Sept 12th, 2001 (Tokyo time). I get up at about 6:00, and do up the previous day's entry. I'm in good spirits, and go to the lobby to meet Patrick for breakfast. He's several minutes late, and says that "The laundry guy was late. He must have been watching CNN." I say "Why?". It takes me some time to convince Patrick that I went straight to bed, and didn't turn on the TV when I got up. He tells me that both towers at the World Trade Center have been hit by planes, and collapsed. The Pentagon was hit, and at least one further plane crashed or was forced down outside of Pittsburgh.

I have trouble accepting this, but see the pictures in newspapers on the subway. And, of course, at the studio the four big screens are playing CNN and NHK. The more I try to absorb this, the harder it is to keep from screaming "I want to be home!" And I do, I want to be home, right now! I don't want to leave for home, I don't want to be on my way home, I want to be home.

It takes a while to get focused back to work, and the nattering of Larry King, and the gasps of the people in the clips repeat at the same time each hour. I keep thinking I should be trying to find out how to get home. It's only after a delicious spaghetti lunch I settle down. Unfortunately, due to software problems, we decide to hang in the office until Toronto business hours.

We (John, Kentaro, Patrick, Risa and myself) go out for a great supper at a place I can't even pronounce, although I do know it is just the other side of the Russian Embassy. We eat mostly appetizers, have a little sake (for others, beer) and chat. Risa says that perhaps we shouldn't be drinking, given the days events. I counter that this is exactly what we should be doing, I think. A toast for the victims, and those affected, but we have to go on and live, and we must not let this cow us.

So we return, but have great difficulty getting a call to Toronto. Finally, at 11:00 we pack it in for the night. Patrick and I take the subway back to the hotel. I check CNN before turning in, but there are no new events. I'm worried, hoping that the Toronto office can give me some software help in the morning.