PDA

View Full Version : Boston blasts and the Singaporean



acidic.straw
17-04-13, 07:55
If I were him, I would be very embarrassed by this story. Never help but stood there half-hour watching while all hell broke loose. Then need to be led away by police somemore.:doh:


Boston blasts: Eyewitness account from Singaporean student

By Hoe Pei Shan

He was watching the Boston Marathon from the sidelines when the first explosion went off just around the corner. While others were either paralysed with shock or frantically backing away, Massachusetts Institute of Technology postdoctoral fellow Chen Jiahao, 31, went towards the blast, curious to find out what had caused it.

"It was really loud sound like a canon going off, the whole ground shook, and thought I should go take a look," said the Singaporean in a phone interview with The Straits Times.

"The whole street was full of smoke, there were lots of people running away, lots of glass and people just lying on the road. I was just very confused at first, I had no idea what was going on as I couldn't get a cellphone signal for news, so I wanted to find out more," he added.

He stood there for the next half an hour, watching the chaos unfold before him as people were led away screaming and crying. Policemen streamed in, ambulances screeched to a halt metres away, and bomb disposal squads arrived. Mr Chen was finally ushered away by policemen evacuating the area.

Speaking from his home he said it is only slowly hitting him how close he came to being one of those bodies on the road.

"It's still too soon, I'm still taking it in. I don't think I'll get over how close I was to the explosions, but life will have to go on, we'll see what happens but the plan for tomorrow is still to go to work," said Mr Chen.

"The good thing is people in Boston are very stubborn, so that's going to help in the city's resilience."

Copyright © 2013 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

The_Way_I_See_It
17-04-13, 08:53
If I were him, I would be very embarrassed by this story. Never help but stood there half-hour watching while all hell broke loose. Then need to be led away by police somemore.:doh:


Boston blasts: Eyewitness account from Singaporean student

By Hoe Pei Shan

He was watching the Boston Marathon from the sidelines when the first explosion went off just around the corner. While others were either paralysed with shock or frantically backing away, Massachusetts Institute of Technology postdoctoral fellow Chen Jiahao, 31, went towards the blast, curious to find out what had caused it.

"It was really loud sound like a canon going off, the whole ground shook, and thought I should go take a look," said the Singaporean in a phone interview with The Straits Times.

"The whole street was full of smoke, there were lots of people running away, lots of glass and people just lying on the road. I was just very confused at first, I had no idea what was going on as I couldn't get a cellphone signal for news, so I wanted to find out more," he added.

He stood there for the next half an hour, watching the chaos unfold before him as people were led away screaming and crying. Policemen streamed in, ambulances screeched to a halt metres away, and bomb disposal squads arrived. Mr Chen was finally ushered away by policemen evacuating the area.

Speaking from his home he said it is only slowly hitting him how close he came to being one of those bodies on the road.

"It's still too soon, I'm still taking it in. I don't think I'll get over how close I was to the explosions, but life will have to go on, we'll see what happens but the plan for tomorrow is still to go to work," said Mr Chen.

"The good thing is people in Boston are very stubborn, so that's going to help in the city's resilience."

Copyright © 2013 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

He did'nt panic and scream or run for his life. I would be too embarrass if he did that. He's is just too dumb founded by sudden event. He's a PHD student so I can expect him to be analytical and watching how the events unfold. .

Help ? he is in a foreign distant land n he know there's are better people (natives) to help out. Perfectly normal behavior IMO.

acidic.straw
17-04-13, 09:36
He did'nt panic and scream or run for his life. I would be too embarrass if he did that. He's is just too dumb founded by sudden event. He's a PHD student so I can expect him to be analytical and watching how the events unfold. .

Help ? he is in a foreign distant land n he know there's are better people (natives) to help out. Perfectly normal behavior IMO.

As a PHD student, he shd know better than hang around and get in the way. If don't want or cannot help, pl get out of the way. Dont waste the police time and resource. Whether foreign land or not, helping a fellow man in distress is a universal value. Using the reason that there are "better" people or "natives" around to help is poor reasoning and excuse.

radha08
17-04-13, 11:10
he is sporean he is waiting for property price to crash in boston so he can buy...:D

RIP:All those innocent lives lost and may the wounded recover well..God Bless:)

joelx
17-04-13, 11:15
As a PHD student, he shd know better than hang around and get in the way. If don't want or cannot help, pl get out of the way. Dont waste the police time and resource. Whether foreign land or not, helping a fellow man in distress is a universal value. Using the reason that there are "better" people or "natives" around to help is poor reasoning and excuse.

Totally agree with you."helping a fellow man in distress is a universal value" Can you imagine in Sg, we have like 30-40% foreigners, any thing happen all these foreigners just stand and look at the native ppl in pain and distress. Runing away afraid of another potential blast is still understandable, but standing there and wasting the police resource is unacceptable.

august
17-04-13, 11:22
bcos history has shown us heroes die young, while cowards get to live long and prosper. :o

joelx
17-04-13, 11:43
bcos history has shown us heroes die young, while cowards get to live long and prosper. :o

He is not coward, he never run away. If he dies from another blast due to saving other ppl he is hero, but he is standing there and watch the things unfold. Sounds like a beast to me..I better go home and aducate my child not to follow his footstep.

mantrix
17-04-13, 13:46
He is not coward, he never run away. If he dies from another blast due to saving other ppl he is hero, but he is standing there and watch the things unfold. Sounds like a beast to me..I better go home and aducate my child not to follow his footstep.

Typical Singaporean...kaypoh but dun want to get involved.

Cupcakes
17-04-13, 15:56
Humans are always so judgmental :)