email369.xml

email369.xml

born-digital

email

unknown

yes

2002-08-19

> That's what the Big Apple has become.
>
> I am writing this email to let those who I have yet to
> verbally contact: I am alive, and well (other than a
> slight cough). As for the others in my midst:
>
> Those who are definitely safe:
> Allen Luu
> Chuck Nwoke
> Minna Kao
> Robert McKeithen
> Carolyn Quintana and Jon (her beau)
>
> Those that I'm not yet sure of:
> Erik Hsu
> Lisa Lin
> **If anyone has heard from these two, please let me
> know.
>
> My cellular phone was barely of use before the one
> decent cell tower toppled to the Manhattan street-top
> (it sat upon the World Trade Center Tower 1, the first
> to be hit, second to fall), now it has become a
> paperweight. So, many of you have yet to speak with
> me. I'm writing an email instead.
>
> I was nowhere near the towers as they were attacked.
> I just finished up my packing, preparing to catch my
> noon flight out of La Guardia Airport. I was making
> myself a nice, health-free egg, cheese, and raspberry
> jam sandwich as the news was announced.
>
> For those of you unfamiliar with where I've been
> staying: Greenpoint, Brooklyn (Northern Brooklyn).
> Greenpoint is too far from the Financial District of
> Manhattan for me to hear any of the explosions. I
> watched the live film of the first hit: Tower 1 was
> on fire, when another plane appeared out of the corner
> of the screen. The newscasters became hysteric, and I
> had the misfortune of viewing the second hit on live
> TV. "Surreal" is a useless word to describe how it
> felt to watch that. Confused, shocked, confused,
> distressed, confused, angry, confused, doubting,
> confused as hell. While "WHAT THE FUCK??!!!" is not a
> proper, or acceptable way to describe a feeling, it
> fits best.
>
> >From there I ran outside to the Pulaski Bridge (a
> bridge between Northern Brooklyn and Queens, just
> across the east river from midtown Manhattan) to see
> if this was really happening.
>
> The view was fabulous. What I was viewing was not.
>
> The smoke from the fires stretched for miles. The
> bridge was packed with honking cars, and cursing or
> crying people. Strangers were hugging and praying, if
> they weren't too busy listening to radios.
>
> After a few minutes, the mood of the crowd seemed to
> be turning a bit nasty. The traffic was thick,
> cellular phones weren't working, news was coming in
> that other strategic locations were under siege... it
> was an emotional pressure cooker. On top of all that,
> there were very few police on the bridge. It felt
> like the beginning of Bedlam. I left out of
> discomfort.
>
> As soon as I returned to the house, reports came in
> that a third plane was in route for another Manhattan
> landing. I ran like hell back to the bridge to see if
> this was true. I don't know if another plane was
> indeed on its way, but upon reaching my viewing spot,
> there was a muffled BOOM and Tower 2 crumbled to the
> ground like a kicked sand castle. People began
> crying, praying, screaming, grabbing the chain-link
> fence that lined the bridge, and running around like
> lunatics. Cars were flying down the only open lane on
> the three lane bridge, honking and careening as if
> suicidal. The sound of sirens, in every direction.
>
> About 15 minutes after that, Tower 1 dropped in much
> the same manner as its "twin". Most of us just sat
> there, staring at rising clouds of dust which
> ruthlessly pushed north from ground zero. The
> insanity ended. Everyone tried to comprehend that the
> World Trade Center had instantly become nothing but a
> memory, right in front of our eyes. The only noise
> was the continued sound of sirens. Everyone slowly
> dispersed. I walked home, looking only at the ground.
> I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to see anyone
> else cry.
>
> We don't have cable, so we only watch the local CBS
> station. They constantly talk about how well the city
> is pulling together to get through this. They aren't
> kidding. Based on my previous experiences here, that
> bridge should have erupted in raw violence. Instead,
> everyone prayed for each other's loved ones, asked
> where they could go to donate blood, and discussed the
> ramifications this event will have on US relations,
> worldwide. For once, I was impressed with the
> intellectual side, and capacity for compassion shown
> by New Yorkers.
>
> The Polish inhabitants of my neighborhood are in "WAR
> MODE". The neighborhood is pitch-black. Not a single
> light was on after 9:30pm. Quiet... Our neighborhood
> is playing nightime hide-and-go-seek with terrorists,
> holding our breath and remaining perfectly still, so
> as to not give away our position. I suppose they are
> worried about another air attack. I don't blame them.
> But I'm more worried about the potential for certain
> elements in this city to take advantage of the fact
> that most authorities have their attentions on
> Manhattan, leaving the outer borroughs vulnerable.
> This city was built, maintained, and will proceed
> through the acts of opportunists.
>
> If Brooklyn survives itself the next two nights, along
> with the possibility of subsequent attacks, I'll be
> thoroughly impressed by the strength of those living
> in New York on September 11, 2001.
>
> The only memories of this that I would like to purge
> are those of the desperate souls who found it more
> fitting to plummet 100 stories to the pavement rather
> than succumb to the inferno. It was reported that
> some were jumping in pairs, man and woman, holding
> hands, all the way down. I hope CNN chose to leave
> that footage out of their reports. It will visit me
> in my dreams, to be sure.
>
> I'll be back in Austin, soon. I'm just glad I booked
> a flight for noon out of La Guardia today, instead of
> earlier out of Newark.
>
> Craig
>
> =====
> "It's not WHAT happens to you, but HOW you deal with it."
>
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Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 2:34 AM

Subject: Frozen