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“I’m originally from Egypt. My wife is Filipino, she got a job offer as a nurse. Then I decided to come to visit. So I visited, but I never went back.
I just like the environment, like the people. We came here, maybe, in 2005. I come from an Arabic background, so of course, the language was… View more“I’m originally from Egypt. My wife is Filipino, she got a job offer as a nurse. Then I decided to come to visit. So I visited, but I never went back.
I just like the environment, like the people. We came here, maybe, in 2005. I come from an Arabic background, so of course, the language was my first problem here. Even if I tried to understand, I can't catch one word. I had to study, and listen to news, music, whatever. I can talk to people, I don't feel shy.
In the beginning, I didn't have a business. I used to work for another shop. I used to study English because my English wasn't good enough. I used to work at night, study full time in the morning. Then after three years, I was able to speak and understand English, so I started my business in Ferry Road. My first shop opened in 2012 at Ferry Road under Sabry’s Souvlaki. Then my second shop was, I think, Redwood, then Wairakei Road, Hornby, Papanui then the city centre.
Around 2019, the first one was in Hereford Street. I love the city. I did get the chance to open in different areas, but no, I don't know. I just like the city. This location, High Street, it's very nice. I like the people. We got support from the office workers. I like my neighbours. I like the city too much!
Even the homeless are friendly to me. I know most of them, I support them with whatever they need. I just help them. You can't just fight or ignore them, you have to be part of that community as well.
We also have a bubble tea shop, Boba Time. But my wife, she handles it. I don't know what I think about bubble tea, because it's a different culture, but I know about kebab and souvlaki!
I have four boys, three born here. One of them is studying as a doctor. You have to spend time with family as well. My oldest kids live outside the city, so as soon as they come home, we make dinner, talk about family, you know, to be connected, we're close family, and we keep our culture as well.
What we miss, unfortunately, is the cathedral. This is the first thing I saw when I arrived. I went inside many times. It was amazing. Hopefully it will come back one day.”
Paint it Orange - Arthritis - 1st - 29th November 2025
Paint it orange with Resene for Arthritis NZ!
Buy any orange Resene testpot 60 ml at your local Resene owned ColorShop in November and Resene will donate $1 to Arthritis NZ!
The more orange testpots you buy, the more will be donated.
💸💸💸 Before you get caught, test your scam knowledge with Netsafe’s fun new Scam Spotting Quiz or try our online module for even more skill-building.
Did you know there’s a global shortage of sweet pea seeds?
In Aotearoa New Zealand, dedicated gardeners are working to revive authentic sweet pea varieties and keep their beauty blooming for generations to come 🌸🪻🌻
Read more about their efforts here.
We hope this brings a smile!
Scams can happen to anyone, especially during Black Friday and Cyber Monday when online shopping increases. Scammers use trust, hope and fear to get money or personal information:
TRUST: Pretending to be a courier, retailer, or bank.
HOPE: Offering fake “too good to miss” deals or miracle … View moreScams can happen to anyone, especially during Black Friday and Cyber Monday when online shopping increases. Scammers use trust, hope and fear to get money or personal information:
TRUST: Pretending to be a courier, retailer, or bank.
HOPE: Offering fake “too good to miss” deals or miracle products.
FEAR: ‘Limited time deals’ messaging, fake ‘missed delivery’ updates
✋ Remember the SCAMS red flags:
Surprise contact
Control or pressure
Access to your device
Money request
Stop and seek support
If you think you’ve been scammed, stop contact, call your bank, and change your passwords.
In central Palmerston North, landlords are being offered incentives to give their properties a tidy-up. Key to this: dedicated funding.
We want to know: Should city-wide refresh projects be rolled out across all Kiwi urban areas? Or would this be a waste of funds that could be allocated … View moreIn central Palmerston North, landlords are being offered incentives to give their properties a tidy-up. Key to this: dedicated funding.
