Today is Thursday May 28. Kia ora katoa.

Cautious optimism. That’s the mood here, I think. It seems that Todd Muller’s rise to lead the National Party has cast a kind of blight over the news and the environment in general, although I gather he’s not everything to faithful National Party members, or to Maori. He’s reshuffled his Shadow Cabinet, but there seems to be no major role there for Paula Benefit. This may or may not be a Good Thing. Muller does not give the impression of being a (good) listener. I suspect it’s His Way or the highway.

Yesterday we went to town in Wellington. I had seen photos of Lambton Quay looking deserted, and, I wanted to go to Unity Books, so I was determined to do my tiny part to help restore the New Zealand economy (and fulfill some personal ambitions, of course).

By the way, I read stories about Air NZ being in trouble, and laying staff off; while I don’t doubt that they’ve taken a severe hit from not being able to fly their overseas routes, their domestic business has certainly picked up, judging by the frequent flights heard overhead. There seem to be more everyday – I counted three in the last ten minutes!

JD offered me a lift, which I accepted, being a bit nervous about using public transport.  We made our way to Unity Books, where we had to wait in a queue, and sign in, before entering. We were also asked to limit our visit to 15 minutes. The inner city seemed quite busy – not extremely busy, but humming, just the way I like it, really.

It’s always a bit of a trade off, going into town together. As usual, I am determined to hold my ground, go where I want, eat what I want, not be hurried, or questioned, and not to have choices made for me. On the other hand, it is quite cold; I’m relieved not to use public transport (I’m not quite ready for that, or the windy bus stops), and to have a companion, and someone to carry stuff.

But what a joy it was to be in a bookstore again! I chose the last copy of Geraldine Brooks’s “Year of Wonders” – a nice paperback at a reasonable price. I first heard of this novel when Geraldine Brooks was on a podcast I listened to, and she spoke about the English village of Eyam, which had taken a decision to isolate itself in 1666 when London was ravaged by the Plague.

I also asked about two other books I’m interested in, about “Stalingrad” by Vasily Grossman (It’s due to come out in paperback, pushed back to October), and John Henderson’s “Florence Under Siege”, which was reviewed in the London Review of Books. This is also not in stock, and is a very expensive book.

After this we had lunch at a café, where we signed in, sanitised our hands, and sat at a table – uncrowded. I had an omelette and an espresso, JD had avocado on toast and English Breakfast tea. It was so nice to eat out again.

Meanwhile, the US is consumed with Memorial Day, reaching the total of 100,000 deaths caused by Covid 19, and the UK with Dominic Cummings driving from London to Durham, and then visiting Barnard Castle, during lock down, when he was supposedly self-isolating with Covid 19. In the US they are obsessed with Trump’s golfing on Memorial Day, and some extra vicious tweeting. In contrast, Joe Biden delivered a kind message of sympathy to those who mourn. In the UK, Cummings’s actions have led to calls for his resignation, while his apparent boss, Boris Johnson, flounders yet again in dealing with this crisis.

Overseas most countries are accepting that they will have to live with some degree of novel coronavirus infection, while opening up their economies – services, bars, restaurants, tourist hotspots, parks, schools, and other facilities to varying degrees. Some countries are thankful to see their daily death rates reduced, while South Korea opened schools and has had forty new infections. So success is mixed. Some areas have been hit very hard, while others have got off more lightly. Pictures of crowds on Memorial Day were distressing to many. There is also an attitude that it’s safer to be outside in fresh air, and to eat outside; some beaches maintained social distancing, others did not. I guess people are going to make their own decisions about their personal safety, as we did before this pandemic; but given how infectious, and how deadly this virus has shown itself to be, and that cutting yourself off from contact with other people or surfaces seems to be the most effective way of not getting it, I think people need to be more careful than usual.

I always wash my hands after shopping, a habit I developed before we had this virus. JD asked if one should wash them before or after unpacking the goods – I would claim both! But I’m not quite as paranoid as I was during our severe lockdown, when we used to joke that if one could smell the Dettol (used to disinfect everything after a shopping trip), then you probably didn’t have the virus!

It seems to me that we had to change gear for the level 4 lock down (and it was a relief when stringent rules were applied, and incoming travelers formally isolated for 14 days); now we are gradually changing, with some difficulty, into a different gear – and there’s still no rush!

This morning I zoomed into one of my singing groups. It seems we may be able to meet again in the Khandallah Town Hall soon, although we won’t be able to use the kitchen for a shared morning tea yet.

This afternoon we walked in the sunshine to the local store, which had very few patrons. They didn’t have a new TV Guide, which used to come out on a Thursday, but I bought eggs, carrots, beans, raspberries and feijoas, and disposable plastic gloves, which are thankfully back in stock. On the way home I remarked how fortunate we are to still enjoy good electricity, enabling people to work from home, do podcasts and broadcasts, and hold meetings, all of which have made life much more bearable and enjoyable.

There is a new issue of London Review of Books in my letterbox, and I read first a very interesting review of Albert Camus’s 1947 novel “The Plague”.  I also read an account written by someone who had polio during the epidemic of the 1950’s, before the Salk vaccine became available. I am continuing to read “Year of Wonders”.

I find myself immersed in, and very interested in, details of a crisis caused by a pandemic, such as the novel coronavirus. It certainly seems to bring out amazing qualities of altruism by some people, and really bad behaviour in others. There is a huge drive to blame someone for this crisis: others, like myself, would say well it’s here now and we just have to deal with it. There has been some usurping of civil rights, but I see that as our government taking action for a specified time, thanking us all, and guiding us through it. I see these actions as being quite justified in the circumstances, and I’m grateful not to be ill, and not to have lost any of those dear to me here. I’m grateful that the government here kept us safe. Then there are the mysterious cures – all types of snake oil, in my view.  I think perhaps some actions have been a little excessive, but then there is so much we just don’t know about this virus. We must be grateful that it doesn’t result in bleeding, bursting of sores, or severe stomach upsets. Infectious discharges would be very hard to deal with safely.

In some parts the death rate has declined, although it seems restrictions are being lifted well before this phase of the virus is under control; in parts of the US, there are serious numbers of infected people, that tend not to make the news because they’re not major metropolitan centres. It seems that this virus is unpredictable, striking some places, such as New York city, and northern Italy, much more severely than others.

Then there are the basics of civilisation: being able to buy adequate food safely; having the utilities of power and water and plumbing continuing to function, having regular rubbish collection, and a police force to maintain order; this also relies on people’s goodwill and kindness, and a rudimentary justice system. In some societies, these services broke down, leaving people to fend for themselves at a very basic level.

I have also been interested while reading “Stalingrad” to see what effect another emergency situation, such as war, has on all kinds of people.

As I’ve repeated, given the situation here, we’ve had it rather good.  Let’s hope we don’t have a second wave of the virus here, and our utilities keep functioning.

That’s all for now. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Tuesday May 26th. Kia ora katoa.

We went to Napier over the weekend and reconnected with our daughter! It was wonderful to see her again. We hadn’t seen her since Christmastime, and although we had planned to travel there in March, and then over Easter, Hohepa discouraged family visits, and then we were in lockdown, and couldn’t go.

While it was a bit scary to travel, I reasoned that everyone would still be extra careful, there would be fewer vehicles on the road, and it was probably as good a time as any, especially if there is a second wave of the novel coronavirus.

I had assumed that we would spend time and eat at my daughter’s house, but this turned out not to be possible – it would break the maximum gathering size of ten, as well as Hohepa’s desire to keep the home a safe site. We knew that we couldn’t go into the house to pick her up – we would have to collect her and drop her off at the gate, and I racked my brains as to what we could do. I figured we could take her back to our motel, where we could eat takeaway food, or buy some from a supermarket.

We drove north on Friday afternoon. I was expecting my cleaner to come, but evidently he wasn’t rostered on last Friday. We had a good trip, although there was a surprising amount of traffic. Having had lunch before we left Wellington, we stopped at Shannon for afternoon tea.

