Napier has just celebrated Art Deco weekend. This is not just a celebration of Napier's Art Deco heritage. It is also the weekend when the Napier earthquake of 1931 is remembered
and the efforts of those who re-built the city from the ruins are
commemorated.
The Napier quake happened on Tuesday 3 February 1931. This day last year, 80 years 19 days 2 hours and 4 minutes after the Napier Quake the February Quake struck Christchurch.
I know of no better way of showing you the outcome of the Christchurch Quake than suggesting you visit Fiona's post A Quake Milestone next week - One Year Later.
My comment on Fiona's post was:
Few who are living today and who has not lived through all that Cantabrians have lived through over the last year can have any true idea what it has been like. Perhaps some of the very senior residents of Napier when the 1931 earthquake struck can remember it. But for people like me who have followed this blog over the last year it is unimaginable. That does not stop it having been an extremely harrowing and emotional experience. The difference is that when I have wiped the tears temporarily from my eyes and the thoughts temporarily from my mind I am free of the aftershocks and living with the daily physicality of the City.
I have said it many times before and I can but repeat it: I cannot imagine what you are all going through and my heart goes out to you.
It is certainly not all sad - there continue to be pluses among the changes; it has been nice to meet new people, have different friendships, changed priorities and re-appreciate the small stuff, families, a roof over our heads. Just today we talked at work about how good it was to enjoy certain things - and I mentioned that just having constant power and water still seems a huge positive to me!I know that I shall.
You really don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.
I hope you will think of us all at 12.51pm Wednesday 22nd Feb as we observe two minutes silence.
Posts
Thanks GB - a big day here. Good to know others will remember with us.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have remembered the exact date without reminder; if it's hard even for other New Zealanders to quite grasp the consequences in Christchurch, it's even more so at my end of the world. I have been looking in on Fi's blog on and off over the year though so I do have some idea. I often think of it when I hear of other catastrophes around the world now... On our news there has been very little mention of Christchurch after the first big initial quakes, it is only through blogs that I know about the "afterwards" situation.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post Geeb. It was a day I shall never forget. But it is another thing entirely to be slowly eroded over a subsequent year. Thinking of you all in Christchurch.
ReplyDeleteIt seems a long time ago that we were in Syria unable to get internet, knowing that good friends were staying in the centre of Canterbury, on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New Zealand. They had a difficult time, and we were very relieved to learn some time later that they were okay. I shall certainly be thinking of that day, tomorrow, and remembering those who are still coping with the aftermath.
ReplyDeleteIt's been an emotional day!
ReplyDelete