Southerly: Village People
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Very happy birthday David – and many happy returns!
As for your daughter – despite allergies – she looks very well – thriving!
Well done, you all – and you all *will* get to where you all want to be, a sustaining
quieter earth place, one that doesnt rollick, or have to endure Ruaumoko, but enjoys the steady heart of Papatuanuku, who takes *all* her offspring in her stead.
Kia ora tatou katoa! -
All anyone can do, in the end, is focus on looking after their family, and themselves, David. It's enough. It's more than enough.
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Gee,
It's hard hearing 'you'll get there' when 'there' is so far away, I know. Here's to getting through each short-term goal. And happy birthday.
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Indulge yourself today, David. You richly deserve it.
Your 'vilage' reminds me a bit of the cluster of baches at Urenui Beach in North Taranaki but at least you don't have loud speakers on every corner.
With so many ingredients missing from that cake I hope you didn't have make a mud cake.
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"Why are you hugging us so hard, Daddy?"
Way with words, sir. And happy birthday, as I suspect you may not hear that enough today.
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I grew up playing in that park, and walking through it to get to school. I still remember when Eastgate was shiny and new - and still called Linwood mall.
I hope your children can find some of the fun I had there.
And happy birthday!
On a completely unrelated note, I was having a conversation with a Christchurch cousin last week, and we were talking about building houses, and I was relating your experience. I said "my friend David...he wrote the book I gave Maddie for Christmas last year?". The three year old in question popped her head up, and excitedly said "Albert Otter!" You have a fan.
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Many thanks for the birthday wishes people! (on the 21st)
My biggest consolation in terms of birthdays is that no matter how old I get I will always be three months younger than Jolisa Gracewood.
My biggest non-consolation is that Jolisa looks about 20 years younger than me. The smug bastard.
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Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to
My biggest consolation in terms of birthdays is that no matter how old I get I will always be three months younger than Jolisa Gracewood.
Excellent. Happy birthday and forever ahead on your new land with your family.Now that the day is closely related to other things, join us Mexicans and celebrate life.
I hope others down that way are able to. Even for those at rest .
Watch out for the marauding Press that will descend on your whatsleftof town . Good Luck! -
Happy birthday, David.
The temporary earthquake village looks very sociable. No doubt soon you will be found hanging over a back fence and sharing a quick ciggie with your neighbours while you share stories of the year that has passed.
Why are you hugging us so hard, Daddy?
Since my darlings arrived, I have found that whenever I hear of disasters and great hardships that other people are facing, my response is to hug my daughters, and whisper quietly that I *will* do my utmost to make sure that they ae okay, that they are able to grow up in love and peace and in the knowledge that I am always there for them, until they are ready to venture out on there on. And even then, I will still be be right here when they need me. Sometimes, it’s all I can do.
ETA: There is an Albert Otter fan in our house too - my quirky 10 year old. 'Though she has issues with the princess not being able to rescue herself.
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Happy Birthday, Doctor President-for-Life Haywood! It has certainly been a big year for you and yours. Once you get to the new place, some rest and recuperation will be mandatory.
One way to get around the *-free issue, is to bake 2 cakes – a big one for the ordinary people and a small one for the special person. That’s how my wife deals with my mushroom allergy (though not in cakes)
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When you do get there, there will be a there there, to paraphrase someone. Very best birthday wishes from London (where it is still the 21st) - I'm eating a Shrove pancake for you, and for Christchurch, and thinking of you all.
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How can you expect the recovery of a city when one of the conditions imposed by the insurance companies for rebuilding is that insurance will be cancelled -- thus instantly placing the owners of the homes or buildings in breach of their mortgage conditions?
This, this more than anything. Surely at this point we could all agree that there is no free-market solution to this problem.
I confess to having felt pretty devastated as we finally left the Avon River and our happy life there. This was goodbye forever. It hurt.
Leaving any home you've loved sucks. Leaving that place under these circumstances sucks enormous goat balls.
Still. From your photos I can 1/pretty much deduce which chalet is yours, and 2/ take comfort from the fact that Polly still has the most gorgeous eyes.
