Christchurch Earthquake 4

Well, I've just had 2 really relaxing, fun-filled and joyous days of annual leave. Not.

More thinking and reflecting on the last few days today, fuelled by a bunched of nasty aftershocks last night. Some of the thoughts that have stayed with me are:
-bloody hell, I really wish I didn't know that we were only 16km from the epicentre!
-how can so much sand and silt come out of the ground so fast?
-how is Christchurch going to regain it's previous stately beauty?
-impressed at how quickly we could resupply after the event
-impressed at how everyone is working together and supporting each other as best as we can

In terms of images, the ones that have persisted are:
-seeing "X" and "No" in orange spray paint on a building that has been condemned, even if it looks OK
-sitting at a traffic light and seeing a car waiting at the lights beneath a chimney that you can see daylight through and could collapse at any moment
-railway lines only 3km from my house that have an S bend in them
-cracks a metre wide ripped in the landscape
-bridges that have collapsed entries, exits and big ridges in them
-pictures of The Dragon's workspace showing all the roof tiles above his desk missing...which would have landed where he normally sits
-cases of V bottles littering a floor in a warehouse (waah!)
-smashed wine bottles piled about half a metre high in the local supermarket (double waah!)

And the things that have made me angry:
-my birthday today (and the point was?!)
-burglars and looters
-The Dragon's work who want everyone in the place despite significant building safety and sanitation issues. Some people really are knobs.

Yippee, back to work tomorrow. Can't wait.

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The Rose