April 27, 2022
First, I’d like to answer a question from an American friend perplexed by something I said in my post about our lives in Russell. I mentioned the divide here over politics and the handling of Covid. To Americans, New Zealand seems like a peaceful place led by a well-respected prime minister, Jacinda Ardern; so what could they possibly be divided about, warm vs cold beer? Surely they can’t have Trump fans there!
Well, they can and they do. So does Australia, Europe, South Africa, Southeast Asia, and I suspect Trumpism has probably infested many countries around the world. It seems he has unofficially become a global symbol for far-right libertarian “don’t you dare make me wear a mask!” and conservative “don’t you dare make me wear a mask and don’t you wear one, either!” types everywhere.
I have done a lot of pondering over Trump’s appeal in foreign countries even before Covid—why should any of their citizens be concerned about who’s leading America? Well, for the same reason Americans are so divided: it’s not so much about actual changes in the average American’s day-to-day life with a conservative vs a liberal government (because life is pretty much stays the same for most people no matter who’s president). It’s about what Trump represents, and that’s where all the kerfuffle begins.
At some point I’ll delve into my thoughts on that; but for now I would advise that there is no magical, peaceful, kerfuffle-free kingdom. I’ve noticed other cruising bloggers/vloggers barely mention Covid, but it’s not because it isn’t an issue. It’s the opposite: it’s too big of an issue and the safest bet is generally to stay quiet on the matter, at least publicly. As we’re about to head off to some new places, I think I will share our thoughts at a more settled time.
Now that I’ve addressed that, the other thing I want to mention is I’m going back a couple months, to mid-February, and pick up where I left off in my posts about our Big Trip.
(Quick Recap: After having pulled the plug on the trip in Tauranga and turning back, we’d just spent a night anchored in Oneroa Bay, on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf). Below, a map showing Oneroa. –Cyndi
