Today’s sketch as we wait for a coalition government to be announced: the Genga Coalition
It’s now Tuesday October 31, 2023. Kia ora!
Yesterday I finished reading my book “The Red Hotel”, which I’d reserved from the library. It tells about the Metropole Hotel during the Second World War, when it was very difficult to get press passes from the major newspapers, and it was very hard to get visas to Russia. Stalin sought to influence heavily what the journalists wrote, and translators, always beautiful women, were engaged not only to restrict what news could be sent abroad, but also to spy on their targets. You end up with a very complicated web of spies masquerading as journalists, and the inevitable love affairs that ensued. The journalists were not allowed to report from the war front: any trips were carefully orchestrated and catered for, to demonstrate that Russian forces were doing far better against the Germans than they were initially. It was an interesting, if very complicated book. There’s a harrowing story about a Russian Jewish woman who got caught up in Stalin’s Reign of Terror, and imprisoned for 15 years in the Gulag; attempts by people outside the Soviet system to help may well have caused more harm to her and her family. After the death of Stalin there was some relaxation and reconciliation, but in the current war against Ukraine Putin is employing similar tactics to control whatever information is allowed to be disseminated.
Today JD was meeting an old friend at 10 am at Bordeaux Bakery in Thorndon Quay; he dropped me off in Murphy Street to catch a bus to Brooklyn. I was navigating my way through controlled crossings, when a bus ran through one, even though the Green Man was showing! I was so shocked that I didn’t think to take the bus’s number. I caught a bus to Brooklyn, and had time to have a toasted cheese scone and a latté. I saw The Oak Tree, a BIFF film directed by Ken Loach, so I knew what kind of film it would be. But it was a really good film, about a Syrian refugee family arriving in a north of England village, and the consequent anger and resentment amongst the locals as the refugees try to establish their new home. The highlight of the movie for me was a visit (by the film) to Durham Cathedral, which I have long wanted to visit.
It’s now Wednesday November 1st.
This morning hymn singing started again with the lovely pipe organ at the church. I got up early, but it was really warm and sunny. Getting there was tricky: Khandallah is still getting new water mains (thankfully!), but there was a queue in Boxhill. We turned left into Station Road, something we’ve been avoiding for the last few weeks, and went along Cashmere Avenue to Everest Street, and then down Ganges Road. It was lovely to sing hymns together again. Afterwards I caught a bus to Johnsonville, and then a bus home.
In the afternoon we were due to look after our granddaughter again from 1 till 3 pm. I had looked out some things to take to amuse her, but she seemed a bit tired today.
Back home, I am catching up with today’s news. I’m a bit upset because I listen to many podcasts using Apple, but I often get the message “Unable to prepare for playback”. Spotify is my next choice, but I can’t always find the latest episode on Spotify. Moreover, it’s really annoying to see that a new episode is available, and not be able to listen to it. Other players like Audible want money (I think) to use their platform, so I’m trying to avoid that, but it’s very hard to listen to all the podcasts I’d like to hear. Apple was a great engine because it would keep on working through a list of podcasts without stopping, something very useful when you’re trying to get to sleep.
In the UK, a panel is hearing evidence on the Tory government’s response to Covid 19. We knew it was dreadful – the UK and the US had some of the worst responses, but I think we’re all shocked to learn just how chaotic and unprepared Boris Johnson’s government were. The then chancellor Rishi Sunak invited people to “eat out to help out” but this turned into Eat out to Help Covid, as many people got Covid and some died: it was a very serious illness in the first few months, before we had vaccines and medication.
It transpires that Johnson asked “Why are we destroying the economy for people who’ll die soon anyway?”, and basically didn’t care if people, especially older people, died of the virus. The government’s attitude was very cynical, as we already knew from the Partygate scandal. A further shocking fact is that then British Prime Minister Johnson was laughing at the Italians: remember how the city of Bergamo in northern Italy was very hard hit early on in the pandemic? The UK government also talked about providing body bags, not about keeping those bodies alive. Eventually they did have a complicated lockdown, with some very confusing rules, but even as New Zealand locked down and closed its borders, planes were landing at Heathrow and passengers not being tested for Covid. Here’s a link to an article about this tragedy:
Marina Hyde joked that Covid 19 was the wrong crisis for Johnson and Sunak:
It’s now Sunday November 5th.
On Thursday morning I had my other singing, in the Khandallah Town Hall. Despite the traffic problems, there was a great turn out. Afterwards John picked me up and we went into town to the new Lego shop in Willis St. It was very busy! We couldn’t get the lego my grandson wanted for his coming 6th birthday, but we got two similar sets. I hope he’ll like them! I had hoped we’d have lunch at Smith the Grocer Café, but JD had put little money on the parking machine, so instead we went to La Cloche in the Old Hutt Road, where we parked for nothing. I had a smoked salmon and spinach filled omelette and salad; JD had omelette, salad and chips, of course; they used to have shoestring fries there, but they didn’t today. We had bought a strawberry tart to share, but we took it home for dessert. The omelettes were really filling!
On Friday someone came from Access to do some cleaning; I was very tired, I’m afraid. The next day we went shopping at New World in Thorndon; there were no raspberries, alas, but Jersey Benne potatoes have come in, and I got some Havarti cheese covered in peppercorns.
This morning a friend took me to church. The minister pointed out that November 5 is the anniversary of the Parihaka resistance. He pointed out that the peaceful resistance was followed by intense violence, but in 2017 by a formal apology from the government for the crown’s usurpation of Māori land.
