Kia ora Katoa! Kia kaha!

Today is Wednesday April 15.  I sleep until 8:30 am., so that’s good. The newspaper this morning is divided about how to open up the country. i.e. come out from lockdown.  I think the four stages were a good idea, that is, the suggestion NZ goes to level 3 when the four weeks’ lockdown is up.  The Prime Minister has said repeatedly that the government will take advice on any movement, and will be guided by the latest scientific reports. The newspaper carries stories divided on whether the lockdown was too severe, and what kind of strategies should be in place, especially with regard to contact tracing and testing. 

There is also the news that Bernie Sanders and former President Obama have endorsed Joe Biden as Democratic candidate for President. It seems a bit sad to me that that’s the best they can do. Still, it’s a way to go before the November election.

Many governments are grappling with issues regarding lifting whatever lockdowns and distancing restrictions they have in place. Some countries were thought to have good management strategies in place, e.g. Sweden or Singapore, but now their deficiencies have been shown up; Sweden now has a higher death toll, and nursing homes have been severely affected, and Singapore’s migrant workers have been part of its downfall, seeing as the migrant workers live in very cramped conditions. Singapore is now to put a severe lockdown in place. Sweden tried not to impose too many restrictions on its citizens, but there were doubts about this approach, and they now have an alarming death rate which is fast catching up.

But reports are distressing, where restrictions have been lifted, or partially lifted. There are more cases of Covid 19, except in Taiwan, which stands out for its effectiveness. We remember the dreadful videos smuggled out of Wuhan, where, despite very heavy authoritarian measures of state control being put in place, the virus could not be completely dominated or eliminated. Now that it is freer of the virus, some are regretting their decision not to stay there.

Authorities are now saying that this virus cannot be stamped out, completely; that there are likely two more waves to come, which may be worse (!), that we will always need to be extra-careful about infection (many of us are already extraordinarily careful about getting ill), and that in future, restrictions are likely to remain in place, even after development and release of a vaccine.

In addition, there is really no “going back to normal”. We have been and will be scarred by this event, some far more than others, who have lost loved ones during this time as a result of Covid 19, or their natural passing. We have been unable to gather, to celebrate, to enjoy company of family and friends, to celebrate our faith as one would wish, much less enjoy everyday “adventures” and activities. Yet, some of us are fortunate during this time. Our challenges are not nearly as great as those many people face.

Remember Metlink, who changed everything about public transport in Wellington in July 2018?  As we now watch empty buses go past, those challenges seem so far away. Who cares when the buses go? Or how windy the bus stops are? Or how difficult the whole issue became for so many people, including those of us who aren’t trying to get to work.

The US faces major challenges in getting people back to non-existent jobs – just how does that work? Why is the cruise ship industry and airline industry being given a bailout? Who in their right mind would go on a cruise, now? I think you’d have to have some kind of death wish to do so.

But supposing you are running some kind of operation, making things, or meals, who has money to spend? How do you project needs into the future? How do you plan? What’s happened to the various supply chains? Where do you reopen, and with what cleaning and staff protection protocols in place?

Who will be brave enough to go to the cinema again? Or take a trip anywhere? Or eat out? Or buy takeaways? Or go to the dentist? We miss all these things, yet there is a kind of perverse pleasure in proving we can manage without them.

It seems you must have a plan, and be prepared to monitor it for effectiveness and public support, and make adjustments where needed.  I doubt that nay of us really wants to go back to the way things were.  The WHO have set out 6 steps that countries should take before lifting restrictions. These form good general guidelines.

The 1 pm briefing is instructive. There are 20 new cases, bringing the total to 1386.  728 people have recovered. Another person has died, this time an elderly man in Invercargill, who died at his home, bringing the total deaths to nine. These are encouraging figures. Jacinda advises parents not to beat themselves up about educating their children, pointing out that they’ll be learning a great deal during this time, anyway. Dr Bloomfield notes that NZ will continue to support the WHO, saying that we need a strong WHO. There have been criticisms of this organisation.

There have been dramatically huge waves on Wellington’s South Coast, and although the it is quiet today, it has been very windy here. Someone was swept out to sea, and rescued.

Recoveries from Covid 19 are noteworthy, too. I talk about three main figures, the actor Tom Hanks, the CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. They all look different – almost shockingly so. Tom Hanks appeared on SNL and seemed well, joking that people were avoiding him. But the other two looked shocked, as though they’d seen a ghost. Chris Cuomo spoke about how the disease messes with your brain, and Boris spoke about his gratitude for the treatment he’d received in hospital. He even mentioned a nurse from New Zealand – nurse Jenny from Invercargill.  For each of them, it was a defining experience, an illness it takes a while to recover from, and definitely not a typical flu. While the flu can indeed make you feel absolutely ghastly, and wish that you were dead, Covid 19 is something else, and generally more extreme.

In New York, the death figures for Covid 19 have been revised upwards, and it now seems that 4,000 people have died in New York City alone, and 10,000 in New York State. The number in New York city greatly outweighs the number who died as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Yet now they are over the worst of people needing medical treatment, they are offering to help other states, like South Dakota, where a meat-processing plant has been closed down, with many of the staff sick, yet there is no lockdown order in place.

I listened to Dr John Campbell’s update today, where he answered a number of FAQs.  He says that while there is lots we don’t know, the virus is unlikely to be carried by insects, is killed by heat or by boiling, but may be carried by water contamination.  This is all sensible advice, really – always be careful about fluids, generally getting them out of a bottle that you can see, and only eating cooked food from a reputable outlet. But this virus defies many efforts to contain its spread. There is so much we still don’t know.

I did not go for a walk today. Today has not been a particularly good one, however the Pharmacy at Johnsonville rang to see how I was and if I would like anything delivered to save me going in to the store. They delivered a packet of face masks!

