On a day - Anzac Day - when we remember those soldiers who have died in battle for their country, I'd like to salute the long-suffering soldiers currently on duty in Christchurch, manning the cordons around the inner city's Red Zone - that battered and ruined inner city where lives were lost and futures ruined when the 6.3 earthquake struck on February 22nd.
[A justaposition I couldn't resist].
I've stopped and chatted with a number of them when I've been out cycling at all hours of the day and they're always friendly and keen to exchange a few light-hearted moments. And as winter sets in, it can't be fun.Freezing cold nights and rain have sent them scurrying for cover in their tents, although on Saturday, when the sun was shining, most were out basking like lizards, moving occasionally to pose with sightseers.
What I like most though, is the way they've acquired old sofas and armchairs and little side tables to make their long hours on the cold, empty, broken streets a little more comfortable. And these two (above) were giving tiny Easter eggs to passing kids when I swung by. Seems to me, we should have been giving *them* the Easter eggs for their watchful eyes and patience on a call to duty that must be tedious and boring in the extreme.
What I like most though, is the way they've acquired old sofas and armchairs and little side tables to make their long hours on the cold, empty, broken streets a little more comfortable. And these two (above) were giving tiny Easter eggs to passing kids when I swung by. Seems to me, we should have been giving *them* the Easter eggs for their watchful eyes and patience on a call to duty that must be tedious and boring in the extreme.
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