Saturday, November 17, 2012

Scenic Sunday: New Zealand 12 days of Christmas



Pukeko
 The talented Jess and her friend welcomed us as we enter Mt Albert Baptist Church.

It was a morning of thanking  all those who served in the church. The staff sang to us. Jonathan in light blue is our Lead Pastor. www.mabc.org.nz/

Pukeko
These water fowls can be seen where there are water mashes. You can see them in Western Springs and any parks where there is water. This one was photographed at a Remuera.

Remuera is a rich residential area and is home to many well known New Zealanders including Paul Holmes and the late Sir Edmund Hillary.

The Pukeko is relatively big like a grown duck.
I think of the Sarawak water fowl SWEE JIANG KAI that when I was young, my Grand Dad used to trap and BBQ for us. This bird is really small, and I didn't quite appreciate his effort because there was so much work in defeathering. Sometimes after BBQing, he would braise them so that at least the gravy will go around our bowl of rice so we all have a little bit of it.

It turned out that History repeated itself. When my Dad retired, and after Mum's demise in Australia, he returned to Sarawak. In Kuching, he did the same for Rose's children. trapping and BBQing the water fowls. The kids, Flora, Raymond and Andrew recalled with fond memories.


A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Kingi Ihaka 1981


A great song for schools, or for singing in the car while you are all travelling back home to the coast for Christmas. The brightly illustrated book makes a good Christmas present to send to kids overseas.

On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A pukeko in a ponga tree

On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
two kumera
And a pukeko in a ponga tree

On the third day of Christmas
....
and so on, until...

On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve piupius swinging
Eleven haka lessons
Ten juicy fish heads
Nine sacks of pipis
Eight plants of puha
Seven eels a swimming
Six pois a twirling
Five - big - fat - pigs !
Four huhu grubs
Three flax kits
Two kumera
And a pukeko in a ponga tree!




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