Of course our new day in Oz starts earlier than most of yours. So where were you on that fateful day, 911? I remember distinctly.


Sabs Story


I was living and working in HK back then, doing rather well in the investment biz.

Unusually, I had gone from the office straight back home. Kinda weary, a bit burnt out. When the first plane hit, I had no idea.

Then I received a call, from my PA/ 2IC- she was then a middle aged American lady from the Heartland. She is now an elderly lady- & still lives and works in HK.

She was distraught- "America is under attack!!". WTF?? She was in Dan Ryans bar in Pacific place, HK, our regular after work bar.

My apartment was all of 1.5 km away from both Pacific Place and our office in the Lippo Centre. I hopped straight in a taxi, and was there in minutes.

Of course, all of the TV's were showing "the Event". I went straight to her, and embraced her. She was an absolute mess.

Only about two minutes after I got there, the second plane hit. I saw it unfold in real time, almost like in slow motion.

I suppose I felt stunned for a while, numb. It dawned on me- there were people I knew in those towers. Colleagues I had worked with, at Merrill Lynch. Some of them friends, one an ex-lover. As it turned out, only two people I knew died that day- at least, as far as I'm aware.

HK people are, on the whole, pretty worldly and informed. We were soon openly speculating that it was Al Qaeda behind these attacks.

I forget the timeline, I was busy getting drunk and trying to console my distraught friend, but then news came through about the Pentagon being hit, and some plane had gone missing near philly.

I wondered- what is gonna change? What is gonna happen? I had to write a report to our clients the next day, trying to explain the implications from an investors Pov. Not all that much, actually. But I didn't know the half of it.

Yes, the World changed that day. Mine did, anyway.