tearaway magazine:

the voice of new zealand youth

[tearawaymag]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAIN!!

Just quietly... It's our editor Rain's birthday today!

She does an incredible job at dealing with all us Mavericks and crafting magnificent magazines! A lot of us haven't had the pleasure of meeting her but that doesn't stop us being super grateful for all she does for the Mavericks and Tearaway Magazine.

[tearawaymag]

Guess what hit the streets this week? Here's our last issue for the year, TEARAWAY TERM 4!

You can check it out online, right here: http://issuu.com/magazinestoday/docs/tearaway_term4_2013

[tearawaymag]

FURET DE FER: CHAPTER -1

  Not only did Amelie make regular visits, she soon took up residence in the house next door. That left Raoul by himself, prowling the darker streets of the village, although because of the snow they weren't as dark as they could be. We were both eager to not see him again. It was a strange feeling; never before had I wanted a fellow ferret out of my sensory range. But Raoul was such a meanie-weanie.

“Good morning Amelie!” I said as I slithered into her living quarters.

The old black-furred woman scurried across a wooden rafter toward me. “Good to see you again, François! Are your parents with you?”

Punctuality is another attribute of Monsieur and Madame Lefuret, who chose that moment to poke their heads through behind me. Then we were all three, standing side by side like French soldiers. Unlike French soldiers, the white thing we carried wasn't a flag, but a tea towel containing fresh croissants. We were the Picnic Battalion.

With our pastry treats all laid out, the four of us snuggled together and began consuming this wonderful lunch. Despite her age, Amelie still had the sharp canines of a carnivore, but she liked the occasional croissant to supplement her meat. She had a reddish scar across her snout. I'd been afraid to ask her about its origin; I feared the connard Raoul was involved.

The sound of a slammed door hit us. Bellowing came from below. “I'm late! I have to get to work! Bye kids!” Peeking through a hole below us, we saw a rather rotund guy with a thick moustache and a cigarette in his mouth. He turned away from the round ticky thing on the wall, shoved a beret on his head, then raced out of the house.

“What did he say?” asked Amelie. I had to remind myself that she couldn't understand humanoids.

“He said he's late for work, I believe,” replied Monsieur Lefuret, seizing another morsel with his paws.

“Late? Pah. These people rely too much on time. They let their own routines control them.” Madame Lefuret pointed to the ticky thing and I moved to get a better view of it. “That's called a clock. All humans have one. As far as I can work out, it tells the time to the nearest minute... useless to us. Obviously their circadian rhythms don't work.”

I thought about it, stroking my chin slowly. “Or maybe the clock is an extension of their miniscule brains?”

“Now, now, we shouldn't make fun of them, son. They probably have really big brains under their berets.”

“But wouldn't that give them better circadian rhythms than us?” asked Amelie.

My parents and her continued talking, but I zoned out. Something didn't feel right. Was there something familiar about that man below us? Had I heard his voice before? I tried picturing him in a much darker room... then it hit me. Whatever it was, it went 'SPLOOSH' on impact.

“SURPRISE!” The rascal Jacques was there, with his sister by his side. He held another water bomb in his hand, but it didn't look like he was going to throw it. I squeezed myself through the crack in the ceiling and dropped onto the top of their refridgeration unit. What were the chances – this was the new residence of Jacques and Jacqueline!

“Nice shot there, I'm soaked. How have you been, my friends?”

They laughed and ran over to me as I descended the fridge. “We've missed you so much, François! It's been months since we saw you.”

“Yeah... I couldn't stay away forever though.” I heard the thuds of my companions behind me. “Now I have some other ferret friends I'd like you to meet!”

“More ferrets?!” They made excited squeals as Amelie and my parents bounded over. We were a nice mélange of colours when assembled: my coat with chocolate brown and tan fur was complemented by the ermine white of my mother. My father's fur was light brown striped with black, then the shadowy Amelie completed the portrait.

They greeted the kids with excited “dook dook”s and stretched their heads forward for a pat. I'd rarely seen such large smiles on the faces of Jacques and Jacqueline. But the short bonding session was interrupted by the opening of the front door. My sole human enemy had returned!

“Oh darn it, where could I have left my-” Then he saw us. One ferret in the house could be accidental, but four? I remembered my first encounter with him and hoped he didn't have four ferret cages around.

Whatever I was expecting wasn't what he did. With the speed of a glacier he backed out the door, his gaze fixed on me, his 'stache barely daring to twitch. Finally the door was returned to its non-open state and we were alone.

“He still doesn't like ferrets,” explained Jacqueline, “but now he's scared of them. You must have really shocked him, François!”

I giggled. Then she took me in her skinny arms and gave me a crushing cuddle. Everybody else joined in. I'd never known such warmth.

[tearawaymag]

FURET DE FER: CHAPTER -2

Winter had come around again. In Quelquepart this means a coating of snow thick enough for a dog to tunnel through, unseen from the surface. Snow was a mystical substance that clung to my whiskers and compacted into pads over my paws. It had a strange warmth to it, even though everything else was frigid. There were mysteries in the snow, things concealed for weeks on end. Or until they decided to pop up in front of me.

I remember bouncing along the top of the snow along a backstreet of the village. This was the area inhabited by people less friendly than Jacques and Jacqueline, but more subtle than their dad. Sometimes sirens were heard around here and, if you were close enough, the sounds of fighting. That day was clear and calm though. I'd chosen the early morning hours when I expected such people to be sleeping, sweeping or spheeping*. However I hadn't considered what their pets would be up to.

A furry black head burst through the snow before me. About a metre away, it clearly belonged to a fellow ferret, albeit one much older than moi. This individual sniffed around, scanning in every direction. After a few seconds he spotted me. I knew it was a 'he' because his distinctive musk had just hit my nostrils.

