Grab the Brick!

This is my mate Rob, he's probably saying "where is your bl**dy model release?" (he runs and online photo library) and in the next breath, "grab the bl**dy brick.:" I was the labourer. Funny thing was, about 5 minutes later Search and Rescue came to check that all people in the household we're OK, we said that currently we were, but there we're no guarantees, up a ladder dismantling 10KG blocks, with aftershocks :-) They laughed nervously and carried onto the next house. Cowboys, I bet they were thinking!

So, I spent all day helping Rob (and neighbours) dismantle their houses. OK, just parts of houses, the bits most likely to fall off. And then we "rebuilt" them with plastic. This stuff here is Oamaru Stone. Want some? It's going REAL cheap ;-) The houses that have fared best in the earthquake are basically wood construction with iron roofs. Brick and stone? Very bad. Blame it on the English ;-)

So that was pretty much the day, several trips to the hardware store, lunch with the neighbours in exchange for helping demo their front entrance and rebuild it in ply, working on Robs, then coming home to have dinner with friends (who I put to work helping build my outdoor shower). Well, it's a solar (camping) shower on a pulley. And man, was it great at 10pm tonight to have my first shower in 4 days - bliss!

Still no water or toilet, but being campers we're OK. Less OK is 145 now confirmed dead, with many more still missing. Very sadly, the wife of a family we know is now confirmed dead. It really puts it all in perspective for you, I feel so incredibly sorry for the husband and their kids, both same age as ours. How utterly devastating.

But to try and end on a more positive note ... in my trips out today, especially down Barrington Street, I was amazed at the community. People were in the streets everywhere, shovelling liquefied sand, helping each other, assisted by front end loaders and trucks to take it all away. It was a hive of activity, and man it looked great. It felt alive, lots of energy, a city picking itself up. And then, people have setup water stations everywhere. Roll up with your container, get all the water you want for free. This city, community and country rock.

Made me feel great.

If you'd like to help, the Red Cross are doing a great job and you can donate online.