New Zealand one month after earthquake and Harold's hedgehog book!

Harold's book!

My nephew reading Harold's book!

The mail package image!

Article from Herald on Sunday-NZ

One month ago New Zealand suffered one of its worst natural disasters when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck second-biggest city called Christchurch on 22th February. Maybe you have already forgotten about it. 17 days after Earth rocked again, in Japan. Horrendous consequences are known from all of us. News from Japan engulfed all media as much as the tsunami has made for the shaken land. I am saddened for both countries. Today I am again writing about New Zealand for different reasons. After Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday – I got mail, real mail in my postal box, not in my email box. That is quite a happening by itself! I got a parcel from New Zealand, another one from the UK and another one from Taiwan, via Oporto. Today I will show you what the postman brought me from New Zealand: a beautiful book about Harold, one of two hedgehogs that Ross gave shelter. I met Ross through Zazzle. When he asked for my address to send me a book I never imagine such a gorgeous book. Nice paper, big photos. It’s marvelous that he had done this book to celebrate Harold’s passage through his life. The little animal returned to visit him after the first hibernation in the wild. How wonderful is that? Don’t forget that Ross’s has T-shirts to help to raise money for Christchurch Relief Fund. You can find it here. Find two examples below.

The mail package had a cute drawing in it and I scanned it to post here because it’s a Kaitiaki illustration by Ngataiharuru Taepa. That’s the word in Maori for protector or guardian. That design represents Tiaki (care) and New Zealand’s Post’s role in watching over mail as it travels from one destination to another. Very nice graphic detail.

Ross also sent me Herald on Sunday, 100 hours – A tribute to courage. I took some notes out of it: “There is a gentle groundswell for the Cathedral to be rebuilt – not just as a symbol of restoring the brick-and-mortar heart of the city, but as a symbol of restoring the human soul of the community.”

It’s strange but I can understand this perfectly. I’m not a religious person but when I saw the damaged cathedral I was moved. It has stood for 100 years and it's a beautiful building. I really would like to see it rebuilt and I'm at least 30 hour flight from there! I'm sure they will do it.

This news supplement has stories of rescuers, survivors, photos, and columns with words from prominent personalities, like the Mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker: “It was like a freight train coming through the front door. No warning, no rumble, no chance of escape.” Zara Potts wrote: “It’s like a disaster movie set. It doesn’t feel real.” Mary Ann Jackson: “I ran for my life. I had seconds. I thought it was the end of the world. I could feel the building breaking up. It was seconds and the building was flattened.” Her colleagues died inside the building. One thing I tried while reading and looking at Herald’s photos was to put myself in the shoes of survivors in their uninhabitable homes, without a working place maybe for months, and dealing with the loss of family members, co-workers, or friends on top of it. “It takes a huge toll on the human spirit to see your home in ruins. You can’t complain because you’re one of the lucky ones.” – Kerry Woodham.