Christchurch survivors

My mum’s a New Zealander and all her family live there.

Last September one of my cousins was effected by the earthquake and found the experience quite scary. It took the young children a little while to recover especially the baby whom was restless for days. This picture shows the road just around the corner from them.

I emailed those living in Christchurch where they purchased a house a couple of years ago hoping they were well and sending our thoughts and prayers their way after the recent events. I received a reply a few days later to say that my cousin was on the phone to her husband who was on business in Auckland. The conversation was normal until all he heard was screams and then the line went dead!

Liz had grabbed her children as the house shook violently around them and hung onto them whilst laying on the floor. They didn’t move until the tremor stopped. John meanwhile managed to get a flight in the early hours from Deniden followed by a car journey not really knowing what was in store.

What a nightmare of a journey for him, I really felt for them. Their house has been assessed and deemed not safe to live in and it could take at least a year before their area is habitable again as the sewage system is beyond easy repair. Obviously the most important fact is they’re alive. A removal lorry arrived and they salvaged most of their belongings and have left the area. Fortunately for them the company John works for have an office up in Nelson and have transferred him, so they are housed temporarily until they decide what to do next.

I have no recent pictures as their priority was to move out quickly and communication was still slow when I last heard from them.

Thoughts are with those who have not been as lucky as my cousins and lost loved ones.

My daughter

About time I added something about my fourteen year old. She has always loved running and since she was 5 years old she would without fail win the sports day events. People (in the nicest possible way) couldn’t wait for her to move up to senior school to give somebody else a chance to win. Embarrassment would set in because I suspected she would win the annual event yet again.

Once she started senior school the competition was much tougher for her, she needed this. She ‘s by no means the fastest now but loves to run. Being short she doesn’t make challenges easy for her competitors. She can easily run four miles, non stop off-road. Last week she asked if she could join a running club so last weekend I looked online for clubs to join. I received an email from one to say she could come and try a few sessions free of charge. 

Thursday evening came, we finished her paper round together and with a quick trip back home to change and refresh our thirst we headed off to the track. We met George the instructor, full of enthusiasm, a dedicated volunteer instructor who asked a few questions and set her off to run for 15 minutes around 9 football pitches with 4 other teenagers 16/17 years old. George was impressed, they were able to chat as they ran (a good sign) and he told them to continue for a third round still within their warm up time limit.

Exercises continued with various ballet exercise to strengthen their core muscles, they used weights and ran a couple of 400 metres. George would like her to join his classes but she needs to decide whether she wants to focus on 400 metres or to do longer distances. As of yet she is undecided which to do, she thinks George is great and loved the evenings challenges. She is quite a determined young lady and despite being younger and much shorter than the others in her group she puts up quite a challenge.