devastation in New Zealand

[HoseCrusher]

Glad to hear your family is mostly OK.

[Marietjie]

They are both injured, but their injuries are thankfully not life threatening

Megan, I am so sorry that you and your family must go through this terrible trauma!
Our only child, Madré her husband, Ian and their two sons are survivors of the 4th September 2010 earthquake.
They lived in Christchurch for only 6 weeks when it happened.
It was SO traumatic that they decided to return to South Africa.
They arrived safely on the 11 of September 2010. All four of them received councelling - for months they
had terrible nightmares and sometimes sleepless nights.
Yesterday morning 5am our daughter phoned to tell us the news of another earthquake in ChCh.
She was crying so much we could not hear a word. It was very upsetting - we did not know what was wrong.
Eventually she calmed down and said that the building where her husband used to work, is flattened!
I was shaking - one relives the trauma of the September quake.
Megan (your family and friends) please know that though we are very far away, we are thinking of you! (BIG HUG)

[sol]

Our thought and prayers are with you and the wonderful people of NZ .

[mars]

They are both injured, but their injuries are thankfully not life threatening

Megan, I am so sorry that you and your family must go through this terrible trauma!
Our only child, Madré her husband, Ian and their two sons are survivors of the 4th September 2010 earthquake.
They lived in Christchurch for only 6 weeks when it happened.
It was SO traumatic that they decided to return to South Africa.
They arrived safely on the 11 of September 2010. All four of them received councelling - for months they
had terrible nightmares and sometimes sleepless nights.
Yesterday morning 5am our daughter phoned to tell us the news of another earthquake in ChCh.
She was crying so much we could not hear a word. It was very upsetting - we did not know what was wrong.
Eventually she calmed down and said that the building where her husband used to work, is flattened!
I was shaking - one relives the trauma of the September quake.
Megan (your family and friends) please know that though we are very far away, we are thinking of you! (BIG HUG)

and the trauma can so easily live on..................

Megan

So forget the "Stiff Upper Lip" and talk and cry and rage and be thankful, all at the same time if need be.

I am so glad, Megan, that your family came out alive.

And, Marietjie, I wish you and your daughter comfort too, I know how real your pain is.

Megan, it seems as though we in the Southern Hemisphere are now on the front line of global changes
but we still have the spirit of Anzac on our side.

Be strong.........but not silent .

and please keep posting.

Mars

[DreamDiver]

My prayers are with you and the many others who have suffered through this crisis.

[Marietjie]

And, Marietjie, I wish you and your daughter comfort too, I know how real your pain is.

ThankYou, mars - we will visit over the weekend and will let her talk (even cry) - try to get this latest shock out of her system!
The only problem is we will have to talk where the youngest boy cannot hear us. He was in a BAD state (7yr old) when they got
back.

it seems as though we in the Southern Hemisphere are now on the front line of global changes

Global changes?
For the last few months (maybe a year or more) South Africa's weather is changing!
Some parts have floods and Port Elizabeth is declared drought disaster area.

[Slinky]

Thank you for letting us know your brother and neice have survived!!! I continue to pray for them and for all of NZ.

[mars]

Marietjie wrote

it seems as though we in the Southern Hemisphere are now on the front line of global changes

Global changes?
For the last few months (maybe a year or more) South Africa's weather is changing!
Some parts have floods and Port Elizabeth is declared drought disaster area.

[/quote]

HI Marietjie

You know, I pretty well keep up with the news, but I do not hear of the disaster's in South Africa (except from you).

I know Africa tends to be the "forgotten" continent, but is that as extreme as it appears to be, and I wonder if there is some prejudice at work here.

I know this is OT, even for an OT thread, but I did wonder .

cheers

Mars

[Megan]

Hi guys,
There's some pretty amazing people in here. Your support is so much appreciated. There have definitely been lots of tears in my house!!
Marietjie, I am sure you are so pleased to have your daughter and her family back home again. I was speaking to a work colleague today from our branch in christchurch. he said the earthquake on the 4th September frightened the living daylights out of him, but was like a tea party compared to the earthquake on Tuesday. Mars, i so agree with your comments about global changes!

So far the death toll stands at 76 - those are the bodies recovered that have been identified so far. there are still hundreds of people unaccounted for and bodies that have been unidentified. The police are going to name those that have listed as missing in the next hour. Hopefully not all of these people are "missing" and they have just not let people know where they are. One can only hope.

Thanks you once again for all your thoughts and prayers.

Megan

[Marietjie]

but I do not hear of the disaster's in South Africa

Mars, regarding weather disasters in South Africa and worldwide - read more . . .http://saweatherobserver.blogspot.com/
See right hand side for more info (Floods, droughts, earthquakes, volcanoes . . etc) This blog is real time.

BUT, when it comes to politics - I am NOT interested in this world and South Africa's politics - I think it stinks ! ! !
Corruption in our local authorities and government is rive! but is however, uncovered in most of the cases.
Unfortunately the culprits are in most cases just reemployed somewhere else in government (to continue corruption!?!)

he said the earthquake on the 4th September frightened the living daylights out of him, but was like a tea party compared to the earthquake on Tuesday.

Megan - yes, when I look at pics of this last earthquake, it surely is very frightening and there is much more damage to buildings. Madré is very nervous when she looks at those damaged buildings and recognise places that they visited.

There have definitely been lots of tears in my house!!

Megan, this is for you and your family!