Earthquake II

There was another small earthquake today. I was teaching my first lesson with my private students, when the room started to tremble. This time the tremors lasted about twenty seconds or so. I think I noticed them more this time because I was in a traditional, wooden Japanese style home, rather than a modern apartment building. Ironically, the earthquake started about three minutes after I told the students how quakes scare me. They looked a little concerned when things began to tremble, and chattered to each other in Japanese. I guess I looked alarmed, because one of them told me not to worry. Afterwards, they told me it was a 2 or 3.0 quake.

Again, I know small quakes are nothing to Japanese people, but as my last entry states, I have a feeling there is going to be a big earthquake in our area. Maybe it's because I had a dream a few days ago that I was in a huge one, or maybe it's because the idea of the earth shifting is so foreign to me. It's such an odd feeling to feel the earth tremble.

Now I know it's common for a series of small tremors to occure after a significant earthquake, but does it also work in reverse? Do small tremors often occur before big ones? My husband felt a small quake a few days ago when he was at work, and then there was the one today. If a big quake does happen I hope I'm not alone. It would totally suck to be stranded in a Japanese city, miles from home, with no way to communicate or call my husband.

I sure am paranoid.