Hard News: Again: Is everyone okay?
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In the meantime, Jim Mora gets the panel yapping about Lybia and we're suddenly reminded that RNZ is not perfect. Crikey.
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Andi,
Wrting frm Lyttelton. Big ups to:
* the Navy and Army. OK, maybe tanks in London St. were a bit over the top, but any crew that can push 1.5 m^2 of cornflakes and snags up Dublin St. are the go-to girls and guys. (NB: HMNZ Canterbury flight dispatchers ... can you hold off on chopper flight's while I'm having a dump in the garden. Thanks.)
* the folks at the Lyttelon Rec center - my gods, if you want to feed the masses go to the Maori and the military.
* Andrew and Glen of the Lyttelton dairy for getting the place open and functional.
* the staff of the Lyttelton Coffee co. - your building was munted, but you're out there anyway.
* Volcano Radio. Who would have thought it, eh.Kia ora. Kia kaha.
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Danielle, in reply to
the panel yapping
I hate you, panel. So very, very much. </Cartman>
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Just reliably back online after the quake. I'm working from the public library in Lincoln (thanks for the free wifi!), trying to find resources for public health in the context of a community managing without power, water, sewerage for a long time (any suggestions greatly appreciated!). I hope you don't, collectively mind if this is a bit out of date by now.
I was on the 4th floor of a building in Oxford Tce, about to get in the lift to go down to the basement, get on my bike and ride across town to teach medical students when the shaking happened. It was wild. But thank goodness I wasn't in the lift (I might still be there), or in the basement (filled with water in minutes) or riding through town (falling bits off buildings). When it finally stopped I went to check on my colleagues and saw the last of the collapse of the PGC building across the river.
All ran down the crumbling walled stairs and out into the ghostly white dust. I've still got the screams and swearing of everyone in my head - must be the most F*CKs I've heard in any few seconds (though this is probably not as bad as my primary school teacher sister-in-law who has the sound of many small school children screaming stuck in her head). Cars started rolling by, some with rubble on the roof, and a mass exodus of people walking.
After contemplating heading to the PGC building, not being able to contact my wife or kids I headed for home down Madras St, through Latimer Square (stopped to help a couple of people with minor injuries) and past the collapsed CTV building. Unbelievable. I was torn between wanting to lift rubble and search for people and finding my family. The fact that there was a smouldering fire and police arriving decided it for me, and I guess I wouldn't have much help anyway, but I'll always wonder if I should've tried.
I kept walking towards home in Sydenham, and eventually got my wife on the phone and heard she'd got our 95 year old nighbour out of her house and to another neighbour, and was going to get our kids. I hadn't realised how scared I was for her, and cried when I heard her voice. She managed to get our kids despite multiple impassable bridges, we met back at our house, where silt was rapdily rising out the ground and filling the street. We grabbed a few things out of the mess in our house, threw them in the car with the yelling kids. Most of the kitchen was on the floor, all the books out of the shelves, but luckily/hopefully no major structural damage. We got out of town, and we're staying with family in Lincoln who at least have power, water and sewerage, and no damage. We've had three nights ont he florr, but it feels like luxury compared to those sleeping in tents and stadia around the city. It feels good to be doing some work, that might make a difference to people in the city. After shocks aside, the kids are good, and it doesn't take much whiskey to help with getting to sleep...
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Just to join in:
Can anyone make head or tail of what Jim Hopkins is on about?
Why on earth would you try? It's like running repeatedly headfirst into a particularly dense object. It's only good for you in the sense that it feels wonderful when you stop.
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Great to hear from you, Matthew, and many thanks for telling your story.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Great to hear from you, Matthew, and many thanks for telling your story.
Indeed. It's worth noting that this site is archived by the National Library, so stories told here will be collected there for people to read in decades to come.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
(NB: HMNZ Canterbury flight dispatchers … can you hold off on chopper flight’s while I’m having a dump in the garden. Thanks.)
Lol.
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Now remember I am not alI poetic. But.
