I am the at the other side of the world. I have returned home. I am back again.

I moved from Christchurch to London last month, I never had this overwhelming feeling of "everything is going to be ok" before. When I think back to how scary and uncertain everything was this time last year it makes me smile, and here I am, a year later, in almost the same situation, though a different city, and I couldnt be happier, or even more removed from how I was last year.

I do need a job though.

Awoken by a 5.1 Friday, based out near the original fault line, near Dunsandel. It was about twenty to 6 this morning, and seemed to last much longer than any other one I had ever felt. I don’t really understand the Ricter scale anymore, I think things like the way it moved, i.e. this was more of a rolling one that a jolt, and the depth of it, and of course the location, go a lot further in describing the different sensations of each shake. I think the location seems to be the most important factor, as I have heard people be able to predict which fault line has produced a shake just by the way it feels, or the way it sounds, before it gets reported on Geonet.



I just read it was a VI on the Mercalli Scale. This is defined as being 'felt by everyone. Difficult to stand. Some heavy furniture moved, some plaster falls. Chimneys may be slightly damaged.' However a lot of people were in bed when it happened, thankfully and I did not see any such damage while on my way to work this morning, nor was it mentioned once at morning tea, I suspect we are all just getting very tired of this whole ‘quake business. I’m just glad it was not in the middle of the night, like so many of them have been recently. I really did think we were done with them now, it is such a pain to get another reminder that we are still living with this though.



The worst thing about having them so early in the morning is that you spend the rest of the day waiting for another big one to hit, you start to imagine you can feel the tectonic activity building up, but really it is just the tension in your own body. Myself, personally, I spend the day watching for any similarities between the rest of this day and that faithful one of February 22nd; is it a still day? Unusually quite? Was that another aftershock, or just a truck passing outside? I worry that if I stop thinking about it for a minute that this when it will strike and I will be caught off-guard again. I really don’t want to live like this anymore. Do not get me wrong, I love living in this city, but it is just when you have to walk into every room and be aware of anything that might fall on you, anything valuable that might be damaged, where the escape routes are, how you are going to get home if another one happens, and which of your friends you need to be in contact with first, it all just gets a little exhausting. Day- to- day these are not things you consider all the time, though we probably are more aware not, but when you are awoken by a 5.1 its on your mind for the day.



In saying that there are some changes I have made in my daily life. I look at petrol lights of friends cars, warning them not to let them go too low, just in case. I save large juice bottles for water, just in case. Every night I leave my glasses within reach and in a place I know they won’t get smashed, if anything did happen. And my keys and handbag I try always to keep near or on my person, especially in the office, as you never know when you might have to make a dash.


Last quake post. Promise

Its been too long.

So much has happened since Feburary. I am still living and working in ChCh, I love it here so much. Though I cannot get to grips with it being so cold in July.

i will do a proper blog soon, I just dont want o see that other one anymore, since then Ive changed house, jobs, been "married", and half way around the world and back. A major photo unload is due.

But I need a new adventure, any suggestions?

It was a day like any other. My boyfriend dropped me to work for half nine and I had spent the morning rolling cutlery, stocking the wine shelves and assembling the new wine list. The manager sat in the corner discussing the day-long music plans for the up and coming St Patricks Day. Since we were the most popular Irish bar in Christchurch it was going to be a big one for us. At dinner time the customer flow was slack so I went to stand at the front door, see if I could lure any passing trade in. I stood there, watching the workers on their lunchtime, thinking how I needed to take my mate Michelle out for dinner that night as it was her birthday.

Then everything shook. Now, Ive been in Christchurch four months at this stage, Ive been through my fair share of aftershocks so I stood my ground for it to pass. But it didnt pass, it got much stronger, stronger than anything I had ever felt. I went to run back to the door of the pub to get people out but the door was unreachable. I realised then I needed to get away from the building, I ran towards the outdoor benches. The forces were so strong though I got thrown from my feet. As I pulled myself I heard a horrific noise. I spun around just as a shop across from me fell in on itself. This was definelty different to anything we had before. I stood in shock and watched as Cashel St enveloped in dust, as the builders from a few doors up vaulted over the temporary fences they had up outside the buildings they were working on. Working on since the Boxing Day aftersock that had did so much damage, but this was worse.

