An earthquake

Sumatra – and Indonesia in general – is an area of high volcanic and seismic activity. At least once or twice a week there are small earth movements. The low wooden buildings of the field station tolerate them well, there is only more or less shaking and creaking noises. One romantic touch: there is a bird, the Argus pheasant (remember Argus, the Greek guardian of a hundred eyes – this beautiful peacock-like bird has a gorgeous tail), which senses the earthquakes, and start calling – only few seconds before the shaking, so not too useful as a warning system.

So picture the scene: you are sipping your tea, perhaps playing the guitar, in the dimly lit common area, when a far away cry, a long and alarmed wail, “Kuau” (that is the local name of the Argus), breaks the darkness. It is followed by others, all around you, near and far. And then the building starts shaking, at times gently, other times more strongly. It is not alarming, not frightening, you can focus on the experience of feeling the earth below you moving, you think of how deep is the movement, how many layers of ancient rocks are shifting, and the very superficial one of trees, small wooden huts, rivers and animals that lays upon them. As many thoughts in the forest, profound, eheh.