My Experience of 9/11 2001 in the US (and a Book)

Book cover for "Life After Sept 11th, 10 stories from New York" by Marianne Lentz

Some time ago, my Rotary Scholarship mate from my year in the US, got in touch. We met in 2001 at Reinhardt College in Georgia, US. She is now a journalist and was doing research for a book about the aftermath of September 11th 2001. She wanted me to tell her what I remembered from that day. This is the text I sent her:

“I woke up in my dorm room in the morning of 9/11. It was an ordinary day and after taking a shower I reviewed my Spanish homework. As I was sitting on my bed doing that, I suddenly hear my roommate Michele screaming and run over to her. She has the TV on and screams as she points to the set. As we are watching we see the smoke coming out from the first of the two World Trade Center towers and a distraught speaker voice talks about a second plane and we watch in amazement as that plane hits the second tower.

She has already her phone in hand and calls her mother in Uruguay and hostfamily – the hostfather works in the WTC…I run back into my room as I hear my phone ring, its my hostdad. I dont remember if he is trying to calm me or himself down, but  he is letting me know he believes “it is Bin Laden who is behind all this”. It is the first time I hear the name.

Before I am off to class, the news reaches us that also Pentagon in Washington DC has been hit. As I have a friend living in DC, I want to hear she’s alright. I phone her, but cannot get through. A few moments later the news presenters on TV urges the public to stop calling friends and relatives to allow for the phone lines to be used by emergency workers. I feel pretty stupid.

In Spanish class, we talk about what happened and in a later class we stand in a circle holding hands in silence. I channel my confusion and sadness over the events by walking around campus taking pictures of the nature. (I can look for the pics if you think they would be interesting for you, but I dont think thery were very special) During the day, we realize that also Atlanta, a mere 45 minutes away, and its headquarters for CNN and Center of Disease Control are possible targets. The threat creeps closer.

Already the same afternoon, American flags are hanging out from many windows. Over the next weeks, we will fear that our drinking water has been poisoned, that antrax can be sent to our mailboxes and that the terror can strike at any time again. At this time, I had spent only one month in the US, but could still clearly feel that this day had changed everything.”

Today Marianne Lentz’s book is out. It ended up being an interview book with 10 New Yorkers, their memories of that dreadful day and how it impacted on their lives. It’s currently only available in her native Danish, but hopefully soon in English too. I’m proud of you, Marianne!

Continue Reading

You may also like

What Do You Do with a Baby All Day?

What shall we do?

Yesterday, I got the question:

– But what do you do with your baby all day?

The short answer is sleep, eat (her mostly, me in the space between) and play.

The long answer is this:

02.00 She wakes up with a wiggle and a yawn. I manage to give her my left breast before she screams or even opens her eyes.

05.30 She wakes up with a smile. I give her my right breast and when she has eaten (drunk?) decide it is time for a diaper change. After playing in the baby gym and saying some nursery rhymes, putting on a new outfit we go back to bed.

08.32 Grandma comes to take her before dashing off to work. I go back to sleep.

09.00 Grandpa brings her back. She is hungry.

11-ish We wake up and do the diaper-thing. I decide to dress her in an outfit that matches mine.

11.30 I have breakfast and read a wonderful blogpost about tossing the hunt for productivity out while grandpa tries to get her to sleep.

15.15 We go out for a walk after she has slept and ate. During the walk she sleeps.

16.12 We enter a café. She wakes up. She looks around the place in amazement. I hurry to order coffee and gulp it down before feeding her again.

17.14 We visit my brother. She screams until I pick her up and then she burps. I need to remember that babies (almost) always cry for a reason.

18.40 Back home. We play for a while. She looks at things, that is I say “What are you looking at? A flower? The sun rays?” Then she is suddenly hungry and after that needs a diaper change. I optimistically put on her pajama. She is all smiles at the changing table.

19.30 Still trying to get her to sleep. As soon as I sit down she cries. I put her in the BabyBjörn and start to sing. When she is asleep, I have dinner.

20.55 She is up again. Can she really be hungry? She sits with my parents and “talks” to them before coming back to me. I feed her to sleep.

23.00 Time to blog!

The second question I got was,

– Is it fun?

Well, it is a different tempo, a changed way of life, an exhausting and at the same time relaxing task, many times it is scary, but also exciting and yes, maybe even fun!

 

 

 

Continue Reading

You may also like

When Did You Last Learn Something New?

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Came across this beautiful movie called LEARN created by three guys who traveled the world (on the expense of a travel agency). Out of their trip came three separate and wonderful short films, except for the LEARN film above also MOVE and EAT.

But even though I love traveling and eating, I realize after watching this film there is nothing that compares with learning something new!

Which is your favorite?

