July 08, 2005

London: The Day After

When I ride the train home each night, I love to read the NY Post, even though the news is ÒoldÓ at that point. Yesterday I continued this tradition, but it was somewhat difficult, as the paper had a big spread on London winning the 2012 Summer Olympic bid. Knowing what I did about the bombings that rocked that city just hours after their well-earned celebration, it was hard to see the smiling faces of citizens as they cheered and shouted in Trafalgar Square.

The Brits are well-known for their stoicism. A friend of mine who lives and works in London e-mailed me this today in reply to my query about his safety:

Thanks for thinking of us... I was lucky and had a free day yesterday but Susan was right in the centre of it all and I didn't hear from her until 4pm, but she's fine. Not a good day. All the more awful as the whole city had been celebrating getting the Olympics the day before.

Still a bit tense here today, lots of security alerts and train stations closed being closed intermittently for 'suspect packages' but we've been here before with the IRA so sure we'll all be fine.

How about that?

Here are some other takes on yesterdayÕs tragedy:

London was the scene of carnage on Thursday after a series of deadly blasts but
American R&B crooner Omarion, who suffered no injury or inconvenience, wants people to pray for him.

Yeah I'll pray...pray that he gets a clue. What an embarrassment. And celebs (even the relatively unknown ones) wonder why we are sick of their self-absorbtion?

And Aggie sees the tragedy from the perspective of someone who watched the 9/11 drama unfold before her eyes from her office window. Read about it here.

There'll be much more to talk about in the weeks to come. Keep the Brits in your prayers and thoughts.

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