We Are With You, London..

[Jessika]

I have no words to express how I feel.. it's so familiar..

*Hugs*


Ánimo. Estamos con vosotros


Jéssica, Barcelona (Spain)

[atiguhya padma]

Thanks Jessika.

I'm in Victoria, London. My brother would have been on the bus that blew up in Tavistock Square, had he not been delayed.

It's a terrible thing that has happened here in London. I feel a great sadness for all those who are injured, all those who will be bereaved. And it makes me feel for what happened in Madrid and New York, both of which were on a much bigger scale than here.

[Koa]

I was shocked when I turned the tv on... :eek: It's like... well to me it has a different kind of meaning because of the love I have for London and England... The other attacks made me feel for how big they were, this one made me unable to look away from the tv screen cos I can't stop looking away from English streets... even if on the tv they are repeating the same things over and over (well useful if you happen to get to know about it only now).

ap, I wonder how it feels to be there...

I was thinking hey, they, whoever they are, reminded us about this all...I mean, I suppose I wasnt the only one feeling quite relaxed and not thinking of terrorism in these days, as opposed to 2001, for example, when for months I think everybody couldnt spend a day without thinking about it... Now we (I?) were forgetting, and here we are reminded of nowaday's new-style war.

[Helga]

I cried when I turned on the tv this morning, I couldn't believe it. This world is getting so cruel. I can't imagine how hard it must be to be there, my thoughts are with you.

love Helga

[atiguhya padma]

Koa,

It feels like being imprisoned at the moment. No trains are going out of London. We are being told to stay inside our offices. There are rumours of more explosions. Somebody here said they had heard of an explosion at Leicester Square.

It is a special kind of fear that people can get under these kinds of circumstances. I have heard people saying that they don't want to go outside. Others, that they will be worried about travelling into London from now on.

For me, I'm itching to leave the building (when you are deprived of your freedom, even if it is only temporary, it makes you crave it even more!) But it may well be safer to be inside (:

I'm not sure where I will be sleeping tonight. But that is not of such concern compared to the many people physically affected by this.

Thanks for your support guys.

AP

[Logos]

It's utterly shocking :(

Glad to hear you're ok atiguhya padma

[Koa]

Yeah ap, I was actually thinking of how it might feel to be at your workplace and not know when you'll be able to leave it and how and if you might be able to reach your place... It sounds somewhat adventurous, but not in the funny way...

[Isagel]

I´m so glad that you are OK AP, and that your brother had such a incredible luck. I thought about you when I read the news and checked to forum to see if you had written anything.

[Logos]

Do you have radio/tv in your office ap?
I'm glued to the tv right now, mostly BBC covereage, it looks like a real mess and confusion there.
Whoemever did it sure planned it so that it would be very difficult to get to and assist those injured. :( :mad:

My condolences to all and any who were affected in any way by this.

[ihrocks]

Have we heard from all of our London correspondents? Is everyone ok?

I can't describe the awful feeling reading the headlines on the computer this morning. One of my closest and dearest lives in London...thankfully, he is safe and stuck at the office.

I looked at a map of the bombings, and I knew each location...it's appalling. I can't bring myself to turn on the television to see the images of these places forever altered in my mind's eye.


Peace to everyone. Be safe.

[Nightshade]

I dont know what to say I just came on to check that everyone else who lives in the Uk is Ok

[amuse]

it was the first thing i heard when i turned on the radio today. am very, very sad. in some ways this hurt more than new york, i don't know how, but it's just very terrible, and i'm so sorry, and so glad that your brother was delayed, AP.

really hope all of you in England are okay.

[Mark F.]

I was shocked when I learned the news this morning, especially as I'm going to London on the 16th and was planning to leave a bit earlier to start with (around this time). I hope all the Londoners from the board are ok. I still don't know what to think cause so far we really don't know what the attack is about and how bad it is.

[Maxos]

Our Europe should prove different from America.
That would show the quantum leap.

Kyoto is still waiting.

[Beaumains]

My thoughts go out to all of those in London. This was defintely not news I wanted to wake up to. I'm only glad that the bombings were of the magnitude in Madrid; we can be happy about that at least. Those who perished in these cowardly strikes shall be avenged yet...

[Jack_Aubrey]

My deepest condolences, and my most sincere prayers go to all of England right now. This is a very sad day.

