Once again, this video was created using the 1 Second Everyday app. This time I didn't worry about trying to capture one second every single day, I just tried to take a short video whenever there was something I wanted to remember.
Showing posts with label christchurch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christchurch. Show all posts
10 January 2019
Highlights of 2018
We had lots of adventures (big and small!) in 2018. Here are some of the highlights:
03 January 2018
Highlights of 2017
I'm finally back on this much-neglected blog to share some of the highlights of 2017:
This compilation was created with the 1 Second Everyday app, which is amazing and so simple to use. It's also a lot easier to take videos rather than photos of two energetic kiddos!
I'm carrying on this method of documenting in 2018 (and probably beyond!).
PS I thought about creating a lowlights video as well, but does anyone really want to see all the fighting, tantrums, arguments, and huge piles of laundry? I decided not ;)
This compilation was created with the 1 Second Everyday app, which is amazing and so simple to use. It's also a lot easier to take videos rather than photos of two energetic kiddos!
I'm carrying on this method of documenting in 2018 (and probably beyond!).
PS I thought about creating a lowlights video as well, but does anyone really want to see all the fighting, tantrums, arguments, and huge piles of laundry? I decided not ;)
08 September 2013
03 April 2012
Dance-O-Mat
With all the empty spaces around Christchurch from buildings being demolished a "creative urban regeneration initiative" has been set up to make use of some of them.
Some of the projects include a book exchange, a giant chess set, bicycle-powered cinema, and the Dance-O-Mat which was in use when I went into the city last Saturday.
The Dance-O-Mat is a dance floor with coin operated sound and lighting courtesy of a converted washing machine, and anyone can use it as long as they have an mp3 player to plug in to the system. It looks like so much fun!
Gap Filler aims to temporarily activate vacant sites within Christchurch with creative projects, to make for a more interesting, dynamic and vibrant city. Site-specific projects can help us celebrate, mourn and criticise all that we’ve lost; can help us play, experiment and toy with ideas for the future; can make otherwise empty areas active; and can ultimately pave the way in the revitalisation of the city.
Some of the projects include a book exchange, a giant chess set, bicycle-powered cinema, and the Dance-O-Mat which was in use when I went into the city last Saturday.
The Dance-O-Mat is a dance floor with coin operated sound and lighting courtesy of a converted washing machine, and anyone can use it as long as they have an mp3 player to plug in to the system. It looks like so much fun!
24 February 2012
Secret Cinema
This weekend there's a portable secret cinema in town. Nobody has any idea of the location, the time, or the movie that will be playing - we only find out where we need to go a couple of hours in advance via text message. The series is called Back to the Eighties and so far they've screened the Goonies and ET, I can't wait to see what the next one will be!
So on Sunday I'll be packing up a picnic rug and a big bag of popcorn (no movie experience is complete without popcorn) and waiting for the top secret instructions. I'm so excited!
19 January 2012
Visiting Central Christchurch
The other weekend I ventured in to the central city, which was for the first time in almost a year (for obvious reasons...)
It was surreal walking down the quiet streets that used to be full of people, and there were so many gaps from buildings that have been demolished that in some places it was hard to remember what used to be there. Add some more damage from the latest earthquakes, scrawled messages across buildings from Urban Search and Rescue checking for survivors back in February, and most of the areas still fenced off - it was still a bit overwhelming.
The reason I wanted to go back to the city was because of some new developments, mainly the new Restart Project which has brought back some of the original shops and cafes in buildings made out of shipping containers:
I was really impressed! If you want to brave a visit to the shaky city* then definitely check it out.
* I haven't noticed an earthquake so far today though, fingers crossed this lasts for a while longer!
It was surreal walking down the quiet streets that used to be full of people, and there were so many gaps from buildings that have been demolished that in some places it was hard to remember what used to be there. Add some more damage from the latest earthquakes, scrawled messages across buildings from Urban Search and Rescue checking for survivors back in February, and most of the areas still fenced off - it was still a bit overwhelming.
The reason I wanted to go back to the city was because of some new developments, mainly the new Restart Project which has brought back some of the original shops and cafes in buildings made out of shipping containers:
I was really impressed! If you want to brave a visit to the shaky city* then definitely check it out.
* I haven't noticed an earthquake so far today though, fingers crossed this lasts for a while longer!
18 December 2011
06 November 2011
Brighton Fireworks
Last night Owen & I headed down to the beach to watch the annual fireworks display. We brought the camera along and Owen took some pretty amazing photos. A few of my favourites:
The beach gets pretty crowded, and while waiting for the main event to start people all along the shore set off their own little fireworks. Once the display finishes everyone claps and cheers, then there's a mad rush to try and beat the traffic home!
