Update on Christchurch family & friends

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Christchurch yesterday has caused a lot of damage. The shock was only 5k down (very shallow) and only 10k away (three times closer to the city than the September quake), with an epicentre in Lyttleton. The September earthquake was 30k away and 10k down, and even that quake was much shallower than we usually experience in New Zealand.

So far all our friends & family in Chch are OK, post-earthquake; only losing doesn't-matter-stuff, like small breakables and their nerves :-)

 My sister Barb, Tessa, Aunty Diana & Uncle Eddie are all good. Just breakables ...and mess.

Jenny was outside having coffee at the time, and was shaken but not stirred (not sure how her house is). Warren & Tracey have lost their caravan and chook-house to a falling boulder, but they are OK - Trace has headed down to Waimate. Pat is getting back today from overseas, and he, Marjie & the sproglets are thinking of heading up to Nelson. Bertie spent the night at her folks' place before heading home to clean up the broken stuff (minor). Dan is OK. Paul & Bridget are OK - and Paul's shop is less smashed up this time, as the epicentre was further away, and at home his chimney was toppled in the September quake, which was a bit of a bonus in a weird way).

Kathleen & Frits' son & nephew are in Chch but both are OK and helping out people around them who need assistance. We haven't heard directly from Megs but have heard through the grapevine that she & hers are alright. 

We haven't heard anything from Gary & Karen, or Yi & Paula, but are assuming that no news is good news... Hopefully everyone at Streats is OK too.

In Nelson we have had very minor disruptions to phone and power systems; power due to the fluctuations of supply through Christchurch, phones due to overload. Neither of which are remotely bothersome for us, except when we are trying to get news of people we care about.

 

Anyone who hasn't heard from friends or family should call 0800 RED CROSS. Important response information is posted at http://canterburyearthquake.org.nz/. For those of us not in Christchurch, news can be found at http://www.stuff.co.nz/ 

Our best wishes go out to everyone. Call us if you need us, and feel free to come & camp.

News from Nelson - February 2011

Hi everyone!

The weather has been hot & sunny, with an hour or so of light drizzle last week – just enough to wash the dust off the roof into the water tanks. We are doing well for water though; our tanks are still half full.

Waitangi weekend was the start of the Adam Chamber Music Festival, and we saw five concerts between us. The music was great, and the Hermitage String Trio from Russia was just fantastic. Last weekend Jan had a whole weekend of music as on the Sunday he also had a full day workshop for the NSO.

Despite having bought some wall-plugs, none of our heavier pictures have yet made it to the walls, nor have our bathroom mirrors. I am quite tempted to ask the builder if he can put them up, to take them off Jan’s list. We’ll see.

The Montrose Drive tenancy is going well so far. Fingers Xed for the long term.

My study stalled for a bit; I have got an extra paper to teach in Semester 1 this year, and have been getting it ready instead.

Jan has been going to Underwater Hockey, (twice this year now – the Adam Festival got it the way a bit). He is thinking about playing in the South Island Masters Games which will be held in Nelson in October this year, so is pretty keen to get to the pool every week.

He has also signed up for all the NSO concerts for the year, and I have signed up as a  “Friend” and booked my concert seat all the way through. My mother has done the same, and booked the seat next to mine, and Kathleen & Frits have also signed up.

The Sarau Fair was really nice; we bought an updated version of “The Road to Sarau”, a history of the area written by our architect’s wife. The fair started at 4, and carried on into the night, which is a great idea for high summer. It was very relaxed, and we found we knew a lot of people there.

Last Saturday night we had Gary Rae’s 50th birthday party at the Honest Lawyer, which was fun. It was a 60s fancy dress theme – Jan went as a hippie & I went in psychedelic gear (we raided a local fancy dress shop which had some great costumes). Nik was a Mary Quant dollybird and Gary was a mod! I think there was only one person there not in a costume, so everyone had really got into the spirit of the thing. Wendy & Wayne were there – and we had a good catch up with them – along with Hugh & Julie B. Jan had a long chat to Paul Dalzell from Nelson Pine – and only part of it was about work!

On Sunday while Jan was at the music workshop, Magda came out after church with some plums and cooking apples from Gea. We had a lovely afternoon having lunch and pottering about, and after she left, I got the Agee preserver out and spent three hours stoning and bottling the plums (only 5 jars for my trouble, and terribly stained fingers!). On Monday night Jan & I did 7 & 1/2 jars of apple puree from Gea’s cooking apple tree.

So this weekend we are swapping some Cox’ Orange seconds from our local friendly apple man for a bottle of wine, and we will be apple processing to the max. One day’s full on effort will keep us in bottled fruit for a year – and we know exactly where it came from and what it has in it. And very low air miles :-)

This Sunday Jan is off for a mbike ride with Derek Sherwood, which will be fun for both of them.

Fliss is at the vet today as she appears to have something stuck in her throat; Jan dropped her off this morning and we will hear through the day what the problem - and the solution - is. Coco, despite having Bonnie here, is quite lost. I took her for a walk this morning and she spent her whole time wanting to run down the road after the car (despite Jan having left half an hour before).

Happy birthdays in the next couple of weeks to Kathleen, Kenn B, Pat McL & Kent.

Right, I think that's it. All the very, very best for the next few weeks.

Until I write again - alles liebe!

Jan Kuwilsky & Sam Young

Parkour

For a look on the light side, check out Parkour Training founder, David Belle's BBC ad at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAMAr8y-Vtw, or some younger Brits in Parkour play at St Johns in Oxford at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wDMnKpEMfM.

If, like me, you really like the music in the background of the St John's vid, it is Professor Longhair's "Big Chief", from the 2000 album "New Orleans Funk".