Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 53

Bouncing – One of the only occupations where people feel entitled to get in your face, bold and intoxicated, and tell you how to do your job.

The Auckland nightlife has been growing and evolving rapidly over the past ten years, and through new bars, clubs, crowds and music, one aspect remains fairly constant…Pacific Island bouncers.

“Nightclubs like islanders because we’re naturally big and it’s easier to have someone big and intimidating to say “no”. When I was working, we were all mostly Islanders…Samoans and Tongans.” – Eti Naseri.

Eti, who now works as a club promoter and operator of two Auckland nightclubs, has around 7 years experience as a bouncer. Entering the scene while he was still in high school, Eti quickly learned that the job was less about the ladies and status, and more about brotherhood. There is an obvious and necessary camaraderie between the handful of men who watch over up to 200 people at a time.

 Addressing the stereotypes that bouncers are “dumb angry coconuts”, Eti says that they’re usually always untrue.…more

Finally, an Auckland restaurant 100% dedicated to Pacific Island food.

Kai Pasifika opened its doors this month and has set itself apart as New Zealand's first ever Pacific foods restaurant. Every dish on the menu has Pasifika origins or incorporates ingredients directly from the islands. 

The venture led by renowned chef Robert Oliver offers a menu that includes our favourite to'ona'i dishes, including pua'a Samoa pork, ika vakalolo, sapasui, taro and more (see the full menu here). Lunch dining will start on May 24th, and To'ona'i Sunday's are to come - how much better can that get?

Aside from iconic island flavours that will prompt family to'ona'i nostalgia , what makes Kai Pasifika so special is the team behind the food. Head Chef Bertrand Jang, originally from Fiji, says the restaurant is a living dream. 

"Everyday I am excited to come to work and share the experience with my friends.…more

Islanders definitely have a flare for innovative names, and it’s quite common in our culture to be named after an event or object. Here are a few people who’ve shared the stories behind their unconventional names.

Apollo Eleven Perelini - (Apollosefulutasi Perelini)

Samoan 

As you can probably guess, Apollo was named after the space mission ‘Apollo 11’, in which Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to step foot on the moon.

“Until the age of 8 I was convinced that I had been named after the Greek Sun God Apollo. However, I found out otherwise when I had to take my birth certificate into school, as a proof of my age in a upcoming rugby tournament. I was shocked to see the full name on my birth certificate.

It was July 16, 1969 in Matautu Lefaga (Paradise Beach) Samoa.…more

TAMED NATIVES AND WHITEWASHED BEAUTY – WHERE ARE OUR BROWN SKINNED BROTHERS AND SISTERS AT IN THE MODELLING WORLD?

The lack of Pasifika and Indigenous faces in fashion and media is nothing new, and though we are slowly seeing a shift in representation and diversity, we're still a long way from where we need to be. 

Looking back, some of the first Pasifika faces to surface in the New Zealand modelling scene include Rosanna Raymond, Sarah Leo, Monique Rana, Stan Wolfgramm and Marama Nicholas (to mention a few). During the 80's and 90's these models brought a fresh energy to a scene that was European dominant in representation. A handful of New Zealand brands and platforms like Workshop and Planet Magazine took the lead in presenting and celebrating Pasifika faces to their audiences. 

Now a leader and innovator within the contemporary Pacific art scene, Rosanna Raymond spoke to us about her time as a model in the 80’s.…more

One Thousand Ropes brings a beautiful Samoan sensibility to the big screen for the second time.

In the same way that the Orator delved into the interior of Samoa - rainforests, taro leaves and torments, One Thousand ropes looks to the interior minds of its characters - again focusing on the most vulnerable in Samoan societies - the young women.
It's a quiet meditative film that has some deep issues at its heart which are bought out in unexpected ways - the dynamic of four bakery workers, the truly terrifying aiku spirit, and the intimate skill and trust in a fofo.

There are so many nuances that speak to a Pasifika audience through the skill of the language and the symbolism of the design. But mostly because it's funny, in that way that only Samoan language and behaviors can sometimes be.
It's a movie that will give you the feels the funnies and the frights all in one.…more

A Pasifika warrior who fought many battles for the region with the strength of her words and her infinite wisdoms has walked ahead of us.

They say that some people are larger then life, and for Teresia Teaiwa, teacher and warrior woman, the largess of her legacy will transcend her life for generations to come.

“You can't paint the Pacific with one brush stroke” 

Teresia saw an interconnected Oceania and spoke much of our diversity yet the oneness of our essential vision as Pasifika people.

Described as one of Kiribati’s ‘living national icons’ Teresia was a truly cosmopolitan citizen of Oceania.  Her mixed cultural roots and with her many lived experiences in the region, contributed to a wide vision of the issues, the identities and the taonga of Pasifika peoples.  Of Banaban, Kiribati and African American heritage, Tere was born in Honolulu, Hawai'i and raised in Fiji.…more

"Brutal Street fight filmed outside Polyfest"

"Video emerges of teenage girls fighting at Polyfest"

"Girl dragged by hair in shocking Polyfest Brawl"

The coverage of Polyfest by mainstream media has always been minimal. Despite the fact that this is one of the most populated events on the annual Auckland events landscape, Polyfest the biggest festival of its kind in the WORLD is rarely mentioned in the news, in any print or online coverage. 

But this year Polyfest did feature - it featured through the lens of violence and Pacific stereotyping that has always managed to characterise stories set in South Auckland.

While 100,000 Pacificans were celebrating the passion and fervour of the unique flavours of Polynesians, the media stories were fixated on 2 skirmishes outside the gates of Polyfest. 

Without going into the event itself, without mention of the purpose and context of the event, but instead mention of a bunch of kids throwing punches at the traffic lights.…more

A few days shy of her 25th birthday, Ruby-Anne Laufa lost her life in a violent and highly suspicious traffic incident. 

Ruby-Anne was Miss South Pacific PNG 2012 – 2013, and campaigned passionately against gender-based violence. She passed away at Port Moresby General Hospital in PNG on the 11th February. The circumstances surrounding her death remain undisclosed, however speculation suggests Ruby-Anne may have been thrown from a moving car.

Ruby was born on February 13, 1992 in Port Moresby. She studied law at UPNG and was the owner of SKYLAR; a modelling agency and events management company.  She leaves behind her father Maurice from Gulf province; her mother, Hane Sepi Nouairi-Schaaf, of Central province and Tongan-German blood, and her younger sisters, Sherridan and Rhani Villie-Maina.

Police investigations remain ongoing and no charges have been made. The lack of urgency by police has Pacific communities outraged, family and friends of Ruby are demanding answers.…more

The woman I am today would have reacted with white knuckles and bared teeth. I would not have sat idle, silent and too shy/shocked/scared to speak up. I would have told him to go F*** himself. 

Unfortunately, “I would have” is futile. The reality is, I was young, impressionable, unrealized and 100% at the mercy of a man who I was deceived into trusting. We all were. We all are.

Power: the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others.

The Abuse of Power: when selfish desire takes priority over the hauora of others. It can be subtle, passive or obvious.

Those with positions of status are entrusted with this power. We rely on them to be honorable, honest and trustworthy. Yet, time and time again, women are taken advantage of by these people. So how do we go about ending a cycle that is damaging the hauora of vulnerable women within our community?

My own experience with abuse of power involved classes I attended a few years ago.…more