On the way, we learnt that the National Party has a new leader and a female deputy. We heard Todd Muller’s first public speech, where he spoke very authoritatively, but evidently does not care about the environment or poverty or homelessness. He does not have a social conscience. His deputy, Nikki Kaye, was not allowed to speak. The next day Muller sported a MAGA hat, as if there were still any doubt about his political leanings.  He seemed surprised at the very negative reaction to this.

They were being very careful at the café we went to. There were only three tables inside, all the cabinet food was wrapped, the kitchen was closed, and there were no napkins, plates, trays or cutlery available, however these were brought on request. We had a nice break there.

When we got to Napier, it was very cold. We went to our usual motel, where it looked busier than usual, with lots of big cars and SUV’s almost filling the car park. Apparently it expects to be quiet for Queen’s Birthday Weekend.

That evening we went shopping, and I bought pies and salads for our evening meal, and a cake of soap, our motel having transitioned away from the nice miniatures to squeezy containers on the wall of liquid soap, hand and body lotion, and, I assume, combined shampoo and conditioner.  I had taken sanitiser and disinfectant hand wash and hand cream there, not knowing quite what to expect.

It was extremely cold that night, down to 0 degrees Celsius, and frosty. Despite the heat pump, it was pretty cold inside. The next day was warm and sunny. We picked our daughter up at the gate of her house. We went for morning tea at a café we’d been to previously, and, thankfully, it was almost empty and we felt quite safe there. We had scones and coffee, as you do.

Afterwards we went to Farmers’ store. They had advertised that they were having a sale, and previously I’ve bought some nice clothes there. Not this time – there was 25% off if you bought two or more items, and there wasn’t a specials rack. JD and our daughter went up to the toy section, but the store was quite busy and we escaped to the beach, where we sat and watched the big waves inexhaustibly rolling in. This is a very dangerous beach, although I didn’t spot any warning signs.

At 1 pm we picked up a pizza from Dominos, and had a nice little picnic outside at our motel, in the sun. In the afternoon our daughter enjoyed a spa bath, and she looked at a magazine I’d brought her, and we danced to pop music on the television.

After delivering her back to her house, I got changed (dressed up a little!) and JD and I had dinner at Portofino. It was a real treat, and probably the first meal out we’d enjoyed since early February. The tables are well spaced there, there’s plenty of room, and it was nice. Other diners were enjoying it too, some a little too loudly, but that’s par for the course, I guess.

The next day was cloudy and almost drizzling with rain. We drove past the Warehouse, intending to buy a movie on DVD, or perhaps some toys, but it looked very busy. We then drove to Ahuriri, and had morning tea at a lovely place, quite uncrowded, where we had scones and muffins and tea and coffee on fine china. We shared our round table with Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle duck! The individual servings of jam and cream came in small wine glasses, with spoons. It all felt very civilised, and safe.

We returned to Napier, where there was now a queue of people wanting to shop at the Warehouse, so we gave that idea away, and instead walked to Whitcoulls, where we bought a Sunday newspaper, a dominos set, and Connect Four, each in its own box.  Then JD asked our daughter what she’d like for lunch. The options were takeaways, or bread rolls, back at our motel, or going to a café. There was no question, she wanted to have lunch at a café!  We found a quiet one, where she had a hamburger, JD had corn fritters, and I had a Spanish omelet.  We were heartened by the fact that New Zealand has no new cases each day that we were away. It is certainly nice to eat out again.

Back at the motel, we washed our hands again. She’s still terrible at washing her hands!  She rubs her palms together, but doesn’t wash the backs of her hands or between the fingers.  JD played dominos and Connect Four with her, but there really are limited things to do there, strange as it sounds. We were going to go to Pirimai for a swing, but it was raining, so we didn’t.

Some of the things we usually do include going to the Aquarium (always great value), going to a park, walking in the Botanical Gardens, or going to the Golf Driving Range in Hastings, or going to the Hohepa workshop in Tennyson Street (still closed), but we didn’t want to do many of these very public things at present. We often go for a walk along the waterfront, a lovely area, but our daughter is scared of dogs and birds, so it’s not always a great idea. We were still avoiding crowds.

On Monday morning we went to the local supermarket to buy a newspaper. They had hand sanitiser (and trolley wipes) at the entrance. A nice feature was that the hand sanitiser worked automatically, when you put your hand underneath it, like some liquid soap dispensers do.

On Monday we drove back to Wellington, passing a crash, not far south of Napier. It rained lightly most of the way, and was really foggy on the Saddle Road. We ate lunch in Woodville, a nice spacious café, where we had to sign in and sanitised our hands. I always think you should use your own pen when signing in, as we did. In spite of the weather, we had a good trip home.

We just had another earthquake, (12:35 pm), first a rumble, then quite a sharp shake that seemed to go on for a few seconds. We missed the one (same place) on Monday morning, but there was one last night, I think. This one was 5.2 magnitude, and again was near Levin. I still feel some shaking, but that’s probably mostly my reaction – this one gave me quite a shock.

I am reminded again that the lockdown has hurt some very badly, and I feel for them. Some businesses won’t survive this crisis, but things happen, and there are crises from time to time. It seems to me that when there’s a crisis like this, you have to re-evaluate whatever you’re doing. The fact that this one’s been quite pleasant for me is very strange. Going to Napier was a good idea, although it did have some challenging moments!

Overseas, numbers of deaths from Covid 19 seem to be falling in the US and UK, as limitations are withdrawn. There is much debate about all of this, about how safe some places are, and about children going back to school. There is now a feeling that fresh air is important, that people should eat outside, rather than inside a restaurant, that you should open windows rather than using the air-conditioning. In the UK, Dominic Cummings’s breaking lockdown is huge news; in the US, Trump has called for churches to reopen. I wait anxiously for some debate on this, but it’s not forthcoming, yet. While I agree with him that the US needs prayer, one doesn’t have to go to church to pray. I do listen to some great sermons on Youtube.

The US “celebrates” Memorial Day today (well Monday 25^th), it’s a solemn day for them, with the added frisson that the US has had almost 100,000 non-military deaths from Covid 19. This is deadly serious for most; instead, Trump plays golf and tweets. One can but pray.

Coming out of the New Zealand’s level 4 lockdown proves to be a tad disquieting for many people, who appreciated being looked after, experiencing the peace and quiet, the holiday from the rate race, slowing right down, and enjoying the basics of good food, clean air, and the absence of much relentless advertising. The editorial in Saturday’s Dom Post says it all: “let us out!…we kind of liked being locked down!”. We experienced that on our trip to Napier and back.  Let us hope that in the build up to the new normal, we don’t forget the treasure of a quiet time, where nothing much was expected of us. We found, somewhat unexpectedly, that most of us could cope really well, and furthermore, we seemed  more “equal”, we had a more egalitarian society.

I am heartened to see in this morning’s paper that local tourism is being boosted, while the Prime Minister has spoken of four-day weeks.

Back in Wellington, it was very cold yesterday, but today is sunny. Let our cautious optimism lead the way. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Tuesday May 19^th. Kia ora katoa.

Today it has been noisy. There are ever more planes flying overhead, there have been earthworks, children are obviously back at school (I don’t mind their noise!), and, of course, traffic noise, even in our quiet-ish street.  The weather is changeable – it switches between raining quite hard and lovely sunshine in between. Very strange!

There are two surprises this morning – an unexpected Zoom meeting (I sent an apology) and visitors, including a very special baby boy whom we hadn’t seen yet.

In this morning’s paper, it seems there is no rush to embrace our new freedoms – New Zealand is taking “baby steps”, proceeding with caution.

