9/11, Ten Years Later

Ten years ago. 6 a.m. P.S.T. in Vancouver. I arose to the sound of my radio alarm clock, but what was playing on the radio was not what I had been accustomed to. Not music, but news that two planes had struck the World Trade Center towers in New York City.

I turned the dial on my alarm clock back and forth, tuning into different stations. All of them were talking about what had happened.

Ten years ago. The media was confused; mixed reports were flying around everywhere as to what was actually struck. Two towers struck, the Pentagon hit. The U.S. Capitol on fire?

Was it a dream?

I walked from my bedroom downstairs and turned on the television. My first inclination was to check the morning news. All I saw that morning before school were reports of what was happening in New York and Washington D.C.

Was it a dream?

My high school was abuzz about the attacks. Several teachers had relatives in N.Y.C.; they had taken the day off to catch up with their loved ones. All amidst great tragedy. I clearly remembered that no one could concentrate on learning or teaching that day—all thoughts were on what was happening in the U.S.

At the end of the day, in French class, several of us tuned into the radio for updates. Needless to say, it was an incredibly sobering moment. I remember hearing the voices on the radio announcing that World Trade Center 7 had just collapsed.

To this day, all of the sights and sounds through radio, television, and around my community remain crystal clear in my mind, as though they had just happened.

When my friends and I rushed past The Sphere in Battery Park a couple years ago, I paused for a moment. An especially poignant moment of reflection. It was one thing to see everything from the other side of the continent; it was another to see one of the remnants up close and personal.

Ten years ago. Not a dream.

Ten years ago. A day that not only changed the U.S. It was a day that changed the world—some for the better, some for the worse.

Ten years ago. Emblazoned into many generations now and many more to come.

Ten years ago. 9/11. May we never forget this great human tragedy that, despite its roots in religion, race, and politics, transcended all three for many around the world.

From One Rotation to the Next

So far, it’s been about a month and half since I started grad school here in Toronto. My first rotation has come to a close, and my next one starts next Tuesday. What have I learned so far?

Olympic Memories, a Year Later

Today a year ago, I was still living in Vancouver…and the Winter Olympics began. And the memories are still blindingly fresh.

The rough start. The awesome finish.

The dreadful weather the first week. Rain, rain, and more rain. And then the cold but beautiful sun the following week.

The undeniably cute—and unusually memorable—mascots. I still remember seeing people go nuts over them.

Milling about downtown, visiting all the sights along Granville and Robson. Weaving through the crowds with a red Team Canada jersey under that black car coat.

Waiting in line—for the SkyTrain of all things! I still remember waiting half an hour to get onto a packed train at Main Street-Science World and then waiting another hour to get on the Canada Line at Waterfront.

Seeing the police herd everyone off the crosswalks. And then watching Joe Biden’s (the vice-president of the United States) motorcade blaze by with my friend Eugene.

Seeing on television—and reading about—Alexandre Bilodeau’s gold medal and his captivating backstory.

Becoming mesmerized…by curling.

Sitting at home, watching Sidney Crosby score his legendary goal. I thought about going downtown afterward, but would I have been able to get back home in time for the closing ceremonies?

The atmosphere, electric. Joyous. I don’t recall ever being so proud as a Canadian before the Olympics.

Of course, now I’m here in Toronto, where there really hasn’t been much of a celebration. Life goes on.

But I have a feeling that having the Olympics show up in my hometown was a once in a lifetime moment. How often does an event as big as the Olympics happen right where you live?