teddy bear flag

Hi there

During lower level lockdown, when I was swimming at Hataitai Beach, I looked over the road to a flag on a flagpole at a house opposite the beach.   I saw a flag that depicted three teddy bears.  How cute, especially when so many people were putting teddy bears in their windows,

(No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get a photo of all three bears on the flag. Curse you, Wellington wind!)

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It's now been nearly 90 days without Covid-19 community transmission in New Zealand.

Walking Wellington

Hi there

In between my winter sea swimming, I'm walking around Wellington, still trying to get up and down steps and zig zags without my bad ankle hurting.

Below:  view from top of Hataitai hill, looking across inner harbour to Miramar Peninsular

below:  both pictures taken from zigzag leading down from  Maupuia hlll to Miramar wharf area.

Covid-19 - face masks and hand sanitiser

Hi there

During all lockdown levels, there were no face masks for me to buy.  The only ones that got into the country were given to essential services.  During level 2 lockdown when I took up our prime minister's plea for NZ citizens to go on a local holiday to boost economic spending - and I went to Mt Maunganui - there weren't any masks in sight at the holiday resorts.  Now that we're down to level 1*, I still haven't seen anyone wearing a mask.  Yet, judging by tv pictures from around the world, mask-wearing is everywhere.

And hand sanitiser?  A friend had half of a big bottle, left over from a year before Covid-19, and has guarded it with zest during  all lockdown levels.  Only when the country dropped down to level 1 did shops get in supplies for private sale.

Toilet paper is manufactured here, so we got that in abundence...


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*level 1 complete freedom in country, except for border control entry.
There has been no community transmission in weeks.

Doctors' appointments

Hi there

I followed the doctor into his surgery.  "I've come to ask the questions I forgot to ask at my last two appointments," I said.

Ever since a previous doctor had seen me bring  out a list and said that I could just mention one symptom because there was no time for the rest of the list, I've been too scared to bring out further lists.  Unfortunately I now rely on memory.

But I was rather proud of myself on this visit because I did, indeed, remember to ask about all my past worries.

The following day I remembered something else.  Something that was now, to my mind,  terribly, and I mean terribly, important.

Honestly, one should be able to email doctors, with one last question, within, say,  24 hours of an appointment.  Many minds would be set at rest.  I guess I'm going to save up my question for fhe next time I feel inclined to visit a doctor.  That's if I don't forget the question, of course...

Differences between New Zealand and the United States

Overseas travellers often talk or write about the differences between New Zealand and the United States.

They mention our no tipping, meat pies, slang, driving on the wrong side of the road, Lemon & Paeroa, hokey pokey, bare feet...

I have a standard lamp that was obviously made in the States because the turn-on switch  goes up instead of down.  And our wall plug outlets have on/off switches.

We stand on the left on escalators, walk on the left, drive on the left.  When I was in the States I found it so difficult walking on the right, especially when I would turn a corner; I craved  to run over to the left.

A few years back, I was bush hiking (I'm dying to say 'tramping ' instead of 'hiking', but Americans might raise eyebrows).  This middle-aged couple came toward me.  They were hiking my side of the track, and almost crashed into me.

 "Americans?" I grinned.

They burst into laughter, realising immediately they were walking on the wrong side ...

Been there, done that.  Lots of times.  In America.