Today is Saturday August 15^th. Kia ora katoa.

The media plays the blame game, some more. I’m all for reasoned debate, but there seems to be precious little of it these days. It seems to me that even Dr Ashley’s crown is now somewhat tarnished. It appears that he is putting a pro-business spin on much of what he says. He’s sometimes corrected by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern or Chris Hipkins, Minister of health, who provide a more complete picture of whatever he’s saying. Chris Hipkins is showing himself to be a fine Minister of Health, and a leader in the making. Dr Bloomfield doesn’t think mask wearing is necessary; also he presents some folk not displaying symptoms of Covid 19 as not infectious. That is patently not true. (Correction: he claims they’re “low risk”). So, a little bit of trust has gone. Jacinda is still admirable, but there is uncertainty about the election now, just a few weeks away on Saturday 19 September.  This Covid 19 outbreak is a huge distraction from that. Tactically, the Labour dominated Government should probably go ahead with the election as scheduled, but if people  are afraid of catching Covid 19, they won’t turn out to vote, I suspect.

The Conservative Party claims that the government had one job to do, and they blew it. That is patently not true. They have many jobs to do, and they’ve done pretty well with managing NZ through the devastating crisis of an unexpected world pandemic. They not only have the coronavirus under control and well managed, but they have looked after us all and the economy hasn’t suffered too badly. Judith Collins wisely stays silent this time, after previously claiming that Jacinda Ardern’s briefings were a form or electioneering. Hey, we all want information that we can trust, and I think Jacinda Ardern has earned the trust of many of us. Winston Peters claims, without foundation, that the infection may have been transmitted by a traveler. While we hope this is how it came about, and it’s the probable cause, this has not been proved yet. The idea of “community transmission” is pretty alarming to us all, yet this is what we have to assume, at present. There are still many unknowns about this virus, which continues to affect all our lives.

Journalism doesn’t help, either.  It can be difficult to get today’s story. The Stuff website has a really annoying way of running the current news story, interspersed with advertisements that sometimes one would rather not see.   It includes bullet points, which relate to earlier stories, sometimes weeks’ earlier. This kind of confusion is confusing, although I believe they claim to be a trusted source of information. There is a lack of editing, too, leading to errors of grammar and spelling, and often of numbers. Most journalists have a very poor command of basic maths.  This can have very important implications.

Sometimes stories can be misleading. Some of Wellington’s beautiful older buildings (and some newer ones) are called “earthquake prone”. The fact that several of them have withstood ,many earthquakes seems to escape the news makers. Any building will be damaged, and may collapse, in a very strong earthquake. The length, depth and site of the earthquake will make a huge difference to the amount of damage. Earthquakes also tend to occur along known fault lines, although the Kaikoura earthquake of November 2016 threw up some previously unknown fault lines in Cook Strait. I’m all for caution, particularly in a building where staff work, but the Kaikoura quake made fools of us all when newer buildings received more damage than older ones. Some have been demolished; others still haven’t reopened.  Earthquake damage, and the potential for damage, are a feature of our lives, and those in Christchurch. Apparently Old St Paul’s reopened on 1 August this year after seismic strengthening. The beautiful Catholic Basilica in Hill Street remains closed, while funds are collected for earthquake remediation. The new-ish (and much appreciated) Wellington Central Library in Victoria St remains closed, and a debate continues over whether to repair it, or pull it down and start again. This latter option is evidently cheaper.

Another beef I have is the newspaper’s claim that returning New Zealanders are called Covid refugees. But they’re not refugees! They’re New Zealanders, not seeking asylum or refuge. Some of them are really well off. Some are really well trained. They will contribute to the economy here, as well as needing to buy food, clothes, and shoes, etc.

The government has chosen that the current Covid 19 restrictions will continue for several more days, i.e. for two weeks in total. This means Auckland and the greater Auckland area will continue in level 3, the rest of the country in level 2. In Auckland, children can only go to school if you are deemed an essential worker, and, of course, if the school your child attends is “open”.  One wonders if Rotorua and Taupo (visited by people who turned out to be infected) should also be at level 3.

Meanwhile, there is concern about two visitors to New Zealand who tested positive for the coronavirus on reaching their destinations.  Could they have been infectious while here? A Japanese visitor ate at a Ramen Noodle shop in Newtown, so people have been a bit “freaked out” by that. It has been “thoroughly cleaned”, whatever that means. Could staff there have been infected? Who knows. Naturally we want the “new normal” to continue, and improve, but we don’t want to be afraid for our families, our loved ones, and ourselves.

While community sport can continue, Eden Park in Auckland, the site of a Super Rugby match to be held on Sunday, has been turned into a testing venue. The rugby game has been cancelled. It was not suitable to postpone it. This doesn’t seem a great shame to me, but I accept it is devastating for rugby fans. The stadium was booked out, and it would have been shown on television.

Today, there are seven new cases of Covid 19; evidently 23,846 tests were carried out on Friday, which is very impressive. The cases diagnosed are all connected to the new “cluster”; none of them are from travellers in managed isolation. This testing effort has been huge, full credit to those who enable testing to occur, with a high degree of confidence and trust. People are urged not to get tested unless they have symptoms, or have been in contact with a diagnosed case. Members of the “cluster” have been placed in managed isolation, not just the confirmed cases.

Overseas, many programmes have been broadcast from people’s homes. While I know that zoom has a feature where you can display another background from your real one, I suspect many of the surroundings we are seeing are the actual ones. In the US, there is a prevalence of white painted walls, with lots of books, and some photographs. There are very few nice paintings, although I suspect you wouldn’t want the world to know it you have nice paintings. I always find it really interesting, seeing inside people’s homes. It’s nice to see so many books, as well as CD cases.

Overseas, my interest is centred on the US, although the unrest following the election in Belarus is very concerning. In the US, the virus continues to wreak havoc, with quickly rising numbers of infections a deaths (now over 171,000); testing has been reduced, as requested by the President; but the main concern is Trump’s interfering with the Post Office. Unthinkable steps are being taken to confuse voters, including making Post Office delivery unreliable. Apparently, I didn’t know it, but there is a tracking system you can sign up to, and early voting is advised.

The troops that were in Portland addressing largely peaceful protests seem to have been disbanded, but there seems to be an increase in violence in other US cities. Trump seems to be intent on staying in power whatever it takes. Today the Post Office have advised that they cannot guaranteed that ballots will be received in time to be counted in 46 states. There are only 50 states in total!  That is ridiculous. Yesterday, sorting machines were being removed. Today, street post boxes are being removed. Thankfully, there is an outcry against this, not only on the part of journalists.  There is mounting opposition.

We live in interesting times, indeed. There is still much to be thankful for. Nga mihi.

Today is Friday August 14^th. Kia ora katoa.

Today, the cases of people infected with Covid 19 keep on coming, it seems, although they still pale in comparison with countries overseas. This morning’s paper carries dire recriminations. We obviously did something wrong! There hasn’t been enough testing. People helping manage new arrivals should be tested as a matter of course. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Contact tracing should have been done better, and been more effective.  Business has to live with Covid 19. We have been too complacent. We should have stayed in Level 2 for longer, before moving to level 1. Bah, humbug!

