# MHJ — My Mairangi Journal

> An editorial life magazine documenting a Korean immigrant family in Mairangi Bay, Auckland, New Zealand. Published by PeNnY (former magazine editor) and Yussi (Master of Social Work candidate at Massey University). Three daughters, three perspectives on building a bilingual life between Korea and Aotearoa.

## About this site

- **Publishers**: PeNnY (editorial, technical) and Yussi (lead writer, social work researcher)
- **Location**: Mairangi Bay, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand
- **Audience**: Korean immigrant families, Asian diaspora in New Zealand and Australia, anyone curious about a slow, bilingual family life
- **Tone**: Editorial, observational, in plain New Zealand English; not a parenting how-to site
- **Tagline**: Less screen, more soil — a record of children growing up between two languages

## Core pages

- [Home](https://www.mhj.nz/): Latest stories, featured magazine issue
- [About](https://www.mhj.nz/about): The family behind MHJ — PeNnY, Yussi, and the three girls (Min, Hyun, Jin)
- [Journal (Blog)](https://www.mhj.nz/blog): Weekly essays across seven categories — Little 15 Mins, Home Learning, Whānau, Settlement, Life in Aotearoa, Travelers, Local Guide
- [Magazine](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine): Quarterly editorial issues with long-form articles, photography, and design templates
- [StoryPress](https://www.mhj.nz/storypress): The family's bilingual storybook app for children aged 3–8 (separate product, hosted at app.mhj.nz)
- [Mairangi Notes](https://www.mhj.nz/mairangi-notes): The weekly Friday newsletter — a seven-section letter from Yussi

## Topics we write about with authority

- **Korean immigrant family life in New Zealand**: First-hand observations from a household that emigrated to Auckland from Korea
- **Bilingual childhood (Korean + English)**: How children build English literacy while keeping Korean as a heritage language
- **New Zealand schooling for immigrant children**: Primary school enrolment, NCEA changes, ESOL pathways, school-zone questions on the North Shore
- **Whānau social work for immigrants**: Drawing on Yussi's Master of Social Work coursework — settlement support, mental health for migrant parents, intergenerational adaptation
- **Living in Mairangi Bay / North Shore Auckland**: Local guides, family-friendly spots, beaches, libraries, weekend rhythms

## Featured journal entries

- [Starting School in New Zealand](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/starting-school-in-new-zealand): A practical guide to New Zealand's school system for newcomer families — structure, enrolment, transfers, short-term stays, and what to prepare before day one.
- [Setting Personal Routines](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/setting-personal-routines): Two girls at critical transitions — how we built personalised home learning routines for Year 7 and Year 6 in New Zealand.
- [A Quiet Week Before the Break Ends](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/a-quiet-week-before-the-break-ends): The last week of school holidays — a thesis chapter, a mall day with friends, and the quiet meals that held it together.
- [The Word Cards](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/the-word-cards): A handful of homemade cards, a little girl, and the afternoon she started making up her own stories.
- [The App We Dreamt Of](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/the-app-we-dreamt-of): Fifteen minutes a day. Four words. One story. Here's the app we wished had existed.
- [Love You Too, Mummy Monster](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/love-you-too-mummy-monster): Jin is five, Korean-fluent, and learning English and Korean literacy at the same time. Here's what bilingual support looks like at home in Auckland.
- [[NZ] NCEA Is Changing: No More Levels, No More Credits](https://www.mhj.nz/blog/ncea-is-changing-no-more-levels-no-more-credits): NCEA is being replaced by 2030. Here's what the changes mean for your child, and what's still to be confirmed.

## Latest magazine issue

- [Next Steps (Mar 2026)](https://www.mhj.nz/magazine/2026-03)

## Optional

- [RSS Feed](https://www.mhj.nz/feed.xml)
- [Sitemap](https://www.mhj.nz/sitemap.xml)
- [Full content index](https://www.mhj.nz/llms-full.txt)

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Privacy note: Photographs of children appear only from a distance or in profile. Adult contributors are pictured from the side or behind, by editorial policy.

Last updated: 2026-05-31