It seems that traffic jams and crowded buses may not return to the same extent as previously, now that many folk, finding that they can work from home, will continue to do so. Others may be encouraged to use bikes rather than cars for transportation.  New Zealanders are being encouraged to explore more of  their own country, seeing they can’t travel overseas for the foreseeable future: “Tourism must follow Air New Zealand’s lead, and switch its focus to domestic customers”, reads a sun-heading to the editorial. It will be wonderful if New Zealand tourism can be brought back within reach of the “ordinary bloke” (and bloke-ess), i.e. be much more affordable. Some have formerly found it cheaper, or not much more expensive, to go to Australia or Rarotonga instead of exploring our local beautiful scenery. The TV series currently playing, “One Lane Bridge”, may not have much of a plot, but its jaw-dropping scenery makes it well worth watching. I believe I mentioned this idea earlier!

Anxiety also expresses itself in shopping: “Do you have coronavirus shopping anxiety?” While this article talks about anxiety as a mental health disorder, many of us have some anxiety about going shopping, and the need to feel safe. The article recommends being organised: be prepared, have a routine, make a list, go at a quiet time, have your payment method ready at hand – all straightforward advice that I would have followed anyway.

There are many worries. The rate of domestic violence has fallen here – it has gone through the roof; mental health is a major concern during lockdown – now recluses are experiencing anxiety; we coped with major change – now we need to cope with the opportunities that success at coping brings, for us all. And we still need to be anxious about climate change and its potential to devastate this planet for many people.

Don’t worry, be happy! Is great advice. Take whatever precautions are right for you (many of us were enormously careful before this pandemic came along – we bruise easily, break bones easily, have falls easily, have suffered from pneumonia, and some are on chemotherapy. We are all vulnerable, even more so if we are older or very young. I was careful about where I would eat, or use the restroom; where I would go to the movies, and which shops and shopping centres I preferred, where to sit on the bus or train.

Meanwhile the Wellington City Council continues not to listen to some of it s constituents. We continue to wait for the Wellington Central Library to reopen, for Old St Paul’s to reopen, for the Wellington Town Hall to reopen – where is the plan? Meanwhile, there has been a disaster with plumbing and waste water. Now this, like the pandemic, could not have been predicted, but surely one relies on local government to plan for such crises? Do I get the feeling that then water crisis was imminent, but the City Council hoped that it wouldn’t happen on their watch? Excuse me, many councillors have been on the WCC for more than one term.

Apparently we will have to contend with e—scooters again. This, I find, really annoying – on the footpaths, there are already many hazards. But e-scooters are something no pedestrian should have to contend with.

Since I was so ill in 2011, and since I have got older and become a grandmother, with a special needs daughter, I have found it a huge challenge just to get around. Access, I say! The one word I have for any politician. We need more handrails, elevators, pedestrian-only areas, clean, public restrooms, so that we can get around and spend money on our basic needs and presents for our grandchildren!!!

It has been nice during the lockdown that people were concerned for older folk, and that there was real distress about care facilities for older people being very vulnerable to Covid 19.  Before the level 4 lockdown here, people  rushed to let me know what was happening with their organisation, for which I was  very grateful. Now, though, there is confusion, with few newsletters received. Some Community Centres are open again, some are not. Some libraries are open, some are not. Recycling collections have restarted. How to find out?

Today New Zealand again has no new cases of Covid 19. The 1 pm briefings usually held by Jacinda and Ashley are to end. We are all moving on, to various aspects of whatever our new “normal” may be.

Today I went shopping again. There was plenty of bread, raspberries and feijoas, and not too many coffee beans. There was an Economist magazine – one copy left! It is nice to feel much more relaxed around shopping.

Overseas, numbers of cases in the US continue to cause massive concern, as does the state of the economy there, with some being forced to work despite their ill-health, and others terrified to go out or send their children back to school. We feel a tad nervous here, but we have little if anything to worry about. It seems to that American folk are not well. By and large, many people have compromised immune systems for one reason or another, or are obese. It seems too that the CDC and its advice have been greatly weakened; Dr Fauci largely discredited, and Trump is going on about the so-called “Obamagate” scandal. There is no specific crime here – and that’s the point. It was such a joy to hear this eloquent, thoughtful, kind and honourable man giving speeches to school students at the weekend, and specifically not naming those in charge who aren’t even asking the right questions. Surely many folk can see the huge difference between Obama and Trump?

It has always puzzled me, when I’ve been privileged to go to the US, how many kind, friendly, generous wonderful people are there, and yet look at the man who is president. How did this happen? Whatever military might Trump has encouraged and spent a lot of money on upgrading, it can’t save them from the novel coronavirus. In fact, it’s no use!  Several soldiers on the Theodore Roosevelt nuclear powered aircraft carrier have supposedly recovered from Covid 19, and are now testing positive again. And what is happening to submarine crews? One shudders to think.

The following news story appeared on the Stuff website: A man in the US thought the Covid-19 pandemic was a “fake crisis” until he and his wife contracted it. He and his wife were both hospitalised and spent some time in Intensive Care. Apparently Trump has referred to the virus as “a great and powerful plague”, while one of his sons (Eric) claims it is a Democratic hoax. Such confusion no doubt compounds the ignorance of many people.

Today’s figures are as follows: the US has 1,502,294 cases of Covid 19, and 91,891 deaths. There is no strategy to combat this ongoing tragedy, although many states are easing their lock down restrictions, such as they were and are. The US still sits at the top of the list for countries affected, although Russia and Brazil are running behind them in terms of infections related to their total populations.

Tonight I watched the first episode of “The Luminaries”, having missed it on Sunday evening.  It is all beautifully done, but I’m still confused, as I was when I read the book.

That’s it for now! Nga mihi nui.

Today is Monday May 18^th. Kia ora katoa. It has been cold overnight, but it’s fine and sunny today. The days are slowing getting colder, in quite an orderly fashion – no sudden moves! I am moving from summer to winter in wearing long-sleeved tops, a jerkin or light sweater, and then putting on a warmer cardigan in the evening if I need to.  If I’m doing something active, like cooking, then, unsurprisingly, I’m much warmer. There is much more traffic noise and the sound of planes going overhead. This morning there is the sound of glass being collected by the WCC – a welcome relief, after several weeks of non-collection. On Saturday they emptied the recycling bin – as we found out quite by chance. This was a one-off to catch up, evidently.

This morning I learnt the following:

• Justin Amash has pulled out of the presidential race as a Libertarian candidate. I heard him interviewed on Bill Maher’s show, and boy, does he have some right-wing views. For example, he believes the US should have less government. Enough said.
• Some of Tara Reade’s reported actions make her claim of sexual harassment (what did she claim, exactly?) far less credible. I have tried to stay out of this issue, but US media have been rather obsessed with it.
• One-fifth of patients who entered NHS Hospitals for other issues contracted coronavirus.
• A chain of rest homes in the US weren’t following procedures.
• Yesterday a young child in New Zealand was diagnosed with Covid 19, being a contact of someone at the Rosewood Home in Christchurch. This is the first time in New Zealand that a child has contracted the infection. We hope that he won’t go on to become very ill as some children overseas have. New Zealand schools and Early Childhood Centres open again today.
• There was a photo of Andrew Cuomo being tested for Covid 19 – not because he has symptoms, but to show people it’s a good idea to be tested.
• Yesterday (Sunday) the US had over 90,000 deaths. If this were a war situation, someone’s head would surely have rolled, and questions asked: there would have been an investigation – was intelligence at fault? Was there an ambush? Did the guys and gals have the right equipment? How come these units didn’t strike first? Was the opposing force superior? Shouldn’t they have retreated? Sadly, none of these questions are relevant. Around 1700 people are dying each day, from coronavirus, in the US.

There is an article in the Guardian (UK) about how there is a lot of talk about kindness, even before this pandemic.  But, as it points out, we haven’t created kind societies! The article is entitled “We’re all keen to show we care, but we’ve shaped a society that doesn’t care at all”, by Sam Byers.

