It was a scary time. The place really shook badly and those elevated throughfares and backfilled land areas really suffered.
I was at work in a meeting with 2 California natives. After we got under the table, as a California newcomer I asked if this was normal for earthquakes. I got a little concerned when they vehemently said no.
I also remember being kind of seasick the next day because the ground just felt like it was constantly moving from all the aftershocks.