After lunch, we went to this al fresco gelato place to chill out. The sky was clear, the temperature was 33 degrees and all the girls were in their teeeeeniest clothing (Australian girls either have huge jugs or extremely long legs - they sometimes have both, which is terribly unfair). The men showed off their tanned and well-toned bodies. What's not to like about a hot day in Perth?
Anyway, while looking for a place to chill, police and security rangers started cordoning off a short section of Murray St Mall. It started with the length between Myer and Woolworths. My colleagues and I were pretty bummed about that because we had to go to Woolies to get food supplies since we couldn't bring our own into Australia.
We could hear people asking around what was happening and nobody seemed to know.
While the police chased shoppers out of shops, we turned the opposite way and found our gelato shop. Half an hour or so later, I told my colleagues I was going to run to the opposite building because my favourite store was there. As I crossed the street, hundreds of people came down this way of the street too and it was obvious these were office workers. The police must have evacuated all the offices in that section.
So I was in my favourite boutique (ok, that's Forever New) looking at clothes when I suddenly heard shouts coming from outside the boutique.
I saw girls standing on benches and hopping here and there, trying to get at each other. It looked like they were playing and then the next thing I knew, they were on each other, rolling on the floor and shouting even louder.
As they wrestled each other, I ran to my other colleague who was also in the boutique with me and told her to come witness the bitch fight.
That was the first bitch fight I've ever witnessed. It was very scary. The girls were tearing at each other and people nearby had to interfere to break up the fight. One burly Aussie struggled to hold off one of the girls (a brunette) - she was bloody strong!!! The man was all red and he was getting dragged by her.
Then I saw the other girl (a blond) getting up from the ground, with a lock of her own long hair in her hands. I tell you, I was stunned. Speechless. The girls were still trying to get at each other. But kinda stupid to be starting a fight then because guess what, police presence then was very strong since they were trying to clear the street!!! The police came and took them away.
(According to my colleagues who were still at the gelato place, the brunette was still hammering away from inside the police van.)
When the show was over, I went to try on clothes. I was interrupted by a salesperson who came to tell me I had to leave. She said the police were evacuating all buildings along the street because of a bomb threat. Oooooooh.
I remember her telling me as she took away the clothes in my hand, "Now just walk away calmly. There's no need to panic, just be calm." That was about 4 p.m. or later.
Had to leave the area, no choice. Went around looking for another Woolworths - it's survival I tell you - and by the time we passed by that area again, we saw that even Hay Street Mall was closed.
And then this morning I woke up to the grim news of a devastating earthquake in Christchurch. Channel 7 had its entire airtime run by showing news from TV3 (NZ). As more updates and new pictures came in, my heart sank deeper. To see more and more familiar buildings devastated, it was heartbreaking. Many times I almost cried when I saw the trapped getting rescued, but with bloodied clothes and faces. How close were they!
I was also particularly sad about the cathedral of Christchurch. It is the symbol of Christchurch, and it too was ruined. Worse, it's only about 200 metres away from the hotel where I used to put up (I hear we've now changed hotels). I've been to Christchurch three times and every time I was there, I'd walk to the cathedral because that's what you just have to do when you're there.
This tower went down during the earthquake. :(
Managed to catch a glimpse or two of the hotel when the TV crew were at the site of the cathedral. It is very sad to hear of buildings damaged along Colombo Street too, which is just perpendicular to the hotel.
I hope the people of Christchurch will be strong enough to rebuild their lives and their beloved city again. ✿-,--
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