I'm okay!

Hi guys- I have received a couple of emails asking if I am okay since you haven't heard from me since disaster struck two days ago.

The day of the Christchurch earthquake will be one which resonates in the minds of all Kiwis both here and abroad for a long time after. The news have been covering the total devastation non stop for three days now- it's times like this though that I wish news stations only presented us with the facts. 

Campbell Live last night did many stories both happy and sad- I wish they could understand that people like me don't want these sad stories which have been over embellished to make the show seem as though it has a heart... and that it understands what these people are going through. Give me the FACTS!!

As most of you know I work in a Call Center- being that the Christchurch City Council Call Center that would normally handle minor distressful situations (which is only 12 seats) is unable to be opened- we have had the calls diverted to us- After only 4 hours sleep (I was wide awake the night and stupidly decided a run at 3am would zap sufficient amounts of my energy) I was woken up and told to come in to work straight away. The beginning was just calls seeking information on welfare points and water availability then later in the afternoon we started to take the over-flow from the Missing Persons Center- 11 hours later I was sent home for three hours to sleep which of course I less than capable of doing with my mind racing at 100 miles an hour then back in to work at 9pm with $100 worth of Red Bull, V and chocolate and I worked through until 7:30 am this morning. In this shift, the missing persons calls came flooding in- some genuine like the man looking for his wife and children who had been in the CTV building to some less genuine calls from international reporters wanting to the the "scoop" or someones great uncles sister who is ringing on behalf of her brother from England who wants to know if 'Susan Smith' is okay (NOT a real query just a made up name) because they know that she lives in New Zealand but they are not sure where because the last time they spoke to her was Christmas Day 2005. There was some happy calls of people who called in to say that people they had reported missing had been found- but then we also got a few where people were found but they were not alive.

I am blown away but the attitudes of the people who were here taking these calls with me- throughout all of the distress and sadness they managed to keep positive and get the job done- We have had people volunteering for this left-right and center from strangers to ex staff of ours and all who are more than happy to help where they can  for as long as we need them and I think times like this- these people are testament to the Kiwi culture and how we are all there for one another. We may argue and fight amongst ourselves over trivial matters but we band together where it counts the most and that is why I love this country... It's a shame that sometimes it take such a disaster for a country to show its true colors.