Rosemary Hayes  - Winner !

I just want to say a BIG, BIG, THANK YOU to MARMITE, NZ for holding this competition. It has been such a great way of connecting with Kiwis who are living all around the world. It makes you realise that when you are feeling a little homesick .....you are not alone - there is someone else out there who feels the same way.

To my family and friends, friends of friends, friends of fellow MARMITE entries and friends of friends of fellow MARMITE entries - a BIG THANK YOU!. Without you guys I would have never gotten this far. Thank you for all your votes, comments, pictures and videos. You guys are the greatest.

And lastly, THANKS to me for always holding onto my Kiwi heritage. Even though I now hold dual citizenship with both New Zealand and Canada, I will ALWAYS be a Kiwi!!

MARMITE, one last plea.....please send me home to Dannevirke, a town with 6,000 people, where everybody knows your name.......for Christmas.

THANK YOU MARMITE - YOU ROCK!

So, I never realised until the other day, just how different our Kiwi words and phrases are from Canadian words and phrases……

I drove to the mall with a co-worker of mine. Lets call her Alice. I was trying to find a store at the mall, but ended up missing it as I drove around. “No worries” I said to Alice, “she’ll be right, we will just go for a little tiki tour”. “A little what?” said Alice

“A tiki tour” I said, “don’t you know what that means?” She’s like “Ahhhh no”. So, I explained to Alice what a tiki tour was.

And……… it all went downhill from there. As I was doing my little tiki tour, I noticed that the car was almost out of petrol, so I thought I had better go to the petrol station to fill up. As I was driving out of the mall, I went over a judder bar and my windscreen got a crack in it and my car started smoking. I was trying to find somewhere to pull over, but the footpaths were really busy with people, so I continued driving and put the blinkers on to pull over, but they weren’t working, so I tried the hazard lights but they weren’t working either! So, I just stopped the car, and lifted up the bonnet. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with it, so I opened the boot to change out of my jandals to my gummies. While doing this, someone pranged into my bumper. “Oh bugger” I said. The lady got out of her car and started having a hissy fit. I was like “don’t get your knickers in a knot lady, she’ll be right”. I noticed I had a small cut on my pinky, so I got the first aid kit out and put a plaster on it.

I was so brassed off with everything that had happened. I noticed that the lady who hit me was wandering around looking like she was away with the fairies - I think she might have been a few sandwiches short of a picnic! Speaking of picnic, I remembered that I had a chilly bin and some supplies in the boot, leftover from when we had been at the bach. So, Alice and I sat down with some chippies, lollies and fizzy and waited some more.

The tow truck finally showed up and I got my licence out of my bum bag (yes Nth. America, its called a bum bag and NOT a fanny pack) to show the driver. The car ended up being towed to a panel beaters that looked a bit dodgy, and was out in the wop wops. They told me they would ring me when it was ready. I was like “sweet as”.

“Rattle your dags” I said to Alice, “lets get going”. “Cheerio, hooray” I said to the panel beaters and we went off to spend the arvo with the rellies.

MARMITE, I miss my kiwi words and slang. Please, please send me home for Christmas. I know all my Canadian family are friends are cheering me on (yes Canada “cheering me on” NOT “rooting for me - I won’t tell you what that means in NZ).

MARMITE, this competition has been awesome. Thanks for thinking of it and getting us to show our true Kiwi Spirit. You are the greatest!

Hi MARMITE,

I can't believe there are only 4 days left of this competition. I must say "well done" to you guys for organizing such a fantastic competiton. I have had a lot of fun doing my entry page and getting to know other Kiwis who are away from NZ. I didn't realise there were so many of us ex-pats living away from NZ, and in places all over the world!! Yah to us for being so adventureous!!

I have now been living in Canada for 7.5 years. We only came over here for 5 years...but we are still here. During that time I have only been back to NZ twice. I find Christmas a really hard time of the year over here. Its cold, dark, snowing, raining and I am away from my family and friends. My husband comes from a seperated family, so we tend to have two (or three) seperate gatherings, rather than the one gathering that we would have back in NZ, so for that reason I find Christmas time very difficult over here and it's not a holiday that I really look forward to.

While we have been over here I have lost one set of grandparents and my other grandfather passed away in 1999 while I was sailing the seven seas and working on cruise ships. I was unable to go home to say good bye to any of them.

