Quake!

Big quake in Christchurch on Tuesday. I was halfway through a very boring lecture desperately looking for an excuse to leave- that was as good of one as any. At uni it was relatively calm. Some people panicked, but most just filed out and left. But by the time I got into the car the news was already reporting deaths. It took me over an hour and a half to drive what is usually a 10 minute drive. everyone around me looked so haggard. Cars covered in rubble were driving past. I was getting more and more distressed trying to get home. Driving during aftershocks is a pretty surreal. all of the sudden your car shakes side to side and you rock back to forth.

Luckily I came home to a house still standing and all my loved ones are safe and sound. We were one of the first to get power and water back so we have had heaps of friends and some strangers come over to use our power and to sleep somewhere safe. Last time there was a big quake we went out with the "student army" and shoveled silt but this time they seem to have so many helpers I feel like the best I can do is open my doors to anyone who's house didn't make it through as well as ours. Its been great having everyone around us but now the reality is setting in.

The city is in ruin, all the gig venues in town are gone, Christchurch is a small place and these deaths our going to hit our community hard.

I'm going to Melbourne for a couple of weeks, get out of here, have some fun and come back refreshed for when uni starts back.

It will be a trying year for us all as we rebuild our city but I guess there are always opportunities that arise from these sorts of situations. It will be interesting to see what Christchurch becomes after this. Here's hoping that all the gaps left by building will be filled with public spaces, community gardens and sustainable housing. But the current mayor and half the Councillors are either developers or in bed with developers who are never up to any good so I don't have much faith.

Here are a few pics I got of the quake (coming soon). Didn't want to be rubbernecking so didn't take many but there's some good ones here.