Kia Ora,
Or Good day, hello in Maori.

Yesterday I played with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra at a charity concert for the Music Therapy Centre, which helps disabled children through music. It is an annual event that starts the year for the ASO. Whilst waiting, I noticed that 90% of the school's orchestras, be they symphony, chamber, choir or brass band, are made up of Chinese and Korean kids. Now this is New Zealand and most of these kids would be first generation immigrants. This makes me ask why are there no NZ kids doing music these days. I have been told by teachers that the only students propping up school orchestras are  Asians. So what are white or Maori children doing? How do they fill their recreation hours?
I see many on skateboards, many girls hanging out in shopping malls and then I question what is going on in adult society that produces children of such shallow, materialistic expectations. And I think the answer is MONEY. Since the greedy 1980s everything has to have a bottom line. Education is a big money-making institution. The schools and universities are out there to cream it. The emphasis is no longeronb humanities, the classics or arts, but marketing, economics and law. The students have to pay so much, borrow so much that they have to keep their own eyes on their own bottom lines. To have the kind of paper qualification that will lend them a well-paid job so that they can repay their student loans. So tragic.
Also tragic is the country's preponderance of giving out multi-millions to Maoris. New Zealand's Treaty of Waitangi, signed by Victoria's representatives and most of Maori chiefs over a hundred and fifty years ago, propounded an equal development of the country by the two. But since the 1980's it's all been going one way. All money for education and training and awards have been given to Maoris. This has resulted in the backward slide of European New Zealanders and those from minority groups do not stand a whistle's blow of attention. There is never sufficient funding for general health, education, etc. but for the Maoris millions can be found. But where are the results? Most are still on welfare, prisons still have the greater proportion of Maori offenders. Child abuse is still sadly more noticeable in that community. The country is sliding backwards. Everyone pays, but only a minority benefits, for no other reason than their ethnicity, and believe me, that is not pure. It seems anyone with 1/32% of Maori blood in them can qualify for special treatment.
So now I see the only solution is for everyone to intermarry with Maoris and the whole nation can claim Maori blood, to set justice on its feet again.
Depressing, isn't it? If I were younger, I would emigrate. I know there is no perfect country, but as an expat, one doesn't need to be involved.
So sorry to be so pessimistic this week. Next blog will be much merrier, I promise.
Till then think positive. It is still a wonderful world.

Meemee