Christchurch, anyone?

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So, I'm in Christchurch (Lyttelton, specifically) for the next couple of months and I really don't know anyone here. I know there's the big ILx Dunedin contingent, but is there anyone around this area? If so, do let me know, 'cause I'm keen to meet up, and uh, really don't have anything else to do while I'm here (!)

― OCP (OCP), Tuesday, 3 December 2002 09:55 (10 years ago) Permalink

o no..! i would LOVE to be in chch, but im not. sorry.
hope you enjoy it there cause its a lovely area.

― donna (donna), Tuesday, 3 December 2002 19:45 (10 years ago) Permalink

Come on, people!

― OCP (OCP), Thursday, 5 December 2002 10:08 (10 years ago) Permalink

i'm in lyttelton right now! i don't live here but my friend lisa does.
have you been to bruce russell's cafe?

― duane, Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:05 (10 years ago) Permalink

i'm here 'til sun or monday i guess

― d, Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:48 (10 years ago) Permalink

I have, and, uh, actually had a pretty awful overpriced coffee. I've been before and was great, so I guess it just depends on who's working. Anyway Duane, if you feel so inclined, give me a call on 021046577 (!)

― OCP (OCP), Thursday, 5 December 2002 22:56 (10 years ago) Permalink

these people i know are playing at the wunderbar, it might be ok. it is a sort of country band with a singer who can't sing which would be sorta ok except she's trying to sing dolly parton songs & such. anyway it might be ok. mick elborado is in it, if you know who that is (= quality!). anyway me & lisa & george are probably gonna go. i might even phone you but i don't like using telephones if i can avoid it.

― dz, Saturday, 7 December 2002 07:34 (10 years ago) Permalink

maybe i wouldve phoned you but g. was on the internet for ages & s. was talkin to her boyfren on the phone for ages & then anyway we sort of didnt stay there very long, i got pretty bored. i don't like going out to pubs or to see bands or stuff very much. so you didnt miss anything by not hanging out with me.

― d (gegoss), Saturday, 7 December 2002 11:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

So, I ended up going along. It was pretty good, and they did a mad cover of Joelene. Dave and Mick made you sound pretty, uh, intriguing...

― OCP (OCP), Saturday, 7 December 2002 12:29 (10 years ago) Permalink

oh you talked to those guys? cool. "jolene" i thought was a bad move for those guys or in particular that singer tho', she just can't reach any of the notes.
what did those bumsz have to say about me, those bums?!

― unknown or illegal user (doorag), Sunday, 8 December 2002 02:49 (10 years ago) Permalink

Dave and Mick made you sound pretty, uh, intriguing...

why is this sentence so funny to me?

― di smith (lucylurex), Sunday, 8 December 2002 05:23 (10 years ago) Permalink

oh you talked to those guys? cool.

Yeah, I've just come across Dave via Galaxy, so he's one of the few people I recognise around here.

"jolene" i thought was a bad move for those guys or in particular that singer tho', she just can't reach any of the notes.

She stood on stage wearing a black dress with her hair very elaborately done, cradling the microphone in her hands and staring at the ground. Obviously quite shy about the whole thing, she'd sing very quietly for much of the time but whenever the music got loud and when Mick was really ripping out the lead guitar, she'd just go for it--singing very loudly and passionately, however out of tune.

what did those bumsz have to say about me, those bums?!

They just made you sound very enigmatic, I suppose. Hah.

― OCP (OCP), Sunday, 8 December 2002 07:09 (10 years ago) Permalink

why is this sentence so funny to me?

Do tell, Di...

― OCP (OCP), Sunday, 8 December 2002 07:10 (10 years ago) Permalink

i don't remember that girl singing out of tune as such. just modifying things so she didn't have to sing high notes. she glared at me a lot and when i told her that they should play in dunedin she got real sarcastic "yeah if YOU pay the bus fare". i thought she was looking at the ground so she could read her lyric sheets.

― di smith (lucylurex), Sunday, 8 December 2002 07:13 (10 years ago) Permalink

(!)

