It’s happened again! Periodically Government Departments get gutted. New political parties when they come into power remove services set up by the previous party in power. Budgets are reduced forcing Departments to disestablish many jobs making many people redundant. Great stress is put on families. “What if I lose my job how…
While working in Samoa some staff from Cornell University organised a Regional Conference on agricultural education. On Thursday Daryle Foster the Director came to me and pleaded with me to give the opening keynote address the following Monday. The Pro Vice-Chancellor said he was too busy to give this address. The conference was…
Having sat through many boring lectures I realised how ineffective they were as a teaching tool. While teaching at the University of the South Pacific I decided to try something different. I put my students into teams based on their country of origin. I reasoned their history has been one of great competition, from…
In 1990 Samoa had been hit by a bad cyclone – Cyclone Ofa. Houses were wrecked, food was short and there was limited water and power. Many foreign people left the country and returned to their home countries. One day a Southerly snowstorm hit Wellington and I was miserably cold. The phone rang and…
Second World War veterans are fast diminishing in numbers. ANZAC day is the time to remember our friends and relatives who died so their family and friends could live a happy and peaceful life. Some history you may not be aware of. Five hundred and eighty NA2s were given basic training on…
I am surprised how many people seem never to have heard of cloisonné ware. It’s an ancient form of making metal containers dating back to ancient Egyptian times and has been made in many countries. It’s called cloisonné, a French word for ‘partitions’ or ‘compartments’ filled with vitreous enamels. I admire and…
Recently my doctor admired my walking stick. He asked if I had made it. I told him it was Australian Jarrah wood and I had purchased it in a shop at the Rocks, in Sydney, for A$159 – it was beautifully designed. When travelling I always tried to buy a local stick. Not…
At short notice, I was asked to go to Laos. New Zealand had been short-listed by the Asian Development Bank to put in a team to help Laos stimulate its agriculture. New Zealand had selected a strong team led by Dr. Neil Worker – who had held a senior position at the World Bank.…
Periodically five generations of my family have lived on the Tinakori Hill (recently renamed Ahumairangi) in Wellington, New Zealand. They all have stories to tell. One of my favourite stories was told by my father. Let me tell you his story about a boy called Sharkey. “When I was 16, Nick Winter…
Success occurs when opportunity and preparation meet – it is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration. Study the work habits of successful people – cultivate those that can help you. A Handful of Tips to help you on your way * Life is short – make the most of it The…
Another Handful of Tips 