Today is Thursday October 29^th. Kia ora katoa.

Here we are still rejoicing at Jacinda Ardern’s success in our recent election.  Our minds turn to other things, such as why isn’t there a rush worldwide to this kind of kindness?  The main concern, however, is the US Election, due to take place on 3 November. We all,  along with many Americans, look at Biden’s rather good standing in the polls, along with early voting, against ongoing dirty tactics by Republicans that look alarmingly like all kinds of attempts to suppress the vote; then, having voted, and overcome all kinds of difficulties in so doing,  to have your vote counted.  It should not be so difficult, to exercise your democratic right to vote, and have your vote counted, and to respect the result.

In New Zealand, we are still on a high. There have been no Coalition announcements yet. There’s no rush.

Another matter I must consider is how we should spend out 50^th Wedding Anniversary, which comes up next year.  I should send out a “Save the Date” message, perhaps, and issue formal invitations later. We could use gelli prints to design the invitations. I could plan a party. I should like to plan a party. It would be nice to have a party, to celebrate, to perhaps receive some presents: perhaps I could compile a register. After all, although we have lots of things, there are things you run out of, that need replacing.  Many things do not last for ever.

But exactly what are we celebrating? I should like to have a romantic occasion; I should like to make a speech, but it could be a challenge to find appropriate things to say. JD’s relations from Australia have signalled that they would come; it’s sad that after several failed marriages, two true loves have sadly passed away (cancer). The Trans-Tasman travel bubble (both ways) should be open by the time of our anniversary.

We have evaded serious (and not so serious) illness; there is much to celebrate, including five wonderful children and six beautiful grandchildren (so far).  But there is enormous room for improvement, particularly in terms of relationships. Surely one wants to maintain good relationships – with one’s Faith, with one’s family, and with one’s friends.  And I am not where I should like to be, where I aimed to be, well before now.  I realise that plans can be futile, but it’s still good to have a plan A and a plan B, and revise, or abandon them, as circumstances change. There is a bottom line, even if that keeps moving. One has to be prepared to “let go” of many things one would like to happen: however during the lockdown here, I was glad of my large house, my piano and my collection of books. So I’m conflicted.

Coming back to the party, I try to think of a good venue: such a place should be easy to reach, have plenty of parking and seating; nice food; nice restrooms, and perhaps a dance floor or some nice background music. I can certainly arrange a good party, but it would be nice to have some help, and a budget.  It would be nice to have nice food, and plenty to drink, including tea and coffee.  Decorations, too, and a cake. One needs to decide whether to do lunch, dinner, or afternoon tea. It should be enjoyable, and not a burden. The more we spend on a party, the further away are my main objectives. 

On Monday JD played golf with a friend. This was somewhat anxiety-filled. I was concerned that our friend would love to play golf with JD; it was enormously difficult to get JD to go on this trip, so it was quite an achievement to have it happen. I used to know what was going on at the golf club, when we received hard copy newsletters, and an annual printed report, but it’s all online now, and needless to say JD doesn’t know how to log in. I am not a member, so I can’t. He had promised to find out what the dining arrangements are, so that we four can go and have lunch there.

The outing also brought up some difficult memories for me, but I pushed those aside. For JD, it exorcised some memories. So, although it infuriated me on some levels, there was a measure of success.  In my view, membership of this golf club is something JD should let go of. In my view, he should look forward, to what we need now. The people who hurt him when he was younger have now passed away, for the most part.  I wish my friend was still alive, and I could discuss these things with her.

This past week I have tried to think of things to be happy about.  My grandchildren in the US have Kiwi passports. That is huge. The Khandallah Town Hall now has a sliding front door. In the past, you had to open a heavy door, and step onto a narrow ledge outside – always a challenge.  The sun came out as I took several bus trips this week; it is weird driving around Newlands, Woodridge and Paparangi: I have so many mixed memories of these places.  I have used cognitive therapy many times, forcing myself to contemplate things that are rewarding, that bring me peace and happiness. I distract myself by playing a great deal of music in my head.  I find that if I have memorised the opening notes, I can continue, and play the whole piece, although movements of concertos flummox me sometimes.  A good book is a great distraction, although sometimes it is hard for me to read.

The mainly US-based podcasts I listen to regularly are filled with horror about the coming US election. It feels like a great relief to have ours out of the way, and the Labour won big time; that here, at least, we have a Prime Minister we can be proud of.  The US anchors and journalists are displaying varying degrees of nervousness and fear, as indeed I am. Who can blame us? It’s hard to be at peace about the outcome.  It’s heartening, though, that there is a huge amount of early voting, and the encouragement to vote is given at every turn. US citizens want to have their say, and good on them for that.  Meanwhile, we watch and wait.

The novel coronavirus continues to wreak havoc in most places overseas. Australia seems to have brought their latest outbreak under control, but in the UK another month-long lockdown has been announced, and in the US they just keep having huge numbers of infections (90,000 odd), each day. Now over 230,000 Americans have died.  I am sure everyone, not just Trump, has had enough of this; unfortunately, it won’t go away just yet, perhaps not ever. 

That’s it for now. Ngā mihi.

Today is Monday October 19^th. Kia ora katoa.

We are on a bit of a roll, here. Labour won the election, (I had a wee dram to celebrate), and the All Blacks won their match against the Wallabies on Sunday afternoon. Well done, Aotearoa!

Last Saturday was Election Day. In previous days, Judith Collins had made two verbal gaffes, saying that overweight people should take responsibility for their weight (this did not go down well, and the Crusher is not exactly sylph-like herself); and she had a go at the greenies in Tasmania. Really, who cares? Perhaps she was trying to prepare folks for her party’s dismal loss, revealed on Election Night.  A poll had come out a few days earlier suggesting that National and Act could form a coalition government overriding a potential Labour/Greens coalition.  This scared many of us, but we need not have worried, as it turned out.

