"In this season of the Maori new year, here is some interesting trivia," writes John Clark of Glen Eden. "Ever wondered about the Subaru logo? That little group of stars on the front of this Japanese car has something in common with our Matariki ... It is Matariki! Apparently Subaru is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster M45, or "The Seven Sisters" (one of whom tradition says is invisible - hence only six stars in the Subaru logo).
A plan so cunning you could put a tail on it ...
Rob, a 12-year-old, sent away to Cadbury to be a tester for their sample box of chocolates. Once a month for six months a box of chocolates arrived and he happily ate and rated. After that he thought of a cunning plan; he decided to register both his brothers, his dad, his mum and grandmother. Amazingly, even though he used the same address and despite his obviously childish handwriting, for the next few months at the letter box he intercepted all these boxes of chocolates and proceeded to scoff the lot - apart from the Turkish Delight which he gave to his mum.
A woman's place in the home
"Article 41.2 of the constitution looks outdated now but think back to 1937," writes Mike. "In Ireland - as in New Zealand - all meals were made from scratch. The grocery store carried about 50 items only. There were no freezers and shopping for meat or fish was done daily in urban areas. On Monday my mother did the washing. It required a day of hard work without a washing machine and a big family. I lit the copper before I went to school. All lunches were homemade as were cakes or biscuits and any other treats. There was no way that my mother had any other opportunity to work outside the home and my father, when he came home after a 12-hour shift from the mine was hardly in a position to contribute except on Sundays."