We used to have good worker protections here in New Zealand: your employer couldn’t fire you at will, shifts used to be three per day, breaks are guaranteed, as was paid holiday, sick and bereavement leave; there was also leave to attend to family needs and a maternity leave provision; and a guarantee that your position would be held for you for a year, following birth of a child. There were also stipulations such as having a letter of appointment, setting out your various entitlements. Teachers had built-in “non-contact time”.  Many of these provisions came in long after I held my first job. I always believed that if you proved your worth, your employer would treat you fairly.  Did some people take advantage of these provisions? Yes, of course. Were there still unfair situations? Yes, there were – viz. the “sleepover” non-payment where intellectually-challenged folk were being “looked after”. This has since been rectified, at considerable expense.

Unfortunately, the unions, some of them very strong, took advantage of this strength and were perceived as “holding the country to ransom” (remember the Cook Strait Ferry School Holiday strikes?) Now the unions have been neutered, many of them no longer exist, or have been seen as irrelevant. Workers now have individual (as opposed to Collective) contracts, which have seen their previous rights and entitlements steadily whittled away.

Some examples of this include the following:

• What to me seems the supreme evil of zero-hours contracts, where “employees” have to always be available, but there is no guarantee of paid hours (so how does one budget under these conditions?) Apparently since April 2016 these contracts have been illegal in New Zealand, and a guarantee of some hours work per week is required.
• Two daily shifts of ten or twelve hours – what does this do to childcare arrangements?
• Lack of breaks: when the Wellington Regional Council went to Metlink to run public transport in the Wellington area, all the previous (experienced) drivers were terminated, and drivers hired on the minimum hourly rate. They had the worthy aim of employing former convicts, but many of these people did not know the routes. Many too were over 70, causing them to be stood down in the early days of the pandemic. Many buses were late or missed when a by-law was passed requiring them to have regular breaks. I don’t remember anyone consulting me about all the changes, although I certainly gave them feedback when allowed to.
• When I left one senior position, my employed refused to put on morning tea or any farewell function (I had worked there full time for several years).
• Although in New Zealand each full-time employee is entitled to 4 weeks’ annual paid leave, many employers require this to be taken at Christmastime, in the year that it’s due, making it difficult to accumulate paid leave entitlements for a planned overseas trip.
• The US does not have a maternity leave entitlement. Some states refuse to increase the minimum hourly rate of pay.
• Bullying did, and still does, occur.
• In the UK, years of “austerity” have seen social facilities steadily reduced or cancelled altogether – teenager drop-in centres, libraries, benefits have been reduced and got harder to get, as they have here.

You just get the feeling that everything has got harder for poor people, while the rich have become richer. In the US millions have lost their jobs, and consequently any employer-related health insurance scheme. They get little, if any, leave of any kind.

Surely there can be a “happy medium”, a meeting of minds, a negotiation, where compromises are made but where worker’s (i.e. people’s rights) are respected. Surely everything works better, and people are more productive, when there is a happy and safe workplace.

Surely there can be a “happy medium”, a meeting of minds, a negotiation, where compromises are made but where worker’s (i.e. people’s rights) are respected.

Since this pandemic has shut the world down (and it’s not haemorrhagic fever or typhoid or cholera, by the way), it seems right to take a moment to reflect on what kind of society we would like to be, and to change course (some more!). The Christchurch earthquake of February 2011 also provided such a moment – how would you like our city to be?

There is a chance not to go back to the “same old”.  Surely most of us want all workers to be fairly treated, and to feel safe at work, as well as at home. Surely we don’t want cruised ships visiting?  Ah, that’s a thorny one! Cruises have become so popular. But they are floating petri-dishes for infection – we have seen how norovirus has spread though some cruise ships with alacrity. Their air-conditioning units are thought to have been very effective in spreading coronavirus infections on board. They have some strange regulations on board, in terms of accessing medical care, punishment of crimes, and safety; crew members receive minimal pay and live in huddled conditions, yet must always appear cheerful  and smiling and well-groomed. And – perhaps the biggest and most important question of all – where exactly does their extensive waste go? Don’t ask, is the response I’ve received. Into the sea, of course.

While cruise ships provide employment, and visits may be good for the local economy (although just how good is up for debate, too, since the cruise lines control tours on land), the cruise lines have accepted bail out money in the US, yet failed to protect their staff, some of whom still can’t alight, and whose pay has been stopped. How is this fair?

It has been fascinating to see how the effects of this pandemic intensified. First they couldn’t disgorge their passengers (no one wanted them), and this “luxurious” life rapidly descended into a nightmare, where passengers were confined to their rooms: no sight-seeing, swimming, walking around, or other activities on board , no fancy restaurants, and a dodgy Wi-Fi signal. The “trip of a lifetime” became the “trip from hell”, a horror-story, where some wished they had stayed at home. Pity the folk who had chosen to make their home on board. Cruise ship stops brought several coronavirus cases to NZ, even after flights from overseas had been curtailed. Some of us don’t want them back.

New Zealand is taking “baby steps” into Coronavirus level 2. It seems many share the view that we don’t want to sacrifice the gains we’ve made, especially as we see other countries (Germany, South Korea) withdrawing freedoms they had allowed. There are new cases in China, too. “Why we’re free but staying at home”, reads a story in this morning’s newspaper. I remind myself, often, that there are very few new cases of Covid 19 diagnosed here, and testing is freely available, yet yesterday we had our first case of a child with the virus, and children go back to school today. This disease is still scary.

This morning Jane Bowron suggested (by way of her column in the newspaper – My plan for safer funerals) that funerals be by invitation, as weddings are, so that you retain some control of the numbers. This would imply that someone manages this, ensuring that people know, and that perhaps there’s some discretion over people who turn up unexpectedly. She also refers to the current notion of “celebrating” a person’s life. With respect, I’d like folk to give thanks for mine.

Another story suggests it’s “A long way back to normality”.  This includes the need to allow more space for folk to work, eat and play. We know that some restaurants would not be viable without having tables uncomfortably close together; on the other hand, many of us prefer places that aren’t crowded, and where there isn’t loud music playing, and where you can sit on a proper chair (not a bench, a high stool, or a bean-bag). One hopes that the practice of “hot-desking” will become a thing of the past, that buses won’t be crowded (yeah, right!), and that any queuing will allow for respectful maintenance of distance, even in a bitterly cold wind, as must surely come here soon.

Things will be different, whether we want them to, or not. Every country’s economy has taken some kind of beating. It seems that everywhere societies are made up of people who want everything to be as it was before (really?) and those who fear for their loved ones’ and their own lives, who want to be careful about health and safety before going back to work. They are torn between wanting to provide, and get back to some kind of normality, and fearing crowds (public transport, customers) if they do. In the US, some health workers have moved out of their homes so as not to put their loved ones (many of whom have immune-compromised health) at risk. Thankfully, and hopefully, such risk assessment is rare here in New Zealand. One hopes that everyone feels safe at work, and at home. Tonight I saw a New Zealand doctor talking to Dr John Campbell in England, about just how scared the medical profession was of treating rapidly growing numbers of sick people, before the lock down was started here.

In New Zealand, there are no new cases of Covid 19 today. The total remains at 1,499. Two people are in hospital, and there have been no further deaths. The move to level 3 did not result in any unexpected or community cases. On Wednesday the Prime Minister will speak about an application that will keep track of contacts, for an individual. There will be no “Big brother” type of ap that will track contacts centrally.  There is still concern about the maximum of 10 people at any church service or “gathering”, and this will be addressed next week. The Prime Minister has announced a pay increase for early childhood teachers, as part of this year’s Budget provisions.  They seek to ensure again that all early childhood teachers are qualified professionals, as the previous Labour Government did. There have been fewer daily breaches at the move to level 2 than at level 3.

Late tonight the figures are as follows: the US has 1,527,951 infections, and there have been 90,980 deaths from Covid 19.  In the UK, the figures are 243,695 infections and 34,636 deaths (their daily death rate is now falling, as it has in parts of Europe). The US still looks like leading the world in this race, although Russia now has 290,678 cases on infection, and these are growing rapidly.