Election Day It was a wet day, unlike the previous fine and sunny day. JD and I, having already voted, went to the Tawa Spring Fair, only it was wet and not at all spring-like. It was distinguished by the absence of any signs for voting booths, although I had checked beforehand that there were four.

The café where we had a lovely lunch was very busy indeed; thankfully, we got a small table, which I sat at while JD ordered.  Afterwards, we went home to await the election results, from 7 pm, when the polls closed.

The results came through much faster than I remember previously: perhaps because of early voting, meaning counting could begin earlier; and New Zealanders seem to have got the hang of tactical voting. In many cases, the electorate winner and the party vote proportions were quite different.

Surprises on the night? Well, there were a few;

• The proportion of votes to parties stayed fairly consistent throughout the evening, with Labour having 49-50%, National 25 – 30%, the Greens up to 8% and Act slightly higher, up to just under 10%.
• It became apparent fairly early in the evening that Labour would have enough seats to govern without forming a coalition, should they wish to;
• Many National seats, long held by National, went to Labour candidates; Gerry Brownlee lost his electoral seat in Ilam, and Nick Smith in Nelson; Dr Shane Reti  lost his National seat; Lawrence Yule lost the Tukituki seat. Apparently Brownlee and Smith will remain as list MPs, despite their electorates voting against them in droves.
• Greg O’Connor, having a very slim majority over Brett Hudson last election, had a huge majority this time;
• NZ First dipped out sadly, not getting anywhere near the 5% needed to field a member of parliament; Tracy Martin, a good candidate and Minister for Children in the previous government, did surprisingly poorly in the Ohariu Electorate, for which she was standing. Why was she with NZ First, one wonders?
• Shane Jones, another former NZ First  MP, did very poorly.
• Winston Peters did surprisingly poorly. I love to dislike him immensely, but he did give us the last Labour – led government, and the Super Gold Card, for which many of us are truly grateful. He is 75 years old, after all.– a mere chicken where many American politicians are concerned.
• Chloe Swarbrick (Greens) won Auckland Central;
• The Advance NZ Party (Freedoms, fraud and conspiracy theories) got only 19,000 votes;
• The Act party gained considerable support, more than the Greens;
• Jacinda Ardern’s fiancé Clarke Gayford brought out a tray of barbecued food for journalists waiting outside their Sandringham home.

There were marked differences between National and Labour Party headquarters and celebrations; the National one was necessarily very bland and evidently poorly attended; Labour had booked out the Auckland Town Hall, which was probably a little large for them (anyone for parking in Central Auckland on a Saturday night?), and although it was decked out a bit like the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington for the Labour Party rally, the setting was muted.  I was very impressed when Jacinda came on and spoke in Māori initially, and then the screen behind her was lit in a soft blue, not glaring red, despite the sea of red that was the election result. She spoke graciously, as ever. 

National MPs were for the most part gracious in conceding defeat in their electorate seats; the numbers of list MPs will be determined by special votes being counted. No one claimed the election had been rigged, or stolen, or unfair. So far as I know, voters were welcomed, not intimidated. I admit being not quite correct here: Advance NZ claimed it was rigged.

There were two referenda to be voted on, too: one to legalise cannabis, and the other to legalise euthanasia for the terminally ill. Thankfully those results don’t come in till later.

New Zealanders have voted overwhelmingly for kindness and care, and respected many overseas views that Jacinda, along with her team, Ashley Bloomfield, Grant Robertson, Chris Hipkins and others, have been quite magnificent, in ensuring that everyone in New Zealand should have enough to eat and be able to access medical care should they need it. The borders remain closed, and entry barred to non-New Zealanders, unless there are exceptional circumstances (e.g. film making, fishing). Everyone seems to be coping. The cities and small towns seem busy, although technically NZ is in a recession. Children are in school, sport is being played, domestic flights are full. Let’s hold is there for a bit.

This is a remarkable result for Labour, in that even under MMP, they have won outright and don’t have to govern in coalition.

It is now Monday 26 October, and I continue to bask in this glory. It has struck me during the past week that failure tends to far outweigh success, but this success should be savoured for a few days, at least.

Media commentary has been constructive, for the most part.  Labour has significant hard work ahead, but there’s no doubt being expressed about their competence; there has been much reasoned and realistic discussion about National’s downfall, and Act’s success. This latter has surprised me: they didn’t really campaign south of Auckland – there seemed to be a multitude of far-right, conservative parties; David Seymour didn’t run many advertisements, but he seemed to pop up on my mobile phone all the time in the days running up to the election.

Last week I had a dental check on Monday, I enjoyed Tai Chi (restarting for term 4) on Tuesday, hymn singing on Wednesday, choir singing on Thursday, and on Friday a friend and I lunched together at Prefab, which was super busy. Don’t all these people have jobs, my friend wondered. Afterwards, we wandered around Moore Wilson’s, before catching a bus back to Johnsonville.

That evening JD and I went to the opening of a Watercolour Exhibition; on Saturday evening, we went to a beautiful concert at the Michael Fowler Centre, and then we saw the Three Tenors movie.  I’m also reading “The Splendid and the Vile”, by Erik Larson: a very interesting read.

That’s it for now. I’ll save the news from overseas for another time. Nga mihi.

Today is Tuesday October 13^th. Kia ora katoa.

This morning I got up earlier than usual.  My Tai Chi class was restarting for Term 4. Although no reminder had been sent out, several of us were there, including some new folk. The tutors (the lead tutor is away for 2 weeks) were very gentle with us. It is great to be back, and feel all my aches and pains disappear.

