I very much like the optimism and hunger for a normal life that is all apparent in Christchurch. At Christmas eve, I attended a sing-along concert of the Christchurch cathedral choir in the transitional cathedral, a.k.a. cardboard cathedral, bacause it is made of… yes, you guessed right, cardboard tubes, a plastik roof and some steel and wood for structure. It is a place good for goose pomples as it symbolizes optimism and hunger for life.

The all boys choir was fabulous, no matter that I knew none of the carols the audience was supposed to join in. I just followed the other singers. The three songs I knew (Indulci jubilo, Silent night, and Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen were choir only and very artfully performed, so us joining would have been a shame indeed.

This was the furthest-away-christmas I ever celebrated. And worshipping Jesus as a ‘summer child’ is and remains a.very strange thing. At least, I have never ever heard anything about dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleight or such stuff, so Christmas in summer has advantages, too.

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The transitional cathedral.

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85 chairs… 85 losses.

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The cathedral.

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Hope where hope is needed.

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The dancomat.

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Street art at it’s best.