Resident stories

My plants hold a special place in my heart. They have travelled up and down the country with me, so they have been my little slice of home - no matter what the distance is. They say plants act as a natural serotonin booster and I am inclined to believe it! They are not merely decorations in my room, they have helped me connect to so many other university students by sharing propagations and tips.

This Taonga is significant to me as it represents my culture as tangata whenua and my faith as a Christian. My church whānau gave it to me as a gift before I left my home in Wellington to live in Auckland at Grafton Halls. It is a Manaia, a spiritual guardian in Māori culture that is part of both the natural and spiritual worlds. I also wore this taonga on stage when performing for Te Matatini 2023.

My skates are my prized possession as they have brought me many great achievements. I have been a competitive skater for 11 years and I have had my skates for about nine of those years, including all of my international competitions. I won two gold and one silver at the two Oceania Championships I attended as well as placing 12th at the World Championships in 2022. My skates hold many memories and have got me to where I am today.

Crochet is my prized possession because it enables me to be creative whenever and wherever. A corollary is that I can always make personalised gifts, and the exact product is always surprising (even to myself!). Therefore, I never doubt that whoever receives a crochet gift will light up, and although crocheting is laborious, I always look forward to the receiver's reactions.

Music is such a major part of my life and when I moved to Auckland, I discovered all the record stores here in the city. I love to collect records because I know I’m supporting both the shop and the artist. They’re also a memento of when I bought them, and so many remind me about my first year of university when I lived in O’Rorke Hall. Since then, I’ve slowly been adding more - but I always remember buying my first record with my friends from a few doors down.

One of my most prized possessions is my guitar as it is much more than an instrument to me. Kept tucked away in the corner of my room, I find comfort and peace when strumming in my free time. It reminds me of the many times my loved ones and I have bonded over music. Having my guitar with me in Accommodation is important, because it feels as though I have a piece of my home with me in my 'home away from home'.

The mug was a gift to me from my Mum and Dad as I was moving from home life to halls life. It has a custom print of my older sister, older brother and I when we were all very young. It lives on my desk in my room and acts as a great call-back to life back in Hawkes Bay.  I guess it’s like having a piece of home away from home.

My item is a shikara. For me, it symbolises my homeland, Kashmir. I have it with me here because it is reminiscent of the feeling of tranquility that I feel when I look at a shikara back home. I think of the waters of The Dal Lake and a colourful, beautifully decorated shikara drifting away from its hub gently, without disturbing the water. The model of a shikara that I have with me is tiny and intricate, handcrafted with paper mache. It is small, but carries a bundle of feelings for me and a deep longing for home. It reminds me that one can always find their own peace in a surge of chaos and unrest.