Goaded...

Cressida said "I was prepared to be delighted by a new blog post (the first from you or mama for ages).... But now I'm not... since I see it's the outcome of boredom and misery :-("

Dreadful but much-loved woman. Me? Bored? Miserable?
OK: "let me-eee, enter-tain you!"... or at least try...

I have to be a bit careful with this story; the fact that my blog only has one faithful follower (thanks, dreadful woman) doesn't change the fact that in theory, at least, it's available to the world.

Among the myriad other things he does (he's doing the veges as I write), Ian is the custodian of a website intended for Canterbury general medical practitioners, to keep them informed of latest "best practice", clinical management guidelines, statistics, etc. relating to the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in our corner of der Welt.

However, someone told someone who told someone in Tonga - both the URL of this website, and the user name and password.

Without doubt, this good Tongan, who has responsibilities ranging from Emergency/Disaster Management to Education and Women's Affairs, has every reason to be concerned about the preparedness of the Tongan authorities and people to cope with an illness which can range from mild to dangerous, and nothing I say here is intended to mock this person's concern.

However, in her anguished and apostrophied reply to Ian, she copied in all of Tonga's public service and some of the WHO, because Ian happened to mention that G and C have the dreaded lurgy... "Please your prayers for Ian's children to go back to the road of full recovery!"

Of course, we couldn't help but be amused (read: very very amused); in New Zealand the 'flu is unpleasant but we have the reassurance of first world medical back-up - and our kids are healthy with no underlying conditions that are likely to polish 'em off.

However, all hilarity aside, I get fed up with the conspiracy theories and the widespread cynicism. Anyone who speaks lightly of the 'flu hasn't had a nasty dose - or has forgotten what it felt like. As Alistair Humphrey (Medical Officer of Health for Canterbury) said recently on NatRad "no 'flu is mild or moderate". And his counterpart in Auckland said "anyone who stands up for the first time after the 'flu is looking for the bus that hit him".

How true...

At least we can smugly rely on the prayers of the Tongans (thank you).

And on an irreverent finish; a touch of Flanders and Swann:

"Oh, it's hard to say: 'Hoolima Kittiluca Cheecheechee'
But in Tonga that means: 'No'
If I ever have the money
Is to Tonga I shall go
For each lovely Tongan maiden there
Will gladly make a date
And by the time she's said 'Hoolima Kittiluca Cheecheechee'
It is usually too late!