In a flash he'd dug his front paws out and heaved himself into plain view. He didn't bother to brush the white out of his fur, just ran straight over. My whiskers twitched. Something about his gait and his facial expression suggested non-conviviality. He kind of looked like trouble. I was a little worried, but greeted him in the usual polite fashion.

“Who are you?” he spat back at me, staring in a most contemptuous fashion. I noticed he spoke in ferret-squeak, not human-speak, meaning he was among the 'normal' ferrets.

“François Lefuret! What's your name?”

“That's not your business!”

“But-”

“You're in my territory. Get out!”

“Oh, I'm sorry. I was just passing through on my way to...”

He wasn't listening. Instead he arched his back to an angle I hadn't thought possible and started fuffing at me. I'd never seen anyone fuff like this before. Ferrets only fuff when they're angry.

“Leave him alone, Raoul!” That was a female voice and I was glad to hear it, since things were looking rather ugly. Someone with even darker fur jumped down out of nowhere and landed between us. Her musk was sweeter and almost reminded me of my mother. As she turned to face Raoul directly her thick tail brushed my quivering face.

I perceived that Raoul had ceased his fuffing. “What are you doing, Amelie?”

“Me? What do you think you're doing? Intimidating a poor little child, by the looks of it!” Her squeakings were like those of a squirrel upon discovering its nut stash has been raided. Still nowhere near as aggravated as Raoul had been.

“This runt is stepping on my turf!” said he.

“He doesn't know any better! Back off!”

Then Amelie turned to me and I couldn't think of what to say. She silently raised a paw and patted my head. “Don't worry, little one, he's not really dangerous. Let's get you back home.”

Meanwhile Raoul was backing into the shadows, not an effective way to hide when one has shiny white stuff on their back. His beady, menacing eyes stared at me like black holes against the snow. I wasn't looking forward to when we might meet again.

Ensemble, Amelie and I scuttled back the way I'd come. My living quarters at the time were close to Jacques/Jacqueline's residence. Through the year my family had almost circled the whole village as we kept moving accommodation.

“Amelie, where are you from?” Immediately after asking, I realized she wouldn't have understood me. In my confusion I'd spoken out in French speech rather than normal inter-ferret communication.

Upon hearing my query, she stopped in her tracks and gave me a most puzzled frown. “You speak like the humans do?”

“Oui.”

“Ah, you must be the Lefuret child! François, right?”

I gave her our equivalent of a nod. Like our shrugs, these are imperceptible to the human eye.

“Very nice to meet you, François! I knew your grandfather, you see, back before the bakery started making big business. He was such a clever one... but he couldn't talk like a human!”

“I never knew my grandfather. He died just before I was born.”

“Oh, I'm so sorry.”

“Eh. We're almost there, Amelie.”

“Okay then. I'll go back now, Raoul will be missing me. I'm his last surviving sibling, you see. I do apologize for his behaviour... he still thinks he's what they call an alpha male.”

“I understand. Will I see you again soon?”

“Sure! I can come over for a visit if you like.”

“That would be great. Goodbye! Dook dook.”

*spheeping: The act of breeding spherical sheeps. 

[tearawaymag]

TEMPO DANCE FESTIVAL 2013

Tempo Dance festival is celebrating its ten year anniversary. As a part of the festival, local secondary schools dance programmes and studios get the chance to showcase their talents in Secondary Colours. TEARAWAY Maverick NATASHA THYNE talks to some of the groups involved.

Boyzdance2

Boyzdance2 has been involved in the festival since it started in 2003 and all look forward to being involved and performing. This year they will be performing a jazz item called Hey Pachucco. It was choreographed by their dance teacher Richie Cesan and is to a great piece of music from The Mask.

What was the inspiration for the dance?

We are all passionate hip hop dancers and Richie wants us to be more versatile, so he picked this, as it's a bit more traditional than the dances we normally do.

What’s your favourite part of the festival?

Being involved and meeting other dancers and of course Out Of The Box hip hop showcase, which a couple of us are in this year.

Who are your dance heroes?

IDENTITY Dance Crew.

  Pointy Dog Dance Company

Pointy Dog Dance Company was chosen to dance in the festival after performing in YouDance (secondary schools dance festival). They will be performing a contemporary work called Collective Lungs choreographed by Liana Yew and Jessie McCall. They say they are really excited to be part of the show, having the opportunity to dance on a professional stage and getting to see what other dancers their age are doing. Answering the questions on behalf of the company are members Zoe Nicholson and Camille Hay.

What was the inspiration for the dance?

The inspiration for the dance was originally germ masks. They have become a bit of a fashion statement in China, and one of the choreographers had just been on a trip there. From this came the idea of contagions and protection from germs and sickness. We were also inspired by space and how it makes you feel.

What’s your favourite part of the festival?

Dancing on the stage and showing people what we do – and  seeing how they react.

Who are your dance heroes?

Camille: Pina Bausch is definitely very inspiring to me as her dances have my favourite quality of strange beauty. A favourite is the work in which when a woman gets on a train with all her hair over her face and moves as a heavy machine or metal woman. It's different and it makes you want to watch and understand more.

Glenfield College Bollywood Troupe

Glenfield College Bollywood Troupe has 15 dancers aged 13 to 18. They will be performing a high-energy, cute and quirky Bollywood dance choreographed by teacher Brigitte Knight. Inspired by the Chinese Year of the Snake, they combine traditional Bollywood themes with modern choreography using stunts, all set to a fusion of Hindi and English pop songs. Troupe dancers Danielle Anderson, 18, Anwell Siena, 15, Christian Herrera, 14, Tamzin Naicker, 17, answer the questions below.

