 |
|
we x e g e s i s |
|
|
 |
(noun) An explanation or critical interpretation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
wFriday, September 28, 2001 |
|
|
|
 On my way to the subway today, I passed by the Disney Store on Fifth Avenue and saw a quote from Walt Disney himself:
Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keeps alive the ideals of freedom and a better life.
Now we just need to figure out what exactly "freedom" and a "better life" are.
 For the first time since Sept. 11th, I went to Times Square tonight. As usual, there were billboards upon billboards upon billboards. I must admit that I was somewhat upset that pictures of half-dressed twenty-somethings and expensive toys were littered all over the place, as they always are. I guess I expected the city to still be mourning, like I still am, at least to a certain degree. That's why I really appreciated seeing this sign in the midst of it all. At least it makes an encouraging statement to the city.
I have never considered myself an American. But ever since I started school at NYU and learned to survive and thrive in the city, I thought it fair to call myself a New Yorker. There are some who say that you can't be a New Yorker without also being American, but trust me, there is a difference. Along with AT&T, I am also extremely proud of the people, especially in Manhattan, who have reached out in any way during the past 2 1/2 weeks to help their fellow human beings cope with such a painful event. There are plenty of people who are packing their bags and leaving the area (and understandably so). However, these hard times have only cemented my love for NYC and I am honored to be among the other 8 million who make this place so great that we can go through all this with such an enormous amount of humanity and come out of it stronger than ever.
 Another scene that tugs at one's heartstrings. The NYPD station in the middle of Times Square was plastered with cards that kids had made with messages of thanks and wishing them all good luck. I melt seeing how everyone is pulling together doing positive things for one another. It all points to the fact that we are capable of a brighter future, a "better life". Whatever that may be...
posted by
Angie at 12:00 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
wFriday, September 14, 2001 |
|
|
|
Who knew that traffic in NYC could actually be a positive sign? The restriction on traffic and pedestrian access below 14th St. has moved down a significant distance to Canal St. as of this morning. This allowed more businesses to open and more people to gather in more places.
In another attempt to return to some degree of normalcy, I left my apartment this afternoon and spent a few hours in Barnes & Nobles, filling my mind with something other than terrorist attacks, politics and lives lost.
 Of course, right afterwards, I made another visit to Union Square where people had removed the rolls of paper from the days before (hopefully before the rain washed the city and reminded us of new beginnings) and now opted to express themselves with chalk on the asphalt. Unlike the other chalk markings that are usually scattered all over the streets of the city, everyone was very careful about where they put their foot down, making sure that they didn't smear any part of the living, breathing memorial.
 Here is one of the most encouraging messages that I've read yet. It's a simple yet powerful reminder that even though thousands lost their lives, so many more were spared only because of His grace. Also, it points heavenward for those who lost family member(s) and or friend(s), giving them comfort in the knowledge that believers will be reunited one day.
 Let me sign off today with one more provocative comment that I found.
posted by
Angie at 10:01 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
wThursday, September 13, 2001 |
|
|
|
 The news today had a story on an NYU student who was turned away at the hospital because they couldn't accomodate any more donations of blood or clothing. Wanting so badly to help in some way, he went to Union Square and taped rolls of paper on the ground and began to write some things down. Soon more and more people joined in sharing their feelings and thoughts. Esther and I went to Union Square at around 5PM today (Thursday, remember?) hoping to contribute our sentiments. But the scene was so overwhelming with so many people and the ground practically carpeted with so much paper that we just walked around and read what others wrote. The majority of the messages were condolences, encouraging notes and quotes from the Bible but scattered here and there were some rants about the government and a few racist remarks.
 Here's one of my favorites. I was attracted to it because I think it conveys much of my feelings and much of what I think other New Yorkers are feeling which is a sense of loss, unity, strength, and most important of all, hope. For without hope, everything else would be without a reason and without a direction.
Now that security is a little less tight about people crossing the 14th St. border (you need an ID proving that you live below 14th St., otherwise, you're not allowed to cross the police barricade), I plan on going to Union Square again tomorrow and maybe I'll have more pictures to post soon.
posted by
Angie at 10:58 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
wWednesday, September 12, 2001 |
|
|
|
Yesterday morning at 9:05AM, I was walking to school when I saw a large group of people a block away from my class staring and pointing in the direction of the World Trade Center. I looked up and noticed some black smoke surrounding one of the twin towers. Hoping for the best, I assumed that it was a small fire and that it was already being taken care of. Then as I was waiting for the professor to arrive, a student runs in and announces that a plane had crashed into one of the towers. Being that it was a foreign language classroom, there was a stereo in there so we immediately tuned into a local news channel. That's when I learned of the second plane crashing into the other tower. That's when I knew it wasn't an accident and that people were out to kill other fellow human beings.
