journal features

earthquake

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-eight years and a million words

Tokyo, 2009.08.10

We had a strong earthquake last night at around 20:30. It went on for quite some time, and really shook things. When we realized that it wasn't another little one (we haven't even had little ones of late) Mari scooped up Kenny and headed for the shelter of the dining table (a big solid wooden thing) while I ran for a flashlight and asked Joon, who was visiting, if he could ensure that the front door was open.

The quake was a 6.9 magnitude affair, some 340km underground. Quite impressive, actually.

Then overnight it began to rain.

This morning I headed down the hill to take Kenny to daycare and saw that between the earthquake and the rain, quite a lot of mud has been pushed up from the storm drains. A gentle reminder that the works of man are fragile, I suppose.

rand()m quote

The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures, and sinks to bestiality in his vices, all from continual lying to other men and to himself.

—Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov