Feeling the earth tremble
<p> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="placing">placing</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="recorder">recorder</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="desk">desk</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="deputy">deputy</span> <span word="mayor">mayor</span> <span word="Li">Li</span> <span word="Weidong">Weidong</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="woman">woman</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="murmuring">murmuring</span> "<span word="I">I</span> <span word="feel">feel</span> <span word="dizzy">dizzy</span>". <span word="Another">Another</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="joined">joined</span> <span word="her">her</span>: "<span word="Me">Me</span> <span word="too">too</span>." <span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="said">said</span>: "<span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="earthquake">earthquake</span>!"</p><p><span word="By">By</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="clearly">clearly</span> <span word="feel">feel</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="swaying">swaying</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="building">building</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="gentle">gentle</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="rhythmic">rhythmic</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="said">said</span> "<span word="gentle">gentle</span>" <span word="because">because</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="earlier">earlier</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plane">plane</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="touching">touching</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Yinchuan">Yinchuan</span> <span word="Airport">Airport</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="turbulence">turbulence</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="sent">sent</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="spinning">spinning</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="totally">totally</span> <span word="recovered">recovered</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> 1989 <span word="San">San</span> <span word="Francisco">Francisco</span> <span word="earthquake">earthquake</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="quickly">quickly</span> <span word="gauged">gauged</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tremor">tremor</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="felt">felt</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Yinchuan">Yinchuan</span>, <span word="should">should</span> <span word="register">register</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="about">about</span> 5 <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Richter">Richter</span> <span word="scale">scale</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="turned">turned</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="quake">quake</span> <span word="rolled">rolled</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Yinchuan">Yinchuan</span> <span word="some">some</span> 900 <span word="km">km</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="epicenter">epicenter</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Sichuan">Sichuan</span> <span word="province">province</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="accompanying">accompanying</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="said">said</span>: "<span word="Everyone">Everyone</span> <span word="stay">stay</span> <span word="calm">calm</span>! <span word="This">This</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="withstand">withstand</span> <span word="an">an</span> 8-<span word="magnitude">magnitude</span> <span word="tremor">tremor</span>. <span word="Don">Don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="worry">worry</span>!"</p><p><span word="The">The</span> 16-<span word="story">story</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="hall">hall</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Yinchuan">Yinchuan</span>, <span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ningxia">Ningxia</span> <span word="Hui">Hui</span> <span word="autonomous">autonomous</span> <span word="region">region</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="newly">newly</span> <span word="built">built</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> 15<span word="th">th</span> <span word="floor">floor</span>, <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="interview">interview</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="deputy">deputy</span> <span word="mayor">mayor</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="swaying">swaying</span> <span word="lasted">lasted</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> 30 <span word="seconds">seconds</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="host">host</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="anxious">anxious</span>. "<span word="Let">Let</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="off">off</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="reached">reached</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stairs">stairs</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="felt">felt</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="motion">motion</span> <span word="sickness">sickness</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="whether">whether</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="worse">worse</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="column">column</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="staff">staff</span> <span word="descending">descending</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stairs">stairs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pace">pace</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="hurried">hurried</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="orderly">orderly</span>.</p><p><span word="Cell">Cell</span> <span word="phone">phone</span> <span word="signals">signals</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="available">available</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="some">some</span> 10 <span word="minutes">minutes</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="everyone">everyone</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="calls">calls</span>.</p>
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