Day 1, Level 2.5: Aucklanders scramble to get out of the city, the big mask kibosh, and smoked fish pie

Auckland is now officially in Level 2.5, the rest of NZ in Level 2. So I'm back to Day 1. Although it's actually 22 weeks since initial lockdown. That's 155 days or so. That's five months. That's a long time.

Aucklanders can travel around the country freely now. And boy were they off out of the gates like a rocket - the photos of the congested domestic airport in Auckland today were utterly horrific. I can only shake my head at such a scramble. Why so desperate? I'm all for travelling of course - but not like that!

Thankfully it was good to hear that people were, by all accounts, mostly adhering to the mandatory mask-wearing regime on public transport. Good job. I suspect we'll be wearing masks for some time yet. We should, of course, have been wearing them for months. 

Meanwhile, people trying to sell fabric "home made" style masks on TradeMe are being shut down. There is apparently a requirement for anyone selling masks of any kind to be registered with the government as Medsafe before being able to list on the platform (NZ version of Ebay). How preposterous when the message is also saying you can throw a scarf around your face or make a mask from an old t-shirt and rubber bands! 

Another example of mixed messages and absolute madness. 

So the only masks you can find on TradeMe are mostly the medical variety. I also found some "made in China" fabric cheapies at very high prices listed by people who obviously had the ability and/or tenacity to get registered easily. For the plain old Kiwi trying to sell their home or commercially made versions (better and nicer than what you can currently find on TradeMe) it's all just too hard. There are too many hoops for people to bother. 

Yet clothing shops who have been making their own can sell on their own websites and shops with no regulation. It's ridiculous. 

As it happens, I had been seriously thinking about getting back into masks in the short term - not masquerade style as I've been doing for 20 years, but virus protection ones. I'd been sourcing fabulous colourful purposeful highly safe masks to sell but am having serious second thoughts. As mentioned in much earlier posts, I've been bombarded by mask suppliers since before Christmas, realised why by March, but have resisted getting back into masks as I'd moved away from that. 

I've stopped in my tracks before I've begun - sounds all too hard. We don't need doses of too hard in our world right now. 

I could sell masks through other means - website, Facebook etc - but it seems it's honestly just not worth the effort having heard the story today of the guy who was all set, had loads of interest, and had the plug pulled. From the biggest NZ sales platform. 

So, in typical small-minded NZ fashion, the kibosh and "make it hard" ball has been played yet again. Shame. But boy am grateful I learnt of this before getting a whole heap of stock. 

Full on day on laptop today. Am feeling almost up to date. And can start to really contemplate getting Beyond going in some sort of semi-realistic way - maybe. If NZers behave, wear masks, don't get complacent etc. 

It was a rather dull but calm and pleasant day today. I was too busy to even step outside. 

The full moon is coming ...

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Smoked fish pie ...

You can't beat a good smoked fish pie - especially when it's home-caught kingfish. I had this for dinner tonight at the neighbours. Along with rhubarb crumble. Yum. 

Caught out there somewhere ...