Shaken, not stirred

I experienced my first earthquake today!! And it was awesome! I know I should maybe feel a bit more frightened but ever since I arrived in Japan, I've been waiting to experience one. And apparently, there have been some since I've been here but they were not strong enough to be noticeable. But this morning, around 7:45 AM, not long after I woke up, I felt one. Actually, during the first wave (there were four in total), I was sitting on the toilet bowl, and all of a sudden I just felt this kind of ripple go through the building, shaking the whole building. It's weird to explain, but it's as if the whole building was moving at once. I wasn't even sure it was an earthquake until other people came out of their rooms with frightened faces. Then, back in my room, I felt a second wave, stronger this time. The standing closet in the corner of my room started shaking. It's such a cool (and scary) feeling to feel the ground under you move.

I talked to my dad after and apparently, the earthquake originated in Yamanashi Prefecture. It was 5.4 on the Richter scale but I was then told by my grandmother that its magnitude was only about 3.0 when it reached Hiratsuka Prefecture, where I live.

In our dorm, they announced that if the quakes started again, everyone was to meet down in the lobby and together, we'd go to a designated place on campus. But luckily, the quakes didn't start up again and I was able to go to judo practice. And that was it for my first earthquake experience. I'm sure it'll happen again a few times before the end of my stay. Looking forward to it ; )