My memories of 9/11 are very strange as well as rather cool. Those were days when I use to get up on time, go to office on time like before 9am and start day on time. Brian Coffey, our CIO at GE in Atlanta was glazing at his computer screen when I passed his cabin waving a high. Although very busy, he would always wave back.
A bunch of guys from Hyderabad and a couple of Chennai techies greeted me at my desk who were extra prompt than me in starting their day. I question myself to admire them for it or give a skirmish smile and speak to myself they do really want to stick around.
It was then as well you would open your mail box first and see what's planned for the day and then make a to do list for the day. Then take a quick tea break.
Our tea break area use to buzz from 8am to 10am with different members going in and out as they come in.
I use to pick two earl grey pouches put them in the cup, pour 2 sachets of sugar first in it and then run boiling water over it. That way the tea flavor comes out better. If you pour cold milk first, the boiling water accepts defeat in making an aromatic tea. So there goes after stirring the tea bags and sugar, I take them out and then add milk to taste and colour.....only to know within a few minutes, I needed to leave it half way and abandon the building.
With my bum firmly on my chair, my eyes glaring my 17 inch computer screen and one hand on the mouse and one holding my tea, I barely noticed the TV was on and cnn news reader was blabbering as usual.
Girish, my ever teasing colleague was praising Shobha, my other colleague's worn out jeans. With her strong South Indian influence accent she was defending that this happens while cooking and is normal for girl's jeans.
It was 9.07am and suddenly Brian Coffey came out of his cabin as if he wants to call an 'everybody meeting'. He looked puzzled for a moment, then asked everyone to look at TV. Brian Murphy, another head strong data architect turned up the volume and to everyone's surprise, a video of world trade center's twin towers was showing up. Burning half way with flames and parts of a big airplane firmly lodged in the middle of the building. The video was live. Within few minutes we saw live another place came straight and hit the second tower. Live. The words 'America Under Attack' started appearing on TV. Brian ducked in his cabin for a moment and came back. Then was the announcement that due to 'terrorist attack' on WTC in NY we are going home for today. We will get email of what to do tomorrow.
Stunned with this everybody left office and glued to tv at home. What happened after that is known to the entire world. The strangest incident happened after that and showed just how America was frightened. A man ran up on a down-escalator at Atlanta's airport and the whole airport was closed down and flights grounded.
I told my family back home that we are far away from fire crackers in NY. But anything could have happened if my surname was something else and if I would have boasted a beard in the aftermath of it.