What made you want to get involved in the Tempo dance festival?

Danielle: I wanted to be involved because I performed in it last year and it was such a great experience. It’s a nice way to share the Bollywood culture with a wider audience.

Anwell: Because I can’t wait for a new experience.

Chrisitan: It will be a great dance experience since this is my first year in the troupe.

Tamzin: Selected schools were chosen from the YouDance Festival earlier in the year, and we were really hoping to be chosen again.

Who are your dance heroes?

Danielle: My dance heroes would be the senior dancers who have gone before me through the troupe, as I started when I was Year 10. Straight away I had the seniors to look up to. Now I aspire to be like them to the juniors below me.

Anwell: Before I got into college, the Bollywood troupe had a show at my Intermediate and I quite liked it, because I could imagine myself in that position, sharing cultures and dancing live in front of people. So when I got into college, I asked Regie (former student and Bollywood troupe member, now a full time contemporary dance student at Unitec) where I could find a dance family. Regie is one of my fellows dance friends and he taught me stuff while in dance class. He’s my dance hero because he encouraged me to try my best and he showed me the way of getting confidence.

Tamzin: Brigitte is quite an inspiration as choreographer and inspires us to perform our best and work our hardest. She pushes us so that we are always proud of our performances and of each other. She made me the dancer I am today and has taught me so much about myself and how I move. So I would say she is most definitely my dance hero.

Wasabi Dance Crew

Wasabi Dance Crew will be performing a contemporary hip hop piece called Wing$ – to a song by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – choreographed by Carlene Newall. This is their second year performing in the festival. They wanted to perform a piece that would push them out of their comfort zones and experiment with a style. They are most looking forward to performing on stage and seeing their work come to life with the lighting, props, costume and sound.

What made you want to get involved in the Tempo dance festival?

We love the fun aspect of the festival and first got involved as a break from doing technically-focused hip hop competitions that had lots of artistic boundaries. We wanted to have more freedom in our performance and Tempo is perfect for being able to do that.

What was the inspiration for the dance?

This dance has a message about society’s obsession with consumerism and conformity and the negative effects these things can have on young people; such as when we buy clothes and sneakers just for the brands and labels.

Who are your dance heroes?

At this point in time, definitely NOT Miley Cyrus! We love choreographers like Chachi Gonzales and Hopskotch Dance Crew that think outside the box and come up with interesting, innovative and creative choreography.

  Secondary Colours is on the 20th of October at 3.30 at the Q Theatre, Queen St, Auckland.

[writerswritecompany]

Eleanor Catton becomes youngest winner of Man Booker Prize

New Zealand author Eleanor Catton has, at the age of 28, become the youngest ever winner of the £50,000 Man Booker Prize for her novel The Luminaries.

[tearawaymag]

Creative Capital churns out Award-winning young designers

PRESS RELEASE: 9 October 2013

    Two rising fashion and design stars have taken out top honours in the 2013 Youthtown Creatifs Young Designer Awards – and it’s total Wellington sweep.

Thirteen-year-old Jessie Cartmel, of Seatoun, won the AUT Wearable Art Award with her ‘Family Tree’ mask, while 16-year-old Natasha Wall, of Masterton, took out the AUT Fashion Design Award with a Victorian-inspired ready-to-wear outfit.

Now in its second year, the Youthtown Creatifs Young Designer Awards invite talented young designers and creative artists, aged 13 to 18, to submit a wearable art or fashion design garment in categories sponsored by AUT University.

The AUT Wearable Art Award category asked designers to create a mask based on the theme ‘identity’ while the AUT Fashion Design Award brief was to create a ready-to-wear garment for any occasion.

Being named the Youthtown Creatifs Supreme Winner for the AUT Wearable Art Award category was an emotional experience for Jessie, whose inspiration for her mask came from her humble upbringing, and her quest to be an original designer.

“When I got the call I was so excited I cried,” Jessie said. “I’ve had a pretty tough first year at college but have found a lot of enjoyment making original things in soft materials that stand out and can’t be copied easily.

“It will be pretty exciting to see my mask being worn by a professional model in Auckland,” she adds.

One of the Youthtown Creatifs judges for the wearable art category is a TV presenter and leading designer, Fifi Colston. She described Jessie’s mask as innocent, inspiring and personality driven. “You can feel the nostalgia within this mask and how much she values her family life,” Colston said. “Her attention to detail and professional construction demonstrates huge promise for a young wearable art designer”.

Natasha’s entry in the AUT Fashion Design Award category was a “beautifully constructed” three-piece outfit influenced by the industrial revolution. She chose materials which reflect both current fashion trends and the Victorian era.

“I have always found the industrial revolution really interesting, especially the concept of change, from technology through to gender roles,” Natasha said.

“I found the Youthtown competition really challenging and I hope it will help me get into university where I want to study design and business,” Natasha said.

AUT Fashion Design Award judge, and AUT Head of Department (Fashion & Textiles),Andreas Mikellis, said Natasha’s design demonstrated attention to the design brief, was on trend and reflected a very sophisticated level of workmanship.

Natasha’s winning outfit includes a corset made from black floral material which is lined and boned, a black velvet cape with suede and stud detailing and brown suede trousers which ‘introduce the idea of change in attitude towards the role of gender in the Victorian era’.

Youthtown CEO, Paula Kearns, was impressed with the level of young talent bought to the fore through these national awards. “Along with their obvious talent, Jessie and Natasha have both clearly expressed their individual desire to follow a career path in the creative fields. It’s what this competition is all about”.