Actually I don’t think we were too complacent. There were flasks of hand sanitiser everywhere I went, and QR codes to be downloaded, if you had the contact-tracing ap, or photographed. People were really cautious about returning to the weekly activities I am involved in. Most shops and cafes were nicely busy, not crazy busy – using them was enjoyable. One didn’t have to queue. I was still careful about touching any surfaces such as handrails or eftpos terminals, trying to use a glove or a tissue when possible, and washing my hands whenever I thought to do so, certainly every time I returned home.

This morning I learnt that two positive tests had occurred in Tokoroa, so the coronavirus has moved south from Auckland. A congregation at a Samoan church in Mangere needs to be tested. A pupil at a primary school on Auckland’s North Shore has tested positive, as has another pupil in South Auckland. So far, all new cases are linked to the Auckland family of four who tested positive on Tuesday. It is still not known how the original infection (symptoms dated from 31 July) was acquired. Experts don’t think there has been other community transmission, as there would surely be more symptoms around. But Spring has come early again, this year, and there are many sniffles around.  One tends to ignore them, but then there is huge blame on someone symptomatic who turns out to be infected. How did they not realise they were infected? I myself get asthma and hay fever. I cough sometimes. How do I know it’s probably just allergies? My eyes are really sore, and I can still smell the perfume, disinfectant, or alcohol.

Today there are 12 new cases of Covid 19, and one additional probable case. A lot of testing has been done, including key people managing the formal quarantine for travelers from overseas/Plans for the day (a special one) are changed, firmed up, and abandoned as we learn more news. We had planned to have lunch at Elements Café in Lyall Bay, but I am unable to book a table there. It is normally quite roomy, unlike my favourite Italian places in Cuba St, but owing to the reimposed social distancing routines, tables have to be further apart, and space is more limited. Everyone is being super-careful here.

In the end we have waffles for lunch at a place in Tawa, We have to sign in, which is now standard practice. Only every second table is used, and tables are wiped down between customers (as indeed they should be). We are brought cutlery as needed and sugar sachets for our coffee on request, instead of the containers being on the tables.We are late, and it is sunny and uncrowded.

My shopping trip is completely replanned, and some of it doesn’t happen. After lunch we go to the Warehouse in Porirua, which I figure is the nearest Warehouse store. Traffic is very busy in Porirua (at 4 pm), but the Warehouse store has few customers. After this we go to New World in Thorndon, where it is very busy, and many people are wearing masks. We have to pack our own goods. This really slows everything down.

At 5:30 pm the Prime Minister addresses the nation. The current situation will remain until midnight on 26^th August, that is, for two entire weeks. The Auckland area will remain at level 3, and the rest of the country will remain at level 2. So that’s that. I guess all my activities will be cancelled for the next two weeks. At least we don’t live in Auckland, and we didn’t go to Auckland.  That seems to be one very large (extended) family that started all this!

In New Zealand, it seems that most people are prepared to play by the rules, imposed by the government, i.e. by Jacinda Ardern, accepting the advice given by Dr Ashley Bloomfield. They are aided by the Minister of Health, Chris Hipkins. At each press conference a rowdy crowd of reporters tumbles over itself to ask (sometimes silly) questions. I appreciate much of the work journalists do, but these sessions tend to become ridiculous. A woman who had come from the US with her husband and four little children spoke on National Radio of her gratitude, not only for being here, but for having things well run, in contrast too where she’s come from. She and her family are in quarantine: they have two queen-size beds, one of which is a pirate ship! It was refreshing to hear her. This government have had to organise everything – testing, contact tracing, closing the borders and setting up managed isolation, the four levels of Covid 19 protection, and now manning the Auckland borders both north and south. I think they have been quite amazing. You can’t please all the people all of the time, but every one I’ve spoken to is impressed by how this situation continues to be managed. I am also very impressed at how shops, cafes and libraries etc have brought out their rules again and are putting them back into practice. It’s good to be kept safe.

Yesterday a new LRB came in the mail. I am enjoying reading it. Nga mihi.

Today is Thursday 13^th August. Kia ora katoa.

“Here we go again”, reads the editorial in this morning’s paper.  It is a time of great uncertainty, although we have been here before. While there is always a degree of uncertainty, this feels different, and scary. We expect the government to act fast, and there are respected savings in that. But it does create a huge degree of uncertainty. We may find ourselves in strict lockdown again from midnight, or midday, tomorrow, or the next day. Now that there is Covid 19 in the community, there is palpable fear out there and in here. One doesn’t want to overreact…but…it adds to the “unsettledness”.

Early this afternoon I went for a walk to the local supermarket. We had run out of Vogel bread. It occurred to me that bread may be in short supply, and indeed it was – there were just two loaves left of toast bread.  While the food stores are open every day, there may be shortages of individual goods. I buy two packets of coffee beans – they were very scarce last time we were in lock down.

It is a fine sunny day, and quite mild. There is a northerly breeze, which helps to explain why I have heard so few planes flying overhead. There is lots of birdsong. A car drives far too fast along our street. So far, so normal. It is a beautiful day.

At the supermarket, some things have changed. They have separated the entrance-way, so that you go in one side and out the other. There is sanitiser there for the trolley, but no cloth or paper towels to wipe the trolley handles. There is hand sanitiser. It is busier than usual. The Perspex screens are up at the checkout counters again, and we’re asked to maintain “social distancing”. An Asian woman with a young child pushes past me and another woman. They are not wearing masks. I find this a bit unsettling. Evidently, I have to pack my own bags again. I really dislike doing this, but appreciate the other measures taken to keep us and the staff safe. There are very few, if any, masks worn today. I saw more in the Wellington CBD yesterday.

I went into the store for just a few things, but I ended up buying more. As well as bread, I bought coffee beans, two packs (they were very scarce last time around); some fresh strawberries (they looked nice), and some soup, which was on special.

I walked back in the sunshine, regretting that I now had to carry all this stuff home with me.

There are 13 new cases of Covid 19 today. I shall have to start updating my spreadsheet again. There was a false positive in Wellington, hence 14 was advertised at first. All the newly diagnosed cases are contacts of the original family which included Tuesday’s four community cases. But, of course, there is alarm, and shock. There is a suggestion that this strain of Covid 19 suggests Melbourne and/or United Kingdom origin. Three workmates of an original person who worked in a plant have tested positive. A student at Mt Albert College has tested positive. In a different move, all positive cases are to be quarantined away from the general population. I think this kind of isolation is very important. The Prime Minister warns that “things will get worse before they get better”, and I fear she is right. I guess we all hope that this outbreak can be contained again, without us all having to suffer too much. It wasn’t really hard for me, but I certainly don’t want to go back there again.

It has been a strange day, today. I have no appointments. This morning the group I sing with was supposed to give a concert at a retirement home. Not only was that cancelled, but we couldn’t have our usual Thursday morning get-together – that venue is closed, and tomorrow’s art group meeting is also cancelled. I have more time to write, again, and more time to read. I should read the latest historical novel by Hilary Mantel. I’ve been saving it up.

In the schools, things have been restricted again. Children have to be dropped off at one entrance – parents cannot go inside. What will happen with school sport? Who knows? Apparently, Eden Park in Auckland was booked out for a Super Rugby game to be held on Sunday. Can it go ahead? Should it go ahead?

Overseas, in Scotland, a train has derailed between Aberdeen and Glasgow. The driver, a conductor and a passenger lost their lives. I think this is the same route that we travelled by train in July 2016, a few days before the Brexit referendum, after a memorable trip to Aberdeen. No, JD did not play golf there, although there are lots of golf courses, besides Trump’s ones. The beautiful city of Aberdeen is now in lock down again. I am so glad that I visited it.