As the builings came down, and the walking wounded walked towards us we began to realise how bad it was, and how much worse it was going to get. The police were quickly on the street, ushering us out of the city, clearing the areas so help could get to those who really needed it.

That afternoon we sat on my friend back porch, nursing beers, listening to the radio from his housemates car, our bodies bracing against each and every aftershock.

Later that night I got a text from my boyfriend across town that he was coming for me. Our journey was one taken very carefully as there were no city lights to guide us and the roads were heavy with silt and liquidfaction. There was also the problem that all the roads were split and mangled, some totally impassable. Finally we got as far to New Brighton as we could and parked up. Already there were reports of break ins in these cars, already the rats were out to profit on others misfortune. We made our way across Bridge Street, using a small push bike lamp to pick our steps around the cracks. The bridge itself was pushed about a foot out of the road. After that we had to wade through a lake of, well I dont want to think what we wade through, but it was up to our knees. Finally we made it to the candle-filled house where I got out of my wet clothes, and had to wear my boyfriends, everything I opened was in my house on Kilmore St, which is now red-stickered in the cordoned-off CBD.

We got through the week keeping busy surviving. The first day we were busy collecting water. The council had water tankers out in the suburbs by 11 AM, however none of them had taps, so we sought water elsewhere. The second day was a slow trek through traffic towards Belfast to get food and petrol. The third day we got a huge supply of water and a generator. Finally we were in a position of relative comfort, now all we could do was wait.

And so I still wait. Im no longer in New Brighton, due to a earthquake-stress-related breakdown by above mentioned boyfriend. However I will always be gratefull to him for how he took care of me when I most needed it. And to my friends now who have taken me in when I was suddenly left without, what I though, was my only resource.

Its times like these you really see the truth of a person: the majority of people cant do enough to help each other, from offering rooms to families without homes, to just words of support from the lady working at the local dairy. However there are those who only want to loot and steal, making a miserable situtaion all the worse for some people. I strongly support the media who 'name and shame' these louts, Christchurch is a proud city, and will be once again, we dont need people like you in here.

Those of us who are still left are sticking by each other and want to stay.

Sometimes it just works.

A little homesick today.



Also, the last few days of the Buskers Festival here in ChCh, Ive been working for most of it, and anything Ive tried to go and see has been sold out. Le sigh. Nice buzz about the city nonetheless.

Day off.
Front porch.
28 Degrees and sunny.
Glass of wine.
Good book.
Decent music.
Dinner in the oven.

My momma told me there would be days like this.

Im currently in Melbourne.

It is a gorgeous city, really f'ing cold though. So far Ive seen penguins, hung out with a guy that used to be in Home and Away, got inspired by the Tim Buton exhibition, injested a fuck load of sugar and watched Beetle Juice and discovered my inner Dancing Queen at Abba World.

Tomorrow we're flying to Sydney at the ungodly time of 9AM, but I'm looking forward to seeing what that place has to offer. If anyone has any tips or anything of Sydney, Brisbane (Zero Puncuation guy has a bar there that I'll be drinking in for sure) or the East Coast, please, dont keep them to yourself.

Then hopefully head to NZ the second week of October, dont know what part or what doing but that'll come with time. I hope. So far I'm thinking North Island, better chance of getting a job...I think.

I promise I'll put up some pictures as soon as I figure out how to.

In the meantime, MUSIC:



(how hot is the main girl?!)

and



(cos it just came on my ipod- Im listening to the best collection of songs ever that The Boy put together for me for the plane. Its so good, really diverse but each song is great. That guy has smashing taste in music)