Both Supreme Winners of the Youthtown Creatifs Young Designer Awards have won a Brother ‘Innov-is 400’ computerised home sewing machine (value $999), two tickets to the AUT Rookie show and flights and accommodation in Auckland with a parent to accompany them. In Auckland they will participate in a professional photoshoot, a student-led tour of AUT’s Fashion & Textile department and will see their designs featured in AUT’s prestigious AD13 Art & Design Festival.

  Released on behalf of Youthtown by Goode PR.  For interview opportunities, or high-resolution photos contact Shannon Slade 09 480 9948 / 021 389 559 / [email protected] orJuno Morgan on 09 480 9948 / 021 509 062 /  [email protected]

      Youthtown Creatifs 2013 Winners and Finalists

AUT Wearable Art Award: Supreme Winner – Jessie Cartmel (Seatoun, Wellington) Highly Commended – An Egyptian-inspired falcon mask was given special commendation by the judges in the AUT Wearable Arts Award category. Created by 17-year-old Amber Jobbitt from Okaihau, the three dimensional mask was hand crafted using cardboard, bandages and traditional Aztec coloured paint. Finalists – Miya Austin-Dobi (Marlborough), Antonea Saada (Miramar, Wellington), Charlotte Calder (Roslyn, Dunedin) and Tyler Bartlett (Takanini, Auckland).

AUT Fashion Design Award Supreme Winner – Natasha Wall (Masterton) Finalists – Evelyn Taylor (Hikurangi), Fern Anderson (Porirua), Lauren Christie Millar (Fairfield, Hamilton), Sophie Rutherford-Smith (Remuera, Auckland) and Angela Seol (Havelock North).

Judging panel

Ingrid Starnes – Fashion Designer

Fifi Colston - Wearable arts designer / TV Presenter / Writer

Andreas Mikellis - AUT Head of Department (Fashion & Textiles)

Louise Logan – Girlfriend magazine Fashion Editor

Sarah Burren – Costume designer

About Youthtown

Youthtown is a non-profit organisation set up to inspire young New Zealanders to reach their potential and be the “voice” of New Zealand youth. 

Since opening its doors in 1932, Youthtown has grown and evolved into one of New Zealand’s leading youth organisations. It’s highly regarded for championing positive youth development through its own branches and in the communities Youthtown supports.

Youthtown currently operates eight branches in Auckland, Taupo, Wellington, Christchurch and Oamaru. From these locations, it offers many positive youth programmes after school and in the school holidays.

Whether out on the water, in an art studio or on the basketball court, each Youthtown programme is designed to build self-esteem and confidence through participation.

Website: www.youthtown.org.nz

[francoislefuret]

Why do you give my species such amusing names?

Kind regards from Fuzzbutt, High Jill of the Carpet Sharks

[tearawaymag]

  What's the craziest nickname you've been given, folks?

[tearawaymag]

LET'S DANCE!

As the year heads into its final months, it’s all go at the New Zealand School of Dance; the students are preparing for their annual Graduation Season. By NATASHA THYNE.

Megan Wright rehearsing Sir Kenneth MacMillan's 'Solitaire', for New Zealand School of Dance Graduation Season 2013. Photographed by Stephen A'Court. 

  Showcasing their talent and years of hard work, dancers will be performing pieces from local and international choreographers, in both contemporary and classical styles.

Keeping Up with Contemporary

Third year contemporary major Katie Rudd, 20, has been selected to dance in three pieces, all of which, she says, are very different in style.

Belgian choreographer Elie Tass created one of the pieces Katie is involved, in especially for the Graduation Season.

“It’s quite different to anything I’ve ever been in before,” she says. “It’s been a really good challenge, both movement-wise and stamina-wise.”

Another new piece involving all the second and third year contemporary students was created by Melbourne-based choreographer Antony Hamilton, who spent three weeks with the dancers.

The piece is performed with no music, so dancers must count out the beats themselves.

Katie says when they first started to work with Antony, having to get used to the new style was a complete shock to the system: “You have to be more switched on in your brain than in your body. It’s a really good mental challenge.”

Third year student Katie Rudd with Riley Baldwin at the New Zealand School of Dance. Photographed by Phillip Merry.

  The range of pieces is a bonus for dancers, as they get to showcase all of the different aspects to their abilities.

Back to the Classics

The classical students will be performing Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Solitaire, dancing the original 1956 choreography.

Dancing the lead role is first year classical student Megan Wright.

At just 16, she is one of the youngest dancers at the school and says it is a privilege to be picked for such a big role: “It’s a little bit daunting, but so exciting.”

The school also selected Megan to be part of an exchange with Canada’s National Ballet School.

Megan will spend four weeks in January next year dancing and living with the students in Toronto, where she is excited to see the different styles of teaching.

“Depending on where in the world you were trained, dancers tend to pick up subtle differences in the way they move. Through the international faculty and students at Canada's National Ballet School, I will have the opportunity to see how other dancers move, and learn other styles of ballet, improving my versatility as a dancer.”

The New Zealand School of Dance’s Graduation Season runs from November 20 to 30at Te Whaea: National Dance and Drama Centre in Newtown, Wellington. For more information, head to: http://www.nzschoolofdance.ac.nz/news_events/upcoming_performances/index.html#GRAD

WIN! We've got two tickets to give away to the New Zealand School of Dance Graduation Season. To be in the draw, email [email protected] with “NZSD Comp” in the subject line. You must include your name, contact number, postal address and date of birth, PLUS tell us which performance date you want to attend. Entries close October 25, 2013. Prize includes two tickets only.

[rokuthecat]

[tearawaymag]

Aren't cats the cutest? Or do you prefer something else? Tell us your ideal pet!

[tearawaymag]

FURET DE FER: CHAPTER -3

  For at least twenty years la boulangerie de Quelquepart had provided yeasty foodstuffs to the town's citizens. It started out as a small shop and grew into a great bakery with a bit of a reputation in the region. Two men owned it, both jolly and moustache-adorned, their berets permanently coated with flour.