After my class, I caught the train into Wellington. At Wellington Railway Station, there was a big information board, saying which trains were due to leave and on which platform. How nice! This used to be a bit of a mystery. I then caught a bus to Kelburn Parade, stopping at Victoria University. There was a sign out on the footpath indicating that a voting booth was present. I went to the Milk and Honey Café (it’s still there), to have lunch. I was asked for my name and extension, but had to advise that I’m not on the staff. Still, I had a nice lunch. The young man who served me asked if things had changed much. I said that the place had become much more civilised in many ways; that I was first at Victoria University in the 1970’s, a wild time; and then again in the noughties. 

I think the University is much improved. In the Hub, there is a sign inviting people to vote on any of the three campuses. There was all that fuss over the name change (why, one wonders?); the ridiculous real estate buying spree, disestablishment of the former Teacher’s Training College in Karori, and the fact that many staff are unhappy working there, as evinced in a recent Stuff article. I guess that like any organisation, they will have their ups and downs, but I confess that sometimes I am ashamed to be an alumna.

After lunch I went through to the Hub, where Jacinda Ardern was due to appear. There were crowds of people there, all keen to see our Prime Minister. Again, I was amazed how well-behaved and considerate everyone was. The Finance Minister, Grant Robertson, introduced Ms Ardern; Chris Hipkins and other Labour candidates were there too. She spoke very well, I thought, even better than on Sunday. Afterwards, people crowded to have their photo taken with her, and get her autograph. I was in this crowd, but did not feel in any way frightened or threatened.  Then she left, and I caught three buses home.

Note Wednesday October 14: a journalist writing for the Dompost said that Jacinda Ardern had campaigned before a “shrieking students rally” at the University. I was appalled to read this. The “students”, a mixture of ages, were very well-behaved; I’m sure the appreciative crowd included staff and mature students, as well as odd folk like myself. Ms Ardern’s speech was very well received; there was no opposition to what she said from any of the folk I saw. I do find this sensationalism quite disturbing. It’s untrue, and totally misleading.

There have been comments about Labour’s Rally on Sunday; that the setting was like a rock concert (I beg to disagree, the crowd were far too well behaved!); one journalist commented on its Orwellian tones. Wrong again, I think: I remember at the time thinking of North Korea military parades, May Day parades, and Trump’s recent flag travesty at the White House (Oh, that was the Republican Convention); but I felt grateful that I was here, and not in any of those places; not afraid for my life, or of Covid 19; this government, while not perfect by any means, has earned my trust, and I see no reason not to trust them.

Almost everywhere else, the coronavirus numbers are creeping up again, with a vengeance. One gets the feeling that any goodwill has dissipated: most stimulus money has well and truly run out; some idiots on the right are concerned for their so-called freedoms; Boris Johnson is introducing a three-tier system in England, which is not popular, especially for the “hot spots”. Again, we’re so grateful to be here, safe and well in Aotearoa; where I can go to campaign events without putting my life at risk. I doubt if Jacinda would get away with it now, but that strict four-week lockdown was very effective in getting the virus here under control, and I have not spoken to anyone who regrets it. So where in the world would you rather be?

When we had the scare with the Auckland community cluster, I was amazed how fast everyone, people and organisations, sprang into action, with signs, QR codes, registers, and rules for our safety. Kiwis are basically sensible people. Last Friday, we could have gone to a concert with the NZSO; we chose not to (it was a busy week), but there’s another one coming up soon. On Sunday, JD could have gone to the rugby with his grandson; he elected not to, but he could have. How fortunate we are to live here, and have been so well looked after, and be able to make these choices.

In the US, hearings have begun for Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett. While it is very upsetting that this move to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is happening with indecent haste, I found Democrats’ opening statements (Amy Klobuchar, Richard Blumenthal, Cory Booker) that I listened to very moving, focussing as they did on the benefits to their constituents of the Affordable Care Act, which some Republicans are trying to have ruled unconstitutional.

This discussion will be continued. Ngā mihi.

Today is Sunday October 11^th. Kia ora katoa. It is now less than one week to Election Day in New Zealand/Aotearoa.

There are three main topics for today: the current US situation, and two firsts for me.

A lot has happened in the US and the news just keeps coming. There was a Vice-presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris, during which Pence behaved in a very Trump-like fashion, not answering questions, telling lies, and repeatedly interrupting Harris. She bore this with a smile.  Infections continue to spread from the White House, including that of Stephen Miller. Most of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are isolating. Mitch McConnell won’t go to the White House, because their infection-control measures are so deficient. But the thing that gets me most upset is that Trump is raving about a drug call Regeneron, which is made from the cells of an aborted foetus. This is the man who supports a ban on legal abortion, and who belongs to a party which banned stem cell research. The hypocrisy here, and the fact he’s not being called out for it, just astounds me. It saddens me. Along with everything else he’s done….and of course a friend of his heads up the firm that produces Regeneron. Goodness knows, I don’t like abortion, but if someone elects to have one, for whatever reason, it should be a medically safe procedure. It is going to happen, anyway. It strikes me that if men were more prepared to assist women in supporting unwanted children, the need for abortion would be greatly reduced. I know there are many wrongs here. Just saying, though.

Then there is the ghastly situation of potential violence in America. 13 men were arrested recently for plotting to kidnap, and possibly kill, Gretchen Whitmer, the Governor of Michigan. Trump has accused her of not being grateful, never mind that they were the criminals in this case, plotting against an elected official!  Polls for the coming election give Biden an overwhelming lead in double digits in some states, but questions remain as to which votes will be cast, which counted, and then there’s the Electoral College. No one knows what will happen; the tension is enormous. It was such a relief to have  Trump “out of action” for a few days, although he continued to dominate the news.