[mono]

I express my greatest sympathy and support to all people involved, hoping that everyone directly affected will heal quickly (physically and emotionally), and the same for everyone else to maintain safety.
I felt stunned when I turned on my radio today, heard a little about it, then turned on my television for more coverage. During such a crisis, on the bright side, how a vast majority of people seem so much more charitable, and desiring to help others, including strangers; I find it a very virtuous quality.
Hopefully all citizens and the city gain quick progress in healing and rehabilitating, and those who made the offense will someday realize the immeasurable importance of even one life over politics.

[Rachy]

We knew this day was going to happen, it was just a shock! My dad would have been at King's Cross if he had been working yesterday at the exact time the bomb went off! I've lived here all my life, so it was one of the biggest shocks!

[ArcherSnake]

I'm so sorry to hear about what happened in London. My heart breaks for the British people, because I remember how horrible 9/11 was for my people in America. The Madrid bombings were hard for me too, because I have studied Spanish and have a great love for the language, so I felt almost as if it was
a cousin of mine that had been hurt.And of course, Britian has been our greatest ally for a long time,and shares so many of our ideologies and culture, so now I feel as if a wrong has been done to my brother or my sister. I hope that everyone here at the forums, and all their family and friends, are okay.

[Monica]

Awful, awful stuff. I can't think how anyone can even think of doing such stuff. Some people are weird or maybe they don't realsie what they're doing. Let's hope some day there will be peace on Earth...

U2 - Peace on Earth

Heaven on Earth
We need it now
I'm sick of all of this
Hanging around
Sick of sorrow
Sick of pain
Sick of hearing again and again
That there's gonna be
Peace on Earth

Where I grew up
There weren't many trees
Where there was we'd tear them down
And use them on our enemies
They say that what you mock
Will surely overtake you
And you become a monster
So the monster will not break you

And it's already gone too far
Who said that if you go in hard
You won't get hurt

Jesus could you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on Earth
Tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on Earth
No whos or whys
No-one cries like a mother cries
For peace on Earth
She never got to say goodbye
To see the color in his eyes
Now he's in the dirt
That's peace on Earth

They're reading names out over the radio
All the folks the rest of us won't get to know
Sean and Julia, Gareth, Anne and Breda
Their lives are bigger, than any big idea

Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on Earth
To tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on Earth

Jesus this song you wrote
The words are sticking in my throat
Peace on Earth
Hear it every Christmas time
But hope and history won't rhyme
So what's it worth?
This peace on Earth

Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth

[amuse]

:( we're not at half mast [on campus]. anyone else here in the states who is?

[ihrocks]

:( we're not at half mast [on campus]. anyone else here in the states who is?

Not that I've seen. Has Bush asked that flags be lowered? It would be very compassionate of him if he did.

[amuse]

i don't think so but Still...

and yes it would. i wish we'd done it of our own volition. :nod:

[ihrocks]

i don't think so but Still...

and yes it would. i wish we'd done it of our own volition. :nod:

I'll have to drive around town and have a look. This whole thing has been so personal for me, I haven't really noticed what's going on around me.

[Koa]

Well... as posted elswhere, I've had this song in mind for a whole week now, but remembered only the refrain and a few more lines... I finally looked it up but thought it wouldn't fit with the situation except for the title but... even if it certainly refers to something else, being some 15-20 years old, if you read it thinking of the sad recent facts, it feels quite spooky...

Pet Shop Boys - King's Cross

The man at the back of the queue was sent
To feel the smack of firm government
Linger by the flyposter, for a fight
It's the same story every night
I've been hurt and we've been had
You leave home, and you don't go back

Someone told me Monday, someone told me Saturday
Wait until tomorrow and there's still no way
Read it in a book or write it in a letter
Wake up in the morning and there's still no guarantee

Only last night I found myself lost
By the station called King's Cross
Dead and wounded on either side
You know it's only a matter of time
I've been good and I've been bad
I've been guilty of hanging around

Someone told me Monday, someone told me Saturday
Wait until tomorrow and there's still no way
Read it in a book or write it in a letter
Wake up in the morning and there's still no guarantee

So I went looking out today
For the one who got away
Murder walking round the block
Ending up in King's Cross
Good luck, bad luck waiting in a line
It takes more than the matter of time

