EARTHQUAPOCALYPSE

So Christchurch had an earthquake! Luckily it hit at 4.30am while there were no cars and people out in the streets - so there have been no deaths - but there has been an awful lot of damage, especially in the central city, which was full of historic buildings and is now full of historic buildings with no fronts on, and historic bricks.

History.

The media have not stopped yammering on about Miracle Escapes and Widespread Devastation and Citizens Shaken (nice pun) and Massive Rebuild and so on. Everyone is extremely over-excited about the earthquake. I mean, there is a lot of damage. It's a pretty big deal. But the media coverage of the earthquake is more exciting than the reality of the earthquake (a 7.1, for those who like to quantify these things). Some people have been evacuated from unsafe homes and 20% of the city is still without water and power. It is a Civil Defence Situation. It is a State of Emergency.

It is exciting. (I know that sounds insensitive when people have lost property and been displaced. But it is. (Exciting, not insensitive. Actually I guess it's kind of both.))

Everyone is running around going, "But things like this don't happen in New Zealand! Not in Christchurch! Nothing ever happens in Christchurch!" Which is true. I think the shock of Something Happening In Christchurch is actually bigger than the shock of the quake. Christchurch was even trending on Twitter for a few hours this morning, which goes beyond the wildest dreams of the creators of both Twitter and Christchurch.

I'm using photos from news sites here, but I did take tons, and will post them when I get them off the Pilot's computer. The one of me 'falling in a hole' is particularly amusing.

Like this, but vastly improved by the addition of me, half in the hole and waving my arms about. Also the hole is better.

The earthquake itself wasn't too bad - it felt like being on a fairground ride, just before it comes to a shuddering stop, except the shuddering carried on. I woke up and decided that it wasn't worth getting out of bed (actual thought process: "What is that! Oh, is earthquake. Quite big! Oh well. Probably won't die and if I do, oh well." Getting out of bed and going to a doorway didn't even cross my mind, although apparently at home - I was at the Pilot's - Kate tried to hide under the bed, which was a poor idea as her bed goes right to the floor).

I asked if the Pilot was ok because I thought maybe he would be scared and I could be Caring Capable Girlfriend, but he wasn't scared (which was, I admit, mildly disappointing), he wasn't even really properly awake, so we made a cheap joke about "did the earth move for you" and went back to sleep.

Devastation was widespread! Our pot plant fell over.

Luckily our - my family's - house is completely undamaged. We are in an area that wasn't hit hard, but the Pilot's area was hit badly - his house has two brick chimneys, and while neither of those have come down they've both shifted and there are cracks all over the walls, including a spot where you can see light coming in from outside. There's also buckling in the sidewalks and cracks in the streets - it looked like a very low budget 2012, any second I was expecting John Cusack to come up the street on a bicycle - and heaps of evil-looking black mud, which has come up from underground in bursts. Have photos of all of this except John Cusack. Will put him in using MS Paint.


But who were the real heroes of the earthquake? The community.

Ha ha, just kidding, it's Kate and Sam's three fish (Valentino, Cupid, and Luigi). Their tank crashed to the floor during the quake, and it was dark (the power was out) and there was glass and Kate and Sam were scared and assumed the fish were dead, and went into Mum's room. (This is while the Pilot and I slept peacefully on.) Three hours later, when it got light, they went in to clean up the room and Luigi moved! He was alive! All three of the fish were alive! And now they are living in a large jam saucepan, recovering from their Horrific Ordeal.

And now I'm not sure if I have work tomorrow morning because this:


So. Don't say nothing ever happens in Christchurch.

(Thoughts are with those who have had property damaged. Thoughts are also with those having to answer the phones at the insurance companies over the last couple of days.)