Sunday, May 29, 2011

Sunday

Desperate for a change of scene, we travelled through the tunnel to Banks Peninsula today.  We viewed Lyttelton's plight (and amazing community hanging out on London Street even if there are only a few shops left), and then made our way round to Orton Bradley Park.  Its an old historic farm park - settled by Mr O.B. who was by all accounts a bit of plant and tree nut - and created some crazy water and power inventions 'beyond his time'.  Then up back up over the hill to get home.  Nice.
 View from Orton Bradley Park
 New to me: this is apparently called a basket fungus (my nature loving companion informed me).
 Persimmons growing outside the hold historic houses on the park.
 Beautiful beautiful historic glass house with all sorts of goodies in and around.
 More green...
 'Roy' is inscribed here at an old horse hitching post.
 And a dog grave yard dating back at least a century to now...woof woof (kind of sad but their names were so cute).
 Up to Sign of the Kiwi for a late afternoon sit in the sun...
looking over hazy, dusty, sleep old ChCh town.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Quake Silver Lining - #1

My favourite new find out in the suburbs (where we now roll in ChCh), is the incredible, and perfect Japanese Patisserie:  Patisserie YAHGI.   The patisseriere herself (Eri) is as perfect as her cakes.  Above we have the famous Green Tea Gateau - incorporating an almost bitter green tea powder in the fluffiest of gateau sponge.  Behind is the strawberry gateau version; on the right - a Chestnut Chantilly Cream cake, shaped like soba noodles (she thought that would be fun) and in the foreground is the classic chocolate mousse with green tea garnish.  They come packaged immaculately.  Taking fusion to a whole new level, I'll be going to 'Church Corner, Riccarton' for Jap-Franco fusion any day.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Wobbly Week - Summarised

This week was a bit 'harder' for me to keep the stiff upper lip than others. Amongst the 'great rehuffle' and amazing hope for rebuild out there, I find it fascinating in post-quake life that you cope just fine, and then find all of sudden - through something small, the bottom lip can drop without  a warning. So annoying! We woke up on Tuesday at 3.03am with a good shake.  I then went off to Auckland for 2 days, and couldn't believe how bright, shiny and light it was - and lay waiting to be rocked off to sleep - but no rocking ever came (or sleep)! So I guess I really realised how different life is in ChCh and how much energy we are using to keep that upper lip in check, (and this is coming from someone who has had the easiest run personally out of most people I know)! 

With my mind checking in on reality, I thought I'd post images from the past 10 days to show where we are at 3 months on from 22/2/2011.
Monday, got spontaneously evicted from the temporary Sockburn office due to a building complication, (good bye to Liz looking over my shoulder).  After a week of homelessness - we will hit the Christchurch Art Gallery on Tuesday for more temp office accommodation, (thank you CAG)!

Had the water mains leak outside our house fixed for the third time (thank you CCC!) and continued to bike around on the crazy roads - thinking how flat they are now after the speedy short term repairs.
 EQC contractors still urgently assessing homes in our suburb.  As ours is low priority, we have been told ours will assessed in December 2011.
 Pulled our chimney down as it was majorly cracked inside - despite it looking fine on the outside.
 From workers cottage to New York Loft ! (We are now all patched up and hope to get a log burner in replacement).
 I distributed some Share An Idea tabloids around a suburb called Avondale.  Very lonely two and a half hours with Digby . Not many liveable houses left, I saw 2 people, and inhaled plenty of interesting smells, (and this isn't even one of the hardest hit suburbs).
But as always - little pockets of community joy pop out of the grey making this city what it is.
Same goes for emerging murals around the city...
..and more and more fencing messages....some full of hope...
...some full of impatience...
And cordons shrinking so we can see some of our city.
From rubble and doll house views to...
this new art work that was installed just days before 22 Feb. 
And now with about 3 cafes open near the CBD, life is creeping back in - and customers have a whole new look going on.  I'm looking forward to what this week will bring!