Looking back at a simpler time
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 6:46 pmFirst, I just need to say that this is tongue-in-cheek, and in no way should detract from the seriousness of the Christchurch earthquakes, and the subsequent deaths.
A month ago I was talking to my mum, commenting on the fact that the longer we live, the more disasters we are likely to live through. She was traumatised by the earthquakes, which is why she moved to Whanganui, that's as far as she got before she stopped running. However, I've been thinking that maybe those were the good old days, compared to Covid-19. I lived in Lyttelton at the time, so we were cut off from the rest of the world for a while when the tunnel was closed. I actually had a 'pass' to use the tunnel in the event of an emergency, signed by the commander of the frigate Canterbury, due to my medical issues. Now a lot of people have travel passes due to their 'essential' roles. Being cut off from the city doesn't seem like a big deal now, compared to the entire country locked down.
We didn't have access to the supermarket for a while, but not long enough to worry about the toilet paper situation. However, we couldn't use the toilet for a loooong time, relying on a hole dug in the garden. And of course the power was off for a time, so a bit rough for those without an alternative cooking/heating source.
I can remember going down to the village to get water from a truck, it was carefully monitored to make sure that everyone using the service scrubbed their hands first so they wouldn't contaminate the supply. Back then my understanding of this was woefully limited, but now we all have a much clearer picture of what can happen without scrupulous hygiene.
The pharmacy had a limit of 3(?) customers at once, as that's how many hard hats they had.
The army was heavily involved at the time, and were a welcome sight on the streets of Lyttelton. The Canterbury crew helped feed the locals, which was a blessing for some. At no time did anyone worry about their liberties being eroded, but now a lot of folk are wondering about what a country with 'discretionary' powers for police would look like.
Yes, the earthquake death toll was monstrous, I still have to limit my visits to Christchurch because of the emotional impact. But I do worry that what we'll see with the virus will far surpass that -- it could be a long, slow disaster, rather than a short, sharp jolt. I can still be positive at the moment, so I try not to play 'what if'.
I've just had my evening walk, and I did note that the streets are clean and tidy, no rubble at all, it's quiet and peaceful, the few people I passed said hello and smiled. But this is early days, and some parts of the world have shown what can happen when things escalate. I'm aware that a lot of simmers are older now, so the risk is higher, so please stay safe, stay home, I want to see all the friends I've made through flightsim come out of this alive. We can sort out the economy later, and maybe build a more resilient and 'kind' system to cope with things like this.
A month ago I was talking to my mum, commenting on the fact that the longer we live, the more disasters we are likely to live through. She was traumatised by the earthquakes, which is why she moved to Whanganui, that's as far as she got before she stopped running. However, I've been thinking that maybe those were the good old days, compared to Covid-19. I lived in Lyttelton at the time, so we were cut off from the rest of the world for a while when the tunnel was closed. I actually had a 'pass' to use the tunnel in the event of an emergency, signed by the commander of the frigate Canterbury, due to my medical issues. Now a lot of people have travel passes due to their 'essential' roles. Being cut off from the city doesn't seem like a big deal now, compared to the entire country locked down.
We didn't have access to the supermarket for a while, but not long enough to worry about the toilet paper situation. However, we couldn't use the toilet for a loooong time, relying on a hole dug in the garden. And of course the power was off for a time, so a bit rough for those without an alternative cooking/heating source.
I can remember going down to the village to get water from a truck, it was carefully monitored to make sure that everyone using the service scrubbed their hands first so they wouldn't contaminate the supply. Back then my understanding of this was woefully limited, but now we all have a much clearer picture of what can happen without scrupulous hygiene.
The pharmacy had a limit of 3(?) customers at once, as that's how many hard hats they had.
The army was heavily involved at the time, and were a welcome sight on the streets of Lyttelton. The Canterbury crew helped feed the locals, which was a blessing for some. At no time did anyone worry about their liberties being eroded, but now a lot of folk are wondering about what a country with 'discretionary' powers for police would look like.
Yes, the earthquake death toll was monstrous, I still have to limit my visits to Christchurch because of the emotional impact. But I do worry that what we'll see with the virus will far surpass that -- it could be a long, slow disaster, rather than a short, sharp jolt. I can still be positive at the moment, so I try not to play 'what if'.
I've just had my evening walk, and I did note that the streets are clean and tidy, no rubble at all, it's quiet and peaceful, the few people I passed said hello and smiled. But this is early days, and some parts of the world have shown what can happen when things escalate. I'm aware that a lot of simmers are older now, so the risk is higher, so please stay safe, stay home, I want to see all the friends I've made through flightsim come out of this alive. We can sort out the economy later, and maybe build a more resilient and 'kind' system to cope with things like this.