Rumours said they were the two richest residents of Quelquepart. They had by far the most dough, in both its forms. So why would they miss any of it? That was my mother's reasoning when she “borrowed” enough of the edible kind to teach me to bake croissants.

“Okay then mon petit, let's get these done before they come home.” By they, mother meant the owners of the microwave oven we'd commandeered. During the heavy snows of winter, it must have been quite an asset for them.

Now the traditional method of croissant bakage doesn't involve a microwave. We were improvising; my parents had spent months perfecting this variation. Our little paws can't open ovens or twist dials on a stove-top, but they can push buttons fine. Hence the need for a microwave.

“Ah, very good!” She inspected my first unbaked batch, laid out neatly on a little tray. Each of my croissants was a perfect symmetric crescent, at least in my eyes. I knew she'd seen better.

This was my first ever batch of croissants and I was keen not to stuff it up. “Maman, what settings should I use on the machine?”

“You'd be cheating if I told you. Follow your instincts!”

“Okay.” Together we pushed the tray inside the microwave and slammed shut the door. The time for golden crispiness had come.

Scanning the range of buttons presented to me, I felt a strong urge to push the one with the biggest number on it. Thrice. Then I hit 'Start' and looked at my mother. She wasn't smiling for some reason.

“Is that not long enough?”

“You asked it to cook for 999 minutes.”

I shrugged. This is hard to do when half your body weight is resting on the part you shrug with, but we have ways of picking up shrugs that are imperceptible to other species. Apparently humans have an equivalent action called winking.

“999 minutes is 16 and a half hours, François. It's far too long.”

“Oh. Can't I just take them out when they look finished?”

“Very well, but don't stare at them for too long. Microwave radiation can give you cancer.”

“What's cancer?”

“A very nasty form of cooties.”

I curled up and stared at her, terrified. Apart from being locked in a cage and almost roasted for dinner, cooties were my number one fear. Since girl-ferrets were major carriers, I avoided them like the plague they were.* Meanwhile the tray in the microwave revolved and started warming up, oblivious to my fear.

A bit later on, my croissants were coming along nicely. Contrary to various beliefs, the word 'croissant' doesn't refer to its crescent shape. It actually comes from the French verb for 'grow.' They were indeed growing a little as they heated up. I could imagine the layers of pastry becoming crisp like cupcake wrappers.

“Maman, how will we get these croissants back home?” Home meaning the rafters above us, inside the ceiling.

“In the same way I've always done it. We wrap them up in a tea towel and carry them up.”

“But I don't see any tea towels...”

“Don't worry, mon petit! We can use a regular towel, or a serviette, or a plastic bag. There must be one of those in this kitchen.”

“Okay.” I had another question, which would turn out to be more profound. “How do you get really good at baking? Or anything?”

“That's simple. You never give up.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, first you make a goal. Think of what you want to do. Then just keep going until you do it! When something goes wrong, don't stress about it, just try again.” She looked past me and frowned. “When something goes wrong...”

Then the smell of smoke hit my nostrils. Obviously I needed practice to be a bakingist. Reluctant to look at the blackened crisps in the microwave, I pressed the 'Stop' button and kept my head lowered. The door pinged open and smoke rushed into my face. Judging by its volume, I couldn't see how there'd be anything edible left.

Never mind. Giving up wasn't on my mind. Instead there was the desire to run for it before the fire alarm went off.     

*I've since learned that young girls say similar things about boys. Oh, the blissful ignorance of youth.

[tearawaymag]

Show Your Skin Some Love!

TEARAWAY Maverick and Beauty Specialist, CAITLIN HARSANT reviews NZ's own Antipodes products.

Hello beauty lovers,

I was recently sent some product samples from the wonderful people at Antipodes Scientific Organic Beauty.

Antipodes Skincare is a New Zealand-owned company based in Wellington. Using 100% natural and certified organic ingredients, Antipodes has combined nature and science to create products that improve and benefit your skin, regardless of your age and skin type. With many awards under their belt (including having a winning product in the 2012 Harper’s BAZAAR Beauty Awards!), the company is hugely successful worldwide.

After trialling these products, it is easy to see why so many people use and love Antipodes Skincare. Here are my thoughts on this wonderful range.

The first product I tried was the Hallelujah Lime & Patchouli Cleanser. I knew immediately that I would like this cleanser, because patchouli and lime are two of my favourite smelling ingredients. I prefer a thicker, creamier cleanser, as opposed to gel formulas, as I like the luxurious feel, so this product got my tick of approval. After one use, my face looked noticeably different. My pores didn’t appear as enlarged, and my skin generally felt softer and smoother. I also noticed my skin looked quite radiant and dewy after application, which I really liked. This product worked well to remove the last traces of make-up wipes left behind too.

The second product I tried was the Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream. I must admit, I am quite hesitant about using night creams, as I usually find them to be quite rich and a little heavy for my skin, which can result in breakouts. However, I did enjoy using this product. The first thing I noticed about the cream was the smell. The star ingredients, avocado oil and manuka honey, really shine through, providing a nourishing, sweet treat for the skin. Though I do think this product would be more suited to mature skin, it did not weigh my skin down, nor did it make my face greasy or shiny-looking. Whilst trialling this product, I also found it worked wonderfully as a hand and nail cream!

Last but not least, I tried the Kiwi Seed Eye Cream. I have not used many eye creams in my lifetime, but I do love the feeling of waking up with a noticeably softer-feeling, refreshed-looking eye area. Both my mum and I really enjoyed trialling this eye cream. Only a small amount was needed to gently pat around the eye area. I applied the product underneath my eye, all the way up along my brow bone. The product smelt very similar to the night cream, as it features similar ingredients. I was quite surprised how quickly my skin absorbed the cream. The next morning my eye area was definitely softer feeling. This is a lovely product for tired eyes that need a little TLC!