Yesterday we went to a book launch. A friend of ours had published a book. Included in its contents was a story about a mutual friend, and a relation of JD’s, so we were very interested to see what she would say. The book is called A Love Quilt: Later Faith Patches.  It was nice to be there, and to see several old friends. The format was half an hour of drinks, nibbles and chatting, before we sat down for speeches from a woman Minister, a lay preacher who published the book, and the author, Trish McBride, herself. Then we were welcome to buy copies of the book and get them signed.

The next day I went to the Labour Party Rally in the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington. JD printed my ticket, and dropped me off there, but did not come himself. I rationalised going before I went: I’d never been to a party rally before; Labour had governed well, and I hope will continue to do so; and that was my priority for the day.

I’m so pleased I went. On arrival, my handbag was checked, and my ticket scanned. The ground floor of the MFC was about 90% full. The crowd was very well behaved.  I was very impressed by how well-organised the whole event was. There was recorded music playing to the waiting crowd. There were great decorations, befitting the occasion, and creating a sombre yet upbeat mood.

The Māori welcome was spine-tingling. The whole hall was in darkness, and then a Māori woman in a stunning cloak welcomed us from upstairs, with the spotlight on her, and the hall remaining in darkness. I felt ashamed of my minimal knowledge of Te Reo, but I could make out “Haere mai” and “aroha”. She was joined in a karakia by another woman.

After this moving beginning, Oscar Kightly was MC for the rest of the ceremony. He enjoyed saying “Talofa!” (he is Samoan). There was more great live music before the Honourable Grant Murray Robertson came on to speak. He is very witty! He made jokes about the Bledisloe Cup rugby game, to be held at the Cake Tin at 4 pm this afternoon.  He spoke well for a few minutes before introducing Jacinda Ardern.

She received a standing ovation, both before and after her speech. She spoke very well, as she does, although I don’t think I learnt anything new. There was a lot said about climate change, and child poverty. She asked us to project forward to 2030, a wise move.  Afterwards, people filed out, in an orderly manner. This is Wellington, after all! There was Labour Party merch on sale, and you could have your photo taken with a cardboard cut-out of Jacinda. I nearly bought a T-shirt for $25, then realised that the election is only a few days away, and there are few places where I’d feel comfortable wearing the T-shirt. Why is that, I wonder? I’m glad I went.

During the week, I tuned in to an IHC Election Special, which I found really frustrating. On Wednesday, I went to a Meet the Candidates meeting in the Khandallah Town Hall. This I found frustrating too, in fact, I left well before it had finished, in order to catch the 2:50 pm train back to Johnsonville. It was well-attended, and I realised I would not be able to ask my questions. I remembered again that while I have time to go to these things now, they can be as frustrating as ever.

This afternoon, as I mentioned earlier, there’s the first Bledisloe Cup match between the All Blacks and Australia’s Wallabies, under two new coaches: Ian Foster, and Dave Rennie. It’s really hard to find out, but apparently the Australians have had to train in quarantine, implying that they really have quarantined (I saw no mention of their arrival, or where they stayed).  Fans from Australia have been unable to come, as well. The All Blacks’ Tour of Australia has been re-jigged so that they can come back here and quarantine before Christmas Day. That’s really important to some folk, while most said hey, they get really well-paid, the quarantine rules shouldn’t be broken for them.

So, now that we’ve breathed a sigh of relief that yes, we can play international rugby at a local stadium, and people can buy tickets and attend in person, we/they can get back to the really important questions of how much beer can you drink before, during and after the game; what difference will it make with Beauden Barrett’s not playing; and how good/awful/useless is the new coach? Oh, and how good/bad/indifferent is the referee?  Talkback radio will have something other than politics to scream about.  On our way into the Rally, we saw several rugby fans making their way to the Stadium, already looking pretty pre-loaded. They’ll need something to warm them up when they get there! It’s a cold, windy place. How nice to be able to do this again. Where in the world would you rather be? (Outcome: a draw, and the AB’s played badly, from the Stuff commentary).

Tonight I watched SNL (Saturday Night Live) on Youtube, fresh from the US. The President’s use of Regeneron (made from stem cells) was finally  commented on, to the effect that when a someone gets your daughter pregnant, the Regeneron produced from the consequent aborted foetus will cure Republicans who are so against abortion.   Or something along those lines. Anyways, it’s total hypocrisy, again, and disregard for human life.

That’s it for now. Nga mihi.

Today is Tuesday October 6^th. Kia ora katoa.

I guess we all (or many or us) hoped that Trump would take the coronavirus seriously once he was infected himself. But no. How stupid, really. I used to think that if Ivanka were infected he would be truly sad, but I doubt even that now. He has shown, and continues to show reckless disregard for not only his own health, and the US government, but for everyone around him. Recently I checked my phone often to see who next had recorded a positive test, just as before the 2016 election when women came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct.  Mike Pence continues to hold rallies; the vice-presidential debate is to go ahead this week as scheduled, and apparently Trump is thinking of going ahead with the next presidential debate. What a thoroughly unpleasant person he is.

He has taken/is taking a cocktail of drugs, some of which are known to make 30% of recipients delusional. The steroid drug he’s been given is only given to patients on ventilators. He wishes to discharge himself from hospital. It’s reported that wanting this is common amongst delusional patients. Then there’s the joyride, as it’s now being called, another example of insanity, where two security staff accompanied this infectious patient on his car trip. There continue to be conflicting reports on his health: how long has he had the virus? how often did his blood-oxygen levels drop? what is the state of his lungs? What drugs is he still on? What kind of monitoring will be continued?  How long will he be considered infectious? At what point is he incapable of running the country, i.e. of being president? There is already confusion as to the timeline of his testing positive to being treated for Covid 19.