In the US, things just get worse and worse, although Joe Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris as his VP pick has scored almost unanimous approval, apart from the far-Right folk, who were never going to be happy anyway. That kind of unanimity is extremely unusual. There are all kinds of crazy claims being put out about the Democrats. Trump is doing all he can to confuse further the election results; he’s put a crony in charge of the Postal Service, and already staff have been sacked despite delays being experienced.  Trump is casting doubt on the validity of mail-in voting.  This issue is further confused by the fact that states have different rules about voting, never mind the potential for outside interference. It’s all a bit of a minefield, not helped by the likelihood that the winner will not be confirmed on election night, and the widely held view that Trump has no intention of leaving the White House. He’s likely to go to prison, when he does. In a very cynical move, the troubled Kanye West has been put up as a Republican candidate for President. He has no chance of winning, but he may draw some votes away from Biden. Who still supports Trump? Lots of people, evidently, despite movements like The Lincoln Project and Republican Voters against Trump. State officials just keep on making voting even more difficult, as if that were possible. They will find a way. So much for democracy.

Meanwhile, people keep being diagnosed with, and dying from, coronavirus.  As of now, over 166,000 people have died (officially). Yet in Florida a sheriff has banned masks. In Sturgis, 250,000 bikers are expected to come together, unmasked, defiant about Covid 19. Even Herman Cain’s death after the Tulsa rally does not appear to have affected Trump – he’s made no mention of it, although this person was a Republican presidential candidate in 2016, and is presumed to have caught Covid 19 from attending Trump’s disastrous Tulsa rally.

The most scary thing is Trump’s (and his supporters’) insistence that schools reopen for face to face learning in the northern Hemisphere Fall (i.e. some time in August). This is terrifying. Already, people know that their lives don’t count for much, but this seems a really cynical move, relying as it does on parents innermost wishes, for their children to indeed be back at school, never mind their networks of family and friends, and the teachers’ and other people’s networks.  There have been threats to take funding, such as it is, away from schools if they do not reopen. Public schools were never that well funded, anyway. Oh, to have an environment where human life is the most important, the most valuable, the most worthy possession, and where people will be looked after, and not forced to do things they’re uncomfortable with.  It seems that while children do not generally get as sick as adults and old people from the coronavirus, they can carry it, in fact they may be more effective vectors than adults. There’s little enough we do know about this disease, but re-opening schools seems really risky, whatever parents’ frustrations. Thousands of children have already been infected, but this does not give him pause.

That’s it for now. I continue to reflect on Shakespeare and Milton. Nga mihi.

Today is Wednesday August 12^th. Kia ora katoa.

“It’s Back”, reads the front page of today’s Dom Post. Sadly, we know what “It” is.

Last night, while I was watching another episode of “Succession” on Neon (thanks to its merger with Lightbox we have lots of new viewing options), we heard that there were four new cases of Covid 19, that are apparently due to “community transmission”; in other words, they aren’t returning travellers, or at risk people dealing with travellers from overseas in compulsory quarantine. We have an online discussion about this news with our son in the UK and a local son.

This is alarming news. The Prime Minister takes charge, and again acts quickly. She advises that Auckland will go into a level 3 lock down from midday Wednesday, for three days, and the rest of New Zealand will go into level 2 from the same time. I get my first Civil Defence alert on my phone at 10:12 pm. I email the organist I was going to sing hymns with today (Wednesday), and warn our choir leader that the concert we had planned for Thursday (rescheduled from April), may not happen. Malcolm emails back saying he will go ahead, but the next morning, I find the session is cancelled.

I slept fitfully again, like I did the night before. I needed to go to the new pop-up library in town, to return a New Yorker magazine I had borrowed. I reserved making a decision about going to hymn-singing on Wednesday morning, but I was fairly determined to go. Another Civil Defence alarm goes off before midnight, ensuring that I am wide awake. It makes a lot of sound and light – just what you don’t want late at night.  People in the Auckland area (from Pukekohe through to Wellsford) are advised to work from home if possible, unless they are essential workers. The PM advises against panic buying, but there are reports that night of panic buying at supermarkets.  This is only a three-day lockdown, people!

I listen to several podcasts during the night, in an effort to go to sleep. I remember the beginnings, but not how they ended, so I will have to listen to them once more. I do listen to one about Susan Rice, and it occurs to me, again, that she does not have a chip on her shoulder; she seems to be quite comfortable in her own skin. That is a rarity. I think she would make an excellent candidate for Vice-President, and the choice of her as Biden’s running mate would leave the other useful senator candidates in the  Senate, where they are very worthwhile. I find out later that day that Biden’s pick is Kamala Harris.

Things get active online very early in the morning. The CD siren goes off again (by now I’ve had quite enough of it. It doesn’t go off on my husband’s phone). Malcolm send an email advising that hymn-singing is cancelled for today, and Thursday’s concert at a Retirement Home is cancelled as well. I wonder if we can still sing at our usual venue. Our leader will find out.

Meantime, plane after plane after plane  flies overhead. Air NZ can’t be doing too badly with domestic flights. I am glad we didn’t go away this week as we had thought of doing.

JD and I go into the CBD. I try to return my magazine at the popup library Te Awe, but the Brandon St entrance is closed, and we have to drive round to the Panama St entrance. Needless to say, there is nowhere to stop in these narrow streets, and cars are banked up and honking their horns at us. At the Panama St entrance there is a return slot, so it doesn’t take long to achieve this task.

Then we go to the Sustainability Trust shop in Forresters Lane, and buy our new heater, as recommended.  I determine that we will have lunch at Prefab in Jessie Street – who knows when we will be able to eat out again? But Prefab is closed (according to their website, they closed at midday, and hope to reopen on Monday), and other “hole in the wall” places are doing take-out only.

We go L’Affare, where it is very busy. We sign in, use hand sanitiser, and wait in a queue for a table. Soon we are shown to a table with high chairs, but at least they are backed, and the table has a footrest. There is no salt, pepper or sugar on the table. While we are there I learn that the Khandallah Town Hall is closed until Monday 17 August at the earliest, and that Thursday’s singing and Friday’s Art Group meeting are off. I also learn that while libraries are to stay open, one is required to wear a mask, and limit one’s visit to 20 minutes, while maintaining social distancing.

After lunch, we go to Moore Wilson’s, where it is very busy, we see shopping baskets being sanitised, and we are asked to keep 2 metres from other customers. While it is possible to keep some distance, forget about 2 metres; it’s not possible here. Unusually. there are lots of empty car parks in Tory Street.

On the way home, we drive up Wakefield Street. Cafes are closed, and Commonsense Organics have moved out of their store that used to be here. I didn’t know that was happening. I get the sense that the city is closing down. I would like to go to Unity Books, but I don’t suggest it.

We stop at Lewis’s show room at the bottom of the Ngauranga Gorge to have a look at their fabrics for new curtains for our bedroom, with a heavy lining to provide more inslation. We are assisted by a nice young woman who gives me her card and offers to give me a quote.

Then we stop in Johnsonville to pick up a repeat prescription. It is quite busy here, although the play areas are now closed. There are very few masks being worn, although people seem to be reacting as though we in Wellington are going to level 3, not level 2. We still have 3 masks between us.

