Heading to Texas in trying times
Is it all right to visit the United States right now? Writer and editor Stephen Davis investigates.
I have always loved travelling to the United States. As The Sunday Times correspondent in Los Angeles in the late 1980s, I visited 48 of the 50 states, missing only North and South Dakota.
One of my favourite places was Austin, the capital of Texas, a charming university town with its memorable motto "Keep It Weird".
So when I was invited to the premiere of my documentary film Flight 149: Hostage of War at the huge SXSW (south by southwest) festival in Austin, I did not hesitate.
I found myself, after a 14-hour flight from Auckland to Houston, on the road in a rented car on the two and a-half-hour drive to Austin, a flat, featureless landscape memorable only for the number of speeding giant trucks that passed me as I kept to the speed limit, and ominous roadside billboards advertising the services of lawyers if you ended up in a crash.
On my way I kept thinking — "should I be here?" I have always been hesitant to visit a number of places on my bucket list for moral reasons — Iran while they beat and murder women for how they dress, or Turkey while they bomb the Kurds.
But the US is — still —a democracy, right? You cannot blame an entire country for Maga (political movement based on Donald Trump saying Make America Great Again) and Trump, or punish all the good liberal Americans who did not vote for him.
But as I drove I heard the news of his attacks on universities and random arrests of people exercising their right to protest and my uneasiness grew.
Austin is named after Stephen Austin, known as the Father of Texas and for his motto: "The journey is always hard. Don't give up."
Like Texas itself, the myth is as important as the man, but we do know that he was an entrepreneur who led the colonisation of the region by bringing 300 families and their slaves from the United States to what was then the Tejas region of Mexico in 1825.
The city that he gave his name to was unrecognisable from my previous visits — bigger, with more traffic and a different vibe. Austin has always been a liberal, democratic enclave in a very red state and locals complain that its nature is changing thanks to enormous influx of tech jobs and money turning it into the Silicon Valley of Texas.
Elon Musk has built a factory that has brought thousands of jobs to the area — Apple is investing billions too. ( It is fair to say that the Uber divers, merchants and other small business people love the jobs and don't care about the politics.)
It was depressing to walk around the downtown area and discover there was nowhere to buy a newspaper or magazine and that it was half an hour's walk in the hot sun to the nearest bookshop. Potholes on most of the roads were evidence of a crumbling infrastructure.
But despite all this, Austin remains a charming destination. The bars are cool, the music is everywhere, and the food is terrific.
Do visit the grand state capital building and look at the huge Confederate statue and its sinister re-writing of history:
"Died for state's rights guaranteed under the Constitution. The people of the South, animated by the spirit of 1776, to preserve their rights, withdrew from the federal compact in 1861.The North resorted to coercion. The South, against overwhelming numbers and resources, fought until exhausted."
A short distance away is an example of the "rights" they were taking about — the right to keep slaves. There is a beautiful sculpture dedicated to emancipation.
That, and the signs dedicated to Mexican heritage and history, are reason to hope. Recommendations
Joe's Bakery and Coffee shop, 2305 E 7th St
It's been around since 1935 and it's the best place for breakfast, TexMex style, such as scrambled eggs with beans and tortillas, or jalapenos if you want some early morning spice.
Don't expect Dunedin cafe quality coffee though. Austin, like the rest of the United States, has a baffling addiction to average coffee.
Franklin Barbecue, 900 E 11st
A long-time Austin favourite described by the Texas Monthly as "serving the best barbecue in the known universe".
It is everything you might dream about as a meat lover but be aware it doesn't take reservations, so prepare to queue, day or night.
Books
If you get away from the downtown area you will find a couple of gems for book lovers. Half Price Books ( several branches) are cavernous outlets full of discounted hardbacks, paperbacks
and magazines.
Barnes and Noble, 10000 Research Boulevard, is everything a book shop should be.
It's off the beaten track but well worth a visit, a lovely, relaxed place with a great selection and knowledgeable staff in a fine building.
Tacos
Good cheap tacos are everywhere, in food trucks and funky restaurants.
Try the $US5 ($NZ8.75) beef tacos at Velvet Tacos, 522 Congress Ave.
It's fiercely competitive but there is still that American spirit of community — during the Great Texas Freeze of 2021 that left tens of thousands stranded in the cold and without basic necessities, four Taco joint owners — who became known as the Taco Mafia — joined forces to feed the city.
Ginas on Congress, 314 Congress Avenue
An upscale steak house in the heart of town, with friendly staff and a giant photo of Italian actress/model/bombshell Gina Lollobrigida on the wall. The owner is a big Italian movie fan — his other restaurant is called Sophia, as in Loren.
I had the best Wagyu steak I have eaten outside of Japan, definitely not cheap at $US42 ($NZ73) but so good that I seriously resented requests from my film colleagues to give them a taste.
Ice cream
If you pass a branch of Lick (Honest Ice Cream), go inside and order a large portion of the Texas sheet cake. I have a sweet tooth and this chocolate confection is one of the best desserts I have ever tasted.
