my second quake at Galleria with another C

Yes, we were at the topmost floor of that mall that's said to have been designed to sway safely in the event of earthquakes [I truly hope so!], engrossed in a happy movie when the row moved. Not that the Priestess noticed, so engrossed was she in Kate Hudson's enviable curls hehe!

Everyone looked around at the others to see if they too had noticed. No one panicked or immediately ran out for the quaking had stopped. Everyone looked to see what others would do. Slowly people began filing out coolly and calmly. The movie kept on playing.

Outside Cinema 10, the air was more tense and more people were exiting the other cinemas more quickly. C and I held each other's hands and walked purposefully to the back part of the mall, down three floors by the escalator and out the back entrance. It was eerie to see the mall's ceiling lamps swaying high above us. The ground didn't seem to be moving no more but the sight of those lamps made the possibility of a stronger tremor more real.

In the cool October air, we breathed easier, flagging cabs and looking up at more high-rises that could come toppling down.

Thus capped a week wherein, try as she might (five times!), Claudette just isn't allowed to catch Helen. Perhaps, more details on this later.

News Brief courtesy of A, sick in bed with tonsilitis.

6.4 Quake Shakes Philippine Capital
Friday, October 08, 2004

MANILA, Philippines — An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 shook
Manila on Friday night, swaying high rises, knocking out power over a
wide area and sending frightened residents into the streets. There
were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The shaking began at 10:36 p.m. and lasted for more than a minute.
The epicenter of the quake was on Mindoro island (search), 55 miles
south-southwest of Manila (search).

The temblor was felt over a wide area, including nearly 90 miles
north of the sprawling capital on the main Philippine island of Luzon
(search).

The U.S. Geological Survey (search) in Colorado said on its Web site
the magnitude was 6.4 at a depth of about 73 miles.

A magnitude 6 quake can cause severe damage, but the depth appeared
to have eased the effect Friday's temblor, said Renato Solidum Jr.,
director of the Philippine Institute of Vulcanology and Seismology
(search).

Panicked residents and hotel guests poured into the capital's
streets. Police were easing traffic away from a condemned building
that was cracking and dropping debris. Utility company Meralco
reported widespread power outages, possibly due to damaged power
lines.

The Philippines is along the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire,"
(search) where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. A
magnitude 6.2 quake shook Manila and surrounding areas of Luzon three
weeks ago.

The Institute of Vulcanology and Seismology said Friday's quake was
believed to be in the same fault line, along the Manila Trench.

Solidum said that raised concerns that the area is becoming active.

"It means that part is moving. We could have more earthquakes, so we
should always be careful," Solidum said.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake in 1990 killed nearly 2,000 people on
Luzon.

Copyright 2004 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved.