Pass the lemonade

You know what they say: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Or in this case, when earthquakes close all the venues and break the recording studios, turn those streetside jam sessions into a full-length fundraising album recorded in harbourside homes and garden sheds. (yeah I know, not quite so catchy eh!) The seismically-inspired juggernaut that is the Harbour Union has been up and down the country over the last few weeks, with a tour that kicked off at The Aurora Centre here in C-city.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

We learn new things every day round here, and they're not always earthquake-related. I was on a quest the other day to understand a phobia I appear to have developed over the last 12 months... my instinctive, gut-level fear and mistrust of brick as a building material.

I wonder why?

Builder Idol

Over this whole process, there have been many times we've had occasion to think, 'there but for the grace of <insert deity here> go I'...

In January, I wandered through a couple of open homes - inner city apartments  - that turned out to be poky, overpriced and lacking in natural light, but darn they were cute! They don't look quite so cute now... I've seen some pictures on the news and they don't look nearly so purty as they used to. Not nearly so intact either...

I haven't got any pics of the building itself, but they were in this area... you can just see the end of the building (known to us old-timers as 'High Para') at the far right of this pic.

Community songbook

Sunday marked one whole year since this seismic shittery began disrupting our lives. As it was a year ago, the day was warm and sunny... although the objects at ground level don't always look the same as they did then.

Once upon a time, this was a grandstand at Addington Raceway...

...now it's just another demo job.

The raceway is across the carpark from the CBS Arena, where I was working that evening for "Christchurch Sings" - an Arts Festival event that took place on September 4th. A crowd of over 3000 gathered to bathe in the sounds of combined local choirs, backed by the CSO. The crowd seemed to have a lovely evening - hardly anyone even noticed the aftershock we had during the concert (4.4M at 7.41pm).

Last Thursday I wandered down to Sydenham (next suburb over!) to catch a live-to-air performance by The Unfaithful Ways - one of the bands that feature on the Harbour Union album.

This is how we roll in C-city these days... this converted horse truck - the rdunit - is currently home to student radio station, rdu, who lost their studio & office when the UC Student Union building was red-stickered after February's quakes.

Getting all scientifical

I've been collecting a few interesting links lately, and it hardly seems fair to keep them all to myself. Today's collection is largely focused on the ground beneath our feet. Of course, it could just be me (& most other locals) with a fascination for geotechnical & other scientific information...

Christchurch has become a magnet for seismologists, geoscientists and other curious earthy science folk. I'm not sure we should let Kevin Furlong back into the country though... earthquakes seem to be following him around...