The beach gets pretty crowded, and while waiting for the main event to start people all along the shore set off their own little fireworks. Once the display finishes everyone claps and cheers, then there's a mad rush to try and beat the traffic home!
03 September 2011
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The other night I took a trek over to Lyttelton for a performance of Macbeth. Since the usual venue still needed repairs after the earthquake, the performers had found an alternative amongst the rubble of some buildings that had been torn down. A covered seating area had been set up for the audience but the rest of the set was open to the elements and included the remains of a wall, pools of dirty water, and crumbling foundations.
We settled in with some chocolate brownie, mulled wine and hot chocolate to keep the cold at bay, but I soon forgot about it as the show started with a pretty brutal fight scene and carried on the intensity.
One of the highlights was the ghost of Banquo, which was so well done. The character was murdered in one of the pools of muddy water which were part of the set, and was shielded from view by some concrete foundations. I'd been keeping an eye out and was starting to get a little worried about the actor who was still lying in the water a few minutes later, and it was a cold night! But it made the appearance of Banquo's ghost very dramatic when he finally emerged from the pool covered with filthy water to stalk Macbeth.
We settled in with some chocolate brownie, mulled wine and hot chocolate to keep the cold at bay, but I soon forgot about it as the show started with a pretty brutal fight scene and carried on the intensity.
When shall we three meet again in thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurlyburly 's done, When the battle 's lost and won.I'd been looking forward to seeing the three witches (which were the only part I could really remember from studying Macbeth at school) and was impressed when one of them did some fire eating!
- Act I, Scene I
One of the highlights was the ghost of Banquo, which was so well done. The character was murdered in one of the pools of muddy water which were part of the set, and was shielded from view by some concrete foundations. I'd been keeping an eye out and was starting to get a little worried about the actor who was still lying in the water a few minutes later, and it was a cold night! But it made the appearance of Banquo's ghost very dramatic when he finally emerged from the pool covered with filthy water to stalk Macbeth.
Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more.I've only been to a couple of Shakespeare performances before, but both of them have been so good that I can't wait until the next one!
- Act V, Scene V
25 July 2011
Snow Day!
It usually snows in Christchurch about once a year, and this morning we woke up to this:
Snow is so infrequent here that nobody's really equipped to deal with it, so the city shuts down for the day. I love a bonus long weekend! This is the heaviest snowfall I've ever seen in Christchurch, and the best thing about snow here is that it's usually gone within a day or two, just when the novelty has worn off.
Our plans for the rest of the day involve keeping the fire going, building a snowman (we pretty much have to do that), and taking the dog for a walk. It turns out she really loves snow!
Snow is so infrequent here that nobody's really equipped to deal with it, so the city shuts down for the day. I love a bonus long weekend! This is the heaviest snowfall I've ever seen in Christchurch, and the best thing about snow here is that it's usually gone within a day or two, just when the novelty has worn off.
Our plans for the rest of the day involve keeping the fire going, building a snowman (we pretty much have to do that), and taking the dog for a walk. It turns out she really loves snow!
25 April 2011
Long Weekend
I've loved having a couple of extra days holiday, long weekends are the best! Some of the highlights:
Feathers in My Cap
Black Eyes
Feathers in My Cap
- Taking turns with Owen to make fancy breakfast every morning
- Going on long walks with the dog in the forest near our house
- Extra warm weather for the first three days, it felt like summer again on Sunday!
- Getting my haircut for the first time in years
- Family dropping in to our house for coffee
- Finishing up my photo album (which I've been meaning to do for months and months)
Black Eyes
- Deciding to go shopping on a rainy public holiday when half of the shops in town were closed (but luckily changing my mind before it was too late!)
- Having to go back to work tomorrow when Owen has an extra day off
10 March 2011
After the Earthquake
After two weeks with no electricity our power is finally back on! The first week wasn't so bad, the novelty of cooking on a gas stove and reading by torchlight felt like a camping adventure. The second week was less fun, but still bearable. The thought of a third week was not good at all, cold showers and early nights are no fun on a regular basis!
Luckily we had the chance to escape to Kaikoura for the last couple of weekends, which made the dog happy too.
The chickens also seem to be happy at the moment, they've been on a laying rampage since the earthquake. Now that we have power again (power!) I might just have to bake a cake to use the egg surplus. Any recipe recommendations?
Luckily we had the chance to escape to Kaikoura for the last couple of weekends, which made the dog happy too.
The chickens also seem to be happy at the moment, they've been on a laying rampage since the earthquake. Now that we have power again (power!) I might just have to bake a cake to use the egg surplus. Any recipe recommendations?
