Where were you when...

Gah. Jim Steel has had his revenge, and tagged with me the latest blog meme. I could just ignore it but... what the hell.

So. Where was I when:

Princess Diana died (31 August 1997)
I was working for the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates at the time. One of my colleagues - I think it was Varghese Varghese - rang me at my desk, and told me Princess Diana had died. I waited for the punchline. Nope, no punchline.

Fortunately, being in the UAE meant I missed out on the UK's grieving frenzy. And from over there, it looked very strange indeed. I did watch a bit of the funeral over the Web - while wondering if this was what DARPA had had in mind when they laid the foundations for the Internet back in the 1960s...

Magaret Thatcher resigned (22 November 1990)
I took a sandwich degree at polytechnic, so I would have been on my industry placement in November 1990. At ICL. I was no fan of Maggie, but I have no memory of this day being anything special. I don't know; maybe we cheered or something.

The Twin Towers were attacked (11 September 2001)
In the UAE, working for a national oil company. I was at home, and I had the radio on. The DJ announced that a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Centre towers in New York. I turned on the telly in time to see the second tower being hit. It was... a very strange day. And it got stranger as the weeks passed.

Things I remember: BBC World News annoying me by showing footage of Palestinians (allegedly) dancing for joy; and having Ehud Barak (ex-prime minister of Israel) in the studio, but no Arab spokesperson. Arab friends and colleagues finding it unbelievable that Arabs had been able to organise the attack. The various conspiracy theories which began to circulate. The newspaper stories which contradicted the information given by the US government (and which have never been refuted). The horror stories I heard from Arab friends and colleagues about the treatment their friends and relatives had received in the US shortly afterwards...

England were beaten by Germany in the World Cup semifinal (4 July 1990)
No idea. Can't stand football.

President Kennedy was assasinated (22 November 1963)
Not even born.

I'll tag some people when I think of some.

Edit: Thought of one: stubblog. More later.