Today we'll be introducing some posts from Kiwis (nickname for New Zealanders) on social media!
First off, let's start with a rather creepy post from Clarke Gayford, partner of New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern...
Amazing handmade dolls
On Monday, the start of the week, I found this post:
Mr. Gayford begins to speak while combing the doll's hair.
Sigh... Hello everyone. Welcome to Monday. I think everyone needs a 30 second breather to get through the start of the week. So here it is from me. We have received a lot of handmade arts and crafts. And when I say us, most of them are for my daughter Neve. This country is filled with such brilliant talent. Neve is such a happy three year old. Among the gifts, there are some that are welcomed into our home and that three year olds love. This wonderful doll is one of them. Neve even named it "Creepy Mummy".
Gayford points the doll towards the camera. The face is an uncanny likeness of Ardern, or rather, a rather creepy version of her!
Now, a word from Creepy Mummy!
“Let’s try, we can do it, even on Monday.”
Prime Minister Ardern has had some unpleasant caricatures drawn on cakes in the past, but this doll is pretty cool too!
Prime Minister Ardern and Ms Gayford got engaged before the COVID-19 pandemic, but with the world facing an unprecedented crisis, it seems they are having difficulty getting married.
By the way, New Zealand is a country that recognizes common-law marriages. You can be recognized as a partner even if you are not legally married. Of course, different surnames are also OK. And same-sex marriage is also legal.
Prime Minister Ardern's 9/11 Memorial
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern posted the following photo on September 11th, 2011, marking 20 years since the September 11 attacks in the United States.
Ardern, who was studying abroad at Arizona State University 20 years ago, has kept the newspaper published on September 12, the day after the terrorist attacks. The torn newspaper that has remained in Ardern's hands for 20 years, moving from the US to New Zealand and from home to home, seems to represent the shock of that day.
When that incident happened, I thought the world would change, and it did.
He reflected on the 20th anniversary milestone.
Baking sweets on formal Friday
This is TV show host Hilary Barry. Since last year, she has been calling Fridays during lockdown "Formal Fridays," and has been dressing up as if she were going to a ball at home and posting on social media. She also encourages everyone to make sweets in their outfits.
This was posted on Friday, the fourth week of lockdown. "Are we there yet?" he asked, sounding a little annoyed.
Are we there yet? #formalfriday #lockdownweek4 pic.twitter.com/RvpJl72R4A
— Hilary Barry (@Hilary_Barry) September 9, 2021
Many Kiwis have joined Formal Friday, which was started by Hillary. Pictures have been posted on social media. Here is a photo that made Hillary laugh out loud. This is the parenting version of Formal Friday.
Another Lockdown Parenting themed Formal Friday. Owen was having too much fun with his spaghetti to sit still for the photo. 🍝
— Shawn Moodie (@shawnmoodie) September 9, 2021
If you look closely enough you can see me dying inside a little. 🤣 #formalfriday #formalfridaynz @Hilary_Barry pic.twitter.com/GAvKOYFDr1
First kiwi of the season
This is from the social media of Kiwi for Kiws, an organization that protects kiwi birds. As spring approaches in New Zealand, the first kiwi chicks of the season have hatched!
And just like that, the first chick of the season has hatched at the Crombie Lockwood Kiwi Burrow! On Sunday afternoon, “Locko” became the first chick to hatch at the Burrow for the 2021/22 season. #kiwisforkiwi #kiwiconservation #nzconservation pic.twitter.com/S8PRYP56xs
— Save the Kiwi (@savethekiwinz) September 13, 2021
As you can see, kiwis hatch with their feathers already grown. In the wild, they leave the nest just five days after hatching to search for food. They don't get any food from their parents. But they grow slowly, taking three to five years to reach adult size.
In New Zealand, where the kiwi population is declining by 2% each year, the whole country is working to protect the kiwi.