24 February 2011
6.3 Earthquake
When the shaking started I was expecting just another aftershock. It was very intense and over quickly and didn't really leave any time to think. All I could do was hold on to the door frame and try to stay on my feet while everything shook violently. I managed to stop the TV next to me from falling, but the large bookshelf toppled onto the sofa and glass jars and bottles fell out of the pantry and smashed on to the floor.
I went to check on the animals with my hands shaking and heart pounding, and luckily everything seemed to be fine. I didn't realise how serious the earthquake was, I thought it was just a smaller quake but centred closer to home. I got in touch with Owen and my family to let them know I was alright, it wasn't until I went out onto the street and saw water gushing everywhere from the broken mains that I started to think that things might be serious.
I started cleaning up in the house, waiting for Owen to get home, and hoping that the water coming up the driveway wasn't going to get much closer. When he arrived the street was a huge mess. A car had fallen through the road right outside our gate, and there was water and sand everywhere.
We started trying to get in touch with friends, but the network was overloaded and messages were being delayed, sometimes for hours. We were listening to a battery operated radio (all power and water went off as soon as the quake happened) and started to understand the scale of the disaster. When I heard that two buildings had collapsed in town I started to get worried about one of my friends, and the worst was confirmed when I heard she was trapped in one of the buildings. She'd been in contact with people and urban search and resuce were trying to get survivors out, but it was a very tense night waiting for news and still being jolted by aftershocks. It was such a relief when we heard that she'd been rescued and was going to be alright.
The next day we spent most of the time cleaning up, tracking down some food and water, and listening to the radio for updates. Judging by the state of our suburb it will be days or weeks before power and water are restored, but luckily we have friends on the other side of town where we can access both. It will be a while before things can go back to normal, we're just thankful that our friends and family have made it through.
I went to check on the animals with my hands shaking and heart pounding, and luckily everything seemed to be fine. I didn't realise how serious the earthquake was, I thought it was just a smaller quake but centred closer to home. I got in touch with Owen and my family to let them know I was alright, it wasn't until I went out onto the street and saw water gushing everywhere from the broken mains that I started to think that things might be serious.
I started cleaning up in the house, waiting for Owen to get home, and hoping that the water coming up the driveway wasn't going to get much closer. When he arrived the street was a huge mess. A car had fallen through the road right outside our gate, and there was water and sand everywhere.
We started trying to get in touch with friends, but the network was overloaded and messages were being delayed, sometimes for hours. We were listening to a battery operated radio (all power and water went off as soon as the quake happened) and started to understand the scale of the disaster. When I heard that two buildings had collapsed in town I started to get worried about one of my friends, and the worst was confirmed when I heard she was trapped in one of the buildings. She'd been in contact with people and urban search and resuce were trying to get survivors out, but it was a very tense night waiting for news and still being jolted by aftershocks. It was such a relief when we heard that she'd been rescued and was going to be alright.
The next day we spent most of the time cleaning up, tracking down some food and water, and listening to the radio for updates. Judging by the state of our suburb it will be days or weeks before power and water are restored, but luckily we have friends on the other side of town where we can access both. It will be a while before things can go back to normal, we're just thankful that our friends and family have made it through.
13 September 2010
Aftershocks
When the 7.1 earthquake hit Christchurch last weekend we were out of town, and had been planning on going home that morning to move out of the gingerbread house. It was a bit worrying as we drove back not knowing what we were going to find! Fortunately our belongings were mostly fine (just a couple of things broke when they fell off shelves) but the house itself wasn't in the best shape...
The liquefaction and cracks weren't that bad (especially compared to some areas), but because the property is really close to a river the ground wasn't that stable and one corner of the house is on quite a lean. It wasn't a problem for us moving out, especially as we had already organised to stay with a friend for the next week, but luckily the land lord has insurance because apparently it isn't fit to be lived in anymore.
Before the earthquake we had been ready to settle on our new house (!!!) on Friday, but things were looking a bit uncertain when insurance companies started backing out of all new policies in Christchurch. Owen had managed to confirm our insurance the day before the earthquake and a builder had inspected the new house to make sure there was no damage, but the bank was still having difficulty making a decision about whether to go ahead with the purchase.
We had a deadline of 3.00pm on Friday, otherwise settlement would have to be delayed for a few days or possibly weeks, and at 2.50pm the bank finally confirmed! It was a very tense day, and I spent most of it trying not to huddle in a corner and cry. But everything worked out OK, and we moved in on Saturday!
There's still a lot of unpacking to do, but I took a few before photos of the house since we have plans to do a bit of work on it. If you'd like to have a look, here they are. I'm planning on posting some after photos as we make progress!
