The People of Christchurch: Warmth, Loss and Moving Forward

Andy in Cathedral Square, Christchurch

Hello again dear friends! Welcome to the continued tales of our time here in New Zealand. It feels important at this early point in my story to acknowledge that in addition to the breathtaking scenery and wildlife here, is a deeply warm and friendly people. From what others have shared, I believe this is true of most New Zealanders. But since we have the special privilege of interacting with and beginning to get to know some of the people of Christchurch, this story is particularly about them.

First and foremost, it is about their warmth. From bus drivers who get out of their seats to look at the map and plan our route with us, to shopkeepers curious and happy to chat with us, to our landlady who greeted us with a big hug the first time we met her and recently drove us out to her childhood home for tea so the kids could meet the baby lamb and goat and canaries and quail there -- people seem genuinely interested in making a connection, in being helpful, in simple human kindnesses. This has been like a welcoming backdrop to the whole trip so far, a sense of warmth and ease that have set a tone for just enjoying exploring and meeting people here.

Looking one direction: the river and bridge and
gardens are a balm to the spirit

Secondly, the people of Christchurch have survived a great loss. A series of major earthquakes struck the area in 2010 and 2011, and devastated the historic center of the city, as well as leaving a burden of stress and trauma on nearly every resident I've spoken with.  I can't tell you how many people, once they hear we're staying here for a few months, have said something like, "Pity you didn't get to see it before the earthquakes," or "It's such a shame, it just isn't what it used to be." Almost every one of them has seem to need to talk about the experience in some way - the trauma of the quakes themselves, or the lasting effects on spirit. 

Same spot, looking south toward the Cathedral:
still healing from the quakes

At our first trip to the farmer's market, we were waiting in line at a food booth, and began a conversation with a middle-aged man there. As usual, he brought up the earthquakes, and I tried to provide a listening, loving presence for what he wanted to share. At one point he said, "I've had a lot of jobs that involved danger. But it was more than that. Even now, as a grown man, it's hard not to burst into tears talking about it." A shopkeeper told me of her grandchildren who needed to sleep in their parents' bedrooms for years following the quakes. And how surreal it was after the nighttime quake, getting up out of bed and opening her front door, and smelling sulphury smells from the earth, and being startled by a sky brimming full of stars with all the streetlights out. A woman sitting next to me on the bus one day who must have been in her 80's, was telling me just how beautiful the historic downtown used to be. How many memories she had of climbing up to the top of a certain building and looking out, and how her grandchildren would never get to experience that. How she felt like the downtown had lost its soul.

Again and again -- and more so the older generation it feels -- are still working through their trauma. Even the librarian, when I mentioned how back home I offer workshops for coping with the stresses of parenting and managing chronic illness, said how the people here could really use some tools for coping with stress. How many people are still, after 4 years, working with insurance to get the repairs done to their houses. How the problem of this chronic stress and heaviness had become so widespread there are civic campaigns reminding people to smile.

Starting over after the earthquakes in creative ways

Andy and I toured downtown on foot about 10 days ago. Friends of mine who had visited Christchurch before the quakes described the historic downtown as charming and quaint, with beautiful winding streets and waterways, and a European feel with the historic buildings all around. The downtown now is a strange nestling together of seeming opposites -- the lovely river curling through a gardened square, then turning 180 degrees to see a leveled city block with fencing all around, scaffolds on surviving buildings. The Christchurch Cathedral - probably the most well known icon of Christchurch - had severe damage, and is still crumbling on one side, awaiting restoration. The whole city, but particularly the downtown where the old stone buildings were, is spotted with fencing, scaffolding and rubble. So many reminders of what was lost, even 4 years later.

I think what has surprised me in my naivete about the aftermath of natural disaster, is two things: how long the trauma lingers, and secondly, how much of a people's identity is tied into their surroundings -- how the appearance and character of what is around us bring meaning to our daily experience.

The Re:START coffee shop - feels so inviting to me!

Despite all this, there have been creative movements to bring the recovery forward. One the people here seem particularly proud of - and with good reason - is the Re:START mall (http://www.restart.org.nz/). There seems to be a running joke in town: how many different ways can you use shipping containers in recovery efforts? The most creative way seems to be in this Re:START mall, where shipping containers have been painted and remodeled into a really attractive small shopping center. I loved the vivid colors and the attention to creating little nooks for green spaces and quiet cups of tea or a chat. There's a coffee shop, bookstore, vintage store, upscale souvenir store, hip clothing store, and others. 

The Re:START colors tickle my fancy : )

I also really love the campaign for remembering how to enjoy life that the librarian mentioned. If you're curious, you can check it out at www.allright.co.nz. The basic premise is summed up by this sentence from their website: "Recovering from a disaster of this magnitude isn’t easy, so it’s vital that we continue to take a little extra care of ourselves and each other." The posters and website are filled with really accessible information about caring for our mental health in small ways every day, polls that check in on how people in the area are feeling, and how to get help if it feels like too much. I really applaud them for this. I feel happy when I feel people coming together like this to help each other.

So here we are, in a city on the other side of the world with loss and hope mixed together, a people who are doing their best to heal, move forward and embrace life and each other as best they can. I'm feeling pretty privileged to get to know you, People of Christchurch. Thanks for having us.

Cathedral Square today: I found this collage of recovery and creativity really moving