Tag Archives: New Zealand

#DigitalDetox Challenge 6: Walk up a hill

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I'm not going to lie: I was nervous about this one. I was really looking forward to it, but I wasn't certain if my knee was going to hold out long enough for me to complete it.

Well...

I was sore the next day, that's for sure, but I did it and it felt good. It gives me hope that my husband and I might be able to return to a joint passion — at least in some capacity.

Let me give you some of the history.

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Woman watching the sunset

Looking ahead to post-COVID life

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Every so many months, I force myself to take stock of my current situation and attitudes, reviewing the goals I had set myself and working out if I am still on track—or whether things have been completely derailed.

With all the crazy that the last six months has throw at the world, this particular review seems to be more important than ever.

New Zealand, my home country, has just moved into Level 1 lockdown, meaning that our domestic economy can get a reboot. We still have border restrictions, with all those coming into the country still facing quarantine, but all internal restrictions on businesses and travel has been removed, and life can go back to normal.

But for me, going back to normal is NOT going back to pre-COVID life. There are aspects of that pre-COVID life that I want to leave behind.

So, this review is not just looking at the goals I had set myself at the start of the year, but taking stock of my current situation and comparing it to pre-COVID life. It's time to decide was post-COVID life will look like—at least for the beginning. I encourage all of my readers to do the same.

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Change is upon us. (It’s NOT another COVID-19 post.)

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The birds frolic outside my office window, moving so fast that I'm unable to capture pictures of them. Fantails. Wooded sparrows. Magpies. Silver eyes. I'm sure that the trees directly outside my house have been come their nests. A few of them have likely made the thorn bushes on the other side of the fence their home.

Across the street, the pukekos meander around as they feed on the bugs found under the ground. Occasionally, they'll take to a short flight, moving away from whatever is coming their way—including the amateur photographer.

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New Zealand

But in New Zealand???

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It is Saturday morning, and I’m now facing a shift in my sense of reality. Less than 24 hours ago, my world was safe and calm, and my worst worry was how I was going to convince my husband to buy the new lounge suite that I want, or how was the next scene in my manuscript going to play out, or where does one find the money to pay for the writers conference that I want to go to in August.

No, instead, my worst worry has now joined that of many others around world.

Will today be the day that a terrorist takes my son, my daughter or my husband away from me?

On Friday 15th March, 2019, an unknown number of madmen marched into two separate mosques on opposite sides of Christchurch, New Zealand (my home city) and opened fire. They then proceeded to locations north and south of the central city, attempting to evade arrest while causing more acts of terrorism.

For the first time in history, the entire city of Christchurch, New Zealand was on lockdown. All schools, all malls, all businesses closed and locked their doors. Residents citywide were encouraged to stay inside. For nearly 4 hours, an entire city was held to ransom. And what makes it all bizarre… It happened in little, old New Zealand, one of the safest countries in the world. 

Lives have been lost in this senseless madness. Families have been ripped apart by an act driven by hatred. Nothing can make up for that. New Zealand as a whole is now suffering.

Be warned, this is a LONG post, but I had to get it out, because so much is going on in this mind of mine.

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NZ National Anthem Hard?

Is the New Zealand national anthem really that hard?

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I'm not a rugby fan. I'll be the first to admit that. However, I do take pride in my country, and when a singer totally botches my country's national anthem, I don't know if I want to laugh my head off, or run and hide.

Crystal Collins, American singer, was invited to sing the New Zealand national anthem at a rugby game between New Zealand and England in Denver. The results... Where does one even begin?

She butchered the Maori language, which is horrible within itself, but the English verse... What the...? It was so out of time, and didn't even follow the melody. I have no idea what she was singing, but it wasn't God Save New Zealand.

I decided that in response to this horrible rendition, I needed to actually sing for you what the New Zealand national anthem really sounds like. I might not be the best singer in the world, but trust me, that song really isn't that hard. Take a listen.

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