New Zealand's Involvement in the Vietnam War

Hi there, this is some work I did for an assessment a while ago, please feel free to use it, however if you do, please ensure to reference it properly. Thank you and DFTBA!

What happened in the Vietnam War?

The Guerrilla War

The guerrilla tactics that the Viet Cong used were brutal and had ongoing mental effects on Veterans of the Vietnam War. The allies (New Zealand, America and Australia) faced a very distinct style of war called guerrilla warfare. This is when at least one side uses small combat groups and creates traps, ambushes etc. and uses the terrain to their advantage. In the case of the Vietnam War the Vietcong used guerrilla warfare tactics.

One of the guerrilla tactics the Viet Cong used was blending into crowds to create confusion. The Allies’ soldiers were faced with an unknown enemy because the Viet Cong soldiers could be anyone, mothers, children, men, teens. Having to face this unknown enemy made it very difficult for allies’ soldiers to distinguish who was an enemy and who was an innocent civilian. “You never knew who was the enemy and who was the friend. They all looked alike. They all dressed alike. They were all Vietnamese. Some of them were Viet Cong. Here’s a woman of twenty-two or twenty-three. She is pregnant and she tells her interrogator that her husband works in Danang and isn’t a Viet Cong. But she watches your men walk down a trail and get killed or wounded by a booby-trap. She knows the booby-trap is there but she doesn’t warn them. Maybe she planted it herself. The enemy was all around you.” (Marine Captain E. J. Banks date unknown). This is a useful analysis from a Vietnam veteran as it is shows from a first-hand perspective the manner in which the war was fought. However it must be treated with caution because it is biased to E.J. Bank’s experience. It shows how effective the guerrilla tactics were in confusing the allies and making it difficult for them to locate an attacker. This would have been useful not only for the attacker’s safety but the confusion and uncertainly would have been mentally taxing on the Allies soldiers.

Figure 1 shows a small section of one of the tunnels under Vietnam used by the Vietcong. This primary evidence shows how small the tunnels were and it also displays how a soldier could not seen around the corners and the dangers that would come with this disadvantage. This evidence is biased as it is only showing a section of the tunnels and so it is hard to grasp the enormity of the tunnel system.

Another guerrilla tactic that the Viet Cong used was the extensive use of tunnels under Vietnam. These were used by Viet Cong as effective ways of travelling across large distances quickly. These tunnels allowed the Viet Cong to pop in and out of the tunnels and they were discreetly hidden and booby-trapped so American soldiers had problems finding and following Viet Cong soldiers into these tunnels. DK publishing talks about how these tunnels were very useful to the Viet Cong because they were so dangerous for the Allies’ to enter. In fact DK Publishing discusses how there were special types of soldiers called ‘tunnel rats’ who ventured into these tunnels to try to find safe ways through and find networks or supply centres. The tunnels were extremely extensive, covering very large areas. Daniel Moran claims that the Viet Cong have said they dug about 30,000 miles of tunnels. Daniel Moran also commented that the tunnels were used for protecting Vietnamese civilians from air attacks by the Americans. No other sources have mentioned this use for the tunnels but it is still possible that in some cases the tunnels could be used for protecting civilians as many sources have shown diagrams which display extensive sleeping areas. This information should be treated with caution as no cross reference is available. This evidence shows the mentally taxing nature of the guerrilla warfare, especially for the tunnel rats. The tunnels were extremely dangerous as shown in previous evidence and a solider going into the tunnel would have been fairly certain he was going to his demise. This would have mentally unhinged soldiers as they watched friends go into these tunnels or went into them themselves to almost certain doom.

This guerrilla warfare had a huge affect on the Allies as 11 % of Allies’ fatalities and 17% of injuries (Daniel Moran 2001) were caused by booby-traps that the Vietnamese had set. These traps were often pitfall traps which were covered and at the bottom contained extremely sharp spikes to pierce   into the skin of the Allies. One can imagine the huge moral impact this would have had on soldiers. “It really got the troops worked up and there was an awful feeling of helplessness.” (Anonymous[1])
“Knocks you back a bit . . . It’s something you, oh, it hurts” (‘Bill M’)
These accounts are firsthand experience of how the soldiers felt about seeing their comrades die in traps set out by the Viet Cong. Whilst they are biased to personal situations they do strongly reflect the views of many soldiers and there are numerous other quotes which portray the same message so I consider them to be fairly reliable. One can see from these accounts the absolute horror that the soldiers faced and we can only imagine the terror this caused.
For a lot of soldiers this tough psychological warfare was the worst part of the war. We can see this today in the huge number of Veterans who are suffering psychological damage because of the Vietnam War.
“There I was, all done up in a bloody suit and all these people were in bloody long dresses . . . and three weeks ago I was walking around dripping with ammunition with a bloody live round up  the spout. And I just could not relate to that evening. I was shitting myself. I had to keep on going outside because I couldn’t breathe.” (Hardie Martin)
“socially and emotionally I was a wreck. . . It was such a terrible experience that I suppose it’s like a lot of depressions if you like . . . much later of course you realise that we’re all going through that in various degrees and we all had this problem.” (Anonymous[2])
These quotes once again are biased because of personal experience but they do give the impression that all the New Zealand soldiers appeared to have similar opinions to them. These quotes are extremely useful for me because they show me the aftermath of the war from the New Zealand Veteran’s perspective. These personal accounts highlight the ongoing effects of the guerrilla style warfare that was going on and the effect it had on soldiers’ mentality. These soldiers had never been exposed to this kind of warfare before and the shock of not knowing the enemy, the traps and the tunnels took them out of their comfort zone and caused ongoing mental health problems which they have had to learn to live with.