Continue Reading

You may also like

Ashesi’s New Berekuso Campus

On a day like this, I miss work. Today, Ashesi University College’s brand new campus in Berekuso, north of Accra, will be inaugurated and except for my name being there on the founders’ wall, I will not be there.

Kajsa in Berekuso 2009However, from the information provided, many dignitaries will be. Except for Ashesi’s own president Patrick Awuah, Ghana’s vice president has been invited along with diplomats from around the world.

Berekuso boysAlthough, I won’t be present when Ashesi opens up shop in our own facilities, I feel happy Continue Reading

You may also like

Swedish “Holiday” – IKEA Catalog is Out!

Today is the day – the yearly IKEA catalog is here! IKEA is of course the Swedish furniture company which furnishes most Swedish homes and homes around the globe for that matter.

So WhileBabyIsAsleep (a new category of posts), I have acquainted myself with this year’s issue, its news and smart solutions. I am sure many other Swedes are doing the same! This could almost be called a Swedish holiday as Swedes love home decor!

Luckily for you who did not get the glossy 386-page catalog sent to you, a YouTube version is also available.

Happy Furniture Holiday!

Continue Reading

You may also like

Is There a Universal Baby Language?

These days, I am spending most my time getting to know my baby and trying to understand what she wants.

In this process, I suddenly remembered watching an Oprah episode a few years back, where a woman claimed to have deciphered the universal “baby language”. According to her, babies have five “words” – they ARE trying to tell you what they want!

Yesterday, I found the clip and tried to watch it. Ironically, my child was trying to “communicate” at that very moment, making it impossible to watch the whole clip. Today, I had better luck.

I’d like to share the clip with you (see above) and know your opinion. Parents, does this seem right? Is there a universal baby language?

Continue Reading

You may also like

Virtual Outdooring

On Thursday 21st of July, my child was born.

One week after the birth, a Ghanaian traditional welcoming ceremony or outdooring was performed by my husband here in Sweden to welcome our child and introduce her to the world.

It was a beautiful evening (although, according to custom, it should have been performed in the morning). The significance of the event was told to my family and our child got to experience the difference between truth and lie, through tasting opposites such as salty and sweet, water and whiskey(!).  Finally her name was pronounced.

I have since been thinking about what to put here on my blog, how much to disclose, what to say about the miracle that has happened to me and my family. Finally, I thought, let me just outdoor my daughter virtually as well!

So here, I present Selma Miriam Nana Aba to you with some pics from her outdooring ceremony:

Continue Reading

You may also like

Chale Wote Street Festival in Ghana

At the same time as I am waiting for my life to change here in Sweden, creative friends of mine in Accra under the umbrella “ACCRAdotAlt” (find them here on Facebook) have organized the “Chale Wote Street Festival“.

Chale Wote is the Ghanaian name for the cheap flip-flop that clad many Ghanaian feet. However, the festival was all other than cheap. From the pictures I have seen so far – the best ones you find with Nana Kofi Acquah (like the smashing pic above),  the festival was a meeting opportunity for creative souls like musicians, designers, artists and the local community of James Town in Accra with a beautiful and rich result.

I love events like these as they bring meaning, activity  and fun to peoples’ lives where there before was just business as usual.

UPDATE: See also the festival covered by fellow bloggers Graham, Jemila and Holli.

Continue Reading

You may also like

Global Voices on Homosexuality in Ghana

Last week, I posted on homosexuality in Ghana and the burgeoning online debate on the topic. This week the debate on homosexuality in Ghana has been summarized by Global Voices, which is good news for extending the discussion to other parts of the world.

Thanks, Global Voices!

Continue Reading

You may also like

Roosters Prohibited in Residential Areas

Today when I was reading local newspaper SydSvenskan, I came across this piece of information (not yet on the web) apropos a home for elderly that have dogs and soon will have five chicken to liven up its inhabitants.

I feel this news somehow illustrates one of the differences between life in Ghana and in Sweden (homes for the elderly of course is a difference in itself).


According to Vellinge’s environmental officer Lars Robert Göransson, roosters are forbidden within residential areas (detaljplanerat område in Swedish) because of the risk of their cocoos disturbing.

However, so far there are no close neighbors to the hencoop (at the home for elderly).

– “I do not want to promise anything”, says Göransson. “But if the elderly would appreciate a cocooing rooster as well, then we will have to look into the possibilities of issuing a temporary permit.”

(my translation)

On the one hand, I love that there is legislation on this type of nuisance, but on the other I also feel strange about the whole idea of paperwork being carried out because of a rooster.

Which world would you like to live in? The world where life is planned in detail or where there is room for a rooster?

Photo by Robert Åslund/tupp.se

Continue Reading

You may also like