When the first one struck at 2:45pm on Friday, I was at work. I stumbled out of the bathroom and into a shaking room full of half-panicked people and half-I'm gonna work until this building crumbles to the ground type people. Our building is new and strong but we still felt the up-and-down jolting.
The bad kind of jolting.
If it sways, it's probably fine, if it goes up and down there's danger. Myself and two other coworkers ran down the fire escape but two people smoking on the ground floor apparently hadn't felt it.
We walked back upstairs (7th floor) and were shaken up but otherwise fine.
Until the second main quake hit. The first main aftershock which was a quake in and of itself. Some people tried to keep working but most of us just stopped and kept trying to use the phones/check news reports and the like. This--and near constant--tremors happened until 6:00pm when I finally left the office with two of my coworkers who also live in Ikebukuro.
Trains were down, grabbing a taxi was near impossible. Even if you got a taxi it'd take you just as long to get back.
So we walked from Kojimachi to Ikebukuro. About a 6mile walk which took about two hours; nothing compared to the 7 hour walks people I know had to go through, though.
It was terrifying when it happened but I'm really, really thankful I was at work when it happened; surrounded by people who cared about me and an incredibly concerned staff of superiors who made sure everyone else was okay before making preparations to return home themselves.
When I returned home I was beyond relieved to fine my roommate safe and our apartment shaken up but mostly okay.
So this was the basic state of my room. My bookshelf moved about a foot away from the wall, stuff fell over, my glass mirror jumped off my shelf and onto my bathrobe (thankfully!) and one of my frames jumped off my wall above my bed. Needless to say nothing is hanging over my bed right now.
The damage in Tokyo is minuscule compared to what Sendai, Aomori, Iwate and others suffered. We were very, very lucky. I love Sendai, love Sendai and I can't believe that this has happened.
But the danger isn't over. My friend has been mailing me since Friday asking if I was okay and to continue exercising caution. It was really sweet and at first I wasn't too worried. Until he sent me a message around 2:00am this morning.
There's a 70% chance that a 7 could hit again within the next three days. My mentor/boss called me and said that our division head had contacted her and that work was "come in at your own discretion tomorrow". She is easily one of the hardest working people I know and she's decided not to come in. I told her we were probably going to Nagoya for a few days.
So we are to stay with a good friend of mine. Just in case.
My mom wants me home; part of me wants to go. But I'm not ready just yet. If it gets worse, at least I have all the stuff I'd need to leave the country.
But I hope & pray it doesn't come to that.
To everyone here, please please be safe and if you aren't here but know somebody that is or even if you don't, pray for them, keep them in your thoughts, even wish for their well-being. It's all we can do.
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