The use of Agent Orange

The use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War has had ongoing health and economic impact in Vietnam, America and New Zealand. Agent Orange was a chemical herbicide used in the Vietnam. It removed large areas of foliage. The allies used this chemical to take out large areas of forest to expose Viet Cong hiding spots. This included finding tunnel entrances and above ground buildings. Debbie Levy, author of ‘The Vietnam War’ reports that the spraying of this chemical began in 1962. The chemical itself was colourless. It was given the nickname ‘Agent Orange’ because of the orange strips painted on the side of its containers. This is reiterated in what DK Publishing says it agrees that the spraying of the herbicide began in 1962. DK publishing then goes on to say “Most jungles could recover from two sprayings, but a third killed them. Mangrove swamps, however, died after only one spraying. More than 72 million litres (19 million gal) of herbicides were sprayed during the campaign – 60 percent of the Agent Orange.” Because this information can be crossed referenced I can trust it to be reliable and as it is fact biased it is more likely to be reliable rather than skewed by perspective. These statistics show how much foliage would have been damaged over the course of the Vietnam War. This loss of foliage has affected Vietnam economically because a lot of once fertile land which could be used for agriculture has been destroyed and is still unable to be used today due to the use of the herbicide Agent Orange. There has been a lot of coverage on the Chemical Agent Orange because it causes birth defects in the children of anyone exposed to it. This presented a huge problem as thousands of Vietnamese had been exposed to this chemical, as had numerous Americans, Australians and New Zealanders. NZ History has stated that there were as many as four million cases of people being exposed to the chemical in Vietnam. NZ history also reported that US veterans had been given a $180 million settlement from companies which produced Agent Orange. However another source (Adam Hibbert in his book Chemical and Biological Warfare) says the number of Allies’ children affected by the use of Agent Orange is pitiful compared to the million Vietnamese citizens affected with the number growing by the thousands every year. This evidence highlights the ongoing affects on the children of soldiers and Vietnamese citizens. These birth defects have caused anguish and economic instability within families and within Vietnam, America and New Zealand. These children born with birth defects tax our healthcare systems and they cannot be economically contributing members of society. There is currently no exact number of veterans soldiers’ children being affected by Agent Orange in New Zealand but like the rest of the Allies countries and Vietnam, New Zealand has suffered an economic impact as the affects of Agent Orange have been taxing on the health system. A study in 2004 concluded that Veterans had been exposed to a ‘toxic environment’ and this had health effects on veteran’s children. (NZ History) I believe this source is reliable as it has always been able to be cross referenced in the past. The Government has formally apologised to veterans who were exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange. Both NZ History and the veteran’s news paper ‘Tribute 08’ discuss the apology given to New Zealand Veterans’. Since these sources agree on the evidence I can count it as credible. This evidence shows that the use of Agent Orange has had a significant impact on Veteran’s children’s lives and has caused them many health problems which has affected their lifestyle.  

 

Figure 2 this picture shows two children of Vietnamese people who were exposed to the chemical, Agent Orange. We can see the scale of the damage o them and how disfigured their bodies are. This primary evidence is biased as it is only showing two out of thousands if not millions of examples. It helps to highlight some of the ongoing physical effects of Agent Orange.

Prisoners of War

Both the allies and the Vietnamese took prisoners of war. These prisoners were treated poorly and were often tortured for military intelligence. Like many other wars throughout the duration of the Vietnam War people from both sides were taken captive and in many cases interrogated. This was a regular occurrence on both sides to gain military intelligence. DK Publishing reported that more than 660 US servicemen were taken as prisoners of war; most were held in North Vietnam. The majority were either tortured or abused. During one occasion “American prisoners of war were marched under military guard through the streets of Hanoi in 1966. They were filmed for propaganda purposes, and their images broadcast around the world.” (DK Publishing in their book Vietnam War) This source has proven very reliable in many cases and has been able to be cross referenced so I will accept this statement as fact. This shows that the Allies’ prisoners of war were treated poorly and paraded around the streets for propaganda purposes like a bunch of puppets. DK Publishing has stated that these men were often tortured, presumably for military information.

The Allies took in a significant number of Vietnamese prisoners of War. Whilst this was often to gain military intelligence it was also, because they were fighting an unknown enemy, to find out who was a member of the Viet Cong and who wasn’t. Often people who were only suspected of involvement were taken in and tortured to try and achieve a proclamation of guilt or a list of names of people involved in the war.
“I myself watched an interrogation in a Mekong Delta town . . . Soldiers had brought in a lean youth in black cotton pyjamas who looked like any peasant. The soldiers wired his fingers to a field telephone, [and] then cranked it as an officer spoke with surprisingly gentleness to the youth, trying to extract either information or a confession. The youth gritted his teeth, his facial muscles taut as the electricity coursed through his body, and he finally blurted out a few words.” (S. Karnow 1983)
This is a very useful account of someone being tortured. However, it must be treated with caution because it is a personal account and contains bias. Also it may not reflect other cases of people being tortured.  This shows the brash treatment the Vietnamese prisoners of war received and how they were tortured often without conviction. This evidence also proves that the Vietnamese at least were being tortured for military intelligence.
New Zealand soldiers were captured alongside the American soldiers and treated the same way as them. Since there were significantly fewer New Zealand soldiers than American soldiers less, of them were captured and taken prisoner. However these soldiers would have been treated just as badly as the Americans as no distinction would be made between the Allies. DK Publishing comments on how all prisoners were released once the American forces had moved out of Vietnam. This means any New Zealand soldiers who had not yet been released when New Zealand pulled out would have come home separately to their comrades.