Trump’s behaviour contrasts with that of Vladimir Putin. He has claimed that Russia has a vaccine, to which my rejoinder would be to ask how effective it is, and how accessible it is, given that everyone who sees Putin has to self-isolate for 14 days beforehand, and take a Covid 19 test. Putin himself is in isolation, continuing to run Russia from his seclusion. Russia doesn’t have anything to crow about with respect to the virus, but their death rate at 21,475 is a fraction of US deaths at 215,000, a shocking statistic.

Meanwhile, at the White House, there is no effort to contact people who may have been infected. A CNN journalist who has tested positive has confirmed this. As has been pointed out, all people who came into contact with staff at the White House have families and networks of contacts and friends. Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press officer (3^rd or 4th?)  has tested positive, which surprises no one.  Her two deputies have also tested positive.

While Trump and Americans are seemingly obsessed with his health, there remain very serious issues about what’s happening in the rest of the world, and about security, on many levels. There’s the threat from white supremacy, which seems to be active in many countries, and particularly in the US. There’s the matter of Trump’s personally guaranteed debt, as well as the fact that he’s paid little or no income tax, and it a lousy businessman.  There’s threats (foreign and domestic) to the coming US election, and the likelihood that other countries could take advantage of the current vacuum: does anyone trust Pence or Pompeo to handle international affairs?

This is ghastly. I’m so glad we’re not there. I’ll stop here. Nga mihi.

Today is Monday October 5^th. Kia ora katoa.

Today, I need some respite care. I saw a photo of Trump waving as he went for a drive in Washington. They are talking about his returning to the White House on (their) Monday. I am not ready to listen to him again, just yet. What a relief it has been that he has been “out of action” for a couple of days. At least, he hasn’t been dominating the airwaves quite like he used to, although he makes sure to dominate the narrative about his illness, releasing a videoed message, and some tweets, although perhaps they’re not written by him. There are still conflicting reports of his current condition and his pre-existing condition(s), suggesting that he may have been infectious when he debated Joe Biden, thus putting many more people at risk. Evidently, although the Cleveland Clinic insisted on Covid 19 tests and temperature checks for everyone before the debate, the Trump family arrived too late for these procedures. Does anyone think this was an accident? They then spurned the masks also insisted on by the Cleveland Clinic organisers.

It’s been a huge relief to have Trump out of action, and not catch glimpses of his poisonous rhetoric at his rallies, or even read the headlines.

Meanwhile, the infection total keeps going up, in the UK, in Europe, and in the US. Apparently A.G. Barr has now decided to self-isolate, after all. The White House is making no effort to contact-trace people who may have come into contact with infected persons at the White House and its events. They had a really slack attitude towards any taking of precautions.

Tonight we watched a Kiwi (DOC – Department of Conversations) chap interview David Pakman. What a joy to hear a kiwi accent, and some sensible stuff spoken of.  The Kiwi dared to say how awful Starbucks coffee is, and he talked sense about politics, both here and in the US. He also mentioned that here you can play and go to the rugby, and can be free from fear of Covid 19.

There is another NZSO Concert here in Wellington on Friday evening, with cheap seats, but I don’t think we’ll go – I don’t particularly like the conductor, and we have quite a busy few days. Having said that, fancy being free to choose!

More tomorrow. Nga mihi.

Today is Saturday October 3^rd. Kia ora katoa.

Last night, there was another big shock. Trump tweeted that he and his wife had tested positive for Covid 19. While the death of RBG was a huge shock, and the cause of much sadness, this is a different kind of whiplash. A bigger shock, perhaps, but not such a desperately sad one. One that still leaves us all reeling, however. This changes everything. But how, exactly?  This crisis is still unfolding, and, ironically, it may be that the announcement of Judge Amy Coney Barrett as Trump’s nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on the Supreme Court was the super-spreader event that spread Covid 19 far and wide amongst White House staff, politicians, and invited guests and aides on this occasion. This includes two senators who were to vote on her fast-tracked confirmation to the Supreme Court.

I first heard this news early on Friday evening. I had been listening to Chris Hayes’s show, and then Rachel Maddow’s shows on their podcasts: this is much less annoying than trying to watch their shows on Youtube. Chris Hayes revealed that Hope Hicks had tested positive. There was further news that Trump and his wife were self-isolating. Then came the news that Trump and Melania had tested positive. Whoops!

I had a small whisky. I seldom drink alcohol, but this was a special occasion. I read that the Stock Market had fallen; my immediate questions were when does Pence take over as President, and does Joe Biden keep campaigning? I don’t think there are any doubts that if the situation were reversed, Trump would keep right on campaigning. I recall how he mocked when his 2016 rival, Hillary Clinton, had pneumonia.

After that, I went to bed, knowing the fallout would continue on Saturday (which it did). As with RBG’s passing, almost all the podcasts I listen to regularly had a special recording to note that Trump is not immune to this virus, despite constant provocations: lack of mask wearing, lack of social distancing, and continuing to hold large gatherings: rallies, fundraisers and other occasions, such as the announcement of the proposed new Supreme Court justice. Oh, and did I mention lack of effective testing? Unless you’re  close to Trump, of course.  Trump effectively taunted the virus, and encouraged others to do so, thinking that he was somehow immune (as commented to Bob Woodward).

On Saturday I learnt several new details. Trump went to hospital for a few days, with symptoms firstly of fatigue, and a slight temperature; later we heard he was having trouble breathing.

Some wondered if he actually had coronavirus. He continues to be down in the polls; he’s told many lies himself, and got others to lie for him; is this the October Surprise we’ve all been fearing?  It seems though that the symptoms of fatigue and hoarseness are genuine, borne out by his finishing the rally in Minnesota after 45 minutes (a short time for him), and his speaking in a rather hoarse voice. There’s a story in the UK’s Guardian about this.

