A New Chinese Word

I learned a new Chinese word today...

"di zhen" 地震

Normally on Mondays around 2:30pm, I am probably taking a nap. Today though, I was substituting for Amy (since she so graciously did for me last week! thanks!). I was in the middle of a lesson on dating when my students started calling out "Teacher! Teacher!" I guess I looked puzzled because one girl asked "Don't you feel that?" Sure enough I was moving! For a couple of seconds I thought the wind was so strong the building was shaking. Nope. I was experiencing my first earthquake (地震)! I looked in the hall and everybody was running out of the building. My students fled. Class dismissed.

Apparently, there was an earthquake just outside of Chengdu that hit 7.5 on the rector scale. We felt one of the aftershocks. People keep saying there might be another one tonight, but I am not sure if you can really predict that. I am not too knowledgeable about earthquakes being from Nashville and all. ;)

Anyways, for those emails and one Skype call I missed... I am fine. I rather enjoyed my first earthquake experience. I am sure there are some in China tonight though that are not so fortunate. Keep them in your Thoughts.