20080911

9 1 1

For those who follow the Short Story Blog - A New Story Gray is up.
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It is 7 years today having witnessed one of the most horrible tragedies first hand - the World Trade Center tragedy. It is disheartening to see the remnants of this memory still lurking all around the Tri States of New York - New Jersey - Connecticut - where many families lost near and dear ones. I can still smell the smoke and feel the horror when I close my eyes and think about it.

A 911 call - which is a number dialed here in the US if you want to call the Emergency Services. Yesterday I sort of made a 911 call on the blog - when I vented out and fellow bloggers rushed to my rescue. Thank you one and all.

Also a special thanks to all those who presented me with all the various awards that I have put up on the side bar.

And as I am writing this I hear on the news a major hurricane IKE is heading towards Southeast Texas on its way to Houston. It is going to hit a beach town Galveston - that I visited in May - where a warning "If you stay you face certain death" has been issued. Hope all people and fellow bloggers in the affected region are safe throught this natural calamity.

Here are some pictures that I took today from my apartment:

The New York Skyline - The lights on the Empire State building represent the colors of the American Flag for 911. It changes colors as per the Independence day of a country. It is tricolor on August 15th.

Candles for Ganesha

His Week

The WTC - Tribute in Light Memorial
(check this website for more information)

68 comments:

Ankur said...

Firstly, I pray that all those who lost their lives in 9/11, may their soul rest in peace and may the atrocities be bring down and we live in a new heaven called earth!!
Amen!! :)

Second, its really nice to hear that u r feeling alright now... :)

The NYC skyline looks awesome and i wish to share ur apartment for a day if i come to the States!!!

Nice post! :)
Cheers!!

Prats said...

You have managed to say so much with such few words.
Of course, the memory of that ghastly event will never be erased..my prayers do go out to all the families affected.

Those pictures from your apartment is so wow!!!
And the Ganpati...aaawwwooo so cute!!


How 's things now? Take care

♥ÐÅyÐяєÅмє®♥ said...

ek post aapne likha..ek post maine likha....par dono sirf miseries hi hai....kabhi kabhi main sach sochta hoon ki kya ho gya hai insaan ko..aisi kya freedom cghaiye ki ek insaan dusre insaan ko marne mein laga rehta hai...

I will pray for the people galveston...hope the hurricane spare them

Cinderella said...

My bro n me were talkin about it yesterday night....have you noticed the irony of it....the distress call no 9-1-1 n WTC mishap 9/11 ?!!

God knows if they planned it or smth !

I pray for the ppl who lost their lives . RIP.

Hope the hurricane doesnt cz much damage n lives r spared.

Solitaire said...

Hey the pictures are awesome!

I did not realize that today was 9/11 until I filled out some forms and had to sign them and date them...all thanks to the hurricane and the preps for it.

aneri_masi said...

shuddering thinking about 911 Ceedy, where were you that day?
Man, the view from your apartment is to die for! And your ganesha is so cute :)

Ella, yes, of course, it was planned that way.

--xh-- said...

nice snaps... hope IKE passes without much disruptions...

Cess said...

sometimes a picture mean more than 100 words... i really like ur pics.

I hope u re feeling better today ;)
tc

C.

broca's area said...

will pray for those people[9/11]...
hope ganesha chaturthi went on well there:)

Sameera Ansari said...

Hope no people were killed in the cyclone.

Lovely pics.The color changing of the ESB is really something.

The lone light on Ground Zero though lovely,is such a painful reminder.

Rià said...

It is really disheartening and sad to think of tht incident tht still plagues us! I still remember the horror of seeing it happen on news channels. It is one of the worsk disasters in the history of mankind. Its obvious for u to think of it since u r there. Nice pics. And u hav a nice blog. :)

Hiren said...

dude ... manhattan mein rehta hai kya ?? :)

9/11, 7/11, ... all these dates have got inscribed in our minds ... for once people will forget birthdays, anniversaries ... but cant forget these dates ....

If u get a chance ... watch "A Wednesday" ... nice movie related to terrorist attacks ....

hope ur 911 call was answered properly .... if not then u can try 100 :)

WritingsForLife said...

aww.. pretty pictures :-)
As per 911-- may their souls rest in peace!

rainboy said...

two of my mom's cousins were also in WTC that day.It's heartening to see that people still remember those who passed that day.
thank you for this post.
take care sir

Mysterious Mia said...

its been 7 years.....hmmmm time really flies by eh......btw hope yur doing better now...take care

n hey i liked the pic of teh candles nice ones :)

Anonymous said...

Nice post, and nice pics.
I also have a vivid memory of that day. I think whether or not we realize it, our lives changed forever that day.

@Cindy
Yes, I do think they planned it that way. Those terrorists have a sick sense of humor.

