My friends from school have been really affected by the earthquakes in Christchurch. One of them has a house that has been split in half and has liquefaction flooded through the gaps. So they had to wade through a foot of wet mud to get anywhere. His house was only a few years old and he was forced to move out and buy a new one to live in. He luckily was able to afford to move from the house but still hasn’t been paid by the government.
Another one of my friends from school has a sewage leek under her back yard. So sewage comes up into her yard and the pipes haven’t been fixed. She has been forced to live in the house with a big pile of poop in her back yard for 1 year. The government hasn’t fixed it till recently.
Lots of my friend’s families are forced to use public port o potties because they do not have running water it their houses. When you drive by, you see a few potties on every street corner because they do not have water in their houses. For one year, they’ve had to live like that because of the earth quake damage to their pipes that haven’t been fixed until recently.
Zander
Z--awesome post. I was very interested in your descriptions of the problems some of your friends have had over the last year. Sometime when we have time for a conversation, I'd be interested in how you think all that has changed them-maybe it hasn't or maybe it has.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I kept thinking of as I read was you going back to "the government hasn't paid them yet." Some people [many of our neighbors here in Paso, for example] would argue that the government shouldn't be paying anyone for such a catastrophe. Others [like me] think we have government and pay taxes as a safety net, in case something beyond our control knocks us down. What do you think?????
Also, loved the pictures of the old buildings. They look a lot like the buildings that you'll see in England when you get there.
Be well and love you! bippy
Hey Zander,
ReplyDeleteNice Post! You're sounding like an investigative journalist- bringing us all to the frontline of the lives that were/are affected by the earthquakes! It would be really tough to have to use a port-o-potty for a whole year! Poor guys! The words you've chosen to use when writing this really tells your audience (us) how you feel. That you are appalled by the lack of government response to help its people. Natural disasters like this and even worse also happen in the US- and in our great country, there is still lack of adequate government aid. Can you think of any in particular?
<3 MIngdeap
Zander,
ReplyDeleteI wish you would submit this to a few newspapers! Maybe, your story will help the politicians quicken their funding to help your friends/victims rebuild their homes. Thank you for painting a vivid picture of the devastation in Christchurch. I guess, all you saw make your "hole-ly" house feel like a castle:) I also loves the picture of you and your dear old dad!