I realised then, with a clarity I have failed to forget, that invisible forces stand poised to touch us. And given the right conditions, concrete can quiver, plates can pirouette and bookshelves can bounce. From time to time, I have tried to express my wonderment but found that my words ring hollow. And being far from confident that my memories are what they claim, I have taken to saying only this: my family lived through the Kobe earthquake of 1995.