Mum joins son as New Zealander; dad to go
MUM down, Dad to go.
Originally from Kerala, in India, a Dunedin husband and wife are playing catchup with their 20monthold son David John.
The minute David was born in Dunedin Hospital on March 10 last year he became a New Zealander, pipping his parents at the post.
Both his parents planned to be New Zealanders, but his mother Sanumol Antony picked up a kowhai tree from the Government and shook hands with Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins in a citizenship ceremony yesterday afternoon in the Dunedin Centre, where 37 new New Zealanders were welcomed as citizens.
Ms Antony became the second in her Dunedin family of three to become a New Zealander after moving to Dunedin eight years ago.
‘‘It feels like home now,’’ she said.
Her parents were in Dunedin for six months last year, as were her husband Noby Thomas’, after the birth of their son.
And due to the family support they received, they both said they did not feel isolated despite the closed borders at this time.
However, because of the pandemic, citizenship certificates were sent to the new citizens in July, and only those who wanted to take part in a public ceremony attended yesterday.
Mr Thomas said he planned to join his wife in becoming a New Zealander in two years.
Other new citizens.— Karmilla Jaafar Amsak (Malaysia); YuWen Fu (Taiwan); Beverly Ola, attended 2210 (Samoa); Lemuela Osorio (Philippines); Sialafau Ah Mu (Samoa); Joanne Tiu (Philippines); Xavier Edmond (England); John Edmond (Scotland); Penelope Edmond (England); Poppy Edmond (England); Lupestar Lam Sam Tai (Samoa); Lyeta Payet (Seychelles); Zelalem Bedane (Ethiopia); Jacqueline Artus (Philippines); Erwin Artus (Philippines); Eirean Artus (Philippines); Erwan Artus (Philippines); Janice Parkinson (England); Thomas Parkinson (England); Joanne Stokes (England); Benjamin Stokes (England); Timothy Stokes (England); Thomas Stokes (England); Georginade Brelaz (Brazil); Ninade Brelaz Sauaia (Brazil); Leonardo Sauaia Romero Fernandes (Brazil); Tomde Brelaz Sauaia (Brazil); Sanumol Antony (India); Matthew Doolan (England); Helen Burzelman (England); Sushama Uniyal (India); Muskan Uniyal (India); Ryne EnriquezWalker (Philippines); Charl Schroeder (South Africa); Jane Swan (England); Alastair McDonald (England); Geoffrey Vainikolo (Tonga); Yee Phang Wong (Malaysia); Yoseob Shim (Korea); Cassandra Winters (United States); Janine Winters (United States); Robert Morris (Australia); Sheng Hong (Malaysia); Louisa Lim (Malaysia); Hayden Hong (New Zealand); Kimberleigh Dalloway (South Africa); Jennifer Rock (United States); Maxim Mikhisor (Ukraine); Maria Mikhisor (Russian Federation); Dominique Ablir (Philippines); Desley Anthony (Australia); Peter Whigham (Australia); Sylvain Vendeol (France); Anu Raj (India); Ashish Sujith (India); Talatonu Junior Filiga Talatonu (Samoa); Judith Layland (England); Dorota Krawczyk (Poland); Jun Ouyang (China); Xianglin Zeng (China); Losana Tawaketini (Fiji); Timoci Tawaketini (Fiji); Gary Fuller (England); Jermund Norberg (Norway); Benedict Brockway (England); Reji Varghese (India); Pujika Munasinghe (Sri Lanka); Michael Taylor (England); Annette Butler (England); Shimran Maharaj (Fiji); Wenjun Gao (China); Carolyn Steele (Northern Ireland); Daisy Sedgwick (England); Angel McNamara (Canada); Sivashanker Thanapalasingam, attended 2210 (Sri Lanka); Phoebe Jennings (England).