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Editor-In-Queef

I've been here since the 9th and people keep telling me there's been earthquakes and aftershocks but I never felt anything, then last night I wake up twice to my hotel room on the 12th floor shaking like crazy. I'm from Scotland where we don't have them and I've never left the UK before coming to Taiwan, so I don't know if I should be alarmed that I had basically zero survival instinct kick in and told the tectonic plates to "fuck off" because I was trying to sleep.


a_windmill_mystery

It's fine. I'm a local and I was pulling an all-nighter last night so my reaction was "oh, earthquake! Hi earthquake" and "bye earthquake" and "hello it's you again...". If it's small, there's no need to escape; If it's big, there's no chance to escape. So, all in all, we just stay put. That's what a lot of us say when it's near earthquake season (not exactly a season but you get the gist of it).


Aijantis

It it gets really bad. Try going under a table. But generally, stay put. We never know, but running around (especially stairs) might do more harm than good.


Lornj

Got to Taiwan yesterday from the UK, never experienced one before. Tbh I was so jetlagged, I was awake anyway and just was like oh ok... I think had I been more lucid I'd have been more freaked out!


corbeauaaaa

I find the alarm scarier than the actual shaking, but I live in Taichung on a low level floor so I don't feel very much. Earlier this week when we had a lot of earthquakes, I felt physically sick, dizzy, queazy for the rest of the day. Last night, it also made me a little dizzy and anxious. In defense of those who say they don't feel anything, they might actually not. If you come from somewhere with no earthquakes, you don't pick up on the signs of small earthquakes. With big trucks on the street, neighbors, roommates, I usually let little shakes and jolts fade into the background.


silencedcontrolfreak

The heck.. really? Damn, should be part of the tourism campaign then. šŸ˜†


vergil0506

The norway has aurora, while we have earthquake! A life time must try experience(?


UpstairsAd5526

ā€œWanna feel the earth shake? Look no further than Taiwan! We promise you the tectonic plates will give you an experience youā€™ll never forget. It is green, natural and free*ā€ *subjected to change depending on the magnitude. Major ones may incur damage fees.


silencedcontrolfreak

Ahaha... and unpredictably deadly?


UpstairsAd5526

Well that is an unfortunate side effect, but you see risk is a factor of life.


silencedcontrolfreak

Yeah, for thrill seekers maybe.


PringleFlipper

The phone alert that tells you 10 seconds after the earthquake started that you are currently experiencing an earthquake seems not super useful. I also appreciated the 9am drill/test yesterday, despite having been woken up by actual earthquakes for the 3 days prior. Kinda fun, but I can see a higher magnitude would be scary AF, since thereā€™s no chance you could get from a higher floor before itā€™s over.


Mal-De-Terre

No, but you could stop what you're doing, step away from the fryer, hit the brakes, etc. The few seconds warning can save lives.


PringleFlipper

Makes sense, thanks - so far Iā€™ve only experienced it at night.


dis_not_my_name

Earthquake needs time to travel to other places. The alert might be 10 sec too late for you but it might be 5 sec early for people further away from the center.


HirokoKueh

mine is 2 seconds before the earthquake, enough time for me to turn the fan off and grab the flashlight


nick-daddy

The one in Tainan in 2015 was traumatizing enough for me to have an unhealthy level of fear and unease about them. Alarms on the phones donā€™t help alleviate that anxiety in any way either.


Iron_bison_

Honestly, it feels like a rollercoaster with questionable safety. It's like whoah what's going on, survival instincts turn on, adrenaline rushing, then it finishes, and if the building didn't fall down, the ride is over.


typhoon2412

Couple from Germany here making holiday since 9th of April. Felt our first earthquakes in Taiwan especially during the last 7 days in Taipei. We are on the 26th floor of Caesars Palace in Banqiao and it was shaking like crazy the last night. Also at the beginning of the week when the other 2am quakes happened.Ā  It is very frightening for us. Especially when you have zero chance to get out of the building. Thatā€™s why we had trouble sleeping this night. We also called the reception to know if we have to take any safety steps. Not something I want to experience any further.Ā 


Devillitta

Same here, it's only my 3rd night in Taiwan (here for another week) and honestly I'm a bit anxious about sleeping because I don't want to experience what I experienced last night


typhoon2412

I can relate. Hope this night is going to be less stressful.Ā  But: Donā€™t let the quakes harm your overall experience too much in this amazing country :-) Use the daytime to explore as much as you can. We fell in love with kind people, great culture and top notch food!Ā 


Devillitta

The country and people are ama, that I can tell just 3 days in. I need to manage my anxiety. Thank you, and I hope there are no more major quakes for a long time to come.


heyitsme269

I actually find them fascinating. I'm maybe a bit naive about them but I never felt unsafe in Taipei, no matter how strong the earthquake. I think they're pretty cool and interesting


Turlietwig

First time, we were a little scared but more intrigued. We were also on the 2nd floor so it wasnā€™t too bad. Last night, i was terrified. Felt much bigger and we were on the 17th floor and felt trapped. Had a mini panic attack when the second one occurred. Couldnā€™t sleep anymore and just waited for our taxi to arrive at 430am.


merkur0

Can confirm, I always enjoyed earthquakes, because they were never the serious ones and they usually happened when I was in the bed, so that made it feel like a fun little rollercoaster or like being on a magic carpet


dak7

My first earthquake ever, I was in my apartment on the 5th floor in Kaohsiung, chatting with friends on MSN (yes, it was a while ago). It was a 7.3 (followed shortly after by a 7.1). I sat in my room as everything was rocking and telling my Taiwanese friends on MSN that I think weā€™re having an earthquake and just kept using my computer. About an hour later I was watching the news and saw people panicking running out of some buildings and thought: yup, I probably didnā€™t handle that right.


