A tribute to the good folk of Christchurch!

[Mom]

I work in payroll. Most of my clients and caregivers/support workers are in Christchurch, they have experienced as much or more than everyone down there. I have one caregiver that has taken her client into her home to look after, as his home was destroyed in February. Unbelievable!

I was talking to a support worker in Christchurch today. Her own home was completely destroyed in February, she found a rental, half of it "fell off" last Monday. She is once again homeless, currently staying with her son.

I have a Supervisor who has a daughter completely traumatised by the quakes, she keeps on doing her job. The stories are amazing, the complete powelessness of us up here is actually distressing at times.

To all of you down there, dealing with daily life in the shifting city, I take my hat off to you! Kia kaha!

[Bikemad]

the complete powelessness of us up here is actually distressing at times.

yes i have to agree with you on that one Mom.......lived my first 21 years in ChCh and still have some great friends who are living thru this shit.......one couple finished their dream house down rockinghorse rd south brighton a couple of years ago........still standing but requires a bit of TLC now..........she has lost her job as a result of the quake.......a lot of their good neighbours have left so they feel somewhat isolated..........another couple have been told they will be gettin a new house as a concrete wall on one side of the house is fucked and in danger of falling into the house......so they cant use the upstairs and only one half of the house downstairs.......so a new house for them.......MAYBE in three to five years.........was down there Queens b/day weekend.........the city is a ghost town...........walked round the red zone and the arts centre and the only people i saw were police,security,clean up workers and other people like me with cameras standing around shaking their heads in disbelief............you see it on the tele but are somewhat removed from it.......when you see it for real..........wow.....gutwrenching about sums it up

[Oakie]

I echo Mom's comments.

I do HR and oversee payroll for a similar organisation to her by the sounds of it and each of those three scenarios she gave have happened with my colleagues too. Could probably tell 50 different stories actually. I'm just in awe of some of the stuff our guys did for our residents, often regardless of their own personal situation. www.hohepa.com

[fuknKIWI]

............you see it on the tele but are somewhat removed from it.......when you see it for real..........wow.....gutwrenching about sums it up

I'm not looking forward to the inevitable trip back there to help Mum out. I f the insurers would be straight about it we might know when that's going to be.
As this thread goes I'd like to pay my tribute to the good people of CHCH especially those who've come to Mum's assistance. The other good people of CHCH who helped out neighbours, strangers or anybody who needed a hand, they all embody the ANZAC spirit.
Unfortunately not all are the good people of CHCH, scumbags traditionally looters were shot on sight but alas not in this PC day & age

[Mom]

I'm not looking forward to the inevitable trip back there to help Mum out. I f the insurers would be straight about it we might know when that's going to be.
As this thread goes I'd like to pay my tribute to the good people of CHCH especially those who've come to Mum's assistance. The other good people of CHCH who helped out neighbours, strangers or anybody who needed a hand, they all embody the ANZAC spirit.
Unfortunately not all are the good people of CHCH, scumbags traditionally loters were shot on sight but alas not in this PC day & age

Concentrate on the ones that have helped out your Mommy for they are the true heroes of this terrible event. The scum do not deserve acknowledgement in any way shape or form.

[Mom]

I echo Mom's comments.

I do HR and oversee payroll for a similar organisation to her by the sounds of it and each of those three scenarios she gave have happened with my colleagues too. Could probably tell 50 different stories actually. I'm just in awe of some of the stuff our guys did for our residents, often regardless of their own personal situation. www.hohepa.com

Yes, incredibly inspiring stories. How you guys are coping is beyond me. I can not imagine using a port-o-loo since September as some poor bastards have had to cope with. I dont do port-a-loos in the best of circumstances.

Hats off, and HUGE kudos to you all!

[Oakie]

The scum do not deserve acknowledgement in any way shape or form.

In the old days they would be banished. It's a shame that statute is not still available. As good as so many people are here, there are a handful who should be kicked out, never to be allowed back. That's for an other thread tho. Back on topic now.

[blue rider]

A lot of my customers are down in CHCH, it is just sad when the news of more shakes come.
i am just amazed at the gallows humor and strength the people down there show everyday.

And i am annoyed with myself, because in all the time that i have lived in NZ i never made it to CHCH.

[AllanB]

Very well put Mom.

Yep some serious shit going on down here, physically and mentally and the strain is starting to show on people.

Schools, homes, jobs broken.

The Earthquakes and the inability of a self-centred, employer with little regard for his staff are directly responsible for me having a complete change of career two weeks ago.

Life is that much better now and Quake related worries are easier to deal with.

A bit of retail therapy on the bike has helped too!


One thing in the general public's credit is how polite people are being in the crappy Aucklandish traffic conditions we are experiencing if you want to travel across 'town'. CHCH rightly had a rep for being headstrong and ignorant in our traffic manners - downright aggressive at times. This has gone (yeah there is still the occasional wanker) and people will stop and wave you into traffic etc.

Bloody good to see


PS - I'm getting a bit sick of John Cambell

[jaffaonajappa]

To all of you down there, dealing with daily life in the shifting city, I take my hat off to you! Kia kaha!

Ditto.
lots of kiwis are thinking this way I suspect.

[ellipsis]

...hey Mom, thanks for that..i'm a bit of crusty gristle, but my sphincter has got a couple of new notches,,,i also fear for whanau and acquaintances who are trying to get by in places that are beyond the realms of fix..it is a mindblowing fuck to the head...it would be great to think that it could be over sometime...that thought is something few here entertain...

[Oakie]

How you guys are coping is beyond me. I can not imagine using a port-o-loo since September as some poor bastards have had to cope with. I dont do port-a-loos in the best of circumstances.

Port-a-loo? Luxury. Why, I remember having to poo in a hole in the ground behind my garage.
Fortunately we went directly from hole in the ground back to flushing toilet without having to use a port-a-loo. I will admit though to still having the odd pee on the garden when it's dark as there is still the odd feeling of guilt flushing the dunny.

[mashman]

I'm not looking forward to the inevitable trip back there to help Mum out. I f the insurers would be straight about it we might know when that's going to be.
As this thread goes I'd like to pay my tribute to the good people of CHCH especially those who've come to Mum's assistance. The other good people of CHCH who helped out neighbours, strangers or anybody who needed a hand, they all embody the ANZAC spirit.
Unfortunately not all are the good people of CHCH, scumbags traditionally looters were shot on sight but alas not in this PC day & age

I'm sure I read somewhere that some inmates where helping to dig out some of the neighbourhoods recently? Shame on the scumbags.

It's shit that we can't all just stop what we're doing and help out some how... and the realist (cynic) in me, thinks that the Insurers are probably waiting to see if there's another one, before they start shelling out the cash. Doesn't help the people out like. But it saves us wasting money .

All the best to you Chch folk.

[Grumph]

PS - I'm getting a bit sick of John Cambell[/QUOTE]

Get used to seeing him around - he's mining a very fertile patch and knows it..
IMO he's only scratched the surface yet - wait till the shit around Fletchers penetrates the media consciousness.
Interesting that the other channels haven't jumped in yet.

[MIXONE]

My wife has been commuting between Welly and Chchur every week since Feb and the stories she comes home with are both awe inspiring and scarey.I am so glad we no longer live in "Shakesville" but really feel for friends and whanau stuck there.