Chi'lantro
A chain with three branches in the city featuring — new to me but obviously wildly popular — Korean- Tex Mex fusion.
For $US15 ($NZ26) you get a huge bowl of delicious food — mixing things like Korean barbecue chicken with Tortillas, black beans and corn or their take on B'Bimbap. It was all good. It's one of those very American immigrant success stories
"If you're an immigrant, grew up with a single mom who had to support two kids, you're not getting good grades in school, if you have a sibling that was disabled, if you lost your dad to cancer, that's me," founder Jae Kim says in an online video.
"Not a lot of people know [the struggle] who are born here. Like, going through the immigration process of getting a green card and like you're thinking like, 'Do I belong here?"'
He started a food truck business by maxing out his credit cards and taking out his total savings of $30,000 to pursue his dream and he succeeded.
But I couldn't help thinking how future Kims would fare in Maga world, even assuming Trump allows struggling people to get into the country.
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Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Heading to Texas in trying times
Is it all right to visit the United States right now? Writer and editor Stephen Davis investigates. I have always loved travelling to the United States. As The Sunday Times correspondent in Los Angeles in the late 1980s, I visited 48 of the 50 states, missing only North and South Dakota. One of my favourite places was Austin, the capital of Texas, a charming university town with its memorable motto "Keep It Weird". So when I was invited to the premiere of my documentary film Flight 149: Hostage of War at the huge SXSW (south by southwest) festival in Austin, I did not hesitate. I found myself, after a 14-hour flight from Auckland to Houston, on the road in a rented car on the two and a-half-hour drive to Austin, a flat, featureless landscape memorable only for the number of speeding giant trucks that passed me as I kept to the speed limit, and ominous roadside billboards advertising the services of lawyers if you ended up in a crash. On my way I kept thinking — "should I be here?" I have always been hesitant to visit a number of places on my bucket list for moral reasons — Iran while they beat and murder women for how they dress, or Turkey while they bomb the Kurds. But the US is — still —a democracy, right? You cannot blame an entire country for Maga (political movement based on Donald Trump saying Make America Great Again) and Trump, or punish all the good liberal Americans who did not vote for him. But as I drove I heard the news of his attacks on universities and random arrests of people exercising their right to protest and my uneasiness grew. Austin is named after Stephen Austin, known as the Father of Texas and for his motto: "The journey is always hard. Don't give up." Like Texas itself, the myth is as important as the man, but we do know that he was an entrepreneur who led the colonisation of the region by bringing 300 families and their slaves from the United States to what was then the Tejas region of Mexico in 1825. The city that he gave his name to was unrecognisable from my previous visits — bigger, with more traffic and a different vibe. Austin has always been a liberal, democratic enclave in a very red state and locals complain that its nature is changing thanks to enormous influx of tech jobs and money turning it into the Silicon Valley of Texas. Elon Musk has built a factory that has brought thousands of jobs to the area — Apple is investing billions too. ( It is fair to say that the Uber divers, merchants and other small business people love the jobs and don't care about the politics.) It was depressing to walk around the downtown area and discover there was nowhere to buy a newspaper or magazine and that it was half an hour's walk in the hot sun to the nearest bookshop. Potholes on most of the roads were evidence of a crumbling infrastructure. But despite all this, Austin remains a charming destination. The bars are cool, the music is everywhere, and the food is terrific. Do visit the grand state capital building and look at the huge Confederate statue and its sinister re-writing of history: "Died for state's rights guaranteed under the Constitution. The people of the South, animated by the spirit of 1776, to preserve their rights, withdrew from the federal compact in North resorted to coercion. The South, against overwhelming numbers and resources, fought until exhausted." A short distance away is an example of the "rights" they were taking about — the right to keep slaves. There is a beautiful sculpture dedicated to emancipation. That, and the signs dedicated to Mexican heritage and history, are reason to hope. Recommendations Joe's Bakery and Coffee shop, 2305 E 7th St It's been around since 1935 and it's the best place for breakfast, TexMex style, such as scrambled eggs with beans and tortillas, or jalapenos if you want some early morning spice. Don't expect Dunedin cafe quality coffee though. Austin, like the rest of the United States, has a baffling addiction to average coffee. Franklin Barbecue, 900 E 11st A long-time Austin favourite described by the Texas Monthly as "serving the best barbecue in the known universe". It is everything you might dream about as a meat lover but be aware it doesn't take reservations, so prepare to queue, day or night. Books If you get away from the downtown area you will find a couple of gems for book lovers. Half Price Books ( several branches) are cavernous outlets full of discounted hardbacks, paperbacks and magazines. Barnes and Noble, 10000 Research Boulevard, is everything a book shop should be. It's off the beaten track but well worth a visit, a lovely, relaxed place with a great selection and knowledgeable staff in a fine building. Tacos Good cheap tacos are everywhere, in food trucks and funky restaurants. Try the $US5 ($NZ8.75) beef tacos at Velvet Tacos, 522 Congress Ave. It's fiercely competitive but there is still that American spirit of community — during the Great Texas Freeze of 2021 that left tens of thousands stranded in the cold and without basic necessities, four Taco joint owners — who became known as the Taco Mafia — joined forces to feed the city. Ginas on Congress, 314 Congress Avenue An upscale steak house in the heart of