It is swearing-in day for the new cabinet. Sarah Austen-Smith, a former press secretary to prime minister Jacinda Ardern, has some advice for anyone looking to win sway with the top table team. Businesses, activists, organisations and public servants spend a huge amount of time (and money) trying to communicate effectively with ministers. In an … Read more
From the US primaries to the New Zealand election campaign, the battle of the memes is something to take very seriously, writes Sarah Austen-Smith. Simon Bridges is single-handedly killing every last Māui dolphin. Jacinda Ardern is personally stealing from you to pay for her promises. In the wild west of political memes, almost nothing is … Read more
As our summer road trip season rounds to a close, Sarah Austen-Smith takes a whistle-stop tour of country cafes between Auckland and Wellington to see whether the grass really is greener in the regions. Black Stump Berries, Te Puke Pulling into Black Stump Berries in a seven-seater Toyota Highlander full of kids, my first thought … Read more
A whistle-stop tour of southern Sri Lanka is a culinary overload of colour and fragrance – but ordering a beer can be, er, weird. Burdened by the weight of my own trinket haul, I arrived in Colombo desperate for a cup of Ceylon tea. Crushed in the direction of the bus door, I was spat … Read more
Spoiler alert: it’s hearty, it’s humbling and it involves horse. I woke up in my capsule in Bishkek with desert mouth. The vital signs of a hostel in the morning – bags zipping, doors slamming, toilets flushing and teeth being cleaned – told me my boyfriend was also showing signs of life. A capsule hostel … Read more
A lily-livered foreigner braves the fiery cauldron that is Chóngqìng’s specialty. You know your food’s going to be fucking hot when the restaurant has installed a sprinkler system to spray you with a cooling mist while you eat. Recovering in the comfort of my hostel 24 hours after my first Chóngqìng hotpot (huǒ guō), I … Read more
From the alleyways of Běijīng to the Tibetan highlands, independent brewing is on the rise in the world’s most populous nation. When we think of China, chances are we don’t think of craft beer. You might put that down to the legacy of popular beers like Tsingtao, Harbin or Snow. Tsingtao, of the seaside city … Read more
The angst of a Wellington winter melts away amid the tongue-tingling tastes of the Middle Kingdom. You’re in the break room guarding the microwave as your soup-berg slowly circles. Your toast’s just gone down. Pete comes in. You eyeball him: lay down that Vogel’s bro, this needs at least another minute. The weather’s shit. Work … Read more