Hi all - I’ve just read your beaut comments. It’s 1:05am in Utah, a long day and a 10 hour drive tomorrow. Looking forward to replying when the drive is over. Much aroha to all of you x
It's foggy and cold in New Zealand this morning, and I look like a mixed wardrobe marshmallow in layers. I wanted to have my extra-large coffee outside with the trees and tree singers because I've had quite enough of humans today, and I've only been awake for less than an hour.
Not you, though, David. You're a nice human.
I'm still in my first year at university, I'm 23, and I won't pretend to know lots of things. Though I am learning our mental health systems are neglected and have been at capacity for years and years, probably since Cane threw that rock at Abel. (Why cane?) When we aren't looking after each other, it paves the way for more neglect and stones unturned or thrown and missed stop signs along the way.
I would rather be anywhere than the supermarket, so it's painfully ironic that it should be the only place I'm able to go so that I can get away from my stuffy home and crunchy flatmates. So now, I take headphones, and I listen to the Bee Gees. Now, I enjoy going because I know it's fuck loads safer than other countries, particularly Afghanistan right now. So I definitely can "be brave" and go to the damn supermarket with a damn mask on; I mean, put your god damn shoes on already, for fuck sake.
There are so many things we could be doing to keep others safe with the acknowledgement of privilege. It's unconscionable to me that some kiwis have an 'only the strong should survive' complex. Strong isn't a word I would use to describe myself; being a beneficiary with (a little PTSD and Depression), I would be stuck in America too right now, without any options, and certainly without money. It is the same disregard that some kiwis have in protesting their rights to freedom from a lounge chair. It astounds me that through all of these stories, experiences, and hardships, we are collectively sharing this experience, and every person has been affected. WHY is empathy so hard? Why is everything so hard?
Thank you for writing about what is happening for unheard kiwis away from home. Thank you for the extended coffee break; reading your work is very fun.
One main thing I want to say here is that you *are* strong. Not being cheesy - but you are. I read your writing, and the little you have said about some of your struggles - and you are fucking strong. More than you probably know. You are 23 with a life ahead and gosh you are going to do good things. Thanks for being here, and being kind. Also - you should not be paying for this. You are a student in your first year at university. Email me - davidfarrier@protonmail.com and I will sort you a sub you are not paying for. I know this was not your intent for writing, but let me sort this out please.
My question (an Aussie overseas, with no intention of going back, who thinks our own government is COOKED!) is simply: Why? Maybe I’m being naive but I just don’t understand. Why are there not enough rooms? Why does it need to cost people extortionate amounts of money to get home to their own country? Why are people with a genuinely urgent need to return being refused?
It’s surely not a lack of resources (what’s more important than supporting your own citizens to return safely home, especially when they need it - putting aside the most pressing issue of keeping the country Covid safe, sure), or is it? Is it to wag a metaphorical finger at those who dare to leave (makes no sense in many cases, where people left before the system was in place)? Is it to deter others from leaving, by making an example of those who’ve already left? Is it total incompetence on the part of the officials in charge?
It seems completely nonsensical and infuriating just to read about. I can’t imagine what it’s like to live through. I hope Alexandra and others fighting the good fight manage to succeed in effecting changes, and soon!
This is apparently related to the fact that only larger hotels in cities with the resources and labour pool to run them will work. That includes enough medical staff. This is why Queenstown hotels are out - the town is too small to supply the array of staff needed. There are about 30 isolation hotels in New Zealand. They need to be suitable and effective at keeping covid at bay and taking care of those that do come into the country infected. This is what the government has said about it, anyway.
Totally bang on, Mona-Lynn. Hope this clears things up, M. It's just resources - and what it takes to keep these facilities running smoothly and safely. A giant issue and in many ways NZ is doing so, so well - *once* you are in the facility. It's the process of getting there that is a bit of an issue.
I struggle with this! I am sympathetic to those wanting to come back, but I personally know two couples that want to come back temporarily and then leave again when things are better in the country where they live and are indignant that they can't do that*. I understand the desire to come back for any amount of time, but some people don't seem to realise (or care!) that they are doing so at the expense of people who want to move back permanently or NEED to come back temporarily (sick families, etc). It infuriates me. I don't want to punish 95% of returnees because 5% are being selfish dicks, but I have to keep reminding myself of that. And David's quandry of wanting to come home but not wanting to take a space from someone who needs it is very real - it's that thing where, if there are only 2 pieces of pizza left, some will take both (because there are only 2 pieces left) and some will take none (because there are only 2 pieces left). Gah.