We have been watching Unorthodox on Netflix. It is a very well-made series, with great attention to detail in the costuming and displaying the huge contrast between the ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, Queens, New York, and modern Berlin. There were renditions of Schubert’s An Die Musik, and that is my favourite piece for today. Here is a translation by Richard Wigmore.  In German it is even better.

Beloved art, in how many a bleak hour,

when I am enmeshed in life’s tumultuous round, 

have you kindled my heart to the warmth of love, 

and borne me away to a better world!

Often a sigh, escaping from your harp,

a sweet, celestial chord

has revealed to me a heaven of happier times. 

Beloved art, for this I thank you!

That’s it for today, on that beautiful note I shall retire.

Nga Mihi

Kia Ora Katoa! Kia Kaha!

Today is Tuesday, April 14. The weather is cool but fine. It is not windy.

This is a time of rebirth. We will all be affected by this crisis, in varying ways – for some it is a much more difficult time than others. And there’s the anxiety, and the dreams, or rather, nightmares. One wakes from a bad dream with relief thinking I know that things are bad, but they’re not that bad.

Isn’t it fascinating how values have changed. There is great concern about care homes having very high fatality rates, with some deaths not being recorded as being from Covid 19.  In fact, some carers have moved into rest homes. The image of elderly folk being confined to their bedrooms, where their family members can’t visit them, is tragic indeed, when it is already such a challenge to get through the day.  And it’s for their own protection!  One rest home carer said “I have the best job in the world!” And this is caring for elderly folk sometimes afflicted with dementia.  I remember the high quality of care provided for my mother-in-law, whom we were privileged to visit on her 90^th birthday, one month before she passed away.  Although she had dementia, after several visits she recognised my husband, her eldest son. This was a special time indeed, as was her funeral a few weeks later – time for a large family gathering over several days.

While elderly folk have lived their lives, and usually suffer various health issues as their minds and bodies wear out, we all wish for a peaceful death, not before our time. No one would want anyone to die gasping for breath, or feeling a huge weight on their chest, or suffering extreme exhaustion.  And families wish to come together and honour the person who has passed, following the wishes of the deceased person, and the rituals that their loved ones wish to abide by, by holding a tangi or a funeral. It’s about respect, and it helps everyone.

Some Cathedrals are now showing videos of organ recitals, or of Handel’s Messiah, performed at Christmas.  As some have said, we are under lockdown, but Jesus is not under lockdown.

The sight of empty churches, an empty St Peter’s Square and St Peter’s Basilica, and Andrea Bocelli singing outside a shuttered Duomo Cathedral in Milan, are very poignant. How striking that at a time when many people seek spiritual comfort, at this solemn time of the year, people cannot go to church. The churches are empty by necessity, now. But perhaps there is rebirth, whether spiritual or otherwise. I find it very striking that faith, and elderly folk, and family relationships, are so much valued at this time. Who would have predicted this?

The 1 pm briefing brings news, both good and bad.  Sadly, there have been 4 further deaths, including the father of the groom at the Bluff wedding, a source of a cluster of cases. The good news is that there are only 17 new cases, bringing the total to 1366. Today we have Dr Bloomfield presenting the update. I look up the song about him, and post the link on the family messenger group.

Random news:

• A sailor who was on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt has died. 600 sailors have tested positive for Covid 19.
• A meat processing plant has closed down in South Dakota, having a cluster of over 300 Covid 19 cases. The Republican Governor there has resisted issuing a stay at home order, despite pleas that she do so.
• The number of positive cases in Russia is alarming.
• Russians are thought to have brought the infection to the North-East region of China, causing more infection there.
• In Ukraine a forest fire is alarmingly close to the failed nuclear reactor site at Chernobyl. Having read the book about attempts to cover this, news of the fire being so close is alarming.
• A disease is infecting olive trees in Europe.
• Another larger swarm of locusts is coming in Africa.
• The focus on climate change has been dislodged by the pandemic, but like the virus, it’s coming/here, ready or not, like it or not.

But there is encouraging news, too. In New York, an owner of several apartment buildings has given his tenants a rent holiday.  Some charities are doing great good works, although there are many fundamental problems as more people lose employment, and thus their medical insurance, and become more desperate.

Groups of governors are combining to work together on “reopening” America’s economy, led powerfully by Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York. They agreed that they haven’t done this before; they will work to a plan; that you must have a healthy patient before you can have a healthy economy; and they combine Democratic and Republican Governors. So what do they have in common? Apart from wanting a strong economy, they are primarily concerned about their constituents, and their lives. They want them to stay alive, and to stay well. They agree to be smart, rather than being political.

So what else do we know about Covid 19? Some things we thought we knew are being debunked. For example, it seems you can be reinfected. Doctors and scientists are trying to figure out how this works, because it would be really useful to know who has had the disease and recovered, and is now assumed to be immune. Is it carried by normal conversation? If so, at what distance? How long does it live on surfaces? Door handles, bus seats, food packaging? We know it’s extremely infectious, and there’s likely to be further waves of infection. The only safe way to avoid it seems to be to stay well away – from any interaction with other human beings!  And to maintain some kind of healthy living and eating and sleeping and exercising in the meantime.

This afternoon we walked to the store, where I did some shopping. The store was not full, we did not have to queue up, and I bought some bread. I also bought some raspberries and feijoas.  Raspberries – in April! That is rather wonderful. They are large, delicious, and keep well. Usually soon after Christmas their season is over, here. Meanwhile, we have beautiful feijoas, a harbinger of winter, but we enjoy them while we can. There’s something nice here about produce being seasonal.  Things are enjoyed in their season, then we move on and look forward to other things like leeks and celeriac.

The coming of autumn reminds me of Keats’ Ode to Autumn.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

   Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

   With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;

To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,

   And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

      To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

   With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

      For summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?

   Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find

Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,

   Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;

Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,

   Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook

      Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:

And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep

   Steady thy laden head across a brook;

   Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,

      Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they?

   Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—

While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,

   And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;

Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn

   Among the river sallows, borne aloft

      Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;

And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;

   Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft

   The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;

      And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

My musical offering? Handel’s Messiah.  There are many great recordings.

Choose your favourite chorus. I think my favourite would be For Unto us a Child is

Born.

Today has been a good day. 

Nga Mihi

Kia Ora Katoa! Kia Kaha!

Today is Monday. April 13.  It’s another quiet day, here. It’s fine outside but quite windy.  We enter another week of lockdown. People are finding this hard, but are philosophical about it.

It is boring, today. At the 1 pm briefing, Jacinda  warns us that the next two weeks will be hard. Although most people think this lockdown is worthwhile, let’s face it, it is very boring, especially on a Monday without the NZ Listener.

My trainers are wearing out. I will have to wear some old shoes, before I can buy some new ones.

This afternoon it was sunny and we went for a different walk around Churton Park, as did many others. There were cheery waves and avoidance strategies as we all tried to maintain a safe distance. I didn’t shop today.  We had hard-boiled egg  and salad sandwiches for lunch, and corn fritters and lettuce salad for dinner.

This morning we spoke to our daughter in Hawkes Bay, and this afternoon we had some lovely photos. Two of her house-mates have had birthdays, so she has had lots of treats.

At the 1 pm briefing Jacinda Ardern and Dr Ashley Bloomfield both showed up. Towards the end one reporter asked him what he thought about being named New Zealander of the Year. He replied that it was great to be a member of a wonderful team. Jacinda remarked that he was very modest about the song about him, too. Jacinda and New Zealand’s approach to Covid 19 have made the Washington Post, the Guardian, and CNN; they also feature in several of the podcasts I’ve listened to. So the secret is out, now. Let’s hope the borders remain closed and safe, and the idle rich don’t use this as a bolthole.

The 1 pm briefing is encouraging. There are 19 new cases of Covid 19, taking the total to 1349. Of these, 15 are in hospital, and 4 in Intensive Care, one of them critical. Sadly, there has been another death, a man in his 80’s, linked to a rest home cluster. That brings the total deaths to 5.  One of the medical staff nursing the rest home folk who had been moved to Christchurch’s Burwood Hospital has also been diagnosed with Covid 19, in spite of using protective equipment (PPE). That is really sad, and just shows how infectious this virus is.

Nevertheless, these figures are encouraging. The US is way out ahead with over 20,000 deaths, and the UK has over 10,000 deaths, although both these figures are probably understated.  This is just so sad. One would like to think that most of these deaths could have been avoided. There will be a great deal of grieving to be done in due course.

More people involved in food preparation and selling in the US are ill or dying. Really, good, safe food is critical, essential to our very existence. You don’t need a hedge fund manager, or even a fund manager, for that matter, and your private jet or yacht won’t be much use seeing as you need to be able to stop and replenish fuel and supplies. Basic existence is now very basic indeed.  Even the “wooden tent” where we live has its advantages. We can be in different rooms.   It’s fascinating how some people who should know better decry science, yet rely on it to produce a vaccine, fast, instead of acknowledging that this takes time, at least several months. In the meantime, we should all do something to limit the suffering and loss.

This morning we listened to Andrea Bocelli singing A Message of Hope in, and later outside, the beautiful Duomo cathedral in Milan. I find this very affecting, and post it on the family messenger chat. JD and I very much enjoyed our fleeting visit to Milan in 2010. We saw the Duomo Cathedral, the Pinacotera di Brera, Leonardo da Vinci’s Cenacolo, and Michelangelo’s Rondanini Pieta at the Castle Sforzando.  What a day! Then we caught a train to Venice.  This was a very ambitious day, and a wonderful one. Everything worked out just fine. We went to di Brera because they opened early, and we had come on the train from Paris.

This art gallery had many wonderful paintings. I remember best a painting of the Last Supper by Rubens, and Mantegna’s The Dead Christ, but there were many others.

My favourite poem today is a well-known by William Wordsworth.

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be

A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

Last night we watched Go South on television, a repeat of an earlier episode which ran from Auckland to Greymouth by train across Cook Strait and Arthur’s Pass to Greymouth, then by road down the West Coast to Milford Sound, and then by boat exploring the Sound. The water-colour above is a painting of Doubtful Sound, which is nearby.

That’s it for now.

Nga Mihi

Today is Easter Sunday, April 1, 2020. Happy Easter!

I didn’t post yesterday.

Yesterday was another quiet day, but some nice things happened.

We had a lovely Easter card from one of our grandsons, and one of our sons offered to do some shopping for us. We also spoke to friends of ours and swapped ideas for great musical recordings.  In the afternoon we went for a walk but we did not go shopping.

In the evening we watched Go Further South on Prime TV: a wonderful documentary with no advertisements and no voice-overs, no commentary, but there are occasional screen displays of information such as maps or comments. The voyage went from Bluff past Stewart Island and past the Auckland Islands to the Antarctic, where the ship stopped at a penguin colony. Those penguins are so cute! And there are so many of them! It still looked very cold. We watched the hardy souls on the ship put on warmer clothing and woolly caps and gloves the further south they went.

This morning we had a win: the Sunday paper was delivered. In the past, I have resisted home delivery, on the grounds that it is good to walk up to the store to buy it. Now, it’s safer not to do this. One can still go for a walk, however.

The newspaper notes “we are all beneficiaries now”.  And I’m sure many of us are very grateful that there is a government “safety net”. Some people still break the rules of the lockdown, claiming not to know what they are. Humph!  We are so grateful to supermarket staff, too, who are unfailingly polite, helpful and cheerful. I am glad they had a day off on Friday, and shorter hours today. I’m sure they were relieved that it was quiet out our way today. This store was usually closed on Easter Sunday.

Today we walked to the store at the time for the 1 pm briefing. Strangely, given the pictures of long queues yesterday, today there is no queue, and the store is almost empty. I buy another pie, some peppers, and a cucumber.

