Plus an update...

I ventured out today as I was tired of just sitting at home and listening to the radio. It is not easy to sit at home when you know that someone in the family is in the ICU back home and the city that you live is going through a crisis. I must have made and got close to 30-45 calls yesterday. Aj's mom is still unconscious. The doctors say that they have to wait till Monday to make any kind of prognosis. She is currently in a state of induced coma to allow her brain to heal.

London, as a city has been really impressive. Comparisons to 9/11 are inevitable. And the differences in the response are stark. I do think that 9/11 was a very 'visual' event - who can forget the those aircrafts crashing into the twin towers?- compared to yesterday's blasts in London. But the media has been very measured and has behaved very professionally. Much more impressive than the American media who chose to go along with the politicians in whipping up the 'us' Vs.'them' sentiment. The whole emphasis here seems to be on let's first talk about what can be done for those injured and for those who lost their loved ones, rather than speculate a whole lot about the causes. There have been repeated requests to not target the Muslims, with both Blair and the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone emphasizing that no one group should be targeted. Though there are people still trapped / dead in the tube network, it has not been made a topic of focus. The Metropolitan Police has stood by the statement that the rescue workers should be allowed to to their work before anything can be said about who and how many are still missing. I am impressed with the way the whole incident has been handled.

I have been here in this city for only a year. So, I can't call it my very own yet , compared to those who have lived here for many years. But I am happy I am part of the city of London.