It rocked today at work, well literally – Sumatra today was hit by earthquake measuring 6.3-6.6 on the Richter scale at about 12 noon today.
I recalled a moment when I suddenly felt dizzy, like desk started swaying, then I noticed the floor was swaying TOO! Then I thought: “Why am I so disorientated? Am I really stressing myself too much from work?”, but NO – Then the walls started swaying – Now I was really SEEING things! I turned and looked at my co-worker who did the same, staring in disbelief at each other that our office was rattering! It was like the our surroundings are contorting as such! It was when we got up on our feet from our desks that we can really feel the full sway of the building, considering my office is on the top floor penthouse of our office block, it made things even scarier.
Paintings started to drop from the walls. Then boss came out suggested everyone to leave the building. Taking only our belongings, we took like 10mins getting out considering the stairwell is all jam-packed with people doing the same and no idiot would use the lift. Everyone crowded at ground level and it’s there where you can see everywhere and across the street – people are all rushing out of buildings, painting curious faces from motorists passing by along the streets. Some felt nauseous and giddy who kept holding their hands to their foreheads. Otherwise all was orderly.
We had an early lunch at BK since it was lunchtime. The feeling was real, unlike those mock up fake earthquakes I’ve experienced in Hollywood. This one really gave the adrenaline rush, making us go: “Hey lets do that again!” Later do we know at about 2pm, came a lighter but longer after-tremor, but we all stayed in the building though admiring the swaying surroundings from our rooftop balcony. Even this time round, no one really bothered leaving the building. Really wondered how the people are doing at the source of the quake, do wish them the best.
The most interesting thing I remembered one of my Directors saying last week:
“Similarly with Indonesia’s ban on selling sand to us, they will have too much earth and will have eventual earthquake.”
How true…
