Reflections on the Terrorist Attacks At first it was hard to believe that the pictures of the World Trade Center burning were on the news, not just scenes from another action-thriller movie that typically plays on the televisions at every bar, restaurant and hotel on Phi Phi Island to attract tourists. But on the evening
Reflections on the Terrorist Attacks
At first it was hard to believe that the pictures of the World Trade Center burning were on the news, not just scenes from another action-thriller movie that typically plays on the televisions at every bar, restaurant and hotel on Phi Phi Island to attract tourists. But on the evening of September 11th, 2001, in Southern Thailand (it was the morning of Sept. 11th in America), everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the news in amazement.
Dale and I happened to walk into a cyber-cafe shortly after the W.T.C. was hit; the local news was playing live footage from NYC and our Thai friends tried to explain what had happened by translating the commentary into English. Of course initially nothing made sense to us. “A plane hit the W.T.C? What do you mean it wasn’t an accident? Four planes were hijacked? Terrorists are attacking America?!” we questioned. Only after seeing footage of the plane striking the second tower, an image that is now burned into all our minds, did we begin to understand the magnitude of the situation.
Shock turned into panic for me when the Thais began to ask me if my family was ok. I suddenly remembered that my parents were scheduled to fly to Toronto that week, and I couldn’t recall what date their flight was or if it had a stopover in NYC. Who would have thought the tables would be turned, that my parents – who worry about something happening to us while travelling abroad – could in fact be the ones more in danger?
Frantically I emailed my parent’s business, and thankfully Lisa, their office manager, replied almost immediately that my parents were ok (their flight wasn’t until Sept. 13th). A few hours later, after watching the English version of CNN, I was able to talk to my Mom on our cell phone. I don’t know what I would have done without the modern conveniences of email, cell phone, and 24/7 CNN.
In the aftermath of this disaster, family and friends have been emailing us asking many difficult questions. “What is it like experiencing these events abroad – are we safe?” is the most common inquiry. Like we imagine everyone at home, we’ve been glued to the television for several hours each day. We’ve been uplifted by stories of heroism and devastated by pictures of destruction.
We saw footage from countries around the world playing the National Anthem and observing a moment of silence, which brought tears to our eyes. The President’s address, Tribute to Heroes music telethon, and memorial service at Yankee Stadium has been deeply moving for us as Americans, but also for the local Thai Buddhists and Muslims, and fellow Jewish and Hindu travelers that have been watching TV alongside us.
Being abroad during the terrorist attacks has exposed us to a wider scope of their effects. People of different nationalities and backgrounds have been united instead of divided by this tragedy in a common wish for peace. Everyone we’ve been in contact with has been compassionate and thoughtful towards us and we feel as safe, if not safer, here than at home.
The last time we heard shocking news about America during our travels abroad was after the November 2000 Presidential election. “You have no President!” the French in Bora Bora mocked, translating the French Polynesia news report. We were embarrassed with this news, just as we were embarrassed by the stereotypes of the “Ugly American” – loud, insensitive, impatient, and overly materialistic. At that time we were glad to be away from home and to have escaped the ‘rat race’ of our past hectic lives. Now more than ever we miss those we love at home, are generally proud of our fellow Americans reaction to the attacks, and are happy to be from a country that encourages and defends freedom.
So will we change our plans to continue travelling and return home as friends and family have asked? We will alter our travel plans when necessary in order to remain as safe as possible. Not long ago, in June 2001, we left the Philippines after a Muslim terrorist group kidnapped three Americans and 17 Filippinos from a ritzy resort at a nearby island. Even though we doubted a similar terrorist attack at our popular budget backpacker island (not as much potential for ransom $), we felt no need to take unnecessary risks.
It’s interesting how people from countries that are constantly exposed to strife react to this situation in their daily lives. In a Manila cyber-café we watched speechless as five teenagers screamed and shouted in glee while playing an interactive video game fighting terrorists. Most Israeli travelers we’ve met (both men and women) have just finished their three year mandatory military service and will continue to serve in the military for one month a year until the age of 45. Until recently, our generation of Americans had been sheltered from widespread acts of terrorism hitting home. Sadly, the reality is that there is nowhere in the world completely safe from terrorism.
The most profoundly simple yet complex question we are often asked is “Why do you travel?” During the course of our journey the meaning and purpose of our travelling has continued to evolve. Admittedly we aren’t on a global crusade to save the environment or to educate and improve the lives of the disadvantaged, although we admire the Peace Corp volunteers we’ve met who work hard for these causes. Our reasons are more simple – to escape our daily routines at home and try a different way of life, to spend more quality time together, and to hopefully become better individuals from our experiences.
When we told others about our plans to travel for 14 months, many people told us “You’re living our dream”. Older generations said they wished that they had the same opportunities to travel when they were young and admired our resolve to turn our dream into reality.
As many travel writers, such as Rick Steves, advocate “Travelling expands horizons and deepens understanding of other cultures…if more people traveled the world would be a better place”. Certainly we’ve had the chance to see many different cultures including a wide variety of Muslim people in Indonesia and Malaysia. Beforehand, our only exposure to the Islamic religion was from reading select passages of strict doctrine and seeing footage of extremist Muslim groups on the news; now we know that Muslims are as diverse a group as Christians.
Probably the most surprising thing we’ve encountered during our travels has been the random acts of kindness from strangers. We began our trip wary of trusting anyone, suspicious that those who were kind were just trying to take advantage of us somehow. On the contrary, we’ve been invited as welcome guests into the homes of people who had recently been strangers and discovered that travel in general seems to bring out the best in everyone.
While we understand why many Americans have recently cancelled their plans to travel on vacation, and that many people worldwide are afraid to fly on airplanes, it’s unfortunate that the travel industry has to suffer the consequences of the terrorist attacks. Our thoughts are often of those we love at home and we are concerned not only for our own safety but for the safety of those at home as well; however, we have no plans to return immediately home.
In the book Travelers’ Tales Thailand, author Steven Newman, who was attacked and nearly killed by bandits during his solo walk around the world, best sums up our feeling in the following passage:
“But I know that quitting anything because of fear somehow did not seem ‘right’.
To give up now would have been proof of how terrible the world is to those so eager
To condemn it.”