elephant in a handkerchief

About forty people have been in touch to ask about the Christchurch earthquake, if we are safe, if rescue efforts are fast and coordinated, to send goodwill, care, courage, more. Thank you, everyone.
One friend knows I am geographically far away from Christchurch, but also knows that the event must feel "like a hand brushing against you or a cold wind rushing past." Another friend tells me of his fear during an earthquake in Greece. A poet from Egypt says the expression "to wrap an elephant in a handkerchief" means to condense life into a few words.
Photo: A sunshield, Queen Elizabeth Park, Masterton, New Zealand