Rob is in China this week so I was home all alone, just after 7pm last night. I was sitting at the computer and all of a sudden, my chair was rocking back and forth. I was taken off-guard and was like..."what in the world???" Then I heard a soft tapping noise so I got up to find our hanging lamp swinging around. It was moving back and forth a little too much for comfort.
At this point, I a few things went through my mind...well first, my heart rate shot up and I immediately had adrenalin pumping.
Rewind to earlier in the day, our washer was leaking water...I had pulled out the washer and dryer and checked all the hoses and it was spinning hard and rocking all around. So at first, I thought it was a crazy spin cycle...but the washer wasn't going...
Then, just about 20 minutes before I felt the shaking, I heard a loud roar, like a jet or something. I thought maybe the shaking was from that...wrong again.
Even though I was scared, I was not in panic mode...just confused. I looked out my window and my neighbor was cooking dinner like nothing was happening. I didn't care though...at this point, I am still watching the light shake and I don't want to stick around to see what else would happen. I walked outside my door and everyone was just as normal as can be. Our other neighbor had their door open and the kids were watching tv, no one was running outside or no commotion whatsoever.
This all took less than a minute.
Now, I know you are not supposed to use the elevator in an earthquake, but judging from everyone else, I was being much more pro-active than they were. I just felt I had to get away from my living room as quickly as possible, so I felt safe enough to take the lift down. I just didn't want to be in my living room all alone with stuff shaking. In fact, at this point, I am thinking I am the only person feeling this so I am super-confused!
I got to the first floor in what felt like a millisecond because my mind was racing...but still, everyone was normal as can be on ground level. There were kids in the pool, some playing basketball, couples seated at the tables laughing and eating...aunties walking around...nothing unusual.
I walked around to let off some steam, thinking it was some sort of crazy structural issue only in block 12, floor 35, unit 13...After 10 minutes I was back in my place and immediately called Rob.
He didn't even say hello, He just said "Are you okay?" I was like, how did he know???? Well, in the meantime, his colleague from Singapore had SMS'd him and told him there was an earthquake and he was calling me at the same time I called him. He told ME what happened and chills overtook my whole body and I thought HOLY CRAP! The reality of what just happened hit me in that instant and I have to say it was a freaky experience! I realized there had been a major natural diaster and I just experienced a tiny slice of it without even fully knowing it.
Below is taken from the 28th floor of an east coast condo...this looks worse than what I experienced though! The east coast (which, linear distance, is only 10 miles away) felt the impact a bit more, it appears! Had I felt it this much, I would be writing an entirely different story and would have flown down 35 flights of stairs!
At least the girl giggles at the end!
It was just a little shaking, nothing bad and most people didn't even seem to notice, it seemed. However, on the news, it said they had evacuated high-rises in Singapore and had video clips from Jakarta of the same kind of shaking I experienced.
If I felt this 360 miles away, I can't imagine what the folks in Sumatra felt...I really hope they are safe there are minimal damages. At least it's not another disaster like the tsunami in 2004. I can only pray there is not a high death toll.
On to other natural disasters...I hear of a tropical depression headed for Galveston. Please be safe everyone! Take neccessary precautions and we will be keeping an eye on the storm from here!
Love,
Trish
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