BERTRAND JANG 

CHEF / CAKE MAKER + SWEET and ME OWNER

FIJIAN / CHINESE 

. 

I am a Fijian Chinese born, raised in Fiji. I have 6 handsome brothers and 2 loving parents. I was raised in a small house with 14 people under one roof. Every day was dramatic. There was so much to do and so much fun and laughter. I was always surrounded by family and didn’t have my own room. It was truly the best days of my life, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I was brought up with 2 cultures; Fijian and Chinese, and was really blessed to come from a long line of family that cooks. We all love to cook. We bonded over the preparation of the food it always connected us. Everyone would pitch in and help some cousins would climb the trees and husk coconuts, other cousins would be peeling onions and preparing meats and aunties with their cups of teas.…more

Patrick Lee-Lo 

Publishing/Marketing & Advertising 

Samoan & Chinese 

I am involved in Media - Book publishing, marketing Digital Signs and Billboard advertising. I was born, raised and educated in Wellington. I am mainly of Samoan and Chinese heritage with a few other nationalities in the mix. 

You're the Marketing & Business Development Manager for 'Whats Cooking' do you cook yourself and what is your favourite Pacific Island dish?

Yes. I love to cook Italian food but because of what I do, involved in the foodie industry I get to try lots of different eateries and dishes. Obviously, I have my favourites.  My favourite PI dish is Oka - Samoan Raw fish done in Coconut Cream with fresh Taro.

What was your journey to get to this position and what were some of the struggles you had to go through?

I have enjoyed a varied business career in different industries - Electrical, Business Equipment, Retirement Villages, Facilities Services and now Media.…more

Talissa Koteka 

Rarotongan/Samoan 

FIFA Disciplinary Committee member / Entrepreneur / Lawyer

I was born in Auckland, but my parents moved to Rarotonga when I was 3 months old. My father is a Cook Islander and my mother is Samoan, so giving my older brother and I an island upbringing was something important to the both of them once I came along - hence the reason for moving back to Rarotonga, where my dad spent most of his childhood.

I was fortunate enough to have spent my childhood in Rarotonga as well, but was sent to school in Auckland once I reached high school (which is common for a lot of Cook Islanders).  I was such a little island kid and adjusting to the lifestyle in NZ was a huge transition. But it was great! I got to experience the best of both worlds.…more

Far beyond the physical benefits that a healthy lifestyle can bring, Lapi Mariner shares the importance of his health realities through his new lifestyle and current weight loss journey.

Popularly known as a prominent singer within the Pacific, the Father of 2 began his journey a year ago after an uncomfortable experience he had after one of his many performances.

“I was overseas in the US singing and noticed I was out of breath and had only just sung the first verse. So I got home and made a decision to make a lifestyle change.”

When returning to New Zealand, it was time to put it all to action. A year ago, Lapi got on board with former Heavyweight Professional Boxer, David Letele AKA The Brown Butter Bean, to help kick start his healthy lifestyle regime. This meant attending BBM WARD (Butter Bean Motivation) Boot Camp Classes 4-5 times a week, sticking to a healthy meal plan and drinking at least 4 litres of water a day. 

Like many would experience, it wasn’t an easy start.…more

Tell us a little about yourself. 

My Name is Matiah. I am an artist with Māori, Tongan, and Norweigan heritage. I specialize in tattooing, tamoko and tatau. I am the middle child of three...I was born and raised Manurewa.

When did you first realise tattooing was more than a hobbie?

I was raised constantly surrounded by all forms of creativity. I never saw art as a hobbie - I just unconsciously did it as a form of expression.....The transition into tattooing really just presented itself to me when I had just finished high school and had no clue as to what I was going to do with my life lol. I was definitely curious about tattooing though and had been for quite some time.…more

Musician and actor KJ Apa shares about his childhood, his love for Samoa and staying connected with family.

By Vanessa Trethewey

An exciting new initiative was launched earlier this week, giving hope, confidence and empowerment to South Auckland females.

Local tertiary provider Ignite Colleges teamed up with Dress for Success Auckland, a charity which provides free professional clothing, support, skills and mentoring to help women land jobs and build careers. Together they hosted a unique fashion show and pop-up clothing sale on July 31, attended by more than 200 people.

This is Dress for Success Auckland’s first foray into the South Auckland region, and according to its Executive Manager Margot Minett Earwaker it is just the beginning.

“We are delighted because this is the first event and pop-up sale we have ever had in South Auckland and we are just ecstatic about the response,” she said. “People were lining up before the doors even opened, and many of them have told me how fantastic they think it is. Dress for Success has been looking to come to South Auckland for some time and this is the start of things to come.…more

Madeleine Chapman

Editor of The Spinoff

Samoan, Tuvaluan, Chinese, American

My father was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, smack bang in the middle of America. All the rest of his family still live over there. My Mum is Samoan, with a Tuvaluan father and Chinese grandfather, and grew up in Elisefou. I have nine siblings and we were all raised under one roof until I was about eight years old. Growing up was...loud. Home was never empty and if you were fighting with one sibling there was always another one in the next room who'd be nice to you.

Can you share a bit about your journey to becoming a writer?  Was it something you always knew you wanted to do?

I was a big reader as a kid, mainly because Mum hated the TV so reading was a safe alternative. It also looked like homework so I got out of doing housework sometimes if I was reading. But even then I didn't think I was much of a writer.…more