When we arrive home I learn more about the 4 new  Covid 19 cases. I had thought they were all from one family, but it seems not. One person worked in a plant at Mt Wellington; one woman, while symptomatic, but not yet tested, had visited Rotorua, and several tourist attractions and eateries there. Just how stupid can you be, one wonders. I suppose it had to happen sometime, just when we were enjoying things again. Back to the future. It’s still only Wednesday, although it feels like Friday. I watched Wellington close down. What does the future hold? A sudden complete lock down could occur at any time. We’ve done this before; I guess we can do it again, if we have to.  Meanwhile, we’re back in a different mode. Still the planes fly overhead.

What can I still do? What should I still do? How long do I have? That is unknown. When can I go to Hawkes’ Bay again? I don’t know. It’s cold now, although we’re well past the shortest day. Let’s hope the schools in Wellington don’t have to shut down again. We can do this, whatever this may be!

That’s it for now. Nga mihi.

Today is Saturday August 8^th (or later). Kia ora katoa.

On Wednesday there are two new cases of coronavirus, both in managed isolation. Community testing continues. We are safe to go about our daily lives, and resume our former activities.

On Tuesday I went to tai chi. There were two or three more people there than last week. On Wednesday morning I went to hymn singing, and we sung hymns set to the tune of Finlandia and the Russian National Anthem. It was nice.

On Wednesday afternoon my son and grandson came to visit. It is so nice to watch him grow up. He has so much conversation now. On Thursday morning I expect to go to regular singing, and to catch up with an old friend in the afternoon.

On Monday morning. I enjoyed some recordings. I listened to Bishop Barron’s homily – marvellous. Then I listened to a British debate about the relative merits of Shakespeare and Milton, on Intelligence Squared. There was an American professor talking about Shakespeare, and an Englishman speaking about Milton. To my mind, they are both very great poets: there is no point in comparing them. One may as well try too compare Homer and Virgil; there is no comparison. They each have different gifts.

It was wonderful to hear scenes from Shakespeare re-enacted, and excerpts from Milton’s Paradise Lost read aloud. What a treat!  The American professor claimed that the Bard knew more about relationships between men and women; the other argued for the dramatic aspects of Milton’s epic poem, and spoke at length about Adam and Eve’s relationship, before the Fall.

I wrote an essay on Paradise Lost for my English Literature Masters degree, on how successful Milton was at justifying the ways of God to man. Back then, although I was already married, the sexual aspect of Adam and Eve’s relationship eluded me. How one grows!

On any level, they are both great masters, and wrote wonderful poetry. One of the features of great writers is that they usually know a great deal more about human beings and their relationships than one would expect from their perhaps limited environment; one thinks here of Jane Austen, or Charlotte Bronte.  Sometimes the characters do not ring true: one thinks of Charles Dickens here, where the character of Esther in Bleak House is perhaps his finest woman.

Back in the real world, New Zealand continues to bask in a state where the coronavirus is well under control, and no community spread has been detected. We are advised not to be complacent; the Director-General of Health has warned that a community case of Covid 19 is a matter of when, not if. We enjoy our pleasures with a sense of guilty relief, that we can do so; our privileges may be taken away again. In the meantime, most of us are very grateful, not only to have escaped this scourge (so far), but also to be relieved of the fear of human contact. Our children are back at school, and playing sport again. There are various grizzles about unemployment (at 4%), and the cost to tourism. In my view we are very fortunate here to have escaped with our lives, and not to hear of our loved ones’ dying, and be unable to attend their funerals. Tourism has responded to a demonstrated need: we didn’t have “Lord of the Rings” Tours before we had the Tolkien movies; there are some great tourism deals for New Zealanders; and many of us are grateful to be able to view great sites without being in a queue. While I don’t doubt that some have been hard hit, everyone I have spoken to is grateful for the tough lock down we experienced.

There remains some vulnerability around the issue of 14 days of “managed isolation” for returning travelers, who are all New Zealand citizens, at present. Other people have to interact with them: airport staff, bus drivers, hotel staff and hotel maintenance staff. Evidently these folk are not tested for Covid 19, although they probably should be offered regular testing.  But how can blame New Zealanders for wanting to come back here? Where in the world would you rather be? I’m sure that most of us know at least one person in the wonderful city of Melbourne. That city is now under lock down, and a curfew, and is still experiencing several hundred new infections each day, and several deaths. Care homes have been very hard hit, and several medical staff are ill as well. We certainly don’t want that to happen here. It is ironic that Kiwis, who were very obedient to the lock down and rules imposed by pharmacies and supermarkets, are now enjoying our freedom again. Having been quite well-behaved, we can now not only do as we wish, but we have a thriving economy, as well. Every time I have been to the shops, either locally or in the CBD, it has been busy. Public transport is busy. Libraries are busy.

Much of the world’s nations are experiencing a “second wave” of the coronavirus, with numbers of infections increasing again, especially in places like Australia, Spain, Israel, the Philippines. The English government continues to be confused, and confusing in their approach.

The US, however, has not really got past phase one. In their effort to “open up” states that had never properly closed down, the numbers of those infected, and the deaths, just keep rising. Almost 5 million people have been infected (officially), and the death count is over 161,000. Millions of people are out of work, millions are facing eviction, and utilities such as power and water may be switched off. If the situation was desperate before, it’s worse now. “It is what it is”, said the President, in the now famous Axios interview with Jonathan Swan. I must admit I didn’t used to rate him highly, but he’s gone way up in my esteem.

A major concern is the President’s wish to reopen schools, from early August, after their long summer break. While most people want their children back in school, this must be a terrifying prospect for many, many parents. Most people want to work and learn – safely.  That assurance is denied them. While there is much debate about this, several schools are opting for online learning only.

Sadly, I learn that one of my dearest friend’s cancer has returned – in her brain. Her three sons are overseas, but her daughter and baby grandson are with her.

I need to wrap this up. Nga mihi.

John Milton quotes from Paradise Lost, Book 1:

“What though the field be lost?
All is not Lost; the unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And the courage never to submit or yield.”

The mind is its own place and in itself, 

can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.

At once as far as angels’ ken he views

The dismal situation waste and wild,

As one great furnace flamed, yet from those flames

No light, but rather darkness visible

Served only to discover sights of woe…

And from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Act 5:

And my ending is despair,

Unless I be relieved by prayer,

Which pierces so that it assaults,

Mercy itself and frees all faults.

Today is Sunday August 2^nd.  Kia ora katoa.

I guess we are still “holding our breath” as coronavirus cases worsen around the world. New Zealand’s status, where there is no community spread, seems just about unique. Certainly, it is extremely unusual. We are still getting one, two or three cases of Covid 19 detected in travellers in managed isolation, some days. Some days it’s reported that there are no new cases. It’s a bit concerning that some folk travelling overseas (one to South Korea, two to Australia), have tested positive for Covid 19.  This raises questions as to where they contracted the virus, and from whom. The traveller to South Korea may have contracted it in a layover in Singapore; he also visited several places in New Zealand before flying out from Christchurch. Travel to Australia suggested that some Air New Zealand staff may be infected, or airport staff. It seems that the air-filtration systems on aeroplanes are quite effective against spreading disease, unlike those on cruise ships.

