Breaking Bologna.

How does one find out about a natural disaster that occurs in a neighboring city with no tv and relatively slow internet? I'll tell you: parents.
Early Sunday morning an earthquake occured in Bologna, a city reachable by train in about 45 minutes from Florence. After a long night out, I entered my bedroom where my roommate was already sleeping to something falling in my loft bedroom above (it sounded like someone or SOMETHING was walking around). She awoke with a start and said her bed was shaking. At this point I was already frozen in fear because me, being me, assumed something Paranormal Activity-like was taking place upstairs in my loft bedroom. I flipped the light on and looked over and her bed, which sure enough was shaking. Thoughts? Haunted apartment. It is Italy, after all.
I quickly tried to push the extreme feelings of horror from my brain and went to sleep to the best of my ability, waking up late Sunday afternoon. My mother frantically Skyped me around 7 AM EST, asking if I was alright, if anything had broken, was I damaged?! I was still under the impression at this point that our apartment was being haunted by Italian mobsters and the like, so I played dumb until she explained that she had just heard on the news that an earthquake occured in Bologna around 4 AM my time. Needless to say, I immediately understood that what we had heard and felt was not a haunting but shifting of tectonic plates.
I had never felt an earthquake before, however faint, and I still can't comprehend that I have now powered through the Earth shifting around me since I spent the better part of the day believing that my new apartment had a permanent tennant. If you've read anything about the quake, a few people died and there was massive damage done to important historical buildings. I now wish that my apartment was haunted and that there wasn't such a terrible disaster...
So that was my earthquake experience. Terror, superstition, shaking and afterwards, sadness. I wish my tv worked just so I could effectively keep up on the news, but I suppose I have my mother for that. Heh. Summer is in full swing here in Florence, so excuse my lack of updating, but I've been enjoying the sun too much!
Thinking of some lovely updates for you all, though,
Ciao for now,
-m.
Reader Comments (1)
I was just glad you didn't have any damage in Florence. See!! I am good at keeping up with current events in the country you are living in now..... Just trying to keep you informed. LOL. Love you. MOM