Otai

Otai

On special occasions, Tongan people like to make a drink called otai. Otai can be made from apple or mango, but the traditional flavour is watermelon. Otai is really good when it is cold.

Otai is best to drink when it’s cold, you add ice to make it fresh and cold. You can create otai in a bucket, cup or a jug. Most people prefer jugs. When you make otai you can use a fork or a grater to grate the apple, the fork is for watermelon and mango. There are many things you can serve with this.

Watermelon is best served with breakfast crackers, same with apple and mango. Otai is served with coconut, but my Mum puts in fruit salad instead of coconut though. My mum’s ingredients are watermelon, apple and mango, it depends on the kind of otai you’re making. For watermelon it’s sugar, crackers, a watermelon, passion fruit, water, cream and fruit salad. This is a good dish for special occasions.

On special occasions this is well known to be popular dish, mango or watermelon is mostly the star drink. My mum makes the otai in my house. She makes nice ones most of the time, but only when she’s in a good mood. It usually takes 8 to 10 minutes. If a party is going on Tongan people like to make a drink called otai. Otai can be made from apple or mango, but the traditional flavour is watermelon. I love otai because it’s delicious. My favourite flavour is apple.

Anthony

Man vs Wild

Man vs Wild is a series of episodes which includes Bear Grylls. The genre of the series is adventure and is PG. Bear travels around the world to show you how to survive in cases of matter. Bear trained in the Indian military and made his show. Bear Grylls has been to New Zealand, Greenland and Aussie.  

Bear sets himself goals to achieve survival. He shows what kind of food you eat and how to build shelter. In one episode he was in Greenland and he was in a snowy desert and took all his clothes off to stay warm. Also one time he was in the desert and drank his own wee-wee.  

Bear Grylls is 40 years of age and his series have ended. He lives in England and has 3 children.

Basketball explanation.

Basketball

To play basketball, you have to have two players or more. Basketball is a simple game that includes a basketball, a hoop, backboard and a court. Some people start playing basketball at a very young age, and work towards a basketball career.

In a professional basketball team, the maximum number of players is 15.  On your team you have to have at least one point guard, a shooting guard, small forward, power forward and a center. Point guard is someone who is athletic, and that can pass well and someone who has good ball handling skills. Shooting guard is a guy or girl who is good at shooting. Small forward is a position who run to the corners and wait for 3 pointers or rebounds.  A power forward is known for low blocks and getting in to the post. Center is the player who stays near the baseline and gets most of the rebounds.

To be a point guard or center position you need to have equipment. Your equipment allows you to be more active on the floor or off. One of them is good sports shoes.  Good shoes allow you to get a higher vertical jump and also make you look cool. Nike, Jordan, Converse, Under Armour and Reeboks are some of the best brands of shoes. If you want you can get arm sleeves, a headband, knee pads/sleeves or wristbands and ankle braces.

Equipment can also make you go quicker or higher at shooting, running or dunking. Some people can score on the buzzer.  In basketball you can get any amount of points to win the game.  There is no minimum amount of players to play basketball, but if it’s one-on-one the score is set to 21. In the NBA 12 minutes is played for 4 quarters. If it’s a draw then it’s overtime for 3 or 5 minutes.  Until there is a winner.

Basketball is played with two player or more. Basketball is an easy simple game. You at least need a hoop, backboard, a basketball and you have to play on a court. People who are very young can play basketball.  I like playing this game with my cousins.

Anthony

My special place report.

TONGA

When I was growing up as a kid, every holiday my family and I would go to Tonga. We’d go to Tonga and meet my cousin’s there. We’d always leave early and enjoy a great time on the plane. We saw a lot of tourists on the plane. Tonga had nice oceans, lots of people who clean and awesome food!

Once we arrived at Tonga you could feel the heat coming, so since there’s a nice big ocean we decided to go for a swim. In my opinion Tonga’s beach was the nicest beach I’ve ever swimmed in. I loved swimming there and leaping off the wharf. I especially loved swimming with my cousin’s and siblings because they were so funny and fun. We’d only stay there for about two hours or else we would get sick.

Some weekends and weekdays we we would go cruise around town. In Tonga cleaning is a habit for every woman/mother in Tonga, Mum’s do the cleaning and Dad’s do the cooking. Every house we saw there would be at least one mum cleaning outside their house with a broom. My auntie would always sweep or mop. If we messed up we would get a smack.

Every night we wouldn’t go sleep starving, my uncle always made dinner. He made casava, soup and sometimes a dish called Lou. Before dinner we always pray and say thank you after we eat. If there’s a special occasion we occasionally roast a pig but sometimes horse. When we roast it we start a fire, get a really long stick.

When I was a kid I loved staying in Tonga, to me it was better than New Zealand. I loved swimming, eating and cleaning with my aunties and uncles. I wish I could go visit them now and hopefully stay in Tonga. In the future I’ll most likely go to Tonga if I have children or not, just for the fun of it.

Why do we celebrate Waitangi day?

Why do we celebrate Waitangi day?

Why do we celebrate Waitangi day? We celebrate Waitangi day because of the remembrance of the Treaty of Waitangi signed by Maori chiefs and the British. They signed the contract in Waitangi. Just 60 kilometers away from Whangarei.

The Treaty was signed on February 6, 1840. The Treaty was signed on the lawn of James Busby’s house. 45 Maori chiefs came to sign the Treaty and William Hobson. William Hobson was there with the help of his secretary James Freeman, and the British representative James Busby.

When the 45 Maori chiefs signed the Treaty they agreed New Zealand was their rightful land but they had to be under the law of the British. The Treaty of Waitangi was apparently supposed to be booked on the 7th of February, but the Maori chiefs were already organized on the 6th of February.

Every February on the 6th we celebrate Waitangi day. Everyone gets a public holiday in New Zealand. Even the stores and supermarkets. On Waitangi day you can spend time with your family and relax.