Why did New Zealand form an Alliance with America?

New Zealand sided with the Americans in the Vietnam war because America pressured New Zealand to do so. The Vietnam War was the first time that New Zealand had fought in a war and not been in alliance with Great Brittan (Great Brittan did not participate in the Vietnam War). According to NZ History New Zealand was ‘under pressure’ by the Americans to fight alongside them. Both NZ History and a book by Wyatt and Wilson Print called New Zealand Army agree on the following facts. New Zealand’s involvement was initially quite small with New Zealand sending a small non-military force in 1964 including mechanics and medical assistants. This involvement increased in 1964 when New Zealand sent 25 Army engineers. Finally in 1965 New Zealand sent 161 Battery in a combat capacity to provide military support. The battery was joined by several infantry units before they returned home in 1971. New Zealand had a force of 543 at its peak. There were 37 fatalities and 187 casualties. This number of fatalities and casualties seems small in comparison with the number of American soldiers who lost their lives (58,209) or Vietnamese (about 1.5 million soldiers and 2 million civilians).
“The US did not want to be seen intervening alone in the civil war of another country . . . it [America] sought the active support of other nations to give the American presence in Vietnam international credence. . . The Americans canvassed both Australia and New Zealand for their support.” (Grey Ghosts New Zealand Vietnam Vets talk about their War written by Deborah Challinor) This source is supported by other sources such as NZ History so I can trust it to be reliable. This source shows that America needed allies and essentially pressured New Zealand into supporting it. New Zealand would have agreed to support America to keep up good foreign relations. Whilst New Zealand’s involvement was limited these sources show that the involvement that New Zealand had was due to the pressure of the US which needed allies to intervene in another countries civil affairs. Since the Vietnam War New Zealand has changed its foreign policy in regard to alliances with other countries and becoming involved in civil matters in another country. “Labour leaders called for ‘new thinking’ in foreign policy that would allow New Zealand to pursue a more independent course in world affairs, that would incorporate a ‘moral’ dimension, and that would better reflect the country’s character as a small multicultural nation in the South Pacific.” (NZ History) this information is not brought up in any other sources. However NZ History has been able to be cross referenced in many cases and this gives the source credibility so I can count the evidence it provides as fairly reliable. This quote shows the beginning of the move towards a more independent New Zealand which was caused by New Zealand being pressured into going into the Vietnam War by the Americans.

The Effects of the War on people back home

Protests in New Zealand

The protests in New Zealand affected the views of the youth in society at the time. It is well documented that in New Zealand there were a significant number of protests about the Vietnam War. Protests in New Zealand began in 1965 (NZ history) with a couple of people. However, by the end of 1971 there was up to 35,000 people taking to the streets per protest with placards because they want New Zealand to “follow its own independent path in foreign policy” (NZ History) as opposed to following others . An effective method that protesters used, both to gain more protesters and to display their message to the general public was their propaganda posters. These called for ‘mobilisations’ which are essentially mob protests. A significant number of the protesters at the time were youth, mostly university students. “The Vietnam War took place at the time of tremendous change . . . young people were changing the face of society and culture”  (Debbie Levy in her book The Vietnam War). NZ History shares the same view, that whether or not it was brought about by New Zealand’s controversial involvement in the Vietnam War, New Zealand’s youth’s perspectives were changing “The Vietnam conflict thus brought with it a polarisation of opinion and a questioning by many New Zealanders of the government’s alliance policies, especially among younger people” (NZ history). Having two sources that strongly agree that youth’s views were changing around the Vietnam war not only gives both sources credibility but it shows that the New Zealand youth’s views were changing and progressing into the views we see in society today. We will never be able to determine exactly what brought about this change. However these two sources agree that the controversial Vietnam War provided a starting point for this paradigm shift.

 

Figure 3 in this piece of primary evidence we see young New Zealanders taking to the streets to voice their opinion on the War in Vietnam. We can see in this photo that it is primarily youth protesting and this highlights the point that it tended to be the young generation who were starting the social reform that protested against New Zealand’s involvement in the Vietnam War. This picture whilst useful does not show all the protesters so other sources have to be used to gauge the general age of the protesters.

Protests in America

The protests in America surrounding the Vietnam War had a large impact on people’s lives at the time. New Zealand’s protests mirrored those in America; however, the protests were bigger and resulted in the deaths of four University students. Debbie Levy discusses this in her book “The Vietnam War” She claims that the war was ‘still tearing at the fabric of American society’ even as the soldiers were coming home. In America anti war protests began in 1966 and by 1967 they were ‘common’. Debbie Levy’s use of the work ‘common’ shows that these protests were large and frequent. Any kind of large and frequent protests would have been a huge disruption for people’s lives as they would have closed streets and businesses. On top of this the police had to get involved to quell the protests. Debbie Levy talks about how the police ‘used tear gas and clubs to break up an antiwar demonstration in Madison, Wisconsin, in the late 1960s’. This kind of brutality from the police force could have physically injured people and it would have shocked the entire country and caused many shifts of view points toward the defence department. The most notable case which would have caused this is the demonstration at Kent State University where on May 4 1970 “hundreds of students had gathered to protest at Kent State. Ohio Governor James Rhodes called out the Ohio National Guard to keep the situation under control. The protesters set fire to a building. They threw stones at the soldiers. In the midst of the confusion, the guardsmen fired into the crowd. Four students were shot. Eleven others were wounded. The sight of Americans killing Americans stunned the nation” (Debbie Levy in her book ‘The Vietnam War’). Debbie Levy’s book it a good source of information and it shows the protests in America at the time. No other sources found discussed the protests in America in such depth so it is hard to cross reference for reliability. However any parts which are able to be cross checked match one another, leading this source to be able to be considered reliable. All of these examples show the grotesque nature of the protests. Having so many deaths and injury caused by other Americans as a result of the Vietnam War clearly affected the lives of many Americans especially those directly involved in the protests. This shows that the protests had a large impact on many lives of Americans even if they themselves were not involved in the protests.

