seven pages down, eight to go
one of the number one questions i’m asked by chileans is why i chose to study in their country. by this point i have a prepared response. “i wanted to learn spanish, and since i studied in spain last summer, coming to latin america was a clear choice.” that usually suffices. the first time someone asked i didn’t have an answer. i tried to recall my decision making process last fall in nelson hall. why had i chosen valparaiso over mendoza, argentina or quito, ecuador or even over santiago? and all i can remember is google imaging each of those names and deciding that valparaiso had pretty painted buildings. not exactly the most informed choice. thankfully god had a bigger and better plan.
if i had done even the smallest amount of research into chile, i probably would have discovered that it sits on the ring of fire. and that earthquakes are shockingly common. i remember hearing about the huge quake they experienced last february, but didn’t realize that seismic activity was a regularly occurring event. at orientation they warned us about temblors (tremors), and gave us some basic earthquake 101 tips. no big deal i thought. i’m from california. sometimes our pool water sloshes over from tremors, and i don’t even notice except for the soaked deck. and i was in an earthquake at disneyland, and thought it was just a new special effect for space mountain. i can handle tremors.
chile should probably reevaluate its earthquake terminology. at 4am i awoke to my bed shaking back in forth as the entire room quaked. my sister threw open the door so that it wouldn’t get stuck closed by shifting walls and ceilings. my stack of books started inching off the bedside table. my mind started racing trying to remember earthquake drills from elementary school. grab the mattress and head for the bathtub? i don’t think that would even be possible. oh wait, that’s tornadoes. climb under a desk? was that just code red or earthquake too?… definitely the longest minute of my life. for the next three hours i was periodically awoken by aftershocks.
a 5.8 scale temblor does not feel anything like a tremor, it feels a lot more like a quake. He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. Job 9:5. no kidding. hey jesus, i’m really really impressed by your ability to make the very earth i’m standing on shake. your power is put into a whole new context when solid ground becomes about as sturdy as jello. and you know how i feel about jello. but if you could be a little less enthusiastic it would be greatly appreciated. thanks, emily.