The 1 pm briefing is again heartening. Yesterday Dr Bloomfield did not appear, but today he is there. He is so patient! I think the reporters’ questions are more sensible today. What a thing it is to have accurate information, without spin. If he doesn’t know something, he says so, and offers to look into it.

Yesterday, there were 29 new cases, and today there are only 18 bringing the total to 1330. Sadly, two more people have died, both older people: one a rest home resident, and another a guest at the Bluff wedding – a large cluster, including 86 cases of Covid 19 to date. Dr Bloomfield warned that there may be more deaths.

Tonight there is a repeat of the condensed version of Go South on television, which I hope to watch again. It is mesmerising viewing.

The news from overseas continues to be very sad and alarming.  Many in the US are saying that we cannot go back to things the way they were. Indeed, many of us have wondered what the breaking point would be for such inequality and poverty and lack of regulation in the US.

Governor Cuomo in New York has amazing graphics to back up his updates: amazing because they have so much up to date information, and someone must be updating them each day. In the UK, there is talk of going “over the top” when medical people go on duty. This refers to World War 1, when soldiers had to climb out of the trenches to perform sentry duty, or to attack, usually with dreadful consequences. Hence the expression “shell shock”, later termed PTSD. One wonders how long this intensity can continue.

In Ecuador, a hot country, services are overwhelmed by the numbers of dead bodies needing to be picked up from homes and from the street. One man spoke about the stench of death, while this crisis is not being well-managed. Where supposedly civilised societies are struggling with sick and dying patients, it’s little wonder that others are in an even more desperate situation.

While the disaster perhaps has plateaued in New York, there is fear that this kind of intensity may move to other areas, where medical care may not be so good, and many county hospitals have closed. Those that remain do not have a good supply of PPE or ventilators or ICU beds.

There are still stories of medical staff being unable to obtain PPE, some dying in spite of using it; and the difficulties of working within it. There are stories of deaths at Trader Jo’s, Walmart, and another supermarket store.

And then there is talk of “reopening” the country for business.  One asks what kind of economy you have when there is so much illness and death, and so many of the people who keep the “wheels turning”, i.e. keep looking after the sale of goods, collection of rubbish, collection and burial or cremation of patients and bodies, and preparation of food.  One suggests that the committee to reopen the economy, should it make rash decisions, may be as inefficient as the Coronavirus Taskforce.

We have spoken here about going from level 4 (lockdown) to level 3, and what that will mean. Personally, although I need to get my hair cut, I won’t be rushing to a hairdressing salon. I also won’t be rushing to a library, or to get on a bus, or even to a café, although deep-fried takeaways may just be acceptable!

This morning I watched several services: in NZ, because of the time differences, we have to wait a while for American recordings to catch up. One can look around for something one would like to view.  American churches seem to be very au fait with recorded viewings, but not so the UK. At least, I have had trouble finding UK recordings.

I also listened to a sermon given on Good Friday by Bishop Robert Barron, who is presently at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. I found this very powerful. Fr Barron has given several talks, and he’s obviously a scholar, well-read, and a great intellectual.

Fr Barron also spoke about the coronavirus, which has greatly upset the rhythms of everyday life. He spoke about the value of silence, and contemplation, and reading the Bible. He also spoke about the virus is terms of the wider scheme of things, and about the end of Job – “I know that Thou (God) canst be hindered in no thought of thine”.  Job indeed enjoyed God’s blessings again, after being brought so low, but he never lost his faith in God. Fr Barron also spoke about the virus being another opportunity to show forth love.

I watched with interest a recording of a Vigil Mass at the Cathedral Guadalupe, Dallas, Texas. I was especially interested because it was a beautiful church; although there were several celebrants, they appeared to practice social distancing; it was a sung Mass; there were lengthy readings from the Creation in Genesis, the Exodus passage where Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt; the prediction in Isaiah chapter 55, “Everyone that thirsteth, come to the waters”, and the passage in Matthew’s Gospel where the stone guarding Jesus’s tomb was rolled away, and then He appeared to the some of his own. There was some beautiful singing in Spanish; despite the beauty of the Church, and the absence of a congregation, there was a warmth to this service. The organ had a good workout: they sang Christ the Lord is Ris’n Today, and ended with a hymn sung to the anthem in movement 4 of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

There is continuing controversy about religious attendance. The Catholic Church says its churches are closed to the public, and give a warning not to be foolish. Others have explained that the priests concelebrating services live in a community together, and do not interact with the outside world.

Below are the words to this famous hymn by Charles Wesley, 1739. There is a beautiful recording of this sung by the Choir of King’s College Chapel, Cambridge (Jesus Christ is Risen Today).

1. Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia!
   Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
   Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
   Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia!
2. Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
   Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
   Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
   Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
3. Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
   Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
   Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
   Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!
4. Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
   Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia!
   Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
   Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
5. Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
   Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
   Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
   Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!
6. King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
   Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
   Thee to know, Thy pow’r to prove, Alleluia!
   Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!

I also show a depiction of Michelangelo’s Rondanini Piéta, in Milan. I saw this in February 2010. It had long been an objective of mine, to see this one. This has to be my favourite, although I’ve also been privileged to see the one in the Duomo, in Florence, and the one in St Peter’s in Rome. They are all very expressive of a mother’s love for her son.  The Milan one is especially poignant, being at first glance unfinished.  There was no need to do anything else to this. Both Florence and Milan claim that Michelangelo was working on “their” Piéta at the time of his death. This piece does not show the resurrected Christ, but it is an astonishing piece of art.

It has been a very special Easter this time in 2020. It has been wonderful to see so much Christian love and reverence shine through the gloom.

Tomorrow – Easter Monday. There will be no NZ Listener. However Bauer Media have written to me saying they hope to find a buyer who will publish the Listener. So that’s hopeful.

That’s it for now.

