7.1 Canterbury earthquake

Well, it looks very much like I was preparing it... it did happen, last Saturday, 4 September at 4:35am.

I wake up in the darkness and feel that everything is shaking around in the bedroom. I immediately realize it is an earthquake, get up and call my husband, saying: "Liefke, il y a un tremblement de terre, les enfants !" My husband springs out of bed and runs into the hall towards the kids' bedroom. I immediately follow him. Power was cut and he tatters the wall looking for his way; there a lot of Pampers' boxes containing books aligned against the wall and they are all shaking.

We arrive at their bedroom: my husband reaches for the elder's bed (I do not how but he was still sleeping soundly) and I reach for the youngster's bed. B is sitting at his bed, far from the windows (as we had explained him to do in the event of a quake). I sit next to him. The room keeps shaking but we are all calm, our brains concentrated on what is happening and on the immediate action to be done, if any.

It lasts for about 40 seconds and then then shaking stops. My hsuband is going to look for the keys. There are boxes on his way in the hall but in the main living room, most of the furniture remained at its place.

We go outside and see a neighbour: he and his family are fine. Our neighbour, an Englishman who lives in New Zealand for over 50 years, says this is the first time he has experienced such a violent quake. Looking at absence of damage on the streets and at home, I wonder whether this had not been a 4. something earthquake... How wrong I was...