Recently my grandmother (only grandparent left) fell in her garden, while chasing away the neighbours cat and had a stick go inside her hand. She was on the verge of having blood poisoning and was very, very sick. I would love to be able to go home and see Gran and spend some time with her. She makes the best fish pie and rice pudding ever and I haven't had that in a long, long time!

Also, word on the street is that Vancouver is meant to have the worst snowfall EVER this year. Ugh, bring out the snow shovels and salt.

MARMITE, it would be so awesome if you were to select me as one of the lucky winners to return to NZ for Christmas. I would love to spend the time with my family and friends. I know my nieces and nephews (photos on my page) would love it if Auntie Rose could come home for Christmas. They miss her so much and she misses them too.

MARMITE, please help me swap peanut butter for MARMITE, snow boots for jandels, beanies for sun visors, snow goggles for sunnies, snow tyres for water skis, turkey for roast lamb, and Canadians for Kiwis.

You would forever be at the top of my Christmas Card list if you were to send me home for Christmas.

Thank you for your consideration.

From a Kiwi who really, really, really wants to come home for Christmas

On the first day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
A case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

On the second day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Two bags of pineapple lumps
And a case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

On the third day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Three bottles of fizz
Two bags of pineapple lumps
And a case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Four bags of chippies
Three bottles of fizz
Two bags of pineapple lumps
And a case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Five home-made pavlovas
Four bags of chippies
Three bottles of fizz
Two bags of pineapple lumps
And a case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Six boxes of Roses chocolates
Five home-made pavlovas
Four bags of chippies
Three bottles of fizz
Two bags of pineapple lumps
And a case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Seven roast lambs with mint sauce
Six boxes of Roses chocolates
Five home-made pavlovas
Four bags of chippies
Three bottles of fizz
Two bags of pineapple lumps
And a case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Eight delicious shrip cocktails
Seven roast lambs with mint sauce
Six boxes of Roses chocolates
Five home-made pavlovas
Four bags of chippies
Three bottles of fizz
Two bags of pineapple lumps
And a case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Nine bottles of NZ wine
Eight delicious shrimp cocktails
Seven roast lambs with mint sauce
Six boxes of Roses chocolates
Five home-made pavlovas
Four bags of chippies
Three bottles of fizz
Two bags of pineapple lumps
And a case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Ten Christmas puddings
Nine bottles of NZ wine
Eight delicious shrimp cocktails
Seven roast lambs with mint sauce
Six boxes of Roses chocolates
Five home-made pavlovas
Four bags of chippies
Three bottles of fizz
Two bags of pineapple lumps
And a case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Eleven yummy triffles
Ten Christmas puddings
Nine bottles of NZ wine
Eight delicious shrimp cocktails
Seven roast lambs with mint sauce
Six boxes of Roses chocolates
Five home-made pavlovas
Four bags of chippies
Three bottles of fizz
Two bags of pineapple lumps
And a case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Twelve pots of roast veggies
Eleven yummy triffles
Ten Christmas puddings
Nine bottles of NZ wine
Eight delicious shrimp cocktails
Seven roast lambs with mint sauce
Six boxes of Roses chocolates
Five home-made pavlovas
Four bags of chippies
Three bottles of fizz
Two bags of pineapple lumps
And a case of MARMITE under the Christmas tree

10. New Zealand is home to the largest flightless parrot (kakapo), oldest reptile (tuatara), biggest earthworms, smallest bats, heaviest insect (a weta), some of the oldest trees and many rarest species birds, insects, and plants, in the world.

9. New Zealand has one of the highest car ownership rates in the world, with 2.5 million cars for 4 million people.

8. A Gum boot day is held annually in Taihape. It is an event, that was born in 1985, to draw country wide attention to Taihape.

7. Jandals the kiwi word for flip flops or thongs is a combination made in 1957 from Japanese and sandals.

6. Bungee jumping was invented in New Zealand.

5. Ninety-Mile Beach is only 65 miles long.

4. Sir Edmund Hillary – the first man to reach the peak of Mount Everest was a New Zealander (born in Auckland) and his face is on the New Zealand $5 bill.

3. Another interesting fun fact is the highly acclaimed "Lord of the Rings" was filmed entirely in New Zealand.

2. There are 9 sheep to every human in NZ.

1. MARMITE is a staple in every Kiwi household. Infact, you cannot call yourself a Kiwi if you don't like MARMITE!

Here is a list of some of the things I miss about NZ......

