Another earthquake? Really?
I woke up yesterday as normal, called my mama in Florida to wish her a happy birthday, then she asked me if we were okay. “From what?” I asked. “The big earthquake near Tokyo!” she said. “What earthquake?” I replied.
And so it goes. Yet another instance of me learning about what’s going on in Japan from my family overseas.
Obviously we’re okay; the quake’s center was way off in the Pacific, some buildings were rocking in Shizuoka (south of Tokyo a bit), no damage was done, and of course we didn’t feel a thing here in Toyama.
If anyone else is worrying about us, sorry for not contacting you about it! Most earthquakes are very ho-hum over here. Bigger news is all the rain we’ve been having and this never-ending rainy season…
Here’s a brief news report that contains all the facts, and a news report from Fox News! (probably the only time I’ll ever link to them!)
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck near the Izu Islands, 220 miles from Tokyo, Japan, on August 9, 2009. The quake, which hit at a depth of 188.3 miles, did not prompt any tsunami warnings.
There was no immediate word on possible injuries or damage from the earthquake.
Fast Facts
Date: August 9, 2009
Location: 220 miles south-southwest of Tokyo, Japan
Time: 10:55:56 UTC
Depth: 188.3 miles
No immediate word on injuries or property damage
No tusnami warnings issued or expected
Hello! My name is Gerald Talandis Jr, and I'm the webmaster of this blog. I'm using it as a tool for staying in touch with family in friends around the world. I've been in Japan since 1993 and currently teach English at 
This is my wife, Shinobu. She's originally from 
Luke was born on July 29th, 2001. He is now an elementary school student and loves sports, like his mama. Each week, Luke swims, plays soccer, and goes to a gymnastics class. He is also studying English and dreams of visiting the USA someday and becoming an Olympic swimmer, like his hero Michael Phelps.
Our daughter Max was born on March 7th, 2007. She is currently attending nursery school and is learning to walk, talk, and eat by herself without making a mess. She is growing by leaps and bounds, and loves Micky Mouse, Hello Kitty, and Anpanman.