This skincare range is simply delicious for your skin. I found all three facial products to be nourishing, soothing and softening. The stand-outs for me were the cleanser and the eye cream. My skin felt super-clean and soft after just one use of the cleanser, without the tight, drying feeling that I used to experience with many traditional cleansers that are on the market.

I also really liked the combination of ingredients in the cleanser. The avocado oil softens the skin, the lime refreshes and revitalises, the carrot oil promotes a healthy glow, and the product also contains ingredients with antibacterial properties, making this a go-to cleanser for most skin types.

I enjoyed this range so much that I purchased the full-size cleanser myself. If you are new to organic skincare, I would highly recommend treating yourself to a few products from Antipodes Scientific Organic Beauty range.

For more on Antipodes Scientific Organic Beauty, be sure to check out the following links:

http://www.antipodesnature.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AntipodesSkincare

(Photos sourced from www.antipodesnature.com)

[tearawaymag]

FURET DE FER: CHAPTER -4

  I'd thought it a reasonable time to show up. More like catastrophically bad timing. As I crossed the empty alleyway between my accommodation and theirs, only the merest hint of night could be ascertained. At this hour they'd be in their room, free from parental influence but not yet asleep. Mischief time.

I refer to Jacques and Jacqueline, of course. Since my first meeting with them, my parents had moved on to another house, in their long-established nomadic lifestyle. However I wasn't content to leave two humans (who considered me cute) behind. So I visited them at least once a week. We got up to all sorts of hijinks together; raiding the pantry for croissants, making muddy footprints on the carpet, gluing the toilet seat shut. For some reason this last thing made their father very angry, but we kept doing it anyway.

On this particular week, events weren't to be so amusing. In usual fashion I scurried up the rusting drainpipe to the bedroom window. It was summer, so there was no frost to impede my climb. As usual, they'd left the window open a crack for me. Any human would consider the gap miniscule, but for a ferret-ling it was like an inviting cave. I slithered through, just as usual.

So far, so good. Yet there the usualness stopped. No longer did I smell my friends. Some residual odour was present, as you'd expect in a bedroom, that of the boy particularly strong. But there was no sign of the convivial units themselves. Perplexed, I was.

Also the lights were off. That's why I had to use my nose, you see. Compared to the sunset outside it was exceptionally dark and my eyes needed time to adjust. If only I'd let them do so before jumping down off the windowsill. What a fool I was. No, I just leapt straight to the floor with no vision. When I landed in a cubic cage I got the shock of my life.

“Aha!” A typically French-smelling chap pounced on my new lodgings. His fingers were above me but I couldn't see what they were doing. I was suddenly quite terrified. This must have been the man who – apparently – killed and roasted ferrets on sight. In my fright it didn't occur to me that, if he was locking me in a cage, that statement must have been wrong. Unless he planned on boiling me alive.

“Now you see, I've caught you! Did you think you could sneak around this house without me noticing? Stupid ferret!” His voice boomed and his breath reminded me of a dragon. Looking back, I'm surprised he didn't have lung cancer from the thirty cheap cigarettes he smoked daily.*

“For weeks I've looked at the damage you leave here, you with your disgusting pawprints and your hideous musk! Everything you've touched smells like an Englishman! Pah!” At this point he lowered his nose toward the cage, sniffed, and waved over his nose with a contorted expression. (My parents had told me I wouldn't have musk for another month or so.)

Still scared, I could do nothing but cling to the wire cage and look sad. He picked it up in his beefy right hand and raised me off the floor. I was sure I'd be meeting the Grim Squeaker in a few minutes, he of the black cloak and elongate skelington.

Squeaking, I knew, wouldn't do any good. This man had no remorse and he was carrying me out of the room. He chuckled to himself and I reflected on the abyssal deepness of his voice. Wait a minute...

I had a voice too. Almost the opposite in tone of his voice, but I had one. The kids had been surprised when I used it. Voices weren't normal for ferrets. Did their father know that? I hoped like heck I could induce the same surprise in him. It was the only thing I could do.

“Please put me down.”

He stopped walking. Slowly he looked down, until his narrowed eyes met with my dish-like ones. Had he got the message?

“Please sir.”

His reaction was even better than I'd been expecting. He screamed. “ZUT ET MERDE, IL PARLE!” I keep this remark in French because its translation, if read in English, would probably get me banned from this forum.

Next second I was on the floor again and he was running for it. The words for “demon” and “witch” were among those flowing from his moustachio mouth. He'd let me go. It worked!

Except I was still trapped. Some kind of shiny, portable locking instrument had been secured to the cage door. At least it wasn't above me any more; he'd dropped the cage on its side. Through the wire mesh I poked my nose. Some light came in from the hallway outside.

A shadow passed back through the door and, to my relief, it was too small to be my assailant. Jacqueline crept over and inserted something shiny into the lock. It came undone and she pulled it off.

“Get out of here François, I'm so sorry this has happened! I don't think you should come back.”

“Fufuff. My feelings are the same.” When she wrenched open the cage door I didn't hesitate to leap out and race up to the window.

Once there, I looked back and heard something peculiar. Jacqueline was kneeling on the floor with her hands over her face, making a rhythmic but distressing sound. I realized she was sobbing. Poor girl.

“Thank you, my friend. Goodbye.” And I was gone, vanishing into the night as sugar does into coffee. Soon after I discovered that crying is contagious.

*Another 'Jacques et Jacqueline' fable; I can't vouch for its accuracy.

