Rain, rain go away

NOTE: This is an archive post from LiveJournal which has been logged here for posterity.

Yep, so Auckland had no power - I'm sure there's been rather a few entries on the topic, here's my comments about it 'cos I had a pretty funny day.

First off, to be the only one in a computer lab when all the lights, computers and printers turn off is bloody freaky. Then to be hit by a branch on your way to your first uni exam is just plain retarded and to find out that your Geography105 (Natural Hazards in New Zealand) exam has been postponed due to a natural hazard? Ironic.

So given that there was no exam to be happening I decided to do what I love to do when all shit hits the fan... I went for a walk. I trudged through the rain from uni to Newmarket via the hospital - no lights, traffic blocked everywhere, half a dozen fire engines, a few ambulances, lots of police - and me, walking around with a huge smile on my face. I got to Newmarket and ducked into work (which was of course shut - no power = no movies). I dried off a bit, pointed out that my boss should try do something about the masses of icecream that was likely to melt, watched staff get paid to play snap by torchlight and then took back off up Broadway. I grabbed some candles and batteries from an open shop (thank God I'd not spent all my cash!) and walked up looking at people inside banks and shops watching the people go by and generally looking bored but happy they were getting paid to sit inside.

I honestly couldn't wipe the grin from my face. I love disasters. Volcanic Eruption, Earthquake, Tsunami, Massive Power Failure - it gives me a buzz. I actually think I've found a calling here and as soon as my exams are over (4 days later then they were supposed to be thanks to the power failure) I'm going to start making enquiries into becoming a Civil Defence volunteer. (Which I'd actually been thinking about on Sunday afternoon!)

So I got home, listened to news broadcasts on the battery-operated radio and had conversations and complained how now I couldn't do it - all I wanted to do was watch TV. Eventually hunger got to us so we meandered up to Mt Eden to get some baked goods (again - yay for cash!) and found a lone street lamp.

It was a single street lamp in the middle of Mt Eden, beaming for anyone to see. Just one freaking streetlamp.

Then the power came on at 4.31 - which is bloody amazing seeing as the news report at 2 had said it'd be back on by 4.30 - and we proceeded to suck as much power as we could - TV, stereo, lights, heaters, vacuum, charging cell phones...

Ah humans are funny.

Still, I'm half-annoyed it didn't go into the night - we could have played an awesome game of spotlight around the hostel!

Anyway I shall leave you with a random piccy of some Knights in Alcoholic Armour. That's Sir VB (aka A) on the Left and Sir DB (aka my future flatmate, Matt) on the right.











Off to study now...