Before wholly deciding to take up a full time job in New Zealand, I applied for a Fulbright-National Geographic fellowship to "tell any story by digital storytelling," via text, photographs, and video. As a structural engineer, I wanted to showcase stories of the effects of devastating earthquakes on community. In particular, I focused my fellowship statement of purpose on the aftermath of the devastating 2011 Canterbury Earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. And though I did not receive the Fulbright fellowship, I maintained the enthusiasm to document these effects, as I settle into this small country.
A week into living here, I already notice the earthquake influence on the Kiwis. Like San Francisco, Wellington puts an emphasis on the history of earthquakes in the area. However, there are more "public displays of affection". Today, for example, as my mom and I explored Wellington's Wellington City & Sea and Te Papa museums, I noticed visible placards at entrances significantly describing the museums' base isolation system. Te Papa even had a separate basement exhibit, showcasing the massive isolators and the museums' advancement in earthquake resistance. I was like a kid in a candy shop!
Additionally, nearly all major national government buildings are base isolated. Wood buildings, such as the Wellington City & Sea museum, are base isolated--I didn't know they did that. Even my office building, the Old Bank Chambers, is isolated. Adding base isolators, or lead rubber bearings, in a grid pattern beneath these buildings, most of which are restored, early 19th century heritage buildings, allows for more separation from ground shaking during an earthquake. Though forces transferred to the building from ground shaking will not completely be eliminated via the base isolators, the forces will certainly be minimized. In turn, costly damage and collapse is prevented.
Kiwis are keen to preserve their history, both natural and architectural, seemingly regardless to cost or added hardship (base isolating an existing building is no easy task). They hold engineers in high regard to provide their buildings with resistance; hence how easy it was for me to find work here. And when I tell local kiwis that I'm a structural engineer, I (so refreshingly) do not get the quick response: "Oh is that like an architect?" (Grrrrrr...)
I am not used to such displays of "affection". Sure, San Franciscans are aware of earthquakes and its consequences, but I've not seen this level of progressive, public, proactivity to prevent building loss. The City of San Francisco struggles to assess its large inventory of potentially "earthquake-prone" buildings. San Francisco building owners tend to prefer avoiding the high cost of seismic resistance, and often, structural engineers are hidden behind the superficial glory of architectural grandeur. Kiwi hypersensitivity, granted, may be attributed to the higher amount of seismic activity in New Zealand, and with a smaller country comes an easier task of initiating government-funded projects. But California, too, has seen three damaging, 6.5+ magnitude earthquakes since 1971. Things are getting better in SF, but will it take the next Big One to make the general public push more for progressive building upgrades?
In my wanderings, and even in conversation with the people that I meet, I'm finding how similar Wellington is to San Francisco. From the steep hillsides cascading with turn-of-the-century Victorians to the numerous, yummy Asian restaurants; from the unpredictable, bayside climate to the pockets of food truck gatherings. Wellingtonians claim that their city is the miniature of San Francisco, and I agree! Granted, there are touches that make the pace of life appear slower and simpler here, not centered on who's got the latest app and who worked the most hours this weekend. Touches of home mixed with touches of something a little more...exotic. 
