Lived in Japan for 15 years and now live in the Philippines for almost 20 years. And only one scared me and it was a 7.3.
I was in Milpitas for the Loma Prieta 'quake, our building was twisting and waving, I got up from my desk, crossed the main corridor to fab, opened the door and told my two Vietnamese technicians "Didi! Didi!" which is Vietnamese for "Get out! Get out!"
I've never been to Vietnam. I don't speak Vietnamese.
They looked at me very strangely for months afterwards...