Post-earthquake

Bedroom balcony post earthquake.

I must be one of the few bloggers in Chile who haven’t written anything yet about the 8.8 earthquake that happened last month (February 27, 2010).  For those of you who might have been MIA from people and media in the last month you can catch up here with CNN or here for some photos.  The epicentre was located in Concepcion, a city that is about 500 km south of Santiago.  I was sleeping when it happened (5:30 am) and thought at first that it was just a long tremor.  The slight sway of my room was what woke me up and though I started to hear cracking (of the drywall) I didn’t think to get out of bed until my flatmate knocked on my door, came in, and said, “Cathy, it’s an earthquake.  Grab your shoes.”  Of course, being the neat person that I am, I had put my shoes away in the closet and with no light and definitely not earthquake prepared (who knew all the fears of an upcoming earthquake that the locals had been talking about for the last few years was finally going to happen while I was there?) I bumped into a few walls, which were by this time swaying more violently and I ended up running down twenty flights of stairs with my flatmate and a friend in our pjs, shoeless, keyless, in fear and wanting to get the heck out of the building.  The earthquake lasted 90 seconds.

The 24 floor apartment building did not topple over as I thought it would while I was still in bed.  In fact, after two days of hiding in a house (of my, now, ex), I finally ventured out into the city with them and saw that … Santiago looked completely fine, aside from the few tiles and hanging bricks seen every now and then.  Impressed I was with the architecture here.  And, in retrospect, it was probably safer to stay inside the apartment underneath a doorway while the building swayed instead of running down the emergency stairs and risk having things falling on us.  (Or, at least this is what we’re now teaching the kids at school.  Hmm.)  BTW, we were given a grand total of three extra days to rest before returning to work.

We’ve had many aftershocks since then.  For the first couple of weeks post-earthquake, I felt super nervous, unable to fall back asleep when they happened.  (It’s really unnerving to see a hanging lamp, for instance, shaking on its own.  Or to hear the drywall making cracking noises.)  I’m now finally at the point where when an aftershock happens, I’m more or less “meh” about it.  Or in the case of my roommate, sleep right through it  (Like, the 5.4 aftershock we I felt at 4:30 am today.)  The biggest aftershock we’ve felt since the quake was the 6.2 on March 11, around 11 am, during work … ironically, while I was teaching a kinder class “The Turtle Safe Song” aka “The Earthquake Safety Song.”

If the earth begins to shake, what do you do for safety’s sake …

What I was most surprised about was how inefficient the communication system was when the earthquake happened.  Nearly everything collapsed.  No electricity, no cell phone signals, no landlines.  For the fortunate few who owned an iPhone, they were able to use the internet to email their loved ones.  Business is now running as usual in Santiago.  Many volunteer groups, charities, schools and churches have been recruiting people and items to send down to the places most needed.

As for me, aside from a little cold caught from the little kids who keep giving me cookies to eat with their germ covered fingers, I am healthy, a little sunburnt and safe.  :)

Keep in touch.  x

My cracked bedroom wall.

The End

I’ve decided to write my own “Bucket List” for the remainder of my stay in Chile.  Here goes:

• go to Buenos Aires, Argentina (Easter weekend, 2010!)
• visit Torres del Paine, and even attempt to camp there
• sandboard, stargaze, and soak in a volcanic hot spring in San Pedro de Atacama (May 1-7, 2010)
• witness a polynesian dance on Easter Island — if personal funds permit
• Pucon!
• sign up for hot yoga lessons (not quite “hot” yogaing yet, but joined a yoga studio and lovin’ it)
• go out to salsa more often with friends
• salsa lessons (twice a week!)
• call up people in Santiago whom I haven’t seen in awhile and hang out
• make daily goals (thanks Elizabeth )
• finish reading a novel in español
• join a Spanish/English group
• check out a Spanish speaking church service
• Skype date with friends
• take singing lessons (once a week )
• blog more often (thx Mijo )
• go to a concert in Movistar arena
• visit Valpo (end of April, need to go there again!)
• go rafting in Maipo
• hot spring (Went to Pozas de Colina del Maipo!)
• play frisbee (Jeremy’s bbq at Parque Padre Hurtado aka ex Parque Intercomunal de La Reina)
• y más … will continue to add to the list

And ultimately … be happy.

Hasta luego. x