Meanwhile, we do stuff, like we used to, although with added caution on the part of many. Someone hugged me the other day – an unusual experience, for me, now normally reserved for close family members! Our grandchildren go to school (that must be a huge relief), and the older ones both play rugby. Yesterday JD and I went to a movie, and had coffee at the cinema’s café afterwards. We had a zoom call with Australian members of JD’s family, where we tried not to brag about where we were! It was great to see their faces, even if we couldn’t hear them very well. One upshot was JD being directed to buy a Lotto ticket, using numbers chosen by us all.

The movie featured the luminous Cate Blanchett, a wonderful actress. There was some great acting, but the plot had several gaping holes. Anyway, it was fun. Blanchett has featured in several shows I’ve watched recently: the series Stateless and Mrs America; the movie Carol, and this one, Where’d You Go, Bernadette?  There were some funny parts, too, and Kirsten Wiig was terrific as Audrey, Bernadette’s neighbour. It was quite a diversion.

In New Zealand, there are three new cases of Covid19, all in managed isolation, and one of them the child of someone diagnosed earlier. Across the Tasman, in Australia’s Victoria, there are 723 new cases!  Trump has claimed (falsely) that Australia is “devastated” by Covid 19, and, while the numbers are concerning, they are mainly in Victoria. The rules there, although being tightened, remain confusing, although apparently a New Zealand-style lock down is contemplated for the state of Victoria, or parts of it. It seems that a number of health-care professionals are being infected, as well. It seems that this “second wave” is indeed very aggressive: some are claiming it’s more infectious than the first wave, although this disease has always been very infectious.

So what do we now know? Previous hopes and assumptions have turned out to be false. You can get it more than once; immunity “passports” won’t happen; contact tracing is very difficult (even under our level 4 lockdown this would have been difficult, and relied on honesty and memory); children can indeed catch it although in most cases they have it quite mildly; if anyone gets it, you don’t know how mild or severe it will be, what will be the after-effects, and how long they’ll last. In some cases, they may be permanent. This disease seems to affect older people more, especially in rest homes; its happy place is a bar, any bar; and it loves crowds, especially in meat plants, but also in churches. It also affects what the English call BAME (Black and Ethnic Minority) groups more severely.  There is also much we don’t know about air pollution and air and surface transmission. Does singing help spread the virus? We just don’t know. So nobody wants to get this virus. Ever. At all.  It’s shocking that there have been difficulties in getting tested in the US. The statistics now, however botched they may be, are altogether alarming. This pandemic is by no means under control.

While parents must be desperate to get their children back to school, there are huge fears not only for children’s safety, but their teachers, teacher-aides, bus drivers, cafeteria workers. What happens to all the exams, the degree and training programs, I wonder? Some medical students will have had a horrifying introduction to emergency medicine and crisis management; others will have been bored waiting for this to be over.  The timeline for this being over ever recedes into the future, at present; one assumes that at some stage there will be an effective vaccine (will enough people take it up for it to be effective?), and the coronavirus pandemic will become a thing of the past, except for a few persistent hotspots. It will be managed, somehow, or we will have learnt to live with it.

Enjoying my freedom, I went to my Tai Chi class last Tuesday. There were a few more than the previous week, but not nearly the usual numbers, although it was a fine, sunny day. Some people have been reluctant to come to singing, too. Tai Chi is definitely non-contact, you do it on your own, and you don’t need to change, so it’s a winner for me. Others, including one of the tutors, have admitted that there has been some physical loss in not attending class. Those of us who are back are very happy to be back.

Afterwards, I went to the new pop-up library in Brandon St again, Te Awe. More people have discovered this, but it is still a great space, and the café serves great coffee.

On Wednesday I went to hymn singing in Khandallah, and afterwards I went to a new art exhibition at the Mitchell Gallery, where I know one of the artists exhibiting. The exhibition is called “Artistry”. It’s a fine exhibition, in a lovely shop. There was no NZSO concert that evening.

On Thursday, my singing session was cancelled. The woman who leads us had a bad cold. There have been quite a few coughs and sniffles around the last few days, although it’s early for spring allergies. On Friday my cleaner came. I tidied up first, and now it is so nice that I have a clean house again.

Local politics continues to be interesting. Apparently Matthew Hooton has left the National Party, so I presume he won’t be masterminding National’s election campaign. He was behind Todd Muller’s brief elevation as leader. It remains to be seen if Judith “Crusher” Collins can do “nice”, although she is sporting a new look. The glasses have gone, the hair is more blonde, and she has been ‘softened” in her photographs. We hold our breath  to see what her next move will be.

In the US, things just get worse and worse. In a tweet (what else?), Trump has threatened to delay the election. According to the Constitution, he can’t, but when has respect for the constitution or the law ever stopped him? This has caused enormous unrest.  There has also been the suggestion that only votes cast on Election day will be valid.  This whole thing continues to be fraught with doubt and uncertainty, especially so given that the US is extraordinarily bad at holding “free and fair” elections. On a recent discussion on MSNBC, Steve Schmidt was really annoyed and displayed righteous anger at the prospect of the election being postponed. The black woman also being spoken to said well, this is what black people have always had to put up with. Getting legal permission to vote was the least of it. Staying on the role, having an accessible polling booth, having your vote counted, and the ballot not interfered with by hackers, malign or otherwise, cannot be guaranteed. States versus Federal laws are another consideration. The much-vaunted American democracy is just a joke to the rest of us, who look on with horror and amazement, at a system which makes it so very hard to get Democrats elected. And I haven’t even mentioned gerrymandering.

I’ll stop now and carry on tomorrow. New riches have come to light. Ka kite ano.

Today is Sunday July 26^th. Kia ora katoa. May peace be with you.

On Friday evening we held our breath. A mother and her four children had escaped from managed quarantine in Hamilton. The woman and three children had been apprehended by police, but the 17 year old son was still at large. Oh well, at least he’s not old enough to drink alcohol legally at a bar, I thought to myself, trying to see the upside of this situation. The next morning I learnt that he had been caught at 4:40 am, and was to appear in an Auckland court on Saturday morning. His mother and siblings are to appear in a Hamilton court.

What is the price for unmitigated stupidity, one wonders?  I realise you want to spend time with your father; evidently he had had a stroke, and they had flown over from Brisbane to visit him. I pick there is some ill-will between different sides of the family, or the funeral may have been delayed to accommodate the children and their mother’s quarantine. While the stories of deaths and funerals always tug at the heartstrings, this is an emergency! The Covid 19 infections just continue to get worse, even in countries that had supposedly managed the coronavirus well.  It is a privilege to come here at all. Moreover, the government pays for your quarantine! How hard can it be, to be considerate of other human beings, of other New Zealanders? I read somewhere that the judge said “The police are sick and tired”. Poor things, I don’t blame them for being sick and tired.

There have now been 5 cases of people absconding from quarantine. So far, there seems to have been no harm done, but I fear it’s only a matter of time.  The last infectious person tested negative on day three, and positive on day 12, so this is a very scary situation. We don’t know nearly enough about asymptomatic carriers of the disease, or just how infections are spread, or who may be a “super-spreader”. 

That said, both yesterday and today (Saturday and Sunday) there are no new Covid 19 infections in New Zealand.  As other countries re-impose various kinds of restrictions, we continue to enjoy our coronavirus-free status. It is wonderful not to be afraid, to enjoy freely the pleasures we used to take for granted.

