The Nightmare Arrived

Marcus, my supervisor returned from London yesterday. And I was preparing to leave for London this morning. I had four interviews lined up from the 7th to the 12th of July. Then the nightmare arrived...

Four bomb explosions were reported to have occurred in Central London from just after 9 am this morning.

At first, I heard that it was just a power surge problem at one underground station, and then, Theeba called from London. She suggested that it was more than the problem of a power surge. I thought that I could still travel by bus if only one station was effected.

And the worst started to emerge as I switched on the television. It was a calculated terrorist attack, where the London Tube boss said that bombs were detonated at 3 minutes intervals, at three train coaches. And a suspected suicide bomber (to be confirmed) was on a No. 30 bus at Woburn Place and Tavistock Square near the British Medical Association where the bomb was set off. I saw blood stains on the walls of the BMA building on television. The University of London and UCL is nearby. I use to study about 5 minutes walk away.

I have often been conscious to be in the middle of such attacks, because I often travel to London. King's Cross Picadilly Line was affected, on one of the trains, between that station and Russell Square Station. So it's really scary because that is one route that I take to go Hyde Park the other day , and it's one line that I often use.

First, I have to say, I am relieved that I am alive. At one point, I wanted to travel yesterday to London, and could have been caught in all this today. It would be crazy if I had no where to go as public transport has been suspended.

Of course, it turned out that I had to submit my first chapter yesterday...

After two years and a few months since the Allied forces had invaded Iraq, and almost four years since 9/11, the biggest terrorist attack had struck London, right after London won the Olympic bid yesterday.