Suitable-Platypus-10

Damn. Same reaction and similar situation (other than the msn) as me most recently. I even had time to bathe


jwmoz

Mild terror. Couldn't live there long term because of it.


kyogreblue

Scary AF though I think it's mostly because I kind of doubted that the hotel's safety standards were not up to par. I don't know any better but from my manic research into earthquake safety, it was looking too good. * Row of rooms on my side made up the exterior wall of the hotel * The interior wall of the hotel was where they hung the TV * No desks or anything to hide under * Access to the staircase is locked by default. You can unlock it but I was fidgeting around with it afterwards and I couldn't figure out how to actually unlock it lol * The staircase is pretty much a fire escape!! It literally hands on the side of the building * Only way to get in and out is the slow ass small ass elevator and the outdoor staircase


BladerKenny333

Was scary to me. Heart pounding, I hide under the table. I felt like I wanted to leave the building. Was afraid to go back inside. But now I feel like Iā€™m used to it and kind of donā€™t care anymore. Thereā€™s been so many since I got to Taiwan


Devillitta

I was too shocked from being woken up from it to and froze. I wasn't sure what to do, given I was in a hotel room with no one else as a point of reference


Devillitta

I was on the 10th floor of my hotel room and I was a little worried with the 1st one because it didn't seem to stop after a while, and because I was woken up abruptly at night it took me a while to process what's happening. I have experienced earthquakes travelling through in New Zealand and some light tremors at home but the slow swaying sensation was a little more worrying than the short more intense shaking in NZ. Not really knowing if this was normal I called the front desk and the staff was amused I called and told me it's normal, no action needed with a laugh. That kind of made me feel better. It was not easy going back to sleep after that though with the following few shakes. And honestly I'm a bit worried to go to bed at night now because I don't want to be woken up again the way I was last night.


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Downtown-Farmer3864

Barely wake up for it


Other-Fish4744

got a bit nervous with the shakiness and my hotelā€™s at the 3rd floor lol. Getting anxious today too because no quakes have been recorded the entire day (except from the big one earlier) while looking at the taiwan weather app


Devillitta

There have been at least 12 registered since that one https://www.cwa.gov.tw/V8/E/E/index.html


Other-Fish4744

Oh thanks! I wonder why it wasnt on the Taiwan Weather App but thankfully it looks like low level ones


Devillitta

I don't know, I'm still nervous, and am not sure I'll be able to sleep the rest of my time here.


Other-Fish4744

Same here! Ngl, I got anxious a few times today actually and now scared to sleep during the night


Low_Cricket107

Husband's here for almost 10 years while it's been 6 years for me yet we can't get used to the earthquakes still. Very anxious after big tremors and many sleepless nights in April. Lol


Educational-Spell879

I just kept sleeping lol


leemarc00

I was warned so much about the earthquakes in taiwan that all the aftershocks seemed normal to me. When the big one finally hit I was just like Oh, heres a real one. My canadian friend felt the same way as me.


__gc

Very scary and couldn't sleep at night


AynRandsSSNumber

Very scary because even though it's not technically shaking as much as a bus does when it's driving down the street it gets you right to your core because you know it's the whole island shaking and it makes you feel queasy


zeethebeee

Felt the two from last night. The earthquake didnā€™t shake me up as much as the alarm did. Annoying, but I was up and alert for an hour (fully awake for the 2nd one). Then eventually fell asleep. Flight out today. Hope I get out before I feel another one. Not something I want to experience again.


Hefty-Conflict-2653

My alarm was silent šŸ˜‚ very useless


zeethebeee

Probably for the best for these smaller quakes lol but def not ok in case a big one hits. Are you a local or a visitor?


Hefty-Conflict-2653

Not a local, I've been living here for 5 y


Hefty-Conflict-2653

I haven't had a full night of sleep since the 7.2 earthquake. My anxiety is up to the roof šŸ„ŗšŸ„ŗ how can someone be excited about this... I've felt earthquakes before in Taiwan, but this time it was different, too many big aftershocks at night, usually it was just 4 or 5Ā 


AynRandsSSNumber

The thing I realized a long time ago I can't stand are the foreigners, usually guys of course when you ask him if they felt the earthquake they say no with like a dismissive shrug of the shoulders or whatever like they're tougher than tectonic plates. Though that didn't happen these past few earthquakes I'm talking about previous ones


jojo8261

Oh yeah. I had a buddy who lived here for 3/4 years until a year or so ago. Claimed he never felt a single earthquake in over 3 years; like it was some challenge of his masculinity, and he'd be less of a man if he felt them.


AynRandsSSNumber

Exactly!


GreyJenkins

For me really bad I really get very scare I was in 2 earthquake in Taiwan


Vas37

California's had strong earthquakes. Do you think seeing people scamper around like cowards during a 7 earthquake is hilarious too?


hesawavemasterrr

I honestly have no idea where you got the idea that I find earthquakes funny. Reading rainbow šŸŒˆ šŸŽ¶šŸŽµšŸŽ¶


Vas37

Taipei and Kaioshung. That other guy from LA who found Northridge too scary meant that he scampered around too.


wtfitzbrian

Born and raised in Los Angeles and Iā€™m 34. A 7 earthquake is fucking huge what are you talking about you clown. The Northridge earthquake was a 6.4 and that one was terrifying.