London Bombings

[Rinrada]

London bombings - London remembers

Millions of Londoners are expected to observe a two minute silence to remember those who died in last week's bomb attacks on Thursday July 14.

At noon on Thursday July 14 a two minutes silence was observed to mark the start of a series of events giving Londoners the chance to remember the victims of the bombings.

Every bus in the capital stopped and Londoners stood on the streets in silence to send a message of defiance to terrorists.

...just got back from Islington Town where we observed the 2 minutes silence...

unique experience.

Will something like this happen again...dont know...hope not...but...

Thousand of school kids all standing about probabally wondering what sort of world we are building for them and even more so what will be their legacy.

As said.. the silence of London and Londoners was...almost beautiful ....but at the same time...frightening.

Lets HOPE never again....

Chok dee na krup to everyone..

[RDN]

... the silence of London and Londoners was...almost beautiful ....but at the same time...frightening....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just saw it on the news - very moving. The terrorists will never win over that kind of national spirit.

[dereklev]

... the silence of London and Londoners was...almost beautiful ....but at the same time...frightening....

Just saw it on the news - very moving. The terrorists will never win over that kind of national spirit.

I was in Brighton at midday today.

I was extremely disappointed at the lack of response and respect for the 2 minutes silence.

Many observed it but more just carried on with what they were doing! !

We stood with 4 policemen who after used very choice language to describe their thoughts! !

[Boo]

We (at liverpool street) stood outside the tube entrance with 1000's others & there was complete & utter silence from all those people for more than the allocated 2 mins, it was poignant & surreal & also very sad, there are still flowers placed at the tube entrance daily & the posters of people still missing is heartbreaking F*&k, I'm crying at work now.

[donna]

Today is the first time I have been able to take a look at TV since the bombings as I am currently traveling.

I lost a mate in the bombing. Mike Matsushita. We were both tour leaders together. Mike had recently moved to London to be with his girlfriend, the lovely Rosie, and they had started to plan a life together settled in the one place as opposed to crossing paths whenever they could.

Mike was on the way to work on the Picadilly line that fateful day, and we have just received confirmation that he was killed by these savage fanatics. It was his third day at his new job.

Mike was a Vietnamese refugee, and lived in New York with his family during his childhood. After spending some time in Australia, he finally landed a job which would give him an opportunity to travel and to see his homeland. Mike formed a unique bond with many of the orphans in Vietnam, and his family have decided that instead of flowers and tributes, that they want any money sent to Intrepid Travel, where the funds will be doubled, and donated to Vietnamese orphans. I think that this is such a kind thing to do. The decision to do this was made as soon as the police had advised them that the chance of a body found was almost 100%. Such selfless people.

Last night, whilst in Malaysia, we observed a 2 minute silence in honour of the victims and their families of this attack. Needless to say it was very sad indeed.

To lose someone you knew in such an attack is devastating, and comes as such a shock. Such a senseless waste of a wonderful human being.

May Mike Matsu rest in peace and never fade from our memories.

[daleyboy]

... the silence of London and Londoners was...almost beautiful ....but at the same time...frightening....

Just saw it on the news - very moving. The terrorists will never win over that kind of national spirit.

I was in Brighton at midday today.

I was extremely disappointed at the lack of response and respect for the 2 minutes silence.

Many observed it but more just carried on with what they were doing! !

We stood with 4 policemen who after used very choice language to describe their thoughts! !

It was the same in the f1 last weekend, they held a silence and you can see Jenson Button talking and laughing with somebody stood next to him. Bloody disgraceful if you ask me

[Morden]

Although this thread has little direct relevance to Thailand there is a connection through friends and relatives there and with the pain of loss suffered so recently by so many people last December. The ripples of grief and anguish have spread far from London. Perhaps, therefore, the Administrators will allow the thread to continue for a while for those who would like to contribute their thoughts and experiences.

I was one of many lucky ones but the events of that day have affected me and mine deeply. My train into Kings Cross station was late and so I was on a tube train a couple behind my usual one. On a straightforward morning journey I might well have been on the train that blew up at Aldgate.

We were asked to leave our train at Barbican because of a major power surge that had caused an explosion ahead of us. I heard the truth later in my office after I had walked past the cordons, police and firefighters at Liverpool Street and Aldgate. The street outside the office was closed because of an abandoned car. We could not leave except by a rear door and the police eventually suggested that we go away from the area. I started walking at 3.30pm in the direction of Finsbury Park where I might get a train home. The route was crossed by large cordons at the same stations that I had passed in front of that morning. The atmosphere was strangely calm. Some people walked, others were in cabs, some stood looking and others were in the bars and cafes. But there was no laughter, no smiling and no hurrying. It felt as though the whole world was dying so it was OK to do whatever we wanted. Eventually, I found a free cab and was taken to the 300+ queue at Finsbury Park where I managed to catch a train.

So, so lucky but I still think about the distress caused to those who tried to contact me. My son was in a meeting in Germany when he heard the news. Apart from me, he has 15 good friends from his schooldays who work in the City of London. Mobile networks were inoperable for most of the time and he was at his wits end before he got through to everyone. The boyfriend of an ex-work colleague of his is still not accounted for. My daughter too was beside herself with worry for 2 hours. Friends have 'phoned and emailed since to make sure that I am safe.

My wife is in LOS just now. I decided not to call her because I thought that she would not hear the news so soon and a call from to tell her that I was OK would have started her worrying. I was so wrong. She did see the news on TV and could not contact me until after 5pm when I was in the taxi. She and her family had tried all day to contact me and feared the worst. It was at that moment, safe and relaxed and hearing her distress that my feelings finally erupted through tears.

We plan to build a house in LOS and I have to decide whether to stop work early and live on a much reduced income over there. My own mild experience and lucky escape that day has added a new dimension to the equation.

I can't know for sure how people who did suffer loss and injury that day feel. For my part I have not, perhaps suprisingly, felt any anger towards the bombers. I do feel some anger towards those who were behind them and towards the political and other world leaders who have created the fearful situation in which we now live. The bombers must, I think, have been brainwashed in the proper sense of the word. It is the only explanation that I can see for their ability apparently to live double lives. So, I cannot even find it in myself to blame or hate them.

So often I tell myself and others that we must each make the most of each day because we don't know whether we shall have tomorrow. Perhaps it's time for me to put my preaching into practice.

[Boon Mee]

Q: What is it with liberals and their need to deny the existence of evil?

A: Moral relativism.

[Neeranam]

Have any other posters noticed on this forum how strange it is that there is a scarcity of topics (threads/postings, in general) relating to political topics?

Yeah, let's keep it that way.

[george]

This topic continues here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=40093