The results of special votes in the recent general election here are in now, and amongst other news, Greg O’Connor has comfortably retained his seat. It seems that special votes favoured Labour, and National and Act have both lost seats, the Greens have gained one, and results are very close in two seats. Te Pati Māori has won six seats causing an overhang, and so Christopher Luxon will need support from Act’s Davis Seymour and New Zealand First’s Winston Peters to form a coalition government. Not only is Luxon new to government, he’s totally new to this kind of negotiation; I’m sure many of us are more than frustrated that Peters is again calling the shots. It will probably take a long time, whatever the outcome. Hopefully that means we won’t lose any current “privileges” in the meantime.
It’s now Monday November 6th.
Last night a friend picked me up to go to a Salvation Army Proms concert at what used to be the Methodist Church (a brick building) in Cambridge Terrace. We went early and got a carpark in Kent Terrace; most of the right-hand turns have been blocked off, and, furthermore, although it was Sunday evening, the carpark had to be paid for!
I hadn’t been inside this chapel before, but it is really attractive inside and quite “cosy” unlike many churches. Someone has bought it, and restored it quite beautifully. It’s rather forbidding exterior belies the beauty inside, with fine light fittings (chandeliers), Persian rugs, and beautiful paintings. This concert was like a British Proms, in celebration of the coronation of King Charles III. The only nod to Māori was the New Zealand national anthem having the first verse sung in Māori!
So the concert was very British, while acknowledging some New Zealand places and composers. There was a brass band, a choir, and some string players. There was some quite beautiful soprano singing, including several solos. I especially enjoyed Zadok the Priest and Men of Harlech. They also sang the Slaves’ Chorus from Verdi’s opera Nabucco. Towards the end we joined in hymns like I vow to thee my country and Jerusalem, followed by Now is the Hour. Afterwards supper was served in a large hall behind the church, with sandwiches, cakes and savouries. This room had more fine paintings. Then my friend showed me the Board Room, with yet more beautiful paintings. There’s also a private garden outside. You’d never know there were all these facilities. I wondered, somewhat naughtily, about the earthquake rating, but was informed that as this was a heritage building, it didn’t have to be strengthened. Ha ha! But there were no warning signs, either! I guess if there’s an earthquake you get under one of the wooden pews (complete with kneeler), or the many chairs. What a lovely place! Evidently they’re going to do a Christmas concert there as well, and they do Easter celebrations too. All this was free – there was no fee for the concert, and not even a koha collection.
The weekly covid news was published again today, although you’d have trouble finding it. There have been 5872 new cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand over the past week, and 19 further deaths attributed to the virus. Of the new cases, 1364 were probable cases. Of the new cases, 2823 were reinfections. At midnight on Sunday 5 November, 212 cases were in hospital and five in intensive care. The seven-day rolling average of new cases was 838 per day.
New interim results from New Zealand’s Long Covid Registry show support measures for the illness are lacking, with people heading in to work unwell. Research lead Dr Paula Lorgelly said the study showed Long Covid was a debilitating condition.
Last week, Te Whatu Ora reported 3934 new cases and 29 further deaths. Covid is still with us, and it’s rearing its head again in the US too.
The situation with the war in Israel continues to be very distressing. What is even more upsetting, if that were possible, is that President Biden and Sir Keir Starmer (leader of the Labour Party in England), are losing support because of the stance, that Israel’s right to defend itself is supported, but, hey, they need to wind back the violence against Gaza – about 4,000 Palestinian deaths was the latest I heard yesterday.
Here’s a link to a thoughtful article from the Guardian:
It’s now Tuesday November 7th.
An opinion poll in the US has come out showing Trump as having more support than Biden. This is very distressing! Remember Trump’s Muslim ban, Palestine sympathisers? Why do so many of you trust this man (Trump)? How can American voters be so stupid. Mind you, one may well ask how can New Zealand voters be so stupid, as to again put Winston Peters in the position of kingmaker? Does anyone trust him? Is he experiencing cognitive difficulties? He won’t talk to the press, so the process of negotiating with him, however fruitless, is closed to us, the voters. Luxon has said that Seymour’s proposed referendum on Te Tiriti would be “divisive and unhelpful”. On that, I do agree with him. I’ve been surrounded by a lot of National Party voters recently, and it has quite upset me. So everything goes on hold, including some environmental initiatives. Meanwhile, Chloe Swarbrick, combative and popular Green Party MP for Auckland Central, has espoused the Palestinian cause with a “River to the Sea” tweet, which implies that the state of Israel no longer exists. Chris Bishop, a National MP, has already been chided by Luxon for something he said. An Israeli MP has called for a nuclear bomb to be dropped on Gaza. Netanyahu has suspended him. But really, people, what about the pollution? Israel is not a large country. The fallout would be truly more terrible.
Oh dear oh dear. In Ukraine, the brutality continues, with Ukrainian forces having some significant success while Putin’s cruelty continues with missiles fired seemingly at random, usually causing civilian casualties.
Anyway, that’s it for now. There’s news today of Trump’s cross examination in his New York fraud trial, which unsurprisingly, was not deferential. I’ll say no more for now. I’ll just say that any sympathy I might have had for his having such ignorant and offensive sons, is truly gone now. Slava Ukraini! (I have to confess that British PM Rishi Sunak is now using this phrase in the Telegraph’s weekday podcast Ukraine the Latest. Still and all, you read it here first. Ngā mihi nui.
Classic Barbarian 