Takeout Kids wanted for new series – The Single Object – FIRST
...and other recs this week!
Kia ora, welcome to this week’s newsletter.
When was the last time you set foot in a good old fashioned brick and mortar takeaway shop, watched as your order was written down in some secret form of shorthand then waited on a plastic chair while reading a Woman’s Day interview with Jay Jay Feeney from four years ago?
Maybe you still perform this nostalgic ritual at your local takeaway shop – if that’s the case, I know some producers who’d love to hear from you.
Takeout Kids is a new observational documentary series being made for The Spinoff, centring kids who grow up helping out in takeaway shops and restaurants run by their immigrant parents. If you know a good shop and/or any cool kids who fit this description, fill out the form here so the producers can get in touch!
–Cal
This week’s new podcasts
On When the Facts Change [Apple | Spotify], Bernard Hickey spoke to city councillors Tamatha Paul and Efeso Collins about the big fight for climate and housing action at council level. On Dietary Requirements [Apple | Spotify], the team taste tested some kangaroo for an Australia themed episode. On The Fold [Apple | Spotify], Duncan Greive spoke to Special Group CEO Tony Bradbourne about the changing world of advertising. On Business is Boring [Apple | Spotify], Simon Pound spoke to Louise Aitken, CEO of the Ākina Foundation, about how they're helping social enterprises grow. Remember When… [Apple | Spotify] took a walk in the most rugged school shoe ever made. And The Real Pod [Apple | Spotify] is still watching the saga of Bryce, Melissa and the girl on the outside play out on MAFS AU. Subscribe and listen to them all now!
The Single Object
Lema Shamamba fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo to escape an armed militia killing indigenous people in her village. Now living in New Zealand, her artwork calls out the companies she holds responsible for the bloodshed. This week’s episode of The Single Object is about embroidery, but not as you know it.
FIRST
What did you do the first time you ever went online? What’s the first photo on your camera roll? Who was your first nemesis? FIRST is a new weekly series where we get to ask guests questions like these (and ones about their careers etc). It’s available in bite-size video and podcast format, and the first guest is Finn Andrews from The Veils, who was kind enough to relive the trauma of bombing in front of King Kapisi at the regional finals of the Rockquest for us.
Polyfest online
Charlotte says: “After two years of cancellations, Polyfest finally went ahead last week. If you couldn’t make it, I recommend watching the performances online. Māori, Tongan, Niuean, Samoan, Cook Island and diversity stage performances are ready to watch on YouTube. Even better though is Māori Television’s online streaming of the Māori stage where you can watch each school’s performance separately. A good place to start would be the winners, Western Springs - Ngā Puna o Waiōrea. Their whakaeke sampled Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics and their poi was the cheekiest I’ve ever seen. Te Wharekura o Hoani Waititi Marae, Kia Aroha College and James Cook High School who placed second, third and fourth respectively are all essential viewing too. Best watched with a DIY ice cream in watermelon – or, even better, in pineapple to round out the illusion.”
Spiritfarer
Sam says: “If Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley stress you out too much by constantly having to please anthropomorphic animals with bizarre fashion sense, Spiritfarer could be for you. You play Stella, a cheery woman whose job it is to ferry souls into the afterlife. You build your boat, keep the spirits happy and carry out chill but satisfying tasks like cooking food, looming linen and mining shiny things. Combine that with gorgeous animation and a lovely score, and it’s a game you can just as easily marathon all weekend as you can dip in and out of. It’s available on Steam, PS4, and Switch.”
Cottrells Big Bikkies
Alice says: “I recommend Cottrells Big Bikkies, specifically the gingernut variety. I found a bag at my parents’ house and they were so good I ate at least four in one sitting – they’re the perfect texture, perfect size (BIG), with a delightful gingery kick. My mother informed me she’d brought them home from a recent trip to Rakiura (Stewart Island), where she’d picked them up at the local Four Square. Google tells me they’re made in Invercargill by Kaye’s Bakery – Kaye, I salute you.”
Creamerie
Linda Burgess says: “Of course we can see nods to The Handmaid’s Tale – unavoidable in any dystopian drama featuring women – but unlike Handmaid’s Tale, Creamerie (TVNZ OnDemand) is actually darkly funny. We’re in the most capable hands of Roseanne Liang, and she has her terrific co-writing team from Flat 3 and Friday Night Bites along with her again.” (Read Linda’s full review here.)
Magazine Queens
Lucy says: “Extraordinary Stories: Magazine Queens is a new podcast series that talks to the women behind the golden days of magazines in Australia. Cleo vs Cosmo, New Idea vs Women's Day and of course Packers vs Murdochs. Two episodes in and I'm enjoying it! A highlight is episode two with 80s tabloid queen Nene King, the former editor of Women's Day and Women's Weekly. She's a real hoot and slept with a fax machine next to her bed so she could get the latest paparazzi photos from overseas. If you enjoy hearing from her, there’s a full interview about her wild and tragic life here.”
Lasagne season
Alice WL says: “Lasagne is so yum, I recommend everyone make and eat a lasagne.” Eden adds: “I made a lasagne on Sunday night (it's only the second or third time I've made it before), and used the 'Lite' pottles of cottage cheese and cream cheese to make myself feel better about the carb naughtiness. That makes it way healthier, right?” Lucy says: “All lasagnes are admin and this one might be just a lil more than usual – but it’s so worth it.”
That’s all for this week! Please reply to get in touch and share with anyone else who might like to subscribe too. See you next Wednesday 👋