Brisbane, Christchurch, Japan

So, Queensland has survived flooding, been battered by Cyclone Yasi, & is flooding again now up in North Qld. This Wet has been overabundant & superfluous! We don't need this much.

Christchurch has been shaken & battered by the September earthquake, started the recovery process so well, but now has been shaken, rattled & rolled by the 6.9 quake of 22/2, & then there's liquefaction. This one has done so much more damage & killed so many. Enough already!

Japan now has to cope with the aftermath of the 8.9 Rmag earthquake they have just gone through, & the resulting tsunamis which have killed so many people & shattered so many towns. On top of that, there's the v real danger from their nuclear power station with the disastrous release of radiation from several possibly failing reactors, an excellent advertisement for the dangers & stupidity of building nuclear power plants anywhere in this world. Disasters do happen - no country is immune!

Disasters - Brisbane, Christchurch, Japan

I'm starting to think we've had a full year in just 3 months. Enough already! We are just lurching from one disaster to another. Now Japan's copping it even worse than Christchurch. Who was it who asked for a good year this year 'cause last year was not? Andrew or Connor, I can't remember which. That was obviously a dangerous ask! At the same time, there have been so many instances of kindness & thoughtfulness, of people helping people, of bravery & sheer determination to rise above. Brisbane's volunteer army so fantastic & hardworking after the floods, ChCh's student volunteers who are still doing such a marvellous job there, & so many individuals simply helping & encouraging & commiserating & listening. Listening!

I was amazed & amused the other day to read that ChCh had emptied the world's supply of chemical toilets & I suggested that the world had better make lots more. Now Japan will have such a huge need of them, I hope someone was listening.

Anyway, I have spent these first 3 months, it seems, constantly contacting my family & friends to reassure them that me & mine are fine & unflooded, then to make sure they're still there, still functioning, still unbroken, no matter what condition their houses, streets, suburbs, & city. People, my people, are what matter. It's the same for all of us. We check that our people are fine, then we can handle the house, street, suburb, & city.