today...

this afternoon has been a strange day, since the first i heard of the terrorist attacks was on a blog on nomadlife by someone in london. Then i checked news websites. Then i had to dash to dinner with my room-mate whilst texting family and some friends to check they were safe (all were).

After dinner, i was meeting some friends for the last time in the Uni bar where CNN was on with updates and people were talking about it...a bit. I was telling Paulina (my room mate) as we walked to the bar that it seemed like london was lucky. I mean several bombs at rush hour on the Tube! i've been there and i can just imagine how bad it may have been. I am sure it seems much worse being in London, instead of 4,000 miles away...but honestly; at first i was just so relieved that it wasn't worse.

maybe i always knew something was going to happen (the police were always saying something would happen), so i hope this will be the last time. who knows. watching CNN was strange, from a bar in china; talking with friends (2 of which are israelis, so have an interesting perspective) and so on. However it didnt seem like another 9/11. It didnt seem like the world would change.

As i said earlier i said to Paulina that i wonder what will happen..will there be new wars, will the governemt over-react or under-react, will the stock-market crash, will transport be destroyed for weeks? will the government then start pushing new laws (like the ID card) or other laws (like Us and indeed UK did after 9/11)?

It seem weird thinking of this in such a way, from a distant view point, of my city, with many many friends and family living in the city. In fact the AIESEC office is just down the road from Moorgate...I can only imagine how bad it is. Seeing the TV pictures was, literally, the 1st time I have seen the UK on TV for almost a year...and how sad its in this sitaution, seeing read fire-engines, yellow ambulances. I didn't know what to think.

I'm here, having spent several enjoyable hours with friends at the bar, listening to Virgin Radio on the internet (as they play very respectful music with inspiring songs) knowing others are listening in London, others are listening who were on those trains...whilst I am not here. Honestly i don't feel that attached to the event. much like 9/11 when the World strugled to understand the strong reactions americans had to being attacked on their own ground...

all i can think of is the short-term -most people seem to be safe, everyone seems to be reacting well, the world continues (thankfully), and joyously, london seems to be returnign to normal (relatively) already with transport happening, and people going home from work and planning to go to work tomorrow..i mean the stock market kept trading; its fantastic. I am so proud of my country. I remember the practise the emergency services held about a year ago at Bank station on a sunday on the waterloo and city line (closed on weekends), and reading the criticisms that our media always make (strange, now they are all lauding over the reaction)..i am glad that this took place, that, fortunately, we were prepared (mentally and phsyically).

I hope it never happens again, but more than anything -and this is so telling of me being in China- I hope the consequences are peaceful, I hope the G8 conference succeeds, I hope London recovers as normal, I hope there is no further war, I hope the perpetrators are punished. I know Londoners will want their lives to continue...

I've returned home to receive several emails/messages asking if my family and friends are ok. Nomadlife is listing those AIESECers who are safe..everyone is caring. In disaster, like the Tsunami, we realise how great huumankind can be -heroes, caring, thoughtful, supportive, survivors. Lets hope these attributes continue