Someone told me Monday, someone told me Saturday
Wait until tomorrow and there's still no way
Read it in a book or write it in a letter
Wake up in the morning and there's still no guarantee

Someone told me Monday, someone told me Saturday
Wait until tomorrow and there's still no way
Read it in a book or write it in a letter
Wake up in the morning and there's still no guarantee
And there's still no guarantee
There is still no guarantee

[dejosc]

i feel ver bad

[RococoLocket]

I unfortunately live 5 minutes from where they believe they built the bombs, and it also turns out to be the same block of flats my parents lived in in the early 1980s' :eek:

It's so horrid, I got rather tearful during the 2 minutes silence today :(

[Mark F.]

I saw the two minutes on TV, it was very impressive.

[ihrocks]

I held my own private two minutes...just as I did on 9/11.

Keeping my UK chums a little close to my heart today, as the world keeps shrinking.

[amuse]

*carole king comes to mind...

i also wish you could be there, ihrocks. and please let them know i'm glad they're okay.

[ihrocks]

Will do, amuse.

[Koa]

I was thinking... the first attack made us all come to this thread... the second didn't, but there wasn0t as much harm... The Egypt attack didn't make us move a key on our keyboard...
Ok Egypt is not London, as most of us probably have a special feeling with London and not with Egypt (including me) but... I really do think that the more these things happen - far from us - the more we (as in everybody, not this forum) get used to that being on the news and we don't feel it anymore... we get used. At least a bit. Ok we can't repeat the same thoughts everytime, cos the deads of London would get pretty much the same thoughts as those of Sharm, but still...in a way, there is some adapting on our part... as long as we are not touched... which is not forever...

[ihrocks]

I was thinking... the first attack made us all come to this thread... the second didn't, but there wasn0t as much harm... The Egypt attack didn't make us move a key on our keyboard...
Ok Egypt is not London, as most of us probably have a special feeling with London and not with Egypt (including me) but... I really do think that the more these things happen - far from us - the more we (as in everybody, not this forum) get used to that being on the news and we don't feel it anymore... we get used. At least a bit. Ok we can't repeat the same thoughts everytime, cos the deads of London would get pretty much the same thoughts as those of Sharm, but still...in a way, there is some adapting on our part... as long as we are not touched... which is not forever...

I can't speak for everyone, but I think my feeling was "Oh no, we haven't seen the end of it." I think I went into a kind of defensive hole expecting more dreadful news to follow shortly. So far, I've been wrong, and of course, the same feeling of sadness, loss, and sympathy for the people of Egypt applies as it did and does for the folks in England. Fortunately, in both cases, these are ancient lands that have withstood attacks in the past and survived. They will survive this too, with their spirit in tact. I pray this will be the last attack, but I fear it is not, and I worry that this summer we might have many threads such as this one. I hope that I am wrong.

[atiguhya padma]

Not to mention the daily suicide bombings in Baghdad.

[ihrocks]

Not to mention the daily suicide bombings in Baghdad.

To discuss those here is almost impossible because of the politics involved. I have many strong opinions about the situation in Iraq, but this is not the place to air them.

[Koa]

Not to mention the daily suicide bombings in Baghdad.

See? We got used.
Also the emphasis given on that by the media is totally different...
One day one thing is THE news, the next day we all forget...
It's all just so scary to think about... so much sh*t going on and there's not much to do, and so we (I?) just put it in a corner of the mind....

[Shea]

I know I haven't been around here for a long time, but I thought this thread would be appropriate for posting as I will be leaving for London next week. My heart and prayers have been going out for the Londoners (I too have family that live there). I could hardly believe it when it happened! I started getting all kinds of e-mails from the program directors at Cambridge (I'll be studying there for two weeks prior to my tour) keeping us up to date on the operations at the college. Despite such sadness, I was very encouraged by the e-mails and especially in talking with my family, to find that most everyone wouldn't let those cowardly men scare them (though safety was definately an issue) Though everyone was shocked, and will certainly remember the loss, from what I understand, they won't let fear keep them from maintaining a wonderfully thriving city. I'm also very relieved to know that AP is safe! I may or may not have the time to post again before I leave, but as this is my last big time guzzler before I hit the job search, I should have plenty of time when I come back.

See you then!