Breaking News Update: I Have Bad Timing When I Travel Abroad

That's right, there was an earthquake.

7.1 magnitude, 41km west of the City center, it was around 4:30am when I woke up.



I thought someone was shaking my bed, so i was yelling "stop stop stop, I'm trying to sleep!" until i heard my flatmate yelling I realized hmmm, I think this an earthquake!


Standing in the doorways feeling the aftershocks, we decided to get out of the building. (it took about 2 or 3 minutes to wake Prateek up, having watching the exorcism a few days ago, he thought it was the real deal. Jj on the other hand, was trying to find high ground for the possible Tsunami) Maybe I shouldn't have waited to get on all my clothes, but it was cold out!(some people were in their boxers waiting outside while i had my flannel shirt, my wool sweater and my thick leather jacket, i was happy!


Waiting outside with a bunch of Ilam residents, you could look up at the stars with no light pollution due to the power outage. not as good as the west coast, but cool to see the stars so bright in the city. Ilam apartments didn't really think this through, and we were waiting around outside while they tried taking attendance of hundreds of people with no electricity for their database of residents. So my flatmates and I decided to head back, told our RA we were good, and left.

In this desperate time of need I did the brave act of finishing my flatmates ice cream because of the freezer melting.

Going back to bed was tough, due to the excitement and just when you were about to go to sleep, another aftershock would come. Usually there are 2 to 3 aftershocks. Even today one day after it happened, were still getting strong aftershocks. they've reported over 45 til now, and some were as strong as 5.2 magnitude.





In the morning, I was able to survive on no electricity by eating a can of spaghetti-o's (well spaghetti in a can, they don't know spaghetti-o's here. what do kids eat here then?) along with a beer. Hey! no judging, its natural disaster and I cant drink the water supposedly due to sewage and fresh water lines breaking. I'm starting to like natural disasters.






I took a walk around to see the damage, and it was such a lovely day! Not many people outside, not a lot of cars on the road, quiet. Man, I wish I was a brick-layer because I'd be in business now! almost every other chimney i saw had either cracked or fallen down.








I walk to the school and... campus is closed! I decided to walk around anyway, trying to avoid the security guards. The campus seemed quite okay, other than the library.








Windows cracked, lights and ceiling hanging down, and bookshelves that looked like dominoes knocked over. I thought, I'm not having school on Monday. In fact, later on I discovered schools closed til the 13th! Spring break, extension by 9 days!

I didn't walk down to the city center, but due to the state of emergency granted to police, you were not allowed to enter anyway. a lot of the brick buildings had collapsed, and many roads were impassable. An Indian restaurant near my flat that i wanted to check out, had its roof caved in.


well, that's about it for now, overall the city was very lucky. No fatalities, only 2 people severely injured. electricity was restored sooner than expected about 7 hours late, and the water and sewage is still an ongoing problem. The aftershocks are still happening, which some you don't know if its the start of another earthquake, which there is a 10% Chance.



p.s.

to my exes, please stop sending natural disasters