Anonymous said...

Its been 7 Years?! oh! I rememeber that day... looking in the TV, each one of us glued to the TV...

thanking our stars that we had no one there ... and then claiming that US had to get it for being so insensitive towards terrorism in India due to PAK.

Then the reality set in .. and the view of the disaster set in... and then it was a part of history.

I am sorry, because I was one of those who thought tht US deserved it... But then we thought abt the Govt more than the innocent people involved.

May their souls Rest in Peace. I believe Carolinagal is right when she says -- that day all our lives changed. In the smallest of the ways.. it did change.

And very nice pics there :)

Lakshmi said...

very evocative and straight from the heart post..and the pictures are inspirational..there is light, life and hope

ceedy said...

@ankur

Thats some real good words.. but I would still say A women :P (preference bhai)

I am and fine back with a bang ;)

You are welcome here anytime till my lease is on...ok :)

Have a good weekend

ceedy said...

@prats

Thanks.... I cant say a lot as it just will be pages and pages....have been thru the entire tragedy.

Yup hope all the prayers are answered....

Thanks for the pics....

Things are great...thank you

Have a good weekend

ceedy said...

@the daydreamer

agree agree agree.....

just listen to the song Ganga Nahale by silk route - that was the reason I wrote that comment on your page....it was funny but there was a thought for both of us in there...hope you did not take it in the wrong sense......

this song summarizes how incapable we are against the forces of reality....

and yes galveston is hammered....it is grim....its sat morn here and now the hurricane is over houston.....lots and lots of damage....everything is down...damages nearing 11 billion dollars :(

take care

ceedy said...

@cinderella

Looks like they did plan this around 9/11 - like aneri and CG mentioned.

Thanks for the prayers.

Hurricane has gone crazy.....Galveston is hammered and read my comment above for DD

Have a good weekend

ceedy said...

@lakshmi

Thanks for the kind words.....yes there is light at the end of every tunnel.

ceedy said...

@veens

Well its not your fault....that you thought what you thought...as sadle projection of a country is its government.

I would probably have done the same thing if I was back home. But being here at a time of tragedy...there is no country, no color, no sex, no nothing.....its just humans vs humans, love, care, faith and empathy.....that takes over every aspect of any "imaginary division"...

for me it was a great lesson and a memory that will be etched throughout.....

yes lives changed for everyone but we are an evolutionary species...and we carry on....thats the strength of being rational animals....

thanks for the kinds words and frank opinions....I like that in you....keep it up....

and thanks for the pics :)

have a good weekend

ceedy said...

@carolinagal
Thanks for the pics.

Were you around NY/NJ at that time?

Yes so agree....life changed forever.....this is one memory which no matter how much we try will always be around

have a good weekend

ceedy said...

@mia
Yeah its seven years and its still fresh in the memory...

I am better - thank you.

Thanks for the pics...

You too take care and have a great weekend.

ceedy said...

@v
Hey were the two cousins ok????

Yes this is a lifetime memory...

Hope you are Ok

and have a good weekend

ceedy said...

@raaji
Thanks and yes....may their souls rest in peace

ceedy said...

@hiren

Manhattan ke saamne in Jersey.....15 mins away....not in Manhattan

Yes these dates are inscribed in the deepest sections of our memory...never to be forgotten.

Saw A Wednesday....nice movie.

Yes 911 call was good and I will call 100 if required thanks

Have a nice weekend

ceedy said...

@ria

Hey welcome here

yes it is a sad realityand will remember it maybe for life.....thanks for the pics

hope to see you more around

ceedy said...

@sameera

Cyclone is still on.....damages will come as the day progresses.

Thanks for the pics....and yes the light is a grim reminder

ceedy said...

@brocasarea

thanks...yes ganesha chaurthi was good....

ceedy said...

@cess

thank you....and yes I am better today

hope you are well too...

tc

ceedy said...

@-xh-
thanks

Ike has created havoc....waiting to hear more from the news

ceedy said...

@aneri_masi

I was at work in NJ but on hearing this I quit and drove up. We had a close friend who was trapped in the commute and we were waiting for her almost 8 hrs. We heard she was ok in the morning but later no contact.

I did not see the builidings fall per se but was in front of them half an hour later and then all thru the few months of clean up.....it was a scene out of any hollywood movie....damn it....

view is the reason i got the apartment - baki badhhu bahu taklif valu che :P

Feel better and dont kick

ceedy said...

@solitaire

Thanks for the pictures!

Hope you are doing well there in the Hurricane....Take care and stay safe....

rainboy said...

yeah they made it out in time.
i am doing gr8 buddy.
cheers

Compassion Unlimitted said...

Things of past ,manage to linger on !!
TC
CU

Hiren said...

damn ... saala aur ek serial bomb blasts attack ... :-(

RADhika said...

