Day
5, Sister Tzu Ding Shih's Diary, September 11 World Trade Center
Terrorist Attack
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Reported by Tzu Ding Shih,
Commissoner, New York Branch Office
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> Day 5: 9/15
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September 15, 2001
On Saturday when I walked into the office, many volunteers
were already rushing in and out and the telephone rang non-stop.
The Chinese school was canceled for the day, and so many commissioners
came to see how they could help.
Around noon, the community volunteer team received news from
the Kuan-ming Temple in Chinatown that many residents from
the disaster area were seeking refuge there. They needed sleeping
bags and toiletries, so Brother Wei-Chung and Brother Mao
left to buy the goods. They distributed them with other volunteers
from the Chinese school.
On the road, there were more cars. Everywhere we passed, there
were American flags in the windows of cars, homes and stores.
Looking at the sea of flags, it appeared that people were
united in their desire to fight terrorism. Red, white and
blue clothing replaced black. In a single night, the appearance
of New Yorkers changed. Once described as cold, New Yorkers
came together after the disaster and comforted each other.
Through their interaction with each other, they hoped to release
their sense of pain.
As we approached Chinatown, we saw that some streets had been
unsealed. When we passed the No. 13 firehouse, we were shocked
by the piles of flowers and candles. We got out of the car
and prayed in front of the flowers, paying our respects to
the brave men who sacrificed their lives to save others.
After a few minutes, we arrived at the Kuan-Ming Temple. We
found the door locked. The brothers knocked on the door and
the monks in the temple said many people had already left.
There was only one family left, and they didn't need help
right now. We were somewhat disappointed, but we were glad
that they were safe. We decided to head toward a nearby hospital.
Yesterday, Long Island volunteers brought fried noodles and
minestrone soup to the hospital, thinking that maybe people
there would need them. This is one of the hospitals closest
to the World Trade Center, and we heard that many of the injured
were still recovering there.
There were crowds of people outside the hospital, and major
television stations had set up their cameras there. Pictures
of missing people covered the walls, and in front of the pictures
were flowers and candles. I squeezed through the crowd to
look at the pictures. Looking at their smiling faces, I thought
about the fact that they had died without being able to say
good-bye to their families. An unbelievable sense of sadness
rose in my heart.
In the open area in front of the hospital, a group of young
people sat playing guitar, and mournful music flowed from
their fingertips. A group of Christians stood by them, softly
singing hymns. Passers-by stopped to listen. At this time,
a sister from the Great Love Television Station and two of
her friends suddenly appeared. They told us they had come
all the way from Georgia to help out, and tonight they would
enter the disaster area with another group of Tzu Chi volunteers
to serve hot meals.
While we were waiting for Brother Lin Chi-yee, we heard a
wailing ambulance approaching. We all thought they must be
bringing an injured person to the hospital. Reporters and
television crews and everyone there awaited anxiously, watching
the entrance to the hospital. When an injured rescue worker
was unloaded from the ambulance and into the hospital, we
were solemn again. Mournful music floated through the air,
and it seemed that the wounds from 911 were open once more.
When Brother Lin arrived, we went across the street to prepare
more hot meals in the disaster area. When we passed an outdoor
restaurant, three Americans sitting there waved to us. They
asked if we were volunteers and which group we belonged to.
After they heard that we were Tzu Chi volunteers, they gave
us a thumbs-up and said, "Wonderful!" They clapped
for us as well. We smiled at them gratefully, appreciating
their expressions of approval.
When the car entered the disaster area, it was already night.
Today was the weekend, and the area around Chinatown was more
crowded than in previous days. After Tzu Youth member Chang
Tzuen-en explained our mission to the police officers in fluent
English, they let us pass. This group, aside from Brother
Chi-cheng and the three members of the Great Love Television
Station, were all volunteers from Long Island. These past
few days, along with volunteers from New York, they've delivered
endless rounds of hot meals. Even though they looked tired,
their desire to help others hadn't diminished. Tzu Chi people's
love and togetherness really came through in this time of
crisis.
We passed by the Flushing library after 9, and saw about four
or five hundred Asian-Americans standing there with candles
in their hands. It looked like another remembrance event.
It seems that this national disaster has really awakened New
Yorkers to come to grips with life through their self-reflections
in the midst of pain.