100% we need more transparency and a fairer system for MIQ; how do we tell the government that we support changes to make that happen? The arseholes who comment on facebook pages about keeping people out are, I hope!, in the minority.
(*One of those couples is here now and tried to tell me a funny story about how the koru lounge wasn't really up to snuff anymore on their trip back. The lack of self-awareness is strong with those ones.)
"I personally know two couples that want to come back temporarily and then leave again when things are better in the country where they live and are indignant that they can't do that"
A giant NO to this from me for this Koru lounge bunch. I feel ya.
There is a point some of us have to suck it up and be patient. We really do.
Transparency is key. I am sure there are many at MBIE who know this - they are not dumb, and no doubt under pressure. I hope they are working on making a better system than the one they launch Monday. Because I think it's awhile till we get to 90 - 100% vaccinated - and I am also aware of other strains beside delta. So I think a transparent system - where those applying know where they are in the line - could come about at some point.
Hey - I am not expert - far from it - but those emergency cases need more information to start making decisions and have *some* peace of mind.
The tall poppy theory mentioned is quite true. People seemed proud to say their cousin was on their OE working in London at prestigious 'xyz firm' pre covid, but now the same cousin is apparently a 'pompous twat that thought they were too good for us Kiwis and now wants to 'use us' by coming home'. This narrative is bizarre.
In a way this attitude seeps into other areas too... For example NZers being proud to say Rocket Lab was a 'Kiwi business', then getting offended when they listed the company on Wall St. How dare they get too big for their boots! /s
As a kiwi who returned last year after a year working abroad (before the MIQ booking system), I really felt what was said about the comments online. Facebook is a literal cesspit. I would read everyday on Facebook that I was like a rat who abandoned ship and was earning all this money overseas and shouldn't be allowed to come home. I was literally stuck. I couldn't come home when I wanted. My flights got cancelled every week and it was scary as my job was finishing up, my lease was ending and these millions I was apparently earning as an English teacher had yet to materialise. I was also put into forced quarantine because I was a foreigner at one point.
I was working right through a pandemic and it was scary! The country I was in didn't do lockdowns. They weren't taking real measures to combat covid. I faced the very real possibility of catching a deadly disease and not seeing my family again.
The whole MIQ system needs a rehaul and anyone returning needs to stay off comment sections. It's just terrible for your mental health.
Really glad you are in NZ and safe and well. Thanks for your empathy. I think probably we all need to delete our Facebook accounts. A true cesspit. And we willingly brought into it. Gawd.
Homesick kiwi in the uk and I’m desperate to get home to spend time with my Mum who is turning 91 in Feb. Realistically I need to come now. But unless I commit and prove her death will occur in the next 6 months it’s not urgent. I can’t even bring myself to think of this let along wage a campaign to prove it. I find it sickening that this is the threshold. What is urgent and necessary if not to help care for an elderly parent?
This was a really interesting read. Can't imagine the stress of needing to get home and not knowing at all when that can happen. Also - Canadians do the "yeah, no" thing all the time, too.
Kia Ora! I read through this article several times, and what comes through overwhelmingly is the sheer growing number of people who can’t get back no matter how dire the circumstances. The key word is GROWING. Early 2020 when this thing was quite new, you had a few folk caught short and could be accommodated in MIQ, fast forward 18+ months and that list is so much bigger. The strain after this amount of time must be incredibly difficult and it grows as life (somehow) goes on and people’s lives and circumstances develop. While I can see the need for stringency in managing returnees to ensure NZ is not overwhelmed in the short term, I do have empathy for those who are not able to return due to the system in place. I don’t have the solution to fix these issues but I do know right now: babies are being/have been born a world away from whanau and friends, people are dying/have died with no means to have whanau present, to speak their final goodbyes, hold a proper tangi or funeral for them. It is truly sad and I feel for all Kiwi not able to return home. Robbie who commented below, I feel you and I hope your mum hangs in there until you can return, aroha to you e hoa.
