Chile is the most seismic country in the world. They don't just have the word "earthquake" they differentiate between temblores and terremotos, only if it's bigger than 8.0, is it an actual terremoto (earthquake). So when everyone gets on facebook 3 seconds after the ground stops moving, all the Chileans make sure to comment on the statuses of the foreigners clarifying that it was a temblor and we have nothing to be freaked out about. What does all this mean for me? I have gotten really used to the ground moving. In a span of about two and half weeks there were 3 major ones, each one a little stronger than the last. The thing that makes them different from the ones in California is that they last forever! Seriously, they last long enough for me to realize what is happening and then run through all the possibilities in my head. The strongest yet lasted about a minute. Think about that for a bit, an entire 60 seconds of the earth freaking moving beneath your feet, that's a really long time. I have not had to evacuate yet, but for the 8.0 one about 3 weeks ago a lot of people headed for the streets. On the plus side, turns out I am remarkably calm in these situations and don't freak out.
Fun Fact: Chile has created a delicious new drink called the Terremoto. Why? Because it f***s you up, and after a couple you are definitely stumbling.
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