With a splash of heading back to Auckland in between, I finally got to make the mish down to Christchurch over my summer break. It has been too long. I miss my friends.

I haven’t been back since I left at the end of 2009 and as you could imagine a lot has changed since then.

WARNING: Time to get a little moody on this rainyish Sunday…
It is a really weird feeling being in Christchurch and seeing first hand the city, the roads, the houses and the people. Having not been there for the quake but having this unworldly pull of sorrow. Lucky for me, no one was lost that I really knew and the rest are only buildings but it is the day to day life that always kicks me when I think about it.
Four years of my life were spent wrapped around all of those fallen buildings. I was also living in one of the buildings on Hereford St that ended up looking like a dolls house. Honestly it was the weirdest feeling in the world being there and seeing the left overs of what was once my life. Knowing that two years earlier that could of been me, out getting my lunch like always.
With all the sadness and destruction comes the chance to rebuild. To make the city better, safer, greener, happier. It is home to some of my closest friends so for them I want Christchurch to become a better place to live and be.

Latimer Square used to be a place I would avoid. Always in fear of the creatures of the night and the crazy lady on the bike with her glue bag that used to follow me home.
Stepping into the park just straight up felt wrong, but this time it wasn’t out of fear, it was out of respect. You could feel the loss around you. This affected me more than seeing the cathedrial not standing, seeing all empty sites and more than seeing my Mumma cry.
For those of you that do not know, the day of the big quake and the days following during the recovery process, Latimer Square was the make shift morgue. Without even knowing that, I know that my body would not let me near it.
Against all my spiritual instincts to not walk through, I just wanted to see my old home.

My 2008 flat after the earthquake
That’s my room on the left, my office/studio in the middle and our lounge on the end.

That there orange digger is sitting in the site of 202 Hereford Street. A student flat/loft/I HAD 2 ROOMS/hang pad/my old home.

It was home for only a year but it still makes you think. For me I could of been sitting on the fire escape on a sunny day eating lunch like I usually would and boom, nudda, see ya later.
I know this is all a little “could of” and “if”ish but that is why I balled my eyes out for a good while. Not that I am wishing I got to experience it all, sometimes I feel that because I wasn’t there I do not have the right to react in that way.
But it was my life. The city was my life. And to see and hear and watch it in that state for those first few days just ripped me in two.

Time for a spot of happiness talk.. The new container shopping area is awesome! Colourful, happy and a sign of the new. As I said before with all the sadness and destruction comes the chance to rebuild. To make the city better, safer, greener, happier and I think this is a great step in that direction. Yes, on both sides of it you are reminded of the situation but you can feel that people just want to move on and start a fresh but with still remembering the reason for change.

The Bridge of Remembrance now seems like it has a whole new meaning and life.

Other than this massive chance to reflect, it was also a chance for me to catch up friends that I haven’t seen since I left. I am so proud of them all for sticking it out and not being too crazy through all that mother nature has thrown at them. It was so good to see such happy faces and see the people that made my Christchurch years, years to remember. So sorry it wasn’t for longer but the mad life was a calling me back. It was great to see you all and for some to be there to help share Robbie and Kylie’s wedding day was awesome. Love you all more than you could ever know. Keep up the smiles, keep up the laughter and keep up being the tough guys that you are.

Here’s a couple of my photos from their big bay.
I was just on back up digi duty while our old flattie and DAC buddy Amelia was being a super photographer and was busy at it..
My hands (and neck) were very tied up for most of the day.. I was using five lomo and film cameras. Heaps of fun!

Hope you all had a great weekend :)
I magically have another week off work so heres to THAT..
Time to get some stuff done!

L.S.H

★