Monday, October 23, 2006

A whole lot of shakin' going on!

I just returned from meeting with my Western Council state library colleagues in Honolulu. The meetings were great, and the Hawaiian hospitality shown by State Librarian JoAnn Schindler and her staff was outstanding. But the most memorable event was the 6.7 magnitude earthquake on Sunday, October 15! I really wasn't too disturbed by the quake itself, which felt like a gentle swaying in my room on the 23rd floor. What was disconcerting was the following 14 hours without electricity! I've gone without power at home before, but what does one do without electricity in a big city hotel? Imagine thousands of travelers with no water, food or lights, and you get the scene. Sort of like a camp of rich refugees in a gorgeous environment of sun and surf! Lights eventually came on, and life resumed. And t-shirts saying "I survived the quake of 2006" were available almost instantly!
A trip to remember.

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