I had a very interesting 2012 and one of the most interesting things—visiting Istanbul—turned into another unusual experience: our plane back had an engine die and we had an unplanned landing in Gander, Newfoundland. I was fascinated by the town and how a local industry was taking care of stranded travelers. One of the stories that came up several times from locals was about how the town had dealt with 9/11. When American airspace was shut down that day, 38 planes carrying 6,000 people had to land in this small town of 10,000 and stay there for several days. The Day the World Came to Town documents how the town rallied to take care of all those travelers. It’s a little schmaltzy, and I have to wonder if some tensions and paranoia amongst the passengers are glossed over a bit, but it’s a heart-warming story and a fast read. There’s also a 45 minute* piece hosted by Tom Browkaw that was broadcast during the 2010 Winter Olympics that covers the story (trigger warning: there’s footage of the Towers falling and other scenes from New York that day).
FuzzyCo grade: A
*The timer on the video clip is wrong and says it’s only 8 minutes. It’s not.
