Regardless of the other highs and lows of my time in Taiwan, it appears that I am likely to leave here having borne witness to more minor natural disasters than at any other time in my life.
Just after kindy today, I and a few other teachers dropped by the computer room to check the e-mail, political gossip from home (so the Kentucky Senate race is suddenly in play, eh?), and such. The computer room is on the second floor and the first floor is currently being renovated, so I wasn't too surprised when I noticed the room shaking slightly.
Then I noticed that the heavy machinery downstairs was silent. And that the shaking didn't stop quickly the way it did when they had the big hammers and drills going.
After 15 seconds or so - which somehow seemed longer - someone finally asked, "What is that?"
"Earthquake," one of the Chinese teachers said calmly, as if it happened all the time.
It was a mild one, just strong enough for me to get up and head for the door-frame the way they always tell you to. By the time I got there, though, it was over. Trina and I went out for lunch shortly afterward, and there was no sign of any disruption in downtown Longtan.
Back home, even a mild quake like that would have been big news, I think. Apparently Taiwan is one of those places where it just happens now and then and it's part of life. There was a pretty big one here about four years ago, easily within the memories of most Taiwanese (albeit not most of the Taiwanese I know personally!). Today, of course, was nothing compared to that one.
There is a slight chance my next stop after Taiwan will be the San Francisco area. (I never count on winning the grad school jackpot, but you never know.) I guess it's just as well that I get used to these things!
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