MARMITE, roast lamb, mint sauce, MARMITE, orange chocolate chip ice-cream, pixie caramels, MARMITE, pies, pineapple lumps, MARMITE, pavlova, fejoas, MARMITE, fish n chips, cadbury chocolate, MARMITE, peanut slabs, jaffas, MARMITE, Taupo, water ski-ing, MARMITE, beaches, relazed pace of life, MARMITE, no tipping, driving on the left-hand side of the road, MARMITE, kiwi-slang, NZ wine, MARMITE, bleating lambs, no predators (ie: bears, coyotes, etc.), MARMITE, no dangerous animals (ie: snakes, skunks etc..), MARMITE, MARMITE, MARMITE!

I guess every family has one who flies from the nest, to a land far, far away....that's me. My parents still live in Dannevirke, as do my sister, her husband and their kids. My brother is in Kimbolton with his fiancé and their son, and I am living in Vancouver, BC with my husband, two dogs and one cat. Kind of strange to think that I left a country with a population of 4.2 million, to move to a city with a population of 2.1 million.

I was born and raised in Dannevirke, (the eldest daughter of Janet and Bill Rendle). I attended Rua Roa Primary School and then Dannevirke High School. After graduating from Dannevirke High School, I moved to Wellington, where I attended CIT for a year. I worked for a year in Wellington and then headed off to the UK in January 1996 for a year. I guess I wasn't quite ready to be so far away from my family and friends, so I returned back to NZ in November 1996 and spent a brief amount of time catching up with family and friends in Dannevirke, before moving back to Wellington, where I worked and stayed until July 1998.

However, I got the travel bug again, so in July 1998 I was lucky enough to be one of the very first kiwis to be selected to work upon Princess Cruises cruise ships. I joined my first cruise ship, the Island Princess (sister ship to the Pacific Princess, which was the original "Love Boat") in Vancouver, BC in July 1998. I spent the next four years travelling the world to places such as: Alaska, the Mediterranean, the Panama Canal, Eastern and Western Caribbean, South America, the Holy Land, the Baltic, the Amazon, and Canada/New England...to name a few.

In September 2000 I met (my now husband) - Michael Hayes, a Canadian from Vancouver, BC onboard the Grand Princess in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami. Michael and I spent two years (from 2000 - 2002) on cruise ships together, before resigning in June 2002 to start a life on land. We relocated back to NZ in October 2002. Our stay in NZ was very brief, as in May 2003, (contrary to what everyone thought), it was me who wasn't ready to settle in little (quiet) NZ after all the travelling we had done, so we packed up our belongings and headed back to Vancouver, BC, which is kind of ironic, seeing as that's where I really got the travel bug, back in 1998. We were married in Canada in July 2006.

I came into Canada on a Visitors Visa and started the process of applying for my Canadian Residency. I was told it would only take 3 mths, but of course a (long) year later, I was granted permanent residency. In April 2008 I wrote my Canadian Citizenship test and was granted Canadian Citizenship. So, I now have dual Citizenship with NZ and Canada and probably know more about Canada than the average Canadian! BUT, no matter how long I live in Canada for.....I will ALWAYS call myself a "kiwi!"

Apart from me not quite being ready to settle in NZ, one of the other reasons we decided to leave NZ and move back to Vancouver, BC is because Michael's family are here and he was given the opportunity to do an apprenticeship. He started his apprenticeship as soon as we arrived back in Vancouver, BC (May 2003). On December 31, 2007, after 4-long years, he graduated as a Journeyman, Sprinkler System Installer. In January 2008 Michael was sent to work in De Beers Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories. This was only meant to be a 3-mth assignment, but he ended up staying for 5-mths. He was out of town for 21 days and then home for 7 days. It was a long 5-mths for Michael as the weather at times was -70 degrees! It was so cold, that he said if you threw a cup of hot water up in the air, it would turn to snow before it landed on the ground. If you have seen the show "Ice Road Truckers" on TV, then you have a fair idea of where he was. The only way in was by air, except for the 6 weeks of the year that the ice road was open - but that was used for supplies only, not for workers to come in and out of. The area was populated with wolverines, arctic foxes and polar bears. Unfortunately in Michaels final days of work, while going into the Diamond Mine, he slipped with over 200lbs of pipe on his shoulder. He sustained a number of injuries, including torn discs, bulging discs, and compression fractures. So, for the past 2+ years he has been off work and doing
re-hab to strengthen his back. Unfortunately due to the nature of his injury, he is unable to go back to work as a Journeyman, so at 37 years old he had to look at retraining in another career field. He is now on the mend slowly and just stared a 1-year Diploma Program at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts - a private Culinary school in Vancouver, BC. Michael's ultimate dream is to own and run his own restaurant.