Reaction for the most part has been of concern and sympathy and good wishes for Trump and his wife; many have pointed out that not only did he disdain to use protective measures, he mocked those who did so, and encouraged others to mock them. Americans are reeling at the death toll thus far: 209,000 (some say 211,000).  It has also transpired that after Hope Hicks tested positive, Trump not only tried to prevent this news from being aired (thanks, Bloomberg News), but held a very expensive fundraiser event at his Bedminster Golf Course, cynical moves indeed. The fact that he is experiencing symptoms worthy of hospitalisation so “early” suggests that he has been suffering from coronavirus for the several days it usually takes for initially mild symptoms to become more severe. His age and weight are significant factors too.

Several other people have tested positive thus far: Ronna McDaniel, Kelly-Anne Conway, Bill Stepien (Trump’s Campaign Manager), Senators Mike Lee and Thom Tillis, and the principal of Notre-Dame University; it’s also suggested that the tests used (yielding faster than normal results) have only a 60% rate of accuracy. As these folk have confirmed positive test results during the day, one has to wonder who else will test positive. At ACB’s announcement, there was a lot of hugging and handshaking. Others, including people who were at the Presidential Debate, have tested negative, but they may need to be re-tested as early tests can give false negatives. Apparently three reporters have tested positive.

Again, the American people are shocked and alarmed, that the President wasn’t better protected (ha, ha, he made this really difficult), that he is so lacking in any kind of empathy or sympathy that he exposed many, including his wife, his adult children and his staff, and people like Joe Biden and Chris Wallace, to this virus, being quite heedless of his behaviour.  All hope and some pray for his speedy recovery, but all are determined that he be voted out of office in the coming election. People are alarmed that his symptoms have become alarming this soon, that he’s in hospital, and that many others have been exposed; also that he held a fundraiser after Hope Hicks’s positive result was confirmed. Who still supports this man? All this after his completely boorish behaviour at the first Presidential Debate.

Joe Biden, bless him, went to Michigan, as scheduled, and made a wonderful speech.  People enjoyed hearing “presidential”, and don’t miss the lack of tweets at all. Trump’s diagnosis and subsequent hospitalisation have come as a weird relief: the coronavirus demands to be taken seriously, and we all enjoy the peace and quiet.

Joe Biden had some good lines during the Debate, saying of the virus: “It is what it is, because you are who you are”. At one point, after constant interruptions, he said: “Will you shut up, man?”, something we have all been longing to say. He also exhorted people to vote.

I have previously written about this so-called debate, but I am struck by how many women found Trump’s menacing behaviour alarming, feeling as though they  were being physically stalked, although they were sitting safe someplace watching this performance. They felt a visceral fear. Men felt soiled. That says it all, really. It also goes some way to explain how Trump behaves in the White House, and how his staff daren’t cross him.

The next day (Sunday October 4^th) it transpires that not only does Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey, have the virus, he is also asthmatic and has gone to hospital. Bill Barr refuses to self-isolate, although he was seen very close to Kelly-Anne Conway, who has tested positive; Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin (who was not at the Rose Garden event), has also tested positive, after earlier returning a negative test. Biden is to be tested again.

It now seems that Trump has had this virus for several days; indeed, he may have been infectious at the debate hosted by the Cleveland Clinic, where members of his family waved away a person offering them masks, and Trump mocked Joe Biden for wearing one  It transpires that Trump was given oxygen at the White House, before departing for Walter Reed Hospital. There are conflicting reports of his health, varying from an insistence that he’s doing fine, to concerns for his health over the next 48 hours. The tweets continue, although one wonders just who is writing them?

We shall see how this story unfolds. Nga mihi.

Today is Thursday 1^st October. Kia ora katoa.

Yesterday afternoon we returned to Wellington from Napier. We had driven up there last Thursday afternoon, after my last singing session for Term 3. As usual, I felt exhausted before we left, with the stress of getting away. But the drive north went fine.  We took the car, which meant I could take plenty of clothes I wore most things I had taken, the temperature ranging from quite hot to quite cold. We mostly had fine, sunny weather, apart from Monday, when there was a very gusty wind in Napier.

Apparently there was a storm in Wellington over the weekend, and snow and road closures in the South Island, but when we got back everything was fine.

Last Friday I went shopping in Napier. What a joy! After JD dropped me off, I walked into town, bought the newspaper, and had a cup of coffee and a mini doughnut.  Then I went shopping, browsing through sale items at Farmers, checking the shoe shop, the bag shop (there are lots of sales), and buying a new charger for my mobile phone (it’s in very sad shape, especially with scanning all the QR codes). 

I also went to the bookshop, and after a good browse, I had lunch. Then I walked to Clive Square, where I caught a taxi back to the motel.

That evening JD picked our daughter up, and we went to meet the group and have dinner at one of the pubs in Ahuriri. They were super busy! It was a nice evening, although there was a chilly breeze. Our group hadn’t booked, and one guy was having difficulty with his son. In the event we were down to five, and although we had to sit at a high table on bar stools, this seemed to me to be the best option. It gets really complicated to move people, cars, find another venue, and so on.  Although they were so busy, we ate very well, and our daughter (and I) managed the high stools.

The next day we had arranged to pick up our daughter after lunch. We bought a newspaper, and had a leisurely lunch (an omelette and corn fritters), before picking her up. We then went to the Aquarium, always great value for money. We looked at the tsunami exhibit, at the fishes, turtles, tuatara, and at the penguins. Although it wasn’t feeding time, there were two penguins out. We did the fish ramp-walk, and entered the kiwi house. It was very dark, but eventually we saw three kiwi, bigger than I expected.

Afterwards we went for a walk and wondered about going inside the Dinosaur Tent, but someone told us the show was over for the day.

