I was sleeping in bed when the first plane crashed into the WTC building. A friend from Australia called up to let me know what had happened. I was still new to the country and it took me a few minutes to realize the enormity of the situation. As I sat bleary eyed in front of my television another plane crashed into the WTC and after a while another one into the Pentagon. I had a hollow in the pit of my stomach and the whole day was spent chugging cups of tea and watching news updates, calling up relatives and friends in India and US. T came home from work early and we sat in silence, trying to comprehend the horrific events that had started the day.
Days that followed were rife with speculations and war talk. Eight months later when I left to visit family back in India, I had to undergo search of my check-in as well as my carry-on baggage at the security gate. But when my bags were checked a second time at the boarding gate, fellow American passengers nodded sympathetically as they moved on. As the last person to board the plane, they helped me find a place in the already full overhead bin and smiled a reassuring smile.
I have never felt like an alien in the post 9/11 America and I expected nothing less of my country of adoption. I am proud and happy to live in America.
Terrorism has no religion, nationality or race. And no humanity for that matter.
Where were you when it happened?
Hi Jaya,
ReplyDeleteIt's true 'Terrorism has no religion, nationality or race.And no humanity'. I had just returned from Addis Ababa & was sleeping when my mom woke me up to tell me what had happened. It felt unreal & i think i spent the whole day trying to understand what had taken place.
Hi
ReplyDeleteI was at the airport in Sydney Australia, and i could not believe what i was seeing...i can still remember the chock....
For a minute of two, me and my travel companion thought it was a joke....sadly it wasn´t .
SoulPrincess - Norway.
I was driving into work and I still remember exactly where I was on the street when the news started breaking through the radio at 8:45 CST.One radio station was commenting live, and the other chose to play music and not comment on it at all. When i got into work, everyone was huddled around monitors, and in about 2 hours, we were told to go home. I sat in front of the TV the rest of the day, calling dfamily aroun the world, trying to figure it all out with the rest of the world with just this gnawing, unbearable sadness and heavy heart.
ReplyDeletei was very much in India looking at the horrific incident.
ReplyDeleteand the Nov 25th incident when Bombay blasts happened last year i was very much in the US.
Both times that have touched me so hard, i was in the other world...but yeah, terrorism sees no boundaries, sees no limit.But my patience definitely has its limits....the last attack was enough to say ENOUGH!!
It was 7.30 PM IST (on 9/11 day) when I returned from office to Gullu's house along with few colleagues and a bottle to scotch to celebarate one of our professional wins. We all were getting fresh and the bottle of scotch was waiting for all of us. As a practice, Gullu would turn on the television each day after returning from the office and we all were scocked to see WTC on fire. The bottle of scotch got ignored completely and till late nite we all were busy shuffling channels.
ReplyDeleteI was getting ready to go to work and was watching the news as I was walking around and when I saw it I was stunned and sat glued to the TV. DH was travelling and he was in Boston. I was so worried to say the least and he could not get to come home the next 10 days. This 'ball' just threw us off-track.
ReplyDeleteI was on the towers just 5 days before it happened and couldn't believe it when I saw it on TV. I have so many pictures but haven't had courage to see them again.
ReplyDeleteI was visiting my Aunt and she woke me up when her friend called. And when she heard WTC, we thought it was WTC in Bombay because my Uncle stayed exactly opposite to those towers in Cuffe Parade! Then we switched on the TV and watched the second plane crashing in and thought it was a replay :(
As you said terrorism has no religion.
I was at home with my son who was barely one, when my husband called me from work, speechless, "Turn on the T.V ". I turned it on and saw the second plane crashing into the towers. All I can remember was that it was a clear and sunny day outside and my son was reading"Brown bear, brown bear what can you see?". My heart went out to all the people who suffered dead or alive and you are right at that moment I felt that humanity or for that matter terrorism doesn't have a face. That evening I took my son for a walk and this white guy screamed at me"death to the middle east" (I'm Indian BTW] with such hatred I thought, maybe hatred breeds hatred. So, does terrorism have a face???
ReplyDeleteSatya, no terrorism does not have a face and neither does ignorance and intolerance.
ReplyDelete