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and the small person responsible for making the recipe so damned difficult
I love the "who me?" look of sweet innocence on her face.
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The main street
I know it's just association with the power ad that comes up next to your post but I can't help expecting to see a Dalek coming down the nice smooth and step free street. Please make sure you have some spray paint handy to block their eye stalks.
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David, Happy Birthday for yesterday and I’m so pleased you’re all comfortably in the Earthquake Village! They started building that in the aftermath of the disastrous Emergency Caravan Park which attracted only one resident, and some were sceptical that it would be used, but there you are! Best of luck with the next part of the process.
[and yeah: what Bart said. Beware Daleks bearing balloon animals]
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Happy Birthday David. Thank you for your stories, when you've had time to give them. They're always strangely cheering, even when they're full of bad news. It's real life, the bitter with the sweet.
In the long run, I doubt excessive hugging during this time will be held against you.
Nor will your attention to your own affairs over those of people who have suffered more. Do not feel guilty about this. I know this advice is futile, from personal experience. But humans can only take so much grief and remain functional. You have remained extraordinarily functional. This is what the people closest to you needed the most.
Keep us up to date with what Linwood Park is like. There won't be too many chances to see a community like that up close.
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But the long-term recovery aspects (planning and regulation and large-scale rebuilding) seem as far away as ever. How can you expect the recovery of a city when one of the conditions imposed by the insurance companies for rebuilding is that insurance will be cancelled – thus instantly placing the owners of the homes or buildings in breach of their mortgage conditions?
How can you expect people to move to Christchurch when they can’t get insurance for rental accommodation? Not just the denial of earthquake insurance, but also the denial of fire and theft cover. Who would come to Christchurch under such conditions? I wouldn’t.
Well, we would, and we are, but I must admit it's not for economically justifiable reasons. And I hadn't realised insurance against theft was unobtainable. WTF.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Happy birthday, David.
The temporary earthquake village looks very sociable. No doubt soon you will be found hanging over a back fence and sharing a quick ciggie with your neighbours while you share stories of the year that has passed
For various reasons, I'm a bit of a mess today, but that image has cheered me right up.
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BenWilson, in reply to
For various reasons, I'm a bit of a mess today, but that image has cheered me right up.
Me too, on both counts.
Edit: The child in the street on a scooter, particularly. When I was little, that was how we met most of the local kids. Seems like some of those "Traffic/pedestrian shared zone" signs could make the communal space between all of the houses into a perfect excuse for adult interaction too.
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Who would come to Christchurch under such conditions?
Well, we would, and we are...
I saw how you cunningly slipped that into the conversation, @Stephen Judd. You say it's not for economic reasons, so I'm guessing it's for the cycling.
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Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to
The child in the street on a scooter, particularly.
Is that Bob?
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Stephen Judd, in reply to
You say it’s not for economic reasons, so I’m guessing it’s for the cycling.
The Beloved wishes to return to her ancestral homeland and be among her people. I'm not sure here and today is the right place to list all the positive reasons I have for moving to Chch, but I do see some, indulging my cyclemania being one.
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Jolisa, in reply to
My biggest consolation in terms of birthdays is that no matter how old I get I will always be three months younger than Jolisa Gracewood.
Whippersnapper!
Seriously, dude: if I could somehow swap the seriously crappy bits of the last year (+ your unhappy move), for the wonderful bits of the last year (+ our happy move), you know I would. Of course, due to complicated physics, this would effectively render me 2 years younger than you forever, but I think you'll agree it's a fair price to pay.
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PS I know you just say these things to get attention, so I'm giving it to you in the form of a giant, inescapable virtual hug and a promise of hospitality ANY time you guys are in Auckland. It's the very, very least we can do.
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I'm a bit of a mess today, but that image has cheered me right up.
Likewise, I was laughing at David's comic brilliance until I choked up my denial of all that's happened there. Sending my love to you and Jen and Bob, David and everyone else there and thereabouts. Blessings to you all.
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