Mairangi Notes #22 — 2026.09.11

MHJ

my mairangi

Issue

#22

2026.09.11

Yussi's Note

Spring, Spring, Spring!

The weather was beautifully clear all week, and it truly felt like spring. The days are getting longer, and our happy evenings are stretching out too. We picked the colourful flowers blooming in the garden and made them into little bunches, then roamed the green fields and playgrounds with the kids. At school, one event after another filled the week, each with something special prepared. It made the whole week feel like a little festival for us. I hope your spring is sparkling too, like sunlight scattering into little pieces.

Main Story

Life in Aotearoa · 2026.09.11.

[Y6] School Production <Time After Time>

A family journal about an Auckland school production, from rehearsals and costumes to the joy of watching a child beam on stage.

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Lunch Box

MON

Sotteok sotteok

The kids wanted sotteok sotteok after seeing it at the Albany Night Market on Tuesday, so I made it for today's lunchbox. Blanch the rice cakes and the sausages in hot water, then thread them onto skewers, alternating a rice cake and a half sausage. The fried version would have gone hard by lunchtime, so I stopped at blanching and wrapped them in cling wrap. With it, cool crisp Korean pear and some milk cream biscuits. Bon appétit!

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Campus Notes

TUE

A Week Well Spent

A week of three meetings and two events on site. Two placement supervisions, my thesis supervision finally back on, the annual meeting with the board members from my placement, and a library session. It was a full week. In between I worked out the storyboard for our group's art board presentation in October, sorted out the material for it, and finished the assignment due next week.
And yet, when the end is in sight, even a busy week leaves no tiredness behind.

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English with Jin

This Week's Expression

“Mom, can you play me?”

Whenever we go to the playground, all three kids call for me nonstop. Mom, look at this! Mom, help me! Mom, play with me! And the voice calling for me most desperately is, of course, Jin’s.
“Mom, can you play me?” At this little sentence from a child whose English is still growing, I shake my head with a smile and take his hand. We push the swings, run as fast as we can, explore the bushes, and bound along the logs. Until his little cheeks turn red and he is completely out of breath.

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Local Guide

☃️

Festival

Orewa WinterY Festival

Sat 12 Sep, from 10.00am · Free
Twenty tonnes of real snow on the beachfront, with face painting, giant games, clown entertainment and spot prizes. Elsa, Olaf and Homie the Gnomie are around during the day. The Polar Swim is at 11.30am, free to enter but registration is required on the day from 10.00am, and under 12s need an adult with them.
📍 Moana Reserve, 311 Hibiscus Coast Highway, Orewa 0931

🧚🏻

Festival

Ellerslie Fairy Festival & Pirate Party

Sun 13 Sep, 9.30am - 1.00pm · Free
Ellerslie Village fills with fairies, pirates and costumed characters for the morning. There's face painting, bouncy castles, animal cycle rides, a kids market and street food, and most children turn up in costume. Village shops stay open through it.
📍 Ellerslie Village, 101 Main Highway, Ellerslie, Auckland 1051

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From the Archive

Settlement

Kia Ora, Aotearoa

Our first chaotic week in Auckland—wrong Airbnb, bungee jumpers from a hotel window, unexpected kindness, and a daughter with a cold. Kia ora, New Zealand.

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