Thanks Sarah. I'd love to know the numbers waiting - that would be a great big of information to have. I guess for me - seeing foreign mountain biking teams getting in over some of the NZers who desperately need to get back home is a bit of a kick. Look - it's tricky, and NZ is doing the right thing: I just wish there was more transparency and a better system for those with emergencies that need attending to!
Thank you so much for this David. My heart is absolutely broken being apart from my sister and niece and nephews. I’ve never been apart from them this long. We are each other’s support networks, both with medically fragile children. Sydney opening up and my vulnerable niece being at risk is destroying us all. But they can’t move here because of the system. I don’t understand how literally fleeing for the safety of your immune compromised child, to have crucial family support, to the home you were born in....is impossible. And then we get “Be Kind” every day? It’s gutting eh.
It's always so nice to see you here, Emily. Had no idea you were in this situation and that's really heartbreaking. I think of that f--king mountain biking team they let in. That's a lot of rooms that could have been freed up for those kiwis that actually needed to be here. Ugh. Much aroha your way.
Thinking about the people stuck overseas reminds me of how it was having a claim in with EQC after the chch quakes. There was zero transparency about what was going on, and no confidence that anything was happening. We understood that other people had more urgent needs and were ok with that.
I think that people (e.g. me) can cope a lot better if they can see that the system is (approximately) fair.
For MIQ I think that means there should be a queue, and you can see where you are in the queue, and that eventually you'll get to the front. If you're six months from the front of the queue, then you can plan your life accordingly.
There'd be separate capacity for urgent/compassionate cases.
On the flip side, if you get to the front of the queue and don't take the slot, you go to the back, you don't get to hang around near the front until you're ready. (This to discourage queue-squatting)
Hey Eliot - god, kudos for getting through dealing with EQC. I don't envy that. I agree that a transparent system where you know what you are dealing with in the future would be a great thing. At the moment, I just hope those vax rates increase to near 100%.
Hey Kay - the sheer volume of those coming back far outstrips the hotel rooms that have to be locked in for each person/family's two-week stay. Terribly scarce resources I assume - even though we don't know the numbers.
Here's a case for you: My ex-partner travelled to Germany in August for a holiday (he would say to "connect" with friends and relatives - he is German). He was quite happy to take up a space in MIQ (booked well in advance, I can only guess before it got so difficult to secure a spot). He also wanted to take our 8 year-old daughter with him - I had to go through the Family Court and hire a lawyer to prevent him. He arrived in New Zealand the day before lockdown, did his two weeks in MIQ, and happily returned home.
That sounds so, so rough Natalie. You sound like a caring, smart mother to me. Thanks for sharing this - it means a lot. I want this to be an open and caring forum here. Respect.
Also, despite a low income I have to pay legal fees (have to repay legal aid because I own my own home) - all because I did not want my daughter being taken to Europe in the middle of a world pandemic!
It’s interesting to see the other side of things! Here in the UK myself and a lot of people I know have been wishing our country had been like NZ during the pandemic because everything seemed to run so smoothly and effectively and actually it still is a lot better but we know a family friend who travelled back from the UK to NZ because her mother was dying and although it took literally a six weeks of hotels and travelling because of quarantine she made it there, saw her mother and made it back pretty seamlessly so seeing it from other angles is always good!
Once you’re back in NZ (whenever that is) are you back for a while or just a visit? Seems like a lot of time and expense for wanting to go and leave again
NZ acted swiftly and smartly and I feel very patriotic and proud of it all. And I think largely it's doing great - but I think it's important to critique where things could be better.
I am glad your family friend made it back for such an intense moment.
As for me - it's complicated and I am still reckoning with where I need to be. I may go into that a bit more in a future newsletter - it's a bit much for right now.
Hope your weekend is A+, Lauren. Thanks for being here.
It's sad, Nicki can absolutely overshadow the main artist on virtually any track she's featured in. Her verse on Kanye's "Monster?" Undefeated. It took me a lot of getting over internalized misogyny (and racism, in that rap wasn't really appreciated as "real music" much in my childhood) to be able to recognize her talent, and to recognize how unfairly she was being treated by the media -- yet another maligned woman. It sucks to see her a) defend her husband b) defend her brother (both pedophiles) c) come out as an antivaxxer. Another one bites the dust.