New Zealand Soldiers Coming Home

New Zealand soldiers were treated with resentment and disrespect when they returned home from war. Unlike other wars when New Zealand soldiers returned home from war, they were treated poorly. They were shunned by society and called ‘baby killers’. The war was so controversial and so many people disagreed that New Zealand should have been involved in the first place that the New Zealand Government could not hold public ceremonies. “You sort of expected to be, I suppose, welcomed with open arms, so to speak. But you weren’t, you know. We were shunned.” (Dave Douglas date unknown). “So when we got to the door we had to follow the ropes all the way to the [terminal]. They said, you’ll see people out there, they’ve got placards saying Babykillers and Christ knows whatever else. He said ignore them, don’t even look at them, just get out of the plane and take off into the bus . . . No sooner had you stepped out of the plane and these people are YAH! Shoving placards in your face” (Matt G. Date unknown). Both these sources provide an interesting insight into the welcome home the soldiers received. Whilst they are biased because they are personal accounts, they show that many of the soldiers had a hard time returning to New Zealand because they received so much scrutiny from the public. The New Zealand Government couldn’t hold public ceremonies for them because “A welcome home parade for 161 Battery was disrupted by a small group of protestors who accused New Zealand soldiers of being murderers and threw red paint, symbolising the Vietnamese blood on their hands” (NZ History). This source can be cross reference with the book ‘Grey Ghosts’ by Deborah Challinor who reports the same event but comments that they also threw eggs and threw themselves under the band. This shows both the disrespect and the resentment the protesters showed for the Veterans upon their home and how unwelcomed this would have made them feel.

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[1] Sourced from Grey Ghosts New Zealand Vietnam Vets talk about their War

[2] Sourced from Grey Ghosts New Zealand Vietnam Vets talk about their War

Ocarinas - Pt1

Ocarinas

What is an Ocarina?
An Ocarina is, simply put, a wind instrument. (An awesome one!)
They commonly look like this:

(Image from www.songbirdocarinas.com)
This is a simple, single- chambered ceramic Alto C ocarina. They come in many shapes, sizes and ranges, however, which will be covered in Part 2 next week. :3

The history of the Ocarina

In fact, the first known ocarina-like instrument appears around 12000 years old!
Its origins can be traced back to many different cultures found in South and Central America, the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas - all developing and performing on clay ocarinas, often shaped like small birds or animals.
China also had its own form of Ocarina called a Xun, which were more rounded and egg-like in shape.  

Some possible ancient Ocarinas

In 1527, a small group of Aztec dancers and musicians were sent to Empereor Charles V, performing at the royal court. The performances were a great success, and the ocarina was replicated by a Roman baker who made his own, and nicknamed it the "Ocarina" meaning "little goose".This was quite popular as a novel item, but was not considered a real instrument, as it lacked a wide range of notes.

In the late 19th Century, however, a young Italian baker and musician, Guiseppe Donati, re-made the design into the known potato-shape we commonly see today. This new Ocarina now included an accurate pitch, as well as a far more extended range of notes. Many varying sizes were also made, allowing the Ocarina to become useful in Western music at that time - there was even the creation of Ocarina ensembles, one of which is still actively performing today - the "Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese"
Who you can see perform here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8TYceDNcCk


With the coming of World War 1 and 2, the small pocket-size of the ocarina made it ideal to carry around, and servicemen would often use it to boost morale.

This, of course, resulted in an increase in popularity for the Ocarina in both Europe and America. Sadly, however, this was quickly overshadowed by the rising popularity of the Recorder - an instrument with a similar sound as the Ocarina, but far easier to make and play, and so the Ocarina found itself vanishing in the world of well-know instruments, to join the likes of the Theremin or Hurdygurdy among the ranks of obscure instruments that still exist, but aren't really commonly played.

The Theremin

The Hurdygurdy

However, this does not mean that the Ocarina was completely forgotten! Hope still remained for our small little potato-shaped instrument.

However, this does not mean that the Ocarina was completely forgotten! Hope still remained for our small little potato-shaped instrument.
In the 1990's, one game was to forever change the way the Ocarina was perceived. “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” caused interest in the Ocarina to skyrocket; most notably in Europe and America. If you know video games, and you know The Legend of Zelda, you'll know what an Ocarina is! :D

Link from The Legend of Zelda, playing the Ocarina

Interest was also piqued in Asia, particularly Japan, due to Ocarina Master, Sojiro and his performances. This instrument is still fighting back against the bonds of obscurity!
On that note, Sojiro's performances are certainly very good! Give them a watch here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmjGjaCldz0&list=PLA4D309DBBC8D3945
Seriously. Do.
It's awesome.

Anywho, Dragina out!
DFTBA. :3

Aliens and Tardigrades

We have all heard stories of mysterious UFO sightings and I’m sure most of you don’t believe them, however are there actually other life forms out there? I believe the answer to that question is yes.

