| How to speak Kiwi | Cruisy - easy going
Not chilled - stressed
Sweet as - great/good
Bit crook - not well
Crook as a dog - not well at all
Two tuis - two beers
Jandals - flip flops
Scuffs - mules
Pokies - slot machines
Bro - mate
Mo - moustache
Q. How are you today?
A. I'm good |
A New Zealand wedding is a jolly affair - the keynote being informality.
 | | Carol, the lovely Bride |
When we arrived at the bride's aunt's garden, where the wedding was taking place, the bridesmaids had just finished creating their bouquets - lovely affairs made from orange cana lilies, hand tied. I know they were because I saw the bridesmaids tie them. The groomsmen, best man and groom were standing by the old black lead and brick range in the garden, dressed in shirts and trousers with honey suckle corsages. Here comes the bride The bride, Kiri, entered the flower strewn garden to the sounds of Louis Armstrong singing What a wonderful world. She looked fantastic, white dress á la Jackie Onassis, pill box hat and orange lilies. The groom, Leon, wearing a suit (one of only three at the wedding), sun glasses and an orange silk tie, also looked fantastic … and very warm! The wedding guests looked stunning - smart, elegant and poised, sheltering under the fig trees in the 30 degrees heat. That is, they looked smart, elegant etc for all of ten minutes, while the ceremony took place, then the bride's father led the way by changing into shorts and a T-shirt. After that there was no stopping folks.
 | | Leon, the groom looking cool |
Within an hour everyone, including bride and groom, were sipping champagne dressed in shorts, T-shirts and flip flops - or jandals, as they are called. Paradise found (and tasted!) It wasn't all informal though. My nephew, a keen student of English Literature, asked me to read a section from Book Ten of Paradise Lost - unusual but highly suitable, in an environment rich with apple trees, fig trees, brilliant coloured flowers and sweet smelling food. For the wedding feast was cooking: barbequed beef, lamb, pork and chicken, served with salads and traditional Maori vegetables.
 | | Carol reading 'Paradise Lost' |
We had been hoping that the food would be cooked in huge pits in the ground; a traditional Maori way of cooking called hangi (pronounced hungi). The pits are lined with large river stones, which are heated by a fire built on top of the stones. The fire burns out and then the food, meat, and vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potatoes (Maori word 'kumara') and cabbage is wrapped in flax baskets called kits (pronounced kitties), covered with soil from the ground to keep the heat in, then cooked for three or four hours. The wedding feast wasn't strictly Maori, but the ceremony before the feast was ... |