My whole life I've wanted to visit NZ, but it's never been a feasible thing financially -- it is my number one place I want to go, and hopefully spend a decent amount of time (several months at least). For such a small country, there's so much to see. And it seems like my major (women and gender studies) is more respected there as a legitimate area of study than it seems to be in the US, so that's another bonus point. Obviously I'm not considering travel anytime soon, but it's a pipe dream.
I have so much sympathy for all of the people who are stuck. It's a broken system, to be sure. At the same time, it's not as if there's an easy fix to it either. Fingers crossed for all of those who need to get home -- I wish there was a better way to help them! Fingers crossed for you, too! I'm sure getting home after such an extended stay will feel amazing.
God I love that Kanye record and your are bang on about that song. Also - the mad thing is, she isn't strictly anti-vax - she has spoken positively about the in the past. Which made this EVEN DUMBER imo - because for her audience she comes off as sharing something that she really believed, because she *isn't* a total loon! Just subtle bullshit placed into the world - or quite unsubtle, swollen balls and all.
You'll make it to NZ at some point. You will. Things will settle. We're all counting on it.
It makes me so sad to read this - "there but for the grace of God go I". It only takes a brief moment and everything can change: lose your job/relationship/support, have an accident/illness, a family member gets sick or is dying... it can honestly happen to anyone and I think some people are too busy feeling like they need to play "I'm the smartarse/expert on everything" on Facebook to try and empathise. I can only imagine how terrifying and insecure it must feel to be in that situation. And I'm really feeling for those who are not in the relative position of privilege of being able to take legal action or go to the media, and who are probably the silent majority. I really don't know what would be best for the MIQ system, though personally I'm relieved we have had some system to try and preserve our islands as COVID-free as long as possible.
Hi all - I’ve just read your beaut comments. It’s 1:05am in Utah, a long day and a 10 hour drive tomorrow. Looking forward to replying when the drive is over. Much aroha to all of you x
It's foggy and cold in New Zealand this morning, and I look like a mixed wardrobe marshmallow in layers. I wanted to have my extra-large coffee outside with the trees and tree singers because I've had quite enough of humans today, and I've only been awake for less than an hour.
Not you, though, David. You're a nice human.
I'm still in my first year at university, I'm 23, and I won't pretend to know lots of things. Though I am learning our mental health systems are neglected and have been at capacity for years and years, probably since Cane threw that rock at Abel. (Why cane?) When we aren't looking after each other, it paves the way for more neglect and stones unturned or thrown and missed stop signs along the way.
I would rather be anywhere than the supermarket, so it's painfully ironic that it should be the only place I'm able to go so that I can get away from my stuffy home and crunchy flatmates. So now, I take headphones, and I listen to the Bee Gees. Now, I enjoy going because I know it's fuck loads safer than other countries, particularly Afghanistan right now. So I definitely can "be brave" and go to the damn supermarket with a damn mask on; I mean, put your god damn shoes on already, for fuck sake.
There are so many things we could be doing to keep others safe with the acknowledgement of privilege. It's unconscionable to me that some kiwis have an 'only the strong should survive' complex. Strong isn't a word I would use to describe myself; being a beneficiary with (a little PTSD and Depression), I would be stuck in America too right now, without any options, and certainly without money. It is the same disregard that some kiwis have in protesting their rights to freedom from a lounge chair. It astounds me that through all of these stories, experiences, and hardships, we are collectively sharing this experience, and every person has been affected. WHY is empathy so hard? Why is everything so hard?
Thank you for writing about what is happening for unheard kiwis away from home. Thank you for the extended coffee break; reading your work is very fun.
One main thing I want to say here is that you *are* strong. Not being cheesy - but you are. I read your writing, and the little you have said about some of your struggles - and you are fucking strong. More than you probably know. You are 23 with a life ahead and gosh you are going to do good things. Thanks for being here, and being kind. Also - you should not be paying for this. You are a student in your first year at university. Email me - davidfarrier@protonmail.com and I will sort you a sub you are not paying for. I know this was not your intent for writing, but let me sort this out please.
Much aroha.
