Friday, October 21, 2005

What do you do about earthquakes?

The earth continues to tremble from time to time. It's not very nice, but it's a fact of life. Ron and I are continuing to go about our business as usual, but it feels like we're the only ones. Last night, it turns out, most of our neighbours took off and huddled in the local park around a fire. Our landlords, the Akgüls, whose apartment is taller and built on a less solid foundation, spent the night in their car. They said their place was really rocking and they didn't want to hang around. But why has everyone come home today? Is it any safer in the daytime? Is an earthquake any less likely to strike when the sun is up?

Today the man who is sort of the building president - I guess he heads the condominium association - came to our door and said, "There are rumours that there is a much bigger earthquake coming. We're all leaving, and I think you should, too." But in this country of buildings that drop bits of themselves on your head when the earth is absolutely motionless, I don't think I want to be outside much without a hard hat when the earth is hiccuping. We're planning on staying put in our top-floor apartment in this solid little building.

We're trying to figure out why everyone is so frightened in this country of truly brave people. They really are tough, and brave to the point of heroism when required. And they've worked themselves up into a mighty state of hysteria, it seems to us.

What do you think? Should we stay in our apartment? Should we go somewhere else? Where?

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