Two Indonesians spared tragedy<\/p>\n
By Ramdani Sirait<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (Antara): Even though Nelson Sihombing and Anton
\nHarianto, two Indonesian immigrants working at the World Trade
\nCenter (WTC), were spared from Tuesday's tragedy, they grieved
\nfor the death of their close friends when two hijacked planes hit
\nthe WTC twin towers.<\/p>\n
Nelson and Anton's workplaces were located in one of the 110-
\nstory towers and the two had yet to arrive at their workplace
\nwhen the calamity took place.<\/p>\n
\"I was just about to leave for work when the first tower was
\nhit by the hijacked plane, so I stayed to watch the television
\nand saw the second tower collapse. At that time, I didn't know
\nwhat to do,\" 23-year-old Anton told Antara from his house in New
\nJersey.<\/p>\n
Anton is a Jakarta resident, who worked at a stock trading
\ncompany on the 103rd floor of the WTC's north tower, while 42-
\nyear-old Nelson worked as a waiter at the \"Windows of the World\"
\nrestaurant on the 106th floor. Nelson was supposed to work the
\nafternoon shift.<\/p>\n
\"When I found out what happened, I was in complete shock and
\ncouldn't believe that this was actually happening,\" said Nelson,
\nwho hails from the North Sumatran town of Kisaran.<\/p>\n
Even though he was spared, Nelson who had served in the
\nrestaurant for 20 years could not help grieving over the death of
\nhis two closest friends, a Bangladeshi and Colombian, who were on
\nduty on the morning shift.<\/p>\n
\"I cried all night ... the thought of two of my dearest
\nfriends under the rubble of the building is inconceivable until
\nthis moment. Their faces still linger in my mind,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nelson said he could no longer stand watching the television
\nbroadcasts that aired the ruins of the buildings constantly after
\nthe incidents.<\/p>\n
\"I have spent 20 years at that place. It was like a second
\nhome to me ... but now it is ruined,\" he said, his voice
\ntrembling.<\/p>\n
Successful<\/p>\n
Nelson is one of the many Indonesians in the city who has been
\nable to make it in the city.<\/p>\n
A father of three, Nelson, who now holds American citizenship,
\nentered the restaurant with his experience of working on an
\ninternational cruise ship.<\/p>\n
From his earnings, he was able to enroll his children in top
\nschools in New Jersey and frequently went on vacation to
\nIndonesia and visited relatives.<\/p>\n
\"We lead a good life here and we are happy. I'm glad to see
\nthat my children are able to attend quality schools,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Anton, who still holds Indonesian nationality, managed to
\nsecure a position in one of the international companies at the
\nworld's business center.<\/p>\n
He is quite content to be able to support himself in a city
\nwhere the cost of living is much higher than other cosmopolitan
\ncities.<\/p>\n
\"I'm happy to be able to gain some working experience at the
\nWorld Trade Center,\" Anton remarked.<\/p>\n
From the many Indonesians residing in New York, Anton and
\nNelson are among those who are able to lead a comfortable life.<\/p>\n
According to data at the Indonesian Consulate in New York,
\nthere are 5,000 Indonesians living in many areas ranging from
\nManhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, States Island to Queens, which is
\nknown as an Asian area.<\/p>\n
However, Daulat Pasaribu, spokesman at the consulate, said the
\nnumber could possibly be larger as there were many others who had
\nnot registered with the consulate.<\/p>\n
Most of them work as waiters, construction workers, newspaper
\ndelivery persons and baby-sitters.<\/p>\n
The dream city<\/p>\n
To many people, New York is a place to turn dreams into
\nreality as they perceive the city as a land that glitters with
\njob prospects and other opportunities.<\/p>\n
The 780-square-kilometer city, which is currently inhabited by
\nmore than nine million people, is known as the world's financial
\ncenter.<\/p>\n
The Dutch called it New Amsterdam when they first arrived
\nthere in 1621. At that time the land was occupied by American
\nnatives who spoke Algonquin.<\/p>\n
When the British took over the city in 1664, they changed the
\nname to New York.<\/p>\n
Along with the establishment of a number of large ports in the
\narea, New York became a trade center as many merchants from all
\nover the world came there to trade.<\/p>\n
Today, Now York is not only a center of commerce, but also of
\nculture and the entertainment business.<\/p>\n
The WTC building was built in 1966 and was completed in 1977.
\nThe building houses 450 business institutions from across the
\nworld and was the workplace of 50,000 people.<\/p>\n
To reach the top floor, where a person could enjoy a panoramic
\nview of the city, one could use the express elevator which took
\nonly 58 seconds.<\/p>\n
But being buried under the rubble of the 110-story building is
\ncertainly not anyone's dream.<\/p>\n
It is feared, that those who could not escape the buildings at
\nthe time of the tragedy have all perished.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-indonesians-spared-tragedy-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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