Montreal
Saturday, July 29, 2006
The Art of Begging in Montreal
There is an extremely large amount of panhandlers in Montreal, so you have to be creative...
Montreal
Montreal
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Back in Montreal
Well, I'm back in Montreal. I haven't blogged since the airport, as I'm staying with my mother and at the age of 71, she really couldn't care less about the internet. I managed to get one of my brother's old computers and modem, so I have a dial-up connection just for checking e-mails and stuff, but for posting any pics... well, you all remember how it used to be.
I arrived on Friday, spent the afternoon and evening with my family. On Saturday I also spent the day with my mom, then went out for dinner with Tara. We went to a Turkish restaurant then went to a place on St. Denis for a shisha... What struck me as interesting was that despite the no smoking law and not being able to smoke cigarettes indoors, smoking a shisha in the cafe was not a problem (I guess the inspectors don't know what to classify it as or something).
Tara and I got together again on Sunday and spent the day on Ile Ste Helene, where the have an outdoor party every week called picnik electronik. I had read about it before, including some bad reviews. I honestly thought it was pretty good. There was a mixed crowd, young, old, families, a bit of this and a bit of that. We danced, went for a swim, walked around the island. Overall a fun day and I'll definitely be checking it out again during my time here.
Here are some pics from that day...
I arrived on Friday, spent the afternoon and evening with my family. On Saturday I also spent the day with my mom, then went out for dinner with Tara. We went to a Turkish restaurant then went to a place on St. Denis for a shisha... What struck me as interesting was that despite the no smoking law and not being able to smoke cigarettes indoors, smoking a shisha in the cafe was not a problem (I guess the inspectors don't know what to classify it as or something).
Tara and I got together again on Sunday and spent the day on Ile Ste Helene, where the have an outdoor party every week called picnik electronik. I had read about it before, including some bad reviews. I honestly thought it was pretty good. There was a mixed crowd, young, old, families, a bit of this and a bit of that. We danced, went for a swim, walked around the island. Overall a fun day and I'll definitely be checking it out again during my time here.
Here are some pics from that day...
Friday, July 14, 2006
Airports...
I'm at the Zürich airport waiting for my flight to Montreal which leaves in just under three hours. I've been here all night and am exhausted and irritated beyond belief. Wishing I had managed to get a better connecting flight, wishing that a certain special someone was with me...
Well, other than that, I actually love airports. I always have, ever since I was a kid. When we'd go to visit my grandparents and relatives in Slovenia(then Yugoslavia), there weren't any direct flights (still aren't except charter), so many hours of my childhood summers were spent airports in London, Paris, Zürich, Frankfurt. I love watching the screens and seeing where all those planes were coming from and going to. So many people who looked so different than what I was used to. All these cultures, personalities, languages in one place, a half-way point for some... I was fascinitated with airports back then.
Well, as dear as they were to me, yesterday was my birthday and I seriously could think of much better places than I could have spent the night than sleeping in the waiting area. Airports feel different at the age of 33 than at the age of 3. People no longer seem foreign, no matter where they are from. Instead of visiting Slovenia from Canada, it's the other way around.
It has been four years since I visited the city I grew up in. This should prove to be an interesting summer.....
Well, other than that, I actually love airports. I always have, ever since I was a kid. When we'd go to visit my grandparents and relatives in Slovenia(then Yugoslavia), there weren't any direct flights (still aren't except charter), so many hours of my childhood summers were spent airports in London, Paris, Zürich, Frankfurt. I love watching the screens and seeing where all those planes were coming from and going to. So many people who looked so different than what I was used to. All these cultures, personalities, languages in one place, a half-way point for some... I was fascinitated with airports back then.
Well, as dear as they were to me, yesterday was my birthday and I seriously could think of much better places than I could have spent the night than sleeping in the waiting area. Airports feel different at the age of 33 than at the age of 3. People no longer seem foreign, no matter where they are from. Instead of visiting Slovenia from Canada, it's the other way around.
It has been four years since I visited the city I grew up in. This should prove to be an interesting summer.....
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Sarajevo....
On an emotional level, Sarajevo was a lot for me to handle.
Bosnia itself has always had a special place in my heart, its warm atmosphere, the blend of the orient and the west. These elements are still there, yet since my last visit to Bosnia, another element has been added: the reminder of war.
The "old" part of Sarajevo (Barščaršija) is still as charming and cozy as ever (if you don't let the beggars get on your nerves too much). While sitting there, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying my "kahva", I felt so at home....
I continued to enjoy the sites, the beautiful architure of Sarajevo's mosques and churches.... My heart sank when I saw the library, which is now being renovated due to damage sustained from the war... more and more such buildings kept appearing, but that wasn't what broke me...
What were once sports fields in the Olympic village are now resting places for the dead. And as I looked up at the beautiful green hillsides that completely surround Sarajevo, hillsides that are now overgrown with white obelisks, I began to cry...
Bosnia itself has always had a special place in my heart, its warm atmosphere, the blend of the orient and the west. These elements are still there, yet since my last visit to Bosnia, another element has been added: the reminder of war.
The "old" part of Sarajevo (Barščaršija) is still as charming and cozy as ever (if you don't let the beggars get on your nerves too much). While sitting there, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying my "kahva", I felt so at home....