If you think about it statistically, it is almost certain that there are other forms of life out there somewhere. The radius of our observable universe (The observable universe is how much of the universe we can see in each direction, so Earth is the centre of our observable universe) is 46 billion light years and just one light year is roughly 10 trillion kilometres. What I’m trying to say is the observable universe is big, really, really big. And the observable universe could just be a tiny section of the actual universe. This means that because there are so many planets orbiting stars it is highly likely that on one of them there is some form of life, possibly even sentient life.

We have already found other planets and moons which have an atmosphere and may possibly be able to support life, in fact we have found other planets and moons within our own solar system which may have or may have once been able to support life. The most famous example is of course Mars. Now I’m not saying that there are little green men running around on Mars but I do acknowledge the pact that given that Mars once had an environment that could sustain water flow. We know that there is currently frozen water on Mars. If you think about it an environment like this could have very probably supported single cell life forms, maybe even more.

Less known is the 6^th moon of Jupiter Europa. Europa has a mostly oxygen atmosphere and is has an iron core and the surface is mostly composed of ice. Nobody knows if there is liquid water underneath the surface or not but it is entirely plausible. This means it is also entirely plausible for Europa to have sustained or currently sustain some form of life.

There are at least 3 objects in our solar system alone that do, or might have in the past sustained life. Therefore is overwhelmingly possible for there to be other forms of life. I can’t comment as to whether this life would be sentient or not or have at least evolved into animals or developed plant life. In fact thinking about the statistical probability I think it is quite plausible that there is other sentient life and it is my hope that someday we will be able to communicate with them.

Now I want to talk about some amazing microscopic creatures called “Tardigrades” these little creatures, also known as water bears, have been taken into the vacuum of space and left there completely exposed for 10 days. (A project called “Tardigrades in space” also known as “T.A.R.D.I.S.”) Now for any other known living being that would have killed them instantly, however when they retrieved these Tardigrades and brought them back to earth, they found that they were still alive! Not only that but they were happily swimming and some of them even made little Tardigrade babies. This ability to survive in the vacuum of space has given weight to the theory of Panspermia, which is the theory that originally basic life forms arrived on planet Earth from out of space and from there have evolved to form life as we know it.

So whilst I don’t think little green men have come down to earth in flying saucers, I do believe that there are other forms of life out there, maybe even other sentient beings. I hope one day that science will evolve enough to allow us to find these species and possibly communicate with them.
What do you think about the Panspermia theory? Food for thought! :3
DFTBA

Life, Death and Afterlife?

Life, Death and Afterlife?

This is a speech that I wrote on the novel Looking for Alaska by John Green. It is what I have been wanting to write a blog on for ages. I hope you like post thoughts in the comments. Do you agree? Do you disagree? Have you read the book? Which are your favourite quotes. DFTBA.

“How do I get out of this labyrinth?”
These are the quoted last words of Simon Bolivar and feature prominently in the novel Looking for Alaska by John Green. This quote; like the rest of the book, looks at life, death and the concept of the afterlife and how religion tries to approach these problems. Throughout the novel the protagonist (Miles Halter) considers how religions differ in their views on death and the afterlife, specifically Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. And why so many people around the world follow these religions.

“What will become of us when we are no longer?”
Dr Hyde a teacher of Miles, teaches Miles about life after death in the Islam, Christian and Buddhist faith. The concept of afterlife in the Christian and Islamic religions is strongly based around the concept of judgement and admittance into heaven or hell – depending on how well the believers have lived their lives. The Buddhist religion on the other hand teaches the idea of Karma which is based around the idea of ‘what goes around comes around’. This relates directly to the Buddhist afterlife belief of how you are reborn as a creature worthy of how you have acted during your lifetime. This is also known as reincarnation.

Miles is fascinated by these ideas as he feels it encourages people to live better lives but also that it provides hope of there being more than a life on Earth. I am personally also very interested in the concept of life after death and after much thought I have come to the same conclusion as Miles. “People believe in the afterlife because they can’t bare not to.” As humans we cannot imagine nothing, we cannot imagine not being able to think, we cannot bare the thought of the world continuing on without us and our existences fading into nothing because we are just another dead human being. We cannot conceive these ideas much the same way as we cannot imagine a new colour.

Why is the belief in an afterlife so prevalent in religion? Humans grasp onto the hope that there is something more, anything more than merely life and death. We need to be assured that after death our souls will be conscious and we will receive our entitlement. This hope makes pain, loss and the certainty of death bearable. “What is the best way to go about being a person?......What are the rules of this game, and how might we best play it?” Miles then talks about how these themes relate to religion. He shows the reader that religion is about hope, the hope and promise that if one leads a productive life and displays good qualities, they will later be rewarded in the afterlife. This serves as an incentive for humans to better ourselves.

So how does science relate and fit into these concepts? Towards the end of the novel Mile concludes that no matter what science states it is best to believe in an afterlife. “I thought for a long time that the way out of the labyrinth was to pretend that it did not exist, to build a small, self-sufficient world in a back corner of the endless maze and to pretend that I was not lost, but home.” I have reflected on this view this view and I personally agree with Miles, that to maintain hope on the matter was to believe in the afterlife. It is too hard to conceive the idea of nothingness and also the hope it provides is so sweet. “I believe now that we are greater than the sum of our parts.”

Yes, I believe these views are important to everyone. The afterlife is important in religions because it provides an incentive to live a life according to moral ‘good’ but it also gives us all something to believe in. Something to hope for when all else seems lost. “Thomas Edison’s last words were: ‘It’s very beautiful over there.’ I don’t know where there is, but I believe it’s somewhere, and I hope it’s beautiful.”

