A bad dream

— Posted inUncategorized — 2 min read

I had a bad dream last night.

I was standing in an aftermath of a devastating earthquake. My house was still standing but retaining wall collapsed and the back path was buried. Electric cables severed and were now sparking death traps. The unit next door was also still standing, but the one below has collapsed. I wanted to go there to help but the live wires were in my way. Then I noticed cracks appearing in the water reservoir tanks above our houses and shouted at the people next door to get out. Arwen was nowhere to be seen and I was thinking, if she was hiding under the house, she'd drown when the water tank ruptured and flooded our houses. I was thinking desperately what to do first, go help the people in the collapsed unit, or look for Arwen? …

Suddenly I was waken up by the noises and vibration. It got stronger. And I got up from bed. The house was shaking and the shake did not end in a few seconds like most usual NZ quakes would do. In the dark I rushed to the front door, being aware the shake was still going and I could here timber framing creaking. Finally just when I managed to find the key and opened the front door, the shaking stopped.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7214948/7-0-earthquake-felt-in-Wellington
http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/3732830g.html
http://www.geonet.org.nz/news/archives/2012/jul-4-2012-deep-7-shakes-central-new-zealand.html
http://info.geonet.org.nz/display/home/2012/07/04/Jul+4+2012+-+Deep+7.0+shakes+central+New+Zealand

I can tell you it was unnerving. Never felt that kind of long shaking in NZ in my 23 years living here. Needless to say I didn't sleep well last night. Luckily it was not a damage causing quake for us, at least this time. But what about the next? :insane:

:coffee:

Updated 21 July 2013 to replace dead link

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  1. Originally posted by derWandersmann:

    The object being twofold: keeping the house cooler and making the kitchen a sort of sacrificial building in case of fire.

    Makes perfect sense if your area is warm enough. :up: Do they still build houses like that in those areas?

  2. Here in the states, especially in the south, one can still find Colonial-Era and Ante-Bellum houses where the kitchens are actually separate buildings in the rear of the house proper. The object being twofold: keeping the house cooler and making the kitchen a sort of sacrificial building in case of fire.

  3. Even when you use modern gas cooktop and gas oven, isolating kitchen building from the main house would serve to remove the heat and fire risk from your living area, as well as removing the source of moisture. I just wondered whether your southern house designers still see merits in the idea.

  6. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    There are wood burning stoves with built in oven & cooktop, mainly for large rural houses in cooler area, I believe.

    Sounds like you're describing an AGA. My Aunt has one in her house.

  8. Yeah, none of her visitors make it past the kitchen because it's so cozy there.

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