Posts by Jackie Clark
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I saw my friend Kath yesterday. She and her partner had taken the opportunity to get out of Chch, along with her mother, for a couple of days respite. She was in Riccarton at work when the earthquake struck, and hotfooted it almost immediately over to check up on her very elderly mother, and her children. All were okay, if shaken. They live in the Eastern Suburbs (north of New Brighton) and she says that they are feeling very isolated. They are going to have to wait a number of weeks for power because the underground cables are so badly damaged that the power company is putting up overhead lines. She's outraged about that. She feels abandoned, basically. I told her about how much saturation of coverage those of us with power, both in Chch and the rest of NZ are experiencing so that at times, it must feel like everyone had more information about what was happening in her city, than she does. She raged about the lack of portaloos. "The City Council has 750 portaloos. Where are they all? " she wanted to know. I had to remind her about the big picture. That many people had died, that Chch is a spreadout city and how hard it must be to communicate with people who don't have power. She was shitty that the radio suggested people go onto websites that had useful information. How can we do that? she wondered. She doesn't appear to have one of those neighbourhoods where everyone is pulling together - there's no liquefaction, no-one's house has been broken or destroyed, so I guess that there is no reason for them to come out of their homes, where they have been basically ensconsed for the last few days. You're in it, I told her, so it's hard for you to be looking at it objectively. I told her not to read the Herald yesterday, but she did anyway. Nothing I haven't seen before, she said. I guess the only thing is to keep ringing her every day and making sure she's okay. Sorry for the long post, but I seem to be the only person she has to vent to about all these things that, while ultimately, given the extent of damage to her city, aren't huge things - like life and home ripped asunder - are the things that she frets about.
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Hard News: Again: Is everyone okay?, in reply to Islander,
Islander, that was a little ungenerous. Not like you at all.
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I'm wondering if that pony is Crown Lynn. Hmm.
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That's a lovely idea, Hilary.
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Hard News: Some time last week, in reply to Russell Brown,
Oh well, never mind. And meanwhile, enjoy giving your pepeha at the wedding today.
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Hard News: Again: Is everyone okay?, in reply to Scott A,
I hadn't heard this, Scott. Thanks for that. He does give good poetry, our man, doesn't he? I still remember the one he wrote for the young man that died at Pike River.
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Hard News: Again: Is everyone okay?, in reply to David Haywood,
Hurrah! I, for one, will hold you to it. And tell Bob that kindy's fun, even if he was very self preservative in his hidey hole.
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Hard News: Again: Is everyone okay?, in reply to Megan Wegan,
That's actually a bit scary that, along with the fantastic writing, all the shooting shit stuff gets saved too. Who knew?
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Hard News: Again: Is everyone okay?, in reply to recordari,
Congratulations, J. Big loves to you, and your wife, and your lovely girls.
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Hard News: Some time last week, in reply to SteveH,
Thanks Steve, but I already paid $1.79 for it. All good.