We were in the transition lounge at Auckland City Hospital. Here, for M, was a limbo (armchairs, festive decorations, a television showing how to craft Christmas wreaths) between leaving the ward and actual discharge. Here, the inmates, slumped in postures of exhaustion, nausea and resignation, waited until the doctors could complete the paperwork. The staff were heroic; the service, in crowded conditions, had been exemplary. This was the exile of illness, alleviated by the kindness of strangers.
M sat wearing dark glasses, D made funny jokes. “Leather is such a timeless material,” the television said. A nurse wheeled in a trolley of sandwiches as the news came on, with its roundup of tragedy and crime. We watched an item about 501 deportees.
Esta historia es de la edición January 3-13 2023 de New Zealand Listener.
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Esta historia es de la edición January 3-13 2023 de New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