In other news, we went shopping in Thorndon yesterday afternoon. I bought donuts and salads and coffee beans, along with bananas, tea bags and dish-washer detergent. It was very busy indeed, and I had to join a queue for a check out. Needless to say, I chose a very slow one! The customers ahead of me didn’t know the tricks to this game, either: that you load your shopping bags and goods behind the separating bar and push your trolley though as far as you can without hitting the next person. Oh well, there’s no rush!

Last night we watched “Samba” again on Maori television. It’s a great movie, with good-looking leads, and it’s French! And I can understand the dialogue! It has that unmistakeable French flavour. I found it very appealing. While the refugee scenes are sad and upsetting, there is more humanity here that in some other movies. There seems to be a sense of basic dignity and humanity.

Today I made soup for lunch: leek, potato and broccoli, whirred up with my wonderful stick blender. It tasted very good. Normally broccoli is not one of my favourite vegetables, but this soup is a good use for it.

Over the weekend I’ve been doing some reading; the daily newspapers, old newspapers, the London Review of Books and my current Anne Tyler novel (“Breathing Lessons”). Tyler has strayed a little, I fear, from her usual novels which I find quite enchanting.  I am probably reading too much of her writing at present.  I have a great deal of reading matter around me, and I have promised myself to get through more of it. I am told that the Listener will return, and I look forward to that, although I don’t expect it any time soon.

Meanwhile, coronavirus infections are climbing in Spain, In Israel, and in Australia, especially in Victoria and also now in New South Wales. Rest homes are particularly hard hit, with significant numbers of staff and residents being infected.  Despite quick government action, the situation in Victoria seems to get worse and worse.  What about the tower blocks of flats that were under a severe lockdown? Evidently that has not been effective in managing the spread of the virus.

Meantime, I have been watching and listening to news of what’s been happening in Portland, and now in Seattle. I find this news scarier than the ever-rising cases of infection by Covid 19 and death. Those totals, dreadful as they are, are to be expected when some people are just so stupid about taking reasonable precautions against the coronavirus. After all, we New Zealanders know what works!   In the US, for millions of people, federal aid of $600 per week and an embargo on evictions runs out in a few days, with no replacement assistance agreed yet.

But I jest. It’s so upsetting to see unnamed, armed, masked men (I presume they’re men), looking like Stormtroopers or something out of a Star Wars movie.  These people have been sent, uninvited, to Portland, and now Seattle, with threats to Albuquerque, Chicago, Baltimore, even New York – cities with Democratic leadership.  Their mission, supposedly, is to protest federal property. They arrest people, seemingly at random, driving them away in unmarked black cars (apparently hired from a rental car company); they also issue tear-gas and fire rubber bullets, which can cause injury.  In response to this, many are shocked and horrified. “Invading America”, was the title of one podcast I listened to. Others (several) compare this to moves a fascist state would make: the notion that you can’t protest peacefully; that you can be taken away in an unmarked black car; the president talked about protesters being locked up for 10 years (how fair and  reasonable is this?), and firing tear gas at people when there is a raging pandemic, its main symptom being difficulty in breathing? The BLM marches and protests began at this time for the death (murder) of George Floyd at the hands of four policemen, who said, repeatedly, that “I can’t breathe”.  This reaction from the President (with the supposed help of Attorney-General William Barr and the acting head of ICE) is extremely upsetting. The reactions of the people of Portland has been exemplary, with the wall of Moms, a wall of nurses, a wall of veterans, and evidently a naked woman who carried on practising yoga.  Thus far, live ammunition has not been used against people, although evidently someone has been stabbed. Nevertheless the reaction of those in authority has often been violent, against peaceful, unarmed protesters. One hopes that other cities will react in similar fashion, and that this attempt to fashion “law and order” by being bullies will continue to be met wherever it goes with courage and  resistance. One also hopes that no one get shot with live ammunition. After all, people have time to protest, outdoors, and they’ve learnt from the Hong Kong protesters. They have figured out ways of dealing with tear-gas. If you are arrested, you have the right to know why you’re being arrested, and by whom.  Very little of this action is covered by the mainstream media; during BLM protests in June and early July journalists were often violently attacked by police.  But thanks to modern media, many people are filming these actions and streaming them so that they can be seen.

Back in New Zealand, there is an election coming up.  A fair bit of bullying is going on – from the right-wing opposition.  It is very sad that Judith (“Crusher”) Collins, the newly elected head of the National Party, intends to use bullying tactics to become Prime Minister, she hopes. So the bullying which is much decried in workplaces and homes is seen to be perfectly all right in some political situations. That is very strange. Last week, two politicians resigned: Andrew Falloon, of National, and Iain Lees-Galloway, of Labour. While Falloon’s behaviour was down-right disgusting, Lees-Galloway’s was perhaps less so. He had an affair with a staffer. So have many others. Anyway, I don’t know all the circumstances, and I don’t really want to. I just hope Labour gets re-elected with enough support to form a government. As for Winston Peters, whose side is he on? Ah, I know, his own side. ‘Twas ever thus. Two good things he has done are the creation of the Super Gold Card, with free transport, and siding with Labour to form the last government. He has also created many enemies with his habit of “holding the country to ransom” while he decides which of the two main parties he will form a majority with.

With so much happening daily, everywhere, the coming elections (here and in the US) are still some weeks away, and many things could happen between now and then.

Tonight we watched another charming French film on Maori television, “My Afternoons with Margueritte”. The first book Margueritte discussed with Germain was “La Peste” (The Plague) by Albert Camus. I had just reread an LRB review of this. I am determined to read this book when it’s reissued in paperback and reaches New Zealand. Maybe I will read it in French.

That’s it for now. Adios, à demain. Ka kite ano.

Today is Thursday July 23rd. Kia ora katoa.

I have had a nice week, thus far!  My Tai Chi classes for Term 3 started again last Tuesday. It was an awful day – very wet, although not too cold, and only a few people came, but it was so good to be back. The tutors were very gently with us, thankfully. I do feel that while I took things very quietly during the lockdown, I did lose something through not attending Tai Chi classes, and although I don’t always feel like going there, I always feel pleased to have got up early (for me) and made the effort to get there.

Afterwards, I made my way back to Wellington, where I checked out the new pop-up library, Te Awe, in Brandon Street (opposite David Jones department  store, formerly Kirkcaldie and Staines). The new mayor and councillors are arguing about whether to repair or replace the Wellington Central Library (newish) building in Victoria Street, which was closed abruptly in March last year owing to earthquake concerns. Evidently it is cheaper (on the plans) to rebuild, than to fix the existing building. Whatever, they decide, the Central Library was a much-loved institution, and it is greatly missed by many people. We want it back just as soon as possible.

There is a pop-up library (Arapaki) in Manners St. I’ve been there several times, but it’s not great there. It’s quite crowded, although I’ve read the New Yorker magazine there sometimes. One time I went into a cubicle to make a phone call, but I was asked by security to leave if I wasn’t engaged in WCC business. There is also a pop-up library in Aitken Street in Thorndon, but that didn’t greatly impress me either.

There is a very nice new library in Johnsonville (Waitohi), obviously a great asset to the local communities, but it is quite a noisy and busy place, and I continue to lament the lack of safe passage there. I do pick up my requests there, because it’s convenient not to have to carry them from town. They do have magazines there, but not the New Yorker.

Coming back to Te Awe, what a nice space it is!  It’s not crowded, and has nice restrooms. But best of all, it has a coffee bar, and I can read the New Yorker over a cup of coffee, either taking my magazine to the coffee bar, or bringing a coffee back into the library – they’re not really separate. What a find! I read a very affecting story about policing in Louisiana, and another about the politics of Iran.  I marvel again at just how messed up the US is. Then I catch two buses home. Some of the buses now have hand-holds.

