I’m trying to get my head around this thing that’s a thing for everyone. But I can only truly get into the shoes of my own experience and I’m finding it’s just not easy. And I know I’m one of the lucky ones. No sooner had I posted, Strange Days, I felt myself going down a bit of rabbit hole with it all. I’m not staying down for any significant period, but it’s definitely giving me some pause for thought. And I’m eating quite a lot of chocolate.
On March 17th Jacinda Ardern said that everyone who enters New Zealand from overseas should self-isolate for 14 days. The next day she said that anyone who entered the country 2 weeks prior to the 17th should also self-isolate for 14 days. Which takes us back to March 3rd and I arrived on March 1st. So I’m good. But I can’t say I always feel it.
I’m not sure if my trips down the rabbit hole are because I’m here. In a country far from home. Or whether I’d be feeling this way anyway. Or anywhere. I am a foreigner here in New Zealand, but feeling like a foreigner is something I’ve felt since I left home in September. And I’ve quite enjoyed my differences. Getting to know more about my English perspective has made it easier to explore the differences of others. I’ve found that people like making comparisons. But now I feel like a foreigner in a different way. Although I quickly need to add that’s not because anyone I’m with is doing anything to make me feel alien or other. In fact, quite the opposite.
I’m really enjoying spending this time with the ChO’C family. They are quite a special bunch and it’s been a joy to be a part of the comings and goings of family life. I wake up to the sound of the coffee grinder and apparently the kids are better behaved when I’m around. We’ve watched movies together and danced and sung along to ABBA, Stormzy, and Tiki Tane. The kitchen smells like chocolate chip cookies and I’ve learnt what TikTok is. And it’s all been wonderfully grounding in amongst so much uncertainty. But each time I hear that another case of Covid 19 has been brought into the country by an overseas traveller, I feel myself curl up a little tighter. And perhaps when I’m curled up like that it’s easy to tumble down the rabbit hole.
The number of Covid 19 cases is rising steadily in New Zealand now, as it has around the world, and the borders have been closed to foreign visitors. Australia’s borders are closed too. So even if I wanted to get on that flight to Brisbane yesterday morning, I wouldn’t have been able to. I don’t want to leave, all things considered, but if I did, I couldn’t. It’s such a strange feeling.
So, the solution is to isolate and make our communities small again. At least for the time being. But despite being on this incredibly fruitful solo adventure, I don’t much like feeling separated. At least not to this level. It has been pointed out to me that this virus and the strict measures that are being put in place in order to slow down the rate of infection, has shone a light on just how connected we all are. It’s a curious, and maybe even slightly perverse, way of looking at it, but it actually helps me if I think that way. I just need to find new, safe ways of staying connected to you all. You might do well to expect a barrage of blogs.
Today is Saturday. I haven’t looked at the news yet and there are bike rides to be had, essential shopping trips to make and weekend errands to attend to. There are chocolate chip cookies to be eaten and cups of tea to drink. There’s also a plan to make apricot jam. I really am one of the lucky ones.
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