So these, past 7 years have seen a lot of up and downs, changes and challenges in our lives. We have now been living in Vancouver, BC for 7.5 years and I have been back to NZ twice. During our time in Canada, I have lost one full set of grandparents, and two first cousins in separate tragic accidents. Unfortunately, due to commitments over here, I was unable to go home to say goodbye to any of them. On a happier note I now have two beautiful nieces and two beautiful nephews. I have figured out that I have only had two Christmas's in NZ with my family in 12 years and in the last 12 years the longest period of time that I have lived in NZ consecutively for, is 7mths.

All my family and most of my friends are still in NZ. I miss my family and friends terribly and would love the opportunity to be able to spend a Christmas with them and see the look on my nieces and nephews faces when they look under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning to see what Santa has bought them. My parents try to come out to visit every two years, which is great, but due to family commitments my siblings have not been able to make the trip over, so I have only seen them twice in 7 years. I understand that it is a long way and its expensive, hence the reason why I have only been back to NZ twice in 7 years. The invention of Skype makes things a little easier, as I am now able to see my nieces and nephews grow up and now that I have met them, they know who I am and are not (too) shy of talking on the computer to me. You have to admit though, it is kind of weird looking at a computer screen and knowing that the person on the other end is a million miles away.

There is so much I miss about NZ: MARMITE, Sanitarium products in general, family, friends, fresh air, open space, baaing lambs in the spring time, pineapple lumps, reduced cream and maggi onion soup mix (to make the best dip in the world!), mums lamb roast, pavlova, jaffas, water skiing, Taupo, Christmas in the summer, the kiwi accent.....to name a few.

Some of the things that make me homesick are: being away from my family and friends, birthdays, Christmas time, happy times and sad times, summer there when its winter here, my cats (which reside at Mum and Dads), and the relaxed kiwi lifestyle. There are many many more, I have just named a few that spring to mind immediately.

If Marmite were to send me home for Christmas, I would spend my time in Dannevirke with my family and friends, wearing flip flops and soaking up the sun on Christmas Day, while my fellow Canadians are bundled up, outside, shoveling the snow off their driveway. I would be singing Christmas carols that don't make sense, like....."walking in a winter wonderland", when its 30 degrees out, while getting ready to eat mums lamb roast dinner. Oh, by the way Mum and Dad, if Marmite does send me home, we will be having Christmas Day at yours.....if that's okay. I would spend my days hanging out with my family and friends, water-skiing and fishing in Taupo, getting my fill of NZ treats and brushing up on my kiwi slang so I can continue to baffle my work colleagues with my NZ sayings.

Marmite, my work colleagues think its about time I went back to NZ to freshen up the old "kiwi accent" as the longer I am over here and away from NZ the more Canadian-ised my accent becomes. Heck, I don't want to loose this accent! In fact, both times I have been home in the last 7 years, I have been asked where I am from and how long I am visiting NZ for! Kind of sad that my own pats can't recognize my accent anymore.

Marmite, please send me home. I want to trade snow for sun, snow boots for flip flops, pop for fizzy drinks, driving on the right hand side of the road, to driving on the left hand side of the road, grizzly bears for sheep, black bears for more sheep, 2.1 million people for 6,000 people, and Vancouver, BC for Dannevirke, or Dannevegas as the locals call it ....."where everybody knows your name."

Marmite, please send me back to NZ where life make sense:

1. A hood is called a bonnet

2. A trunk is called a boot

3. The bathroom is only reffered to if you are taking a bath, otherwise it is called the toilet or the loo

4. People can understand me when I pronouce "Mark, park, Carling, dark" - basically anything that has an "r" in it

5. A line-up is called a que

6. The phrase "a few sandwiches short of a picnic" is understood

7. Panties are called knickers

8. A flashlight is called a torch

9. The counter iscalled the bench

10. Garbage is called rubbish

11. Cutting the grass is referred to as mowing the lawn

13. Going to the movies is called going to the pictures

14. Filling up with gas is referred to as filling up with petrol

15. A Twoonie is called a $2 coin

16. A Loonie is called a $1 coin

17. Don't even get me started on dimes and nickles - after 7.5 years I can still not remember which is which - why aren't they referred to as 10cents and 5cents - thats why they are

18. People understand how to use a roundabout

19. Hockey is something that is played on the grass outdoors, not on an ice rink

20. People know what "Netball" is

Thats all I can think of right now.....

