The magnitude 6.3 (ML) earthquake that struck the Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island at 12:51 pm on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 local time.
We have a saying "where were you when the quake struck?"... I was at school. around mid day I remember that romours started circulating about a earthquake in christchurch. At first I did not believe them then later on I came to realize it was the truth. When I got home there it was on the news and for the next few days, all that was on TV had something to do with the quake. The death toll, the damage, the loss, the hope.
A sad moment for this country.Then all too soon came the japan Quake I remember that I was still an active member of the Orbiter Forum then. There was a thread devoted to the events as they happened. Posts by members, inculding myself. Updating the progress of the tsunami as it raced across the pasific. everyone saying when it would reach them. or when it passed
Then came the nuclear disarster. Once again on the forum we would post the latest bits of news we could. discussing the possible effects saying how much we felt sorry for our japanese counterparts. it was a time of fear I must say we were all afraid and constantly talked about the worste possible consiquence.
these two quakes happened last year. so now on the eve of the first of these earthquakes. I ask members of this forum to pay there respects or to answer "where were you when the quake(s) struck?" we are a multi national/cultural group here and so we all have a different perspective a different story to tell.
... However we had the opposite problem in NZ as with the reaction of people 
. So many seemed to scramble on down to the coast line to see what would happen or just did not care 
. There almost was some fatalities in a harbour where the wave built up 
. and as i delight in telling kiwis, everyone here is really an immigrant
)
