On a radio slot the other day I was asked what New Zealand’s national dish is. Pies and chips? Cheese so bland they have to stick bits of fruit in it to convince shoppers it’s fancy? White bread sandwiches stuffed with grated rubber and carrot? Nah. We all know that authentic Kiwi kai is spag bol, KFC and nachos.
Then I got to asking myself, what is our national architecture? Grey boxes. In our main streets our national style is ugly cheap advertising signage cluttered with phone numbers that no one, in the history of advertising, has ever rung.
Imagine any situation - having a feed, driving a car, greeting friends. Picture a stereotypical Aussie, Frenchman, American or Italian. Their art, what they would wear and eat, how they would behave. Do you think we have an identity as distinctive?
