Munted

Definition:
To be broken, bent, scraped, splintered, shattered, crashed, crushed, smashed, snapped, squashed, lascerated, punctured, peirced, cracked, destroyed, burst, demolished, trashed, disintegrated, fractured, fragmented, hit, pounded, pulverized, slamed, or squished.

So many people when interviewed by the media in Christchurch, describe their homes, lives, businesses, as being 'munted'.

Is this a kiwi slang word? I haven't heard it used in other countries, but here in NZ everyone knows what it means. It is used often in everyday speech.

But - people in Christchurch are getting on with their lives, although not easy for many. Lack of power, water and sewerage in many areas makes life very difficult. As well as the trauma of continuing aftershocks.

As well as the student 'army' we also now have the 'farmy army' - a collection of farmers who meet each morning and go out into the suburbs to help clean up. And also various rugby clubs who are also organised into food relief, and clean up operations.

My extended family members who live in Christchurch are all safe and well. But they all have a tale to tell. One has a very badly damaged house and the land under it is ruined by liquefaction. The women have moved out of town to stay with relatives, and the men folk are behind making the houses lockable, and cleaning up.

My niece was in the basement at the University in a computer lab when the quake struck. She watched huge concrete columns bending and twisting and feared for her life. They held together and she ran outside to the creche where her 2 year old was.

They then faced a 9 kilometer walk home. She was not wearing walking shoes, and the little one was tired of walking. He fell asleep and she carried him most of the way.

It was dark when she reached home and was reunited with her husband. Their rented house has cracks in the walls, and her kitchen cupboards have spilled out on the floor. Her laptop has been smashed and it is necessary for her studies. They do have personal contents insurance and hopefully she will eventually get a replacement but it may take months.

But she is cheerful and happy to be alive and unscathed. They have power now but no water or sewerage. The toileting is the worst part she says. The council will be delivering some 'portaloos' soon, as soon as they become available. More are being brought into the city from overseas. In the meantime they have to be very careful of hygiene.

As I speak to her she is stirring a big pot of stew she is cooking up for relatives of her husbands who are sleeping in their garage and have no power yet - although they have been coping quite well with their barbeque.

Thousands of people have left the city of course, it is really the most sensible thing to do if there are young children and the house is completely ruined.

Christchurch Events

Earthquake news

Photo of Christchurch city taken seconds after the quake.

Help continues to stream in to Christchurch from all over the world. The level of international help is tremendous - there are a total of about 750 overseas Urban Rescue experts now in Christchurch. These include teams from Australia, Japan, Singapore and the US.

But hope is fading for people still trapped in buildings.

Words from our Prime Minister, John Key.

"These deaths are the greatest loss. They remind us that in the end buildings are just buildings, roads are just roads. But people are irreplaceable," said Mr Key. "Know that your humanity is more powerful than any act of Mother Nature."

80 per cent of the city is without reticulated water, 40 per cent of the city without power. Water tankers are bringing in water and people are collecting it at points around the city. There is no sewage in most parts of the city.

A student volunteer army organised by the University of Canterbury Student Association has been gathered via social networking site Facebook to help those suffering in the wake of Tuesday's devastating earthquake in Christchurch.
"We are working closely with Civil Defence in this operation. At this very early stage we are focusing on helping everyday people in their homes in low risk areas with non-life threatening situations," student organiser Sam Johnson says.
Volunteers should arrive at the UCSA car park on Ilam Road between 9am and 10am today and bring shovels, wheelbarrows, gloves, raincoats, sunblock and drink bottles."

U S Aid

This is the first time I can ever remember New Zealand receiving aid from another country. Other than in war time. And we are very grateful for it.

I know that NZ has sent help to the US before - I remember fire fighters were sent once to help with fire fighting in California.

"
>USAID Responds to New Zealand Earthquake

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2011
OIG Press Office: 202-712-1150
Public Information: 202-712-4810

www.usaid.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to the earthquake in New Zealand and upon request from the New Zealand government, the United States is deploying a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART). The Response Team will include the Los Angeles County (California) Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue team (USAR) to assist with the search and rescue efforts.

The USAR component of the DART will be what is called a "heavy team," bringing more than seventy specialized personnel and all necessary equipment to make live rescues in even the most precarious situations.

"On behalf of the American people, I wish to convey our sympathy, thoughts and prayers to the people of New Zealand who have been affected by this devastating earthquake," said USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah. "We stand ready to assist the government of New Zealand in any way we can."

USAID will continue to provide additional support as needed.

Another earthquake in Christchurch

I have been sitting in front of TV all afternoon, at times in tears, as I watch the people of Christchurch in the South Island, cope with the aftermath of another quake.

A quake of magnitude 6.3 struck just before 1pm this afternoon, at a depth of 5km. This is very shallow and it has done a lot of damage. Sadly there is loss of life, many people trapped, and fires raging. And their beloved Cathedral, an icon in the city, is very badly damaged.

I have heard that our family there are safe, but all have suffered damage to their houses. I have yet to hear from two other family members, one of whom was working in the downtown area today.

We live far away, in the North Island. They are calling for blood donations. Tomorrow I will go and donate, at least its something I can do.

Our heart goes out to our fellow New Zealanders.

The New Zealand Herald has more news.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

Update:
65 people so far confirmed have died.

The Dotterels (contd)

The dotterels who inhabit 'our beach' have a habit, as dotterels do, of just scratching a hole in the sand at roughly the high tide mark and laying their eggs in it. No cleverly crafted nest for them. There the mother sits with great determination day after day until her eggs hatch. Sometimes a storm will blow sand all over her, or a very high tide will wash her and the eggs away.

The chicks are so very cute, like bumble bees with long legs. They mostly have to fend for themselves. Although the parents do hover around and keep an eye on things, they don't 'herd' their brood and keep them close like a duck or hen will.

And therein lies the problem. Firstly, their nests are in very public places, where people like to walk their dogs. And dogs will do what dogs love to do - chase anything that runs. The little birds are at such a very vulnerable stage - the mother on the eggs, and the babies. Once they can fly it is fine, they can get away.

A dotterel watch group has been formed and along with DOC (Dept of Conservation) they have put several measures in place in an attempt to protect the birds. Firstly they have fenced off the nesting areas, but only a single strand wire is permitted.

The council has passed a by-law which bans dogs from the river mouth area and large signs have been erected stating this. Dogs are allowed on the rest of the beach before 7am and after 7pm. People can walk anywhere they like, apart from inside the few roped off nesting places.

This summer I helped the local dotterel watch group to keep an eye on the estuary point area (the second picture - you can see a roped off nesting area in the distance).

If someone came along with a dog we would politely point out the signs to them and request that they remove their dog to another area of the beach (they have 99% of the beach left to exercise their dogs - the beach is at least 3 kilometers or more long).

Some people were great - they saw the signs and just turned around, others stopped and chatted to us,read the information panels about the birds, then went off elsewhere.

But there were some unpleasant reactions. Some reacted very rudely. I was sworn at, told off in no uncertain terms to 'get a life' etc etc. Several people had their dog off the lead and the dog was chasing the birds! Some very firmly said 'I choose to ignore the signs so what are you going to do about it!' And one man had his children with him - what a terrible message to be passing on to the next generation.

All in all the experience has quite altered my faith in mankind. The local people were fine, it was the holiday makers who felt they had the God given right to take their dogs wherever they chose.

I have nothing against dogs by the way! Just the owners who do not take responsibility for them.

More on this topic later

The New Zealand Dotterel or Red-breasted Plover (Charadrius obscurus) is an endangered species and it is found only in certain areas of New Zealand. Its Māori names include Tūturiwhatu, Pukunui, and Kūkuruatu. It is related to the Eurasian dotterel.

New Zealand Dotterels are shorebirds and are usually found on sandy beaches and sandspits or feeding on tidal estuaries.

Dotterels are nearing extinction with about 1300 northern dotterels, and approximately 75 or so southern dotterels.

Parents lay eggs in the spring and summer. They nest on beaches above the high tide mark, and the nest is just a shallow hole dug in the ground, not made of twigs like a nest in a tree. The chicks hatch about 28 days after the eggs have been laid. Because the nests are on the ground, chicks can walk the day they hatch and can usually fly within 6-8 weeks.

Photo and article from WIkipedia

The summer

It has been a great summer, with a mixed bag of weather events with two cyclones dumping some rain and windy days, the many warm and sunny days too, but we take it all in our stride. Good to have the rain mid summer to keep the vege garden producing.

We had a lot of fun at the beach this year with our Grandchildren now well past the age of eating sand and now old enough to enjoy the water. Body boarding was a good challenge with the waves just the right height for learners. When they got tired of the surf beach or it was too windy there was always the river estuary and riding on the wave skiis.

And digging great holes in the sand and barricading them to attempt to hold back the tide occupied them every afternoon. Of course its an exercise in futility and the tide always won!

I've been captured.....

I've been captured by a hobby - quilting. I knew this would happen.

For years I had wanted to take some lessons in quilting but I knew that it was not a good idea until I had the time to devote to it. I have always been inclined to enjoy creative pastimes and also sewing.

When our four children were little I sewed most of their clothes until the boys began wearing jeans and our daughter began to covet the occasional designer label. There was not the variety of affordable childrens clothes to buy in the shops either and it was much more fun to make them.

And - when we we went off to our summer home, you would never believe this - I took my sewing machine on holiday with me. HOW SAD is THAT! I justified it this way - the sun is far too strong for me to venture out for several hours each day, so I opened up both ranch sliders and set up my machine at the table where the breeze flowed through and it was actually very pleasant. When the family all arrived I just packed it all up again. I worked on the project shown - another applique quilt.

This is my latest childrens quilt made for a much loved nephew. As with the others I have made, I have put a dedication on the back. His reads -

To XXXXX, with love from Auntie xxxx, 'Quilts are like love, they keep you warm'

Underneath the quote I have made two pockets so I can hide a lolly or a note in when I come to visit.

And it is the last full size quilt I will do for a while. My next projects are a couple of cot sized quilts. With another grandchild due in July I have some good ideas just waiting to be actioned.

My latest quilts

I have been working on these appliqued quilts for many months, in fact probably on and off all year. It is so satisfying to see them finished.

And the little boys just love them! As with a quilt I did last year for their sister, I put a dedication on the back with a 'secret' pocket in it to slip a lolly or a note into when I come to visit.

The quilt on the left is entitled the Lunch Bunch, and the other is Mum and Me.