So, it is all very sad indeed. But here, in New Zealand, we can feel grateful and proud. My eldest grandson had a great day back at school today. We have much to be thankful for. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Sunday May 17^th. Kia ora katoa

Well, it’s official. Many folk are reluctant to embrace their new “freedom”.

On Friday we went to the Johnsonville Shopping Centre, which was quite busy. On the radio someone was griping that the budget hadn’t given the group they represented enough funds. I guess I would regard that as par for the course. I then joked that the mental health of recluses should be considered too. In addition to “lockdown blues” and people going stir-crazy, which obviously had to be taken seriously, we should now consider the real issue of some loners finding it very hard to be sociable again, and to contend with all the everyday grievances, such as advertising, travel brochures, drinking, over-charging for walking in the bush, traffic noise, going to shopping malls, consumerism, over-the-top lavish expenditure, and suchlike – re-joining the “rat race”. While there is joy and relief at there being no new coronavirus cases, there is real grief at some aspects of “everyday life” coming back into play.

I think many of us hoped, and still hope, that the future will be different: that our government will seize this moment to say less excess, everyone has the right to have a safe and warm home and enough to eat, with access to health care; that we all respect this planet and this country and want it to be a safe place for our children and grandchildren, where the water is safe to drink, and there is less reliance on dairy farming, and more on organic farming, and use of natural products; that all schools should be successful, including the one down the road, whatever that school may be. Parents’ voices have a right to be heard!

I gather that some overseas companies see New Zealand as an opportunity for doing business. Let’s hope that New Zealand values are enforced: that all staff members are paid a living wage, that all staff are fairly and reasonably treated, that staff cannot be fired at will, that the environment is reasonably treated, that we are not American or Australian and we don’t have to rush about all the time. We have learnt to slow down and enjoy birdsong; to be grateful that we live in a peaceful society, that our government wants to protect us: it seems that as in many places there is much good here, and an evil element too. Let us hope that good and true kindness prevails. Why do I say this? Many claim to be kind, that kindness is really important, yet display some very unkind acts. This I find strange and disturbing. While I may not agree with certain views, I believe all human life is a gift, and all lives matter.  Old people matter. Coloured people matter. Gay people matter. All people are “regular folk”.

So who is now feeling blue? From today’s Sunday Star Times, Alison Mau writes “Apparently lock-down release anxiety is actually a thing, which is good to know, because I have it”. She’s not alone.  A mother has written about the relief of not having (choosing?) to ferry several children round to their various after-school activities.  This can be a real tie, as I know from experience. My own children did many activities, mostly by choice, which I was anxious to encourage – I don’t regret for one moment their involvement in music (two instruments!), singing, orchestras, chamber groups, and playing sport. If they could walk to an activity, then so much the better. I confess I didn’t go to all their sports games, but I went to their music activities wherever possible. Many of these enriching activities would not have been possible during the recent lockdown.

We also enjoyed summer breaks, and I hope my children remember the various picnics, hikes, and exploring sessions we enjoyed. My preference was to find a stream, with some shade, so that the location would cater for different age groups, and not be too hot and sunny for whoever was the baby. Those were the days! But music enriched our lives. I joked that we would have a quartet, if they were all at home at once, which became unusual.

Others have found the enforced seclusion not so bad, including some family members; while we have all missed our families, it has been good to have video calls sometimes. Two sons are overseas, anyway, so we don’t see much of them. While I have missed some foods, you can get used to going without, and we have watched some great movies on our TV and read some great books. People I know have read Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”, or Hilary Mantel’s “The Mirror and the Light”, while I have been reading “Stalingrad” (not the Antony Beevor one, the Vasily Grossman one, translated from the Russian). It’s a great book, I thoroughly recommend it. It has helpful guides at the back like a key to the confusing Russian names, maps, and a historical timeline.

Others like comedian Trevor Noah have found that this restful period suited them.  Many have found a certain release in not needing to get ones’ hair done, or wear makeup, or buy new clothes. Those of us fortunate enough to enjoy the peace and quiet of course rejoice in the fact that we have enough food to eat, the weather has been kind here, we don’t live in crowded conditions, or in institutions, and we’re not desperate financially. Not being ill is a blessing, too. This morning I listened to Michael Moore’s podcast talking to Roger Waters (from Pink Floyd), and he is finding confinement quite all right with him. What an interesting podcast! But I digress.

So, kicking and screaming, or quietly tut-tutting under our breath, we re-join the rest of the human race, stuck here in Aotearoa – frankly, there’s nowhere I’d rather be, even if I have to put up with more planes going overhead now. At least we can be free from fear, or fear of coronavirus, anyway. There is a great deal to be thankful for.

My thoughts for Sunday. No stats. Nga mihi nui.

Today is Friday May 15^th. Kia ora katoa.

We are now in level 2, officially from midnight on Wednesday New Zealand went into level 2. Strangely, although it offers much more freedom, there was more excitement about going from level 4 to level 3, two weeks ago.

For two days we had no new cases of Covid 19, and then the one we have today is one of the Marist College cluster that was a probable now confirmed, I think – I guess we’re just not worrying nearly as much now, seeing there are so few new cases, and none that are not linked to an existing cluster or to travel from overseas. There have been no new deaths, either, or anyone in Intensive Care, so we can afford to be very proud and thankful.

It’s been odd, really. By now many of us are used to slowing right down. The first thing you notice is the noise – aeroplanes flying overhead, earth-movers, traffic, some really loud machines – weed eaters, perhaps? In between it is quiet. I went shopping at our local supermarket on Wednesday and again today, and it’s nice to be so much more relaxed, while maintaining a level of social distancing. There are far fewer masks being worn around here.  You can buy just about anything again now, there are few, if any, shortages.

This morning we ventured to the Johnsonville Shopping Centre (sad, I know). There were several people there, but some shops still closed. There seems to be some confusion about opening stores and cafés again.  We went to Whitcoulls where I bought the new Hilary Mantel book. Although it’s such a large tome, the price was very reasonable, and although I didn’t have my Whitcoulls card on me, they looked it up for me and credited me with some points.

Yesterday we had our Wellington family over for afternoon tea, where we had a birthday party for my eldest granddaughter. Locally, there were ten of us, so it was quite legitimate, and very special to get together again – see the new baby, get out some new toys…How lovely to see them all, and how thankful we are to be here, again.  All the men are pretty keen to get haircuts again.

In the morning I had singing via zoom. It really works quite well, and it’s lovely to get together again, even if it is always tricky setting up zoom! I think I’ve got the hang of it, but it’s always a bit different. It’s always good to sing, especially when no one can hear you! Having said that, I do miss singing in a group, I’m not so great on my own.

At level 2 community centres can’t reopen yet, so we can’t join together to sing in the hall yet, as we used to.  Some libraries are open again, and some cinemas. I am anxiously looking forward to newsletters telling me what they’re doing again, as things get up and running again. Hohepa says we’re welcome to come and see our daughter, but we’re a bit nervous about all the interactions along the way – eating somewhere, staying in a motel, going out in Napier…we’re looking forward to it, but it now seems a bit unfortunate that she’s so far away.

There are stories about older folk losing condition, throughout the lockdown, and I fear I have too, but I do feel it’s better than getting this disease, and we will be able to resume most activities again, I hope. I trust I can be a bit more content with life in the slower lane, now.

Yesterday the budget came out, with its focus on jobs, and it seems to have met with fairly wide approval; or not downright condemnation, anyway. I would like to see more done about childhood poverty, but I guess if there’s a focus on jobs, and more houses built, and more money for District Health Boards, then that will help everyone’s well-being.

So, all in all, things are good here, as we head back into a new reality, where jobs around the house must be done, and we need to make plans and set goals, again. I have realised, with sadness, that overseas travel is off-limits for some time; my mother-in-law’s funeral in October 2018 was probably the last family get-together for some time to come.

