Remembering 9/11

Has it really been ten years since that fateful day?  It only seems like yesterday when I was in my apartment in Manila that night when I received an SMS from a friend saying that the US was being attacked.  My first thought was that it was a joke, like those text messages that tell you that you won a lottery you never joined.  I said what I thought, and the reply was to turn on the TV.  It did not matter which channel, just turn it on.  And there it was, one of the buildings of the Twin Towers in flame.  It was unbelievable.

I immediately texted my other friends as well and soon we were all in SMS frenzy.

I was glued to the set for hours on end.  I was mortified at seeing people falling from the dizzying heights.  And then another plane struck the other building! Thoughts raced in my head, all of them leaning towards death and destruction. 'Is this the end?'

On that day, the world became a much smaller place. The seemingly infallible can be attacked. The sleeping giant was roused from its sleep, and the fight surges til this day.

Rugby World Cup 2011 Festival of Carnivale

Wellington is host to eight Rugby World Cup matches, including two quarter-finals.  And the city is drumming up a number of activities for the entertainment of tourists and locals alike.

The Festival of Carnivale will run from Friday 9 September to Sunday 9 October and will feature: 

• a diverse array of art, performance and entertainment 

• rugby-themed events and activities 

• a strong focus on mana whenua and our Pasifika communities, as well as Wellington's other diverse cultures, including traditional Kiwi culture 

• many free events 

• something for everyone, whether they're locals or visitors, rugby fans or not.

(from the Wellington City Council website)

To learn more about events lined up at Wellington, visit wellingtonnz.com

Dead for a year - and no one knew

This newspaper headline caught my eye early this week.  An 88 year old pensioner passed away, and he was alone.  No one knew he had died.  In his apartment, in an apartment block.  His body was found about a year later.

This story gave a lasting impression on me.  Firstly, I felt wonderment.  How was it possible that his death went unnoticed?  And then I felt pity, but this pity was immediately replaced with reasoning.  Perhaps he cherished his privacy so much he preferred to go this way.  Or maybe not.  We will never know, perhaps.