February 26, 2011

More Bob Parker

We saw another interview of Mayor Bob Parker, again dispensing advice to his traumatized citizens. He said that people react to trauma in different ways, some cry, some bottle it up, some get angry and lash out at those close to them, that you should realize the source of the reaction and not overreact, but try to comfort and console those most anguished. Don’t let someone bottle their emotions, talk to them and make them talk about their fears and concerns. When asked in which of these ways has he reacted to this trauma, he responded, “A little of each.” In response to a question about how people can handle their sewage when they have no water, and should they dig holes in their backyards like an outhouse, he replied that they should not do so due to the liquefaction caused by the earthquake, and that instead they should put a garbage bag in their toilet. Then it should be secured and put somewhere where it can be handled later on. So, from psychology to sewage disposal, this guy has all the answers. And those who have come in from other countries and who have handled similar disaster circumstances have said that they have never seen better command and control coordination, certainly some of which is a credit to this Mayor.

In his comments we heard this morning, he is asking tourists and other gawkers to treat people with respect, especially those who have lost their homes or a loved one. He explained that going through the neighborhoods snapping pictures of the demoliton of peoples’ lives was “offensive to them and made them feel like animals in a zoo.” He explained that they had had reports of homeowners throwing debris at cars passing slowly through their demolished neighborhoods.He is to Christchurch what Churchill was to England in its darkest time, when there appeared to be no hope. His is the voice of confidence, of courage, of faith, always exhorting his people to give their best so that, as Mayor Parker said, their “grandchildren will look back someday and say that this was their grandparents’ finest hour.” And he will make it so.

And the front page headline in today’s paper: “MUMMY, I GOT BURIED.” This was the first in a series of text messages from a 23 year old Philippino student trapped in the CTV Building to her mother, a nurse, and her father, a doctor, in the Philippines. Nine texts continued over the course of 1 hour 40 minutes, the last giving her location in the collapsed building, “Cor Madras St. and Cashel St. Please make it quick.” There has been no further word, and her parents’ call to her cell phone only received the message that she is unavailable and to leave a message.

Fundraising

Is going on everywhere. We went to a small Starbucks this morning and saw that “All tips will go to the relief of Christchurch.” We walked over to the University yesterday and a student was standing on the sidewalk with a cup saying “Christchurch Relief.” We went into a gelato shop last night and read the sign on the wall, “We are donating $1 of every order to Christchurch Relief.” So we had two orders of gelato, put money in the student’s cup and left a tip at Starbucks. And wherever you go, you have that opportunity to help in this simple way. They have raised over $2,000,000 just since the quake five days ago.

Trip to Queenstown

Leaving another beautiful warm day behind, we took a taxi to the airport, a 20 minute ride we were told would take 45 minutes. It’s Saturday so there was little traffic. As you can tell, we sat glued to the news broadcasts of the situation in Christchurch until boarding our flight at 11:20. By 1:20, we were on the ground at Queenstown Airport, about 5 miles from the town. We picked up our Camry rental car, immediately headed for the wrong doors, me to the left and Sugar to the right. Yes, the driving wheel is on the right and we will be driving on the left for the next 3 days.

The location of the airport is spectacular, with a range of mountains on each side of the airport, and we had seen the lake as we flew in. It is a beautiful sunny day and the temperature is a little cooler than it had been in Auckland. Surprisingly, the winds are very light, great flying weather. There were numerous cumulus clouds flying in, but now it is crystal clear and no clouds at all. After a stop in town to get directions to our Heritage Queenstown Hotel, we proceeded south on the westerly side of the lake and then started climbing up a mountain road to our hotel. We were given a mountain view room, which was only of pine trees up the steep mountainside behind the hotel, so we asked to switch our room to the lakeside for a better view. And that is where we are now, in our suite style room with a small kitchenettte, a living area with a TV, a couch and two chairs, and the bedroom with a kingsize bed and walkout deck through glass doors, looking across the lake to the mountains on the east side, a lone waterskier skiing by, followed by a boat pulling a parasailor, and then a large 1900ish long lake boat with black smoke flowing from its smokestack. In the distance is a sailboat which appears to be becalmed on the still lake waters. In the air, small planes buzz by. Hopefully that will be us in 3 more days. The attached picture is one of the views from our room.

Queenstown is a town of 12,000 inhabitants, on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by the heights of the Remarkables, including the ski mountain of Coronet Peak, and once famous for gold discovered on the banks of the Shotover River in 1862. When the gold disappeared, the town’s population diminished to 190 souls. In the 1950s and ever after, it became and remains a popular vacation destination. Strangely, it rarely snows in Queenstown, with mostly sleet and rain when it snows up in the mountains. I think that the latitude is similar to ours so why no snow?

Off to the dinner special, with Sugar all sweet-smelling after her bubble bath, and the washer/dryer spitting and coughing in the kitchenette. Good night.

Love, Dad, Nat, Matt, DB

PS Armed with pamphlets on skydiving (“Embrace The Fear”) with NZone Skydive, original 4WD adventures with Nomad Safaris, and Swing with the Bungy Originals with AJ Hackett Bungy, featuring the Nevis Arc with its 70 metre freefall and 300 meter arc, or The Ledge Swing with its swing 400M above the town of Queenstown and which you can also do at night, I’ll sleep well with visions of sugar plums dancing in my head (or is it rocks?).

PPS We thought we were getting the dinner special for $20 but got the fish special instead for $37.50. We lost something in the translation.