The liquefaction and cracks weren't that bad (especially compared to some areas), but because the property is really close to a river the ground wasn't that stable and one corner of the house is on quite a lean. It wasn't a problem for us moving out, especially as we had already organised to stay with a friend for the next week, but luckily the land lord has insurance because apparently it isn't fit to be lived in anymore.
Before the earthquake we had been ready to settle on our new house (!!!) on Friday, but things were looking a bit uncertain when insurance companies started backing out of all new policies in Christchurch. Owen had managed to confirm our insurance the day before the earthquake and a builder had inspected the new house to make sure there was no damage, but the bank was still having difficulty making a decision about whether to go ahead with the purchase.
We had a deadline of 3.00pm on Friday, otherwise settlement would have to be delayed for a few days or possibly weeks, and at 2.50pm the bank finally confirmed! It was a very tense day, and I spent most of it trying not to huddle in a corner and cry. But everything worked out OK, and we moved in on Saturday!
There's still a lot of unpacking to do, but I took a few before photos of the house since we have plans to do a bit of work on it. If you'd like to have a look, here they are. I'm planning on posting some after photos as we make progress!
21 July 2009
Southern Alps
It had been a long time since I last went on a proper adventure, so I
made up for it in the weekend. Owen convinced me to go along on a drive
into the Southern Alps, even though there was a lot of other things I
probably should have been doing. Sometimes I think it might have been
better if I didn’t tell everyone the secret way to persuade me into doing any activity…
One of my favourite things about New Zealand is that within a couple of hours you can drive from the coast to the mountains. The scenery was beautiful, although at one point our car did get stuck in the snow and some nice strangers had to help push it out. But of course that just made everything more of an adventure!
One of my favourite things about New Zealand is that within a couple of hours you can drive from the coast to the mountains. The scenery was beautiful, although at one point our car did get stuck in the snow and some nice strangers had to help push it out. But of course that just made everything more of an adventure!
16 March 2008
Tea Party
I spent a very nice afternoon with some of my favourite people at my long anticipated tea party. It looked like everyone had a good time, and the food they bought along was delicious. I made two types of cupcakes for the occasion: black forest cupcakes (with cherry chocolate mudcake) and pear butterfly cupcakes (with pear and maple buttercake).
There's so much food leftover, although I managed to give away most of the cupcakes which is a good thing because I'm starting to get cupcake overload. I did manage to save a couple for later though!
There's so much food leftover, although I managed to give away most of the cupcakes which is a good thing because I'm starting to get cupcake overload. I did manage to save a couple for later though!
23 September 2007
Little Adventures
My plans for a big weekend adventure didn’t happen, but I managed to keep busy with some little adventures instead.
Adventure #1
On Saturday morning I went to the Lyttleton Farmers Market for the first time. Finding a park was an adventure in itself, and I was pleased to find that my car hadn't rolled away after I ended up parking on a pretty steep hill!
From the market I bought:
Adventure #2
After a nap, which was interrupted by the rehearsal of our neighbour’s death metal band, I went shopping with my sister in town. I resisted the temptation to buy clothes, and instead bought a teacup & saucer set from a strange little antique store.
Adventure #3
On Saturday night I went to my friend Julia’s house warming, which was fun (and a lot more civilised than the sort of thing we did a couple of years ago!)
Adventure #4
I’m thinking about starting Flamenco classes next term after going to the workshop on Sunday afternoon.
And because it was held at the Art Gallery, I couldn’t resist having a look at the Moleskines at the store which of course lead to the purchase of a 2008 diary. Once I found out a couple of weeks age that the diary had stickers I knew it was only a matter of time before I bought one.
Adventure #1
On Saturday morning I went to the Lyttleton Farmers Market for the first time. Finding a park was an adventure in itself, and I was pleased to find that my car hadn't rolled away after I ended up parking on a pretty steep hill!
From the market I bought:
- Half a dozen free range eggs
- A wedge of award winning cheese
- Salad greens
- A selection of honey
- Handmade chocolate (how could I not?)
Adventure #2
After a nap, which was interrupted by the rehearsal of our neighbour’s death metal band, I went shopping with my sister in town. I resisted the temptation to buy clothes, and instead bought a teacup & saucer set from a strange little antique store.
Adventure #3
On Saturday night I went to my friend Julia’s house warming, which was fun (and a lot more civilised than the sort of thing we did a couple of years ago!)
Adventure #4
I’m thinking about starting Flamenco classes next term after going to the workshop on Sunday afternoon.
And because it was held at the Art Gallery, I couldn’t resist having a look at the Moleskines at the store which of course lead to the purchase of a 2008 diary. Once I found out a couple of weeks age that the diary had stickers I knew it was only a matter of time before I bought one.
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