My question (an Aussie overseas, with no intention of going back, who thinks our own government is COOKED!) is simply: Why? Maybe I’m being naive but I just don’t understand. Why are there not enough rooms? Why does it need to cost people extortionate amounts of money to get home to their own country? Why are people with a genuinely urgent need to return being refused?
It’s surely not a lack of resources (what’s more important than supporting your own citizens to return safely home, especially when they need it - putting aside the most pressing issue of keeping the country Covid safe, sure), or is it? Is it to wag a metaphorical finger at those who dare to leave (makes no sense in many cases, where people left before the system was in place)? Is it to deter others from leaving, by making an example of those who’ve already left? Is it total incompetence on the part of the officials in charge?
It seems completely nonsensical and infuriating just to read about. I can’t imagine what it’s like to live through. I hope Alexandra and others fighting the good fight manage to succeed in effecting changes, and soon!
This is apparently related to the fact that only larger hotels in cities with the resources and labour pool to run them will work. That includes enough medical staff. This is why Queenstown hotels are out - the town is too small to supply the array of staff needed. There are about 30 isolation hotels in New Zealand. They need to be suitable and effective at keeping covid at bay and taking care of those that do come into the country infected. This is what the government has said about it, anyway.
Totally bang on, Mona-Lynn. Hope this clears things up, M. It's just resources - and what it takes to keep these facilities running smoothly and safely. A giant issue and in many ways NZ is doing so, so well - *once* you are in the facility. It's the process of getting there that is a bit of an issue.
I struggle with this! I am sympathetic to those wanting to come back, but I personally know two couples that want to come back temporarily and then leave again when things are better in the country where they live and are indignant that they can't do that*. I understand the desire to come back for any amount of time, but some people don't seem to realise (or care!) that they are doing so at the expense of people who want to move back permanently or NEED to come back temporarily (sick families, etc). It infuriates me. I don't want to punish 95% of returnees because 5% are being selfish dicks, but I have to keep reminding myself of that. And David's quandry of wanting to come home but not wanting to take a space from someone who needs it is very real - it's that thing where, if there are only 2 pieces of pizza left, some will take both (because there are only 2 pieces left) and some will take none (because there are only 2 pieces left). Gah.
100% we need more transparency and a fairer system for MIQ; how do we tell the government that we support changes to make that happen? The arseholes who comment on facebook pages about keeping people out are, I hope!, in the minority.
(*One of those couples is here now and tried to tell me a funny story about how the koru lounge wasn't really up to snuff anymore on their trip back. The lack of self-awareness is strong with those ones.)
"I personally know two couples that want to come back temporarily and then leave again when things are better in the country where they live and are indignant that they can't do that"
A giant NO to this from me for this Koru lounge bunch. I feel ya.
There is a point some of us have to suck it up and be patient. We really do.
Transparency is key. I am sure there are many at MBIE who know this - they are not dumb, and no doubt under pressure. I hope they are working on making a better system than the one they launch Monday. Because I think it's awhile till we get to 90 - 100% vaccinated - and I am also aware of other strains beside delta. So I think a transparent system - where those applying know where they are in the line - could come about at some point.
Hey - I am not expert - far from it - but those emergency cases need more information to start making decisions and have *some* peace of mind.
The tall poppy theory mentioned is quite true. People seemed proud to say their cousin was on their OE working in London at prestigious 'xyz firm' pre covid, but now the same cousin is apparently a 'pompous twat that thought they were too good for us Kiwis and now wants to 'use us' by coming home'. This narrative is bizarre.
In a way this attitude seeps into other areas too... For example NZers being proud to say Rocket Lab was a 'Kiwi business', then getting offended when they listed the company on Wall St. How dare they get too big for their boots! /s
Rocket Lab. Now that's a Webworm for another day.
Looking fwd to it!
As a kiwi who returned last year after a year working abroad (before the MIQ booking system), I really felt what was said about the comments online. Facebook is a literal cesspit. I would read everyday on Facebook that I was like a rat who abandoned ship and was earning all this money overseas and shouldn't be allowed to come home. I was literally stuck. I couldn't come home when I wanted. My flights got cancelled every week and it was scary as my job was finishing up, my lease was ending and these millions I was apparently earning as an English teacher had yet to materialise. I was also put into forced quarantine because I was a foreigner at one point.
