> You look at it as a snub to New Zealand .....I look at it as an old man being sensible in his last days.
I guess I do. In New Zealand we take a great deal of pride in our hospitality, and we show all of our guests a really, really good time, in the hopes that they will tell all their friends and especially come back and visit us again.
While he was here, Mr Lee would have been treated like Royalty. And make no mistake, the Lord of the Rings is a very big thing here: we *want* people from overseas to come visit, to see the filming sites, and to have a wonderful, unforgettable time. And to tell all their friends about it.
So with this article what happened? “Lee isn’t interested in filming in New Zealand again because it is simply too far away, for too long of a time.” And it is an article that is circulated on a LOTR fan site: the very place where potential NZ tourists might hang out. Thanks, Mr Lee. Sorry that visiting us was such a chore for you.
Think of it this way: pretend you live out in the countryside, a fair way off the beaten track. And you like to have guests, and your hospitality is legendary. How would you like one of your guests to go back home to the big city and tell everybody that they weren’t interested in visiting you again?
It’s bad manners at the very least.
Yes, it might not be sensible for him to travel to NZ in his latter days. But it was hardly necessary to burst into print about it.
You must realize that for a person of Mr. Lee’s years, in his condition of health, the possibility of acquiring a potentially fatal deep-vein thrombosis through a very long flight to NZ is quite real. He is wise not to want to risk his life. For elderly people, it’s also scary to leave their usual health-care facilities and providers (and I’m sure he has the best in Britain, not National Health guys). My own dear MIL hates to leave Florida to visit us here for just that reason and always wants us to go visit her instead, because she has to see her doctor so frequently.
So tell us, do you usually insult everybody who chooses not to visit your beautiful country? That would mean that you’d have to hate nearly six billion people.
...they weren't interested in visiting you again...BECAUSE THEY ARE ALMOST 90 AND PLAYING CHESS WITH DEATH! You left out the rest of the story pally.
It’s bad manners at the very least.
What is bad manners, and ingratitude as well by the way, is castigating a great man, who has played a significant role for the good of NZ, on a public website, for making a practical decision based on age and health that he probably wished he did not have to!
Yes, it might not be sensible for him to travel to NZ in his latter days. But it was hardly necessary to burst into print about it
Burst in print?
You're out of your mind. There is NOTHING in his statement the bears negatively on NZ in any way, shape, or form - unless your terminally paranoid.
Yours is coming across quite clearly.
I’ve always wanted to visit NZ. I hear they are growing redwoods there and the first harvest should be due soon.