My mind raced to think of all the people that I knew who worked in the area. Even though I didn't know anyone who worked in the WTC itself, I knew plenty of people who commuted every morning via the PATH and the subway lines that ran directly beneath it. I ran out of the classroom and jumped on the nearest computer terminal to send some e-mails to check in on some of them (thank goodness NYU has iMac's littered all over campus). When I returned to class, we continued to listen to the news reports and waited for our professor. Finally at 10AM, we decided that the circumstances alone were reason enough to go home.
While I was walking past the exact same place where I had first seen the crowd gather, a few people suddenly screamed and everyone else gasped. I turned to see a huge billow of smoke build up and explode. Looking around me for an explanation, someone said that one of the towers just collapsed. People started screaming and crying hysterically in the streets. I walked as fast as I could to my apartment just 4 blocks away and woke up one of my roommates (Esther) who was still sleeping at the time and broke the news to her. We sat in complete shock as we watched the news on TV together. My other roommate (Sunny) was supposed to be in class at Parsons so we knew that she wasn't in the attacked area but we were still concerned about her. Our house line wasn't connecting to any of our family and friends and neither were our cellphones. I had to go outside and look for a payphone in order to call my parents to let them know that I was okay. I was touched to find out that some friends in Jersey and even one of my uncles in Singapore had called them to see if I was alright. Over the phone, I found out that the second tower collapsed as well.
Fortunately, I was able to dial-up to NYU's system for an internet connection. We took turns e-mailing and messaging people we knew who were in the area and replying to people who were worried about us. Thankfully, Sunny came home soon after with two friends (one of them lived a few blocks away from the WTC). All five of us watched the news still having difficulty believing what happened. After a while, we bowed our heads and prayed together for the people in the planes, the people in the buildings, the people who lost loved ones, the people trying to help, everyone in the country and the hijackers.
By the time evening came, I felt overloaded with all the news channels playing the same old footage of the planes crashing into the towers and then the towers falling down over and over again. Did they think that seeing it so many times was helping anyone in any way? I went for a walk around the neighborhood and what was once one of the most lively areas in the city was practically deserted and eerily quiet. You could feel the entire city in deep mourning. Friends were holding on to each other, one supporting the other. People on cellphones were talking as fast as they could before they lost their connection. Businesses were closed left and right. Not a single smiling face in sight. I went to bed very thankful but also very sad.
Esther and I went to St. Vincent's early this afternoon to donate blood. Sunny was in Mexico on missions during the summer so she was disqualified from giving blood. On the way to the hospital, it was encouraging to see more people walking in the streets (since only authorized vehicles were allowed below 14th St.) and a few food places open. There were reporters and camera crews on one side of the hospital and there were a few lines formed in various places around the area. The ambulance entrance was barricaded allowing only specific personnel and vehicles through. We saw signs saying that they weren't drawing anymore blood or accepting anymore clothes for the day so we got in line to sign up to be volunteers. While in line, I saw police escorting doctors and priests into the building. A jeep covered in a thick layer of ash pulled up right beside us and a few exhausted doctors wearing protective coverings on their hands and feet came out and walked into the hospital.
 On our way back home, we noticed that the quality of the air had thickened and smelled different. I stopped at 12th St. and 5th Ave. to take this picture overlooking the Washinton Square arc. Where I usually would have seen the twin towers is now covered in layers of thick smoke. By the way, the skeleton of a building that's in this shot is NYU's new student center due for completion next year--it is NOT the WTC. The hazy appearance is the smoke from downtown being blown uptown, which caused a lot of people to wear masks when outside of their homes.
Upon returning to our apartment, one of the announcements running across the bottom of the news program was that St. Vincent's no longer needed volunteers to sign up and that the Red Cross now needed financial donations more than anything else. So please, if you can, give whatever you can spare to help them reach out to the victims of this tragedy.
posted by
Angie at 11:24 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
wTuesday, September 11, 2001 |
|
|
|
God help us.
My sincere condolences to family and friends of the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania.
People who live in the cities that have been attacked can check in here. If you're still not sure about how some of your loved ones are doing, you can look through the list too.
If you have a donor card, give blood now. For information in the NYC area, call 1-800-NY-BLOOD. For information in the NJ area, call 1-800-BLOOD-NJ or go to The Blood Center of NJ. For anywhere else in the US, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or just check with your local hospital.
If you are unable to donate blood but still wish to help out, the American Red Cross accepts other forms of donations. Their website is pretty choked up at the moment, so they are also accepting funds through Amazon, who are waiving their usual fees in support of this cause.
Thanks to everyone who was concerned and trying to get in touch with me. I'm in my apartment and doing okay. Maybe I'll post more about my experiences later, when things come into a clearer perspective. Still can't quite believe what's happened.
posted by
Angie at 12:29 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The September 19th issue of