Nga Mihi

Today is Friday, April 10^th. For some reason we call this “Good Friday”.

This morning there is no newspaper, and all supermarkets are closed here in Aotearoa.

It occurs to me again that while the world is consumed by Covid 19, and different countries are dealing (or not dealing) with this real and present threat in various ways, it is here, now, demanding attention. You cannot reason with it. Your economy may be going down a black hole (to use a New York Times expression), but it demands suffering and sacrifice. That choice seems remarkably clear, to me: you can distance yourself from your loved ones now, and they may remain well, or you can continue aspects of your former life and interactions, and watch your loved ones, and may be yourself, grow ill, suffer, and perhaps need hospital treatment and maybe die. It’s no choice, really.  One feels for those in countries where leadership is lacking to encourage people to see human life as being more important than anything else.

The virus is here now and demands immediate attention and management. It has sprung on us. Remember how in September through to December and New Year’s Eve we were consumed with the Australian bush fires, ravaging what seemed like considerable areas of that vast country. Then a strange virus coming out of Wuhan, a large city in China’s Hubei province, began to demand our attention. Many of us had never heard of Wuhan. What seemed like a small threat developed into a massive, world-wide pandemic, that has wreaked havoc on already struggling economies (and healthy ones), and forced us all to reconsider the simplest of tasks – food shopping. In New Zealand we isolate ourselves in our “bubbles”: the place where we live, whoever lives there, and a two kilometre radius around it. Petrol process have fallen, but the price of fuel seems irrelevant now, since we aren’t allowed to go anywhere.  Even a bus trip seems perilous, a library extremely hazardous. You cannot see this infection, you only know it may be there, anywhere, and it’s extremely easy to catch.

Dr Campbell’s update from the North of England mentioned New Zealand’s success in managing this virus, and the stupidity of the Minister of Health. Thankfully his foolishness is more than balanced by the Director General of Health’s calm reasoned approach.  Articles have now appeared in the English Guardian newspaper about New Zealand’s approach.

At today’s briefing we learnt there had been a second death from Covid 19. The victim was a 90 year old woman, who like the first death, had underlying health conditions.  The number of new cases is 44, bringing the total to 1283. Of the new cases, 42 are linked to existing clusters. We are learning more and more about these clusters. It seems anytime a group of people get together, there is an enormous risk of transmission.

It is also the case that any kind of institution is at enormous risk, whether it be a rest or nursing home, where folk are already elderly and usually have underlying health conditions, homes for intellectually disabled people, prisons, and refugee camps. As well as people in care getting ill and dying, the staff often get sick too, thus putting their own families at risk.  The medical staff who care for the sick are hugely at risk too, working long shifts in cumbersome haz-mat gear, when they can get it. 

The US seems to be in a very bad way, with respect to institutions, and, unsurprisingly, black or brown people seem to suffer worse than white people and die more frequently. It stands to reason, really: if you have less money, live in more crowded conditions, buy cheaper food, use public transport and do a physical job rather than being able to work from home (is that really such an ideal situation?), you are far more likely to contract the disease and be worse affected economically. Another 6 million people have filed for unemployment in the US. Meanwhile, I am very worried about their food production. People employed in these industries tend to be on a very low hourly rate, have poor employment conditions, are pressured to work whether they are well or not, and are now getting ill themselves. We are all only as safe as the last meal we ate. In NZ, everyone is eating three meals a day at home, so we rely heavily on those wonderful people who prepare it, pick it, pack it, and sell it to us. They all have families, too.

In the UK, NHS staff are not permitted to speak to the media.  One video I did see showed some medical staff huddling round a computer screen and not maintaining separation. They explained that they couldn’t, not really.

//

Seeing that it’s Good Friday today, I take the opportunity to note music, poetry and a painting with a religious theme appropriate to Easter.

The painting is Salvador Dali’s Christ of St John on the Cross. This poem hangs in the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow, and I have seen it. When we visited in June 2016, there was an organ recital there too.

My hymn for today is When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, by Isaac Watts (1674 – 1749).  He wrote many hymns. At the moment my favourite recording is by the King’s College Choir, Cambridge.

When I survey the wond’rous Cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest Gain I count but Loss,
And pour Contempt on all my Pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the Death of Christ my God:
All the vain Things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his Blood.

See from his Head, his Hands, his Feet,
Sorrow and Love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such Love and Sorrow meet?
Or Thorns compose so rich a Crown?

ere the whole Realm of Nature mine,
That were a Present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my Soul, my Life, my All.

My music for today is Allegri’s Miserere Mei, a setting of Psalm 51 in Latin. There beautiful recordings of this.

And, since it’s Easter, I have been listening again to Bach’s St Matthew Passion. While the whole work is quite long, it has a beautiful, hope-filled refrain that I’m sure you will recognise and a very special closing chorus; it also provides the opening music for the movie Casino. Be that as it may, it’s an extraordinarily wonderful composition.

Today we listened to lots of music: Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Verum Corpus, Beethoven’s 3^rd Piano Concerto, and the music from the second movement of Mozart’s 23^rd Piano Concerto, which was used in the movie The Death of Stalin.

This morning it was cold, but once again it cleared in the afternoon and we had a nice walk. It’s nice to have some quiet time.

Nga Mihi

Kia Ora Katoa! Kia Kaha!

Today is Thursday, April 9^th. Last night I woke at 1 am with a great sense of dread. It seemed very real, but I figured it must have been a dream. I next woke at 5:40 am, a far more respectable hour. I struggled to get internet reception on my phone, for quite a while, then it settled down.

This morning the newspaper was quite wet, in spite of being wrapped in a plastic bag, so I had to let it dry out before reading it.  Then JD reminded me that the stores are all closed tomorrow, so we went food shopping (I hadn’t planned to do this).

This morning we watched a video of “Dancing Dads” that appeared on TV One’s Seven Sharp. It was great fun, and the winner was from Invercargill! Good on him.

