LOCAL NEWS
This week the news started to leave the Tsunami, slowly, and notice other things in the world. We really weren't aware of much while we were away. A week with no newspaper or internet.
A man was stung by a scorpion at the Auckland Domestic terminal. We don't have scorpions in NZ, so it caused some consternation. They think it had a ride on him from somewhere else (he had come in from South Africa).
A woman stole a bucket of Tsunami money from a butcher's shop, she was tracked down and charged. Not something you want to be known for, a pretty low thing to do, really.
Hero #1 and #2. Bit of drama on the Southern Motorway when a guy driving a truck died at the wheel. A woman in the cab with him tried to steer from the passenger seat and she was "rescued" by a truck driver who spotted the problem and pulled in front and slowed the truck down (which took 3 km). The woman in the cab was hailed as hero number two, but I think self-preservation was the motive in this instance.
A tramper with exposure was rescued in the Tararua Ranges but they couldn't move her for days. Exposure turned into exhaustion and they decided they had to carry her to a hut, at least.
Heavy rain caused flooding in Kapiti on Wednesday. Interestingly, the council decided not to raise the flood warning alarm at 3am because they didn't want people to think a Tsunami was coming. Those that could have saved their possessions were pretty pissed off, and I don't blame them. The rationale for not raising the alarm was pathetic.
Hero #3. A woman sitting in a car at a gas station was being stabbed repeatedly by a man in the back seat of the same car (her son, don't go there). Another guy at the gas station pulled him off her, which probably saved her life (she had 19 stab wounds, but they can't have been very deep).
Our feeble air force managed to have an aircraft break down for a second time whilst assisting in Tsunami world. A local band with a song called Tsunami (written about love, and well before the event) are not playing it at the moment. TVNZ have pulled a self-promotional ad that included someone surfing on a wave. Also in the public firing line is a commercial property development called Tsunami and a recruitment company of the same name. It’s a lot like the band that changed their name from Shihad after 9/11 and have now changed it back. Are other countries being this sad? It's not like we ban food adverts when there is famine in Ethiopia or swimming pools when there is a flood in Bangladesh.
Hero #4 & #5. Two men, one involved in the accident himself, pulled two people from a burning campervan after it ran into a car in the South Island.
WORLD NEWS
It was a cliché rich environment at the heads of government thing in Indonesia, where there was a positive feeling and a meeting of minds. Give me strength.
I am concerned how the Tsunami aid effort has turned into a competition between nations, not dissimilar to the medal table at the Olympics. It has gained a life of its own and seems like it will never end.
SPORT
All Black Justin Marshall is off to play for Leeds after the Lions tour in June.
All Whites Captain Ryan Nelson is going to play for Blackburn Rovers, which may mean he won't be the captain of the All Whites any more.
The Aussies beat the Pakis in the third test, and England lost to the South Africans. We still have no cricket.
Not much happening in Premier soccer, must be playing internationals.
MY SAD LIFE
It's been a long week, that's why this is larger than normal.
We went to a place called Pukehina for a change of scenery. It is a little way East along the Bay of Plenty coast from Tauranga. The bach was right on the beach, a surf beach, and Pukehina consists almost entirely of two rows of houses, on each side of the road leading along the beachfront. The bach was almost directly opposite the volunteer fire station. There is an estuary at the far end behind the point, with a surf club and dotterill colony at the end. There are lots of oystercatchers in the dotterill colony (I guess they voted on the name before the oystercatchers multiplied) and we could see about half a dozen mated pairs with 1-3 babies.
The fire station alarm (to get volunteers to come man the truck) went off three times while we were there. Twice in the middle of the night. Diana tries to turn off the alarm clock when it goes (don't go there). The last time it went the house about five doors up the road and across was gutted.
Paul came to stay with us for a couple of days. We boogie boarded and it went a lot better than down near the lifeguards where the kids were getting dumped hard on the sand. On Tuesday we went exploring to Whakatane, we drove along the coast. It's a lot bigger than I expected. We went to where the river meets the sea, then went up the hill to a vantage point. Some big houses up in the hills with commanding views. We went for a swim at the aquatic centre. I did a length underwater there (my first for the new year. They had a 33 metre pool as well as a 25, the kids mostly played, but I did 1km. On the way back, we took an alternative route so we could pass through Edgecumbe (Allan's hometown). We called Allan from there and asked where the plaque commemorating him was. Mount Edgecumbe is quite a way off but an impressive volcanic cone. We went into Rotorua and met up with the rest of the Grant extended family on Wednesday. We had lunch and ice creams then did some bizarre things in the playground (basically using play equipment in ways it was not intended - little Ben hung from a bar for 28 seconds so others tried to beat it, I think Rory was the only one although Roger got close. They also tried to push each other off a beam, and Roger tried to sell Sam (Shin's sister) to Rory, Roger got beaten up by Sam and Rory was speechless. A seagull crapped on me, possible revenge for a sparrow I hit in the car, and then when we got back to my car it looked like a small wheeled interpretation of Nauru (look it up if you don't know what I mean). Diana said the god of birds was unhappy with me.
The day we left, Hannah burnt toast and set off the fire alarm in the house. It wasn't just a regular smoke alarm, but the house alarm and it was deafeningly loud. It wasn't a good start.
Hero #6 My friend Barbara is fading fast. The lesions are shutting her brain down, and as I type this I am not sure that she will be with-it sufficiently to know I am there when I go see her when we return tomorrow. She was sounding a bit better when I spoke to her a couple of days ago (Monday, I think) but not perfect. I spoke to her sister today, Barbara is mostly unconscious now and declining slowly. I many ways she is better off not knowing what is happening, she suffers no pain. I got in to see her on Friday, it's hard to know if she knew what was happening but she did react appropriately to a couple of things I said. She died at four am Saturday morning. She has overcome so much in her life. She suffered an illness that she was not expected to survive at 12. People told her she was wasting her time going to university because she wouldn't be able to see it through. She lasted nearly forty years longer that anyone thought she could. She was very stubborn, and fought to the very end.
A bit of philosophy from a person feeling a bit sad: You are better off having friends that are younger than you, then you lose them a lot less and you know there will be plenty of people at your own funeral. Being the last one is no fun, I am sure. Maybe that's why you have kids.
Saturday was also the day of Tania's wedding, and as much as I don't enjoy weddings this one was okay. There were some people there that I have not seen for ten years (including Tania's parents and siblings) and a number I have known a long time. Rory struggled to find some entertainment but finally started talking to James (a year older but considerably shorter). Most of the kids ended up in the pool for a couple of hours trying to brain each other with a ball. They both came home very tired, but happy. Tania's daughter turned 5 the same day and Tania turned 40 a week earlier so it was a multiple celebration.
We all thought this would be a year when Gavin wouldn't break any bones, in particular the thumb of his right hand which has been punished enough already. However, 80kg of steel disagreed on Friday so he broke the end bone of his right thumb. Having not broken any bones for 37 years, he chose his 38th year to really pick on one thumb. Not sure why he has taken such a dislike to it, but I think it has suffered enough.
Paul, Roger, Shin, Ben, and everyone else went home yesterday.
Charles, talk to me before you go home or at least email me when you return. I was talking to Warwick Cutfield at the wedding.
Well, that will have to do. I am sure I have missed a few things but I don't think you'll be too concerned.
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