― OCP (OCP), Sunday, 8 December 2002 07:44 (10 years ago) Permalink

(i wasn't there last night... saw that band play about a week ago when i was in lyttelton)

― di smith (lucylurex), Sunday, 8 December 2002 08:07 (10 years ago) Permalink

yeah i went along for half an hour or so to that show @ the wunderbar on sat too... the band was ok what i saw was a bit wallpaperish and surenuff the singer looked extremely cute but i think she needs singing lessons or if not then a sense of humour would be a useful accompaniment. cool songs though. ocp who were you ? cos there were only about 10 people there and i musta been acquainted with 8 or so of them..

― hellbaby (hellbaby), Monday, 9 December 2002 08:35 (10 years ago) Permalink

I sat up the back, near the door, next a guy called Nathan (I think) wearing a dark blue and white jacket. Um.

― OCP (OCP), Monday, 9 December 2002 10:12 (10 years ago) Permalink

8 years pass...

Pretty horrifying:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4688231/Deaths-destruction-in-Christchurch-quake

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 04:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

Canterbury's been tortured this past few months, just horrible.

― Head goes goes goes (Schlafsack), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 04:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

65 confirmed dead :/

so relieved to have heard from my friend earlier today

― just1n3, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 05:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

sigh

― Head goes goes goes (Schlafsack), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 05:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

these quakes go on and on and on and people are nerve-wracked for months and then this happens, biggest possible kick to the guts

― Head goes goes goes (Schlafsack), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 05:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah a lot of ppl hadn't even gotten the damage to their houses/businesses fixed from the last quake, so everything was so vulnerable.

― just1n3, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 05:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

man, people will be on edge for years now, the scale of the ongoing trauma is inconceivable

― Head goes goes goes (Schlafsack), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 05:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

shit, that's awful

― VegemiteGrrl, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 06:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

heyo, it's pretty terrible here - been watching the news all afternoon/evening, pretty distressed

my gf's friend's family is in Christchurch and we don't know how they are :/

ah man

― acoleuthic, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 07:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

so very sorry man, all the best of luck with gf's family

― egregious fannydangling (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 07:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

gf's friend's family I mean, sorry

― egregious fannydangling (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 07:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

i talked to my sister and she is okay but it sounds horrible. i was really afraid while waiting to hear from her, i couldn't stop trembling, we are very very close. now we're waiting to hear about extended family and friends.

― estela, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 07:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

My family lives there. All are OK, but most people's homes are wrecked - it's dark now, and a lot of people don't know where to go.

― paulhw, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 07:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

Oh god estela you poor thing. Thinking of you and hope that you get all good news very very soon.

paulhw: 'Most' people's homes are wrecked? Really? Is that the status right now? Sorry for the questions, we're getting streaming TVNZ news coverage but of course they're scrambling for information themselves. Great news about your family btw.

― egregious fannydangling (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 08:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

thanks aa. paulhw, i hope your family are managing. the last i heard it was raining quite heavily, which is awful when people are gathered in parks and wandering the streets not knowing what to do. my sister and her partner and cat are going to sleep in their car, their house is quite damaged and there are strong aftershocks so they feel unsafe in there.

― estela, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 09:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

This is just terrible :(

― Trayce, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 09:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

This looked horrible on the news - hope everyone's people turn out to be happily accounted for.

― Matt DC, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 09:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

sincerely hope yr ppl are safe lj

― fuck you jan stepek you kurwa (nakhchivan), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 10:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

hope everyone gets good news.

My cousin's there atm but safe.

― Achillean Heel (darraghmac), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 10:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

aa: I'm getting differing information - I guess it depends on how people gauge damaged / wrecked etc. Of the 10 friends I've emailed or IMed today about this, 5 of them have families that can't stay in their house tonight. There's a lot more structural damage than in the September earthquake. Electricity and water are still out for most people - 80% of the city apparently. I guess it'll be easier to tell when it's light tomorrow - although with 20 aftershocks so far, people may be afraid to venture far...

― paulhw, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 12:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

I've been to CC once, it seemed like the most mellow, well-run city. The devastation is hard to imagine. Real shame.

― Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 16:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

this site is great if you are looking for ppl AND if you have info about ppl's whereabouts: http://christchurch-2011.person-finder.appspot.com/

nadz (my bf) is completely freaked out, their house is wrecked, i guess her and her bf and their dog are sleeping in their van?? but true to her nature she still has a sense of humour (xp'ed from facebook updates thread):

Imagine if you will mass chaos, people waking, biking and driving, trying get out of the city. They've got back packs, prams loaded up, and vans filled. Amongst all this is a tranny mincing along in her heels, taking her time and carrying her most important possession: a 12 pack of Flame beer. Awesome.

I applauded her from our van and she flicked her hair and winked at me.

― just1n3, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 16:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

i like this (from the stuff.co.nz latest info article):

10.05pm: Hundreds of Wellingtonians opened their homes to passengers stranded at the airport after the quake caused disruption to air services. Airport authorities said they had found beds for all passengers who wanted them.

― just1n3, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 16:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

Thanks for filling me in paulhw. God, this is incredible. I'm hearing a lot of stories like yours just1n3 about people sleeping in their cars.

As chap said chch is such a quiet and orderly place, it's incomprehensible to think all this has happened.

Just saw footage of a bloke speaking to his wife on her mobile (she was trapped in a bathroom), and the TVNZ reporter immediately stopping the report to take him to a fire official. THAT'S how it's done, world.

― egregious fannydangling (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 20:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

Can we get that guy to teach the rest of the world how to report on disaster? Sincerely applauding that guy right now and wishing well to all involved.

― rendezvous then i'm through with HOOS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 20:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

The Melvins and High on Fire are currently stranded at the Christchruch airport.

― Le mépris vient de la tête, la haine vient du cœur (Michael White), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 20:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

at least they're alive... thoughts going out to y'all with loved ones over there

― it made me wish batman had written an article on mfas (Edward III), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 20:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

Ooh the melvins are meant to be playing with primus here shortly I imagine a friend of mine will be unhappy if that doesnt happen but given the circs geez.

― Trayce, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 20:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

26-storey Grand Chancellor hotel about to collapse

― Head goes goes goes (Schlafsack), Wednesday, 23 February 2011 01:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

Glad LJ is safe,hope everyones friends/families are safe. Thoughts go out to you all.

― Algerian Goalkeeper, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 01:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

26-storey Grand Chancellor hotel about to collapse

!!! shit!

― Trayce, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 01:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

http://twitpic.com/42qbbt

― Head goes goes goes (Schlafsack), Wednesday, 23 February 2011 01:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 7 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

- 50% of the city's buildings will have to be replaced

― acoleuthic, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 08:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

Still pulling people out alive

― Bill E, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 10:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

seconds after it happened

― sam500, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 14:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

The tattoo artist mentioned by LJ is the subject of this story:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4697060/Wheres-Matti-Wheres-Matti

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 18:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

She recalled the "lame music Tuesdays" she spent with Mr Mceachen and friends in the tattoo parlour.
"We'd find the worst, most ridiculous songs that a tattoo shop would play. His favourite song in the world was Liberian Girl by Michael Jackson and we'd have singalongs at the top of our lungs."

I spend a lot of time and have many friends in a majorly earthquake-prone city. I fear the day this disaster strikes.

― Super Cub, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 19:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

this gets awfuller and awfuller. it is very likely my nephew's friend has died. my friend has 3 friends trapped in the building where authorities have said there is no hope of survivors. people are living in terrible conditions and the aftershocks keep happening and happening. everyone i have been in touch with is horribly sad and afraid. my beautiful old city is wrecked. i hate that my sister is there. matt mceachen sounds like a sweetheart. it's heartbreaking.

― estela, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

my beautiful old city is wrecked.

Five words rarely sounded so heartbreaking. Best to everyone there you know and love, estela.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

yes

― Achillean Heel (darraghmac), Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh estela. Enormous hugs.

