February 22, 2010 is the date, infamous in New Zealand, when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake rocked Christchurch. Only 6.3. But it, and a series of aftershocks, changed this place forever. If you're interested, you can check out my post about the Christchurch earthquake here, and my photos of it here.
This is just a brief message to acknowledge the second anniversary of the Christchurch Earthquake. 183 lives were lost. True, nowhere near that of Japan or Haiti... but the scars are still fresh and in various stages of healing. On this Friday, February 22, the city took one collective moment of silence at 12:51 to remember those 183 souls and reflect on the thriving and charming township that Christchurch once was.
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| Thousands of road cones were adorned with tens of thousands of flowers in remembrance. |
There's a phrase in the Maori language that is used a lot these days. It was popularized during WWII and was part of the most famous New Zealand Military song (The Marching Song). Anyways, I heard it a lot on Friday, and I think it's perfect.
Kia kaha, Christchurch.
Stay strong, Christchurch.
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