‘80s gold necklace.

I am a firm believer in the idea that your parents are mines of wonderful life experience, food, money, and JEWELLERY.

Last time I was at home for the weekend I was wandering about in my mother’s wardrobe (which, for the record, is bigger than her en suite bathroom) and checking out her extensive jewellery collection. I believe I was actually looking for a chain for something.

Anyway, Mum noticed I was investigating her jewellery again (I do this on a regular basis. She really has more than she can possibly ever wear) and brought out this necklace. She said my neck was long and swan-like enough to wear it, whereas hers hadn’t been since the late ‘80s.

I love it. I wear it all the time. It really is very, very pretty, easy to throw on, and it makes a serious statement. It enhances any outfit.

It’s also a great conversation piece. Someone told me at breakfast that it looked like some kind of stethoscope, or perhaps a futuristic status symbol (his reasoning being your caste would be determined based on the metal your pseudo-stethoscope was made of).

(Wow. My keyboard is horribly dusty.)

huia recipe book.

So, since last time I’ve posted there has actually been quite a big development in my life. I got a sweet job for next year!

I’m pretty sure everyone knows of the existence of RAs in university halls of residence, and next year I’m going to be one. When the applications were going in, it occurred to me that it could be a bit of fun (and the salary covers the rent) and so I filled out the form and threw it in on the last possible morning.

There were three stages of application – the form application was first, followed by group interviews, followed by one-on-one, or rather three-on-one interviews. Somehow, I made it as far as the three-on-one and they seemed to like me (amazingly. I thought the interview was terrible and I had to run to it from a lab which I was desperately trying to finish early). Because they gave me a job for 2010!

This year I’ve lived at International House (I will post pictures of my lovely halls of residence at some stage) but next year I’ll be an RA at Huia Residence, which is just over a bridge from here, next to the medical school (very handy for me) and involves cooking your own food (darn). O, and it’s alcohol free. It’s very different to I. House, but I am looking forward to it.

Anyway. I have started collecting recipes for my year of doing my own food, and the first thing I did was to grab a pretty notebook to write them all in. I started it with nine cupcake recipes (good effort, huh?). And here it is.

My Huia recipe book.

 

(Huia, for any non-New Zealanders, is a type of bird. It’s black, iridescent, rather small, and very extinct.)