February has been bracketed by disaster. I started the month writing about Tropical Cyclone Yasi and I'm ending it with a post about the devastating earthquake that has shaken the beautiful city of Christchurch to its knees.
But amid the sorrow and tragic loss of life, the human spirit has shone through, not just in the bravery of those entering the crumbled buildings to rescue others, or the thousands of volunteers who have flocked to help, but in the day-to-day of things - a word of comfort, an act of concern, a smile amid the wreckage, a stranger opening a door to those displaced. New Zealand has shown itself to be a national family and the first line of our national anthem has been underlined by the actions of its citizens:
"God of nations at thy feet, in the bonds of love we meet'
Aroha - love - is much in evidence, demonstrated by the actions of many. Collective worry for the thousands affected continues to deepen as we try to work forward to improve their desperate situation.
Up here in Auckland we have running water, flushing toilets, uncracked walls and roofs intact - but even so, the disaster has touched everyone. New Zealand is a small country and without exception, we all have a friend or a family member who is involved in some way. We have all leapt into action, doing whatever we can to help ease the plight of those whose lives have been shattered by natural disaster for the second time in six months. Whatever we do doesn't seem to be enough - so we'll do more. And we'll keep doing more until it's fixed.
Tomorrow there will be two minutes of silence at 12.51pm. There will be a sea of red and black as people wear the colours of Canterbury. There will be tears, resolve and determination. There are still the missing to find and, as has been said time and again, everything is being done to bring them home to their loved ones.
It was a savage and brutal earthquake. It ripped apart an already injured city, trying as it was to heal after the September 4 2010 earthquake. There will be weeks ahead to look, explore and plan what comes next, how to rebuild and how, simply, to stay while the deep scars heal. But, for the moment, it is enough to say stay strong. It will get better, the arms of the nation are open to all - and everyone will do their best. Kia Kaha Christchurch
Len Brown Affair: More 'Go Girls' than 'West Wing'
New Zealand doesn't really do political scandals so the recent revelations surrounding newly elected Auckland Mayor Len Brown have, for some, been quite absorbing. For most, it has been a storm in a rather sordid tea cup despite the significant speculation as to whether the timing, revelations and subsequent debate were a political set up designed to force another election.
From where I sit, it reminded me of the New Zealand series called 'Go Girls', where a group of hapless 20-somethings stagger from one disaster to another. The whole episode had an air of comedy that outweighed the whiff of tragedy that Brown's family must have experienced and demonstrated that if there was a plot afoot, those involved need to be a lot sharper in their scripting if they want be involved in the style of political machinations to be found on the US series West Wing.
From a public relations perspective I was interested in the Brown camp's strategy which was dominated by the old school 'duck, cover and say nothing'. His one mea culpa on John Campbell was something of a shambles while his calls for media to 'respect his family' had a hollow ring given he had himself been sufficiently disrespectful to his family to indulge in his two-year affair.
I suspect there will be more revelations in the weeks ahead which will need to be dealt with - running for cover will not improve matters at all.