Mairangi Notes #4 — 2026.05.01

MHJ

my mairangi

Issue

2026.05.01

Yussi's Note

The Heat Pump Is On

The long weekend slipped past, and somehow April was already gone. I hadn't even turned the page on the calendar. As autumn deepens and the leaves begin to redden, the kids switch to long sleeves and the days grow shorter. The evenings turn cool, and we gather around the heat pump, huddled close. After each of us has spent a busy day, this is the hour the family comes together, and our stories settle softly into the warmed air.

Main Story

Little 15 Mins · 2026.04.29.

What's in the Lunchbox?

A NZ school Year 1 mum on the curry that got an "ewww", the rice ball called "sushi" — dramas and lessons inside a five-year-old's lunchbox.

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Lunch Box

MON

Jajang Tteokbokki & Apples

All time favourite of my kids—chewy rice cakes simmered in savoury black bean sauce. I packed them warm in a thermal container so the chill of autumn doesn't catch up at lunchtime.

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Campus Notes

TUE

Through the Deadlines

Due date after due date. A 1,200-word qualitative article critique, then a 2,500-word critical analysis. The kind of assignments designed to push you into different fields and different academic methods, as deeply as possible. The process is always hard, always full of doubt — but each one finished, I find myself a little taller.

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English with Jin

This Week's Expression

“Eyes on me, eyes on you”

The night before school started, Jin didn't want to go. So I hugged her tight and said what her teacher always says. "Eyes on me — then what do YOU say?" "Eyes on you!" I covered my own eyes and said "Eyes on," tapping her forehead — "you." Then I covered hers and said "Eyes on", pointed to myself, and she smiled and finished it. "You." We stood there for a while, swapping words and little touches. Even when we're apart, my eyes stay on you.

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Local Guide

✨

Stargazing

Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower

Look up the sky this week. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks May 5–6 — best seen from the southern hemisphere, between 2–5 AM, looking east. If you're up in the small hours, it's worth a glance.

Youth Expo

Music Careers Expo

May 6 (Wed) at Big Fan, Auckland. A free hands‑on Careers Expo for secondary students passionate about music, on stage or behind the scenes. RSVP required. Lunch and water needed.

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From the Archive

Settlement

How We Met Our Home

Finding a rental house in Auckland in just two days—a worn two-story home with a yard where three girls could finally run free, like the Totoro sisters.

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