Coffee with Monique

On Mondays we like to share a short format interview with one of our wider Gather community members. Just a handful of questions with a generous helping of everyday inspiration to tuck into over your morning cuppa. This week, meet Monique.

Monique has selected her optional background vibe for you this week, Guru by NZ musician, Ladi6:

Monique

"My job requires everyday ongoing learning about different peoples, perspectives and cultures. It requires empathy in understanding situations, and pragmatism in solving them."

What part(s) of the world do you call home?

Both New Zealand and London are home to me. All of New Zealand because wherever I am in NZ, I look around and feel the roots of my whakapapa. My mother is Māori and I feel such a connection to my ancestry wherever I am in the world but always feel most grounded when standing in Aotearoa. It took time but London has also become home. The city has completely won me over with the people from all corners of the world and culture on constant offer.

What is your industry, hustle, current project or passion?

I work for the New Zealand government in London. My job requires everyday ongoing learning about different peoples, perspectives and cultures. It requires empathy in understanding situations, and pragmatism in solving them. It is a dream job in the opportunities it presents for building knowledge everyday.

Outside of work, my 2021 endeavour has been reprioritising my love for reading. I have always read, however in recent years less so. I had fallen into the trap of reading only when a new release I had been anticipating came out. This year, I am committed to reading a little everyday and am writing up a little thought/review for every book on goodreads. I am trying not to get too obsessed with the number of books, but am not so secretly quite proud of the 29 books I have thus far read in 2021. This is a quiet and personal project, however it is succeeding at bringing me eons of joy. What’s an important moment that signified a first step towards where you are today? This one is tough! I think when I first decided to pick up Politics at University. It hadn't been the plan, but since that day I haven't looked back. That decision set me on my current career path, landed me a job in London and has allowed me to find true drive in understanding the way our world is run and how this needs to change to better serve all of its residents. What is a moment you are pr