I was at a science conference in Auckland when I heard the news. The announcement silenced everyone in the room. It didn't make sense; Christchurch had already been through a major earthquake six months ago. They had been recovering from the scare, learning their lessons and thanking God that damage had been minimal and no-one had been killed. It wasn't supposed to turn out like this.
The thing I've learned about New Zealand is that all tragedies are local tragedies. This isn't a distant city we only see in the newspaper. We know this place. If we don't have family and friends in Christchurch, then someone close to us does. We've been there; we remember what the streets were like, where we felt the most at home. When something like this happens, it hits all of us.
And so we have this instinct to support each other - open our doors to strangers, share information, be kind to each other - that I haven't felt in quite the same way anywhere else. Help will come from all over the world, but New Zealanders will get through this the way they get through everything: by getting back on their feet and standing together.
The thing I've learned about New Zealand is that all tragedies are local tragedies. This isn't a distant city we only see in the newspaper. We know this place. If we don't have family and friends in Christchurch, then someone close to us does. We've been there; we remember what the streets were like, where we felt the most at home. When something like this happens, it hits all of us.
And so we have this instinct to support each other - open our doors to strangers, share information, be kind to each other - that I haven't felt in quite the same way anywhere else. Help will come from all over the world, but New Zealanders will get through this the way they get through everything: by getting back on their feet and standing together.
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