22 february 2011.

9:04:00 AM

the iconic christchurch cathedral in the centre of town, before + after
fallen facades + now condemned shops in the cbd
road outside the fashion school in the cbd where i finished in november
the 'explosion' in the kitchen at home
a mountain of magazines from the fallen bookcase + toppled computer + heater ripped clean off the wall at home
Sorry I haven't posted in so long, but over the past week I have been somewhat of a 'displaced person'. Last Tuesday I left for the cinema, and didn't make it home until 5 days later. This was due to a huge 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Christchurch leaving the centre of town and many homes devastated, and looking like a war zone. Unfortunately, not only buildings and possessions were lost as the earthquake also claimed many lives. I was driving at 12.51pm when the earthquake hit and it took me a while to realise what was happening, at first I thought I had a flat tyre or had driven into a big pothole. It wasn't until I looked up and saw the buildings shaking violently,  people running into the street and a large crack open in the road beside me, that I knew what I was in the middle of. Thankfully, I was not in the worst hit area (CBD) at the time...although 10 minutes earlier it would have been a different story. When the phone lines finally freed up I was so relieved to hear that my friends and family were all okay. Being pretty close to the epicentre, after the event the power, water and sewage was out at my house and stayed that way for several days, so Jess was super-kind and adopted me during my 'displacement'. Now I'm back at home, which I'm glad to say has held up pretty well. Even though there is a big clean up ahead and we're still without water and facilities,  I can't complain too much as others have lost a lot more than me. It's hard to believe that something like this could happen to my home, and so surreal to see the images of the places and landmarks I knew so well, now in ruins x

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