The census

I can't believe the last census was 5 years ago. I can't even remember filling the damn thing out! What the heck was I doing???? Oh yeah, I had three preschoolers, and I was setting up a new business. I guess that's what it was. But still, you'd think I'd remember filling out the forms for me and the kids..... oh well, I guess it wasn't memorable eh?

It's been great having the option of doing it online for the first time, but even I didn't bother, opting to fill out the forms instead.

Several well-known people got all uppity about the options in categorising race. We had options like Maori.....or New Zealand European, I think it was called. No option for calling oneself a New Zealander, or a Pakeha, although you could use the vague "other". Personally, I don't see why anyone would want to get their knickers in a twist about it. To me, the census is about science, about statistics, about useful data for mapping out the future and for learning about the past. Old census returns provide fascinating info about our ancestors, and I'm all for filling mine in if it helps someone with an interest in their ancestry find out more about me and my family in the future.

Which brings me on to a wonderful telly programme a week or so ago about a couple of our TV presenters sending DNA samples off to Oxford University ( I think that's the one) to find out where they came from, and then taking a journey to those countries. It was Oscar Keightley and his sidekick, Whatisname, can't think of it....

So interesting with Oscar, going back to Samoa and seeing his parents, and then back to Vanuatu, and then further back to Taiwan. Now I wouldn't ordinarily have been able to see any resemblance between the Taiwanese and Samoans, but when you go see tribal Taiwanese living on the coastline, hear their native tongue, watch their dance......there are so many similarities! Fascinating stuff. Made me want to go thru the exercise myself. My Dad's ancestors, the Armstrongs, go back to Wales, and then eventually they should go back to Scotland, from whence the Armstrongs were unceremoniously kicked out. They were BAD!!! But I just can't find that link from the late 1700s Welsh family back to Scotland.

Has anyone had their DNA checked for their ancestry???