On Wednesday morning I had hymn singing at the Presbyterian Church in Khandallah, which was very enjoyable, again. Afterwards, I had morning tea, and caught a bus into town, where I bought some bread and some salads. That evening, we went to another concert at the Michael Fowler Centre – Bach’s Goldberg Variations, played by members of the NZSO and a pianist on a fortepiano. This was special, too. Although it was live-streamed, there’s nothing quite like being there physically. We ate first, and drove in early, and spent some time looking for somewhere to park the car.  We had plenty of time, though. Had it been a little warmer, we could have caught the bus (well two buses, actually). It’s not so attractive when you have to change buses.  I have decided  that if tickets are so inexpensive ($15 each), then perhaps I can go out at night after all. The audience was mixed – young and old, formal and informal. We had very good seats, for seeing and hearing.

This morning (Thursday) I had singing at Khandallah. It was warm and sunny, quite enjoyable. There was a good turnout for the first session of term 3. It was great to see everyone again.

Today there are no new cases of Covid 19 in New Zealand. Community testing continues. We become increasingly nervous about enjoying such good fortune here, while the rest of the world (well, most of it, anyway), sees increasing numbers of new cases: Australia is in a bad way, especially the state of Victoria; but Germany, Hong Kong and Spain are also seeing an increase of cases.

It occurs to me that even given how little I do, contact tracing would be quite difficult. This morning I went to the Khandallah Town Hall, and engaged with over 20 people. A friend gave me a lift to Johnsonville, where I caught a bus to Churton Park. In the afternoon, I went to the Post Office at Johnsonville to post a letter, and then to the supermarket in Churton Park. So I must have interacted with between 50 and 100 people, and that was a pretty quiet day. Add into that Tuesday and Wednesday’s interactions, and there would be hundreds of people, so if I were diagnosed with Covid 19, potentially hundreds of others could have it too. And I didn’t go to a single bar!

It seems to me that for contact tracing to be effective, you need to have a strict lockdown to start with; one with very clear, not confusing, rules, and distinct benefits to be measured and shown from such restrictions.  The only reason we can enjoy such privileges as singing, going to cafes and concerts, and using public transport without fear, is because we’re not afraid of catching the coronavirus. Thus, the economy in New Zealand is doing all right, because people are keen to use it, and buy things, borrow books, and keep the wheels turning, so to speak. We can do this – work, exercise, recreation, schooling etc because we have in effect managed (eliminated) the coronavirus.

I fear that we will not always be so lucky. There was huge pressure to “open up”  the economy when we were in lockdown, about the damage it was causing, and I fear a National Government would have been prepared to live with and accept a greater level of illness and death.  Everyone worries about mental health issues, isolation, and abuse. But this is an emergency. Thank goodness that for now, we don’t have to be afraid. Long may the present state of things continue.

It’s also remarkable to note that we are not getting clusters of infections with returning passengers, just the odd case or cases; this suggests that air travel is not a vector for spreading the infection, rather that these cases contracted it back in India, Africa, Pakistan, Mexico etc.

In the US, the situation just gets worse every day. There is no gain for the pain; the economy is not doing great and people are terrified or just plain silly. Many are struggling just to get by. How can this be? How many Americans have to die before those in charge see sense? And when they do, there’s no turning this situation around in a hurry. Some countries that have opened schools have had to close them again.  The worldwide situation is very sad indeed.

That’s it for now. Ka kite ano.

Today is Friday July 17^th. Kia ora katoa.

It has been a good week, although I don’t feel so good today.

New Zealand has one new case of Covid 19, a returning New Zealander in managed isolation. It has now been 77 days since New Zealand recorded a case of community transmission.  This seems too good to be true – the US is in dire straits, there are 428 new cases in Victoria, and alarming numbers occurring in random countries overseas. In some places schools have reopened, only to be closed again. I can understand everyone’s frustration: most people want children to be at school, for many reasons, mainly their learning and socialising, but we all want children, and their teachers, and the host of support staff, to be safe. They all have families and networks too.

Back here, I went to hymn singing on Wednesday morning, picked up some woollen jerseys from Farmers, and met my son and grandson at the Johnsonville Library.  It was horrid weather that day – cold and wet, and it was bedlam at the library, with lots of noise and lots of people. It’s the last week of school holidays, but, even so, one wonders how people coped during the lockdown. No one I have spoken to regrets it, everyone survived it all right, but no one wants to go back there again, either, although the Prime Minister has warned that certain regions may be locked down again.

On Thursday I met members of our choir committee for lunch in Khandallah. Then I walked to the supermarket in Khandallah, where they have some good things: donuts in their own boxes, and celeriac! I will make celeriac soup again.

Afterwards I walked in the almost-sunshine to the railway station, and caught a train to Johnsonville, where I was suddenly very tired and JD picked me up. Next week will be busy, with Tai Chi restarting on Tuesday, Hymn singing on Wednesday, and Choir on Thursday morning. It is good to be singing again, and I am looking forward to Tai Chi classes. While there is nothing to stop one practising at home, it is much more fun to do it with others.

While in Johnsonville we bought some books and Lego to send to our grandchildren in the US. The store that used to be Paper Plus is closing down at the end of July, and has some really good bargains on their remaining stock.

Overseas, it is very sad to see countries that had locked down and greatly reduced their coronavirus rates, now seeing rising rates again; and what about Australia?  I think many of us hoped to travel there, or for our friends and relations there to come here. Sadly, that is not to be, for a while yet. The growing Australian rates, especially in Victoria, and now New South Wales are concerning.  Melbourne is my favourite city in Australia! This coronavirus is a very infectious disease, and everyone should take it seriously. While we are thankful that unlike diseases like cholera, Ebola and bubonic plague it does not have eruptions of bodily fluids or bleeding, although the effects can be truly awful. Many take a long time to recover, if indeed they do.

Meantime, I am enjoying novels by Anne Tyler, although in my recent reading she has strayed into some rather dark territory. I am greatly enjoying the London Review of Books; its arrival by post is random indeed, but I quite like that too: recently I got a May and a June edition, followed by an April one. Everyone had a somewhat different perspective back then.

The LRB combines several interesting features: letters, current comment (on the UK government’s response to the pandemic), essays on current thought (provoking!) and book reviews. I have learnt much history from the book reviews, including books about plague and disease. All this is by way of building up towards reading the latest Hilary Mantel novel about Thomas Cromwell (entitled ‘The Mirror and the Light”). I have now read several reviews of this book, and it’s highly recommended by one of my singing friends (he read it during lockdown; I read “Stalingrad”). I always find it’s fun to talk about books; it can be quite hard work to read them, although the rewards are there! I lazily turn to listening rather than reading.

Politics here remains interesting-ish. Once more, I am tempted to switch off completely, getting so frustrated by some of the comments and stories. There’s no question that you have to have a thick hide to be a politician, whether you’re right wing or have a social conscience. I really hope people remember how well Jacinda has performed, including her superb work in looking after us all during our recent lockdown. Some of her colleagues aren’t up to much, in my opinion, but hasn’t Chris Hipkins (now Minister of Health, as well as Education) done well?  Poor Chris, he certainly had a baptism of fire, with four instances of individuals breaking out of managed isolation immediately after he was appointed, and Dr Ashley Bloomfield taking a well-earned week’s holiday.

