The Rest of September 11

So after spending the morning at Ground Zero, I headed back to the hostel to meet up with Kate. Talking to Kate on Friday night I had said to her that if Sam Stosur made the US Open final, then I would probably go out and watch! Kate said she wanted to come, so I grabbed us tickets and we headed out to watch the final.

Queen Latifah came out to sing the national anthem:

Then the match started!

Obviously, Sam was playing Serena Williams... And clearly the American crowd was pro-Serena!

So I cheered as loudly as I possibly could.

I didn't really think she could beat her... not because she can't beat her, but because she was playing Serena in the final of Serena's home town Grand Slam. The crowd was against her, and she'd only ever made one Grand Slam final before... Serena has won 13 or so Grand Slam titles... So the odds were definitely stacked against her...

BUT SHE DID IT, SHE WON THE US OPEN!

It is so exciting to be able to say that I was there to witness the first Australian woman in 31 years to win a Grand Slam title!!

I am so glad I went!!

As Kate and I were leaving, we noticed the lights on at the Mets Baseball Stadium. Basically, the train station is in the middle with the tennis centre on one side and the baseball stadium on the other. So Kate and I decided to head over and check it out! We had no idea if the game had started, was finished, or was still coming... (it was 7pm by this stage!)

So we headed over to the stadium

We were approaching the ticket windows when one of their guests services staff approached us and asked if she could help. We explained that we were at the tennis, saw the lights and thought we'd come and see if the game had started, if there were tickets available etc etc. She pulled two tickets out of the pocket and said - "this ones on me!"

Kate and I were gobsmacked! So we went in and not only had she given us free tickets, but they were awesome tickets!!

The game started just after 8, and it was all tied-up at the end of the 9th so they kept going... In the end the match finished at like 1am on the Monday morning!

It was an awesome experience!

So all in all, I had an absolute blast!

September 11 Service

I woke up on the morning of September 11, and headed down to Ground Zero to check out the service. As you can imagine, security was very tight.

I've already told you about the ceremony, but I will include these photos.

I had to watch on a big TV screen as the service was only for family and friends.

They constructed two MASIVE water fountains. The names of those who died are etched into the edges of the fountain.

This is the New World Trade Center. It is already the tallest building, and it's not finished yet..

After the service, I headed back to the hostel to meet up with Kate. Details of what came next, coming soon!

Staten Island Ferry - Ground Zero

On Saturday morning (10/9), I decided to go down and catch the Staten Island Ferry. I was planning to pay for a trip to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, when my friends Sian and Donna advised me that the Staten Island ferry goes straight past the Statue of Liberty, and it's free!!

So I caught the subway down, jumped on the ferry and enjoyed the ride over and back!

There had been whispers that another terror attack was possible. The police presence in the City, was incredible. There were police stopping and searching vehicles everywhere. There were helicopters flying over the city. At one point, I counted 5 choppers flying over Manhattan! And the Staten Island Ferry had police escorts...

On the way over, there was just a simple police boat floating along beside us...

On the way back, it was a Coast Guard boat with a machine gun attached to the front... There was even someone standing there manning the machine gun....

It certainly made the threat seem very real!

After that, I walked up to Ground Zero. I had planned to check it out on September 11, so I wanted to suss it out, find it and have a look before the actual day... That and Century 21 is literally RIGHT THERE!!

I walked around the closed off section, where all the construction is going on. And came across a little fire station... The Station wall bore this memorial:

Being there was very emotional. It is so hard to fathom what once stood there, the number of people who lost their lives there (and elsewhere that day). The idea to me, that a plane could fly into the buildings that once stood there and not come out... it just doesn't seem real.

After that, I ducked into Century 21. Didn't want to actually purchase anything, but thought I'd check it out and  see what the big deal is!

I did find one gorgeous Michael Kors skirt that I would have at least tried on, and possibly purchased, had I not seen the price tag... It was still $500... Hmm, maybe not my style after all!!

After that I headed up to the Australian Pub to watch Sam Stosur's semi-final and catch the replay of the Broncos win. However the college football was on, so I headed to the Irish Pub next door. In there I met a really lovely Australian guy. He is definitely someone who reminded me a lot of my male friends back home. And with my love of sport, the conversation flowed very easily!

I left the Irish pub about 8, headed back to the Australian, watched the first half of the Broncos game and then went home and crashed!

It was a big day, but a good one!!

9-11 - 10 years on...

Today is 9/11/11 - 10 years from the day the world changed as we knew it.

 I remember being in grade 8 on 9/11/01 and heading into science class. The teacher had the TV on and was showing the news coverage. I will never forget seeing the footage of the WTCs collapsing...

Today, I am in NYC and I headed down to the site of the WTC where they are opening the new memorial. It is closed to the public until tomorrow, allowing those who lost family and friends the first access to the site.

They are also holding a big memorial service. I stood there for an hour and a half while selected people stood up and read the names of those who lost their lives. Each one reading the names had lost someone in the attacks. Their personal messages to those they lost were truly heartbreaking.

The ones that upset me the most were the ones where the loved ones said "you were never found".

To all those who died on 9/11/01 - I hope you are resting in peace. And to those who lost loved ones, I hope you have found solace and comfort.