Dust & Dust Mites

Dust
Those little grey particles of hair, sand, and.. well, 'dust' that inhabits almost every corner of every house, and hides in those un-reachable nooks and crannies. Most of this dust, however, is made up out of the 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells that we lose every minute! There's also the mold, ash from smoke, bacteria, animal fur etc....
All in all, not everyone's favourite substance!

Yes, that's right. This is mostly dead skin!

It's found everywhere, from 'dust-storms' to abandoned buildings to just happily floating around minding its business. A lot if this is dead skin, too, as dead skin accounts for about a billion tons of dust in the atmosphere. Woo! You're inhaling human sheddings. :D

But enough about that stuff!

Let's talk about something even more skin-crawling! (literally)

Dust Mites

These are the little, teeny, microscopic arachnids that live happily in the stuff we so despise.

They are also one of the reasons my skin is perpetually covered in eczema! (Something they're quite famous for! But then again, my skin is just generally really keen to tear itself from me. XP)

In fact, it's these mites, not the commonly-believed pollen, that is one of the most persistent sources of allergic reactions! (60%!)

Though, in actual fact, it's not the creatures themselves that we're allergic to, but their fecal material and cast skins. 

These adorable (or not so) little less-than 1/2 a millimetre long creatures love to live and multiply in places where you humans spend most of your time!

...That's right!

I'm talking about your bed, (especially your pillow, as they love to eat dandruff) your sofa, and wherever you spend lots of time! 

They also like a bit of moisture and humidity - another reason why they love your bed, and live happily in highly-humid, warm places. 

Now you may think "I'm going to have to change my duvet / pillows more often now! D:"

...however, these mites spread very rapidly and will be found spread in a new mattress as fast as six months after purchase. Not to mention that they can move around airborne with simple activities such as changing bedding and shaking pillows, and so will just hop from one to the next.

There is SOMETHING you can do, though, as washing your bedding in hot water once a week removes dust mite populations. Not much point in doing this though, unless you are EXTREMELY allergic, or just really creeped out at the thought of the around 500,000 dust mites that approximately inhabit your home.

Yep. 500,000 of THESE.

Life-Cycle

These teeny spider-mites have a lifespan of around four months. The cycle from egg to larvea to adult takes about a month, with the adult living for about three.

In this short period, the female dust mite can lay as many as 100 eggs in her lifetime in small groups of three to five. 

Anywho!

I'm off to bed. G'night all, sleep well. ^^

Dragina, awaayyyy!~ ^.=.^

Swans

Swans - The "Royal Bird"

I need only say the word "swan" and one immediately imagines one of the beautiful, white royal birds that have been so loved for many years.



There are around seven species of swan, but the four most common and recognised species are the Mute swan, the Black swan, the Black-necked swan and the Tundra swan.

Look! I found pictures of them! ^^

Today, however, I'm going to focus largely on the Mute swan, (Cygnus olor) as they are by far the most well-known and recognised type. (Seriously. Type "Swan" into Google images and about 85%ish of them are the mute swan!) They are also the type that we love to see drifting gracefully across lakes, of gliding through rivers on a bright spring morning. 





The Life of a Swan


Swans generally mate for life, only replacing their partners if they are lost or dead. Courtship begins between the ages of 2-4. This is done by displaying, or showing off to another swan (like most bird species!). While facing each other they dip and turn their heads. Swans may also “kiss” bills, creating the heart shape with their necks that the species is renown for.

It DOES look very much like a heart!

Nests are usually a wide mass of rushes and reeds, lined with down and built near the water's edge. The female lays two to seven whitish eggs, each about four inches (10 cm) long.When hatched, baby swans, (called cygnets) are known to be rather ugly (or at least very different from their white parents!) - see "The Ugly Duckling".

Aw, how can you call this ugly!?

After 5 weeks of incubation the cygnets finally hatch, being able to swim as soon as a day or two after hatching. Their parents will protect them for their first few months of their life; which is the reason it's best to stay away from nesting grounds during this period... parents tend to be rather aggressive!




The cygnets are independent in about 18 weeks, and ready to fly in 4 to 5 months when they may leave their home territory. However they are only considered fully grown in size after about 6 months.Then, another 6 months later, the young will finally have that oh-so desirable white adult plumage!In any case, if they don't leave to find their own territory, they will be driven off by their parents before the next breeding season. Like a lazy teenager being kicked out of the house. XD


Domestication of Swans

For many centuries, mute swans in Britain were domesticated for food!Individual swans were marked by nicks on the webs of their feet or beak to indicate ownership. These marks were registered with the Crown and a "Royal Swan herd" was appointed. Any birds not so marked became Crown property, hence the swan becoming known as the "Royal Bird". It is quite possible that this domestication saved the swan for being hunted to extinction in Britain. 

 



Other Swan Info!


Swans are the largest water fowl on Earth,  Mute swans weighing from 6.5 – 13 kg (14 – 30 pounds), and about 160 cm (5 feet) long, with a wingspan up to 2.5 meters (8 feet).A male swan is called a cob, and a female swan is called a pen.The Mute swan’s neck has more vertebrae than any other bird: 23,  as well as boasting some 25,000 feathers that make up its impressive plumage.Swans are actually very intelligent; being able to recognise humans who have been nice -or cruel- towards them. They do not attack humans without cause. (But can be aggressive during nesting!)The Mute swan is not actually mute! They can make a variety of hissing and occasionally honking (or 'barking'/'bleating') noises as well! (Talk about a misleading name!)

