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.

Today is Sunday July 5^th. Kia ora katoa.

It has been 5 days since my last blog. In that time, we went to Napier for my daughter’s IDP last Wednesday.

We drove North on Tuesday, in weather that was not great – it rained most of the way. We had lunch on the way – I had tomato soup, and JD a sausage roll. We shared a delicious apple and tamarillo cake for dessert.  The menu had changed, and the best cabinet food was already taken, but it was a nice stop. In Napier, I realised that I had left my black trousers in Wellington. These were to be the basis of what I was going to wear! Never mind, we had dinner at Café de Laos, where it was very quiet.

The next morning we were due at Hohepa (the boardroom at Clive) by 9:30 am. This was a different IDP to any I’d experienced previously! Our daughter was brought across, and sat by me. She looked well and happy and said my name beautifully.

The meeting went well, interrupted by my daughter needing to go to the restroom a couple of times. Afterwards, we took her back to the Rose Weavery, promising her that we would take her out for dinner that evening. We visited the art teacher, and the shop, where I bought raspberry jam and some cheese.

Then we headed back to Napier to eat lunch and buy a newspaper. I looked at Farmers’ for cheap black trousers, but there were none.

It was very cold that day. It was on the verge of raining, and there was a very cold wind. We had a rest at the motel. We picked our daughter up as agreed at 5 pm. She looked wonderful. Then we drove to Lone Star (at her request). I had an idea that they didn’t open for dinner until 5:30 pm, but they were well open and had several guests there already. They welcomed us again, and we were pleased to see how busy they were on a Wednesday night. Vicky had a hamburger tonight, instead of her usual fish.

Afterwards, we took our daughter back to her house where (allowed inside again) we had a lovely chat with one of her carers.

The next day, Thursday, it wasn’t quite as cold, but it was raining steadily. It seemed a good idea to drive back to Wellington, there really wasn’t much to do in Napier in the rain.

It rained steadily till we got past Woodville, where we had lunch. We got safely back to Wellington.

Everywhere we went things seemed to be humming, and people were cheerful, in spite of the cold weather.  We couldn’t play compact discs in the car, so we listened to the radio, trying in vain to find the National programme. I was horrified to hear a female host swear on ZB. What is the world coming to? It was the day we learnt that David Clark had resigned his position as Minister of Health, and we listened to seemingly endless reports about this.

Other than that, things seem to be going along swimmingly. There are few, if any, new cases of Covid 19 in New Zealand, and testing shows no community transmission. This is amazing. Here, we get none, or two or three cases daily, all from New Zealanders who have returned from overseas and are in quarantine.

Sadly, overseas, the news is not so good. In Australia, cases have increased by a large amount, with alarming increases in Victoria. Last night we heard that some suburbs are to go back to lockdown (although you can still go to work), and nine tower blocks are to be sealed off, immediately, with no one able to go in or out, for perhaps two weeks and a minimum of five days. These are to be guarded by police, and presumably food and medical supplies will be provided to the residents, often living several to a small flat.   There had also been some breaches of the quarantine system.

In the US, jaws continue to drop as records for new coronavirus case infections are burnt through each day.  Well over 130,000 deaths have been recorded. Americans are appalled to learn that they aren’t welcome in Europe (they need our tourist dollars!), or even by their neighbour, Canada. This is truly shocking. Then, too, there is the stunning news that Russians paid bounties for American soldiers killed by Afghanistan’s Taliban, and the continuing stories and protests about racism in America (and elsewhere). Added to this, is the opinion polls, which show Biden increasing his lead over Trump as candidate for President. The 4^th of July celebrations have been very muted, shut down altogether in some areas, wilfully going ahead in others. Independence, what independence? From what?

What to worry about first? The Lincoln Project puts out a series of searing ads, day after day, and while these aren’t subtle, they look very effective. The President, meanwhile, shows little if any concern for the virus, although evidently his eldest son Donald’s girlfriend, Kimberley Gilfoyle, has tested positive. It seems that many people in the US are truly scared, and taking some kind of precautions; others, especially followers of the President, cast caution to the winds.  This is just so terrifying for us, looking on, to say nothing of American people trying to live their lives, and find food that’s safe to eat. One article in The Atlantic magazine claims that Trump is turning the United States into a “shithole” country. The US looks increasingly isolated.

With regard to the coming presidential election in November, I worry that the President, now that things are looking bad for him, may react as a cornered  bull and retaliate further. He has already shown scant regard for human life, for race, for history, for anyone except himself and maybe his daughter Ivanka.…And how is the election to be held? Will mail-in ballots be allowed across all states? What kind of security is being put in place? Who is responsible? Will (neutral) observers be allowed? We all look on at “American Democracy” with a sense of horror. No wonder many despise this system and don’t even bother to cast a vote, although the American people are told repeatedly (by Comey, Bolton and others)  that the election is the correct mechanism to make their voices heard. Will they use it? Will they even be able to? We have seen long lines of people waiting to cast their vote at state primary elections.

