Experience (lyrics)                         by Sol Green

(Updated version) 

                       

Experience is the first step across the line,

In the race to relate there’s pressure to shine.

Walk a mile in my shoes is something they say,

But my feet are bare cos I walk it each day.

 

Planning to move, moving to plan.

Dyspraxia, I do what I can.

Moving to plan, planning to move,

Dyspraxia, it gives me my groove.

 

I stand for individuality,

With a splash of eccentricity.

My groove is unique and a little bit formal,

But that’s because I don’t aspire to be normal.

 

Planning to move, moving to plan,

Dyspraxia, I do what I can.

Moving to plan, planning to move,

Dyspraxia, it gives me my groove.            

 

 

 

 

Lived experience can’t be bought,

And Dyspraxia is something that can’t be fought.

A treasure hunt gift that’s worth two in the hand,

The challenge is helping others understand.

 

Planning to move, moving to plan,

Dyspraxia, I do what I can.

Moving to plan, planning to move,

Dyspraxia, it gives me my groove.

 

My processing skills work differently,

I experience touch like electricity.

I struggle with words; hearing yours, finding mine,

But my visual acuity is more than fine.

 

Planning to move, moving to plan,

Dyspraxia, I do what I can.

Moving to plan, planning to move,

Dyspraxia, it gives me my groove.

 

You are you but I am me.

We have some of the same but live differently.

My experience can jail me or set me free.

Sometimes the apple falls far from the tree.

 

 

 

Earthquake Experience            by Sol. Green

 

 “I’m just going to pop over to Riccarton to pick up a library book. I’ll be back in an hour” said my mum. Taking a break from my home schooling maths lesson, I was in my bedroom quietly playing Lego. My mum had gone out and I was at home, alone, with my pets. With no warning the intense shaking began. Getting out of my bedroom was incredibly difficult; side stepping my collapsing Lego city was impossible and I kept whacking my head on the door frame as I was rocked side to side. I was terrified and very worried as I made it out of my bedroom; our big Rottie-Staffie dog also appeared quite petrified, her eyes wide and her neck hair standing on its end.

It took a lot of effort just to get to the hallway as our house had instantly become an army training assault course. Looking out into the kitchen, all I could see were jars, boxes, fresh food and other dry ingredients crashing down like bombs or missiles, exploding on impact. The shaking continued as I sometimes shuffled, sometimes stumbled through the layers of broken glass and damaged goods. Through the groaning and roaring of the earth splitting beneath me, I could hear static on the radio, which was then followed by a Civil Defence Message.

As I finally reached the back door, I heard someone knocking. Checking through the cracked window I saw my neighbour Blair. “Sol, can you get out?” he asked. I tried to open the door but all the fallen pots and pans were obstructing it. Deciding to try and exit out the front instead, Blair guided me to a non-hazardous area of his front lawn and left me with a portable radio while he went out and offered help to others. With the gentle warmth of the sun softly massaging my back, I spent a few minutes trying to regain my focus and attempted to squeeze my sockless feet into the only shoes I had been able to grab on my hasty exit. They were an old pair of shoes from our ‘dress up’ costume box. They were also a size too small!

I tried to contact my mum, wishing I had said more to her when she had left than just a simple “bye”. Unfortunately, like the rest of Christchurch, the phone lines were too busy. Surprisingly I got a call from my granddad in England! He explained to me that my mum had been able to contact him but wasn’t able to make any local calls due to the network being overloaded. “Are you hurt”, he asked. I could hear anxiety in his voice. He reassured me that she was okay but stuck in grid-lock traffic. “Be brave, Mum’s okay and said she will be with you as soon as she can”. I can’t really remember much of what I said, but I do recall that my Granddad told me he loved me. “I love you too”, I replied.

Much to my relief, my elderly friend Ann, appeared. She had heard I was on my own and although afflicted by arthritis, she had braved the carnage on the roads to come and get me. Together we waded through knee high liquefaction. Negotiating the broken water pipes, sewage and flooded roads we cautiously clung to each other as the aftershocks continued. All around us were stunned people resembling zombies, and an unrecognisable landscape – Wainoni was now more like a war zone. 

