Diary of a House: The virus empties some malls and supermarket shelves

I'm out the door early. A 7am union meeting and the talk is....the virus. On the radio the talk is...the virus. In the English office the talk is...the virus. The question is not if we take time out of the classroom but when. And how it's going to work. But work it will. We've done it before in 2011. Our strength is how we pull together.
I've got a busy day teaching but when school finishes I'm off to the tile shop. I'm getting twitchy about supplies. These tiles are Italian. I also need to finalise what I want. That's not easy. I go for a pared down classic look in the main bathroom and stay close to what I looked at a couple of weeks ago. The ensuite is not so easy. It's got several colours and materials. I think plain will work better here too but my brain is too stretched to go much further.
Kahu is wanting help with sending a form off to see if he can get a visa after his AFS one becomes defunct as the programme sends all students home. I have another talk to him and Tammy. We're going to do all we can.
At Merivale Mall it's dinner shopping hour but the mall is quiet. So is the supermarket. The beach is empty too. The southerly has blown through and I'm lucky there's some blue sky and sunshine on my back. After 22 years of swimming in the cooling autumn climes, my brain is able to switch my nerve endings off. I don't feel the cold so much. I used to but last year noticed I could ignore the physical feelings of chill. It's practice. There's a light southerly and it bites my skin as I walk out of the water and up the beach towards my towel. Perfect way to stay healthy, freeze the bugs to death.
On the drive to Papanui High School to catch up on some blogging and warm up with a cup of tea, I listen to the evening news. The New Zealand government announces a comprehensive financial package in response to coronavirus. It's described as our biggest in modern history and comprises extra spending of $12.1 billion for businesses, beneficiaries, pensioners and the health system. Simon Bridges, leader of the opposition, plays politics and complains it does more to help beneficiaries than small businesses. I wish he could grow up.
A detour to Pak'n'Save reveals a busier supermarket. No soap, low supplies of sugar and flour. I do a bigger shop than I have since Kahu left and get home after 8. It's been a long day.