You know you’re from Christchurch when you sleep in one suburb, shower in another and collect water from yet another…
That is the reality for many Christchurch residents. Thankfully, not for us. In September 2010 Christchurch was hit by a 7.1 magnitude Earthquake. I was currently living at home with my parents (this was before I was married). All of a sudden around 4am I awoke to hear noises in the distance. It sounded like those of train, so I didn’t think much of it until I realized there were NO train tracks round here. I sat up in my bed listening to the sound getting louder and more intense. All of sudden the light above my head started shaking, and before I knew it I was getting thrown across the room, crashing against the walls, and screaming for help. It seemed to last forever. At the time it was only myself, my brother and my dad at home. My mum had gone to visit her mother, and my sister was staying with a friend. When it all stopped Dad appeared in my doorway looking pale. He told me to get up and come outside. He asked if I was ok. I replied to him saying,“I’m fine, but what the heck just happened?” I reached for the light to find that the power was out. Fumbling around to find torches was a mission. Looking back at it now, I know why it is always a good idea to have an emergency kit handy. We went outside to find half the neighborhood in the street. Dad went to check out the elderly neighbors close to us. My brother and I stayed outside, too scared to go back in.
A few hours later when daybreak dawned we were able to get a better picture of what the damage was like. Surprisingly, not much broke, things were all over the floor, and the power was still not on, but our house was still standing and we were ok. Nearly a year later we are still experiencing earthquakes. Christchurch and surrounding areas have endured over 8,000 earthquakes of varying sizes. In April 2011, Dallin and I were to be married. We hadn’t had an earthquake for a few weeks and it was looking good that they had finally stopped, until we got a call from on of Dallin’s relatives in the North Island. They said that there is an earthquake predicted for the weekend of our wedding. This wasn’t good news. We thought that guests would pull out of our wedding, and ya know what? We were right. Nearly all of Dallin’s extended family pulled out. They were too scared to risk coming to Christchurch just incase the predictions were true. Although we were both disappointed we accepted it and moved on. The wedding reception went without a hitch, we ate plenty, shared stories, and danced the night away. The next day all of Dallin’s family that could make it, came to our house for dinner. They were leaving the next day to go home and we thought a dinner together before they left would be nice. Then it happened. A 5.1 magnitude quake happened causing all in the house to fall to their knees and look for safety. Dallin’s dad came running out of the bathroom, yelling “WOW guys! Did you feel that one? Gee Wizz!! The house rattled, but again, we were all ok.
Now as a married couple we do live in fear everyday of another big earthquake. If anything, natural disasters make you think about those around you whom you love the most. Dallin and I never leave the house without a kiss, an ‘I love you’, and a cuddle. Everyday we count our blessings. We are still alive after so many lost their lives, and we still have each other. We are of the mind now that we can’t go living our lives not doing things we love just because there might be an earthquake. We have even tried to laugh about when they do happen. I’ll give you an example of what I mean.
We are used to having earthquakes on a daily basis, most of them are little, large enough to feel, but not the ‘run for cover we could die’ type. One particular day, not long ago, Dallin and I were sitting on the couch watching a movie when we heard one coming, we didn’t get up because after 8,000 odd you get used to it. When it hit we soon got up, Dallin instantly threw his arms over me and started to pull me down under the coffee table. During all this all I managed to get out was, “Don’t save me! Save the T.V!” I then ran over to catch the vases on the bookshelf while Dallin wrestled with the 52-inch television. When it stopped we couldn’t help but laugh and think, it’s come to this, we can’t be bothered claiming for another broken T.V so we save it instead.
These earthquakes have certainly tested us, but they have also bought us closer together. Although there was complete and utter devastation in Christchurch and our city will never be the same again, people have been there for each other; students from the local university have set up a student army to help out where needed. People from all over the city donated food and offered their homes for showers. We are being looked after. Prayers continue to be said everyday as we live through an experience that has changed our lives forever.
I thought I’d leave you with a few funnies… after all, Laughter is often the best medicine, enjoy!
-- Rachel
You know your from Christchurch when.
