Day 62, Level 1: Humidity, report on mosque attacks, crayfish, hindsight and winter sports

Back in the city - and boy was it a hot humid sticky, and very windy, day. Not the sort of day I enjoy one bit. I did have all the doors open (our house is mostly doors) but the wind was a damn nuisance. A pesky nor-westerly which brings humidity and bluster. It gave some airflow and made it manageable - but it played havoc with papers and whatnot. I had to anchor everything down. Alas, no air-con in my office!

Today the Royal Commission Report on the mosque attacks in Christchurch on 15th March last year was released. It's pretty shocking how a racist Australian boy got to do what he did that day. It makes for very dire reading. There were many failings from police and other quarters that meant he got guns and a gun licence, and thus the ability to massacre worshippers at two mosques. It's pretty damning in all honesty. 

NZ was a country that thought it was above and beyond the possibility. I can't tell you how many times over the years that I've heard people say "Never in NZ" when talking about terrorism or mass murder, and I've always responded "Don't be so sure, we are not immune, it's just a matter of time." The terrible time came that day.

Thing is, NZ trots along merrily as though it's on a jaunt in a fairy-tale forest and all will always be well in the end. But this trot is taking us up a pathway that has us following along in the footsteps of every other country (that we slag off) and eventually we too end up dealing with every hideosity that can befall a nation - from mass murder to gangs, from drugs to domestic violence, from child abuse to child poverty - and much more. Our pedestal is looking very shaky.

My analogy is that NZ is the adolescent in the world "family". Petulant and with a lack of awareness and understanding, doing its best in a smug and arrogant way, without the wherewithal that comes from experience and bedding down wisdom. Like an adolescent that refuses to see what's in front of his/her nose, and one that is most definitely not interested in learning anything from someone who usually actually, in the end, does know better. 

The sad thing is - and I've mentioned this before in a post I'm sure, and certainly many times in conversations with people over many years - that NZ is not learning from anything that has gone on in the world. NZ prefers to either bury its head in the sand, pretend it's immune, reinvent the wheel, think it can do a better job, or believe it's mighty enough to fend off anything untoward that might come calling. Yet at the same believes it never will come calling.

Take drugs, for example - we had a chance early on, in the 2000s, to get tough on P and stop the escalation of it, but instead chose to believe things weren't so bad here. There was a kind of hope that they could never get that bad here. In reality, things were already very bad 20 years ago, I know because a good friend's son sadly got entangled in drugs in a very awful way and it's the most harrowing of stories. 

 

Like the old Maori proverb says - just because you fancy eating crayfish for dinner (or the freshest beans!), it doesn't mean you actually can!

And just because you'd rather someone didn't know something about you, it doesn't mean they don't!

Just because NZ would rather not have serious drug and gang problems or terrible child abuse stats, it doesn't mean they're not happening. 

And just because NZ looks so damn good on the world stage (esp in Covid times), doesn't mean it's utopia! (But it's definitely better than many places!)

Tomorrow it's a year since Whakaari/White Island erupted ... how the hell people were allowed near that island I will never know. 

We seem to be very good at hindsight in this country, rather than being proactive about prevention, despite years of reports, acknowledgement of failures, cover-ups, commissions, recommendations ...  it's the way of the world - but it shouldn't be!

That's my little rant for the day!

I spent most of the day sorting more prep for tomorrow's Graduation Dinner. Mostly writing - speeches and articles. It's the name of my current game! 

I also did a huge pile of ironing while watching The Chase.

Went to quiz tonight - we came second, did pretty well overall. 

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Winter sports ...

As advised, it's so hot and humid here that I'm not liking it much - and weird as it may seem to sun and summer loving folk, I was hankering for winter in the sticky heat of the day. Proper winter - with snow and purpose, not dreary rain and dankness.

I was sorting through some old photos of Mum and Dad when they first got together - Dad loved the mountains and the snow and here are some photos of him skiing and skating. I love both of these winter activities and suspect I got that gene from Dad. Mum and my sisters are a "no" on all that!

I have to say I'm not sure I'll ever ice skate again, although I did for many years and even had my own lovely white skates which I loved so much.

It's been a while since I skied but I intend to ski as long as my knee allows.

Nice style Dad!!

Looking good Dad!

Mum enjoyed ballet as a young girl, and so did I. Here is a photo of Mum (on the right) in a dance competition, as a little Dutch girl, when she was young. I look at this photo and it's like looking at myself! I even remember doing a Dutch-style dance when I was about the same age!

I think both Mum and I danced until we were about 16 or 17 - and then other things took priority and practice seemed all too hard and intrusive!