Overseas, things don’t look great, Again, it seems that for whatever pain is being endured overseas, there is not much gain yet to show for it. Some collective madness seems to have taken hold in the US, where many folk seem to have a death wish of sorts – is it something in the air? Poisoned water? Poisoned food?  There are many people who do take this disease seriously, but it seems just like politics – polarisation is rife, everything is political…it is very sad for us to see that not only does the federal government have no plan, but Trump like a naughty, hyperactive child is deliberately encouraging unwise and foolish behaviour, as good people get moved out of the way.

The UK is not much better, although they have a different set of problems. In Russia the rising number of cases is causing concern, and many medical staff are sick themselves; in St Petersburg five patients on ventilators died during a recent fire; there was a suggestion that one of the ventilators had overheated. Meanwhile, Putin is opening things up again.

One gets the feeling that human lives are expendable – especially if they’re not “regular folk”, but presumably at some stage you run out of people who are prepared to work closely together in meat processing plants, or clean houses, nurse sick people or care for the elderly….presumably once the illness and death rate reaches a certain level, there is financial pain to the well-off who rely on these services, or rest home owners and hospitals who rely on fee income? As has been pointed out, while prisons are potential grounds for infection, the people who work there go back home to their families and communities after their shifts.  It is very hard to see what kind of normalcy may return. It’s generally accepted that this novel coronavirus will probably be around for some time to come.  Of course, for many, they will have to go back to work for their weekly pay packet, no matter how unsafe they may feel – they don’t have the “luxury” of taking sick leave, paid or unpaid.

This morning I didn’t write down the totals as I usually d. I’ll do that tomorrow.

Tonight we had a nice chat with our son in the UK.

Nga mihi nui.

Today is Tuesday, May 12^th. Kia kaha!

This morning the news is a bit unsettling.  Soon after I awake I hear the sound of earthworks, and a plane flying overhead. 

Overseas, there seems to be a general acceptance that the novel coronavirus will be around for some time to come, and that the consequences, fear, illness and death, will be around too. In the US evidently Trump has handed control over development of a vaccine to Big Pharma, (and there’s no rush, now), but I am reminded that there is still no vaccine for malaria, dengue fever, and HIV-Aids, despite all the progress that has been made. Now, wonderful as this progress has been, we have the anti-vaxx brigade to deal with. 

It seems people have very short memories these days – the Great Depression is not the depression of the 1930’s, which helped give rise to the fascist governments of the late 1930’s and early 1940’s, and World War II, but the Global Financial Crisis (the GFC) of 2008; most people certainly don’t remember those crippling childhood diseases, (such as diphtheria, whooping cough, and polio) where children were likely to die, or be weakened or crippled for life. Their parents and older siblings were at risk of contracting tuberculosis, then, in pre-vaccine, pre-antibiotic days, usually fatal.  And it seems there is little memory of World War II. The Great War (World War I), the Great Depression, and World War II were uppermost in the minds of my parents and many of their family and acquaintances, and these events were reflected in much of the literature I read. I guess different events leave their mark on different generations, in different ways.

There is also an acceptance overseas, that while Trump and his administration have no plan at all as to how to manage the novel coronavirus, people need to get “back to work” and back to “everyday” activities, despite their fears. Most people cannot live without sport, whether playing it or watching it. Everyone (here too, in New Zealand) has had quite enough of restrictions.  It seems few of us are grateful that our suffering here has been paltry compared to that overseas, although there is a nice letter in this morning’s newspaper commending Jacinda Ardern for her government’s handling of this crisis.  I personally think we all owe her a debt of gratitude, especially after watching videos and figures from overseas.  The letter in this morning’s paper also points out the dire situation we could have been in by now, if there had been little control displayed. When the level 4 lockdown was put in place, although the borders had been closed, we had passengers flying in to “self-quarantine”, cruise ships still stopping at various ports, and covid-19 cases’ family and friends not isolated in a safe isolation; it was also very difficult to get tested for Covid 19, although there were already several clusters of infection. There was a general air of frustration and desperation here: you were either being reckless or ultra-cautious, and you could be ridiculed for actions indicating either stance, rather than being respected for making a decision that potentially respected the safety of oneself and one’s family.

So, there is relief here, but overseas people are very “antsy”, and some are fearful, too. It must be pointed out though, that all your economies are sick too, some far more than others, as international travel has virtually stopped, tourism has stopped, eating out and entertainment and the consequent services have stopped, and demand for manufactured goods and services has greatly fallen. There is, of course, a growing demand for PPE – masks, gloves, and other protective equipment.  The worlds’ economies are, one hopes, having a “rethink” about these activities people are so anxious to get back to.  While there are always some with a greater appetite for risk than others, think about who you may pass disease on to, and who will look after you, if you get sick? The best way to show your appreciation, of everyone and anyone, is to stay well.

The figures early this afternoon are as follows: the US has 1,385,834 cases of Covid 19 infection, and 81,795 (almost 82,000) deaths. The UK has 223,060 cases of infection, and 32,065 deaths. Neither nation has a method to manage this crisis.

In New Zealand, there are no new cases of Covid 19 today. The Prime Minister explains more about re-opening most venues, at midnight tomorrow, while still limiting gatherings such as weddings and funerals or family groups to ten people. She explains that, while it is hard, the rationale is that at gatherings, especially funerals, we want to hug and embrace people, and to comfort each other. While that remains risky, numbers are limited, while we’re in Level 2.

I look forward to hearing from my local medical centre, and my singing groups and Tai Chi tutors, as to how and when we may meet again. It will be quite a change, to go to things, and use public transport, and cafés again. The old dilemma recurs – whether to buy books from a store here, or get them sent from the book depository (which is cheaper, with free shipping). In the meantime, I should finish reading “Stalingrad”. It is from the library, but it is quite a new copy, and I doubt it has been read by many other people. Goodness knows I don’t need any more books, but I should love to have my own copy.

I think New Zealanders should be encouraged to explore more of their own country, and for things that are chargeable, the fees should be more realistic for locals. We can grow plenty of food here, and anything we export should be attractive overseas, as coming from a relatively clean, green environment. Talking of that, we could and should clean up our environment, and provide more incentives for not relying on fossil fuels.  There is plenty that is attractive here, and New Zealand should be an inviting place for overseas students in the future. And, surely, we can address some very sad issues of homelessness and child poverty, or poverty at any level, and get back to being a more egalitarian society. This pandemic has reduced us to basic priorities – to stay alive, and to have enough to eat. Let’s maintain this kinder, gentler society.

Nga mihi nui

Today is Monday May 11^th. Kia ora katoa! Kia kaha!

Everything is starting to be noisier here. This morning I hear a plane go over. There is noise of rubbish collection, but then, you would expect that on a Monday.

I wonder about the weekend update from Hohepa, and get JD to forward it. For some reason, I didn’t receive it. Never mind, it is very good, as always. Under level 2 they are cautiously going to reopen the school and the workshops, but will not use public transport, or go to their usual activities; the shop will remain closed.

JD has a zoom meeting at 2:30 pm. He asks to borrow my PC. I have got used to some of the intricacies of zoom, however this requires me to run around finding passwords and then getting a code on my phone to be passed on. In the meantime, I read more of my Stalingrad book, and some old LRB’s – about Wuhan, the plague in Florence from 1629 – 1631, and the 2020 campaign for a Democratic nominee to the Presidency..

We are waiting for the Prime minister’s announcement at 4 pm as to whether New Zealand will go to level 2 on Thursday. Meantime, I listen to a podcast about the strange new silence. The author misses the sounds of activity, of traffic, of busy-ness. Meanwhile, I enjoy the peace and quiet, as I think many do here. We are grateful to have much less noise, so even the half-hourly empty bus that goes past is noticeable.

What else is news? The US death total has passed 80,000.  Trump has certainly made America First, in this race. The rest of us pity the US even more than previously. Trump urges states to re-open, even as their cases of infection are rising.  In the UK, Boris Johnson eases the lockdown, but causes huge confusion there and opposition elsewhere. Interestingly, he (or someone) has combed his hair for this announcement, so he looks more presentable than usual. Sadly, his announcement is met with scorn and derision.

