Today's HIGH
5.9 on the Richter scale.
Not a very strong one, nevertheless, earthquakes frighten me. When your bed shakes briskly at 1 am in the morning, it’s hard to not panic. Alert and keeping still, I wait and see if the shaking will stop. This was a long one, I kept swaying on my bed so I jumped up, picked up my phone and rushed to my daughter’s room. She was too startled to get up from bed. I did not want her to panic so I calmly told her that if she needed me, I was around.
I wanted to go somewhere but where? It was dark and wee hours of the morning! Finally the rumbling stopped. All shook up and unable to fall back to sleep, with eyes closed tossing and turning in bed, I wait for an aftershock. None so far.
Tired from lack of sleep, I get ready to start my day. My other daughter calls on skype. She read this morning’s updates on Facebook and wanted to check on us.
We’re fine, just startled.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that the Marikina West Valley fault line, supposedly capable of producing a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, is ripe for movement.
We live along the fault line.
Keywords:
About Rina
LIFE COACH
Solution Focused Brief Therapy
Choice Theory / Reality Theory
Crisis Line Telephone Counselor
Filipino Sign Language
SELF-TAUGHT PAINTER
Solo Exhibitions
1998 – Virginia’s World – Color in Life
1998 – Blessed Beings in Virginia’s World
2010 – Wind...
Connections
Rina is a fan of
Glad to hear you're safe,
Glad to hear you're safe, Rina. That must've been scary.
Thanks Jodi! It's that
Thanks Jodi! It's that rumbling sound and constant shaking that is really frightening~
the fault line
Rina,
A while ago, I thought I checked your profile. For some reason, I thought you lived in San Francisco. Maybe because SF has Japan Town.
Yes, I heard of your earthquake at the end of July. One of the plate underneath the ocean floor surrounding Japan is the Phillippine Plate. I just learned that because of the tsunami incident. Don't we all live next to some fault or on top of huge Plates!? My goodness. But I can totally relate every bit of that scary feeling. When it happenes, it's not a joke. I had a big dosage of that feeling from March to June of this year. I couldn't tell then, but it affected me. I wish nothing like that happens in Phillippinne or anywhere.
Hello Keiko, San Francisco
Hello Keiko, San Francisco was home for me many years ago, I live now in the Philippines but still visit San Francisco yearly. When you were writing about the tsunmi months ago, I was in San Francisco and living across Japan Town, the atmosphere and energy was heavy in sentiment for the Tsunami victims.
Everytime we have an earthquake here, I close my eyes and start praying... is this the big one or not? And then with the ground shaking underneathe me, I'm like a headless chicken running in circles, thinking what do I do first? No amount of preparedness can calm my nerves!
SF
Rina,
Oh, I see. Because of my carelessness sometimes, I thought I made a big mistake. Thank you. It isn't only me that moves back and forth between two countries. Then, why I assume other people stay at one place and don't move?! How selfish of me. Smiles.
Well, reality could be harsh as we saw it, and scientists say another big one is up around the corner within 30 years at Tokai area of Japan. And it could happen anytime. One good thing came out of it is new movement to stop using nuclear energy. It isn't new fact, but the scientists like Professor Koide are speaking up because at last, Japanese goverment officials started to listen, and it's amazing how uneducated we all have been.
I have one question not related to this, but I heard Phillippine education program does not have mandatory English classes in elementary schools. Is that right? Did the government change the educational goal to care more for Tagalog? I am very interested in this subject.
Keiko, english is definitely
Keiko, english is definitely taught at elementary for the private school system. I had to ask my housekeeper if she learned english when she started going to school and her answer was yes. She told me that in grade 1 she was taught english. Although I would imagine there is a big difference in learning from private school vs. public school because our public school system here is very inferior. Nevertheless, I do believe that in Asia, it's the Philippines that has the widest speaking english population. Koreans come here for secondary school specifically to learn english. Unlike in Japan, when I was in Kyoto, the locals spoke very little english. But if visit the Philippines, as a tourist, you would have no problem with communication. Tagalog is just one of may local dialects we have! So to answer your question, english is taught in elementary and secondary levels in the private and public school system but whether it is strictly followed by all public schools is something I am not sure of.
Thank you, Rina. I don't
Thank you, Rina. I don't remember what publication I read about such article, but I thought maybe Philippine was changing her educational direction. So, probably it was about public school system. I've been to Manila and Baguio in 1980 or 1981. Yes, I had no problem in communicating there. I loved all the places I visited and I did great shopping.
Seven point two! Scary. I
Seven point two! Scary. I hope you are okay Rina. Thinking of you in little old Ireland. mx
Thank you Mary, 7.2 was
Thank you Mary, 7.2 was Japan, I experienced 5.9. Still, it was scary and felt like the end of the world has come with the rumbling and the shaking!