At the store we waited in the queue for quite a while. At that stage it was quite cold and windy outside. Then we were told that only one of us could shop (that would be me – JD had worn a warm jacket!), and that we couldn’t take shopping bags inside the store. That puts paid to my infection-reducing strategy of using one of my shopping bags to hold the trolley. While we were waiting in the queue, JD applied disinfectant to the trolley handle and surrounding area.  You are supposed to leave your shopping bags in the car, and pack them there, but we walk to the store, so that creates a bit of a problem. Perhaps in future I can put my shopping bags in a pocket. I still think disposable gloves are a good idea.

At the store, some people came really close, while some aisles were deserted. It’s tricky when you go first for bread to see what’s there, and bread is at the back of the store. Then you want to go back and buy fruit and vegetables. It’s very useful to have a list.

The 1 pm briefing was really heartening. Today there are only 29 new cases of Covid 19, bringing the total to 1239. We are now almost halfway through the lockdown. This is the lowest number of new cases since March 22.  There seems to be a collective sense of relief, that despite the pain, we are all making a difference.  It helps that things are quite cut-and-dried: you can’t do anything, or go anywhere, so you don’t. It has quite a levelling effect, taking me back to my childhood, when New Zealand was a more egalitarian society. Of course, there were rich people then, but there wasn’t the level of child poverty and homelessness or huge differences that there are today. Of course not everything was great, by any means, but there were advantages.

At the briefing, the Prime Minister sad that NZ could have 10,000 cases of Covid 19 by now, had her government not acted decisively the way it did.  She emphasised that she is concerned for our health and happiness, and our livelihood. Dr Bloomfield stressed that if anyone needs help, or their needs aren’t being met, there are numbers to call and help will be provided. As noted, there is a safety net with the government providing a wage subsidy already. In future the focus will be on borders, contact tracing (use of technology to track phone contacts is being investigated here), and testing. In future, any new arrivals from overseas will be quarantined in government-mandated accommodation (generally hotels) for two weeks before being permitted to re-join their families.  The country will move to level 3 (currently at level 4) after this, but the government will not determine this till the 4 weeks are almost up, wishing to use data and modelling in their decision-making.

I find it interesting that the NZ Government can put people up in hotels, at its expense, whereas San Francisco cannot house the homeless in its now empty hotels, in spite of California having a democratic, proactive governor.

 I have not written about overseas data today. It seems, however, that countries have much more success at caring for the sick and dying if they are prepared to undergo some painful distancing in order to reduce the numbers of the sick and dying.  Otherwise, there is multiple evidence that things get right out of control, with the numbers of the sick and dying increasing far faster than anyone can manage. You are going to suffer some pain, either way. But there are significant benefits, too.

We heard from our son and his wife in the UK, and they are doing all right, despite the lockdown there and consequent inconvenience. I am so pleased that they are out of London. We rang our daughter in Hawkes Bay and she is doing fine.

Today I wanted to share a piece of music, and a poem. The music is Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor. I had this tune in my head, and eventually figured out what it was.  It’s a sad piece, but emotionally appropriate for this sad time.

The poem is one of my favourites. It is by George Herbert (1583-1633), one of the Metaphysical poets.  It’s simple, yet it lifts one’s spirits.

Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright,

The bridal of the earth and sky;

The dew shall weep thy fall to-night,

For thou must die.

Sweet rose, whose hue angry and brave

Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye;

Thy root is ever in its grave,

And thou must die.

Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses,

A box where sweets compacted lie;

My music shows ye have your closes,

And all must die.

Only a sweet and virtuous soul,

Like season’d timber, never gives;

But though the whole world turn to coal,

Then chiefly lives.

That’s all for now. Talk again soon! 

Nga Mihi

Kia Ora Katoa! Kia Kaha!

Today is Wednesday, April 8^th. I did not go shopping today, but I went for a lovely walk. There was a long queue outside the local supermarket. Apparently it is very quiet when it opens at 7 am, but that’s too early for me. You can look on google maps to see the busy times.

This morning it was quite cold, but in the afternoon it was fine and sunny, and lovely to be out for a walk.

I forgot to mention yesterday that in New York they are looking at temporary burial of bodies in parks.  There was also talk about going “stir crazy”, both in New York and here. The NZ Prime Minister remembers the severe trauma caused by the Christchurch earthquake in February 2011. People are still traumatised by their experiences back then; some of them may never get over it. So I am pleased that this issue is being addressed.

This morning I had a call from the agency that supplies cleaning services, to see if I was getting on all right. It was very nice of them to call, and while I miss their help, I recognise that during the lockdown it is advisable.

The 1 pm briefing is encouraging. Today there are 50 new cases of Covid 19, bringing the total to 1210. This number of new cases is the same as back on 25 March, which seems ages ago.  It seems we are making good progress. There is a story in the Washington Post praising NZ’s approach: “New Zealand isn’t just flattening the curve. It’s squashing it”.  Quiet and unseen no longer!  Jacinda is very diplomatic about this: they’ve used particular vocabulary. She reminds us all not to go away for the long Easter weekend.   At least, the usually terrible Easter road toll should be not yield any accidents at all, and some of our medical staff should be able to have a well-earned rest. We have still not been under lockdown for two weeks.

It seems that Jacinda’s offsider, her Dr Fauci, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, has developed quite a reputation of his own, for integrity, patience and honesty. There is a story in Slate about him!  Unlike poor Dr Fauci, his details are listened for, heard and valued. More testing is being done.

There seems to be a different acceptance of the lockdown now. Everyone has slowed down, there is not such a rush to compensate for previous activities. I had a favourite saying, there’s no rush! I can now say, there’s absolutely no rush! We are seeing the benefits of slowing down a bit.

