Earthquake

Today there was a massive earthquake about 250 miles north of Tokyo, it was 8.8 at the epicenter and about 6 in Tokyo. I'm completely fine, just a bit shaken (if you'll excuse the pun). 

I hadn't really eaten today apart from breakfast so at about 3 I went to my local supermarket to grab some food. I was looking at the shelf and I felt a bit woozy and dizzy and I thought I was going to faint from not having eaten, then I realised it was the ground shaking, not me. None of the customers or staff really knew what to do, there were no desks to hide under or doorways to stand in, so we just stood there looking alarmed, one woman held a plastic shopping basket over her head. 

I wasn't sure if you're meant to stay inside or go outside - I don't think there's any real advice apart from try and get away from buildings into an open area which is impossible in Tokyo. In the supermarket stuff was falling off the shelves, all the signs were swaying and I nearly fell over at one point. It was a really odd sensation, like being on a boat but without the rhythm and quite unsettling.

It carried on for about 3-5 minutes, it felt like a long time. Then it was over, no one knew what to do - whether to carry on or to stop and go outside. I paid for my stuff and went back to the dorm. For the next hour there were several very strong aftershocks, and a constant wobbling. Me and some friends bumped into each other and no one really knew what to do so we stood around talking until the tremors stopped. Now, about an hour after it, there's the odd rumble.

There has apparently been a tsunami and there are some buildings in Tokyo on fire. I'm thankful to be in a modern building and safe...