Earthquake!!

Yesterday afternoon, while I was typing furiously into my computer, I felt my table shook. It wasn't a violent one but more like some idiot was shaking my table from the other end. Remembering that the cubicle next to me is a Visitor's desk and there was a new guest using it, I was seriously annoyed. A couple of minutes later, I felt the table moving again. Grrrrr.

Before I got a chance to go over and give him a piece of my mind, I got a phonecall from my sis - the one person in my life always on top of every darn thing.

"Freakazoid!", she exclaimed, "Did you feel the buzz?"

"Yes", I said, "And it is annoying the shit out of me. Wait a min, how would you know?"

"What are you talking about? I am being evacuated!", she replied.

So, apparently I was informed that there was an earthquake happening in Central Sumatra of the ranking 6.6 on the richter scale. Due to the proximity to Singapore, tremors could be felt in most high-rise buildings here. Most of the office towers in the city centre, particularly Shenton Way, have to be evacuated as a result

Personally, I felt it was a tad bit dramatic for evacuation seing that Singapore never experienced any actual tidal surges before. However, I suspect I was even more upset that my own office building did not call for an emergency evacuation because that means I am still stuck here with the freaking tremors whilst the rest of the Singaporeans in Shenton Way are having a coffee break.

Early this morning when I got to work, we got an employee announcement on safety tips and emergency measures to take should we experience such tremours again - issued by the Civil Defence, no less. Here are some of my favourite guidelines therein on what to do when you are trapped:

- Move away from hazardous areas or unstable objects, and if possible, put on a pair of sturdy shoes to protect your feet from broken glass. (Must remember to wear shoes, check)

- Brace yourself against walls without glass windows or mounted shelves. Crawl under a sturdy table, desk or bed as that will provide you with air space and protection against falling objects. (Crawl under table, check)

- If you are pinned down by debris, periodically move your fingers and toes to ensure blood circulation and prevent blood clots. (Move fingers, check)

- Maintain a high morale by thinking of your loved ones. This will keep your quest for survival and fighting spirits high. (Maintain happy/lustful thoughts, check)

- Keep calm, be alert and respond to rescuers’ calls. Do not shout unnecessarily as you may weaken yourself. (Don't talk so loud; must save energy, check)

- Consume food and water from the refrigerator if it is near you. If you need to eat and drink from an open source, beware of shattered glass and other debris in it. Moderate your consumption to enable the food to last longer. (Find a fridge and pig out moderately, check!)

So next time when you find me under the table next to a mini fridge, quietly smiling to myself while moving my fingers periodically and eating a hamburger veryyy slowwwwlyyyy, you know that we are experiencing an emergency. Kindly evacuate, please.

In case of emergency, please wear ur shoes.