We want to know: Should city-wide refresh projects be rolled out across all Kiwi urban areas? Or would this be a waste of funds that could be allocated elsewhere?
A local landlord in Riccarton booked what was meant to be a simple, routine CCTV drain check, just a bit of peace of mind for a tidy, well-kept rental. But under that neat garden and solid paths, our camera told a different story…
We found several cracks and offsets in the old ceramic drain … View moreA local landlord in Riccarton booked what was meant to be a simple, routine CCTV drain check, just a bit of peace of mind for a tidy, well-kept rental. But under that neat garden and solid paths, our camera told a different story…
We found several cracks and offsets in the old ceramic drain lines, likely hidden damage from the 2010–2011 quakes. Nothing too dramatic yet, but it was only a matter of time before things got messy.
Luckily, the property still had an EQC (now Natural Hazards Commission) claim on record. Our team stepped in to help the owner with the process, and before long, the repairs were fully approved and sorted at no extra cost to them.
We replaced the damaged sections, tidied everything up, and left both the tenant and landlord relieved they’d caught the problem early.
Moral of the story: sometimes a “routine check” can save you a lot of stress (and cash) down the line!
Have you claimed your free drain check with Enviroflo yet?
Hello Neighbours - we have launched our new website so no more wondering we have the plant you are after - you can simply look for it on here! Happy planting!
A landlord in Riccarton booked a routine CCTV drain inspection for a well-maintained rental property, expecting nothing more than peace of mind. But beneath the neat garden and solid pathways, our inspection revealed a different story — multiple cracks and offsets in the ceramic drain lines, … View moreA landlord in Riccarton booked a routine CCTV drain inspection for a well-maintained rental property, expecting nothing more than peace of mind. But beneath the neat garden and solid pathways, our inspection revealed a different story — multiple cracks and offsets in the ceramic drain lines, likely caused by the 2010–2011 earthquakes.
The damage wasn’t causing major symptoms yet, but it was only a matter of time. Thankfully, the property had an EQC (now Natural Hazards Commission) claim on record, and our team was able to guide the owner through the process of submitting a repair claim.
Once approved, we replaced the damaged sections, reinstated the site to its original condition, and left both tenant and owner relieved to have caught the problem early — and grateful it didn’t come out of their pocket.
Have you claimed your free drain check with Enviroflo yet?"
A big congratulations to the 2025 Resene Bright Spots winners! We are proud to announce our ten winners who have all won a $250 Prezzy card and a $250 Resene Gift card!
Deepa Keenawinna - Lower Hutt (home crafts)
Slava Voronin - Kerikeri (blossoming tree)
Sam Holliday - Paraparaumu (hot pink … View moreA big congratulations to the 2025 Resene Bright Spots winners! We are proud to announce our ten winners who have all won a $250 Prezzy card and a $250 Resene Gift card!
Deepa Keenawinna - Lower Hutt (home crafts)
Slava Voronin - Kerikeri (blossoming tree)
Sam Holliday - Paraparaumu (hot pink outdoor chair)
Chris Carlyon - Waikanae (French Bulldog painting)
Joel Bradley - Auckland (Kea painting)
Jayne Walton - Rangiora (rainbow gate
Charmaine Macpherson - Cheviot (colourful bathtab)
Adele Whittaker - Auckland (school mural)
Karan Robson - Foxton Beach (blue backdoor)
Dave Bang - Levin (native bird mural)
Take a look at their wonderful colourful entries below. A huge thank you to everyone who shared a Bright Spot in their community this year; we have loved seeing the places in your neighbourhood that bring you joy.
“A lot of adults don't play."
"I was in the city for whatever, I think I was with a colleague. We had just been to the convention centre and we walked back to where we parked. There were some puddles, and instead of walking around, I jumped onto one of the blocks, and ‘boink, … View more“A lot of adults don't play."