I was working right through a pandemic and it was scary! The country I was in didn't do lockdowns. They weren't taking real measures to combat covid. I faced the very real possibility of catching a deadly disease and not seeing my family again.
The whole MIQ system needs a rehaul and anyone returning needs to stay off comment sections. It's just terrible for your mental health.
Really glad you are in NZ and safe and well. Thanks for your empathy. I think probably we all need to delete our Facebook accounts. A true cesspit. And we willingly brought into it. Gawd.
My heart goes out to those stuck.
Thanks, Rebecca. You're kind and cool.
Homesick kiwi in the uk and I’m desperate to get home to spend time with my Mum who is turning 91 in Feb. Realistically I need to come now. But unless I commit and prove her death will occur in the next 6 months it’s not urgent. I can’t even bring myself to think of this let along wage a campaign to prove it. I find it sickening that this is the threshold. What is urgent and necessary if not to help care for an elderly parent?
Hey Robbie. I feel for you man. Stay strong. This is *fucking* tough for you.
This was a really interesting read. Can't imagine the stress of needing to get home and not knowing at all when that can happen. Also - Canadians do the "yeah, no" thing all the time, too.
Canadians and kiwis are brothers from different mothers. No doubt about it.
Kia Ora! I read through this article several times, and what comes through overwhelmingly is the sheer growing number of people who can’t get back no matter how dire the circumstances. The key word is GROWING. Early 2020 when this thing was quite new, you had a few folk caught short and could be accommodated in MIQ, fast forward 18+ months and that list is so much bigger. The strain after this amount of time must be incredibly difficult and it grows as life (somehow) goes on and people’s lives and circumstances develop. While I can see the need for stringency in managing returnees to ensure NZ is not overwhelmed in the short term, I do have empathy for those who are not able to return due to the system in place. I don’t have the solution to fix these issues but I do know right now: babies are being/have been born a world away from whanau and friends, people are dying/have died with no means to have whanau present, to speak their final goodbyes, hold a proper tangi or funeral for them. It is truly sad and I feel for all Kiwi not able to return home. Robbie who commented below, I feel you and I hope your mum hangs in there until you can return, aroha to you e hoa.
Thanks Sarah. I'd love to know the numbers waiting - that would be a great big of information to have. I guess for me - seeing foreign mountain biking teams getting in over some of the NZers who desperately need to get back home is a bit of a kick. Look - it's tricky, and NZ is doing the right thing: I just wish there was more transparency and a better system for those with emergencies that need attending to!
*great bit of information. Much aroha your way!
Thank you so much for this David. My heart is absolutely broken being apart from my sister and niece and nephews. I’ve never been apart from them this long. We are each other’s support networks, both with medically fragile children. Sydney opening up and my vulnerable niece being at risk is destroying us all. But they can’t move here because of the system. I don’t understand how literally fleeing for the safety of your immune compromised child, to have crucial family support, to the home you were born in....is impossible. And then we get “Be Kind” every day? It’s gutting eh.
It's always so nice to see you here, Emily. Had no idea you were in this situation and that's really heartbreaking. I think of that f--king mountain biking team they let in. That's a lot of rooms that could have been freed up for those kiwis that actually needed to be here. Ugh. Much aroha your way.
Thinking about the people stuck overseas reminds me of how it was having a claim in with EQC after the chch quakes. There was zero transparency about what was going on, and no confidence that anything was happening. We understood that other people had more urgent needs and were ok with that.
I think that people (e.g. me) can cope a lot better if they can see that the system is (approximately) fair.
For MIQ I think that means there should be a queue, and you can see where you are in the queue, and that eventually you'll get to the front. If you're six months from the front of the queue, then you can plan your life accordingly.
There'd be separate capacity for urgent/compassionate cases.
On the flip side, if you get to the front of the queue and don't take the slot, you go to the back, you don't get to hang around near the front until you're ready. (This to discourage queue-squatting)
Hey Eliot - god, kudos for getting through dealing with EQC. I don't envy that. I agree that a transparent system where you know what you are dealing with in the future would be a great thing. At the moment, I just hope those vax rates increase to near 100%.