Meanwhile, there’s still confusion. How complete should the lockdown be? How often is it safe to go shopping?  Every trip becomes more risky, as some relax their guard. Should one wear a mask whenever one goes out? Does talking (i.e. droplets) spread the virus more than surfaces? I do have a routine for shopping, but I don’t go overboard in terms of disinfecting everything. I think my precautions are adequate, but it’s a good idea to bag everything, and avoid cabinets and bulk buying of nuts, dried fruits etc.  Meantime, I feel the NZ lockdown is worthwhile. I hope the quality of food stays good, remembering that we are only as safe as whoever else has handled the food and packed it or picked it.

No overseas news for now. Tomorrow I would go to singing, so instead I will sing in the shower, and I will practise Tai Chi. Today’s suggested activity is playing knucklebones.

Nga mihi. Good-bye for now. We’ll talk again soon.

Kia Ora Katoa! Today is Tuesday, April 7^th.  I wake this morning to the news that Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, is now in Intensive Care in Hospital.

Other than that, it is Tuesday, and things are gradually getting up to speed overseas.  This morning I have phone calls from a dear friend, and one of my sons, both very much appreciated.

We watch the 1 pm briefing. Today there are 51 new cases, bringing the total to 1160. That’s the lowest number of new cases since 25 March. So that’s encouraging. Many of the newly identified cases are related to known clusters.

The PM has demoted the Minister of Health, David Clark, who evidently took his family to the beach! Before that, he’d been photographed mountain biking. In contrast, the Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, is a model of tireless rectitude and useful information. He says that wearing masks here is not recommended at this stage. Nevertheless, many do. The wage subsidy, already in effect, is helping one million workers. That is really impressive.

The PM advises having a “staycation” over the long Easter weekend. Don’t go to your bach!

It’s interesting how Jacinda Ardern, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, and the Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, display great leadership skills and a sense of responsibility and care for the people they represent and speak for.

I ring the Pharmacy in Johnsonville and establish that our repeat prescriptions are ready. We set off in the car (which still goes) to Johnsonville. It does feel strange.  I liken it to the feeling when one has had a baby, and is taking it home for the first time. The world looks quite different – more colourful, perhaps? Everything is brighter. Everything has changed. And what on earth is my pin number?

At Johnsonville, we tried two entrances to the Shopping Centre, but both were locked. The only way to the Pharmacy was via the Food Court entrance. JD picked up the prescriptions. Apparently you can only go there once every 30 days.

Outside of Churton Park, there are not nearly as many teddies in the windows.

We then go to another supermarket, still close to home. There is no queue, and we can park outside. People go in and out using the same entrance; once inside, you have to sign in and use hand sanitiser.  We each have our lists and go our separate ways. They have one innovation – a one-way system around the store. This is a very good idea, although not everyone follows it.

Some things are missing, but there is a much greater selection here. There are still peaches and nectarines in the fruit and vegetable area, and large feijoas, and brown paper bags. At the checkout tellers, things seem quite huddled and they don’t have Perspex screens.  I load my goods back in the trolley, move it, and then pack my reusable bags.  We have been requested not to bring bags inside the store, and to pack at the car. This makes sense, unfortunately.

After these adventures, we called at the Pharmacy in Churton Park. You have to be called in; it is all very organised, with the dispensary area and till being screened off, and other goods barred. In fact, the attendant gets whatever you want. We buy some vitamin supplements (Omega 3 oil, Vitamin D and magnesium), and pay using payWave. The goods are placed on a tray for us to pick up.  They don’t have face masks at present but will have more in store in a week’s time. It is one customer in for every one out, although we can go in together since we have no symptoms of Covid 19.  Never mind about Dr Fauci’s scary advice that perhaps 50% of carriers of Covid 19 are asymptomatic.

The daily death rate in the US is now 1,200. How is this acceptable on any level? The US is not at war. What grief and confusion there must be. I won’t comment on other overseas news today, except to note that the death rates vary considerably between countries. I wonder why that is: are the figures counted differently, are there different strains of the virus, is the standard of medical care amongst developed nations so very different?

Tomorrow we hope to talk to more of our loved ones.  Tomorrow I plan to make soup.

Today is Monday, April 6^th.  It is fine and warm, with a very light breeze. Today I had decided not to write about Covid 19, but I reneged on this, seeing some of the news was so interesting.  As I was preparing my breakfast, I learnt that Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the UK, has been admitted to hospital.

Today is Monday, a quiet day for the news. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is “Easter Palm” (otherwise  known as Palm Sunday, in reference to the Gospels of the New Testament). Most churches will be closed, apart from some in Texas and Louisiana.

I go for a walk to the store, with my shopping list. There was a recipe for Mexican Bean Soup  in the Sunday Star Times, and I would like to get brave and try it. I want to buy the ingredients, but there are no black beans – dried, tinned or organic.

Also, there are no new copies of the Listener, the Economist or the TV Guide. I didn’t really expect to find the Listener, since Bauer Media decided to close last week, however since magazines are planned weeks ahead, I am still surprised. This is very hard. It was a great magazine, and I miss it. So far, no one else has picked up the mantle of publishing it.  That was what used to happen on Mondays.

JD wants to go to New World in Newlands to buy some more breakfast cereal. I make my own list – I will come too, although we will shop separately, as advised. But we don’t go.

I ring the chemist at Johnsonville too, but according to the recorded message, they are very busy, so I do not leave my bubble today.

I am reminded of John Milton’s great sonnet, On His Blindness. Milton was a great scholar, reader and writer who went blind at 40 years of age. This was a huge impairment for him, but he composed his great epic poem Paradise Lost after he went blind. He was also an alumnus of Christ’s College, Cambridge, where there is still a mulberry tree in the Fellows’ Garden  in memory of him. I have seen this tree. After I was ill, I memorised this sonnet:

 When I consider how my light is spent,

    Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,

    And that one Talent which is death to hide

    Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

    My true account, lest he returning chide;

    “Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”

   I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent

That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need

   Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best

   Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state

Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed

   And post o’er Land and Ocean without rest:

   They also serve who only stand and wait.”

