Dr Rod Carr on Morning Report this morning fighting for his university reminds me of yesterday's lunch with the Canterbury Alumni Association. Cathy is the alumnus, not me, but any excuse for a free lunch (on Cathy).

The lunch gathering heard two beautiful women background the the writing of their book, Goodbye Sarajevo. As an author promotion it worked –  now I will have to buy the book. But it also worked for Canterbury University.

The two authors more than repaid the alumni association favour of arranging their audience, with the fervour of their gratitude to the university, and to New Zealand. 

They highlighted the shock of a familiar civilised normality suddenly disintegrating to a mediaeval siege, with an average 300 shells per day landing in their city for the long years of the siege. I asked them whether that experience, and then being in Christchurch when it disintegrated had led them to a permanent sense of impermanence, that normality is fragile.

They disagreed with the premise of the question. Instead, they believe that no one should assume a  'normality'. The world will always shift unexpectedly so one should just look forward, determined to make the best of whatever circumstances throw up.

They were also refreshingly uncomplicated in answering questions about the geo-politics of the Balkan war. They were deeply grateful to Bill Clinton for his decisive intervention, brushing over dithering Europe, and the pusillanimous UN. They were scathing about "peacekeeping" when there is no peace, and an arms embargo that just meant their oppressors had a free run.