In New Zealand, there is a note of resilience, of optimism. We have faced hard times before (remember when Great Britain joined the EEC?), and had to diversify, many times. This has been another crisis (one we’ve weathered rather well), and most people are well-placed to weather this one and rebuild as necessary. After all, Lord of the Rings Tours were only created and became popular after the six (!) Tolkien movies were filmed here. That was a need that created, and was addressed.  I am sure this can happen again. Meanwhile, several film crews have been allowed to enter this country. In the meantime, locals can enjoy beautiful scenes and explore their own backyard without the crowds of overseas visitors.

It strikes me that for many of us the coronavirus lockdown here has received an interesting response. It’s accepted that there are five main stages of grief. In my experience, grief is multi-facetted: there are may different ways of looking at any issue, many different perspectives, ranging from anger and negativity to acceptance and perhaps seeing advantages of a changed situation. I feel that for many of us this has been our response: initial shock, changing to hope, endurance, acceptance, and then being thankful to be so well looked after, to have had the opportunity to slow down, and to look forward, without the fear that envelopes so much of the world, even as many countries are relaxing their restrictions. I still have not spoken to anyone who thinks our lockdown was not a good idea.

That’s all for now. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Tuesday June 23^rd. Kia ora katoa. Still calm and reasoned here!

I picked this up again on Saturday June 27^th. And it’s now Tuesday June 30.

Get a grip, everyone! We are alive, and well, and here in New Zealand, where our government does not deny the existence of the novel coronavirus, but takes sensible steps to contain and manage it. We are fortunate indeed.

While there may be “chaos at the border”, as shrieking headlines exclaim, this new emergency situation is being managed. Of course many New Zealanders want to come back here, and why wouldn’t they? Most of the rest of the world is in a huge mess. Back here, you get good, and for the most part, free, health care. Testing is readily available. While all arrivals from overseas are required to be in managed quarantine for 14 days, it is managed, and people are tested, on day 3 and day 12.  This far, there is no community spread of Covid 19. But these folk are coming from places where the novel coronavirus is rife. It is to be expected that some of them will have it.

While it upsetting for some that a few people returning are infected, at least this situation is being managed, and is to be expected. It is probably an easier quarantine here than in China, where if you open your door this is on film and you are asked why. Here I understand people in quarantine are allowed to exercise.

The rest of the country is not in lockdown. People are free to go anywhere they wish. Churches, schools, cinemas, hair and beauty salons, libraries, cafés and bars have reopened. We are moving forward again, with a new sense of caution. There were packed stadia for rugby matches recently: how cool is that?  Where else in the world could you do that? Everyone I have spoken to is grateful to have been, and still be, well looked after.

New arrivals are released after their 14 days’ quarantine, and after a negative test for Covid 19.  They are then free to live in New Zealand, buy and eat food and clothing, buy houses, and generally add to whatever spending is going on.

None of these folk are refugees, and many of them won’t be hard up. This situation is being well-managed. It has been a big task to bring New Zealanders home, and it seems they truly want to call New Zealand home again. This is a good thing, and will add to local spending and tourism.  People have said how nice it is to be able to go to popular venues, now uncrowded, and see them properly.

I have read a great deal about pandemics, or plagues, much of it distressing. I have read about the Black Death in Fourteenth Century Europe and England; Thucydides’ account of the plague in Athens in 430 B.C., and Albert Camus’ The Plague. I have read Geraldine Brooks’ Year of Wonders, about the English village of Eyam that walled itself off during the plague of the fourteenth century. I have watched the movie Contagion on television, and listened to podcasts about Lawrence Wright’s new novel, the End of October. I also listened to a podcast about early medical education in America. Scary stuff!

Sadly, there are commonalities, or perhaps this is just human nature exemplified in extremis. Common features include the following:

• A wish for self-preservation;
• Acts of great altruism and kindness;
• Acts of cruel desperation;
• Some of those who can, leave for places of perceived safety;
• Life gets down to the basics of having a food supply and safe drinking water;
• Less important conditions are put up with;
• Utilities are taken for granted – clean running water; rubbish collection; provision of utilities;
• The likelihood of imminent death comes as a shock;
• The sufferings of victims is taken seriously, or not at all;
• Systems of law and order tend to break down;
• One tends to live for the present – who knows if tomorrow will come?
• Superstitions abound in terms of proposed cures;
• True facts are hard to come by. There is a saying that Truth is the first casualty of war; it certainly is in the case of a war against an infectious disease;
• Odd fears “go viral”; others accuse one of over-reacting;
• Distrust of politicians;
• Some people cope with emergency situations much better than others.

In New Zealand now we are getting about two new cases each day, of people returning from overseas. That is to be expected, after all. These people are help in quarantine for 14 days, and tested on day 3 and day 12. If someone tests positive for Covid 19, they are moved to a different motel. There are no further exemptions. I think this is positive: after all, you’d expect some of the people returning to test positive, especially as so much of the rest of the world is still suffering greater or lesser recurrence of positive cases of disease. This virus is certainly persistent, especially so in the southern states of the US, who are taken aback that their infection rates are so high, and their hospitals in heavy use.

