Blogging ten days after the previous entry... and how the world has changed in these short ten days...
[ Shikami's winamp now playing: "White Reflection" -- Two Mix ]
On the morning of Tuesday, 11th of September, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York collapsed and a side of the Pentagon was destroyed in a series of suicide bombings using hijacked planes. To this date, the ultimate figure of the number of dead are unknown and both America and the coalition that it has formed with the rest of the world are preparing to launch a counter-attack, in what George W. Bush states is the beginnings of a war on terrorism.
[ Shikami's winamp now playing: "Everything Is Mystery" -- Hayashi Nobutoshi, Ishikawa Hideo & Okiayu Ryuutarou (Nakamoto Shou, Kato Yuusuke & Takagi Shimon) ]
Why am I bringing this up on Chaos?? Well... I guess just to talk to myself about it and bring some things into perspective.
I live in Australia, and so I am not directly affected by this tragedy. However, I do have relatives in New York and needless to say, it is a bit daunting to imagine the dangers that they could have gone through. Everyone is safe over there... thank god....
But being in Australia, I did not hear about the news until Wednesday morning when I woke up for school. Apparently all television programs were interrupted for special news bulletins since 10 - 10:30pm Tuesday night, approximately 9 - 9:30am New York time.
[ Shikami's winamp now playing: "Reincarnation" -- Okui Masami ]
Waking up to the news on my clock/radio, I was greeted with the words "... surreal images from New York this morning as the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapses after two airliners crashed... " Needless to say, while in the process of getting dressed, I stood still and stared at the radio before shaking my head and muttering "No way..." before making my way to the bathroom.
It was only during breakfast, when I turned on the TV to tune in to a few minutes of the morning cartoon shows that I saw the special bulletins and the images of the plane crashing into Tower 2... For a few seconds I just stood still and totally gawked...
[ Shikami's winamp now playing: "Mayfly" -- Sasaki Nozomu (Nagi Naoe) ]
It was Wednesday, and I had a first period class... but I seriously considered wagging class to sit in front of the tv and watch the thing unfold. I couldn't really tell you what my first reactions were but I think the first thing I said after a long time was "The idiots!" -- in my opinion accurately summing up the terrorists in response to their total lack of morals in targeting innocent civilians.
Of course, school that day was all talk and very little learning. I don't think the daily newspapers up in the library were ever as popular as on that day. Everywhere you turned, people were talking about it... recounting the events, illustrating the plane's course to fellow students who had yet to see the video image, speculation over American retaliation, talk of World War III......
[ Shikami's winamp now playing: "Setsunakutemo... Zutto" -- Hayashi Nobutoshi (Tasuki) ]
Not your average school day to say the least. I remember asking a friend on the bus if she'd heard the news. When I told her, she didn't believe me until we stopped outside a newsagent and she saw the big headlines and pictures in the daily posters which announce today's major headlines.
Ever since, the newspaper's been filled with pictures, stories, liftouts... each proclaiming "war". It's all a bit surreal if I really stop to think about it. I don't think it was in anybody's wildest dreams that we would be completing our final year of high school to probable sounds of the drums of war. It makes me feel so small in relation to the world...
I mean, a week ago on Tuesday night, when this was happening half-way across the world, I was simply worrying about my homework and assessments and complaining about not getting enough sleep...
[ Shikami's winamp now playing: "Minna de WAHAHA" -- Tokio ]
It sorta gives you a feeling that, really... nothing you do really matters.... pretty discouraging especially in my time of working and working to try and get into a uni course I like....
But as always, life goes on. No matter if it's war, or simply a single retaliatory attack, it does actually go on.... In a way it gives me a new understanding of GW... I never really understood how the whole war could be going on and yet, so many people would continue to be ignorant of it, such as all those people in the schools Heero and Duo infiltrated and so on and so forth...
But now, it seems as if I'm living that life... with the great military powers of the world gathering their forces and yet I continue with my everyday dull life of going to school, making my way through class and assessments, come home, do my homework and go to sleep... not much changing in my daily routine......
Strange when you actually think about it....
[ Shikami's winamp now playing: "Kiss in the Dark" -- Okui Masami (LIVE) ]
So in closing to this, the first completely serious blog on Chaos, my sincerest condolences to all those who lost loved ones in the tragedy and I certainly hope that all the impending war talk will not lead to an all out "first war of the twenty first century". Because if GW has taught me anything, it has taught me that there are no winners in War, only losers... and some of us may end up losing more than we bargained for.
Ranting by Shikami Yamino at 1:28 AM
