Two people who were granted compassionate leave from quarantine after returning to NZ have been found to be infectious with COVID. How compassionate should we be in these circumstances? And how are our vaccines going to get us out of this situation?
Do we need to ‘save the economy’ in COVID times? Do we need to ‘save the planet’ in the face of climate change? I hypothesise that what we really want is to ‘save humanity’.
There are many scales of loss and an earring, which I lost this week, is at the very small end of the scale. However, dealing with loss at every scale is something humans have to become accustomed to – that’s life, and COVID.
We’re on a post-lockdown holiday in Northland. First stop is wild-harvesting, preparing and cooking tuatuta fritters and watercress with our eternal optimist friend Tony.
This week George Floyd died in Minneapolis with a police officer’s knee on his neck. Emotions are running high and not just in the USA. Media fans the flames of emotion.
Two trampers were found in northwest Nelson after being lost for a week. Did they have a map and compass? Media made a big fuss about the surviving with very little food. But why couldn’t they find their way home?
Post-lockdown we left Gibbston for Christchurch and we’ve been surfing. Life feels great – a new sport, new people, no tourists like those who clogged Queenstown post-COVID.
Both New Zealand and Australia are lucky countries in COVID times – it helps to be islands. And it looks like it helps to have lockdowns. How has the severity of our lockdowns compared? Who knows what the longer term effect will be on our economies.
It’s great to be in level 2 and catch up with friends. It feels like the time after the Canterbury earthquakes, reconnecting with people. However, like after the earthquakes, it’s not yet clear what the fall out from the ongoing COVID situation will be. One likely fall out will be extended loss of jobs, like our travel agent friend who was recently made redundant.
What makes a successful leader? Is Jacinda Ardern successful? I think so, though I have a friend who thinks she’s a devil. Is Jim Boult, Mayor of Queenstown, successful? Both have good qualities and bad, and qualities suited for particular times.