― egregious fannydangling (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

thank you ned. you went there, didn't you? so you know how lovely it was. thank you aa.

here is a list of recent aftershocks, updated constantly, the page shows the last 30 only:

http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes.html

― estela, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

thank you darragh.

― estela, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah echoing what everyones said. i went to university in dunedin so i know this area p well + its just crazy + terrible to imagine this

― just sayin, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

I've been there twice and I know loads of people there. Fortunately they're all directly unaffected, but of course there are infrastructure issues, and none of them are talking about people they know who have died or suffered (we haven't asked, of course).

― egregious fannydangling (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

(and yes it's an undeniably gorgeous and characterful place)

― egregious fannydangling (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

thank you ned. you went there, didn't you?

I had hoped to, but plans fell through during my 2002 visit, ah well. I know friends who have been, though, and I remember flying over it during my trip. The setting seemed quite spectacular.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

yes, it's really beautiful.

― estela, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 23:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

my boss had a house in Christchurch which was destroyed. I spoke to him last night he's flying over in the next couple of days to sort shit out, he was unsurprisingly pretty emotional :( Some of his family still lived there but luckily no one was home when it happened

― yuoowemeone, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 23:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

So harrowing every time I click on this thread, I got a heavy heavy heart for all of you affected by this.

― ka£ka (NickB), Wednesday, 23 February 2011 23:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

Just after the quake:

― reggaeton for the painfully alone (polyphonic), Thursday, 24 February 2011 00:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

two incredible ppl i know are in chch to help out the mother of one them - they posted to facebook today that they have a car and supplies and if anybody wants them to check up on someone they can't find, they're happy to do it on their behalf.

― just1n3, Thursday, 24 February 2011 04:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

A lot of these stories really are just the saddest:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-new-zealand-quake-20110224,0,297881.story

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4697308/Christchurch-quake-226-missing-98-dead

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 24 February 2011 05:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

- more than 100 people have died in one building alone, the TV building.

A bunch of the people missing in the CTV building are my good friend's students, who were there on the second or third day of a short study abroad trip to learn English. It's just a devastating loss for his school (which also happens to be my wife's alma mater) and the city he lives in. Not to distract from the tremendous loss to the community of Christchurch, but it just seems extra cruel and unfair that those kids had to be there at that exact time.

― adamj, Thursday, 24 February 2011 06:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah I noticed that and was horrified, i mean dying unexpectedly overseas away from yr loved ones is incomprehensibly awful. Makes me afraid of going anywhere.

― berk psychosis (Trayce), Thursday, 24 February 2011 07:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

And now more quakes, no lives lost but damage and injuries again. Jeez.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 June 2011 01:09 (1 year ago) Permalink

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/5159391/Red-zone-Like-a-war-zone

some photos of how terrible this is.

― estela, Friday, 17 June 2011 08:16 (1 year ago) Permalink

my sister is there, i really wish she wasn't.

― estela, Friday, 17 June 2011 08:18 (1 year ago) Permalink

: (

― buzza, Friday, 17 June 2011 08:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

yes. thank you.

― estela, Friday, 17 June 2011 08:21 (1 year ago) Permalink

― beta the drivel you know (darraghmac), Friday, 17 June 2011 08:23 (1 year ago) Permalink

aw estela, hugs :((

― We are Real solid sex doll AKA RSSD (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 17 June 2011 08:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

i am talking to her on the phone right now and we are laughing out loudly in spite of everything.

― estela, Friday, 17 June 2011 10:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

Life and our security in it is such a fragile thing, really. I cant imagine how she and everyone there must feel right now, but my heart breaks.

― Bloompsday (Trayce), Friday, 17 June 2011 10:26 (1 year ago) Permalink

thank you people for your kind thoughts.

i don't know how up to date the counter was but i just read they've had 7469 earthquakes/aftershocks since sept 4.

please send good thoughts that her house will be written off and she'll get enough insurance to cover her mortgage so she can leave, that is our hope.

