miyagi.sg

9/11

It’s been five years since I watched in astonishment on my mother’s television set the destruction of the twin towers.

That night, on the 11th of September 2001, I had just come home from I can’t remember what (this blog didn’t exist yet), and my mum’s study door was ajar, and she was sitting and watching CNN. Then, it had already been a tumultuous year as it was for my family, what with my sister having a long convalescence from childbirth-related illness, my leaving my much-envied job as a talent agent after almost a year of doing little inconsequential things like arguing over whether Fiona Xie should take up the Chinese sitcom role she eventually made her own.

The first plane had already hit one of the towers, and I remember wondering how ‘zhun’ the plane had been, to hit right into the tower as I watched the top few floors burn with the most acrid black smoke. Then the second plane, a flying black shadow, crashed into the other tower.

“The world is going to end”, said my mother, while I stood, transfixed, wondering if any more planes were gonna zoom in and hit any other building.

So many things have happened since then. So few things have changed.

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16 responses to “9/11”

  1. Gary Ler’s Journal

    My RSSs Mr Brown Rockson Roy Ng Stylemywords Scott Adams RSSMiyagi

    Reply
  2. Lincoln Avatar
    Lincoln

    🙁

    I was playing counterstrike that night when one of my friends text in the game that a plane crashed in to the tower… At first I tot it was small 4 seater plane I remembered he texted back in caps “FUCKING BIG PLANE”. I immediately turned on the tv and saw the second plane hit. My heart drop, my eyes got so dry because I didn;t want to blink in case I missed something. Then the Pentagon got hit and I said the only hokien words I knew “CCB”,… because only days before I bought a ton of SIA shares…

    After the towers fell… I got back to my counterstrike and I took counter the rest of the night killing as many terrorist as I could.

    I remembered the feeling of sadness following the incident and the feeling that nothing really mattered anymore. I guess you are right…So many things have happened since then. So few things have changed.

    Reply
  3. Lincoln Avatar
    Lincoln

    🙁

    I was playing counterstrike that night when one of my friends text in the game that a plane crashed in to the tower… At first I tot it was small 4 seater plane I remembered he texted back in caps “FUCKING BIG PLANE”. I immediately turned on the tv and saw the second plane hit. My heart drop, my eyes got so dry because I didn;t want to blink in case I missed something. Then the Pentagon got hit and I said the only hokien words I knew “CCB”,… because only days before I bought a ton of SIA shares…

    After the towers fell… I got back to my counterstrike and I took counter the rest of the night killing as many terrorist as I could.

    I remembered the feeling of sadness following the incident and the feeling that nothing really mattered anymore. I guess you are right…So many things have happened since then. So few things have changed.

    Reply
  4. Lincoln Avatar
    Lincoln

    🙁

    I was playing counterstrike that night when one of my friends text in the game that a plane crashed in to the tower… At first I tot it was small 4 seater plane I remembered he texted back in caps “FUCKING BIG PLANE”. I immediately turned on the tv and saw the second plane hit. My heart drop, my eyes got so dry because I didn;t want to blink in case I missed something. Then the Pentagon got hit and I said the only hokien words I knew “CCB”,… because only days before I bought a ton of SIA shares…

    After the towers fell… I got back to my counterstrike and I took counter the rest of the night killing as many terrorist as I could.

    I remembered the feeling of sadness following the incident and the feeling that nothing really mattered anymore. I guess you are right…So many things have happened since then. So few things have changed.

    Reply
  5. kennysia Avatar
    kennysia

    I was still in Perth that time, watching Rove McManus on TV. Then suddenly the TV cut off to this “Breaking News Report”.

    When I first saw it I went “meh, everyday also got hijacking what. What makes this one so special. Fire only what. Fire engine come then ok already.”

    Next thing I know, another plane hit.

    Then the first tower collapsed.

    Then the second tower collapsed.

    The Uni was eerily quiet the next morning.

    Reply
  6. kennysia Avatar
    kennysia

    I was still in Perth that time, watching Rove McManus on TV. Then suddenly the TV cut off to this “Breaking News Report”.

    When I first saw it I went “meh, everyday also got hijacking what. What makes this one so special. Fire only what. Fire engine come then ok already.”

    Next thing I know, another plane hit.

    Then the first tower collapsed.

    Then the second tower collapsed.

    The Uni was eerily quiet the next morning.

    Reply
  7. kennysia Avatar
    kennysia

    I was still in Perth that time, watching Rove McManus on TV. Then suddenly the TV cut off to this “Breaking News Report”.

    When I first saw it I went “meh, everyday also got hijacking what. What makes this one so special. Fire only what. Fire engine come then ok already.”

    Next thing I know, another plane hit.

    Then the first tower collapsed.

    Then the second tower collapsed.

    The Uni was eerily quiet the next morning.

