Today the world crumbled.

The morning started with a field trip to Augsburg, for a workshop on the assimilation of European immigrants into the city. We visited a Jewish synagogue, and next a Protestant church. Our guide, a very interested expert on the subject, if not very interesting himself, stressed how the existence of temples of different faiths demonstrated the tolerance of the people.

The irony of his words, considering how the day turned out, seems almost too cruel to bear.

I was looking at an ancient map and marveling at how my hometown Malacca was actually mentioned, being an important port in the old days and all, when I noticed the commotion around me. Apparently Mike Stone or someone got a phone call from Maria.

She said a plane had hit the World Trade Center towers in New York.

Then came the madness and the questions and the disbelief on everyone’s face. We counted three Americans among our friends, and Erich a New Yorker. He was very distressed, more than any of us, for he had family and friends there. We rushed out to the town square looking for answers.

So much for the field trip.

We ran to a tourist infopoint, which confirmed only the barest threads of news we already received. News, rumour no more.

Finally, we ended up in a local newspaper agency and the reporters were more than willing to trade fresh information for a chance at interviewing some Americans. Mike Stone and Martin, who studied in the States before, gave their opinions. Erich had disappeared, prolly to call home.

We stood helpless staring at the TV screens, replaying the dreadful images over and over again.

Eventually, the rest decided to continue with the excursion, while Maran and I opted to follow Erich to find a cybercafe. It took us some time but we found one. I emailed everyone I thought to be in the States, asking for confirmation of their safety. And one to my family, telling them I’m safe here in Munich, which seems silly, but at that moment, it felt like the rest of the world wasn’t safe anymore either.

When the Big Guys get hit, no one is safe.

After that, we headed to the train station and met up with the rest. The day was already downcast before, it was now positively pouring. No one smiled or cried; just dull shock on the faces, strange a few days ago, now we were all we had.

We talked about it; we talked about everything else. Anything to feel that this is real, that life will be normal again. What am I saying? It’s only been hours and everything’s changed.

Everything’s changed.