town, with friendly staff and a giant photo of Italian actress/model/bombshell Gina Lollobrigida on the wall. The owner is a big Italian movie fan — his other restaurant is called Sophia, as in Loren. I had the best Wagyu steak I have eaten outside of Japan, definitely not cheap at $US42 ($NZ73) but so good that I seriously resented requests from my film colleagues to give them a taste. Ice cream If you pass a branch of Lick (Honest Ice Cream), go inside and order a large portion of the Texas sheet cake. I have a sweet tooth and this chocolate confection is one of the best desserts I have ever tasted. Chi'lantro A chain with three branches in the city featuring — new to me but obviously wildly popular — Korean- Tex Mex fusion. For $US15 ($NZ26) you get a huge bowl of delicious food — mixing things like Korean barbecue chicken with Tortillas, black beans and corn or their take on B'Bimbap. It was all good. It's one of those very American immigrant success stories "If you're an immigrant, grew up with a single mom who had to support two kids, you're not getting good grades in school, if you have a sibling that was disabled, if you lost your dad to cancer, that's me," founder Jae Kim says in an online video. "Not a lot of people know [the struggle] who are born here. Like, going through the immigration process of getting a green card and like you're thinking like, 'Do I belong here?"' He started a food truck business by maxing out his credit cards and taking out his total savings of $30,000 to pursue his dream and he succeeded. But I couldn't help thinking how future Kims would fare in Maga world, even assuming Trump allows struggling people to get into the country.
Otago Daily Times
15-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
US could add to travel ban
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is considering significantly expanding its travel ban by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to an internal State Department cable. Earlier this month, the Republican president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying the move was needed to protect the United States against "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats. The directive was part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students from U.S. universities and deport others. In an internal diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action. "The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," the cable sent out over the weekend said. The cable was first reported by the Washington Post . Among the concerns the State Department raised was the lack of a competent or cooperative government by some of the countries mentioned to produce reliable identity documents, the cable said. Another was "questionable security" of that country's passport. Some countries, the cable said, were not cooperative in facilitating the removal of its nationals from the United States who were ordered to be removed. Some countries were overstaying the U.S. visas their citizens were being granted. Other reasons for concern were the nationals of the country were involved in acts of terrorism in the United States, or antisemitic and anti-American activity. The cable noted that not all of these concerns pertained to every country listed. The countries that could face a full or a partial ban if they do not address these concerns within the next 60 days are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. That would be a significant expansion of the ban that came into effect earlier this month. The countries affected were Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela - has also been partially restricted. During his first in office, Trump announced a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
RNZ News
12-06-2025
- RNZ News
New movie to be filmed at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
Aoraki Mount Cook. Photo: Supplied/Les Molloy Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park will provide the backdrop for a movie about Sherpa Tenzing Norgay's world-first summit of Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary. The Department of Conservation (DOC) approved filming on Malte Brun Pass near the Tasman Glacier and near the Hochstetter Icefall on the eastern side of the mountain, which would double as Everest base camp and the famous Hillary Step on the world's highest peak. DOC ranger Ray Bellringer said while the sites had previously been used for Everest-related documentaries and films, the movie's producers had to adhere to strict rules. "All filming activities are subject to strict environmental conditions to ensure the protection of the natural landscape. DOC staff will be onsite daily to monitor compliance," he said. "This is an incredibly special place and it's our role to protect it." Bellringer said New Zealand and Nepal had a long relationship through the Himalayan Trust, particularly since 70 Nepalese students including many Sherpa had come to study nature-based tourism and community conservation at Lincoln University since 1953. "Sir Edmund Hillary dedicated much of his life after 1953 to supporting Nepalese communities. It is fitting that this project recognises the life and contributions of Tenzing Norgay and we are proud to provide a setting that supports this storytelling," he said. Tenzing Norgay with Sir Edmund Hillary. Photo: AFP Apple won the rights to the film Tenzing during an auction at Cannes Film Festival in May 2024. The company will co-produce the film with production company See-Saw Films for worldwide release on streaming platform Apple TV+ at an unknown date. BAFTA-nominated director Jennifer Peedom has a pre-existing connection to the Norgay family, who contributed to her documentaries Miracle on Everest and Sherpa . The script has been written by Luke Davies, known for the 2016 film Lion, which landed him an Academy Award nomination for best screenplay. Genden Phuntsok is to star as Norgay in Tenzing , while Hollywood star Tom Hiddleston will play Sir Edmund. Academy Award nominee Willem Defoe has been cast as English expedition leader John Hunt. The production is expected to bring a significant economic boost to the region, with a large production crew and cast staying at the village. Filming has concluded in Nepal and will begin in New Zealand next month. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
