November 11th, 2010

It's like looking into a glass square of the past but from the other side. This side is more magnifide, fresh and relevant but in a completely different way. Being in a country were the effects of war are all too fresh, remembrance day takes on a different meaning. Instead of the feeling of wanting to remember all that has come before us there is a feeling of relief it has passed. Again I have no idea how to relate to any of this but being at a totally new vantage point is definitely providing new ways to look at things. I have been writing off and on when ever I feel like putting some of these view points to paper. A couple of weeks ago my internet surfing lead to this website that I found, very refreshing for someone who doesn't fully understand what today's wars are all about. Of course the photography is very intriguing but I liked the fact the it just focuses on the soliders and gives you something the media doesn't always display.
Anyways if you have some time check it out: http://www.michaelyon-online.com/
And I thought I would share my writing from that day, seems fitting ....

Oct.26th/2010
It's weird to think that we are living in a time of war. We hear about it all the time in history books yet it never really dawns on us that there is a war going on around the world. Unless you are affected by it. Family, friends, communities are reminded everyday that brave men and women are trying to provoke some kind of peace in the world. And for those of us not directly affected this thought is often far away. I'm sure there are people like myself, who on top of not being reminded of this everyday, we also have no idea how to make out the whole situation to begin with. We have one country saying this and the another saying the opposite, yet they are on the same side, and you have the media focusing on small negatives that seem to give doubt to everything you thought you knew. Your questions about right and wrong are never answered and all of a sudden you find yourself giving up because it's all too confusing. And these are my thoughts about it after being reminded of it for 2 minutes, can you imagine living it everyday - it would be exhausting.
At the end of the day though, we all play a part. Some are at the core, others on the outside - but we all have a role. I know I have no direct impact on anything going on in that 'unknown world' but a part of me hopes that if I take the time to think about those doing good, for even 2 minutes, than they get 2 minutes of strength, support, love, motivation or compassionate, so they can keep doing what they are doing.


"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." JFK
Mich

The Rest of October ...

October has come and gone and again I find myself behind with updates …
I'm definitely missing the beautiful Canadian fall, from the fresh weather, endless colours, and yummy holidays - but I'm finding my unique European equivalents (other than 'american' football - real 'football' just doesn't cut it).
The major highlights from the past month include a trip to Novi Sad, Serbia's second largest city. It is definitely my favourite city in the country, just had a real vibe to it. People were very friendly, they had pride in their city and the scenery was great. Again this was a city destroyed by the NATO bombings in 1999, but it has rebuilt itself quite nicely. The best parts being the giant fortress, which technically makes up half the city, and a beautiful church in their town square. The weather was great so I got some good pictures.









The other highlight was taking a trip to see my brother Tyler in Dublin. It was a last minute decision but everything seemed to fit so I couldn't pass it up - much to the fact that Ty is insanely busy with school (come on what's a couple of days in med school anyways …). It was a really good travel experience - taking the bus from the airport, figuring things out on the go and just enjoying the new environment instead of forced sight seeing. Not to mention I was absolutely ecstatic to hear english again. Unfortunately my Dad was suppose to meet us there as well but he had problems with visa so Mom, Ty, and I had some fun without him. We spent two days in Limerick where Ty goes to school. We saw lots of churches, did a couple of museums, lots of walking, and good food.




















Than we headed to Dublin for three days. The Guinness brewery tour, Trinity College, and the restaurants were probably my favorite parts, but I enjoyed everything. Definitely need to go back to finish off the sights in Dublin and see more of the Island. I got some good picture on this trip too (I had to put the camera away at one point because Ty got a little irritated with the amount I was taking - he had a point haha).
















Other than that work is keeping me busy and I'm finally making some head way with basketball stuff so we will see how November goes. Talk to you soon.

"Where you are going is more important than how fast we get there." UN
Mich