Mmmm how I love Marmite
You can eat it morning, noon or night

Its a yummy Kiwi treat
That you can eat amongst the sheep

You like it if you're young or old
In the hot, or in the cold

Marmites so delish
That I have only one wish........

Marmite, please send me home
So I don't have to spend another christmas alone

without you....Marmite, the tasty Kiwi treat
That all Kiwis love to eat!

That was the title of the artilce about me in the Dannevirke Evening News. I am just waiting for a copy of the article to be sent to me, so I can scan it in and put it on my page........

As spoken by my Uncle Gary....

#10 She needs to see pohutukawas rather than poinsettias at Christmas

#9 She wants to say goodbye to her favourite sheep before Christmas dinner

#8 She needs to refresh her language skills and not be taken as an Aussie in Canada

#7 She needs to renew her NZ passport in case the “Canadian option” loses appeal

#6 She can teach local municipal officials how to schmooze with senior NZ politicians

#5 She plans to promote NZ culture by introducing the Haka on So You Think You Can Dance Canada

#4 She needs R&R after her family vacation with the Hayes clan in November

#3 She wants to compete for a position on the NZ net ball team in preparation for the London Olympics

#2 She yearns for Marmite on Toast on Christmas morn.


AND FINALLY,

#1 She can be legitimately excused from Christmas Eve dinner in Canada with Uncle Gary

Marmite, the Dannevirke Evening News (newspaper) loved my story about why I deserved a trip back to NZ, so they got in touch with me and published my story. Stay tuned for a copy........

I think Rosemary should be the one who wins the trip home at Christmas because she's the greatest kiwi going. Shes not green, nor is she a bird, but she is a true New Zealander through and through and the sweetest daughter-in-law going.

Rose is a fabulous "Kiwi Canadian" and does both countries proud. We are so lucky that she chose to settle in the Vancouver area with Michael after their exciting time working together in the cruise ship industry for several years.

She is one of the best co-workers I could ever imagine and keeps our office in tip-top shape, not to mention being a knowledgeable, friendly and efficient presence on the front lines - phone, email and at the front desk.

If you have a question she will either know the answer or know where to find it.

It has been amazing to see what a strong support she has been for Michael over the last couple of years, helping him cope with an acute work-related injury and focus on the management of his chronic pain and development of a new career plan. Through all this she remains incredibly close to her family
and friends in New Zealand, and Michael's family here in Canada as well.

I think that is probably one of the biggest challenges that Rose deals with every day - that she has people who love her so very much in both New Zealand and Canada, and is forever torn and being pulled in both directions.

If I could move mountains, I would nudge NZ just a little closer to our continent, so that the trip to visit back and forth between Canada and NZ
would not be so darned expensive or logistically complicated.

Rose deserves to visit NZ this year and every year. Marmite, please work your magic!

Here's why I need to come home......

My husband (Canadian) and I moved to Vancouver, Canada in May 2003 and I have only been home twice - once in 2007 for my best friends wedding and once more recently in 2009 for another best friends wedding. Our plan when we moved over to Canada was to make sure we could visit NZ every couple of years, but you know how it goes - its far away, expensive and you never seem to have enough holidays saved up to make the trip.

Then, in May 2008 while my husband was working in a diamond mine in the Northwest Territories, he slipped and fratured his back. He has been off work since then, so any extra money we have has been going to medication and medical treatments to get him better, thus making it hard to save the $$ to get back to NZ.

Since I have been living over here (May 2003), I have lost a set of grandparents and two first cousins (who died tragically, in seperate accidents). Unforutnalty I was unable to make it home to say goodbye to any of them.

On a happier note, I now have two nieces, and two nephews. When we were out in 2009 we had so much fun with our nieces and nephews (6 years, 4 years, 14mths, and 8mths). We were very fortunate to be there for the birth of our youngest nephew Harry (8mths old).

My husband is now retraining for a new career, so it may be another few years before we are in a postion to be able to make another trip out to NZ. I would love to be given the opportunity to be home for Christmas, so I can spend it with my family and friends.

Marmite, please send me home for Christmas.