A logical and sensible idea! (also why so few MIQ places avail given the size of the country and number of hotels??)
Hey Kay - the sheer volume of those coming back far outstrips the hotel rooms that have to be locked in for each person/family's two-week stay. Terribly scarce resources I assume - even though we don't know the numbers.
Here's a case for you: My ex-partner travelled to Germany in August for a holiday (he would say to "connect" with friends and relatives - he is German). He was quite happy to take up a space in MIQ (booked well in advance, I can only guess before it got so difficult to secure a spot). He also wanted to take our 8 year-old daughter with him - I had to go through the Family Court and hire a lawyer to prevent him. He arrived in New Zealand the day before lockdown, did his two weeks in MIQ, and happily returned home.
Where is the justice in that?
That sounds so, so rough Natalie. You sound like a caring, smart mother to me. Thanks for sharing this - it means a lot. I want this to be an open and caring forum here. Respect.
Also, despite a low income I have to pay legal fees (have to repay legal aid because I own my own home) - all because I did not want my daughter being taken to Europe in the middle of a world pandemic!
It’s interesting to see the other side of things! Here in the UK myself and a lot of people I know have been wishing our country had been like NZ during the pandemic because everything seemed to run so smoothly and effectively and actually it still is a lot better but we know a family friend who travelled back from the UK to NZ because her mother was dying and although it took literally a six weeks of hotels and travelling because of quarantine she made it there, saw her mother and made it back pretty seamlessly so seeing it from other angles is always good!
Once you’re back in NZ (whenever that is) are you back for a while or just a visit? Seems like a lot of time and expense for wanting to go and leave again
NZ acted swiftly and smartly and I feel very patriotic and proud of it all. And I think largely it's doing great - but I think it's important to critique where things could be better.
I am glad your family friend made it back for such an intense moment.
As for me - it's complicated and I am still reckoning with where I need to be. I may go into that a bit more in a future newsletter - it's a bit much for right now.
Hope your weekend is A+, Lauren. Thanks for being here.
It's sad, Nicki can absolutely overshadow the main artist on virtually any track she's featured in. Her verse on Kanye's "Monster?" Undefeated. It took me a lot of getting over internalized misogyny (and racism, in that rap wasn't really appreciated as "real music" much in my childhood) to be able to recognize her talent, and to recognize how unfairly she was being treated by the media -- yet another maligned woman. It sucks to see her a) defend her husband b) defend her brother (both pedophiles) c) come out as an antivaxxer. Another one bites the dust.
My whole life I've wanted to visit NZ, but it's never been a feasible thing financially -- it is my number one place I want to go, and hopefully spend a decent amount of time (several months at least). For such a small country, there's so much to see. And it seems like my major (women and gender studies) is more respected there as a legitimate area of study than it seems to be in the US, so that's another bonus point. Obviously I'm not considering travel anytime soon, but it's a pipe dream.
I have so much sympathy for all of the people who are stuck. It's a broken system, to be sure. At the same time, it's not as if there's an easy fix to it either. Fingers crossed for all of those who need to get home -- I wish there was a better way to help them! Fingers crossed for you, too! I'm sure getting home after such an extended stay will feel amazing.
God I love that Kanye record and your are bang on about that song. Also - the mad thing is, she isn't strictly anti-vax - she has spoken positively about the in the past. Which made this EVEN DUMBER imo - because for her audience she comes off as sharing something that she really believed, because she *isn't* a total loon! Just subtle bullshit placed into the world - or quite unsubtle, swollen balls and all.
You'll make it to NZ at some point. You will. Things will settle. We're all counting on it.
It makes me so sad to read this - "there but for the grace of God go I". It only takes a brief moment and everything can change: lose your job/relationship/support, have an accident/illness, a family member gets sick or is dying... it can honestly happen to anyone and I think some people are too busy feeling like they need to play "I'm the smartarse/expert on everything" on Facebook to try and empathise. I can only imagine how terrifying and insecure it must feel to be in that situation. And I'm really feeling for those who are not in the relative position of privilege of being able to take legal action or go to the media, and who are probably the silent majority. I really don't know what would be best for the MIQ system, though personally I'm relieved we have had some system to try and preserve our islands as COVID-free as long as possible.
Thank you x