All episodes

Chow Brothers - Divide and Rule?

The Chow Brothers, infamous for their rags to riches life as property magnates and brothel owners made news during their on-going court battles with their competitors in the sex industry. They also polarised their own NZ Chinese community when invited to speak at a National conference, many critics boycotting the conference altogether. Others saw their rags to riches story as successful business entrepreneurship.  Do the ends justify the means? And what would their mother think? Lynda Chanwai-Earle attends the conference in Auckland to hear from the critics and the Chow Brothers themselves.

Cycling for Cambodia

Solary Ha came to NZ as a baby from a Cambodian refugee camp on the border of Thailand. She’s now a successful Auckland HR Adviser. She wants to give back by taking part in a Red Cross fundraiser, a 270km, four day cycling tour across Cambodia. This will be the first time Solary returns to  Cambodia and the first time she’ll meet her grandmother. Lynda’s hot on Solary's heels as she trains for her extraordinary journey.

Mandarin fastest growing language

A group of 104 Mandarin Language Assistants (MLAs) are about to head to primary and secondary schools across the country. Hailing from different parts of China, these tutors will be billeted with homestays to experience grassroots life in NZ, in exchange for teaching Chinese language and culture in places like; Masterton, Napier, Wanganui, Taupo, Tauranga, Rotorua and Whakatane. Lynda meets the fresh arrivals during their first visit to the Hikoikoi Marae in Petone.

Welcome to Afrika

Amelia Nurse finds out what traditional ingredients are available here for African New Zealanders. 

Rainbow Pacific

Pacific people are often portrayed in the media as homophobic Christians but the reality for some is quite different. A group of people in South Auckland believe religion and different types of sexuality can co-exist although perhaps not in the traditional sense. Correspondent Daniela Maoate-Cox meets some outspoken members of our Pasifika communities to learn more.

Confucius Classroom Opening

The students at Wellington Girls' College should be proud, the Minister of Education is launching the opening of their own Confucius Classroom as a result of their dedication to the learning of Chinese. Sponsored by the Confucius Institute at Victoria University and the Chinese Government, these global classrooms provide dedicated language lessons and in-depth cultural learning. Lynda attends the big event to learn more.

Rendezvous with Guzheng

The Year of the Goat is being celebrated in style with music performed by Chen XiYao - a new generation master of the guzheng (Chinese zither). A guest to Wellington, XiYao conducts interactive workshops with audiences and performs around the capital city. To learn more about the ancient stringed guzheng Lynda sits in on an improvisational session between XiYao and two other top musicians; acoustic guitarist Jack hooker and Mongolian throat singer Johnny Marks. It's the ultimate jam as they prepare for a concert together.

Ancient New Chinese Comedy

An ancient form of Chinese stand-up comedy is featured in a Gala Festival celebrating Chinese New Year in Lower Hutt - but it's performed with a modern twist. Lynda attends the event with the Wellington Chinese community to learn more about this very popular form of comedy that’s been around since the Ming Dynasty. She's assisted by translators to help the humour travel.

Dancing to Good Vibrations

• 3:30 Dancing to Good Vibrations

Sister city collaboration to open Chinese New Year

A renowned visiting Chinese dancer from Wellington’s sister city Xiamen is collaborating with New Zealand choreographer Deidre Tarrant (Footnote Dance) to open Chinese New Year in style at the TSB Arena in Wellington. Attending the grand opening and catching the festivities, Lynda also meets Deidre Tarrant and the Chinese performer Anni Wang backstage to learn more during the massively popular festival on Wellingtons waterfront.

Under the same moon - a new play launches Chinese New Year

Voices hears from the creators of Under the same moon – a heartfelt comedy about daughters and their wayward mothers, premiering as part of the Chinese New Year festival in Wellington.

Life saving new safe-house - Shakti Women's Refuge

• 3:35 Life saving new safe-house - Shakti Women's Refuge

How to be dead - Writer Chris Tse

How to be dead - Writer Chris Tse

How to be dead - Writer Chris Tse

On a Sunday in 1905 – a year of the snake – a man ‘went hunting for a Chinaman’ on Haining Street. The tragic murder of Cantonese gold miner Joe Kum Yung by white supremacist Lionel Terry is revisited by Chinese New Zealand writer Chris Tse in his first full-length collection of poetry.  Lynda and Chris revisit the murder scene in Haining Street, Wellington’s own early Chinatown, as they explore this chilling piece of history and the inspiration behind his critically acclaimed first book.

White Ghosts, Yellow Peril - a ground-breaking publication

Lynda Chanwai-Earle brings us a story about White Ghosts and Yellow Peril, a ground-breaking non-fiction publication that reveals some surprising and sometimes unsavory facts about New Zealand’s first contact with China, dating back as far as 1790.

Monkey Business - a tribute to the late Warwick Broadhead

Classic Chinese mythology is brought to life on Waiheke Island by the late legendary New Zealand performer Warwick Broadhead. Monkey  – a solo theatre production might have been the world’s longest performing play, taking two and a half years in total to perform. Lynda Chanwai-Earle travels to Waiheke to experience some history in the making.

Army of Asian Volunteers

Christmas is upon us and right now the New Zealand Police are concerned about getting the message of new alcohol limits and driver safety to the public over the festive season. But often the message is lost on our ethnic minority communities because of language and cultural barriers. The solution - Asian volunteers, hundreds of them! Correspondents Lynda Chanwai-Earle and Justin Gregory join the volunteers and the police on their beat on the streets of Auckland to learn more:

Indian Street Artist - Sameer Kulavoor

From Rolling Stone Magazine to Grey Lynn, a world famous Indian artist interprets Auckland street life: a huge street art project taking place in Grey Lynn with world famous Indian street artist Sameer Kulavoor (Rolling Stone Magazine, fashion Guru Paul Smith), will see the Grey Lynn community participating. Lynda Chanwai-Earle is on the streets of Grey Lynn hearing from the artist himself and the group of art students from Western Springs College (his assistants) as they race against a deadline to complete a vast mural depicting Auckland’s busiest suburb & it’s people.

Contrasting worlds - Saudi Students in NZ

Saudi Arabia – Wellington: Students learning from culture as well as books 

From one of the wealthiest countries on earth and home to Islam’s holiest site, the Saudi Students Association in Wellington find surprisingly different riches living here. There are around 7000 Saudi students studying in NZ, 120 of them in Wellington. Lynda visits a group at Victoria University to find out what they’re learning (outside of academia) from a country so incredibly different from their own.

The Guru of Paraparaumu

With 30 years of journalism and broadcasting experience in Malaysia and New Zealand, Malaysian Indian K.Gurunathan (Guru) is funny, sharp-witted and a passionate advocate for his patch of coast. Lynda follows this Councilor for the Paraparaumu Ward as he collects signatures for a petition against the sale of legal highs in the Kapiti business district.

Staunch and stroppy - The NZ Sikh Women's Association

• 3:30 Staunch and stroppy - The NZ Sikh Women's Association

KOTO – Know One, Teach One with Jimmy Pham

• 3:30 KOTO - Know One, Teach One with Jimmy Pham

Sattriya Dance – The international language of gesture

• 3:10 Sattriya Dance - The international language of gesture

Fleeting Beauty – Rangoli Sand Art

• 3:30 Fleeting Beauty - Rangoli Sand Art

Celebrating Confucius – the 10th Anniversary of the Confucius Institute

• 3:30 Celebrating Confucius

Culturally Motivated Crime – Female Genital Mutilation in New Zealand

• 3:30 Culturally Motivated Crime in New Zealand