Last week I wrote a post centered around numbers. They were the sizes of the earthquake tremors in Christchurch, while I sat snugly and solidly in my safe little world in Surrey, England. This morning, it is 4:27am, six hours since I wrote my last post from Christchurch, New Zealand. We have had a series of earthquake aftershocks every two hours with the highest of 5.5. To say I am well and truly awake at this moment is an understatement!
I am not sure how to describe it. You lay in bed asleep and then the shaking begins, you first thought is that it must be a dream but then you become acutely aware that it is not. Your heart races, your thoughts go to where your body is situated in relation to the house and your outside surroundings. You listen to the sounds as the house shakes, the windows rattle and you pray that you are on solid footing. You then quickly think of emergency escapes. The B&B that I am staying in is locked from the inside. On my first trip to grab security items, they consisted of the house and car keys and my cashmere shawl. Why I grabbed this over a winter coat is another matter! With the second jolt other items centred within my grasp, passport, shoes, warm clothes ( I don't think silk pj's will do the trick on a winters evening) and water. My thoughts than ran to the mountain we are on with houses above us and the deep valley below. Tomorrow will be a lesson in understanding my surroundings. All the while, the owners of the B&B sleep...I take comfort in that. They know the drill by now.
It is quiet again, I do not hear a peep around me, the city is well lit, not a creature is stirring...just me and my lingering jet lag. At this moment, I am sure there are many more like me, rolling over, lights off and wondering 'when' will be the next time. I can not imagine enduring months on end of this...as I go to sleep, thinking of the people that do.
Through all this my darling daughter texts me to see if I am ok. She assures me she is fine, and says "this is what usually happens but let's hope that was the last of the big ones." xxxx
I am with her, let's hope that is the last of the big ones....
Reporting from my bed, with my iPad and intermittent internet reception:)
I am not sure how to describe it. You lay in bed asleep and then the shaking begins, you first thought is that it must be a dream but then you become acutely aware that it is not. Your heart races, your thoughts go to where your body is situated in relation to the house and your outside surroundings. You listen to the sounds as the house shakes, the windows rattle and you pray that you are on solid footing. You then quickly think of emergency escapes. The B&B that I am staying in is locked from the inside. On my first trip to grab security items, they consisted of the house and car keys and my cashmere shawl. Why I grabbed this over a winter coat is another matter! With the second jolt other items centred within my grasp, passport, shoes, warm clothes ( I don't think silk pj's will do the trick on a winters evening) and water. My thoughts than ran to the mountain we are on with houses above us and the deep valley below. Tomorrow will be a lesson in understanding my surroundings. All the while, the owners of the B&B sleep...I take comfort in that. They know the drill by now.
It is quiet again, I do not hear a peep around me, the city is well lit, not a creature is stirring...just me and my lingering jet lag. At this moment, I am sure there are many more like me, rolling over, lights off and wondering 'when' will be the next time. I can not imagine enduring months on end of this...as I go to sleep, thinking of the people that do.
Through all this my darling daughter texts me to see if I am ok. She assures me she is fine, and says "this is what usually happens but let's hope that was the last of the big ones." xxxx
I am with her, let's hope that is the last of the big ones....
Reporting from my bed, with my iPad and intermittent internet reception:)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad, images..me.
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