We then went back to our motel where we had a wee birthday party for my son in the UK.  Our daughter blew out the candles!

That evening we went to Lone Star for dinner – her choice. They are always welcoming there, although we couldn’t go until 7:30 pm, they were so busy.

The next day was similar, although even hotter. We took our daughter to Pirimai Park for a swing and slide. The beautiful park was almost deserted. Afterwards, we went into town for coffee and cake (the café at Pirimai closed at 2:30 pm). After some games at the motel, we went to Café de Laos for dinner, where we had beautiful meals.

The next day, we did some legal stuff, and picked up our daughter for dinner again. We went to the Boardwalk, where (on a Monday evening) they were super busy! We had to wait a few moments for a table.

The next day we did some more legal stuff, and went to the Hohepa Shop, where I bought some Danbo cheese, some more raspberry jam, and some peach chutney. That evening we ate toast for dinner!

Next day we were due to meet our daughter and a carer at Hastings Hospital. This all went fine, too. Afterwards, we drove back to Wellington.

On the way, we managed to listen to some of the debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Oh dear, oh dear. What a ghastly display. The near-universal response is that people felt sullied (soiled) by it; they felt ashamed for America; they were shocked by it; that Trump’s approach to Biden paralleled his approach to Hillary Clinton when he stalked her in a menacing way back in 2016. The many notes in response reflected the general anguish – please let this be over.

When we got back to Wellington we went shopping. I found, to my surprise, that the Listener magazine was on sale again! In missing the puzzles, I had forgotten how annoying it can be! But there are lots of puzzles, and I’m happy with that.

Next day there was lots of washing to do, and the mail, which had been on hold, was delivered: a copy of the Listener (thanks, Magshop – I ordered this months ago), and another edition of LRB – very welcome, too.

Today is fine, although it was very cold last night. In Hawkes Bay I was very tired. I had no energy. I was a bit worried about this, and put it down partly to the change to Daylight Saving, putting our clocks an hour back. At least we weren’t in a rush to get back to Wellington.

Here in Aotearoa, there have been no new cases of community transmission of Covid 19 for the last few days. This is very encouraging, although some risks have certainly been taken. It seems that the contacts have been very responsible.  There continue to be a handful of cases in managed isolation each day, although today there were twelve new cases in what they are calling MIQ. Ten of these came on a flight from India. There certainly seems to be some risk there. There seems to be growing frustration with the restrictions here, such as they are. I am (and continue to be)  truly grateful that the infection isn’t rampant here. Australia have brought their outbreak under control, but in the rest of the world, infections are increasing.

That’s it for now. Nga mihi.

Today is Sunday September 20^th. Kia ora, kia kaha.

“Be strong in the Lord, and the might of his strength”, Ephesians 6:10.

I am quite rattled by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, which I heard about yesterday, just before 1 pm.  I just heard today (via Dr John Campbell) that the US has passed the milestone of 200,000 deaths from Covid 19.  Another website gives the total as 199,000 thousand. Worldometer gives 203,000 deaths. I am feeling quite anxious. There is lot’s to be anxious about.

The US election looms, a few weeks away now. While I can do nothing to influence the outcome in any way, it is hugely consequential for my family, for the US, and for the entire world. 

The death of RBG, while not unexpected (she was 87, after all, and had suffered four forms of cancer), sets off an unwelcome train of events.  Mitch McConnell signalled right away (within one hour of the news of her death, according to one source) that a new justice will be put to the vote on the Senate floor. Trump has indicated that this will be done “without delay”, although it was RBG’s dying wish that she not be replaced until after the election. One gets the feeling, that she was a wonderful woman, so wonderful, that they just can’t wait to replace her on the Supreme Court.

There will no doubt be a fight of sorts over this. Many people feel justly grief and despair, and a huge sense of frustration, that the McConnell and Trump not only cannot be counted on to do the right and honourable thing, they have indicated already that they will not. It occurs to me that should the election be close, the Supreme Court may well be called upon to make a determination as to the outcome (cf. Bush v Gore and the Florida recount).  In such a case the party of Trump would want a Supreme Court stacked with conservative justices, who might be expected to vote in his favour. Most commentators agree that RBG’s death changes everything. The question is, how?

RBG was heard to say (and I am paraphrasing her here), that the symbol of America is not the bald eagle; rather that it is the pendulum (implying that it’s time for it to swing the other way). She also said that Trump’s election in 2016 was an “aberration”.

A republican was quoted as saying that she would rather put up with Healthcare for All, rather than see justice so perverted. One might be very sceptical about the merits or otherwise of the American system of justice, but it did result in the conviction of Paul Manafort and others.  The justice system means a very  great deal to many Americans: witness the number of podcasts eloquently exploring legal decisions and possible outcomes. Many detest the way Trump has used the legal system to his own ends. There is a saying here that “the law is an ass”, and everyone knows that it is usually very costly to hire a lawyer.

Having said that, even Republicans against Trump seem to be strongly right-wing and dread any move to the “Left” on the part of the Democrats, or any move towards socialism, while refusing to see that the military is socialistic, and that the government’s support for many rich individuals is also socialistic. Just what are they so afraid of?

We went to see the Da Vinci film A Night at the Louvre: Leonardo da Vinci. I had pre-booked, and amazingly, we got a carpark nearby and got there early. It was a very good film. It’s always nice to retrace places we’ve been to, picking out which paintings we had seen, and where. This time I noticed how his women are real people, with a brain: they aren’t sex objects. This reminds me of RBG, who, while always civil and well-spoken, even amusing sometimes, had a good brain and a very good memory. In one of Leonardo’s early paintings of the Annunciation, his angel looks rather feminine and his Mary quite boyish. The movie was in French, with subtitles, another bonus. 