First of all, very nice pics...

and you have said so many things with so appropriate words... nice post!

Rià said...

Btw u r blogrolled!! :)

Deepali said...

I seriously can't understand how people can be so brainwashed that they kill innocent people and destroy so much just to make a statement.

It's terrible.

Anonymous said...

@Veens
The people make a country, so I don't think any country ever 'deserves' a terrorist attack against itself--may it be the US, India, Pakistan or any other.
The US has made me who I am today, and has given me everything I have, so I take personal offense when I hear that people in India thought that the US deserved it. I appreciate that you admitted to your mistake.

ceedy said...

@v
glad to hear both the news

cheers

ceedy said...

@compassion unlimited

true....

ceedy said...

@hiren

yeah...heard about it and just thought of the movie A Wednesday...

kab tak chup baithe hum
yuhi khamosh rahe hum


right

ceedy said...

@radhika

thanks and thanks :)

ceedy said...

@ria

thanks....you are added to my reader....will blogroll you too...

ceedy said...

@deepali

You can say that for every criminal activity...it is a sad reality of life...I guess..

ceedy said...

@carolinagal

Very apt statement there. Thank you.

Just a note - what happens is that the media plays a very important part in inculcating these feelings...and when someone is exposed to that rhetoric day after day...they come to believe in it..

Nirmal said...

i miss GANESH CHATURTI in India a lot...

Anonymous said...

@Ceedy
Thank you. I appreciate your response, and I agree with you.

Anonymous said...

911 a day that no one will ever forget!! I was going to write a post on it.. but nawwwwwww you did it much justice on this blog.. your pics are great!!!!

Ne.

Anonymous said...

Got my morning paper and saw a tribute splashed all over the front page- and then got on with my morning routine.
In essence, I guess thats the general reaction of the Common Man- who has been so desensitised by matters of how to put bread on the table and prevent little disasters at home that calamities like 9/11 seem to go over the head.

p.s. none of the above is meant to belittle the tragedy in any sense. This is just my perspective.

♥ÐÅyÐяєÅмє®♥ said...

nahi bhai main koi bura nhi mata...and I literally wait for ur constrctive comments... :)

11 billion dollar ka nuksaan.. :((
awww >i will pray for them and pata hai saturday bomb foota delhi mein :(

ceedy said...

@ne

thanks...and its just a thought to all those who suffered.

ceedy said...

@nirmal

slowly you will miss more and more things

ceedy said...

@abreysham

I understand. It is only when we have someone close involved in the tragedy or you have been part of it very close that you want to be aware of more of it.

ceedy said...

@daydreamer

Yes....it was horrible. You can read the first hand report on Solitaires Blog...I witnessed it all on TV...

Can be compared to Tsunami in our country.

And yes I am aware of the bomb blasts. Keep abreast with news at home.

Pavi!!!! said...

nice pics...interesting trivia abt the empire state...i didn't know about it.

n i hadn't put together the connection between 9/11 and 9-1-1 as well... How unreal!

nature's destruction, man's destruction..all of it just keeps happenin one after the other..n we have no choice but to go about our lives like we do!

ceedy said...

@pavi!!!!

thanks for the pics...

yes...that was unreal but many say planned 911 strike

and today we have another destruction...which is greed based...US stock market blast.

Aarti said...

beautiful fitting post..
was talking about this with my cousin[who's just moved to the USA]... and we realised 911 the Emergency number fits 9/11.. strange irony!

well, in chennai 9/11 was a big day for preggi women[atleast the ones i know].. cos they all had their valakappu [the 7th mth function where we put bangles on the babes] :)

Aarti said...

ohhh, btw, forgot to mention.. LOVELY pics.... the newyork skyline looks like it came right out of a postcard!!! :) an the trivia was awesome[abt empire state building, never knew that one]

rantravereflect/ jane said...

wasn't there, but the terror is here in india, and how terrorizing it can get, is quite a universal feeling..

i have yet to read ya sos post, guess i'm late, but it'd styll matter to read and empathize :)
geeeeeee..

loved the tribute in light pic..
:)

A prayer for all the lost souls

Satish Bolla said...

man, it's tough to come out of that trauma. even though i've not lost anyone in that ghastly incident, my heart weeps whenever i hear abt it.

good to hear abt the lights on the empire state building.

ceedy said...

@aarthi

well...seems 9 11 has its own significance in different cultures....

and thanks for the pics....glad you liked them

ceedy said...

@ jane

yes...it is a very frightening feeling this one...

dont worry about the sos post - i added yo and drank it and burped already.

thanks for the prayers and glad you liked the pick...

ceedy said...

@satish

yes...it is a very errie feeling.....I for one have been through many calamities - specially man made...and feel sad....

yeah the EST has its own story.