[tearawaymag]

Interview with Jenna McDougall, lead singer from Tonight Alive

by Natasha Thyne

Sydney rock band Tonight Alive has just released their highly anticipated second album, The Other Side. The album is already gaining rave reviews from fans and reached number three on the Australian iTunes chart in its first hours of being on sale.

The five-piece band has been together since 2008 and has played with other big names in the rock world, including All Time Low, Simple Plan and Good Charlotte's Benji Madden.

In the midst of kicking off their Australian tour and the excitement from the album’s release, lead singer Jenna McDougall took time to chat with TEARAWAY Maverick NATASHA THYNE.

First, congratulations are in order; your new album has just been released and it’s already gone to number three – you guys must be thrilled.

Yeah, I’m over the moon, I’m really happy about it.

Have you had the chance to celebrate?

Last night we had our first Sydney show for the past six months and it was an incredible night; we stayed out all night. I’m a little bit exhausted. It’s been a big build-up as well; we’ve got a very booked schedule.

Have you heard from fans about the album?

I haven’t heard one negative comment. I’m so, so stoked. Everyone seems to be really excited about it and going to the stores and buying it. It’s really awesome.

In your own words can you describe the new album – what can listeners expect from it?

It’s a rock record. I don’t think we’ve stepped away from our sound, I think we just stepped it up a little bit. We grew up a lot in the writing process. It took two years to write. We were touring the whole time, so the record is really based on our lives now. We talk about challenges and change and how we faced them or could have faced them better. I guess it’s just really personal and really honest. The fans will like it.

What was the process of putting the album together like?

The writing process was completely on the road, so sometimes we’d be writing in a bathroom or in a hallway or on our bus. Because of all the touring, we decided 'let's go home and record an album'. We didn’t want to be away any more than we had to be, so we went to a place called Coffs Harbour, which is in New South Wales. It’s beautiful; it’s bush and there’s beach and that’s exactly the kind of environment we wanted to be in.

You worked with Benji Madden on the single Breakdown. What was that like?

It was really cool. He’s so rock and roll and really friendly and really down to earth – as cliché as that sounds. It was really awesome – especially because I’m such a Good Charlotte fan – not only to meet him, but to write a song with him; that’s so insane. My 13-year-old self was just freaking out.

Are there any other musicians that you want to work with in the future?

We have a few friends that we’ve been touring with – Pierce the Veil, Young Guns – there are a bunch of bands. I would really like the time to sit down and write with them and record songs together. I could see that happening in the future.

You just kicked of your big tour. How long will you be on the road for?

Pretty much for the rest of the year we won’t stop. With the new record out it seems really fresh and really exciting. We’re doing Australia, Europe, UK, America, Australia again and then Japan at the end of the year.

So, really full on! Do you get any downtime to sight-see or even sleep?

No, to be honest. It’s really rare that we get to take the time to sight-see and experience the cultures of the different places. But when we do, it’s super special. We were in Singapore last week and it was awesome. We had three days off and we really got to see the city. We went to the aquarium and Universal Studios and really got amongst it there. That doesn’t happen often, so they’re the special moments that you don’t forget.

And because you’re not stopping for such a long time, how do you keep your energy levels up through it all?

With this kind of schedule you realise how important sleep is and how important diet is as well. You notice when you eat really crappy food, you just feel really bad. You get on a high and you get on a real low. We exercise a little bit and try to get good sleep. It all sounds good and healthy but it’s just an ideal. You can’t do it all the time, it’s hard to maintain, there are days where you’re really exhausted, but as long as we put our minds to it, we’re a lot happier than we used to be when we started touring.

After your tour what’s next for the band?

We’ve got another single coming out this month, called Come Home. We’re putting out a video, which is exciting. But the next single won’t come out until next year. We’re going to be doing everything quite steadily and just promoting the new record and taking it around the world again.

[tearawaymag]

CHALK FOR FREEDOM

TEARAWAY Maverick Debbie Tan reports on Amnesty International's Freedom Week.

On the closing of Rangitoto College's Freedom Week, I'd like to write about the exciting, fun and ultimately worthwhile experience we had.

This year's theme, 'Chalk Like An Egyptian' encouraged our creativity and also appealed to our concerns on human rights. We believe that gender-based violence is never okay and we believe that freedom of expression is paramount in humanity.

Throughout the week, we had talks at assembly to introduce Amnesty International's Freedom Challenge to our peers. We had sub-committees each in charge of one of five activities that would be carried out during the week.

We had petitions calling for Egypt's leaders to condemn sexual violence in all its forms and to integrate a plan to protect the rights of women in Egypt. We gave out Amnesty International badges to the petitioners to help raise the profile of Amnesty International at our school.

We also had a fun jellybean challenge and chalked the school grounds during lunchtimes throughout the week. As you can see, we took a mass photo.

Despite the weather, I feel so happy that we executed such an amazing event. For me, the greatest highlight was hearing about others' enjoyable learning experience about women's rights in Egypt; Amnesty International members also took action in petitioning.

I find being a student leader of Amnesty International such a wonderful experience that humbles me – and shocks me, as I hear about human rights violations occurring all over our world. But there is always the hope – the candle in the darkness, if you will – Amnesty International drives me to help in any small way each of us can, to make the Universal Declaration of Human Rights a reality.

Freedom Week was great at Rangitoto College and I look forward to seeing it even bigger and better next year. I hope to help out with local events for Freedom Week next year, involving more people, other schools and even local businesses in the coming future. I hope my peers have learned a little more about human rights through doing a little more for human rights, and will take continue to take action through Amnesty International.

[tearawaymag]

JASON KIM Lives Below the Line

Live Below The Line

TEARAWAY Maverick Jason Kim takes the challenge.