1. Geonet / ChristchurchQuakeMap is your homepage
2. The rest of the country offers you a place to stay
3. You see a nice park in another city and think it would make a good evacuation point.
4. You think it's fine for a soldier to be stationed at the end of your street
5. It’s normal to greet people with “do you need a shower?”
6. A bucket of crap is no longer that old car you drive.
7. You prefer to sit under the table instead of at it
8. You can see irony in claims about houses made of “permanent materials”
9. Your teenagers are only too happy to sleep in the same room as their parents
10. Dressing up to "head into town" means putting on a hi-viz vest, hardhat and boots.
11. You have dust mask tan lines.
12. The answer to where anything is ... it’s on the floor.
You know you’re from Christchurch when you sleep in one suburb, shower in another and collect water from yet another…
That is the reality for many Christchurch residents. Thankfully, not for us. In September 2010 Christchurch was hit by a 7.1 magnitude Earthquake. I was currently living at home with my parents (this was before I was married). All of a sudden around 4am I awoke to hear noises in the distance. It sounded like those of train, so I didn’t think much of it until I realized there were NO train tracks round here. I sat up in my bed listening to the sound getting louder and more intense. All of sudden the light above my head started shaking, and before I knew it I was getting thrown across the room, crashing against the walls, and screaming for help. It seemed to last forever. At the time it was only myself, my brother and my dad at home. My mum had gone to visit her mother, and my sister was staying with a friend. When it all stopped Dad appeared in my doorway looking pale. He told me to get up and come outside. He asked if I was ok. I replied to him saying,“I’m fine, but what the heck just happened?” I reached for the light to find that the power was out. Fumbling around to find torches was a mission. Looking back at it now, I know why it is always a good idea to have an emergency kit handy. We went outside to find half the neighborhood in the street. Dad went to check out the elderly neighbors close to us. My brother and I stayed outside, too scared to go back in.
A few hours later when daybreak dawned we were able to get a better picture of what the damage was like. Surprisingly, not much broke, things were all over the floor, and the power was still not on, but our house was still standing and we were ok. Nearly a year later we are still experiencing earthquakes. Christchurch and surrounding areas have endured over 8,000 earthquakes of varying sizes. In April 2011, Dallin and I were to be married. We hadn’t had an earthquake for a few weeks and it was looking good that they had finally stopped, until we got a call from on of Dallin’s relatives in the North Island. They said that there is an earthquake predicted for the weekend of our wedding. This wasn’t good news. We thought that guests would pull out of our wedding, and ya know what? We were right. Nearly all of Dallin’s extended family pulled out. They were too scared to risk coming to Christchurch just incase the predictions were true. Although we were both disappointed we accepted it and moved on. The wedding reception went without a hitch, we ate plenty, shared stories, and danced the night away. The next day all of Dallin’s family that could make it, came to our house for dinner. They were leaving the next day to go home and we thought a dinner together before they left would be nice. Then it happened. A 5.1 magnitude quake happened causing all in the house to fall to their knees and look for safety. Dallin’s dad came running out of the bathroom, yelling “WOW guys! Did you feel that one? Gee Wizz!! The house rattled, but again, we were all ok.
Now as a married couple we do live in fear everyday of another big earthquake. If anything, natural disasters make you think about those around you whom you love the most. Dallin and I never leave the house without a kiss, an ‘I love you’, and a cuddle. Everyday we count our blessings. We are still alive after so many lost their lives, and we still have each other. We are of the mind now that we can’t go living our lives not doing things we love just because there might be an earthquake. We have even tried to laugh about when they do happen. I’ll give you an example of what I mean.
We are used to having earthquakes on a daily basis, most of them are little, large enough to feel, but not the ‘run for cover we could die’ type. One particular day, not long ago, Dallin and I were sitting on the couch watching a movie when we heard one coming, we didn’t get up because after 8,000 odd you get used to it. When it hit we soon got up, Dallin instantly threw his arms over me and started to pull me down under the coffee table. During all this all I managed to get out was, “Don’t save me! Save the T.V!” I then ran over to catch the vases on the bookshelf while Dallin wrestled with the 52-inch television. When it stopped we couldn’t help but laugh and think, it’s come to this, we can’t be bothered claiming for another broken T.V so we save it instead.
These earthquakes have certainly tested us, but they have also bought us closer together. Although there was complete and utter devastation in Christchurch and our city will never be the same again, people have been there for each other; students from the local university have set up a student army to help out where needed. People from all over the city donated food and offered their homes for showers. We are being looked after. Prayers continue to be said everyday as we live through an experience that has changed our lives forever.
I thought I’d leave you with a few funnies… after all, Laughter is often the best medicine, enjoy!
-- Rachel
You know your from Christchurch when.
1. Geonet / ChristchurchQuakeMap is your homepage
2. The rest of the country offers you a place to stay
3. You see a nice park in another city and think it would make a good evacuation point.
4. You think it's fine for a soldier to be stationed at the end of your street
5. It’s normal to greet people with “do you need a shower?”
6. A bucket of crap is no longer that old car you drive.
7. You prefer to sit under the table instead of at it
8. You can see irony in claims about houses made of “permanent materials”
9. Your teenagers are only too happy to sleep in the same room as their parents
10. Dressing up to "head into town" means putting on a hi-viz vest, hardhat and boots.
11. You have dust mask tan lines.
12. The answer to where anything is ... it’s on the floor.
