Big Apple, Little Bites Blog

In response to:A Simple Sign In Brooklyn

2006-10-16T22:15:57+02:00

Yes, children are often a joy within themselves.

In response to:Anger & Happiness In New York City by HapytamyNYC

2006-10-09T10:21:37+02:00

Waiting for your visit and your comment - lol

In response to:Anger & Happiness In New York City by HapytamyNYC

2006-10-09T05:42:59+02:00

Thanks for the comments. It does seem we are taking two steps backwards.

In response to:Anger & Happiness In New York City by HapytamyNYC

2006-10-09T05:35:02+02:00

Today everything is political and that is why all seems to be so confused and going backwards ! Check my blogs anytime.

In response to:I Remember Where I Was On 9/11 by HapytamyNYC

2006-09-11T15:28:41+02:00

No i don't lose faith,or hate people,on the basis of their geographical position.
I know that all that is happening,and threatening the world peace,is a political thingy,not between you and me,or ordinary people.
But unfortunately,it is unavoidable,that these events don't effect our lives.They are effecting our lives.
I don't think that i can do much about it,apart from blogging ;).
My sympathies for those who sufferrd today,and in the events afterwards.
I know that america is a beautiful country,and many nice people live there.
I wish peace and prosperity for our world,which we share.
Thanks for you nice,and loving response.
Regards,Saf

In response to:I Remember Where I Was On 9/11 by HapytamyNYC

2006-09-11T06:35:29+02:00

I am staunchily oppossed to the oppression and killing of innocent life, by any hand. It is always the innocent civilian who pays the heavy toll for wars.

Americans are raised to be idealistic and to believe that our government is virtuous and upholds the ideals of truth and freedom for all, regardless of religion, color, creed or race. America is set up to be a "melting pot", a place for all the world to love and live in peace and good will.

It is disheartening for me to hear the voice of friends around the world, telling me otherwise. You must believe that when the American Government fails to uphold these ideals that the American People do.

We want the same things that many of world's people want. In addition to freedom we want Love, acceptance, productive lives, self-actualization, happy and healthy friendships and families and a government we can trust.

Please,if you lose faith in the American government do not lose faith in the majority of American people. We are good and caring like the innocent citizens of your country.

In response to:I Remember Where I Was On 9/11 by HapytamyNYC

2006-09-11T05:12:31+02:00

Well me too bears in my mind that 3000 people died in the 9-11 incident.My sympathies are with the friends and family of these poor souls,who lost their lives for no good reason.
As we were shocked,when we were seeing all that happening (I am using "We" because me too was shocked), it was infact a start of a series of shocks.The wars that followed to avenge the 9-11 were also shocking...shocking to the world peace and humanity itself.
Many rationalize the killings of many thousands or probably hundreds of thousands(Who knows) by saying that they were either all terrorists or supporters of the terrorists. I could never rationalise the carpet bombing and the use of cluster bombs in the following wars,which america waged on so many.
Human blood has the same value,if it is spilled in afghanistan,by a B-52 bomber,or if it is spilled in mahattan by two planes.
While people remember the innocents killed in manhattan,how many remember and sympathize for the innocents killed afterwards in the rest of the world,in countries like Afghanistan,Iraq and many others.
Media giants like CNN,BBC,FOX showed the tears and greives of manhattan sufferers,in much detail.Not a proportion of the suffering and greif of the people who suffered in the so called "War on terror" was,or is being showed.
As a muslim and Pakistani, i remember visiting the small american town of wilmington in carolina,in 1998
I wandered through the town,day and night.At midnight i was walking on the road,as confident and as free as a local american.I even visited a local party,in which only locals were invited.A pianist was playing piano.I was the only non-white and non-american in the gathering.The people were so nice,warm and welcoming.They didn't alianate me.I enjoyed being with them.
I am a beleiver in many conspiracy theories.
As yor as an airline pilot have been all over the world.Me too has seen much of this planet.
I am sick of being plucked out of ques on airports,being checked separately.I was off loaded from TACA airlines plane at belize airport,and had to wait for 18 hours before i got another flight back home to pakistan.
The flight had an hour transit at florida airport,and TACA officials told me that there is 5000 USD panelty for airlines which carry pakistani and certain other nationals,via US airports.I asked them the solution,they told me to go to the USA embassy in belize city.I was alone and knew nobody there.Desperate to go home,i called the owner of the hotel,i stayed in,for about a month.He was an old american from texas,wonderful man.He wasted no time and came at the airport,and took me to the american embassy.He charged no money,and stayed with me all the time.
I had all the documents,my Pakistani passport was full of visas from all over the world.The american embassy was too quick to deny a visa,that even when i had to stay in the plane,and the plane had to land at florida airport,for an hour.I even told them that i have previously visited your country twice,and never did anything wrong.They stamped my passport.
The texas man kindly dropped me back at belize airport,and then i was denied boarding by airfrance,and finally british airways accepted me.
Why i am telling these stories?When i saw 9-11,all the security checks i had been undergoing at every airport round the world,came to my mind.That happenned to me,when all my previous records were clear,and no security agency had any warning against me.Looking at all that,i couldn't rationalise,that terrorists from al-qaeda,who were being constantly watched,managed toplan and execute,such a big destruction.
Lastly,i wil mention here,that i am not saying that the destruction and killing of 9-11 were right,or the killings elsewhere,by american forces were right.I want to see this tit for tat killing to stop.
I want the real culprits to be shown to the world,i don't care if they were americans ornon-americans,they were muslims or non-muslims.At the same time i don't want to beleive,just what the media shows me.I have a mind of my own,and i can think,so can you.
Personally i dont beleive in what theories media is giving to us about all this.And i don't think that the way events were treated afterwards,were right.
I don't support terrorism,and i can't be cruel to someone,just because he/she is a non-muslim or looks different.At the same time i beleive in live and let live.
They say that osama bin laden is responsible for all that.I say,why after 5years you still couldn't catch him?Because if they do,all the politics will finish with him.They won't be able to keep terrifying their own people,and keep on doing whatever.
oops long reply.Peace to you.Have a good day/night.Thanks

In response to:I Remember Where I Was On 9/11 by HapytamyNYC

2006-09-11T04:42:56+02:00

Thank you for your kind messages.

In response to:I Remember Where I Was On 9/11 by HapytamyNYC

2006-09-11T03:24:37+02:00

I remember it well - I was operating a flight from the UK to Ibiza that evening; what should have been a party atmosphere was turned into one of fear. We did our best to assure our holiday-makers that it wouldn't happen to us, but you actually played your part, on the phone, to someone living through the nightmare.

That takes some courage.

On the anniversary, I am sick and tired of reading through yet another conspiracy theory about the WTC attacks on these blogs - real people died, real people were involved. A group used the tools of my trade to kill 3000 people, but it was the people and families in NY and those of the passengers on the AA flights who were really affected. The rest of us just watched in shock.

Thank you for bringing a proper human perspective on it.

In response to:I Remember Where I Was On 9/11 by HapytamyNYC

2006-09-11T03:01:27+02:00

Very sad...The poor soul sufferd for no good reason.
On 9-11 I was sitting with about six other friends,all men,in the city of karachi,Pakistan.
We were playing cards,and the tele was in the background.One of us noticed the unusual transmission on the Pakistan Tv chennel.It was relaying CNN,and halted it's own broadcast.
Well we didn't pay much attention to it,until we saw the towers faling.Later figures of the number of people dead,made us sad thou.
But we were not too worried,as for us conditions had been changing since 1999.I mean travel restrictions,special checkings on the airports.
I personally was surprised,how the terrorista,specially osama,managed to do all that,when they were being tracked for years.