Nearing the edge of the Avon River we spotted a small, once white puppy struggling at the unwelcoming and dramatically different rivers edge. It was lost and scared and resembled a drowned rat; its matted, dirty curls clinging to its tiny shivering body with the same commitment as it was now clinging to me. Soaked, shell-shocked and sore, the three of us made it back to Ann’s broken, but inviting home, where I felt safe and sheltered. About 4 hours passed until I saw my mum again as it took her all that time to get across the broken roads and through the endless traffic.

Although the liquefaction didn’t affect our property, the earthquake severely damaged our house’s foundations. Due to this, our front room was ripped off from the main building, almost like an island separated from a continent. We had no power for a week, no water for 5 weeks and no sewerage for 6 months! Eventually we were Red-Zoned. It was stressful, overwhelming and very sad, but we were grateful that we were both okay and so were our beloved pets.

On June 28 2013 we moved to a safer and dryer house in New Brighton. Our previous landlord had battled EQC and won, so he was able to buy a new place where we could move to. Our pets were allowed to come too! My mum and I had been very worried about being homeless so it was such a relief for us. It turned out that many of my school friends live in New Brighton as well!

 

 

“Keep calm and carry on”            

-          Ministry of Defence, United Kingdom.

                                                                                                                                                                               

 

GUITAR POEM     

 

by Sol Green

 

 

 

 

 

 

The terribly

loud guitar

played a

noisy

 and

grungy

 sound

making

all the

 people

around

 it cover

 their

ears in

the hope

that the agonising tune would stop

 Due to the extremely high pitch

 every item of glass within the

 room cracked and shattered

 over the recently refurbished

 black carpet forcing everyone

 to scream and run outside.

 Somehow the dreadful noise

 managed to follow them making

 the crowd incredibly stressed and

 worried. Even worse the torturous

 sound increased in volume causing

 some people to faint and

 wildlife to scatter.

First Blog

My name is Solomon (but you can also call me Sol)! This is my very first 'blog' so I hope this isn't too amatuer looking?!

 I have a LOT of hobbies, some of these include:

• Sailing
• Playing/listening to music
• Cooking/eating 'good' food
• Enjoying nature  (for the record, I have pet Muscovy Ducks!)
• Drawing/designing
• Acting and doing theatresports
• Travel (NZ and oversees)
• History/politics
• Minecraft etc....

I'm not really that much of a 'jock', but I do enjoy some sports like dodgeball, football and basketball.
My favourite music bands and are Pink Floyd, Guns 'n' Roses, AC/DC, Genesis, Violent Femmes, The Who, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Queen and The White Stripes. I have quite a few favourite movies, but if you asked what was my #1 favourite was, I wouldn't be able to pick! Some of my favourites are (in no particular order); The Godfather Trilogy, The Shining, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, The Terminator 1 & 2, Goodfellas, To Kill a Mockingbird, Psycho, Borat and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. At this year's International Film Festival I saw two excellent films. The first was called The East and the other was called A Hijacking.

I also enjoy some T.V series like Misfits, Peep Show, Little Britain, Veronica Mars, Flight of the Conchords, Pillars of the Earth, Cheers and Star Trek (original/Next Generation), I am currently watching 24, season 2. An amazing series, highly recommended!! One of the coolest books I have ever read was The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Whilst the story was good, it was the most unique and original style of illustrations I have seen! Another book worth mentioning is The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, a very moving and captivating story. I am currently reading the Time Riders series of novels, these are about time travel.

The best thing about Hagley is the diverse range of students (and teachers) as well as the freedom and encouragement offered during your learning. Plus there is a great variety of modules and clubs available. Some things in the world I am most concerned about include; global warming (more like global warning!), the lack of political stability in places like Syria, Afghanistan and Egypt and the atrocities that have occurred there recently, as well as the affect deforestation is having on wildlife around the world. On a more local level I am quite concerned about the recent GCSB legislation being passed, and I watch with interest the up and coming election of a new Labour leader.