The beauty of Leonardo’s paintings formed a rather nice counterpoint to the passing of RBG. One is reminded that talented people are usually talented in many fields: Leonardo besides being a great artist put his knowledge of mathematics, geometry, anatomy and science and nature to great use. The women he painted always seem like real people, who enjoy life. The smiles become enigmatic, strange, hidden, perhaps there is a secret joke; only the woman depicted in the painting in Washington is not smiling: she seems to be  pouting, even (Ginevra de Benci, c. 1,475, is apparently one of his earliest paintings). Evidently he was still working on his technique.

Afterwards we have a nice, late lunch. We shared arancini, hot bread with EVOO and oregano, a pizza with leeks and artichokes, coffee and tiramisu. It’s nice to share a meal and talk about the film, and our trips – we have seen the Cenacolo in Milan, and La Joconde; we have been to the Louvre three times.

Again we marvel that we can do this: even at level 2, we can go to a movie and have lunch in a café. Cuba Street has plenty of people, but it’s not crowded. Just the way I like it, really.

In New Zealand Aotearoa today there are two new cases of Covid 19, both in the community, household contacts of an arrival from overseas who had had two negative Covid 19 tests. This person has now tested positive, more than a week after leaving managed isolation. His family members are self-isolating. That is strange and rather scary. As usual, it is very difficult, looking at a newspaper’s website, to identify today’s news and not old news.  We had assumed that returning travellers were “safe” after being in managed isolation for 14 days. This finding casts even more doubt on our recent trip to Auckland.

There’s a lot of community testing for Covid 19 happening in New Zealand, for which I am thankful. I know several people who’ve been tested recently – all negative.

That’s it for now. Nga mihi.

Today is Friday September 18^th. Kia ora katoa.

Today there are no new cases of coronavirus, although there were 7 yesterday, all in managed isolation. All pupils at Chapel Downs Primary School in South Auckland have been asked to get tested. Another Maori elder has died from Covid 19, bringing New Zealand’s death total to 25. Two travellers from New Zealand have tested positive for Covid 19 on arrival in Malaysia.  There have been no new cases in the “community” for two days now. That must give us great hope and encouragement. In Australia there are 45 new cases and 5 deaths to report. That must be encouraging for them.

In the US, “herd mentality” is advocated by Trump. He means, it is said, “herd immunity”.  In the eyes of the rest of us, it’s “herd insanity”. The UK advocated this approach initially, before they instituted lock downs, (some) testing, and restrictions on movement and gatherings. The UK have hugely mismanaged the outbreak; in their case, as with the would-be Brexit agreement, they show enormous incompetence.  You can’t really believe that they want people to die; one assumes that their high death rate is the net effect of their mismanagement rather than malevolence.  With the herd immunity approach, estimates vary, but some say that one in three persons would have to contract Covid 19 for this to be true.  It’s not known for certain how this works, or even what the rate of re-infection may be; it’s also not known how effective a trusted vaccine would be, or at what level it should be administered to be effective.

In the US, it seems that human life has little, if any, value. We see this time and time again in the refusal to limit gun ownership, and the type of lethal weapons allowed; the refusal to acknowledge the need for universal health care, while having huge rates of obesity and ill health; the continued meanness to the poor and homeless; the way women are treated in general; and the violence in the way police treat most matters of protest or minor crime. To be a black person is to be afraid for your life. To be a white person, is to be afraid. You do not want to cross the police, even if you don’t know what’s expected of you. In many places (not just Flint, Michigan, or the city of New Jersey), the water quality is appalling, if indeed you have running water in your home. In many places, particularly poorer areas, chemical spill-offs causes contamination. The rich can afford better homes, better schools, a private jet, yachts, and holidays. The poor scrape by, millions of them without health-care insurance. Being a woman is seen by some as a pre-existing condition, despite the fact that every human being has at least one female relative!  Money speaks louder than human life, although Republicans claim to be “prolife”. What a heartless joke.  The US is just about the worst place in the world right now to have the coronavirus, unless you count India and Brazil. Most countries won’t allow entry to US citizens.

Then there is the insanity of many people continuing to defy the coronavirus, despite the continuing evidence: crowds thumb their collective noses by having parties, weddings, church gatherings, refusing to wear masks, and insisting that those who provide food continue working, sick or not, so that some can be “free” (to be idiots).  There are no consistent guidelines for schools to reopen, in spite of Trump’s insistence that they do so; sending your children to school must be a terrible test of your willingness to believe Trump at any cost. And still he mouths on, in spite of tapes where he acknowledged to Bob Woodward that the coronavirus was a deadly serious disease. There have officially been 197,000 deaths from Covid 19. The US media wonders how to mark the occasion of 200,000 deaths from Covid 19, a milestone which is fast approaching.

Back here, it has been very noisy. This is unusual for us. Last Saturday night there was a party. I couldn’t see where it was; I know noise carries at night. It wasn’t that bad – just high-pitched sounds of revelry, but this is unusual in our area.  Then on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, right on 8:30 am, noisy machinery started up, and went for several hours. Lawnmowing? Tree cutting? Digging? A circular saw? I couldn’t really see through the trees, but I suspect building is going ahead on the marshy ground below our house. I had decided to stay at home on Wednesday, but the incredibly loud noise forced me out. I went into the city, where I spent enjoyable time at Te Awe, the popup library in Panama St. I had lunch there, and spent some time reading the New Yorker magazine.

I am reading Camus’s The Plague (La Peste).  It is a very dense book, very well-written, It is a pleasure to read Camus again. I studied L’Étranger (in French) years ago.  So far, it is a very measured account of the effects of the plague on a city of 200,000 people on the coast of Algeria.

That’s it for now. Nga mihi.