Today, in New Zealand, there are three new cases, bringing the total to 1497. Two patients are in hospital, none in Intensive Care.

At 4 pm Jacinda Ardern gives a press briefing, along with Dr Bloomfield. She announces that New Zealand will move to level 2 on Thursday, but physical distancing is still required and strict attention to hygiene. Schools will reopen on 18 May, and bars on 21 May. On Thursday, shops, cinemas, gyms, and playgrounds can reopen.  So that’s huge, and I expect some re-thinking will be going on, as local authorities and others decide just how to open safely.

Gatherings of up to 10 (not 100) are permitted, but I think you’re still required (as always) to use your own discretion as regards safety, bearing in mind the potential attendees, and the venue. People can travel locally, again.

I imagine that cinemas, libraries, public transport, and caterers, to name a few, will be thinking about just how they can lure back their loyal customers, and assure them that they will be safe using their facilities again.

This afternoon we go for a walk to the local supermarket. While the “rules” are still in place, each day (we now shop daily again, instead of weekly), everyone seems much more relaxed, there are even more smiles, and fewer masks worn. On the way, I notice two red rosebuds, and I determine to pick them when we return. At the store, I buy raspberries, feijoas, and plums again! In May! There is also a new Economist available (just two copies). I buy one. I wonder what happened to the missing ones? I also buy a packet of face masks to send to my son in the UK.

I figure it’s a good thing if the lockdown is lifted before my asthma gets bad again, as it usually does in autumn, with consequent coughing and difficulty breathing. I wouldn’t want to alarm anyone with my symptoms!

In many countries now, there are infected workers in meat processing plants. This has turned out to be a very vulnerable area. In New Jersey, there have been 72 deaths at a Home for Veterans. Don’t these lives matter too? We also heard tonight that Vice-President Mike Pence will self-isolate “out of an abundance of caution”. Reading between the lines, one surmises that the White House is a very scary place to work right now.

The University of Washington has revised its model to predict 137,000 deaths from Covid 19 in the US by August 1^st. This figure has been revised upwards from May 4^th. The main reason for this projected increase is increased mobility, i.e. more states relaxing stay-at-home orders, and people moving within and between states, as well as a continuous increase in the numbers of people infected.

Late today, the figures for the US are as follows: 1,367,963  infections, and 80,787 deaths. For the UK, there have been 219,183 infections and 31,855 deaths. There is a story of Greek people getting their loved ones to return to Greece from England, on the grounds that they’d be safer in Greece. How right they were. They (and others) wonder at how the British have messed this crisis up so badly. Their death toll outstripped that of Italy some days ago, having already beaten those of Spain and France (which were initially, and remain, horrifying). Their respective priorities, Build that Wall, and Get Brexit Done, seem more than ever like vanity projects that faced significant opposition at home and abroad, and ignored other priorities. Both their supposed strengths have been subsumed in these ridiculous other crises, while their leaders, in spite of scientific and medical advice, continued to ignore the rising threat of this pandemic, to their economy, and their people. Now they do know, but mismanagement and chaos continue.

Rising cases in Russia cause concern (they are close to coming second to the US  in the world for infections), although their deaths have yet to catch up; the rate of death amongst the numbers infected is different from country to country, e.g. 6.5 % in the US, and 15% in the UK.  And also, the UK ordered a large number of gowns from Turkey, and they’re no use. Figures in Brazil also cause concern – 162,699 infected and 11,123 deaths; and Belgium has 53,449 infections and 8,707 deaths. Food for thought.

I reiterate how fortunate we have been in New Zealand to have kept the coronavirus totals so low, and to be in a position to gradually open things up again. I do hope we don’t get a second wave here, although I fear as travel becomes more common again, that the course of this virus will be very hard to manage. I hope that is still some way off, and that there’ll be much less of it.

Tonight we watched Tea With the Dames on Maori Television, with a wonderful clip of Dame Judi Dench in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and the final episode of Normal People.  The music for today is a song from that play, “Where the Bee sucks”.

I’ll be back again tomorrow.  Nga mihi nui.

Prospero says, The Tempest, Act IV, Scene 1:

You do look, my son, in a moved sort,
As if you were dismay’d: be cheerful, sir.
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and

Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep. 

Today is Sunday, May 10^th.

It is Mothers’ Day. While I don’t agree with the commercialisation of Mother’s Day, there was certainly something rather strange about this one. JD wished me a Happy Mothers’ Day, and my daughter rang from Hohepa to wish me well (she sent a letter, too), none of my four sons did so. Three of them are married, and three of them have children. I doubt that my daughters-in-law forgot their own mothers. So this feels very strange. As I grew older, and became unable to work, these anniversaries began to seem much more important than they used to. I always used to be busy. Now I have much more time to brood.

The day was odd in other ways, too. I did the washing, hung some things up, and put others in the drier. I went shopping, and bought some fresh bread (it was almost all gone), an avocado (a treat at $3.99 each), and some chocolates. Then I made a sandwich for lunch, put the sandwich things away, prepared dinner, cleared that away. I prepared my own breakfast, too. As I said goodnight, my husband said Thanks for a good day. For whom, I wonder?

Which lives matter?

I listened to a number of podcasts during the day. Most of them concerned an interesting question in these times – Just which lives matter? The rest concern the shock of Michael Flynn’s turnaround. There are outlines of what happened, in legal terms; but it seems to come down to the fact that he lied to the FBI, about his conversation with Sergei Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the US, about the sanctions imposed by President Obama for Russia’s interference in the US presidential election.  He also acted for Turkey, when this was illegal. So why did he lie about these things?

There are continued reports about meat processing plants, having diagnosed cases of Covid 19, and now some deaths. A female judge was heard saying “But they aren’t regular folk”! This tells you a lot about American attitudes to those they consider beneath them, or sub-human..

I listen to a podcast about Amazon reminding me how mean Jeff Bezos continues to be. I’m reminded personally when I can’t read interesting articles in the Washington Post. I knew that working conditions in Amazon warehouses are very poor, with staff working very hard, very long hours at minimum wage, and discouraged from taking bathroom breaks. The customer has an amazingly good experience, with the purchasing website being easy to use, and items being well packed and delivered on time. Staff are discouraged from joining a union, and from speaking out about climate change fears, or Covid 19 fears. Some warehouse staff have tested positive for Covid 19, but others have not been informed, although they work huddled together. Staff aren’t even permitted to take leave without pay; staff working in warehouses don’t have their health insurance paid by their employer, and they don’t have paid sick leave.  This sounds truly dreadful, and it’s not as if the richest man in the world can’t afford to be kinder to his staff. The techies live in a different world, of course, with better pay and more employee perks.

Jeff Bezos, who could be a leader, both as an employer, and in terms of climate change, chooses not to. The banner for the Washington Post reads “Democracy Dies in Darkness”. It sounds nice, but what does that even mean?

I read this morning that South Korea has chosen to close 2,100 bars and clubs, owing to a new outbreak of Covid 19.

I am rereading Barbara Tuchman’s “A Distant Mirror”. Sadly, it seems that those who survived the Back Death did not go on to be model citizens. Although there’d been examples of great kindness and self-lessness shown, the survivors for the most part demonstrated some of the worst aspects of humanity. Nevertheless, those who survived to tell the tale are our ancestors. There was a lot of talk of a “miasma”, of stale and fetid air potentially carrying the disease.  It’s interesting nowadays that while this virus is probably airborne, falling rates of pollution have shown the true beauty of places like Delhi, and we have marvelled at photos of Venice and St Peter’s in Rome without the tourists.

I listen to another podcast talking about the Biblical plagues of Egypt (refer yesterday’s hornets and locusts).  It’s pointed out that Trump could have made big money by getting masks made in read, like his MAGA hats in China. He’s chosen not to, or perhaps he hasn’t thought of this. In the US, Trump seems to have given up on the rush to a vaccine. Meanwhile, in the US, Asian-Americans are in the receiving end of anti-Chinese sentiment. Meanwhile, the heads of the CDC and the FDA and Dr Fauci are in self-quarantine after being exposed to someone who tested positive for Covid 19. That is very scary; these folk, although limited in their ability to speak, are highly valued.

