Quito, Ecuador, early afternoon. I was just getting ready to leave for my Spanish class when my room started shaking. The chandelier glass rattled, and the pictures of Jesus and Mary banged against the wall. Worst of all, the floor was swaying under my feet.

"Well," I thought, "If I'm going down, I'm in good company."

The tremor soon passed, fortunately. People on the ground floor didn't even notice it, but 8 stories up, the effect was pronounced.