A lot has happened globally since the end of my last blog posting: an impeachment "trial", the 49ers losing Super Bowl LIV, Super Tuesday and Joe Biden rising from the dead, and the coronavirus pandemic. With 2020 soon to hit the quarter mark, it seems to be passing quickly, yet it will be a looooong time until the November US election. Here are a few highlights of my year so far; my reflections on the pandemic are at the end.
January was spent in the USA, split between a visit to Georgia (where Sofia and her family are now) and California. We arrived in the Peach State in time to help grandson Isaiah celebrate his 6th birthday with cake and lots of presents.
A central part of their life revolves around the synagogue Congregation Sha'arey Israel in Macon.
As with most places I've been on the planet, there is always something to explore and learn from. Just across the river from Macon is the
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park with its impressive display of 1,000 year-old mounds and artifacts from the prehistoric indigenous peoples. Sofia suggested we visit with the kids, and we all had a grand time wandering around appreciating the works of the ancient peoples.
The portal below leads into the earth lodge, a meeting place for the elders.
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| Earth lodge interior |
I wish we had more time to visit the museum housing many artifacts and displays of the area.
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| View from atop the Great Temple Mound |
They actually live in a newer development 25 miles south of Macon. On a walk just 100 yards from the house, I was somewhat concerned by a sign similar to this one.
Macon was founded in 1809 as a post for trading with the native population. In the 1830's, President Andrew Jackson forced the native Creek Nation out to be relocated eventually in Oklahoma. Present day Macon is a collection of antebellum buildings, late 19th century structures, and more modern additions.
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| Center: Macon City Hall (1837). Clockwise from the left upper corner: Georgia Sports Hall of Fame; Terminal Station (1916 train depot designed by the same man who did Grand Central Station); Thomas Jefferson Bldg. (1917); Macon City Auditorium (1925); Armory Building (1884); and the Tubman Museum |
The Tubman Museum is dedicated to African American Art, Culture, and History. Although I don't think Ms. Tubman ever visited Macon, her story of bravely helping her people escape slavery is truly inspiring. Just as we must not forget other periods of injustice and suffering, reminders of our past and recent history are needed.
The museum also informed me of how many of the legendary musicians and
performers of my generation came from the area, including Little
Richard, James Brown, and Otis Redding.
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| Little Richard's piano |
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| The Godfather of Soul (1957) |
The signature piece of the museum is the 55 foot-long mural of black
history in America, from the first slave ships to the current day.
Our last full day in Georgia was on my birthday, and Sofia went out of her way to make it special for me. First, she treated us to breakfast at H&H Soul Food, a legendary local joint founded by Inez Hill and Louise Hudson and steeped in history. It was a favorite to many musicians, including the Allman Brothers Band, who first hit it big while living in Macon.
The walls are plastered with posters and photos of Macon soul and rock stars, and "Mama Louise" or "Mama Inez" at times went on the road to cook for the Allman Brothers Band.
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| "Mama Louise" Hudson (1972) |
The menu is a classic, and you should drop by for the history and atmosphere (it is across the street from the synagogue).
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| ...but honestly I've had better soul food in Oakland, CA. |
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| The Ramblin Man: A biscuit with smoked brisket, egg, American cheese, and fried green tomato. |
After the meal, she treated us with a visit to The Big House where the band lived communally in the early 70's, and has since been turned into a shrine for all things Allman. I cannot overstate how deeply touched I was by this gesture of my daughter: to graciously take her aging Boomer father to a museum dedicated to a 70's rock band was above and beyond.
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| The actual guitar Duane Allman played on Layla |
I also got a t-shirt and CD out of the deal, not to mention later a home-made cake and spirited rendition of "Happy Birthday"!. Perfect. Thanks, Sofia!
After a full week in Georgia it was time to head back to California and, naturally, more celebrations of my birth with friends and family
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| Slightly belated BD dinner in Corte Madera, CA.... |
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| ....followed by cake at Margaret's house. |
A few days later we took the ferry to SF and as Fayne lunched with old friends I went to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), always a good place to spend a few hours on a rainy day. Here are a few things that caught my eye.
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Jackie Triptych, 1964, Andy Warhol
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The Flower Carrier, 1935 Diego Rivera
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| Ich (I), 1980 A. R.Penck |
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| The discovery of invisible nature, 2019 by Minerva Cuevas, a meditation on the environment and the devastating fires in CA |
After two months away (SE Asia, California, Georgia) it was time to go back to New Zealand. Continuing the theme of 1970's musical legends, about a year ago Sir Elton John announced one of his stops on the multi-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour would be in Dunedin February 4, 2020. I made sure to book tickets (not cheap) and looked forward to my fourth Elton John concert. My first was in 1973 at the heights Elton-mania. Some may consider him to be too "pop" or a caricature of himself now, but he is the best performer I have ever seen live. The last time I saw him was in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas 15 years ago, and I noted his vocal upper register had diminished significantly from his prime and so I was wary of what was left in the 72 year-old icon.
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| At the concert, very good seats |
I need not have worried. He and the band put on an excellent show, playing continuously over 2 1/2 hours. They focused mostly on earlier hits up through Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,with many of the same musicians that have played with him since the 1970's.
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| The Elton John Band taking a bow with Elton: Davey Johnstone (guitar); Nigel Olsson (drums, vocals); Ray Cooper (percussion); John Mahon (percussion); Kim Bullard (keyboards); and Matt Bissonette (bass, vocals). |
Although the concert was outstanding, before and after was quite unpleasant. It was cold and pouring rain all night, transportation was a mess, although the stadium is covered the wind whipped through the open gates, and the line for coffee was over an hour and then they ran out. We arrived back in our room at midnight, drenched to the bone and quite chilled. Not fun. We'll think twice or thrice before committing to a stadium show again.
While in Timaru, I feel an obligation to support and attend every cultural opportunity available. That meant we were sure to see the Great Moscow Circus. The fanciful tent was alluring and they provided two hours worth of "you don't see that everyday" entertainment.
This circus is animal-free and was of higher quality than the Circus
Vargas I remember from Fort Bragg 25 years ago, at least in the sense
that there were no near-misses of either an electrical fire or a
rampaging elephant. In fact, the performers demonstrated an impressive array of skills, from trapeze, tumbling, balancing on spinning barrels high above the crowd, and motorcycle stunts with multiple riders inside a steel mesh sphere (aka: the
Globe of Death) and leaping from a ramp to fly high over the crowd.
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| Man perched on a spinning barrel |
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| Motorcycles inside the Globe of Death |
I looked forward towards the end of February to attending the Internal Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand (IMSANZ) meeting this year in Christchurch. We had time to take in some of the redevelopment going on in the Central Business District, such as the much-anticipated
Riverside Market which houses an variety of take-out and food markets including some favorites displaced from the 2011 quake.
The conference was a very high quality educational experience, and the highlight is always the gala dinner on Thursday night. It is an ideal opportunity to visit with colleagues and make new friends from around the country. This year it was held at
The Tannery, a shopping and dining complex lovingly resurrected from the site of the 19thC Woolston Tanneries.
For the "leap weekend" we drove to Twizel to checkout the annual Salmon and Wine Festival, an event that promised both but delivered significantly less. Twizel is nestled among the Southern Alps, just below Aoraki/Mt. Cook, and was established in 1968 to house construction workers on the
Upper Waitaki Hydroelectric Scheme. In 1983 when the work was finished the plan was to revert the site back to farmland, but the residents had grown fond of life there and managed to keep their town.
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| Part of the Waitaki Hydroelectric Scheme |
It is a lovely region but the festival itself, although nicely situated on the shores of man-made Lake Ruataniwha, was a disappointment. Since the $25 entry fee did not actually cover any salmon or wine, it would have been better spent towards a nice glass of wine and salmon dinner in a local restaurant.
The lake is the home to the South Island Rowing Centre and the clubhouse features this photos of noted Kiwi rowers who have competed here, some Olympic medal winners.
South Canterbury being smallish, it was not surprising we ran into our favorite constable Renee Chapman (former ace physical therapist at Timaru Hospital).
Sunday March first was a gorgeous day to drive home and afforded this view of Aoraki/Mt. Cook across Lake Pukaki.
The Novel Coronavirus Covid-19 Pandemic
There is no elegant way to transition from my personal travel blog to a global crisis, but it is weighing on all our minds. Like everyone, the enormous impact in the future weeks and months is very hard to process. The projected consequences have gone from possible to highly likely. Every day this week I have attended meetings trying to prepare my hospital and community for the looming disaster, as if a massive cyclone is directly approaching but one that may last a year or longer after it hits. It is likely that this will result in one of the most important external forces to impact my generation, akin to the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, and 9/11. The next two weeks will reveal if the USA follows the pattern that has seen Italy literally shut down and at the moment result in over 18,000 cases and 1,300 deaths.
I share your fears for our loved ones, especially the elderly and infirm, like my 94 year old father currently in a rehab unit in San Diego, but the truth is all of my generation is in the higher risk group. Also, the fact that the young are generally less severely afflicted does not mean they are safe. If the mortality rate for the young is 0.1% but 1,000,000 children get the virus, then 1,000 of them will die tragically. The best hope in the short run is to "flatten the curve": i.e. to slow the spread so that even if the same number of people eventually get it, health care facilities may not be overwhelmed and paralyzed, allowing precious time for a specific treatment and in 12-18 months an effective vaccine.
The situation is changing daily, and just yesterday Jacinda Ardern the Prime Minister of New Zealand announce new restrictions on travel and gatherings. Here is a link to her remarks if you would like to see what competent leadership looks like.
Ronald Regan famously said in his first inaugural address "...government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem". Too many people have made it their universal mantra. In context, he was talking specifically by the early 1980's recession, not in all arenas. Instead of vilifying and dismantling our institutions and government services, this crisis illustrates how vital they are.
Finally, I have one recurring random odd thought whenever I see an image of Covid-19: it really is quite elegant. Not unlike the Death Star in Star Wars, despite the destructiveness, the symmetrical yet subtly complex representation is "admirable", a reminder that life and science can reveal a cruel beauty.
I send my hopes and good wishes to all that read this and all your loved ones. Stay safe, live a healthy life, and cherish every moment. We need each other.
This too shall pass.
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