"I was in the city for whatever, I think I was with a colleague. We had just been to the convention centre and we walked back to where we parked. There were some puddles, and instead of walking around, I jumped onto one of the blocks, and ‘boink, boink’ jumped over. She was like, ‘you jump on things and play on things, but most people don't do that’. I think it's why a lot of people get bored - forgetting how to play.
I started skating mid 2010-ish, right before the September quake. Because I'd been doing Aikido for so long, stopping Aikido and gravitating towards skating instead, that was quite a big thing for me. And then I started getting more into downhill.
My first skate trip was to Auckland. I linked up with some of the Auckland crew, and joined them on a trip to the Coromandel. There's also Longboard Girls Crew which has created a worldwide community of female skaters, so I linked up with one of the Aussie girls, Gemma, and joined her crew for my first overseas trip in 2014.
Since I started doing the Asia Pacific tour and all those races I would be away for roughly about a month every year, because I’d do a race in Australia for a week, and then maybe another event in a different place, the Philippines, occasionally China or Korea, or whatever. I've been to the Philippines heaps. It's cool because a lot of the guys there know me now, so I get treated as one of them, like part of the fam. I linked up more recently with the Malaysian skate crew, it's been really cool going back and experiencing Malaysia as an adult.
The female skate community is like that as well. If you do downhill skating or even longboard dancing, it's cool that when you find other people that do the same thing, you just instantly have this connection with them.
I decided to join the Euro Tour in 2019. God, I'm so glad I did that, who knew that COVID was gonna happen, right? The European Circuit is seen as the pinnacle, it has some of the most prestigious races worldwide and a well-established downhill skate scene. I remember when we camped off the side of the road in the Dolomites to skate. You skate at sunset, then you set up your camp as it gets dark. You wake up at dawn, skate, then when traffic starts to get too heavy, you pack up and you chill for the rest of the day.
As I've become a better skater I've become more confident, I feel it's helped me to really grow as a person. I think it's such a good thing for other people. I like teaching adults, because A) adults have a greater understanding and awareness of body movement, and B) It is that growth in confidence thing that I really love. When you unlock that and you see that spark, that's the most rewarding thing.
I feel like I'm in a really good place now. The older I get, the more I learn that I have to prioritize what I want to do, because there's so many things that interest me. It's boring to just be stationary.”
Elissa
part 2 of 2
Love raspberries? We will give away free copies of the December 2025 issue to readers whose raspberry recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way enjoy raspberry (dessert, salad, jam main?!): mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by October 24, … View moreLove raspberries? We will give away free copies of the December 2025 issue to readers whose raspberry recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way enjoy raspberry (dessert, salad, jam main?!): mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by October 24, 2025.
Police are appealing for sightings of Rowena, 39, reported missing from Christchurch.
Rowena was reported missing to Police on 22 October, however was last heard from on 15 July 2025.
Police are now appealing for any sightings of Rowena or any information that may assist in locating her. If … View morePolice are appealing for sightings of Rowena, 39, reported missing from Christchurch.
Rowena was reported missing to Police on 22 October, however was last heard from on 15 July 2025.
Police are now appealing for any sightings of Rowena or any information that may assist in locating her. If you see Rowena, or have information that could assist in our enquiries, please contact us.
You can contact us at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking "Update Report" or by calling 105, referencing file 251022/9026.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
A trailblazing Māori scholar has finally received the recognition she deserves — nearly 100 years after her passing.
Mākereti Papakura, believed to be the first Indigenous woman to study at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a posthumous degree certificate.
Papakura sadly passed … View moreA trailblazing Māori scholar has finally received the recognition she deserves — nearly 100 years after her passing.
Mākereti Papakura, believed to be the first Indigenous woman to study at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a posthumous degree certificate.
Papakura sadly passed away in 1930, just weeks before she was due to present her thesis. Her research was later published as The Old-Time Māori — the first ethnographic study written by a Māori author.
We hope this brings a smile!
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