Level 2

June 5, 2020

I better hurry up or Level 2 will be over before I write anything.

Level 2: We moved!  So much more space.  So many nice things.  

Grapes above our doorway entry.  Chestnut trees.  Feijoa bushes.

I ordered a tortilla press and made perfect looking corn tortillas (well- after the first disasterous one.)

I had a "covid romance" (talk online until level 2).

We went to a cafe in a box on the opening of level 2.

We went to the lake to take pictures of the sunset

We decorated my new room and introduced the cat to the bed.

We made food platters to "go see the neighbors" (my host parents who were "in our bubble" during lockdown, but in a separate house starting in level 2).

I cooked and peeled chesnuts to bring to a family gathering.

We ordered things and got in the box.

Kitties in New Zealand wear sweaters because it is very cold.

"Our parents" front door at night.  So beautiful walking up to it.

We went shopping and to another cafe for lunch and chai lattes.  And ice cream!

We took pictures of sunsets.

We went out for drinks the night bars opened up.

And more drinks as we watched a couple of cars of very drunk women stumble into the bar.  We social distanced outside and had our own personal heater.

We went out for an absolutely amazing dinner.

And then we had daily events like white wine from a can, smiley face feijoas, finally making the cheesecake for Jacqueline.  After making the cheesecake Jacqueline asked what flavor it was.  "Cheesecake."  "Cheesecake?" "Cheesecake cheesecake."  Apparently cheesecake is almost always flavored in New Zealand and people will tell you what the flavor of the day was.  We had some caramel leftover that her auntie made and we turned it into a caramel cheesecake.  With the feijoa it was amazing!

We celebrated after picking chestnuts with purple goana and a nice cider.  And look at the three-poded chestnut!

The chickens came inside the house.  The cats didn't chase them out.  The people had to.

We got matching panda ears at the warehouse.

And we decorated the outdoor space and had a fire, roasted chestnuts and attempted to make smores.  Strawberry marshmellows, cadbury chocolate and the closest thing I could find to graham crackers.  That is twice I've needed graham crackers so maybe I will just make them.

And, of course, lockdown wouldn't be complete without the cat running after a hedgehog.

And during all of this the world is going through major turmoil and protests for George Floyd's death.  And, yes, the riots I was so sure would happen came.  I didn't know how or why they'd come: just intuition.  I don't even know how to pick an article to link.  The United States is just a giant, divided mess that is getting scarier and scarier.  When I think about the riots I think "inevitable."  People have gone through so much, have lost their jobs, have been cooped up at home.  People are protesting, wanting haircuts, out with their rifles.  I had never seen people out in the US in public, carrying rifles.  I didn't even know that was legal.  

Then there is the spark of a Black man, George Floyd, being killed by cops in a horrific way, caught on tape.  There have been several other horrific racially motivated killings in recent history.  Now a different set of people are protesting.  And very large numbers of people.  And, of course, there are opportunistic looters.  Unfortunately some of the instigators are not even people looking to steal: they are looking to create chaos and get people harmed.  The police are tear gassing and firing rubber bullets right at medical volunteers, at journalists and at peaceful protestors, some of which happened for a photo op for President Trump.  The police are destroying their water, running their cars into crowds of people, pushing over elderly men with canes just to name a few things I've seen pictures and videos of.  My facebook page is filled with pictures of the welts left by the rubber bullets that aren't even supposed to be directly aimed at people and first hand accounts of the violence happening to peaceful protestors and even before the imposed curfews.

Jacqueline and I talk quite a bit about what is happening in the world and how it relates to Covid.  There were protests in New Zealand.  We were so close to getting rid of covid and people broke lockdown in solidarity.  What if there are surges due to the marches?  And yet, I think it is inevitable.  I'm just hoping that for all the pain the world comes out a better place.

New Zealand has had zero new cases of covid for 14 straight days.  There is one person still recovering.  It looks like we are moving to level 1 next week.  Bittersweet.