I think he is saying that the world was not made for us but rather we were made for the world. We have to put up with it, it don't have to put up with us. As Scott A says: Shit happens. You can't rant against the world because of the shit and expect it to hear you. It's deaf. It truly truly doesn't even care that you exist. Try and just accept that it is part of life and .....be kind.
And we cry.
But life is beautiful.
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Alex Coleman, in reply to
I hate you, panel. So very, very much. </Cartman>
Gary McCormick's poem just now though, was the shit.
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But I have to say, with Jim being a CTV bloke from way back. I did wonder.......
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Russell Brown, in reply to
And I don’t know anyone, least of all me, saying otherwise. Parker really can’t win, can he – because there were plenty of people accusing him last September of cynically media-whoring the last quake into a second term.
I was among those who felt he was making some electoral capital out of the job in September -- but this time I think he's been superb. It's a communicator's role, and he's doing that very well.
I gather the chief of the British S&R team said on RNZ today that this is the best-managed disaster response he's ever seen. With the caveat that I'm 1000km away and I don't really know anything about this stuff, it seems hugely impressive to me, too.
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Re: Jim Hopkins. Couldn't make head or tail of it either, really.
But a commenter named Curmudgeon typed "Jim, you're an inspiration," so it touched him. Jolly good.
Oh look! It's wine o'clock!
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recordari, in reply to
It’s worth noting that this site is archived by the National Library, so stories told here will be collected there for people to read in decades to come.
Gulp. I'll keep that in mind.
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Oh look! It's wine o'clock!
Jolly good, have one for me. And I shall have one for you.
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Can anyone make head or tail of what Jim Hopkins is on about?
Not usually. At least this week he's not filled his column with the usual tedious prose and awful puns. Small mercies.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Jolly good, have one for me. And I shall have one for you.
Deal.
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See. I miss the point everytime. Beer o'clock.
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I gather the chief of the British S&R team said on RNZ today that this is the best-managed disaster response he’s ever seen. With the caveat that I’m 1000km away and I don’t really know anything about this stuff, it seems hugely impressive to me, too.
I've been thinking what it would be like if it had happened elsewhere. I remember what it was like getting information in the first few hours after the Samoa tsunami. The way this is being managed seems remarkable.
Oh look! It’s wine o’clock!
Jolly good, have one for me. And I shall have one for you.
Can you both have one for me please. I suspect I'll be in bed before New Zealand's innings finishes.
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BenWilson, in reply to
Wrting frm Lyttelton. Big ups to:
+1 Sometimes it's good to have armed forces! Sounds like they were bloody legends.
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Can you both have one for me please. I suspect I'll be in bed before New Zealand's innings finishes.
Not if some of our previous performances are anything to go by.
ETA: By 'our' I mean 'the Black Caps' not 'mine and Megan's'. Just to be clear.
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Megan Wegan, in reply to
yeah, i was thinking in about an hour. That'll give them enough time to capitulate, right?
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Paul Williams, in reply to
ETA: By 'our' I mean 'the Black Caps' not 'mine and Megan's'. Just to be clear.
One day that story ought to be aired...
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Just catching up with all threads - especially this one- having been otherwise involved elsewhere.
Felt the shake in Big O, and my neighbour arrived just before I headed over the hill to say she'd checked Geonet & it was somewhere towards Westport.
When I 'phoned in to Oamaru, at Geraldine, my mother broke the awful news. She'd been busy trying to ascertain whanau whereabouts & safety for some hours.
Thus far: 3 damaged houses that survived Sept 4, now munted. 3 others moderately damaged, now severely damaged BUT! no whanau member - or friend- hospitalised, hurt, or missing - and that is a considerable relief-
and, as a family, we have sufficient resources to shelter & aid whanau/friends who need to get out of CHCH. We appreciate that luck......
It was so good to read the blogs & commentary, and learn the PAS community had majorly got through the secondary major quake & aftershocks. The info - & humour! - has been both helpful & marvellous.
Thank you so much, Russell et al-
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Oh Brendon, Brendon, Brendon. That is all.
17 years wed today. Off to celebrate. Will have one for everyone.
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