Our first earthquake, ever. According to what I have read, earthquakes in Okinawa are not unheard of, but they are few and far between. I was in the kitchen fixing a drink of ice water for myself and the kids were watching a movie. I was leaning on the cabinet in front of the stove, contemplating eating out as Tim left for a business trip this morning. He is still in the air, not to land for another three hours.
This house is reinforced concrete for typhoons, and we have noticed how doesn't shake the least bit, even with stomping and running children, even on the stairs, or on the second level. So I guess I have become accustomed to solid ground under foot. So as soon the [concrete] house started shaking I immediately realized what was happening. The kids noticed too, and they joined me in the hall doorway in the middle of the house for just a few more seconds of shaking. Then we went to the exterior door in the front of the house after the shaking stopped, about 20 seconds in all (? maybe) to watch what the neighbors might do. No one was out except a few children running around a few minutes later. We have no damage to the house, and all the framed pictures and canvases Tim so carefully hung up this weekend are all still in place. The kids are feeling a combination of scared and excited.
So we googled earthquakes, to see what the news was. Immediately after, there was no updated information. So I filled out a 'did you feel something' survey, and clicked submit, then back to 'homepage' and there it was - 5.9 magnitude (subject to revision), 100 miles NE of Naha, which is 15 or 20 miles south of where we live. A few minutes later they revised it to 6.2 magnitude. You can get more information from the usgs site if you're interested. The kids will blog about it in a few minutes. Oh and I think we will go out to eat after all...