Earthquake

Just before noon today, I was sitting at my desk doing something of not much more value than that of keeping my chair from drifting away. Then it happened... the building shook as it does when a big truck passes by too quickly... except that it didn't stop shaking for over a minute. I help onto those of the books on my shelf which are precariously balanced (most of them) until it passed. None of them fell! This adds to my feelings of accomplishment today! Now I am curious as to the magnitude and location of epicenter. The smallest tremor I ever felt in Japan, turned out to be the largest earthquake that occurred while I was there (a slight tremor in Yokohama = a huge earthquake in Kobe).

 

The last time I remember an earthquake lasting that long in Taipei, although not as devastating as Kobe, was in March of 2002. I was standing at the door of my apartment trying to fit the key in the lock. I had just been to a cafe where I had had one beer (Unibroue's Fin du Monde). I remember thinking I must be getting even weaker at holding my alcohol if one beer made me shake THAT much. Anyway, the earthquake passed, but not before a beam from the Taipei 101 contruction site fell from a crane, crushing a car. Some people won't visit it now as they think it and other landmark highrises are cursed (World Trade Towers, Petrona Towers etc).  Cursed? I am not sure. An engineering triumph? Perhaps. An eyesore? definately. (Even if it does look like the bamboo shoot it is meant to resemble). But don't worry, Fengsui master Chang Hsu-chu has ensured no more like that will happen there. No matter, I am glad I wasn't on the 101st floor when the earthquake hit!

 

(PS. I guess the Freedom Tower in Mahattan will soon eclipse Taipei 101 as tallest building by 33.3 meters.)