Coming Soon to a Subduction Zone Near You!

raven2, originally uploaded by Jaqaroo.

Well, about an hour ago, at 11:45, we had a pretty strong earthquake. The epicentre was off the coast of Miyagi; the nearest city was Sendai, and it measured about 6.8.
Here in Tokyo things were swinging and shaking and it went on for quite a while.
I consider this our second warning in as many weeks. After the last earthquake (the biggest in Tokyo for 13 years no less) I decided it was definitly time for action and to get prepared. Here's the list of things to buy and things to do:
Water
Gas for the camping gas stove
Batteries for the flashlight
Candles
Food
Cash, in small denominations
Decide on what do, where to meet etc.
So far I haven't done anything... it's so easy to let yesterday's earthquake slip to the back of one's mind. And then again I have been reminded that under my feet, deep deep down there, several plates are moving, sliding, building up stresses and tensions that one day, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps next year, will give way and this whole city of cards will come tumbling down. And if that happens then it's a brand new game and priorities are suddenly turned on their head. What you took for granted one day will be swept away the next. The convenience store life style that so many in this city live in will be gone as quickly as the stock in the local 7-11. People will be lining up for 7 hours for a small bottle of water. Money will not mean as much as how much food and water you had stored before the earth moved.
The supermarkets are full of food right now. Now is the time to prepare... or get the hell out. The trouble is you can't really imagine that it will actually happen. It's seems like a story that everyone tells but that is just a story. Or perhaps you can believe it but what you think will happen is far from the reality of what is actually going to happen. On NHK 30 minutes ago they showed shop staff picking up the bottles that fallen of the shelves. Some people think that's what it will be like - just picking up a few fallen objects and then carrying on as before.

The ravens know more than they are willing to tell. They will all far away when the big one hits, laughing their feathers off and preparing for the feast.