Christchurch!

Just to break your heart, have a look at what is lost:



Sad, isn't it!  That Christchurch Catherdral was so beautiful and so iconic, and a Kiwi National Treasure too. And I can't get my head around those Canadian tourists who were in the building when it collapsed and, because they managed to escape, were saying "God was looking after us." which made me wonder why god would look after Canadians while allowing such a beautiful structure to be brought down that way.

And it's a little concerning about how many brand new buildings have pan-caked.  It's a little like the Sichuan earthquake where everyone was saying "How come all the buildings that were built by Hong Kong contractors are still standing strong, while the buildings put up with Mainland contractors have all been reduced to rubble?"

Things that make you go "Mmmmmm!"

But it seems wrong to mourn for buildings when there are 75 confirmed dead and reports of over a 300 people still missing in the rubble. And did you know there's even talk that several of the buildings are too unsafe, including the local CTV station, and so they will stop searching for the people known to be in there? And these are well-known TV personalities too that they're leaving behind - news anchorpeople and life-style show presenters - as well as camera crews and such! And already they are showing their faces as dead even while their still-hopeful families wait in the park outside, in the rain, lighting candles and praying.

This is something else I can't get my head around.  Kiwis these days just leaving people trapped!  They did it with those miners at Pike River last year too.  It's so wrong and certainly isn't the Kiwi way!  We from the Antipodes never used to do these sorts of callous and pragmatic things, and that was why I always loved us so much; was always so proud of us; thought we were the ones showing the rest of the world how everyone righteous should behave.

And those righteous folks who are continuing with this tradition are being arrested by the Civil Defense and the NZ police. Yes, they are actually arresting people who are going ahead with their own searches. I can't see any successful prosecutions there, however, so I hope they don't take any of these folks to court for these "crimes", because it will definitely unleash a cyclone of public anger.

But what a strange year it's been so far for we Antipodeans.  ABC here in Hong Kong seems to have turned into the Live-to-Air Disaster Channel, and three times so far this year I've had the TV on all day, doing vigil and lighting candles, giving my Kwan Yin a good workout.

Who once said "The life of this planet is like the life of a soldier.  Long, long periods where nothing happens, followed by moments of screaming terror."

There's talk naturally.  Mainly it's about how the CIA is at Weather War with the Southern Hemisphere, using "haarp" technology to cause these series of disasters.  Me, personally, I'm thinking Gaia.  But none of this helps, does it, when people are trapped inside buildings.

Honestly, this is one of those occasions when "watching your budget" is not recommendable.  All those spendthrift folk who went out to buy lunch are right as rain, whereas those folks who saved their money by "lunchbagging" at their desks, are now, hopefully, still trapped beneath those desks, hoping they will be rescued ... which won't happen if the NZ Search and Rescue continues with this ridiculous pragmatic attitude.

Hey, and what's the bet New Zealand is now really, really, REALLY regretting that they got rid of their Army, seeing it as an unnecessary burden on tax payers!  They didn't realise that Armies do more than just kill people.