  Pssst... you can sponsor Jason here: https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/jasonkim

Right now I’m hungry.

This annoys me greatly, and as anyone that knows me well can tell you, I can be a pretty grumpy guy when my tummy is empty. I become easily irritable, begin to drift out of conversations and will eventually retreat somewhere to sulk.

But my mood doesn’t really make sense. If I’m hungry there are several options open to me in order to alleviate it. I can look in the fridge or pantry to fix myself something to eat, or I can walk down to the shops where a diverse range of delicious but unhealthy options await me.

As unfortunate as it is, I think the whole concept of being grateful for what we have, and to “think of those poor starving children in Africa!” has become somewhat of a cliché for today’s generation. While of course it’s a noble and desirable pursuit to try and give these issues the exposure and attention they so desperately need, at some point the constant deluge of issue-evangelism (combined with our natural apathy), relegates these important concerns into an abstract, un-relatable concept. We all agree it's something that is important and that we should do something about, but don’t actually have a tangible understanding of or sympathy for it.

Like it or not, people today live busy lives and can sometimes be a little self-absorbed. While a token donation once in a while may make us feel good about ourselves for helping to “make a difference”, I have become increasingly jaded as to the prospects of getting people to truly grasp the raw hard realities of poverty and the stark lack of choices, opportunities, and hope available to so many of our brothers and sisters around the world.

Personally, I would just get depressed thinking about this before reaching for another donut. But in 2009, two passionate social justice advocates in Australia, Rich Fleming and Nick Allardice, came up with a simple but brilliant plan to help people understand first-hand some of the hardships faced by those living in extreme poverty – while also raising money for a diverse range of worthy, charitable organisations and causes.

What started as a personal three-week challenge to try and live off an income at the poverty line is now a global movement, active in five countries (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US and the UK). Since it was launched in Australia in 2010, Live Below the Line has had 48,354 participants raise $9.425m (USD) for more than 70 partner charities. By the time the NZ campaign is finished next month, Live Below The Line will be able to say that more than 50,000 people have taken the challenge, raising more than $10 million for their partners, according to CEO of the Global Poverty Project, William Watterson.

The Live Below The Line campaign is as much an exercise in empathy and improving our ability to really understand at an emotional level the realities of extreme poverty – as it is about raising money. To borrow a common slogan of anti-poverty advocates, “give a man a fish and he can feed himself for a day; teach a man how to fish, and he can feed himself for a lifetime”. Similarly, a one-off donation to anti-poverty charities may leave us feeling warm and fuzzy (and sure, all contributions help), but if we understand the true nature of extreme poverty and can develop a more personal connection and understanding of the issue, perhaps we might all become invested in looking for long-term solutions together.

How it works:

The Line itself is calculated by starting with a baseline Extreme Poverty Line of $1.25 US a day, which is the figure arrived at by the World Bank in 2005. This is then translated to the equivalent amount in the local currency by adjusting for purchasing power parity and inflation. In New Zealand, this figure comes out to $2.25 a day.

From here, the process is pretty straightforward – participants enlist their friends, family, co-workers, classmates etc. to sponsor them for completing the challenge. Participants can (and are advised to) spend the week’s budget on one shop of groceries (to cut down on costs) and then budget out the portions to ensure that they are in fact within the $2.25 figure each day.

Who are we helping?

The beauty of Live Below The Line is that the participants get to choose where their funds go. The impressive list of partners and causes includes:

Global Poverty Project: an international education and advocacy organisation working to speed up the movement to end extreme poverty. The GPP exists to increase the number and effectiveness of people taking action to end extreme poverty, with the goal of eliminating extreme poverty within a generation.

Childfund: supports sustainable agriculture projects

TEAR Fund: helps rescue and rehabilitate women and girls from the sex trafficking industry

UNICEF: gives malnourished children life-saving food sachets

VSA: supports projects that reduce violence against women in the Pacific

Oxfam: helps the poor develop sustainable businesses and livelihoods

P3 Foundation: supports literacy and schools programmes

World Vision: supports an adult literacy project in Temotu (Solomon Islands)

Or choose from 16 other amazing partners, including micro-finance projects, orphanages, curing people of leprosy and much, much more.

Additionally, on top of all the good things done with the money raised through the Challenge, there has been significant headway made in the policy arena, with an army of activists around the world lobbying for important political change. Their most recent effort was the End of Polio campaign, where supporters helped grow political support for polio eradication and successfully campaigned for more than $1 billion to be committed to critical vaccination programs, helping to bring polio to the brink of eradication.

Sign-ups have now closed for this year’s challenge, and depending on when you read this it may be too late to donate to the cause by sponsoring someone who is doing the challenge (such as myself, for instance!). However, you can visit www.livebelowtheline.com/nz for more information or details about the project, and like the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LBLNZ) or follow the Twitter account (www.twitter.com/LBNZ) to receive updates on the challenge and issue related news and info.

“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.” – Nelson Mandela

[kelados]

inadequately blue – Emma Shi

[tearawaymag]

inadequately blue. the sky folds open every morning like origami and i fold out with it, like butterflies, like pretty birds, lifting away, only to be caught in the creases of the ocean. they say that if you make one thousand paper cranes, you get a wish. if my fingers did not ache, i would fold and fold and fold until i got not one wish, but a million, and i would scatter them across the sea and kiss the feathers that wash up on the shore each year. my lipstick stains are stuck on the softest things in the world like clouds and the boy who didn’t say goodbye. he dipped his finger into sunsets and painted my eyes red, orange, fire, and i would spread that burn out across the ocean but my fingers shake and nothing comes out of my mouth but air.

That's our girl! The award-winning poem by Maverick EMMA SHI :D