New Zealand earthquakes

[GBrown #8092]

Can any weigh in on what's going on over there?
Sending good wishes, and hope for your good luck in surviving the aftermath

G. Brown 8092

[Quentin Hall Australia]

  My wife's parents live in Christchurch. They are ok but it would appear that the city has been dealt a cruel and savage blow. The images coming out are terrible. It was one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Many feared dead, the current toll is 75 but will go much higher.
  Many streets of wonderful cafes, restaurants, galleries and architecture were in the most devasted areas. These were vibrant places filled with people at lunch time. To see the once magestic Cathedral destroyed is tragic. I have several close Cadillac friends there, including Jeff and Gay Lawson who live very close to the epicentre. Hope you are OK guys. I know their suburb has suffered  terrible damage. The port town of Lyttleton was the epicentre and has been largely destroyed. We were there a couple of years ago and I thought I was in the most beautiful little place imaginable.
  Very sad. Q
     

[Charles D. Barnette]

Our prayers and hearts are with the people of Christchurch! Charles D. Barnette

[veesixteen]

That's where Gita and I hired our camper van for a long tour of South Island in 2005. Tragic! Mama Nature can be a bitch at times.

[Rob NZCLC#162]

a week on and things still aren't that great here.  I moved to Wellington last year but still have friends and family down in Christchurch - luckily all that I have been able to contact are OK, except for some of their houses.

A local newspaper site has heaps of photos and stories  www.stuff.co.nz  if you want to go and have a look.

Thanks for the thoughts, Rob.

[D.Yaros]

Here is a pic of an acquaintance's garage.  Everything crashed around the car, but the Caddy sustained no damage!

[Eric S. Maypother #15104]

Yes that is tragic for all involved.

I haven't seen any Cadillac's amongst the rubble yet. Their was a story with a Brougham Street, I wonder how they pronounce it.

Sydenham Heritage Trust deputy chairman Neil Roberts said the Sydenham Heritage Church, on the corner of Colombo and Brougham streets, was demolished by Southern Demolition last Thursday without the trust's consent.

[Rob NZCLC#162]

 it's pronounced bro em - same way I pronouce the car, but not sure if that is correct 

[Eric S. Maypother #15104]

OK, their was a discussion on the board a few months back about the pronunciation, was wondering how they said it down their.

[Quentin Hall Australia]

     To explain to our international friends, there is quite a bit of difference between the Aussie and Kiwi accent.  My wife is a Kiwi (and now I have my mother in law from CHCH staying here in Brisbane after the quake), the kids and I have decided that the best way to understand Kiwi pronunciation is to remember your AEIOU vowels and then transpose them one, so A becomes E, E becomes I , I becomes O and so on. Simple. ( a Kiwi will say Sumple)  
This rule is only to be broken when sometimes a Kiwi will jump two or three or more vowel sounds for no particular reason, so A becomes I or O and somtimes U, E becomes O or U and sometimes A, and so on. (Stull Sumple ??)
Also when a Kiwi talks she rounds up the last word of each sentence to a higher, more shrill tone. Kind of like how irritatingly, Canacks say "Eh!" and "alright already" . . . Eh !
As an Aussie it is important to nod your head and say "Yes" a lot when a Kiwi speaks, despite having no idea what was just said. Although this could also just be a worldwide husband and wife thing, nothing to do with accents.   Q  

[Chris Conklin]

From someone in EQ country, wishing you all a fast recovery. I know all too well exactly what your experiencing. And Quentin's post, it shows the spirit and humor it will take to survive these type of things. I think the Aussies and Kiwis have taken over the leadership of the "can - do" attitude for the world! I only wish I could type using my native So Cal accent, dude.

I believe we sent some help from So Cal to seek survivors, but I don't believe that was very successful. A lot of tragic loss of life. It's also a bit of a tough situation to get people's attention to your plight, it seems you're overshadowed by other world events and I know this will be a very long term recovery. Us folks that go through these events have you in our thoughts and prayers.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

The pronunciation thing was explained to me this way.

Aussies emphasise the first vowel in a word, the Kiwi's the second vowel, and the Americans the third vowel.

Bruce.

[Tim Pawl CLC#4383]

Bruce ...if that were true      AUssies would say CAdillac ( Kay-d-lack), Kiwis cadIllac (cad-EYE-Lack) and Yanks cadillAc (cad -iLL-ACK)   when in fact we just say " CADDY"  :)

[John Tozer #7946]

Kiwis say Cedurlec.

Never argue about what aussies would say or do with either a Bruce or a Ralph!

John T
#7946

[Rob NZCLC#162]

     ...........it is important to nod your head and say "Yes" a lot when a Kiwi speaks, despite having no idea what was just said. Although this could also just be a worldwide husband and wife thing, nothing to do with accents.   Q 

[/color]

ha ha, definately just a husband and wife thing - I have trouble understanding mine and were both kiwis 

Kiwis say Cedurlec.

Never argue about what aussies would say or do with either a Bruce or a Ralph!

[/color]

that just about rules out talking to any one from the west island