Today I have not followed any of the statistics, either here or in the US or UK, as I usually do. I believe there are two new cases of coronavirus here.

The headlines shriek about the arrogance of Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Government, while some are saying we should not go to level 2. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.

Meanwhile, we are learning more about the potentially horrific effects of Covid 19, from the long recovery time, and perhaps you will never recover your previous strength and stamina; to the deaths of some children, with different but dreadful symptoms; and to the effects on those who spent time on a ventilator.

I have had some personal experience of this. I was in a coma for several days; was kept anaesthetised; had various surgeries, some unsuccessful; and, eventually was awake more than I was asleep. During that time I had all kinds of dreams, not of being attacked, but back to a world of my childhood. I also had flashes of reality – the swelling of a blood pressure cuff, having my mouth swabbed for thrush, being hoisted onto a bedpan, wondering why I wasn’t consulted about whatever was being done to me. I just wanted to escape into the new dream world that had become my reality. I dreamt one night that I had short-term memory loss, and I thought this was something I should hide from everyone.

When I came around, although this took some time, and there wasn’t a Eureka moment, I couldn’t really do anything: I couldn’t speak, couldn’t swallow, had to ingest pureed food and thickened water (which I loathed), couldn’t move – even to pick up something which had dropped, or to put another blanket over me. I was always cold, and I threw up, spontaneously. I couldn’t sit up, either: after my shower each morning, I was supposed to sit in a chair for a while. I learnt after a while to ask the nurse to leave the call button and blankets within reach. I would try to “sit up” for an hour, before collapsing back into bed in some discomfort. I grew tired of doing the quite easy Dom Post crossword. I had bad double vision. This became easier to manage after a nurse brought me an eye patch.

Things could only get better from here.  But there was enormous distress. Nobody understood what had happened to me, much less me. Counselling? Forget about it. Your entire life has just changed. You’re still alive! Life can be very difficult.  One of the difficulties is that no one knows how long recovery will take, or to what extent one will recover. I learnt, after some time, that medical people don’t know how you feel: they can say you have “balance issues”, or chronic fatigue, or some extent of double vision, but everything varies, and many things aren’t visible, for example, the sometimes constant nausea, the weariness, being too tired to speak or read, the fact that one’s mind is racing, much of the time, while my body, sadly, says No!

I miss feeling grounded, as I used to, no matter how tired I was. My head feels “weird” much of the time. I have described three aspects of this: my head feels like a balloon on a string, my body feels like a ship at sea, and then there’s the vertigo, which generally occurs if I roll over in bed or look or reach up, or down.  I also feel like one of those balls with things rattling around, randomly, insde them.

When Chris Cuomo says that this disease “messes with your head”, I can understand what he means, but he wasn’t hospitalised with breathing problems.  I see staff rejoicing and clapping when a Covid 19 patient leaves a hospital, but for this fortunate person, the journey is just beginning. I remember when I saw a documentary about the Boston Marathon bombings, and the dreadful injuries caused there, that some “victims” accepted what had happened to them far better than others, who have ongoing grief and pain, and regret for the lives they used to lead. I realised then that I, too, had PTSD. Panic attacks, delirium and depression are commonly suffered, too.

I understand, and sympathise, with the pain some are enduring. While you are glad to be alive, it is hard to adjust to a new normality, especially when normal expectations are not met. Most people’s financial situation becomes much worse during such a crisis. Others don’t necessarily recognise what you’ve been through, and how hard it can be to adjust. Everyone wants you to be as you were before!  And, of course, you do, too, more than anything!  But there is hidden trauma, that no one else really understands.

Well, it’s been good to write about that. What strange things come to mind, during this strange and interesting time. It is good that nothing much is required of me, at this time. I am still enjoying the “Stalingrad” book. That, too, seems very prescient, seeing as the Russian people lived through a time of great crisis.

What music is special today? More Chopin, I think – his Piano Concerto No.2.

Nga mihi nui

Today is Saturday May 9^th. Again it is fine, after a beautiful day yesterday, but a very cold night. Winter is definitely coming, but we appreciate the sunshine, especially as Vitamin D is so good for us.

This morning I learn the following:

• One of Mike Pence’s aides has been diagnosed positive with Covid 19. (Yesterday it was one of Trump’s aides. Pence’s aide is Stephen Miller’s wife).
• A meat processing plant in Germany has been affected by Covid 19, causing Angela Merkel to pull back on some of the relaxations.
• Hornets are causing problems in the US, decapitating bees, which play a vital role in pollination.  In Japan the bees have found a way to fight back against this enemy, but it continues to cause damage in the US.
• Another, second, plague of locusts is threatening crops and devastation in Africa.

The newspaper does a lot of to-ing and fro-ing. Today, most stories and letters are upbeat about New Zealand’s progress against Covid 19, which has been severe, but warranted.  After all, economies the world over have been severely impacted by various kinds of lock down, whether or not they were also dealing with many cases of illness and death. One letter suggests Dr Bloomfield should receive a knighthood: “Arise, Sir Ashley”, the headline reads. Another article calls for respect for the Covid 19 deaths, 21 so far, pointing out that these probably would not have happened, and not in such circumstances, were it not for the pandemic. While New Zealand’s death toll is thankfully low, these people were all special to family members and friends, who would like to have been able to mourn their passing in a more friendly way.

Businesses are upbeat about reopening, safely, and working out just how they do that. Sport has taken a beating, as it would in any crisis, and surely this has been a big and unforeseen crisis.

There are two new cases of Covid 19 here today, but one is a “probable”, now confirmed, so that adds just one to the total, now 1490. The confirmed case is linked to an existing cluster. There are three patients in hospital, none in Intensive Care. Four clusters have been closed.  There is a nice video on 7 Sharp about “Laura’s Cinema”, virtual, of course.

In the afternoon we go for a walk, and, surprisingly, queue up to go shopping. It’s as though the All Blacks are playing somewhere!  I then realise it’s Mother’s Day tomorrow.

The 11 am figures are as follows: the US has 1,321,785 infected, and 78,615 deaths. The UK has 211,364 cases of infection, and (officially) 31,421 deaths. The US total represents a death rate of 6%, the UK one of 15%.  A steep rise in the cases in Russia is causing concern, now 187,859. Sweden has a 12% death rate. The jury is still out over whether Sweden’s much more relaxed approach to the virus has been a good thing or not. Evidently the US, far from trying to get testing accurate and widespread, has now abandoned it in many areas, as more governors urge businesses to re-open. CDC guidelines are being ignored. Contact tracing, earlier strongly encouraged, would be little use now since people can go to so many places, whereas here in New Zealand one can remember where one went and what one did – contact tracing should be relatively straight forward.

Yesterday I found my copy of Barbara Tuchman’s 1978 book, “A Distant Mirror – The Calamitous 14^th Century”, and I’m determined to reread the whole thing. I went first to her chapter on the Black Death, and it makes very ominous reading. It does seem to have been much more severe than Covid 19, but it wiped out huge numbers of people, and in some places society broke down – the norms of “essential services” such as sanitation and collection of bodies stopped happening.  It was devastating. In this disaster, poor people tended to fare worse, but this disease affected all people very badly. Somehow, all our forebears survived!  We are thankful here in New Zealand that Maori and pacific people have not, to date, suffered worse.  I wonder how Aboriginal people in Australia are getting on.

Last night we spoke to our son in the UK. He looks and sounds very well. They cannot get masks there, so we will send some, now we that can post things. This morning, my daughter ran, and we had a lovely letter and drawings from her.

The music today is one of Chopin’s Nocturnes, the Nocturne in B-Flat Minor, OP 9, No. 1.

Nga mihi nui.