A note on THE earthquakeS

(This note is based on my observations and experieces in Mito, Ibaraki, where the seismic level of tremor was higher than that of Tokyo, but less than that of Miyagi, the most severely affected area.)

Thanks All!

I am very very happy to receive your kind messages!
I am fine and heard no relative or friends were injured in the event.

When the quake attack us, I was in a district, where the tremor intensity was very high.
Although I am accustomed to usual levels of earthquakes,
this was a special one and this was my first time that I was truly frightened by an earthquake.
Actually this was the biggest earthquake - in terms of maginitude, the seizmic size of the quake- since 1867.

Just before the original attack of the quake,
I heard a very low, long and strange sound, growling-like sound, of the earth
and the sound made me and people surrounding me terrified.
Our instincts surely told us that something very bad was to come.
You may find this a little bit exagerated, but I truly felt that the planet was about to split in two or that I was facing a "doomsday."

And then, the quake came.
Brick walls fell down and window glasses were broken and scatterd on the streets.
Actually the soil under me was cracking.
Fortunately, nobody around me was injured.

(Well this was not "an" earthquake.
Even for the strongest ones, I felts that there were three attacks at that time.)

I drove my home, it took 9 hours (usually it takes 1.5hours),
and now I am back in my home and this province is rather safe.
Almost no damage is reported in my province.

A big earthquake is followed by a series of smaller quakes.
Even now we are having smaller quakes.
There are smaller than the original ones, but still strong enough to unease us.

Anyway, I am very fine and am going to get started doing my academics stuffs.
I will do my part-time job in Red Cross tomorrow with an will to contribute people affected by this event.
As we are facing difficulty, my motivation for the parttime job is bigger than my usual motivation! :)

Thank for your worrying.

Sincerely yours,

Gyo UCHIDA

P.S.There were lots of good things to notice during the disaster.
While I drove home yesterday during the dark night,
trafic lights were not working because of the blackout.
Nevertheless, all drivers on the road were quite disciplined and succussfully do their right-turns and left-turns even in busy intersections.
Many people were using grocery shops with calmness and prepared for the post-quake life.
It was a little bit funny, if I am allowed to use this word, to see that they made queues (as Japaneses always love to do so:)) and shop clerks were doing their business
as if there happened nothing although they faced terrifying quakes and were still in the midst of the disaster.
Their attitudes were so reassuring for me,
and I learned that we are coping with the event collectively.