    Reply
  8. ch Avatar
    ch

    My 3 year old son watched CNA on sunday and there was a feature on 9/11. He saw the fire fighters (he loves them) and got very excited. Then he saw the towers collapse and he had the most shocked look on his face. He asked,’Mama, why the building broken?’ I didn’t know how to explain the situation to him. And in a way I was grateful that he did not understand that his beloved fire fighters were inside the building. I guess one day I will have to explain it all to him…

    Reply
  9. ch Avatar
    ch

    My 3 year old son watched CNA on sunday and there was a feature on 9/11. He saw the fire fighters (he loves them) and got very excited. Then he saw the towers collapse and he had the most shocked look on his face. He asked,’Mama, why the building broken?’ I didn’t know how to explain the situation to him. And in a way I was grateful that he did not understand that his beloved fire fighters were inside the building. I guess one day I will have to explain it all to him…

    Reply
  10. ch Avatar
    ch

    My 3 year old son watched CNA on sunday and there was a feature on 9/11. He saw the fire fighters (he loves them) and got very excited. Then he saw the towers collapse and he had the most shocked look on his face. He asked,’Mama, why the building broken?’ I didn’t know how to explain the situation to him. And in a way I was grateful that he did not understand that his beloved fire fighters were inside the building. I guess one day I will have to explain it all to him…

    Reply
  11. tarmack Avatar
    tarmack

    I had just come back from late nite work that day. I was just about to relax and play on my PC game, when a colleague of mine sms me to “watch CNN”.

    I switched on the tv and saw fire coming out of one of the twin towers, i thought ‘cheh, nothing really that special mah’, next thing happened the other plane crash into the other tower, dat wakes me up (it was late at nite mah..) my eyes was glued to the set, no more interested in pc games at that moment.

    Few minutes later, the tower collapsed. i couldnt believe what’s happening! it took a good 5 minutes for the event to sink in.. sadness.. switched off my PC no more interested in games for the rest of the nite.

    Reply
  12. tarmack Avatar
    tarmack

    I had just come back from late nite work that day. I was just about to relax and play on my PC game, when a colleague of mine sms me to “watch CNN”.

    I switched on the tv and saw fire coming out of one of the twin towers, i thought ‘cheh, nothing really that special mah’, next thing happened the other plane crash into the other tower, dat wakes me up (it was late at nite mah..) my eyes was glued to the set, no more interested in pc games at that moment.

    Few minutes later, the tower collapsed. i couldnt believe what’s happening! it took a good 5 minutes for the event to sink in.. sadness.. switched off my PC no more interested in games for the rest of the nite.

    Reply
  13. tarmack Avatar
    tarmack

    I had just come back from late nite work that day. I was just about to relax and play on my PC game, when a colleague of mine sms me to “watch CNN”.

    I switched on the tv and saw fire coming out of one of the twin towers, i thought ‘cheh, nothing really that special mah’, next thing happened the other plane crash into the other tower, dat wakes me up (it was late at nite mah..) my eyes was glued to the set, no more interested in pc games at that moment.

    Few minutes later, the tower collapsed. i couldnt believe what’s happening! it took a good 5 minutes for the event to sink in.. sadness.. switched off my PC no more interested in games for the rest of the nite.

    Reply
  14. barffie Avatar
    barffie

    I’ve thought it was just a bad fire breakout in some skyscraper when I turned on the TV that night. I didn’t notice the “Breaking News” graphics screaming at me as I was busy zoning out.

    I was rather self-absorbed in those days and I couldn’t care less about the world, which is why I didn’t see the significance of that particular skyscraper billowing black furious smoke.

    And then I saw a plane hit the 2nd tower. That was when I took notice of the horrifying situation. The towers collapsed one by one and I sat up all night watching Channel News Asia (I didn’t have cable tv then) for the endless updates (and repeated shots).

    I went to office in a daze the next day and all the colleagues just sat staring at the TV screens, watching the scene over and over again. No one had any mood to work.

    Nowadays I am more aware of what’s happening around the world instead of being self-absorbed. Life’s just too short to focus on myself.

    Reply
  15. barffie Avatar
    barffie

    I’ve thought it was just a bad fire breakout in some skyscraper when I turned on the TV that night. I didn’t notice the “Breaking News” graphics screaming at me as I was busy zoning out.

    I was rather self-absorbed in those days and I couldn’t care less about the world, which is why I didn’t see the significance of that particular skyscraper billowing black furious smoke.

    And then I saw a plane hit the 2nd tower. That was when I took notice of the horrifying situation. The towers collapsed one by one and I sat up all night watching Channel News Asia (I didn’t have cable tv then) for the endless updates (and repeated shots).

    I went to office in a daze the next day and all the colleagues just sat staring at the TV screens, watching the scene over and over again. No one had any mood to work.

    Nowadays I am more aware of what’s happening around the world instead of being self-absorbed. Life’s just too short to focus on myself.

    Reply
  16. barffie Avatar
    barffie

    I’ve thought it was just a bad fire breakout in some skyscraper when I turned on the TV that night. I didn’t notice the “Breaking News” graphics screaming at me as I was busy zoning out.

    I was rather self-absorbed in those days and I couldn’t care less about the world, which is why I didn’t see the significance of that particular skyscraper billowing black furious smoke.

    And then I saw a plane hit the 2nd tower. That was when I took notice of the horrifying situation. The towers collapsed one by one and I sat up all night watching Channel News Asia (I didn’t have cable tv then) for the endless updates (and repeated shots).

    I went to office in a daze the next day and all the colleagues just sat staring at the TV screens, watching the scene over and over again. No one had any mood to work.

    Nowadays I am more aware of what’s happening around the world instead of being self-absorbed. Life’s just too short to focus on myself.

    Reply

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