On 9/11 2001, I was in Taiwan on business, when back at the Grand Hyatt in Taipei after an early dinner. I turned on the TV, the headlines were unbelievable. First I thought this was part of some Hollywood disaster movie, but of course this was all too real. Of course I grabbed my digital camera and took pictures of the TV screen I had to capture it.. And, like millions of others I tried to call home immediatley; wireline and cellular networks were all jammed and access to overseas links was impossible, nothing but recordings to try again later. I tired for hours that night. I couldn't access the internet either to send emails or check for news. We were cut off!

The amazing thing was the response from friends and business colleagues in Taiwan, they were able to call me locally to make sure I was OK, invited me to come stay with them and the hotel staff were also amazing to ensure we were to be kept safe, as no one knew what might happen next. A few days later I flew home, that flight was very quiet and suprisingly not busy at all with lots of empty seats. I wondered were all the others business types had gone. So on 9/11 in 2009 it's time to think of that day anew, of innocents who perished and to where it has led us all 8 years later. It's no longer the same world.