Earthquake Tales: Cpt. Awkward and the Biscuits

Things are now almost back to normal here in Chiba, gasoline is available and the supermarket was well stocked and people were no longer panic buying like they had done earlier in the week. The local Aeon department store was still not operating 100% but I assume that they will be fully up and running early next week. The whole nuclear plant situation is still hovering in the background and still in crisis, but I do not fear for mine or my family's safety anymore. For the first time in several days there came one of those "earthquake imminent" emergency mails, but it too, ended up as a minor fart that we didn't even feel. The risk for a major aftershock according to the news has now also been downgraded to 30% until tomorrow where it used to be 50%.

With that situation report out of the way, I think I could delve a little deeper into the events of the earthquake day of Friday the 11th. The whole story of that day you can read here, but the little tale I'm about to tell you takes place at 10PM when me and the finance guy just came back to the office after our futile excursion to find a way home to the outback of Chiba.

As we come back, Cpt. Awkward and one other guy are still in the office, Cpt. Awkwards is working on some documentation like nothing irregular had happened and seemed quite comfortable in the office (it's more like a second home to him than an "office" in any case and he is known to stay the night quite frequently for no apparent reason). I sat down at my desk again and tried to get more info on the trains and the quake on the Internet and as I happen to glance over to my right where Cpt. Awkward is sitting, I see him open the box of biscuits we had in our individual emergency kits. It should be noted that there was no lack of food in the office as someone in the administration had shown a bit of initiative and procured quite significant amounts of food for those who would not be able to get home and would need to stay in the office.

Cpt. Awkward notices me looking at him as he's merrily throwing biscuit after biscuits in his mouth, chewing with an open mouth and staring out in the distance.

Cpt. Awkward: What?

Salaryman: (puzzled) ...it's just... why are you eating those biscuits?

Cpt. Awkward: Oh, I just got a bit curious on how they tasted and thought I might as well eat them?

Salaryman: (feeling like I have to ask) Well, ok, how are they...?

Cpt. Awkward: (still eating them) They're ok I guess, a bit dry though

As went back into the night to hunt for a taxi, he was still eating the biscuits and humming to himself...