Columns

The Corporation that Conquered Nations 

When we think of the British conquest of India, we often imagine it as a series of red-coated British soldiers marching across the subcontinent, conquering India much in the same way as they did elsewhere in the world. We often talk of the British conquering India, but this phrase hides

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Reviews

Attack on Titan

Rating: 5/5 Attack on Titan is an anime that starts off deceptively simple but becomes a true thriller the further you get into it. The story starts off as a story about humanity desperately trying to   survive against man-eating Titans. But as the series progresses, it develops into a much

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Columns

The Hindi–Urdu Controversy 

Many people think of Hindi and Urdu as two distinct languages. Others believe the exact opposite. In my experience, few debates get as heated as those concerning the relationship of Hindi and Urdu. Open the comment section of any video discussing this question, and you will find Hindi and Urdu

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Reviews

If We Were Villains

Rating: -3/5 It never ceases to amaze me how this travesty of Donna Tart’s The Secret History ever managed to become so popular.  If We Were Villains tells the story of a group of Shakespearean drama students as they try to cover up the death of friend. However, the fact that the students study

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Columns

Hong Kong’s City of Darkness 

Picture this. The year is 1985, and you are flying into Hong Kong’s old Kai Tak Airport. As you approach the runway, you look out of your window, and what appears is a giant megastructure that is made up of hundreds of buildings crammed together like sardines in a can. What’s even

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Columns

History’s Missing Civilisation 

In 1826, explorer Charles Masson of the British East India Company was travelling across the Punjab. Well-versed in the classics, Masson was busy exploring the sites of Alexander the Great’s military campaigns when he stumbled across mysterious ruins near Sahiwal in what is now modern-day Pakistan. Impressed by the site’s size and large

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Columns

The Scent of Black Gold 

If you are familiar with the world of perfume and fragrance, you have probably come across the word “oud” at some point. A staple on the shelves of fragrance bros around the world, oud is a scent that is widely known but scarcely understood. In fact, oud is the Arabic name for Agarwood, a

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News

You Are Sightseeing

Ah, travelling. Something so many of us want to do but can’t afford to. But regardless of whether you have booked your flights to your dream destination or are currently fantasising through your TikTok feed, buckle up. Because today I want to rant about the difference between travelling and sightseeing. By the end of this piece, you will hopefully be

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Reviews

The Anarchy by William Dalrymple

Rating: 5/5 William Dalrymple’s The Anarchy is a cautionary tale about what happens when a corporation is left dangerously unregulated. Set in the distant east, the book navigates the story of the British East India Company, a trading corporation accountable to only its shareholders, as it rises to overthrow one of the

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The Corporation that Conquered Nations 

When we think of the British conquest of India, we often imagine it as a series of red-coated British soldiers marching across the subcontinent, conquering India much in the same way as they did elsewhere in the world. We often talk of the British conquering India, but this phrase hides

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THE FINNISH LINE #3

Written by Martta Tikka About Rhythm / Rytmitajuttomuudesta Now that I’ve been in New Zealand for over three months, I’ve had to admit to myself that I’m a bad dancer. I blame my home country for that. I found out that Kiwis have this thing called Jump Jam. One of

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The Finnish Line 

Written by Martta Tikka  After a careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that Finnish people don’t feed each other nearly as often as they should. During these past weeks I’ve learnt just how easy it is to get people to show up if you promise you’re going to

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Doco Filmmaker Kez on Travel, People, and Stoke

Kieran Hodges, interviewed by Toby Brockelbank Toby interviews Kieran Hodges, Kez, who he’s been lucky enough to meet. Known in the local skate community for filming down in Palmy, Kez went from building film sets in the UK to travelling the world making documentaries. We discussed how skating relates to

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WHAT’S THE BUZZ CUZ? 

BEFORE THE MISSIONARIES MADE IT WEIRD  Let’s talk about sex. Yep, we’re going there. It’s actually kind of funny how surprised people can be when you tell them our tipuna were getting it on. As if sex arrived in Aotearoa post-colonisation or something.  Sex was already a pretty normal part

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He reo mo ake ake – A forever language.

Written By Kata Roberts I think back to a time when te reo Māori was being pushed out of our schools, our workplaces,and our everyday lives. I think back to 1972. I imagine standing there, among thousands of Māori, watching our voices make their way toParliament. I wonder what it

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MORE THAN A KETE 

The stories, skill and knowledge woven into raranga  Raranga has always been practical. Our tīpuna used what was around them to make the things they needed. Harakeke could become kete for carrying and storing things, muka could be used for clothing and cordage, and raranga was used to make whāriki

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Te Ao o te Kaituhi

Written By Nadia Solomon Kei te kōrero Māori koe? Kei te tuhi koe i te reo Māori? He maha ngā tūpono mōu.   Ka rongo pea koe ki te mahi o ngā kaiwhakamāori, he matua tērā mahi. Mā te mahi a ngā kaiwhakamāori, e whānui ai ngā mōhiotanga o ngā mea

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THE HEALING POTENTIAL OF OUR NATIVE FUNGI 

What happens when Māori research looks at healing through a different lens?  You might have looked at our $50 note and noticed the striking blue mushroom sitting beside Sir Āpirana Ngata. That mushroom is Entoloma hochstetteri, a native species found in Aotearoa.  It is more than just a cool design.

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The Notesapp 

“I BO”  the syntax of colonials  the blackened connotation  of creoles  the substrate of the enslaved   lives  with the lexicon killed   The bastard children of conquerors  growing gardens  the blood that’s spilled  no child looks like his skin  that’s the price of the thrill  when your descendants are bought  Your

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The Notesapp – I Miss You 

You were waiting for me,  The sun met your skin,  Absorbing rays like they were yours to take.  I almost skimmed past,  But you caught my attention,  The right moment – our moment.  Golden locks settled inside you.  There was something clean about you,   with the smell of warm grain,  

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What’s the Buzz – Luxon needs to Beehive himself 

I think we bullied Christopher Luxon a bit too hard.  I never thought I’d say that, but after all the jokes about him avoiding questions, he’s really started to speak his mind. If you think that’s a good thing, then what I’d say to you is that what’s going on

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MADE TO BE WORN 

Who decided Māori fashion was only for special occasions?  There is this idea that Māori clothing and adornment belong in a particular category: something traditional,

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The End of Oak Street

Rating: 5/5 When I found out that the woman, the myth, the icon Anne Hathaway and his lordship, Jedi Master and Otter Enthusiast Ewan McGregor

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Elle

Rating: 4/5  After more than a decade since the last film in the world of Legally Blonde, we return with a 1990’s prequel, known as

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The Gentleman – Season 2

Rating: 4/5 After rewatching the five-star masterpiece that was The Gentlemen’s first season, I leapt into season two with excitement; Theo James was back as

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An Ode to Winter 

Missing the cold, dark nights? Want to feel the warmth of a lovely winter dish again? Here is the cure to all your post-winter depression: 

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November Rain  

In the aftermath of 9/11, HST wrote ‘Doom is the operative ethic.’  Anyone that tells you they’ve got the handle on how things are going

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LABOUR’S LETHARGY 

Labour have sputtered out a few new commitments, if you still believe they’re capable of committing to anything.  After National came out and announced their

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