative columnists and comedians.”

Here are it’s major findings:

• Major network news shows ran 69 stories about Sarah Palin between September 29 and October 12.  37 stories were negative, just 2 were positive, and 30 were neutral.  Not a single evening news show ran a positive story about Palin.
• Overall, 21 network stories portrayed Palin as unintelligent and unqualified.  8 of these stories played a total of 11 clips of Saturday Night Live ridiculing Palin. 14 segments featured the most embarrassing clips from Palin’s interview with Katie Couric.
• 9 stories emphasized attacks on Palin by conservative columnists.
• 14 stories demonized Palin as little more than John McCain’s attack dog.
• ABC was hardest on Palin, with 9 negative stories (60%), 6 neutral (40%) and no positive stories.  NBC ran 15 negative stories (54%), 13 neutral (46%) and no positive stories. CBS ran 14 negative stories (54%), 10 neutral (38%) and 2 positive (8%).

Sadly I have met and talked to many people about Sarah Palin and what they know about her is what they saw on Saturday Night Live. And even worse, many beleive it to be the truth. It is indeed laughable.

It may not be fair but it surely is entertaining.

If I was Sarah’s handlers I would have just put her out there to admit she knows nothing about Washington, nothing about foreign policy and nothing about the role of the vice-president, and then promise that she is a quick study and can easily learn her way around with the proper guidance of John McCain or his people. This move would have endeared her more to the Americans instead of the ridiculous attempts by the Repulican Party to sell her off as someone with enough executive experience to be second in command.

Not so long ago, Emails questioning Barack Obama’s patriotism and religious beliefs circulated threatening to damage his formidable campaign.

In contrast, Sen. Obama was smart enough to address those questions head-on during the primary season and put them to rest.

As hard as McCain tries to bring back Sen Obama’s questionable assosiations with radicals and unrepentant terrorists — it is not working. Most Obama supporters have either already voted early or have made up their minds, and the many polls show this.

But with many polls also tightening, the next few days leading up to election day will surely be very tense and exciting.

Watch our special coverage America Decides Nov 5th from 9AM Sin/HKG/MNL on Channel News Asia.

And no surprises, it found reports about Barack Obama are almost always more favourable than those about his rival John McCain.

It says the study found reports about McCain substantially unfavourable since the end of the party conventions.

It was pretty much the same problem the Hillary Clinton campaign complained about during the primary season. How the media was so much softer on Obama, and harder on Clinton.

I’ve just returned from a long holiday in New York City and Washington DC, and as much as I want to stay away from work related activities, I couldn’t. The election is everywhere in the news.

I personally noticed that cable news network MSNBC has all but become a Barack Obama campaign station, while the right-wing Fox News will spin any news item not so much to convince people to go McCain, but to smear Obama as a left wing socialist.

Bill O’ Reilly even joked on The View calling Obama a “communist.”  Was it taking it too far?

Meanwhile in the hotly contested state of Florida, a local TV station WFTV-Channel 9 got a mouthful from the Obama campaign because it didn’t like the questions asked to  VP candidate Joe Biden when he was interviewed. The anchor Barbara West quoted Karl Marx and asked how Obama is “not being a Marxist” with the “spreading the wealth” comment. (  http://www.wftv.com/video/17790025/index.html )

Two weekends the New York Times published an interview with Barack Obama where he whines…

“I am convinced that if there were no Fox News, I might be two or three points higher in the polls. If I were watching Fox News, I wouldn’t vote for me, right?

“Because the way I’m portrayed 24/7 is as a freak! I am the latte-sipping, New York Times-reading, Volvo-driving, no-gun-owning, effete, politically correct, arrogant liberal. Who wants somebody like that?”

Meanwhile, the Republicans are also on the defensive after news leaked about Gov Sarah Palin’s expensive wardrobe collection, and the party was not at all happy the media is personally attacking Palin instead of ripping apart her policies or lack of it.

And is Sen. John McCain happy to hear that he’s already being written-off in this election? Well of course not. He warned the media to brace for a long election night. He says the polls may point to his demise but he knows how close the race will be and warned that Americans may be going to bed without knowing who their president will be.

Will we see 2000 elections all over again? Hang in there and stay tuned.

Joim Melissa Hyak and me for complete coverage of  America Decides on the morning of November 5th from 9AM Sin/HKG/Mnl.

As it turns out, prolonged exposure to Melamine can be hazardous to our health.

But avoiding China made products will not be enough. We may be buying milk products, chocolates and yoghurt made elsewhere but do we really know where the raw materials are sourced from?

It is possible that the made in Thailand ice cream bar you are eating contains a trace of milk powder originally proccesed in China. Even possible that the Made in Singapore apple juice you are drinking contains juice pressed from apples harvested in China. These days, who knows.

Back in the spring Canada’s Conservative Government tabled a bill tightening “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada” labeling.

Now, all ingredients must be from Canada, and production must be in done in Canada for a product to be entitled to carry “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada” ( Fabrique au Canada and Produit du Canada ) labeling.

If a product contains ingredients from elsewhere, the label must say so.

The vice president of the Consumers’ Association of Canada said there are two different reasons for labelling. One is to define some economic benefit to Canada. The other is to let the consumer know where items in that can or product came from — so that consumers can make an informed decision.

He said “It is that latter concern that has been bothering us for the past few years as we are seeing more and more imported products — and unfortunately, more and more tainted products.”

Should the rest of the world follow Canada’s lead? Surely it is not trade protectionism.

It is just a case of consumer-protection.

Manufacturers are still allowed to use products from elsewhere as long as they are labeled properly, while consumers like us can decide for ourselves.