SHARON Tan remembers her first day in school in America well.

She recalls being excited about registering that morning with her mother.

What made that day unforgettable was that her school -- Fort Hamilton High School -- is in New York City and her first day of school was on Sept 11, 2001.

Tan was in the school registration office with her mother when they first heard news of the attack on the World Trade Centre that morning.

"It was quiet in the hallways because school was in session and all the students were in their classrooms. Then the phone rang, and an elderly woman, maybe the secretary, answered it.
"I wasn't paying much attention to her until she suddenly gave a loud gasp, and closed her mouth with her hand, repeatedly saying, 'Oh my God, oh my God, that's horrible ...'.

"I thought that maybe a relative or loved one of hers had died. Then she put down the phone and hysterically announced, 'The Twin Towers have been hit!'"

Tan remembers walking down the street with her mother. Everyone was out talking about what had just happened.

When she looked up at the rows of buildings above, she could see thick black smoke billowed out from windows to the clear blue sky. It was from the burning Twin Towers and the sight shocked her.

"On the television screen, I saw people running away from the towers, people jumping off from the highest floors, and the towers crumbling into dust.

"I saw survivors in Manhattan walking slowly out of the island via the bridges.

"It was a chilling scene, like something from a movie. The survivors weren't walking; they were plodding, like zombies in their suits, casuals or workout clothes, covered from head to toe with dust and with trauma in their eyes," Tan recalls.

She later found out that schools would be closed the next day, subway services stopped, and all bridges (the Brooklyn and Manhattan) closed off.

Newscasters spoke of the thick air in Manhattan laden with debris. They also played phone conversations of the air passengers who called their loved ones.

The utter terror and panic apparent in their voices were bone chilling.

Some were screaming before the line went dead, probably because they saw what was in front of them.

"What frightened me was how there could be a group of people dedicated to martyrdom and terror. The idea that there are some who look like regular people, but with malevolent intentions, scares me.

"It means that there is no safe place in the world, and we will always be a paranoid generation where racial profiling and fallout shelters have become the norm.

"My dad, friends and families from Malaysia called to find out how we were doing. They had watched the news on CNN."

Tan did not want to return to Malaysia immediately because she did not feel safe. The idea of flying was the furthest from anybody's mind then.

She eventually returned to Malaysia in 2004. Her mum returned first, followed by Tan, after completing high school.

Tan initially wanted to be a physiotherapist but because she lacked her exam transcript and only has her SATs, she enrolled on INTI International University College (INTI-UC) to study for a Bachelor in Electrical and Electronics awarded by University of Bradford, United Kingdom.

Tan has just finished a three-month stint as an intern with a semiconductor company in Petaling Jaya. It was an experience she enjoyed.

"I wish it was longer. I learned so much and I really enjoyed my time there.

"Initially, I heard scary stories about being an intern. But that was never the case at all and I really enjoyed getting some work experience."

Her time at INTI-UC has made her a well-rounded person.

She is active in college activities, keen on world issues and hates racism and discrimination.

Many Muslims students in her high school were discriminated against and verbally abused after 9/11. It affected Tan because her best friend, a Pakistani, was a victim.

"But not all Americans are biased. Most of them are against those who are."

Tan did have a positive experience with the American school system where the purpose of learning history is "to learn from mistakes and try not to repeat them".

"We discussed political and historical events and why they happened, and how they could have or could not have been prevented. Students are encouraged to voice their opinions.

"For the American education system, 9/11 would be discussed in terms of its causes, and the political strains it produced."

Tan is grateful to be back because Malaysia is a peaceful nation.

She says that young Malaysians are more aware of the world compared to their American peers.

"An American television show once addressed this issue. A foreign character said: 'At least we live in the world. Americans live only in America'."