Overall, we've got to agree that swans are pretty awesome birds. (Both literally and figuratively! XD)

Anywho! Hope you enjoyed all that stuff on swans!
Dragina, awaaayyy!~ ^.=.^

The Chinese Gold Miners

Ok, I don't have time or motivation to write a post. I had a very upsetting day and don't have it in me to write a proper post so here's my history project, I hope you like learning about the chinese miners! ^.^ (Just so I don't get in trouble, DO NOT COPY THIS WORK FOR ANY ASSESSMENTS!!!) DFTBA! :)

The Chinese Gold Miners in New Zealand
Why were the Chinese invited to work in New Zealand?

Many Chinese miners were working in Australia after gold was discovered there in 1851. This led to an influx of immigrants into Australia and most of these immigrants were Chinese workers seeking to make enough money to sustain their life style whilst still sending money back to China to sustain their families back home and provide them with a better lifestyle than would have been possible form working in China.

There was a great deal of tension between the Australian miners, the European miners and the Chinese miners. This was primarily due to the significant cultural differences between them. The Chinese tended to live in close communities which meant they rarely associated with the European miners. The Chinese preferred to smoke opium rather than to drink alcohol and gamble which was what European miners tended to do in their spare time. The difference in culture resulted in the European miners abusing the Chinese, both verbally and sometimes even physically. There were some notable violent attacks and riots such as the 1860-1861 Lambing Flat riots, where protestor’s used physical violence to push the Chinese out of their settlements. The Australian government was unable to provide support and protection for the Chinese miners and this led to the miners resenting working in Australia.

Gold was first discovered in New Zealand in 1861. Once the discovery was announced in the Otago newspaper, the news of the find spread rapidly around New Zealand and miners started to flood into the Otago gold fields. This discovery was a huge boost to the New Zealand economy. However the chamber of Commerce was aware of the situation in the gold fields in Australia and realised that ten Chinese immigrants had been the biggest boost to the Australian gold mining industry and hence a large reason for the increase in the Australian aconomy.so when after the first few years of gold mining in Otago, the European miners thought they had exhausted most of the available gold, the Chamber of Commerce sent a notice to China and Australia inviting Chinese miners to New Zealand to mine for any remaining gold they could find. These notices promised protection to the Chinese.

In the late 1800s, early 1900s New Zealand was relatively unknown and it was thought to be a relatively peaceful and law abiding country with little violence. This appealed to the Chinese as they saw an opportunity to mine on a far safer environment than Australia. Shortly after the notice was issued, the Chinese population rose from almost zero to about 1,200 in Otago alone.

The Chinese lifestyle

Most of the Chinese miners in New Zealand lived a similar lifestyle to those in Australia. They either lived in tight knit communities with others from the same ethnicity or on their own in a cottage on the edge of a township. This was because many of the Chinese miners, whether they were from Australia or directly from China, had left their families back home in China. Some men brought over one relative but this was usually a male who would be able to help with the mining work. This resulted in many of the Chinese miners becoming very lonely which in turn resulted in strong communities forming with a strong sense of unity and solidarity.

The majority of the miners could not afford to bring their families over from China as the fare was too high. Only the wealthier families managed to pay the fare. These families tended to establish shops or other small businesses, generally specifically tailored to meet the needs of the wider Chinese community.

The European miners did not mix with the Chinese as they felt uncomfortable about their lifestyle which was deemed to be “weird” and foreign. In addition to their secluded lifestyle, the Chinese also mined in a different way to the Europeans which further differentiated them. The Chinese tended to re-mine old claims which had been abandoned by the European miners. The European miners had taken all the “easy” gold which was relatively easily mined and they left the gold which was harder to extract and therefore less profitable. The hard working Chinese miners were not afraid to work for this gold and it provided them with a reasonable income and hence lifestyle, whilst allowing them to send money home to their families in China. It was unlikely they would ever become wealthy this way though. The Europeans miners could not understand the Chinese approach to mining: their aim was to get rich quickly and move on. This uncommitted type of mining style favoured by the Europeans meant they often went without food and did not have a very comfortable lifestyle.

Since the Chinese were working previously worked European claims, conflicts often arose when the Europeans returned to their old claims to finds that they had lost them to the Chinese. This also created tension between the two cultures.

What were the New Zealander’s views of the Chinese?

 The European miners strongly resented the Chinese miners as they felt they stole their claims and were too “exclusive”. These views prevailed throughout New Zealand and even through the families of the miners themselves. These views were also enhanced by the fact that many Chinese established farms and other agricultural businesses. Many New Zealanders felt that the influx of the Chinese threatened their sovereignty over New Zealand. The New Zealanders could see the Chinese were willing to work harder than they were for less pay and this made them more favourable employees to the New Zealanders. The New Zealanders felt that businesses were more likely to employ the Chinese workers and this, together with the rise in the number of Chinese businesses, worried the New Zealanders who felt that they were losing out on securing jobs. The New Zealanders felt that the jobs should be given firstly to them to maintain national sovereignty. The Chinese started to become known as “The Yellow Peril”.

In 1871, the extent of discontent with the Chinese situation led to the signing of a petition requesting the New Zealand Government either restrict Chinese entry into New Zealand or deport the Chinese who were not New Zealand citizens. Whilst the Government was prepared in general to listen to New Zealanders to prevent violence erupting, the Chamber of Commerce did not want the Government to amend the legislation. The Chamber had been tracking the significant rise in the economy and it was no coincidence that the rise correlated with the arrival of the Chinese. With the Chamber’s strong objection to any changes being made to the legislation, the Government felt obliged to retain the status quo to maintain long term economic gains. The rejection of any amendment further increased tension between the Chinese and the New Zealanders.

