Show 120 Monday 31 July

Watch today's show at YouTube.


STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, this is Stick News. Today in New Zealand, it’s the official coin changeover date.
The new coins have the same design but are up to 54 % lighter.

This is a 50 cent coin from Aotearoa. It’s very heavy.
According to the reserve bank, New Zealand’s old silver coins are among the heaviest in the world.
For years New Zealanders have struggled to maneuver the coins in and out of wallets.
Wallets in Aotearoa are among the largest in the world.
It’s a government standard that jeans made in New Zealand have reinforced stitching around the pockets.
And in what scientists call the heavy coin effect, over several decades people in New Zealand have evolved to have thicker, stronger wrists.
The New Zealand government finally bowed to the pressure from the world health organization who said New Zealand’s phenomenally high rate of wrist injury, was unacceptable.

The new coins were issued today. From August to October both old and new coins will be accepted. And from the 1st of November old coins will no longer be accepted. *
And that was Stick News for Monday the 31st of July.
Kia Ora.

* Accidentally left out: at shops and businesses.

conversations with sarah
# 78 What does that mean?

Sarah talks about watching fireworks.
Step 1: Repeat Manami’s lines.
Step 2: Read Manami’s lines on the screen and talk to Sarah.

Manami Did you have a good weekend?

Sarah 　Yeah. I went to watch the fireworks at Sumidagawa.

Manami Fireworks? What does that mean?

Sarah 　Um, beautiful things in the sky like this...

Manami Oh, hanabi.

Sarah 　Yeah.

Manami It must have been crowded.

Sarah 　Yeah, I guess so... I was in a building... so it was really comfortable.

Manami What building were you in?

Sarah 　Um, one of my students invited me to watch the fireworks from her office building. There were lots of people watching them um, in the cafeteria on the 21st floor.

Manami The view must’ve been good.

Sarah　 Yeah it was. We couldn’t hear the fireworks of course, but it was so nice being inside with nice cold beer and air conditioning.

Notes:

About the new coins.

Aotearoa = New Zealand

Music by Kenji Williams from New York, USA.
Used with permission from magnatune.com
From the album Epic.
Listen to the album or buy it here.
Read about Kenji Williams on magnatune.com
Kenji William's site