Since I wrote this, southern states in the US like Texas, Arizona, Florida, and California, which had seemed to be doing rather well, are approaching a crisis situation with their health systems, such as they are, potentially being overwhelmed. Some restrictions are being reimposed, reluctantly. There is an aversion to wearing a mask, which is being seen as a political statement, although some states have mandated them. Anecdotally, testing is really hard to get. With so many positive cases each day, many people feel this is a desperate situation. On a positive note, it does seem that rates for Covid 19 among BLM marchers are not so high, showing there is some benefit to being outside, masked, and maintaining some distance where possible.

But there are really no silver linings to this truly desperate situation. How civilised is this country? I doubt anyone calls it “great” anymore.

Other countries are re-imposing lockdowns in some areas: Germany, the UK (Leicester), and China; meanwhile, the state of Victoria in Australia had 75 new cases yesterday and has put some restrictions in place. No one is really winning this war – except, perhaps, New Zealand, where we can feel safe. Taiwan has done well, but lives in fear of its neighbour, China, who shows continual aggression and influence, increasingly towards Hong Kong. Who will help these brave folk?

I guess people react to crises in different ways. This emergency has certainly distracted us from other pressing issues!

That’s it for now. I am so glad to be a New Zealander. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Monday June 22^nd. Kia ora katoa.

This voice of reasoned calm continues, ha! Ha!

Education carries on: there was the killing of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta. I watched 13^th, a very interesting documentary on Netflix directed by Ava duVernay.  This was a very striking film, showing the increasing incarceration rates for people in general in the US, with a higher proportion of black people. This shows what has happened to “due legal process” for many poorer folk. I listened to more podcasts, learnt about Juneteenth, about Tulsa, and the massacre of black people there; about the emancipation of the slaves, with little if any state help, and it came late in Texas; then came the Jim Crow laws, the Ku Klux Klan, lynchings, segregation, followed by the Civil Rights Act. You would have thought that this brave political move would solve many problems, but you only have to watch the movie “Selma” to see that it didn’t. Sadly, racism has continued to be a fact of life in the US, that many white people have disregarded, arguing over the finer points of the law, or politics, both local and abroad. The much-vaunted “American Democracy” does not work at all well for many Americans, especially blacks or American Indians, as we saw to our horror in the recent Mid-Term elections and state primaries.

Now one sees education of conservatives, of many Americans. How sad that the death of George Floyd at the hands of police should be the wake-up call.  We have learnt a great deal about black people, about the difficulties of being a journalist while black; of the continuing state of grief. Is it any surprise that when things do go better, for example, winning a scholarship to a prestigious university (or college), this opportunity may be spurned. The recipient may not have the emotional strength and maturity to take advantage of it at this point in time.

It does seem that the death of George Floyd, followed by the death of Rayshard Brooks, to name the most recent examples (there are many), have affected white people in a way that the deadly invasion of the novel  coronavirus pandemic has not. There have been many, many protests, but in spite of rising Covid 19 infections, it does not seem to have struck those marching outside, usually masked, as badly as feared.

Meanwhile, the stride of the pandemic continues. WHO warns that a more virulent strain is around now. The US has recorded over 122,000 deaths, and the world looks on with horror, as the US federal government does not seem to have any strategy to mitigate this situation. Other countries such as Germany are seeing a resurgence, as has Beijing in China. Australia continues to have cases and has reimposed restrictions on the State of Victoria.

In New Zealand, there continue to be new cases of Covid 19 – two each day. Logically, this is not surprising. New Zealanders are being repatriated, more and more each day, and are coming from places like India and Pakistan, which do not normally fly here. On RNZ’s early morning show, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern assures Susie Fergusson that this it under control: that many more people are flying into New Zealand; that they are being quarantined under government control, and being tested routinely on day 3 and day  12 of their 14 day incubation period. We are reminded of the sob stories about funerals, dying relations, and humanitarian needs to fly back here; there were many voicing the need to open up the economy sooner, to fly foreign students in; where are those strident calls now? It is scary that two cases (a young couple from India) were asymptomatic. Previously, you couldn’t get a test here if you were asymptomatic. It is also scary that there is a theory that Covid 19 came to Beijing via salmon, i.e. via a food item. This raises all kinds of questions, and further makes the case for only buying local food products.

The short-term reactions of many are frustrating. You’re alive! For the most part, your family and friends and their families and friends are too! While the NZ economy is technically “in recession”, we remain in a stronger position in most ways than many other countries in the world. Be thankful!   This has been an emergency, and NZ has come through it with flying colours.  If some businesses have not survived, that’s sad, but, heh, stuff happens. Some things are out of our control.

Thankfully, the Australian company “Harvey Norman” continues to fund wraparound advertisements on the Dom Post and The Sunday Star Times, so we can’t immediately see the shrieking headlines of outrage. Get a grip, people!

Dr Ashley Bloomfield gave a press conference last Saturday. He is calming and reassuring, as ever. I want to believe him. There was a “Hero to Zero” headline in one paper. How ridiculous is that!  Dr Ashley, we still love and respect you, and are thankful to be here. It’s a very special place: why else would thousands of kiwis want to come home? Wherever they used to call “home”, home is here now.

More to come. Nga mihi nui.