I found the last line particularly poignant, and reminiscent of the time we are going though now.

This morning we had an update with photographs of our daughter during the lockdown. She is smiling, and looks as though she is having a good life.

The 1 pm update advises that there are 72 new cases of Covid 19, bringing the NZ total to 1106. This is significantly less than the last few days.  I have to praise the Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. This rather unsung hero has fronted the briefings almost every day since the lockdown began, with helpful information. The Prime Minister says there is no intention of lifting the lockdown early.  Someone told me that payments for the wage subsidy have already come through. That is really efficient, and must be an incentive to retain staff. Apparently some CEOs and well-paid executives have taken a pay cut! Fancy that.

Apparently 13 hospital staff and 2 patients from Southland Hospital have been forced to self-isolate after a man with Covid 19 symptoms underwent surgery, and has since tested positive. Really, one can only wonder at this type of stupidity. Whenever one has surgery, one is asked repeatedly beforehand if one is well. I can understand the frustration at postponing scheduled surgery, but we all have to endure some delays and discomfort during this time.

The cluster of cases at Marist College in Auckland has increased. It seems that any gatherings or institutions are potential opportunities for contagion. And then there’s the Ruby Princess cruise ship, some of whose passengers have evidently helped spread the virus both here and in Australia.

Strangely, there is some better news out of the US. The Surgeon General, who previously downplayed the risk, is now warning about America’s Pearl Harbor moment, although this virus operates on many fronts and in every state. Dr Fauci advises testing, isolation, and contact tracing of infected patients. He also warns of a huge number of deaths. Is the US taking this seriously at last? 

In New York, the situation is still harrowing, but the death rate seems to have stalled slightly and recovered patients are being discharged from hospital. On the other hand, there are disturbing reports of some patients not even being taken to hospital by ambulance if the paramedics deem them to be unlikely to benefit from medical intervention. In Florida, there are 6,000 new cases of Covid 19, many requiring hospital care. There is also talk about there being not enough ventilators, as though these are essential, life-saving machines. Indeed, they are, although these machines require significant intervention by nursing staff. Medics describe the harrowing situations they find themselves in, working extra long shifts, overworked, and scared for the patients, and themselves, and their families. Most have not been in this situation before, where they’re not only overworked, but in fear of a very contagious disease. In one of the saddest ironies, the former captain of the aircraft carrier, who raised the alarm about his crew, has tested positive for Covid 19.

That’s all for today. Tomorrow I will venture outside my bubble. Maybe I  will figure out how to add more photographs.

Today is Sunday, April 5^th. Today is Sunday, but I head off to the store soon after 9 am hoping to buy some bread. Overnight we all put our clocks back one hour, to mark the end of Daylight Saving. It is a fine, sunny day.

At the store there is a queue to get in, and someone monitoring entry, however I don’t have to wait long. There is some Vogel bread, which I buy along with a Sunday newspaper. A week ago I sent an email asking for the Sunday paper to be delivered, but I’ve received no reply yet. The heading on the front page of the paper reads “Kill or Cure?” This sees incredibly short-sighted to me.

At the 1 pm briefing we learn that there are 89 new cases of Covid 19, bringing the total to 1039, well over 1,000. This is the highest total for a day. However more tests are being done, and there is a cluster of at least 10 cases in a Christchurch Rest Home. The Prime Minister says that we have 3,000 fewer cases than could have been expected at this point, and we’re still not halfway through the 4-week lockdown. So, despite the pain, this process is surely worthwhile. After all, in the absence of a cure or a treatment or a vaccine, strict isolation (two metres distance determines our existence), seems to be the best strategy. While it’s hard not to see my children and grandchildren, it is still fine and warm here, and we are doing all right. The thing NZ could be doing is isolating those who test positive for Covid 19, and carrying out more testing, which they are planning to do.

Up until now, I have not been afraid for myself. I am more wary now, realising there are no funerals allowed at present, and no takeaways available. Who would look after me?

When the lockdown is relaxed, I think I will be very wary about venturing outside my “bubble”.

The figures from overseas are very disturbing, with the US clearly leading the charge of high numbers infected and high numbers of deaths, and general chaos as to what the rules are in different states, how to  get tested, and the provision of adequate equipment and PPE. In short, each state is on its own, really, and ones which don’t have effective governors may have great difficulty in managing this crisis. And crisis it surely is; in addition to the threat of illness, we all assume we’ll be able to buy good food, but its supply relies on numbers of people who grow and process and manufacture these items, and their own health and attention to detail and strict hygiene practices.

One has to assume that in the US, the federal government simply doesn’t care about lives being lost, since so little is being done to alleviate this increasingly dire situation.  This shocking, unbelievable, truth has taken a while to sink in, while dealing with an ever-worsening situation of isolation, illness and death. No one is equipped to deal with this – loss and fear of loss.

Americans talk about the shock of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, where the government was shown to be incompetent, and the huge shock of 9/11, in trying to find terminology to compare this situation. The death rate of this pandemic has already far exceeded that of 9/11, and the president has advised them to expect more deaths. The pro-life party is not pro-life now.

In the UK things aren’t much better, with a death rate that is almost 10% of infected cases. With Brexit, much of the argument was about “taking back control”. Well, they’ve certainly made a right mess of controlling this situation.

One expects that medical care in the UK and the US will be competent, thoughtful, kind, and compassionate, and it is shown to be so. It is indeed tragic that such wonderful medical folk cannot get the right protective gear and support that they need during this difficult time.

This morning my sister-in-law rang from Australia. She is caring for her elderly mother-in-law, while dealing with loss of her husband and two of her three sons living overseas. I think she is doing an amazing job caring for her Mum.

Tomorrow I will venture to Johnsonville to pick up a prescription.

When the lock down is lifted, I look forward to going to a library, and buying new books to read.