Just some ducklings.

Ten little ones at the local park - growing so fast!

Tourist Trap?

I spent the morning in Christchurch's Re-Start mall. Although most of the area has been renovated and re-opened, The Tap Room on the corner of Cashel Mall remains eerily untouched since February 22nd. I got goosebumps while peering through the window at the dust and half filled wine glasses. Then the cynic in me started wondering if it was a deliberate measure to allow the perfect photo opportunity for "quake-tourists"...

A murmation of starlings..

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Mature-Age Student

I sat my first exam in five years today. It went fine. It was really cold in the exam room though (a church hall), which annoyed me and distracted me and I thought was a bit thoughtless of the organisers.

A man wearing an old brown suit and large-rimmed glasses gave us a talk beforehand on the usual stuff about cell phones and drink bottles and where the exits are. However, after he had pointed out the exits (which he said we were to leave by in the event of a large earthquake), he gave what is obviously an updated part of his spiel. He said "In the event of a small to moderate earthquake, a decision will be made as to how disruptive the quake is, and extra time allotted to the examination accordingly. This may be 5, 10 or 20 minutes, depending on how disruptive we deem it to be."

Fortunately this didn't eventuate.

ps. Photo of our neighbour's mental-as-anything pink flowers.

Near Matt's work - before and after

Demolition is proceeding at a fast pace in the city. And for a gold coin, you can now take a bus ride around the carnage to see for yourself.

Progress?

I met a friend outside the temporary council building (the old Rexel warehouse) for a milkshake yesterday - someone had set up a caravan/container serving lunches and shakes.

We sat on the old cable reels from Rexel, and watched the ongoing construction of a new central bus exchange.


The mayor still has somewhere to park his car, but it's probably not quite as flash a location as it used to be...


The thing is, it seemed totally normal, and relaxing, and social to be sitting in a carpark, drinking a shake, watching demolition crews at work, surrounded by the sounds of construction and not a piece of greenery in sight. I think we are definitely now adjusted to the new ChCh.

Post-quake social life

We were lucky to be able to attend the opening of a contemporary jewellery exhibition in Christchurch this week - Blood Sports by Dunedin designer Jane Dodd. As with everything in Christchurch right now, the setting was unorthodox, yet totally acceptable to those of us currently living here. For example, the gallery entrance:


Being right on the fringe of the red zone, the previous shop front was closed, but you could watch the going-ons through the large windows at the front of the gallery:


Before the quake, there was a cafe in this space, but unfortunately it has not re-opened yet. If it had, then I would happily spend whole mornings and afternoons watching the slow and steady demolition of the CBD.