Earthquake!

So, I'm sitting on my bed in my room, lookin' up stuff on the internets, when suddenly it feels like the earth beneath me has a chill and gives a little shiver. My bed jolts suddenly and violently, followed by a series of smaller, less detectable jolts. Oh the thrill of living in Japan!

I'm always a little surprised and not a little amused when I meet Americans who aren't from California who think that we Californians must have it real rough: what with all the earthquakes we're always having. The truth is, folks (and I hesitate here, for fear that my confession will strike a sudden surge in immigration to California, causing the Golden State to at last buckle beneath the weight of its many inhabitants and finally drop off into the Pacific), that I lived in California for twenty-three years and only once -- that's right once -- in my entire time there did I feel an earthquake. True, I didn't live right above a fault line, and perhaps I'm just not very sensitive to the things. But, in general, Californians don't go through their daily lives agonizing that the ground beneath their feet is unstable. They don't Velcro their china to the shelves. For most Californians, earthquakes just don't occupy a lot of space in their daily thoughts.

Before I came to Japan, I'd felt one earthquake in my life. Since moving to Japan, I've felt...well, lots. And I love it! There's something truly exhilarating about being reminded that the earth beneath you is big and powerful and constantly moving and changing. I think I often take the earth for granted. When I feel an earthquake, it's as if the earth is saying, "I'm here. I'm quite large. Don't forget me."

Okay, I won't.