I just read an account of how quarantine of returning travellers is being managed in one Wellington hotel, and I am heartened by that. I think that for the most part people are being sensible, grateful, and restrained, as indeed they should be. You are so fortunate to be here! Surely you can endure 14 days of managed isolation. It hasn’t been easy for hospitality staff either, who have had to put themselves at some risk.

It is now Saturday, and I am having a better day today. There is one new Covid 19 case diagnosed, in a returning traveller under quarantine. Community  testing continues – there’s a photo of it being done on the Stuff website.

I listened to a New York Times podcast. They are replaying some stories they ran earlier, with updates on how the people interviewed are getting on now. I think that Michael Barbaro is a very sensitive interviewer. It is heartening to hear updates on these sad stories.

This afternoon we went to see “The Booksellers” at the Lighthouse Cuba Cinema, in Wigan Street. The theatre was full – this was a popular movie. I enjoyed it very much, although the sound was extremely loud. It featured interviews with Fran Leibowitz, always a treat.  The main interest of the movie was in old and rare books. This jolted memories in several ways. When we were first in New York, in 2006, I bought a copy of the latest Anne Tyler novel, “Digging to America” at a bookshop on 5^th Avenue.   While there, I asked to use the restroom, which, unlike the shop, was surprisingly basic.

There were echoes too of other things: our Indian blanket, used lovingly and often by us; Annie Oakley’s leather gloves; and a Rothko painting.  I was surprised (well, not really) by how muddly and vast the collections were on the whole. Someone just filed books by their size on his bookshelves! I struggle to find books at my house; obviously he does not have that problem (or if he does need to find something, remembers where he put it). Some people have precarious-looking ladders, reminding me of a lovely bookshop we visited in Cleveland when we were there. I do like a good bookshop, although they’re very hard to find now, and there are even fewer used book shops.  I do find it so ironic that libraries are so popular here: they’re warm and welcoming centres for everyone, and all kinds of activities, with rest rooms and cafes; they’re no longer quiet places! Yet one struggles to find a book at a Whitcoulls store – you have to get past the toys, first; and the other book shop in Johnsonville is closing down. Meanwhile, you can buy wonderful children’s books now.

We returned home to learn that John Lewis had passed away, in Atlanta, at 80 years of age. I remember seeing a photo of him taking part in a march in Atlanta the day after Trump’s inauguration, when protest marches took place in many cities in the US and around the world.  John Lewis had pancreatic cancer, but he lived to be 80, despite the beatings and imprisonments he received. He had joined Martin Luther King Jr on the walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, represented so movingly in the movie “Selma” produced by Oprah Winfrey. He was a highly respected politician.

That’s it for now. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Monday July 13^th. Kia ora katoa. It has been 8 days since my last blog. Here in Aotearoa, we continue to paddle our own waka.

It is now Wednesday July 15^th. Todd Muller is out as leader of the National Party, and Judith Collins is in, with Gerry Brownlee as deputy leader.

The news continues to be – interesting. “May you live in interesting times”, a Chinese phrase says. Well, we certainly do.

Here in New Zealand, we continue to get one to three cases of Covid 19 diagnosed most days. Some days we have no new cases. Thus far, all cases are returning New Zealanders; there continues to be no community spread. This continues to be a pretty amazing situation. My Tai chi classes are to restart next week.

Sadly, things are bad in Australia’s State of Victoria, where restrictions have been reimposed, including a shut down first in Melbourne, where some residents in tower blocks were not allowed to leave their apartments, and now I believe the whole state of Victoria is in lock down. Many Australians are returning, and they are required to stay in quarantine for 14 days, but they have had some serious breaches. There remains confusion about just what the rules are. Confusion seems to be a key factor in various governments’ ways of managing this pandemic situation. The other feature, sadly, seems to be chaos.

It seems that just about everywhere else, numbers of infections are increasing again, and some restrictions and even lockdowns emerging.  Even in South Korea, which has been a magnet for how to manage this virus, there continue to be infections.

That makes New Zealand’s four security breaches, where in each a person left their quarantine  facility to go shopping, seem not  quite so bad, although one of these people tested positive for coronavirus. I find the breakouts extremely frustrating. It is a privilege to be here! How dare you endanger us here? How hard is it to be in quarantine for 14 days, at the government’s expense? This is just exasperating.

Last week something rather wonderful happened. On Wednesday morning I sent to hymn singing, and really enjoyed it. In the evening we went to an NZSO concert at the Michael Fowler Centre – “Pastorale”. What a wonderful experience. We mused over how to get there, and where to park, given that so many parking buildings are now closed on account or earthquake risk. We also considered catching the bus, but it was a really cold, nasty evening, and we would have had to change in Johnsonville – not an enticing prospect. I had bought that day something to reheat for our evening meal, but this turned out to be past its best-before date, so JD decided that we would go early and eat in town.

In the event we parked in Victoria St. The first three places we tried to have something to eat were full!  At the fourth, a hotel, the environment looked rather unattractive, but they served us beautiful meals. Afterwards, we walked to the Michael Fowler Centre. I had forgotten how close the seats are there, and it was quite warm, but we were very comfortable.

The first item was Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, with soloist Deirdre Irons. She played very well. Apparently she’s 75 years old! It was very special to be at a concert, and to hear the music live. Deidre played the Beethoven with great dynamics. It was very enjoyable. After the interval, the orchestra played Beethoven’s 6^th Symphony, the Pastoral. This was great too, although I was a little disappointed to see that the dress code has been relaxed!

After we got home, we replayed the concert on the television set (it was live-streamed), but the recording, while great, is just not the same as being there.

On Thursday I went to the Johnsonville Library. On Friday, we attended a workshop on perspective when our art group reconvened in Khandallah. Although there were only a few of us there, it was nice to get together again. We had coffee afterwards.

In the US, coronavirus is rife in California and the southern states – worst in Texas, Florida and Arizona.  Georgia is in a bad way, too. States with Republican governors (who said “This is not New York”),  have been really stupid about the risks of the virus, which has broken records in the last few days, with thousands of confirmed infections in these  states, despite the difficulty of getting tested. The death rate (now over 138,000) is now following the huge number of infections. Contact tracing is virtually impossible in these circumstances.

Still, Republicans plan to go ahead with their convention in Jacksonville, and the President has said that schools must reopen in the Fall. Some octogenarians have said they won’t go to the Republican convention. Some say they must go. There is talk of it being held outside. Humph.

Now Dr Fauci is being further discredited. Honestly, how can this pandemic be politicised? It just seems so crazy, in the year 2020, that a blind eye is turned to a huge number of infections and deaths, with a lack of awareness that to have a healthy economy, you first need to have a healthy patient. How is it that people cannot be sensible and compassionate about this?

The news that schools are to reopen in the Fall (whatever that means) is truly frightening. Perhaps this will change. This morning I posted another parcel of face masks, filters and gloves to the US. Apparently there prices have sky-rocketed. I hope it gets there soon. One feels so much for people that continue to go without, and be very afraid, while seeing the situation around them worsen. We went through a severe lock down here, but at least we saw results, with the number of new infections falling. Now, touch wood, it’s only returning kiwis coming in (to quarantine) that bring the occasional infection. We are so thankful to be here, and going about our lives and activities.

That’s it for now. Nga mihi nui.