What were once sports fields in the Olympic village are now resting places for the dead. And as I looked up at the beautiful green hillsides that completely surround Sarajevo, hillsides that are now overgrown with white obelisks, I began to cry...
Friday, July 07, 2006
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
The Tunnel of Life
During the war this tunnel was Sarajevo's only connection with the outside world.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Nostalgia and Bosnian Pyramids
This weekend I took a bus-trip with coworkers to Bosnia and Herzegovina. A short trip it was, but I saw several lifetimes' worth of beauty, passion, strength and tragedy.
I hadn't been to Bosnia since before the war and I wasn't really sure what exactly to expect. Now that I'm back in Ljubljana, I wish I could go back...spend a few more days in Sarajevo... a couple in Mostar, then come back in time to leave for Montreal....tempting... No, no...I can't do it. Though the school year has ended, I still have a few translations to submit before leaving... kind of limited financially too *sigh*. Anyhow, about the trip...
First of all, I'd like to say that Boban was kind enough to lend me his camera for the trip (Thanks Bobo!). Yes, I'm one of the only losers left on the planet who does not own a digital camera (time for me to make a wishlist...), so I usually borrow one at work. Ok, back to the trip....
We left in the extremely early hours of the morning, almost 3am. I passed out at some point right after crossing the Croatian border. When I woke up, we were in Slavonski Brod, not far from the Bosnian and Serbian borders. We stopped there for a while and had some coffee, breakfast. We still had a long day ahead of us. Sarajevo was still far away.
I was still rather sleepy when we crossed the Bosnian border. I faced the window, daydreaming, became a bit more aware of things when I realised I recognized the place. It was Gradiska. Well, back when I visited it in 1990, it was still known as "Bosanska Gradiska". I had gone there to visit a friend, Dragana Dojcinovic She had spent a couple of years living in Montreal with relatives. I'm not sure why she had to go back.
I wondered what had ever become of Dragana as I continued to stare out the bus window. Now this is part of "Republika Srpska"... A lot more Cyrillic than I remember there being 16 years ago. As the drive contued, I felt nostalgic...
I fell into a bit of a d
aze until I began noticing all the signs of the war. I began to cry. Until I looked up and saw a pyramid.
Well, I don't know if it's really a pyramid or just an oddly-shaped hill. I had read something a while back about a recent claim of finding pyramids in Bosnia. Hmmm, so this was Visoko. It would be nice if it turned out to be true. After what these people have been through, they deserve a break. And whether the theory is bullshit or not, pyramids in Europe would be extremely cool :)
Our next stop was at Ilidza, where we had a look at Vrelo Bosna, the source of the Bosna river. I was extremely enchanted by the park's beauty and took a long walk and tried to soak up as much of its energy as possible.
Ok.So much more to say, but I have to get some work done..Enough procrastinating. I'll be writing more about this wonderful trip in my next post, which will probably be later on today... (yeah, I'll need a break)
I hadn't been to Bosnia since before the war and I wasn't really sure what exactly to expect. Now that I'm back in Ljubljana, I wish I could go back...spend a few more days in Sarajevo... a couple in Mostar, then come back in time to leave for Montreal....tempting... No, no...I can't do it. Though the school year has ended, I still have a few translations to submit before leaving... kind of limited financially too *sigh*. Anyhow, about the trip...
First of all, I'd like to say that Boban was kind enough to lend me his camera for the trip (Thanks Bobo!). Yes, I'm one of the only losers left on the planet who does not own a digital camera (time for me to make a wishlist...), so I usually borrow one at work. Ok, back to the trip....
We left in the extremely early hours of the morning, almost 3am. I passed out at some point right after crossing the Croatian border. When I woke up, we were in Slavonski Brod, not far from the Bosnian and Serbian borders. We stopped there for a while and had some coffee, breakfast. We still had a long day ahead of us. Sarajevo was still far away.
I was still rather sleepy when we crossed the Bosnian border. I faced the window, daydreaming, became a bit more aware of things when I realised I recognized the place. It was Gradiska. Well, back when I visited it in 1990, it was still known as "Bosanska Gradiska". I had gone there to visit a friend, Dragana Dojcinovic She had spent a couple of years living in Montreal with relatives. I'm not sure why she had to go back.
I wondered what had ever become of Dragana as I continued to stare out the bus window. Now this is part of "Republika Srpska"... A lot more Cyrillic than I remember there being 16 years ago. As the drive contued, I felt nostalgic...
I fell into a bit of a d
Well, I don't know if it's really a pyramid or just an oddly-shaped hill. I had read something a while back about a recent claim of finding pyramids in Bosnia. Hmmm, so this was Visoko. It would be nice if it turned out to be true. After what these people have been through, they deserve a break. And whether the theory is bullshit or not, pyramids in Europe would be extremely cool :)
Our next stop was at Ilidza, where we had a look at Vrelo Bosna, the source of the Bosna river. I was extremely enchanted by the park's beauty and took a long walk and tried to soak up as much of its energy as possible.
Ok.So much more to say, but I have to get some work done..Enough procrastinating. I'll be writing more about this wonderful trip in my next post, which will probably be later on today... (yeah, I'll need a break)
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