New beginnings
I went to my local mall today! \o/ I understand that for normal people that isn't really something to celebrate, but in a place that has had a major dearth of local shops to go to it's rather exciting. It was good - got two necessary errands done and managed to frivolously spend money in my favourite clothing shop as well. It hadn't been on the list of shops either opening today or to reopen in the future so I assumed it had closed totally. Thankfully not :D
Sadly, there are rumours following the opening that it's unsafe - that contractors refused to work there, that builders walked off the site, that they did shoddy refitting etc etc (so that took 6 months because ... they were pretending to fix it up? I dunno). People kept saying things like 'OMG take a hard hat!' and 'You wouldn't get me going in there' when I told them I was heading along there today. I have spent the day explaining that, whatever they feel, I can't sit at home too scared to go anywhere just because places might fall down in a shake. My house might fall down in another one - that doesn't mean I'm shifting into a tent. The way I figure it, if something happens it happens. There's nothing I can do about it except deal with whatever appears when it appears. So ... they can stay away and I'll keep going along when I want to get something. It's closer and/or nicer than most of the other shopping centres that are left.
Also YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY word just out that all beaches are fine to use from the weekend. Yay! Just in time for summer swimming :D The rivers and the estuary are all still off limits but since I don't fish that means very little to me. This is a very good thing! Now all we need to do is get the chlorine out of our drinking water and things will be looking much brighter :D
As expected the Rugby World Cup, which starts tomorrow, is driving me batty. It isn't on yet and I am already SO over it. I am thankful, unlike a lot of the city, that we had all our games removed. I understand that many people think of rugby almost as a religion here, but watching the rest of the country getting all silly about it just makes me happy that I don't have to deal with in in my daily life even if it has taken over the TV and internet waves. The only sad thing really is that all the tourists here are landing, getting campervans and heading right out of the city. It would be nice if they stuck around and saw the bits of the city that are still (or again) operating perfectly. But that's a small niggle. Overall I'm just really happy to be avoiding the chaos.
And finally, those who have been harassing me to go get counseling can stop now :) I have talked to someone today so things are underway. The whole idea still freaks me out, but I'm doing it :)
Sadly, there are rumours following the opening that it's unsafe - that contractors refused to work there, that builders walked off the site, that they did shoddy refitting etc etc (so that took 6 months because ... they were pretending to fix it up? I dunno). People kept saying things like 'OMG take a hard hat!' and 'You wouldn't get me going in there' when I told them I was heading along there today. I have spent the day explaining that, whatever they feel, I can't sit at home too scared to go anywhere just because places might fall down in a shake. My house might fall down in another one - that doesn't mean I'm shifting into a tent. The way I figure it, if something happens it happens. There's nothing I can do about it except deal with whatever appears when it appears. So ... they can stay away and I'll keep going along when I want to get something. It's closer and/or nicer than most of the other shopping centres that are left.
Also YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY word just out that all beaches are fine to use from the weekend. Yay! Just in time for summer swimming :D The rivers and the estuary are all still off limits but since I don't fish that means very little to me. This is a very good thing! Now all we need to do is get the chlorine out of our drinking water and things will be looking much brighter :D
As expected the Rugby World Cup, which starts tomorrow, is driving me batty. It isn't on yet and I am already SO over it. I am thankful, unlike a lot of the city, that we had all our games removed. I understand that many people think of rugby almost as a religion here, but watching the rest of the country getting all silly about it just makes me happy that I don't have to deal with in in my daily life even if it has taken over the TV and internet waves. The only sad thing really is that all the tourists here are landing, getting campervans and heading right out of the city. It would be nice if they stuck around and saw the bits of the city that are still (or again) operating perfectly. But that's a small niggle. Overall I'm just really happy to be avoiding the chaos.
And finally, those who have been harassing me to go get counseling can stop now :) I have talked to someone today so things are underway. The whole idea still freaks me out, but I'm doing it :)