EARTHQUAKE!!

Today, I finally experienced my first earthquake ever! And it was a 7.0!
I suppose I shouldn't be too excited, because earthquakes aren't positive things to have happen, but I've never experienced any natural disasters before. No tornadoes in Indiana...no hurricanes in Florida during the 3 times I'd lived there...no earthquakes last year while here in Indo...so I finally have something to be excited about.
I was in a meeting after school today with about half of the other teachers in our school when we felt the tremor. At first, I thought it was just a truck rumbling by the building, but when it lasted for more than 2 seconds, I started wondering what was going on. I was on the 2nd-ish floor of our school (there are multi-layers and half-layers b/c we're in the side of a mountain), and the rafters outside of the roof started making a creaking noise. We were sitting, but we could feel the floor and see the walls shaking. It was like someone had grabbed the building and was gently rocking it from side to side.
It took us about 10 seconds to realize what was happening, and then we were like, 'Earthquake!' I ran out the door and stood outside with some of the others until a few minutes later, when the shaking had stopped and the building was deemed safe to enter. (I was the only one smiling b/c I thought this was exciting. Looking back on it now, I realize that I'm a dork.)
It was interesting to see how people reacted to this. EVERYONE whipped out their cell phones and called someone about it. (I didn't.) There was an even mix of the nonchalant, we've-been-through-this-before people and the aaah!-get-out-of-the-building! people. Some didn't even leave the meeting room; they just continued eating their meeting snacks and waiting for the Lord to take them up into Heaven.
Another interesting part was my own reaction. I had been more worried about my laptop that I'd been using in the meeting than I was about myself. As soon as we realized what was going on in the meeting room, I immediately grabbed my computer. My first thoughts were, 'Oh my gosh, I can't let ANYthing happen to this computer! I've gotta get it out of here!'
I guess, in extreme situations like this, I care more about my technology than my body parts. I could sprain an ankle or lose a limb but still be fine as long as my laptop isn't damaged...weird...
Fera got online right away to see if there was a tsunami warning. (There was, but it was soon disspelled.)
We finished the meeting, had staff chapel, and went home, as usual. Well, I went to Starbucks. As usual. :-P
You can read about the earthquake here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/02/indonesia.earthquake/index.html
Apparently, a few people died from it, which is too bad.
Life goes on...as does the grading and late nights.... Guess what I need to do now?? :-/ ~Laterz...