― estela, Friday, 17 June 2011 10:46 (1 year ago) Permalink

dearestela,

this is wrenching. i am just sick at the thought of what it must be like to be there, and at the images of such a beautiful city having been demolished. i have such lovely memories of walking around right there in those places, on those streets, now shattered. what it must feel like for you and yours, i cannot fathom.

i hope she can leave very soon. be safe, sister.

love you,
lxy

― lxy, Friday, 17 June 2011 17:17 (1 year ago) Permalink

hope my cousin is ok. Better check facebook!

― coffeetripperspillerslyricmakeruppers (Latham Green), Friday, 17 June 2011 17:22 (1 year ago) Permalink

A couple of weeks ago I met someone at work who left chch after the recent big one. It was so sad seeing her explain that they had to leave and can't go back.

A few of my old friends are still there. One couple's already planning to come back to Melbourne and another's organising a move to Invercargill.

― We are Real solid sex doll AKA RSSD (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 17 June 2011 20:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

i really hope your sister gets out, estela!

my best friend is trying to figure out what her and her bf are gonna do - he works at the university and she's still in school. they were actually planning on buying a house there until the 2nd quake in feb.

― just1n3, Saturday, 18 June 2011 00:23 (1 year ago) Permalink

ah - cousin ok! but rattled

― coffeetripperspillerslyricmakeruppers (Latham Green), Saturday, 18 June 2011 00:40 (1 year ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Didn't know that much of the Christchurch city center was still off limits. Photos here: http://www.abandonedjourney.com/abandoned-city

― Elvis Telecom, Monday, 20 August 2012 03:03 (8 months ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

i'm here for the first time since the earthquakes and more of the central city has been opened up recently, though parts are still off limits, and you can be in a street you knew well and have no idea of where you are because the landmarks have gone and the skylines are altered and there are so few people around in the city and there are so many broken buildings and empty lots and detours and cordons and fences. you have a memory map of the city that you try to lay over the new landscape but it seems confusing and wrong, and you feel impatient as if it's an unpleasant dream that's going on a bit too long, and wherever you go there's more and more and more damage and you get sick of hearing yourself cry out because you understand your reactions and feelings have no weight. yesterday i was very close to my old home and didn't realise until i recognised the little bridge we were driving over.
however life continues and people are reimagining and recreating and rebuilding things so there is a lot to be hopeful about once you get through the sorrow of the place you loved being altered forever. the last time i was here, on the final evening, i stood on a balcony with my dying cousin and we were admiring the view and i thought, it must be so strange and awful for him to look at all this and know he will be gone soon but it will all continue, never realising i wouldn't be seeing it again either.

― estela, Wednesday, 12 December 2012 02:59 (5 months ago) Permalink

Damn, estela.

But if there is hope as you say, then let it flourish.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 12 December 2012 03:08 (5 months ago) Permalink

<3 estela, i hope your sister is managing ok

― just1n3, Wednesday, 12 December 2012 03:08 (5 months ago) Permalink

<3 thank you, she is fine and her house has been repaired (many haven't). it is a solid little wooden house built in the 40s and her land held up especially well for the area she lives in, which took quite a hit. things could have been a lot worse.

― estela, Wednesday, 12 December 2012 03:31 (5 months ago) Permalink

thanks for sharing that, very moving account

― buzza, Wednesday, 12 December 2012 03:33 (5 months ago) Permalink

aw geez estela

<3 etc

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 12 December 2012 04:54 (5 months ago) Permalink

thanks chaps<3

― estela, Wednesday, 12 December 2012 06:13 (5 months ago) Permalink

― first u get the flower, then u get the honey, then u get the stamen (darraghmac), Wednesday, 12 December 2012 10:19 (5 months ago) Permalink

nice piece in The Wire this month about the musical community in Christchurch (inc Bruce Russell) and their response to the earthquakes - makes gd companion reading to estela's post, cos again there is hope, resilience, determination

― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 12 December 2012 10:26 (5 months ago) Permalink

kia kaha, estela

― lxy, Wednesday, 12 December 2012 20:39 (5 months ago) Permalink

arohanui, lxy

― estela, Thursday, 13 December 2012 04:44 (5 months ago) Permalink

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