How did this lead to the miners being treated differently?

 With tensions between the Chinese and the Europeans being at an all-time high, violence was bound to break out. A famous example of this violence occurred in 1905when an elderly Chinese woman was fatally shot by activist Lionel Terry in Wellington’s city centre. There were several other similar incidents around the country. However, the violence and discrimination was not merely centralised towards individuals but was often directed at a whole group of Chinese. At this time the town considered to be “the gateway to the goldfields” was a small town called Lawrence in Otago. Any Chinese who chose to live there was shunned and excluded. Some shops even refused to sell goods to any Chinese living in the town. This forced the Chinese to establish their own township a kilometre away. The Chinese felt secluded and strong resentment grew among them which in turn led the Chinese community to becoming wary and unaccepting of the New Zealanders. The two racial groups kept to themselves and did not inter mixed. This split the mining communities into two which worried the New Zealand Government which had originally promised to protect the Chinese mining community. However it was also the Government’s duty to protect their own citizens. In 1881 the New Zealand Government finally bowed to pressure from the New Zealanders and in an attempt to appease them and put a stop to the violence which was escalating, they passed legislation restricting Chinese entry into New Zealand.

What did the New Government do about the problem?

The New Zealand Government enacted legislation to restrict Chinese entry into New Zealand. The main piece of legislation was the Act “To regulate the Immigration of Chinese. “This came into force in late 1881 and stated that in order to enter New Zealand a person of Chinese ethnicity had to pay a poll tax of £10 to the New Zealand government. In addition, ships carrying Chinese immigrants were only permitted to carry one person of Chinese ethnicity per 10 tonnes of cargo. This excluded Chinese sailors from remaining in New Zealand for any length of time. The penalty on a captain who floated the law was £10 per Chinese person carried in excess of the allowance.

At first this legislation settled tensions between the Chinese and the New Zealanders. However, it was soon realised that the influx of Chinese into New Zealand had only decreased in a minor way following ten introduction of this legislation. This resulted in the New Zealanders becoming furious with the Government as they felt it was trying to cheat them of jobs that were rightfully theirs as citizens of New Zealand. This placed pressure on the Government to raise the level of the poll tax. Once again the Chamber of Commerce came out against any increase in the tax on the basis that the Chinese were a positive influence on the New Zealand economy and the more allowed into New Zealand the better. A rise in the poll tax would deter immigrants.

In the end the Government decided to ignore the Chamber’s wishes and give in to the New Zealand public in an attempt to prevent violence. In 1896 the poll tax was increased to £100. Following this huge increase, the influx of immigrants decreased significantly and the majority of the New Zealand population felt appeased.

What happened to the Chinese when the gold rush ended?

After the significant rise in the poll tax, most of the tension between the Chinese and the New Zealanders eased. Although the resentment, exclusion and occasional violence were still apparent, most of the prejudice had dissipated. During the early 1900s the gold began to run dry in the Otago fields. By this time, many of the New Zealand miners had left Otago for the West Coast of the South Island, leaving the Chinese to fully exhaust the remaining gold fields, especially in the rivers.

After so many years away from home, most Chinese miners were anxious to return to their families. However a passage on a boat to China was expensive and beyond the financial means of most miners who in general only made enough to live on and to send money home. This resulted in most of the miners remaining in New Zealand. Some established small businesses, some of which are still operating in Otago today. Most of the miners left these communities which became abandoned and they built small cottages in remote locations around Otago.

In the past several decades some of the bodies of the Chinese miners have been transported back to their homeland and returned to their families. The remainder are buried in graveyards here in specifically designed plots.

Many historical gold mining sites remain today and tourists are able to gain a glimpse into how the Chinese lived and worked. A memorable site is that of the remains of a cottage which belonged to a Chinese miner, unable to return to his homeland. This cottage can be seen on the way in to Macetown in Otago near Arrowtown. The Chinese man who lived there is reported to have been an opium smoker and the site is known as “Opium Bob’s cottage”. Similar sites to this can be seen in many other places around Otago. There is a relatively large settlement in Arrowtown, down by the Arrow River and another along the Kawarau gorge Road between Queenstown and Cromwell. The derelict cottages can be entered. They generally consist of a small single room with a fireplace and a bed. The walls are usually of stone and the floor is bare dirt.

What is the result of Chinese miners’ immigration in New Zealand today?

Many historical sites have been restored and set up as tourist sites. These sites show visitors how Chinese miners lived and worked and the conditions they endured to make a living and send money home to their families back in China, who many never saw again after arriving in New Zealand.

Recently the New Zealand government has sought to return some land to the Chinese and their descendent families. However to date no returns have been made as no direct descendants have been found.

Helen Clarke, on behalf of the New Zealand government made a public apology to the Chinese Government for the appalling treatment of the Chinese immigrants in New Zealand. This apology was made in any attempt to from strong economic and social ties between the two countries. It has also highlighted the plight of the Chinese miners to the New Zealand public and has led to understanding of the suffering endured by the Chinese 100 years ago. The Chinese immigrants suffered prejudice and racism some of which is still present today.

New Zealanders today have recognised that New Zealand was considered a racist country and the Government has, in the past 150 years, acted in a racist manner. Has this led to a better and more tolerant society in New Zealand with more acknowledgment of the need to understand and incorporate different cultures into our society?  It may have paved the way for a more understanding society tolerant of different races. It may have taught New Zealanders to be more tolerant of other races and the benefit of working together for economic gain.

There are many Chinese in New Zealand today, working and assisting in the economic prosperity of our country.

It has resulted in a number of tourist attractions which provide economic return for the country.